Play date and Boston

Hope everyone is having a great week!  We are gearing up for Adley's 2nd birthday this weekend!! Crazy how fast time flies.  The kids had a play date with some of my college besties and their babes last week.  It was supposed to be a pool day, but the Ohio weather kept us indoors, as it has been raining significantly more this season.  But it didn't stop the kiddos from having a good time.  The bounce house fit in the basement and the play room was destroyed...so the day was a success!  Adley only wanted to hang with the big kids.  She never left Hudson and Stella's side...

The entire crew!  Ages ranging from 8 weeks to 4 years old.  

The picnic was moved inside but the kids didn't seem to mind.  

 

It has been a crazy month for Chris and his work travels.  He was in Detroit for a week, then home for about 24 hours before he and Hudson headed out to Boston.  The New England Patriots had their training camp and it was a must-see for my boys.  Apparently Tom Brady may retire after this year so it was their "only chance" to see him.  Not sure how fabricated that info is, but I bought it and accepted the fact that the men in my life have a man-crush on the #12 QB.  As do I.

Not sure exactly what went on over the five days they were there...as Hudson was always screaming in the background (screeches of pure joy, that is).  But it sounded like they had an amazing time of nonstop football and site-seeing; Chris' two favorite things to do in life.  And Hudson is happily following in his footsteps.  Lots of football, lots of history.  And even some Tom Brady sightings!

[Chris takes over the keyboard]


I'll tell ya what happened.....Hudson was non-stop excited the entire trip!  He kept wanting to take pictures with Pat Patriot (the mascot), and the cheerleaders (which unfortunately by the time we walked over there they had all left).  But Pat Patriot was all-too-happy to take a pic with us!!!

There were all sorts of activities for the kiddos too at Patriot Kid Zone.  This proved a double-edged sword for daddy though.  Because as much as Hudson loves those Patriots, he can only watch so much of practice before the Kid Zone would call out to him.  Daddy of course wanted to stay and watch practice, but my trusty friend Mike would keep reminding me, "Ummmm Chris.....I thought this trip was for Hudson?"   Oh yeah.   Sigh.  Okay Hudson.  Fine.  I would love to slog through this sea of humanity in order for you to have fun.

Or other times, we'd just be sitting back in our seats and Hudson would say, "Daddy, I gotta go potty."  Double sigh.  We were THAT family!   Luckily, most of the parents there could empathize with my struggles!!!  Either way, it wasn't all bad b/c we got some cool pictures of Hudson "trying out" for the team!!!

Finally!  At last!   Back to watching practice!!!

Tom Brady showing off his                                                       Oooooooh! TB12 w/ his helmet off!!!!

complete mastery of the offense.                                                            Look how close he is!!!!  

It was funny b/c Hudson has only seen Tom Brady in his game uniform.  So when he saw him in his practice jersey he was confused.  He'd be on my shoulders watching him and then say to me, "Daddy.  I don't want this Tom Brady.  I want the real Tom Brady, not the fake Tom Brady!"  And if you know Hudson, he doesn't talk in whispers.  The moms around me got a hoot out of hearing this.  About five of them assured Hudson that yes, this was in fact the REAL Tom Brady.   That got him excited again!  Ha! 

GRONK!!!   Rob Gronkowski having to run a penalty lap b/c he jumped before the ball was snapped.  The crowd cheered him on throughout. 

Hudson and daddy posing with the minutemen! These guys stand near the end zone during games and fire their muskets whenever the Patriots score a TD!

 It wasn't all fun and games though.  Boston is a serious town, for serious folk.  You can never indoctrinate the children too early when it comes to History!   Whoop whoooop!!!   I've been spending the last month or so really hammering home with Hudson all the historic sites in Boston (as did Angela too!).  By the time we left for Boston, he was super-psyched to see Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and go on the Freedom Trail!!!  :-)

So when got to Boston, I made sure we spent a couple of days in exploring all the historic sites.   And it started with the Freedom Trail!

The Freedom Trail is a Boston staple.  It's a path that goes through old downtown to all the historic sites of Revolutionary Boston.  It's not an easy path either.  It's a long, hard walk.  It's a rocky road.  But Hudson was determined to do it...he was going to walk.  Hard.

