Let's Face It Mom!

While other Moms blog about their ventures in brewing organic baby food and constructing sturdy cloth diapers while weaving baskets and establishing non-profit organizations to stave world hunger I am blogging about my need to step it up. It took a sunburned child to throw me over the edge... 

Today we went to the beach with some friends and I didn't reapply/put on as much sunscreen on Hudson as I should have and now...HE IS A PINK LOBSTER! Let's face the music, child protection officers will be coming to my door in the morning to take my child away. Note to self: You can never put too much sunscreen on a white boy. Just because he isn't pink at the moment doesn't mean he won't be later:(

VICTIM: Ummm HELP!

He really does match his sippy cup. This is enough to make me dress my kid in a mummy suit whenever we go outside.

I can't believe we made all the way into September and then he got his first sunburn....

Growing Up Happens TOO FAST!

As of September 3rd, Hudson is now 15 months old and he just keeps getting more spunk. He laughs at himself and his jokes that Thomas and I don't ever seem to get, but we always laugh anyway:) He's taking a liking to throwing balls and anything else he puts into that category and running around the yard kicking the soccer ball (it makes his soccer lovin' Momma proud:)). He is so curious and he manages to press all the right buttons and keys to end up shutting down a computer or turning off the TV or making calls on our phones...my favorite is cleaning up the same messes all day long. I really should learn to just deal with the clutter instead of fighting it. He has a knack for emptying bins, dressers, buckets, cupboards, chests, boxes... You name it! Currently, Hudson has a fascination with his belly button and everyone elses. He will find his belly button with his pointer finger and then run around the house or run to me waiting for me to show mine to him and congratulate him on his findings:) It never gets old.

Last week the whole family got hit with a flu that has been going around... it hit all our friends and their families, so we thought we were out of the woods unscathed. UH UH. This little long john silver got the worst of it. It was his first flu experience and I've never felt so bad in my life! He was so lifeless and I could tell he wasn't feeling well by how he would come up to me and just want to snuggle. I have to admit, I loved that part. It was precious. But it was totally out of character! He is a mover and shaker, not a Momma's boy. We didn't enjoy seeing him so sick... He managed to poop through all his shorts in one afternoon. After that experience and 24 diapers later, we were still camped out on the couch only getting up to once again change a diaper every 2 seconds. A week of the runs is rough. Now that we're feeling better, we are counting our blessings!

This is Hudson in his hunka-little-man suit given to him when he was born from Ashley (my sis). It is an 18 month suit with everything including the pants, coat, vest, shirt and tie. I have been dying to get him into it ever since! I had to do a little hemming of the pants, which will be totally worth it when we are enjoying the cuteness for at least an 3 extra months:) The pictures don't give the handsomeness justice! 

I don't know if he is trying for the "I'm hot and I know it" kind of look that would be totally blown if he even tried to crack a smile??? I took this before church last Sunday, maybe a little too early for smiles.

15 months and his neck is noticeably thinning out. We think anyway:)  We love you Mr. Chubby!

Hudson has been enjoying a lot of different foods now that he has several molars. It's cute to watch little kids eat. It  appears to take a lot of concentration. This is after breakfast when Hudson is his happiest.

Although I caught this picture right when he is bearing down on the duck beak... he really is fascinated with true purpose of puppets more than just chewing on them. He will make the sounds of the animals and put one in my hand then take a seat to tell me he's ready... fortunately, he does occasionally try to help me out with dialogue. Oh 15 months is a fun age!

Nation's Cap and Auntie Ash

Last week, we packed our little family and all our gear into our Camry and made the 12 hour drive to Washington D.C. Good times were had with Great Expectations (book on tape), crackers and our very busy 1-year-old in the back going absolutely stir crazy after a mere 1 hour of being in the car:) Nevertheless, we pursued our journey with the end goal in mind: my sister Ashley and a week of enjoying our beloved nation's capital.

Ash was good enough to house us at her place in the city and be our fantastic and doting tour guide for the week. We saw and did SO much and loved every minute. When we weren't being tourists and going to museums, monuments and government buildings, we were watching the Olympics at the apartment with Ash and her roommates Megan and Aubrey. Love them:)

Our first day, we ate at Good Stuff Eatery... a 5 thumbs up! We stuffed our faces then met up with Ash's friend who gave us a tour of the Capitol building. This picture was taken on a balcony that overlooks the heart of the city with the Washington Monument and the Mall (No, there isn't any shopping at this "Mall" much to our dismay). Later on, in the evening we did get our outdoor shopping feel when went down into Georgetown and walked around a bunch of really cute little shops as we made our way to dinner.

