Our beloved Eastern Tent Caterpillars, Friendly and Dinky, anxiously made their cocoons on 4/13. The pending in-flight creatures, scientifically known as Malacosoma Americanum, are not butterflies at all, but are instead boring brown moths.

Guess that’s an easy mistake to make as a kid, as I did during my heyday of creating “ecosystems” constructed of cylindrical Quaker Oats containers and my mom’s old pantyhose. That was the ’70s, though … now oatmeal comes in huge boxes bought at Costco, we pride ourselves on knowing exactly what kind of insect we’re dealing with (thank you, Internet), and this mom definitely don’t wear no stinkin’ pantyhose.

Friendly and Dinky now share their shoebox-residence with a few baby caterpillars Houston and Miss Jessie found yesterday, while scouring the yard for the aforementioned tents (read: their communal webbed nests found in trees).

Gabriel proudly dons Daddy’s boots.

Besides our new moth larvae members of the family, Houston also befriended an ant yesterday, who he named is Hershey Kiss. The insect now lives in tupperware with ample holes poked on top for proper ventilation. He is currently living in plenty of Carolina red dirt, and feasting on leaves and fruit.

Non-critter nature

In late March, Houston and I finished cutting down the rusty barbed wire in our back yard — a task I began years before I had kids. But since I’m a mom, I dutifully put big bro to work as my assistant.

Houston thoroughly enjoyed handing me the various tools necessary to tackle the project (although he was insistent that a pair of pliers is indeed a wrench). The two of us worked hard clearing the old farm fencing, so we now have a spot for hanging a tire swing — another ancient to-do that will finally come to fruition this spring.

Now, if the boys and Daddy would just get me a hammock for Mother’s Day, our back yard would be pretty darn close to being a recreational/leisurely paradise (hint hint)!

Daddy & the dudes relish in brandishing their “swords” @ Mommy. (Click to see March – Part 1 photos.)

The kids will be attempting to grow one veggie each in our raised-bed garden. They helped me weed and hand-till the dirt, and then Zeke got to plant chocolate cherry tomatoes, Gabriel jalapenos, and Houston cucumbers.

Unfortunately, Houston’s cucumber has already perished. I think it was just a bad plant to begin with. So, the twins and I picked up an okra plant for big bro yesterday on the way home from MOPS. Houston planted it that afternoon, and then we spread a bucket of cow manure Mr. Milt donated to our worthy garden cause.

In addition, Houston and I planted some carrot seeds, and Gabe and Zeke helped me install two more fruit trees.  So if our varied horticulture efforts pan out, we will one day yield the aforementioned veggies, as well as cilantro, basil, strawberries, peaches, apples, nectarines and pears.

Jolly jaunts

On 4/12, the boys and I met up with Miss Christie, Asher, Jackson and Piper. We visited a nearby park on a gorgeous sunny day and the kids tackled the play equipment, battled with light sabers, and went nuts in “the giant sandbox,” which is a really volleyball court, minus the net.

The 3 Amigos are ready for their first soccer practice. (Click to view March – Part 2 pics.)

Last Saturday, Daddy and I took the 3 Amigos to the Natural Science Center for RoboFest, which featured robots, Lego building and lots of other cool engineering displays and activities. And I’m happy to report that when we visited the hall of dinosaurs, none of the dudes were scared of the replicas, as they had been previously.

Another fear conquered is that of the Fry Kids. You know, those fuzzy McDonald’s mascots from the ’80s? “They look like cotton balls with feet,” describes Houston.

Anyway, Zeke was the first to notice them hanging from the ceiling of the only local indoor Play Land — a great rainy-day resource. He became panicked, decided he hated “the ghosts,” and then dubbed the place “the scary McDonald’s.”

Zeke was so sincere in his opposition to the non-threatening fluffs that he even convinced Gabriel to recoil from them. Luckily, they’ve both gotten over the angst, and we have had a successful visit to that McDonald’s since then.

Houston manages the construction crew in the sand egg.

Edible anecdotes

A Sunday school teacher told me that, apparently, Gabriel and Zeke find it enjoyable to dip goldfish crackers in their water cups during snack time. Seems weird enough for my boys, but I asked her what the rest of the class thought about it. “Oh, all the other kids follow right along,” she said with a laugh. “They think it’s a great idea.” What trendsetters!

Thankfully, the 3 Amigos have quite adventurous palates. They’ve discovered their love of jalapeno potato chips and Vietnamese food (well, spring rolls and shrimp fried rice in a combo of soy, fish and plum sauces, but still, pretty impressive). The dudes will also try most anything, which has revealed that Houston likes sushi (well, California Rolls, but still gratifying from my perspective).

Zeke was the last to earn his “fancy dinner” on 4/12. The food wasn’t elaborate, but he was thrilled to chug milk out of a champagne flute, eat off of a glass plate and blow out the candle I had burning for mood lighting. Remember your table manners, boys!