First stop....Paul Revere's house!!    Woop whooop!   He wanted to go inside, but the place was cash only!! Arrggghhh.   Sorry son, gotta keep moving.

After Paul Revere's house we came across the Old North Church!!!   I know, right!!   This was where Paul Revere hung those two lanterns up in the church steeple to signal to his compatriots that the British were coming by sea (as opposed to land....remember the old Longfellow poem, "Paul Revere's Ride"?)  Anyway, inside the church they have what Marquis de Lafayette considered the most lifelike bust of George Washington.  Hudson could hardly contain himself!!! 

Oh we're still walking hard down that path.  A couple things to notice: the tavern on the right (The Bell in the Hand) opened in 1795 and has a claim to be the oldest tavern in America still in operation.  Secondly, look how small/narrow the street is!!!  That's how most streets looked back in the day! 

We arrived at the Old State House.  It was where Hudson was standing when on the evening of March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired onto a Boston mob, killing five.  Paul Revere dubbed it the Boston Massacre.  We got here early enough on Sunday so that there was zero crowd.  Otherwise, this area is packed with tourists.  Yuck!

Eventually, we had to take a break at the Bullfinch Pub (the inspiration for the show "Cheers"), before setting off on a Duck Boat Tour!

Hudson was soooooo against a Duck Boat Tour at first.  But when we got to Boston and he started seeing all the Duck Boats go by, he quickly changed his mind.  He insisted on going!   So we took a Duck Boat Tour (which goes on land AND water!!) and they even let Hudson drive the boat!

After that it was back on the Trail.  Boston Common is the oldest public park in America.  Hudson had his picture taken nearby a statue of George Washington (who he knows ALL about!).

 The monument to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts regiment - the all-black regiment that fought in the Civil War.  Go watch the movie "Glory" if you haven't already.  (this monument is pictured at the end of the movie).

Hudson wanted to make her great grandma DeeDee proud, visiting cemeteries with all due diligence!!  I mean even Hudson couldn't walk past the graves of such stalwarts as John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams with stopping.  There were a bunch of pennies at each grave site that people had thrown and Hudson screams, "Daddy LOOK!   Penny Lane's all over the place!!!"  (Whenever we find a penny, we tell Hudson it's Penny Lane saying hello).

And of course we couldn't forget good ol' Dr. Joseph Warren, the colonial revolutionary who we all know died in 1775 while leading the fight against the British at the Battle of Bunker Hill!!!

We had an absolute blast!  Hudson had such a fun time, and he says he wants to go back and next time bring his cousin Anderson with him to show him everything!  Haha!  Angela, here's the keyboard back to you!

Below is a pic of Hudson in Boston two years ago when we all went as I renewed my board exams for my Masters (aka the boys played as I studied for a week!).  Chris tried to re-enact the photo, ha!  Not sure they actually want people "sitting" on the duck but oh well....

But my boys are back safe and we are all hyped up and ready for the princess to turn TWO this weekend!  Pink and purple is everywhere in my house.  She will be showered with bracelets, glitter, accessories and all things girly.  We are awaiting a special visit from all the Wilson crew.  And hopefully the weather is accommodating so we can use her (early bday present) water slide pool again!

Hudson's Birthday MONTH!

It's official!  We have a "big kid" in the house now and Hudson wants the world to know it.  He woke on his birthday and declared: "Mama, I think I grew taller.  Let's measure me!"  So we measured his height.  And yup, he actually did grow almost an inch since Memorial Day.  43 inches and 42 lbs.  We started off his actual day of birth with sickness and a visit from the Elf on the Shelf (Damien).  Poor Hud and the cousins had been passing around a strep infection and his ailment fell on his big day so he couldn't go to school.  But that didn't stop him from partaking in our tradition of eating sprinkle donuts and opening a present.  Even though he could only eat half a donut, he informed us that the sprinkles would make his tummy feel better.  He opened a gift and received new clothes, which was a very strange and odd gift for him.  We rarely buy him new clothes (thanks to fam and friends for hand-me-downs!) so his response was, "Are these donations from Anderson?"  When we told him he got new clothes straight from the store, he was mesmerized, ha!