There is so much artwork and ornate work put into every detail of the Capitol. We loved all the history and the first hands experiences we were able to have.

We just had to get a picture by this picture which shows Washington handing over his position as President. He sacrificed a great deal for our country to be the many good things it is today. Now that that's been said, glance your eye to my favorite part: Hudson passed out in the stroller:) He was such a trooper through it all. Seriously, he is such a well-tempered little man! He was basically our prisoner all week and he did his best to just roll with the punches. Thank you Hudson!

We tried to get a picture with the three of us and the Capitol... No capitol, but a good biggie-sized pic of us. Good job us!
On our way over to the White House after seeing the Capitol, we saw a motorcade of the "man himself". It was kind of crazy watching as these motorcycles came tearing out of the White House roadway followed by several blacked-out suburbans, two limos and then some more black suburbans with the back hatch open and guys with guns poking out. It was kind of a big deal:)

This is a totally awesome picture. The sky and the Capitol. Don't mind the green bug at the bottom:)

Our All-Star player for the team during the week! Smiles and all:) We are walking through the Zoo during the late afternoon, when all the animals were asleep so we saw a tortoise and some small turtles...we love our shell friends, but let's be honest, it was an anti-climatic zoo trip!

We went to several Smithsonian Museums including: The National Museum of Natural History (the picture above), the National American History Museum (saw the first ladies' outfits and many presidents' artifacts), the National Museum of Art (we got our fill of naked sculptures!), the National Holocaust Museum (a solemn experience...), AND the National Air and Space Museum. Pretty cool stuff. 

On Tuesday, we went to the Iwo Gima Memorial and watched the Marines do a parade on the field. Let's be honest, Hudson just ran around while we tried to catch glimpses of the event. It is a beautiful monument with a powerful feeling of sacrifice. That night, we rode bikes around to see the Jefferson, MLK, FDR, and Lincoln monuments that surround the Potomac river. It was a brilliant idea from my sister Ash. We got to see all we wanted to without all the heat and traffic of the day. The monuments were outstanding all lit up at night as well.

In the little town of quaint Alexandria, we ate dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant and then we made a stop for our hankering sweet tooths at Ben and Jerry's. Hudson loved this cow and we loved the picture below of the two stooges (Ash and Hudson) :)

After satisfying our taste buds, we went to a state park that is right before the Reagan airport. It was pretty neat to feel like we could nearly touch the bellies of the planes as they landed on the runway. Hudson loved it. We also know where to go if we ever feel like making out in public with 20 other couples:) Not my cup of tea.

On one of our last days, we made a trip to Mount Vernon where we visited the "estate"
(not home, as we were corrected) and grave site of George Washington. It was a pretty neat experience. Not to mention, the back yard had an amazing view.

The open space was a dream for Hudson. The only downside was that there was a steep sloping  down the backside and Hudson was a little too curious...

One of our favorite stops was the Library of Congress. Once again, this was such an ornate building, with every detail done with such care and beauty. This is an exhibit of "Books That Have Shaped America". We also got to see the library of Thomas Jefferson which was pretty inspiring. 

Around the molding of the ceilings were quotes about knowledge, wisdom and learning that were also inspirational.
Also on this day we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights at the Archive Building.

I REALLY NEED TO BE BETTER ABOUT BLOGGING.

You know this is true when one blog post has a billion pictures. I have been slacking!

To begin the swamping of pictures... I start with THEE cutest picture from our beach experiences. We absolutely love Emily Tranter. She and Hudson have become quite acquainted from all our get-togethers and it is adorable how they stick together and wander around.

TWOO WUV....

The aftermath of playing out in the heat and sunshine: Hudson guzzled his milk then zonked. 

The only time Hudson played with our own beach toys. Had to capture the moment. The second we arrive to the beach he's off and on business making new friends and stealing toys that look cooler than his own. That's our boy!

I think we run this poor lil pup into the ground. But we gotta make hay while the sun shines! Another aftermath of the heat and sunshine...

