Past week's phone dump

So just now today I realized that all of my phone pictures automatically upload to my computer. Yes, I'm incredibly technologically savvy, I know. The thing is, I tried like crazy to make this happen a few years ago but it only seemed to work if the phone was plugged directly in, there was much anger....anyway, all this time they've been going to the boringly titled folder of "Photo stream" (probably to correlate with the album found on my phone, huh.). Nothing much going on here this week, but this is what showed up:

Hudson does not like to sit through church, and is the trouble child of nursery, so we spend a lot of time outside

Hen keeping us company until children's church starts

Went for a walk with the kids and it felt better on my back to carry Hen and push Hud than the other way around

Spray park is open! Hen letting a tiny dribble touch her. She's no bolder this year.

Hudson crawling once the water stopped. I have the easiest -freaked kids in the world

park play

He loves slides

Steve was home after bedtime quite a few nights last week so we did lots of evening walks to kill time. One night Hen got an ice cream treat. Hud got a spoon and he was very content

Hen bringing up the garbage bin. It's one of her chores and she takes it very seriously

It's easier to move than the recycling bin since it's on wheels

Cool boy

Lots of water play

Also known as mud play to Hudson

Sunday we walked in Cambridge. Can not wait to move back some day. Best town in the world. All summer they close off Memorial Drive so you can just walk, and they have all these kid and adult games/activities set up. Also free yoga classes I want to attend next week

The guys jumping rope

Hen loved her "pig" lol

Riding him up the balance beam

Headed home

Getting long enough to braid!

She always looks longingly, and sometimes inquires, but has never begged, so today she got to ride. I was super nauseous just watching but she liked it

Hud thought it was pretty cool too :)

There are rumors of another park play date with the loved and soon-to-be-departing Maggie and then Grandma S is coming tomorrow! Lots of fun, lots of hot humidity :/

Camping

Yesterday we packed the car to beyond capacity and set forth for a campground a few miles away. I've always sneered at those who "camp" at campgrounds; such wimps! Pack in your gear! Rough it! With 2 kids in tow, I take back everything. In fact, next time we go (and there WILL be a next time, we all had a blast) I think we'll rent a second vehicle to haul even more gear. There were a few other families from church, each with 2 kids a piece,  and we ended up with adjacent sites so picture a little horde of kids charging about everywhere. This place had a playground, heated pool, lots of adult games (basketball, bocce, tetherball, ping pong), and the nicest cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen at a public facility. Everyone who worked there was super nice as well, stopping to chat if they went past. We were really close to the front of the place so got the main traffic but it was still (relatively) quiet, very shady. Hudson could barely contain himself there were so many people to wave to, things to look at, dirt to play in...Friends lent us their 9 person tent (yeah, it was bigger than Henri's bedroom) and other than Steve winning out so there was no blow up mattress (we will be getting one for the next trip!) everything was perfect. Perfect weather, perfect number of bugs (hardly any), perfect meals...we had fun and can't wait to try again.

So he climbs up on the chair then walks up the back to try and get out the window

I was desperately trying to pack and Henri came in to the kitchen sobbing because Clive (our fish) was missing his dad and mom. Explanations about the solitary nature of beta fish was not working until she suddenly perked up and said she'd read to him. A few minutes later I peeked into the living room and saw this. 

Hud's very into selfies AND sticking out his tongue right now, lol

We made some mini muffins for the trip and the kids had to sample

First meal and people watching. He could hear a train as well and would get a big thrill from that :)

Our campsite

First thing in the morning. He slept pretty normal, up 3x to nurse but right back to sleep

Hard to get a view of the whole place, but did I mention it was HUGE??

Our friends to the side had a site made of pure sand, so Hen was over there most of the time just digging

More eating

Hanging out in the tent

Ok, so Steve insists coffee is a drug and won't touch it. But as we were camping, he felt it was important to try a sip (I brought my french press. see why we were out of space?). He appeared in my window pretending (I thought) to drink a sip of my coffee and said he liked it. When I went to drink mine, it was half gone!!!! Little stinker loved it and guzzled it down. 

Off to the playground

There were dump trucks and both kids spent almost 2 hours filling them, playing in the pebbles, going down the slide. It was a great family space

We ate a lot

Lying in the tent while Hud napped. 

Tent takedown

We went off site for an ice cream treat. Yum!

More sand play. She got a good scrubbing when we got home :)

And the weekend's just beginning! We might have to take my little 2 person tent out in the yard and do some more camping out tomorrow night :)

10 months

The last month has been one of big growth for Hudson. I know this is normal of this age, but it seems every time I turn around I'm confronted with the fact that he's a little boy now and not a baby. He knows exactly what you're saying (as evidenced by the fact that he can, if he wants to, get whatever object you've asked him to retrieve), knows the house rules (and chooses routinely to ignore them, all the while watching me to make sure I'm watching him flout them), is starting to talk (the words are only identifiable because I'm with him 24/7, but they're distinct sounds for set items like "ball", "hello" (not Hi), Mom (Mem), Dad...), and is on the go. He started to truly crawl on all fours but is still much faster with his "swim" so he usually sticks to that.
Taking after his oldest cousin, Hudson is a climber. Oh the things that boy can get up on. All the windows have the child safety latch pulled out so they can only go up an inch because he's figured out how to climb up chairs, shelves, you name it, to get to them. He has mad upper body strength and uses that to grab the towel rod in front of the sink, do a chin up until he can get his feet on to Henri's stool, and then get to the bathroom counter (and all the goodies left on it). He loves to eat anything as long as it's a bread product. I'm failing this child in the nutrition department, though he did scarf down a pear today. Greens, except in a smoothie, are nasty. He likes grass and clover though.  He's got six teeth now and I spotted a seventh lurking just below the surface. Thank goodness for our teething necklace!
He is soooo affectionate. He gives the biggest hugs to those he loves, and my favorite time with him is right after his afternoon nap when he just wants to squeeze your neck and give kisses. He thinks Henri is hilarious (he got hiccups today watching her brush her teeth) and she is fabulous with him. They've started to play together to the point where the other day they went in to Henri's room, shut the door, and kept each other entertained for 30 minutes until I got too nervous and went in to watch them...but even then they were happy and kind to each other. Not that they don't have their moments (Hen gets irritated and pushes him over, Hud tries to bite...) but for the most part Hen is more understanding of Hud than me. When he's being particularly challenging (ie screaming his head off for no reason) I'll ask Hen what he wants, and she usually knows. Her typical response is "he just needs love, mama" and she's usually right. This boy requires lots of loving on.

Check out the teeth and great hair. He's a looker ;)

Watching Dad's softball game

He loooves the park. He climbs up the slide ladder by himself then launches head first on his tummy down it. Over and over. I got quite a few condemning looks from other moms once they learned his age, but hey, keeps him happy and I don't think he can hurt himself. 

Deceiving photo. Henri loves the swings, Hudson takes after me and prefers off very quickly

Had to brag a bit on my cautious Hen; she's climbing to the top of the cargo net now! She initiated this on her own and is very proficient at it as long as I stay away and pretend not to see her attempting it. Once she sees me watching she acts like she can't and needs help, but if she's by herself you can see her plotting out her moves and executing it (she'll tell you that she's "strategizing". Thanks, Sesame Street!)

He has tons of toys. His favorite is the recycling (and it was laundry day, hence the pile of clothes. I don't usually leave that much of a mess around)

Pulling grass

Insists on feeding himself the pouches now

My peonies bloomed! Had to bring one inside it was so pretty and smelled so nice.

Can't believe I only have one more monthly check in and then Hudson will be ONE! I spent a lot of time picturing/imagining life with a toddler and a baby, somehow I forgot that soon there would be a preschooler and a toddler. We've definitely hit the fun stage with him :)