Last Saturday, our neighborhood had their annual pool party, which included music, raffle prizes, a cookout and more!  We have yet to miss an event since we moved into our house.  Hudson told everyone the neighborhood was having a party for his birthday.  I did not correct him and tell him otherwise.  Every little kid needs to feel as special as possible during their birth month.  And yes I said MONTH...Hudson has still not stopped celebrating being four.  Hudson and his neighbor buddy, Sam....

Adley continues to be a diva and I'm not refraining her from doing so (I will likely regret that sooner than later).  She needs bows, she wants bracelets, she must always have her sunglasses.  And then she got an Elsa towel for Hudson's birthday....

 

We had the crew over for breakfast on Sunday to celebrate Hudson and open presents.  Poor Claire had strep that day so she couldn't make it.  Hudson had the biggest donut cake ever and it was amazing!  And then it was present time; this kid definitely got spoiled!

He got soccer nets, clothes, books and of course, football goal posts, which was a hit for all the boys (both big and small).  Hudson insisted that he and Anderson wear helmet because "you gotta be safe like Tom Brady.  He wears a helmet."

Adley had to get in on the fun.  She loves to tackle her daddy...

He got Pokemon cards, which is all the rage with the bigger kids (according to his favorite neighbor buddy Sam).  He has been consistent with a routine of coming home from school and flipping through the entire book before dinnertime.

Now my big present for Hudson was a bike (which is about to be over-shadowed by Chris' bigger and better present).  Nonetheless, Anderson knew Hudson was getting a bike and brought his own bike over so they could ride together.  When they're not beating each other up, these two boys are soooo cute!!

 And another gift - Notice below that Hudson holding pictures of Tom Brady.  Have I failed to mention that my boys are obsessed with the New England Patriots?!?  Well Chris had the bright idea that he and Hudson needed to go to football training camp to see the Patriots and hopefully Tom Brady.  So against my wishes, he booked two flights and they head out to Boston the first weekend in August.  Hudson is beyond stoked!  Every day he asks when his vacation starts and everyday he wants to practice football so he can "get good, like Tom Brady."  And he lovesssss his frame and hugs it often.  I have caught him doing "baby talk" with it.  It's slightly disturbing, but hilarious at the same time.  Chris says this behavior is normal, but I think I have inherited the only two nut-jobs with an unhealthy obsession with a quarterback (even though he is quite handsome!)

Here is the video of him literally kissing his frame!  Don't mind me stumbling over my words.  I am still currently speechless and flabbergasted with his obsession.

https://youtu.be/BcHd_Z7X0Ek

So it's been a week since this lucky little boy turned four and we are still buying presents!  But it can be justified so don't judge me quite yet.  The orange bike ended up being too big for him.  It was a BMX bike with the brake gears up top and his fingers were too short to press them (even though it was an age-appropriate bike).  So we put that one in storage and got him a second bike that had the brakes on the pedals.  And then he needed to accessorize with pads and gloves, and I blame Adley for that one.  I couldn't deny him items that would help aide in his safety...

Both kids got special birthday money from their great-grandma DeeDee, so we took them to Toys R Us and let them choose anything they wanted.  Big mistake!  As soon as we walked in, Hudson saw a swing set for $2000 and said "Mama, did DeeDee give me enough money for that?"  He is one smart kid.  Don't worry, we quickly replied with a no.  They were so sweet running up and down the aisles looking for something.  Hudson was very deliberate and thoughtful with his choices.  He had a plane that he had broken awhile back, so he replaced it with a new Paw Patrol one.  I was proud and couldn't believe he thought of that on his own.  And he needed a little car to go inside a big semi-truck he got for his birthday.  Adley got pink sippy cups to replace the "boy ones" she has been using, along with a new floatie and an Elsa doll.  Thanks DeeDee!  And yes, he likes to wear his bike gear everywhere now.  We have visited numerous stores and also went to a concert decked out in that attire.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead!  We will be busy!  I am taking off work one day to host a play date with my college besties and their little ones.  We'll get to use Adley's birthday blow-up pool/slide again so it should be a fun afternoon.  Chris is in Detroit all week.  He comes home for 24 hours and then I ship both my two boys off to Boston.  I am beyond excited and deathly afraid at the the same time.  I know they will have a blast, but I also know neither can truly survive without me.  I am packing an additional suitcase strictly for food, snacks and band-aids to help keep my mind at peace. 

Celebrating July 4th all week long!

It's been a fun, crazy and exhausting week since the last post.  The kids are staying busy and summer could not off be off to a better start.  Last week was Spirit Week at school.  Hudson was very proud of his mix-matched attire for Wacky Wednesday...

Another day was "Favorite Team" day so of course Hudson had to wear his Tom Brady jersey.  I got a semi-bad report from his teacher on this particular day.  Apparently when he wears his football attire, he channels his inner Tom Brady and tackles all the kids.  Not maliciously, but "that's what Tom Brady does and he's a good guy" - words from both my son and my husband.  When the kids got home, Lolly had brought them cupcakes.  These two are best buds and never leave each others side in the evenings.  I am always captivated to watch how well they play together... 

Last Friday afternoon, Lolly and I took Hudson and cousins to see Despicable Me 3.  And it was a whirlwind of a day!  Adley was semi-sick with no appetite or energy.  Nothing major, but the teachers thought she needed more rest at home.  Don't we all?!?!  Call me a bad mom, but I ended up keeping her at school till after the movie.  On top of that, Pop injured his hand while doing yard work which resulted with stitches.  All of this occurred within an hour prior to the movie starting.  But we made it on time, ate our popcorn and had a good afternoon.  Afterwards, Hudson said there were too many "bad guys" in the movie.  There was only one...and he was actually pretty funny.  Nonetheless, Hudson ended up sleeping in our bed that night.  The entire day was exhausting and ended with a sleepless night.   I have since vowed not to attend anymore movies with small children for awhile.  Hudson, on the other hand, has already given me a list of movies we can watch that are not as scary as the Minions, geez.  

Saturday was spent at the Cincinnati Zoo.  We had not been since Adley was 2 weeks old.  She still wasn't feeling 100% from the previous day, but we thought she could rally and would be excited to see the animals.  She was not.  She had to be carried and held for 4 hours.  She didn't want the stroller and she didn't enjoy seeing any animal that was indoors or in the dark.  But she did have fun watching Hudson partake in all the exhibits.  And Hudson thought everything was "cool and amazing" so it wasn't a complete bust.  His favorite animal is a cheetah and his favorite part of the trip was getting ice cream afterwards, ha!

All Adley wanted to do was read a book or be held.  And if she didn't have her sunglasses near her, everyone had to suffer.  So the princess got her shades!

Then we had our weekly dose of pool time.  Now this is where Adley excels!  She has grown leaps and bounds since that first visit on Memorial Day.  She likes to splash, she can blow bubbles and she even went into the deep end this time.  Her only demand is that she must wear a bow to the pool.  And is must be pink and there must be two ponytails.  She is starting to become a demanding little diva these days!

Then came July 4th week!  School had a parade where the kids walk around and wave little crafts they had made.  Chris and LollyPop attended and apparently Adley thought the parade was just for her.  She pranced around, waved and said "hi" to every stranger...as if the world revolved around her and her little red/white/blue dress (and pink shoes of course).  Have I mentioned she has discovered her inner-diva?!  But the pics below are just toooo precious!!

       

Hudson and his classmates...

The kids with Ms. Brittany, one of Adley's teachers...

On July 4th, we spent the afternoon at LollyPop's house.  We had Adley open her birthday present early (actual bday is not till August 12th, but who's really keeping track?!).  I found this amazing water inflatable on sale and I wanted the kids to get as much use out of it as possible.  So we found a good excuse to have her open it...and it was a hit!!

Adley is now officially a big girl.  She can flex and mean-mug like the big kids and it is adorable to watch.  She has no problem pushing her bro or cousins out of the way so she can be front and center.  She is going to give cousin Claire a run for her money in a quick short time.  It will be the battle of the divas!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Next Thursday we celebrate our little man turning FOUR!!  Hudson is at such a fun age and we can't wait to celebrate his big day.  Everyday he wakes up and asks: "Is today my birthday mama?  Let's make cupcakes.  I won't eat them till my actual birthday, pleaseeee!"  Hilarious stuff.  He is also getting a big obnoxious, over-the-top present just like his little sis did, so stay tuned for the chaos.  Fortunately, I can blame this present on Chris!