a fun day

My cousin Robin lives in Japan with her husband and 2 boys - and she's here for a long visit. We met today for lunch at Scotty P's (mmmmmmm, cheese fries) and then we took the kids to Build A Bear. It was Hudson's first time, along with Robin's boys, Kai and Ren. They had such a good time! :)

Thanks, Mum, for the fun day!

it's still funny

I think everyone that reads this has kids or did years ago so you can forgive the nature of the post...

I just popped Hudson in the bath for a quick shampoo (there was a red fruit roll up in the hair incident) and as he stood in the tub he started to pee. He watched it until he was finished and then looked at me and said "I spilled."

So funny.

10 things I hear at least once each and every day

And when I say at least once a day, I would throw a party if it ever happened ONLY once.

10. "Can I have a snack (or, if it's Hud, "nack")?"
9. Some sort of screaming/crying over a toy - usually involving Hudson.
8. "Can we go to McDonald's?"
7. "Si-side?"
6. Some sort of screaming/crying because Abby and/or Jake went outside and Hudson can't.
5. "Can I go to Emma's/Annie Grace's/Makayla's?"
4. "Mama, you forgot to get me my ______!" (fill in the blank with juice, milk, food item, shoes...)
3. "Why?"
2. "I love you, Mama" (this is the only one that is exempt from the first statement.)
and the number one thing I hear over and over...
1. "Mama!" (this one I would be happy to cut down to 50 or so.)

It's like living in your very own Groundhog Day movie.

waterslides, OCD, ATVs, and the big 4-0

Friday morning my neighbor Jill called and asked if I wanted to take the kids to Hawaiian Falls with her family. When I told Jake we were going, he immediately started crying hysterically and he said "This is the WORST DAY of my LIFE!!!" at least 10 times. All this because I had previously told him that I would not be taking him back there if he was going to spend the entire day in the lazy river - we have a FREE pool in our neighborhood. Jake is my cautious one. Also a little OCD, I think. Well, he saw us loading up the car and decided to stop crying and come with us, promising to ride any slide I wanted him to. And of course, as soon as he rode the first one, he wanted to go again and again. He LOVED it. The only condition was we had to ride the exact same slide, get it using the exact same "lane", sit in the exact same order, and he would not ride with anyone else. The last time we went down I made him use the other "lane" for the same slide and it took a while to convince him that "it would feel the same and turn the same...". See? OCD.

When we got home, Hudson's birthday present was fully charged so we (he) did a little 4-wheelin'...
Don't let the grouchy face fool you - he loves his new toy...it was just a l-o-n-g day for a toddler.

My boy also enjoys his chocolate. We have decided that eating is a full sensory experience for him.Finally, last night we celebrated our good friend Mitch's 40th birthday. Happy birthday Mitchie - we love you!

i told you so

When I started this whole blogging thing I said I've never been much of a "journal-er", but blogging seemed like an easy way to jot down the day-to-day stuff that I won't remember a month from now. I feel like I did pretty well for several weeks there, and now the slacking has begun. It's not really slacking though. I literally log in every night and end up walking away because I can't think of anything to write about. I guess I'm kind of intimidated by all the other blogs I frequent...I don't feel like anything I'm going to write about is all that funny, or meaningful, or poetic, or important. I need to get over that. And I'm trying.


So tonight I will play "catch-up" - and you get a really long post. Yay for you!

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First, I had this feeling today that I wanted to write down. Possibly so that I can look back anytime (probably in the near future) when I may NOT be feeling this way and be encouraged. I ADORE my kids. Am crazy about them. Yes, I always adore and love and am crazy about them but this is different. It's a peacefulness and contentment. I am usually crawling out of my skin by this time each summer, wanting to be home with them but also slowly going insane. Not this year. I think I will be almost as upset when school starts as I was each time I had to leave them for the first time at daycare. They are so great. And I am having the best summer.

