Race Cars

4:15 pm looked like this in my house today:

Three boys being cars, racing around the living room track. Boston insisted I be the announcer. 

Off to an early lead is the #4 orange car, driven by rookie Cade Walker. Right on his heels is the wild card, the #1 car, Hudson Walker. And ready to lap them both is veteran driver Boston Walker in the #6 blue car. Going into lap 200 Hudson seems distracted and now--what's this? he's left the track entirely folks! Now it's neck and neck between Boston and Cade and, coming around the bend, oh no! Cade takes an elbow to the chest and skids into the couch! But he's back on his wheels in no time, and catching up quick.  He seems to have picked up a passenger along the way, his trusty side kick, "Tri" the Triceratops! Boston stops to gas up and pick up "Furs" the Lion, while Cade takes advantage of the pit stop to take the lead again. On the home stretch now, and oh my! In a bold move, Boston has ejected Furs from his car towards Cade and Tri.  It's complete mayhem, people. There's debris on the track and Boston wipes out, sending him into a fit of laughter. But you can't keep a good car down, and they are both on their feet and at it again...

And so it continued for 45 minutes until they were both sweaty and panting, begging for gatorade.

I love my boys.

July 8

Me: "Hey boys, want to play with this box? Won't that be super fun?"

Jamie:  gathering 4 larger boxes, duct tape, pocket knife..."Stand back everyone." 

The result: hours of fun in "the rocket ship," which features a flap door, 2 turns, and a periscope with 3 windows.

The mother of all box forts.

That's why he's the favorite.

{I'm posting an iphone picture each day in July.  See them all here.}

Weekend Highlights

Hudson was pretty quiet on the way home from school on Friday. When I went to get him out, I found out why! Cade was feeling generous and shared his bag of popcorn with little brother! Hudson was in salty heaven. He had a piece in his fist and was going to town! He was pretty mad when I took it away.

After a long week without Daddy home in the evenings, the boys were glad to have him back this weekend.

Sometimes

Sometimes I lock my keys in the car. Like today. I was leaving a play date with friends because Hudson was getting hungry and I forgot to grab a bottle. Thank goodness for roadside assistance!

Sometimes I eat frosting straight from the container. With my finger. (I find it's best not to waste time getting a spoon and risk talking myself out of doing it. Just go for it.)

Sometimes bathing at Mawmaw's house with her shower cap and glasses is way more fun than a regular old bath.

Sometimes I cut my own bangs. (And sometimes my bathroom is littered with little boys' toys!)

Sometimes Hudson wakes up at 10 or 11pm wide-eyed and ready to party! So sometimes I just embrace it and enjoy the snuggling time.

Sometimes he likes eating real food! (Literally one day he wouldn't eat anything I offered, and the next he would.) Bananas, yogurt, applesauce, carrots, green beans, avocado, kiwi, crackers, ice cream (don't tell the pediatrician I fed him icecream)...you name it, he'll eat it.

(and sometimes I have fun photographing his funny faces while he's eating!)

Sometimes it's better just to not ask questions.

Sometimes wearing "magic reading glasses" makes doing homework waaaay more fun.
Sometimes we draw on the sliding glass door with dry erase markers. Actually, it has art work on it more often than it is clean! (This day Cade drew the pool--see the scribble??-- and I supplied the other details as he directed.)

Sometimes we eat hot dogs for dinner and then have a movie night complete with popcorn and soda.

Sometimes we lay out a blanket in the driveway and enjoy these mild winter days outside eating Frosty's rather than inside doing laundry or dishes.



Sometimes Boston prays, "Please bless Cade that he will stop talking during prayers..." and sometimes Cade interrupts by whispering to himself, "I do NOT talk during prayers..."

Sometimes I look forward to Wednesdays because I get to spend my mornings with some adorable kindergartners. (This week they celebrated being 100 days smarter!)
Sometimes it makes my heart happy to see my boy--who is "big" in many other ways--is not too big to wear a 100th-day-of-school hat in all its construction paper and 100 sticker glory.

Sometimes I smile watching Cade select the perfect birthday card that plays music and then break it down a little right in the middle of the aisle at Target. And I love that he wants to share his find with his best friend.

Sometimes I forget how important it is not to compare myself with others.

Sometimes I don't appreciate my husband enough for the incredible man he is.

Sometimes I can't wait to see the men my boys will become, and sometimes I wish they could stay little forever.