Emily: What kind of species Hud???
Hudson: I dunno doc. Staring contest, you and me, GO!

Couldn't help but let the lyrics to "Sandman" by America flow through my head...

"Funny, I've been there and you've been here
And we ain't had no time to drink that rootbeer...
Cause I understand you've been running from the man
That goes by the name of the Sandman.
He flies the sky like an eagle in the eye
Of a hurricane that's abandoned."

Totally irrelevant other than the title.

Still working on getting all the sand out of all the cracks...

What the???! Camo-moth? I about died when I saw this beast on the front landing of our house. He was the size of both my hands together! Now Thomas would say that isn't saying much, but all I know is this thing crossed the border into birdom. Or aircraft for that matter. 

A couple weekends ago I became a mother of 5. Hudson loved being doted upon and entertained, even if it meant playing with dolls. I would adopt these kids in a heartbeat. Love em'.

They won Thomas' heart double time by washing his car. They are hired!

We even put Hudson to work.

Such a big boy. He has about 50 terrifying molars, walks around the house growling and jabbering commands while pointing to his belly button, WHILE trailing his blankie behind. He has officially qualified himself as a toddler.

For the Young Women activity last week we took the girls to the Chicago Botanical Gardens. I love these girls. 

Hudson enjoyed the attention from all the girls. Do his pink cheeks give away that it was a million degrees to boot??? 

Making sand mustaches with a little taste testing involved. I still don't get why he has to eat at least a handful of sand every time we go... that can't be good on the pipes!

This guy wears his sunglasses at night. Oh yeah.

Our beloved Spencer came in to see us for a quick day and a half. We made the most of it  by heading down into the city where we caught a baseball game playing by 1860's rules, going to Ravinia outdoor amphitheater to listen to the Chicago Symphony and Orchestra/chase Hudson around for 2 hours, eat at the "q" barbecue house where we broke about every diet restriction Spence was supposed to be abiding by. Why do I feel like such a bad influence?

Here are the baseball boys and the "plump ump".  No joke. This guy was perfect for the part. It was awesome.

Hudson has really revved up the jabbering. It is particularly amplified in small areas---especially in public where everybody's eyes seem to be screaming "QUIET YOUR CHILD!" We tried to get him into our BBQ pork sandwiches and beans, but he just kept choosing to gnaw on the crayons that the server gave him. What is a 1-year-old supposed to do with crayons???

When going downtown, we love to park by the infamous "HUDSON AVE."  Everyone should have at least one picture taken by their street name in their lifetime. Doesn't Hudson look thrilled?

Ravinia with Spencer: We brought all the guns to the show to keep this little guy entertained and happy, but nevertheless....we were forced to explore the grounds instead after some adorable choo choo time.

Our last goodbye before taking Spencer to the airport...always sad to see him go, but SO glad he came to see us! Thanks for the memories bro!

A Little Sunshine In The Soul

First of all, it has been SOOO nice to have a husband again after a long and tedious first year of graduate school for Thomas. Hudson is also very happy to have his "Da" back for the summer:) We have been trying to take full advantage of the low key summer break to spend time as a family. It has been refreshing to spend time at our beloved Lake Michigan beach, various parks, playgroup, and to put an extra spin into our summer... we are moving! A whoppin' 1.1 mile away. (Updates to follow) We are moving up in the world and have decided to move into a two bedroom apartment! WOOO HOO! About time I'd say:)

Having a "whale of time" at the park. Gotta love the shovel in hand:) Anything with a handle is Hudson's pal. 

Hudson is a big kid now. I have come to grips with this reality, but haven't embraced it just yet. He roams all around so independently it is fun to watch how excited he gets to have space to just RUN.  What can I say, he's a kid. A thoroughbred little boy. And we love him!

The boys at playgroup... Filthy dirty and having the time of their lives. This humidity is a killer when it's in the 90's/100's! But it doesn't seem to phase them...

We have totally become beach bums. If we had the option and could survive with a cooler of food, we would consider living in a tent and being legit beach bums. I don't know how Tom and I would look with dreads, but I know Hudson would:) Hudson borrowed one of our friend's little girl's chair. Our son is sporting the pink. We have got to get him a more masculine chair...

Eating sand still hasn't gotten old. WARNING: I'm pretty sure the side effects include the runs. Not so recommended if it can be avoided.