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!

Father's Day, Soccer and Tons of Pool Time!

Hope everyone is off to a great summer!  I survived my girls trip and Chris kept the kids alive while I was gone, so all is at ease with the Kemp crew.  My girls and I went to Hocking Hills, Ohio, which has a state park, hiking, rock climbing, boats and even a brewery.  I highly recommend for anyone who needs a quick getaway in the Midwest!

We were then busy celebrating Father's day, aka "Dad's Weekend" as Chris likes to call it.  School had a Dads and Donuts breakfast on Friday, where Pop, Uncle Drew and the cousins had yummy treats.  For some reason Chris left poor Adley in her classroom.  Hopefully next year she can handle the chaos with the big kids.

Then we had the extended crew (Francine and her kiddos) over for pizza and playtime Friday evening.  We got the bounce house out and the kids went nuts.  Chris got extra love because it was "dad's weekend"....

 

Hudson had a soccer game last Saturday morning.  His team keeps losing, but Hudson does fairly well at blocking goals and stealing the ball.  We signed him up for club soccer this fall so only time will tell if he is a natural at the sport.  I'm thinking it's just luck and good timing, but who knows.

  Adley continues to make a dramatic entrance to these soccer games.  She needs sunglasses, accessories, books and tons of snacks.  This is a cute video of her getting ready before we headed out to "Bubba's" last practice.

https://youtu.be/f5y7Gfe58Sk

After the soccer game, we went to Dorothy Lane Market and made a cookie cake for Chris.  Hudson tried ever-so-hard to intricately make a cool 'dad' design, but ended up with glops of icing and scattered sprinkles everywhere.  But he was of proud of his creation so as parents, we were pleased.  And it has been a delicious treat to snack on every evening! 

The new ritual on Saturday afternoons is to bask in the sun at the pool.  Just like his mother, Hudson has perfected this skill.  Adley continues to show "Kemp" traits and can't sit still unless a book or toy is in front of her.  It took her about 2 hours to warm up to the baby pool.  By the time she got excited to get wet, Chris had to take her back home for a nap.  But she had fun with the squirt guns so it wasn't a complete fail.  

Father's Day

 Then came the big day....Father's Day!  All-About-Chris-Day!  We made a special breakfast, skipped church and stayed in our pjs forever.  Chris was doused in gifts which included a fidget spinner and new pillows.  Hudson got Power Ranger pjs, which I dubbed as a Father's Day gift as well.  Both boys are currently obsessed with the Red Ranger.

Father's Day dinner was spent at Aunt Shannon's with the kiddos and the extended fam.  Burgers, beer and a picnic kept every dad at ease. 

These kids are growing up WAYYY too fast!!

Adley even wants to be more like her daddy and brother by trying to use the potty like them, kinda.  Hudson has taught her to stand over the toilet, raise her shirt and scream, "peeeeeee."  She is so proud of herself every time, it's hilarious.  And when nothing comes out, Hudson gently tells her, "It's ok Adley, you don't have a pee pee yet!"  Such a helpful and informative big brother. 

Yesterday was our last YMCA soccer game.  Not sure if his team won amongst the chaos of untamed preschoolers, but everyone received a medal and treats afterwards...

Then we headed up to the pool and brought along Cousin Claire and bestie Caleb.  The pool was much better received by Miss Adley this time.  She jumped right in and never looked back.

Caleb ended up staying all afternoon and evening with us.  These boys may truly be best friends.  They never argued, they shared, they giggled and even snuggled close during quiet time.  Caleb was even nice enough to be the "bad guy" so Tom Brady could win his "football game."

Hope everyone has a great week ahead!!  Only a couple more weeks before our little man turns FOUR!!