Sunday, November 24, 2013

UP birthday

Our baby turned one.  He had an UP birthday party.  I went and bought a big bundle of balloons and we headed over to the park.  The weather was once again perfect and we rode the train around the park.  
We made some very simple cupcakes and topped them with some mini "balloons"....
He sat and unwrapped his presents one tiny piece of paper at a time.  He got some clothes and a new toy dump truck from mom and dad.
a couple of fun new balls from Grandma...
Then of course the part everyone was waiting for, the eating of the first cupcake.  It is always fun to see the way that each of the kids have approached this on their first birthday.  As soon as Hunter handed it to him he said "mmmmmm" and then grabbed it and started going to town.  He totally knew what to do and was very serious and focused on getting every last piece, even the ones that had fallen into the grass.
When it was gone he looked at us with his blue frosted goatee as if to say, "Okay it's gone, bring on another one!!"  After presents and cake the kids each made their own hot air balloons.  We started with one design and then the kids modified them in different ways to make them go higher.
Hudson LOVED watching the kids floating their balloons around the park.  The colors were so bright and beautiful floating up through the fall leaves.  Hunter worked and worked on his and when he was finished he tested it out and we were all amazed.  It would float high up into the trees and then just hover for a long while.  Then just as if it were a real hot air balloon it would suddenly start slowly lowering back down to the ground.  It was actually graceful.  I couldn't believe how he had made it able to glide like that.
Soon the other kids were trying to figure out how to adjust their balloons to make them hover which actually made for a really neat teaching moment.  We figured out how to make Em's float around just high enough for her to chase and then catch as it went down.
The kids spent a couple of hours floating and chasing them.  Hudson kept pointing and clapping.  It was so fun for him.  It was the perfect outdoor activity for all of them to do together.
It was a wonderful birthday and Hudson was so content and happy the entire time.  I love him so much.  He is my little man.  Mr. Magoo I can not believe how fast his first year has gone.  You bring so much laughter into our house with your cute grin and silly little personality. You make us laugh.  You always have hugs and snuggles for all of us and get so excited to see Hunter, Avery and Emma.  I am always amazed that when I hug you, you hug back.  You are inquisitive, strong, busy, silly, happy, and wonderful and keep my days so busy and full.  I love trying to keep up with you and playing with you.  We all love you so much.  I am so grateful to get to be your mommy.  Happy Birthday Hudson!!!!!

Hudson is 1.

I wanted to document a few fun things about Hudson right now at age 1.  He is starting to say so many things but "ball" and "wow" are the two most frequently used.  He loves stroller rides with mom (especially nighttime rides), he is a major blanket baby.  He takes a corner of the blanket in his hands and rubs it between his fingers when he is tired or for comfort, it is so cute.  He loves any of the kids to chase him around the house and tickle him.  He crawls around growling at everyone trying to signal that he is ready to wrestle or chase.  They are the cutest little growling noises.  He climbs everywhere on everything.  He is constantly climbing into the toy drawers, inside the kitchen cupboards and trying to climb the piano bench. 
Every night when mom is cooking he is at my feet with the fridge magnets and bowls, spoons and spatulas pretending to mix and stir.  Once he hits the tupperware drawer he will find a bowl and put it on his head like a hat and keep on mixing.  He always puts the tupperware on his head and crawls around playing.  It is hilarious.  He finally has six teeth and is still a little "lightweight" at only 19 pounds.  He is still nursing and if it was up to him he wouldn't give it up.  He continues to be super snuggly and loves climbing up onto my lap with his blanket to just sit and let me hold him.  He likes to "dance" to music.  It amazes me how aware he already is of emotions.  If any of the kids are crying or sad he will furrow his eyebrows in concern and then hurry over and pat them and hug them.  He also knows how to give kisses and loves to give them to mom.
 He has a silly toothy grin and when he is wrestling with dad lets out an adorable belly laugh.  He is inquisitive and sweet.  He continues to be a super easy, HAPPY HAPPY baby.  He makes us laugh with all the silly things he is always doing.  Such a little ham :) :)

Morning, birthday boy!










Sunday, November 17, 2013

Ships

Everytime we go to San Diego we are always trying to find new things to see and do since there are so many things to see there.  Again we were blessed with amazing weather to be outside enjoying the day.  We decided to go down to the port and see the ships at the Maritime Museum.  None of our kids had ever seen a real ship with sails and it was neat to not only see them, but go on them and get to explore them.  When we first pulled up, I may have been more excited than anyone.  As a girl I LOVED the book the True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle which takes place on a ship and seeing these ships made me feel as if I was going back in time and into the story. Aren't they beautiful????
 The museum tour included two submarines, three sailing ships and an old riverboat that has been turned into the museum.  We decided to tour the subs first.
 The kids loved that we had to turn around and go down the stairs backwards to climb down inside and that the passageways were all narrow and filled with knobs, dials and buttons.
 They took multiple turns looking at things above through the periscope...
 It was neat to see but it made me feel so claustrophobic.  I can't imagine being inside with an entire crew all trying to work together and live together day in and day out.  Hudson sat in the missile tube..
 After checking out the subs we were able to tour an actual working ship that had docked in san diego just for the weekend from Columbia.  It was neat to get to compare the older ships with one that actually sails today and see how they both run.
 Next we toured a ship that was used in some of the movie Pirates of the Carribean-On Stranger Tides.  It was so awesome.  I wished that I could be a kid again and play pirates on its deck.  Wished that I could take a ride on it out in the ocean and see what it would be like.  Couldn't help but go over to the side of the ship and look out at all the water and forget everything that was happening around me.  It stirred up the adventurer inside of me.    
 Seriously, I could have cut off the ropes and sailed away with Deke on a romantic sailing adventure.  The sounds of the water, the aging of the ship, the ropes and the sails blowing in the wind.  I can't even imagine how romantic it could be out on the water by only candlelight surrounded by the darkness of the ocean.  
 We also toured the Star of India.  As we toured a group of school kids were there doing an overnight activity that all the fifth graders have the opportunity to do in their district.  The kids get to spend one day and night aboard the boat and act as the crew.  The staff all have roles and the kids get to do duties as a crew member all day and eat and sleep below in special "crew's quarter's."  Lucky kids :) :)
 Down below they had a play ship that the kids quickly took command of and started their own play scenario. They took turns being captains and giving their crew orders to run the ship.  I could have sat and watched them play for hours.
 It was my favorite thing I have seen in San Diego so far.  We were there the entire day.  We stayed until dinnertime and then headed to Island's to have some delicious hamburgers before we went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.  I'm going to dream about sailing on ships tonight I am sure of it :) :)