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Last Saturday Poppy took a ride in this airplane as a birthday gift. He had a great time, and this kids loved watching him. Here are a few pics:

I know I've mentioned this before, but do you think Grandaddy and Hudson like each other a little bit? I give you Exhibits A, B and C:

Happy Birthday Poppy!

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Could there be any more flies this summer? Seriously.

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Abby finally decided to start riding her "big girl" bike that she got in February. Andy and I totally believe she will have the training wheels off before Christmas.

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Hudson is not afraid of anything. Our neighbor got a scooter for her birthday the other day, and Hudson just can't quite understand why we won't let him ride it like the big kids. Here he is with Mr. Craig finally getting to ride...

And when the ride is over?

"Fine. I'll just take my helmet and leave."
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And finally...a little shout out to Murdock's sister who gave birth to her first child this week...and named him Hudson. :) Congrats!

Freeze!

Hudson is 23 months old today. I cannot believe it. I don't want to believe it. I want him to stay a baby...or stay this age...I'm not ready to have no more cribs, no more diapers (well, that won't be so bad, at least budget-wise), no more outfits that snap between the legs, no more words that only I know the meaning of. Ok - I have to move on or I won't be able to finish this.

Hudson, you are soooooooooooo much fun. Although you are still VERY independent, you have recently become very attached to me which I love. You love to say "Sugar" and give a kiss and then "Hug" and give a hug to me and Daddy. In that order too. And it may repeat several times before you move on.

You learned a new trick a few weeks ago called falling/jumping off the chair in our bedroom and landing on the throw pillows. When I walked in the first time you tried it you yelled "Mama, otch" and threw yourself down, laughing the whole time. You have no fear...whether it's jumping off the chair, jumping from one side of the sectional to the other, jumping off the diving board or side of the pool, going down the tallest, steepest slide at the playground...I have a feeling that you may be our first visit to the ER.

You still ADORE your sister and you do literally everything she does. You even carry a blanket now because Abby does. It actually works in our favor a lot of the time - like when we want you to eat your dinner and you really have more important things to do. Abby just steps in and tells you to do what she does and she bites, you bite. Daddy and I love watching y'all together and I hope that you stay best friends.

You love your "Bubba" too. You are learning to be very tough from all of the wrestling matches and football that you play together. You are so lucky to have a brother and sister to look up to and play with.

I love that you do something new every day. I can't wait to see what happens next.

We love you monkey!

more favorites

*freebirds
*coming home to a totally clean house (cleaned by someone other than me)
*the way toddlers dance
*homemade strawberry cake
*road trips with Andy
*watching fireworks with my kids (especially now that J doesn't freak)
*Target (is it possible to actually get ONLY what you go in for?)
*my high school friends...i LOVE that we still hang out all the time - and that our kids will be friends :)

ok. i'm tired. andy's out of town (kinda) for the next 2 nights and today was l-o-n-g. gotta sleep so i can post about little monkey man tomorrow.

9 years

Nine years ago today I married my best friend.

On our first (dating) anniversary (13 years ago) I made Andy a little book called "I love you because...". I read it this morning and it's funny how many of the things I wrote then I would write now - like:
*you like to hold hands

*you always know the right thing to say

*your integrity

* you make me feel beautiful

It also reminded me of things that were buried in my overwhelmed brain - like:

*you drove 100 mph down Texas Avenue just so you could wave to me

*you're my "favorite"

*you remember what I was wearing the night we met

*you're a great movie buddy (that's the only one that I couldn't say now! )

The last sentence in that book was "I love you Andy - always have and always will."

So very true.

Happy anniversary Andy!

first concert

This is a few weeks overdue, but see previous post...I'm playing "catch-up". We took Abby and Jake to their first concert on June 21. Abby adores Taylor Swift so when it was announced months ago that she was opening for Rascal Flatts I knew we had to go. It was at Starplex/Smirnoff/Superpages.com and we went with a big group of friends. We had lawn seats, the weather was perfect and the show was awesome! Abby was in awe of Taylor Swift and when she ended her last song Abby looked at me and asked "Is she going to come hug me now?". So cute.

First concert t-shirts: