It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

We are visiting family this week and were lucky enough to avoid that one week of the winter when it's terribly cold. Unfortunately, we traveled to a place that puts what we think of as "terribly cold" into perspective. We're in Minnesota right now and today is the first day we've enjoyed temperatures above zero. Last I heard it was 2 degrees out there. At least now when we get home we'll be loving the balmy 25 degrees they have back there!

Our first night here was not fun. It always seems kids don't do well their first night. I spent it in the basement - as far from everyone else as possible. Hudson was screaming for hours. The only thing that finally worked was to rock him in a car seat in front of the fireplace. For two hours he would take those gasps of air that kids do after a long cry. Finally he fell into a deep sleep and by 12:30 I was able to sleep as well. After he woke to eat, he slept with me in the easy chair.

The next morning, all the drama and trouble from the night before turned into a peaceful blessing. Hudson and I were up and alone from 5 a.m. on. I turned on the Christmas tree lights, the fireplace, and found some classical Christmas music. It was so nice to have that time with him. Later we listened to the music upstairs while we sat by the window looking out at the snow-laced trees. It felt so nostolgic. My heart was so full.

It's been fun to see Kaylee come out of her shell and interact with her cousins. Unfortunately, she's picked up my cold and is not doing well. She's very congested, has a cough and what sounds like a terrible sore throat. I'm hoping she'll get better before we travel home again, but I don't see how that can happen.

I've learned a few new things about Hudson on this trip: He LOVES his glow worm! He just lights up and reaches out for it. When he gets it he tries to eat its face. What else? He has a very loud, ear piercing scream when he's really, really, really mad. He likes hair. He is fascinated with my hair - instant toy. He loves to get a hold and pull as hard as he can. He HATES porta-cribs. It doesn't matter how tired he is, he will not lay in that thing! So now he and I are bunking together. Which leads to the last thing: he's a terrible bed hog! He can't even roll over yet, but this morning I found myself at the edge of the bed and he was right up next to me. I don't know how he manages to do that.

Last night I was at my sister's house and her husband - Timmy-Jimmy-Frackie Tweeks had made a wonderful selection of hearty soups for dinner. Shauna made peanut butter and sugar cookies. Heather made my great-grandmother Ruth's (her great-great-grandmother!) Julekaka (Yule cake) with candied cherries, spices and sweet frost. Wow - needles to say, I think I'll be wearing my sweatpants the rest of this trip!

Last night's snowfall was beautiful. I love that really cold snow that is so sparkly under the street lamps.

More later...

I feel a John Denver song coming on...

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy...

In the last few days, the sun has made an appearance in the late afternoon. Well, maybe just afternoon. The sun sets so early I can hardly say it's LATE afternoon. Anyway, I love it's soft, golden hue and the way it lights up Hudson's eyes.

I love his eyes. I've never been so in love with this shade of blue before!

Sunshine - in his eyes - makes me happy!

Can't say the same for him though!

Yep, I took a second crying picture. One wasn't enough. You'd think a mom would immediately set down her camera and hold her poor baby or at least move him out of the sunlight. But no, I was too enamored with the soft glow of sunlight on his face and the adorable way his face scrunches up when he's mad.

Speaking of being mad, I noticed that Hudson has his own peculiar way of expressing his frustration. Kaylee used to ball up her fist and run it along side her head, back to front, when she was angry. I notice that Hudson seems to turn over towards his left side. At first I thought he was just trying to roll over and getting frustrated that he couldn't quite get there. Then I noticed him doing it while in an upright position as well. So I'm starting to think that it's his way of expressing his displeasure.

He's getting so close to rolling over. I wonder what he'll do once he can roll. He'll need to find a new way to "vent".

Sunshine

Check out this morning's sunrise. I hope it snows today!! (but it probrably won't)

These next pictures are to prove what a smiley guy Hudson really is. Our Sears photo session doesn't really capture the REAL Hudson - he was two hours past his naptime by the time we got in there to take pictures. Poor guy.

But check this out:

I crack him up!
Why's he so happy? The shirt says it all!

What a Day!

We just had an unbelievably horrible experience at the Portrait Studio today. It was a 3 hour nightmarish fiasco! I won't go into details. I only mention it to say that once I get the prints, I will scan them and post some of my favorites on here for you all to see.

At the end of the day, when all the craziness had passed and the house was quiet, I sat and read with my kids. Kaylee lay on her pillow, chomping a pacifier on the sides of her mouth to soothe those two top incisors that are coming in. Hudson lay on another pillow - his whole fist in his mouth - drool coming out like a faucet. My two kids laying there, chomping away to soothe their teething, so attentively focused on me as I read them Mooncake for the third time in a row.

Such peace and joy filled me then.

What a day! :)

Mooncakes

Today I was reading Kaylee a book called Mooncake by Frank Asch. He's turning out to be one of her favorite authors. Hmm... maybe I should've put that on her top 10 list. Oh well. After the 2nd reading when she asked me to read it AGAIN, I suggested that we go make mooncakes instead.

She was all excited and out the door looking for her mooncakes before I could even get out of her bed.

At first I planned to make a batch of play dough, but then I thought maybe we could try making this:

Divinity...hereafter known as Mooncakes!

So we had a cup of tea and ate our mooncakes.

I'm not sure the mooncakes turned out to be what she was expecting. Kaylee had to study them first to see how they were to be eaten. First, she asked me to "open" them. So I picked it up and took a bite for her.

Then she thought she should try it this way:

Kaylee has her own peculiar ways of drinking tea also. Usually she drinks with a spoon. Then she swishes the tea in her mouth. I even spied her pouring the tea on her plate and sucking it off.

Alright, looks like she's going to pick up that mooncake and go for it!

Candy making isn't easy. You really have to follow directions EXACTLY. My first batch didn't turn out. It ended up a thick, sticky pink soup!

Really, REALLY sticky!

Too Big for His Britches

I can literally see Hudson getting bigger.

Yesterday he was just barely fitting into his 3/6 month pants. Today, I just couldn't get them on. Not without a lot of wrestling and pinching. What's worse is that there must be a bunch of babies getting into the 9 month size now, because I went to the consignment store and they had a whole lotta nothing for him.

Except I found one 9 month shirt. I brought it home, washed it, and then couldn't get it on him. Grrr...

So now he's in some overalls and that'll be his pants until I can find some that'll fit him. He's having the same problem Kaylee had. If I find pants that fit around his waist, then the legs are too long. Or if the legs are right, they don't fit his waist.


Look at him. Doesn't he look so much older today?

My Little Turkey