Sometimes I feel the immense burden of teaching my children to love and follow Jesus Christ, and protecting them from all the bad in this world. Then I feel peace, knowing we are not left alone in this journey. And I know I just have to do my best everyday to strengthen my own testimony and instill in my boys a love of God and a desire to serve Him.

And sometimes I just have to not think about that uncertain future, worrying about what choices they will make and where they will go in life.

I just thank Him for today, enjoy today.

Hudson Love

Boston was recently looking through my phone pictures and said, "Mom, you have a lot of pictures of Hudson!"

It's true. I am kind of obsessed with taking pictures and video of him smiling, cooing, giggling, sleeping, crying...I have pretty much every emotion documented. He's just so incredibly content most of the time.

Mom took these pictures at her house on Monday night. I just melt when I see those big brown eyes. Actually they're brown in the center and dark blue around the edges.

He has that same "furrowed brow" look that I make when I'm thinking about something.

Lately I've been thinking he looks more like Cade as a baby, especially now that he's lost almost all his hair. Cade was also totally bald except some blonde peach fuzz at this age. This is Cade at 4 months also. They have the same nose, mouth, and head shape. Just different eyes.

Funny story about Hudson: Saturday we were all up at the church for a primary activity. Hudson was asleep in his carseat in the foyer outside the chapel. After we were done practicing for the Primary program we moved down the hall to have pizza. Close to the end of the activity, my friend Jes came into the kitchen carrying the carseat with a screaming Hudson inside. I was so busy with the primary kids, and Jamie was helping me serve pizza and drinks, and we totally forgot about him! Not to worry, he was fine as soon as I got him out and fed him. But one of my counselors was teasing us--that never would have happened to a first-born or probably even a second child. The poor third child gets left down the hall to fend for himself!

Pjs and Paintbrushes

3 and 1/2 months old, so content and smiley and cuddly!

Today was one of those stay in your pjs all day kind of days. It was hard to get up and get moving this morning after a 4 day weekend packed with cousins and friends and late nights. Just getting Boston ready and dropped off at school on time was an accomplishment. So the little boys and I enjoyed a quiet day at home playing, reading books, and catching up on housework. And definitely staying in our pjs.

I took these pictures of the boys on the counter while I was making lunch. Cade found a paintbrush and decided to paint...his little brother! Hudson was a willing participant, although the paintbrush near his mouth confused him a little I think!

The first week

I sat down to write a witty little post about the last 10 days, the things I've learned, how the transition from 2 to 3 has been, why I love ibuprofen and hydrocodone (but not in a scary way, don't worry), and some other little gems from this last week since Hudson was born.

But the words just aren't coming out right, and my little man is starting to grunt and make his little goat noises, which means he'll be needing his mama soon. So I'm just sharing a few pictures for tonight:

Boston has a very serious, nurturing side. He likes to be close to Hudson, wherever he is. When I'm nursing him, Boston likes to sit and rub his head. This day after I gave Hudson a little sponge bath, Boston stood by the changing table and brushed his hair and just watched him. It was a short, quiet, sweet little moment.

after his first "bath"
more with big brother Boston:

And big brother Cade is doing very well adjusting; no surprises there. Cade has such an independent, laid-back personality. But he loves Hudson just as much as the rest of us. He wants to hold "her" often (we have to remind him sometimes it's a boy) and he called Hudson "baby kaycee" the first several days (that's my sister's new baby). He does like to hold Hudson, but at the first sign of squirming or fussing, Cade gets wide-eyed and says "he wants you, Mommy."

New Bunk Beds

After downloading all our Utah pictures, I found these pictures were still on my camera from last month when we got the boys bunk beds! In preparation for the new baby, we've been wanting to get the boys new beds to free up some space in their small bedroom. They were so excited when they came in and Daddy put them together!

Boston helped by dust-busting as we moved things around. {check out the dust and cobwebs in the window...yikes!}

Patiently waiting while Dad started to get the pieces out...

Now the real fun begins, playing in the trash! (I would later regret letting them demolish all that styrofoam...it was literally everywhere!)
Love this mid-air shot! A bunch of boxes and a pile of styrofoam trash really does make the best playground!
So excited for their new beds!

Chalk-olate fun

Cade calls sidewalk chalk "chocolate." I told the boys after naps we could play outside with chalk since it's been a little warmer lately. The driveway was in the shade, so it was actually chilly to me, but not the boys. I played around with my new camera while they had tons of fun tracing each other, writing letters, and pulling every single toy out of the garage into the driveway.

Our tracings: Cade, Boston, and me w/elephant legs

Cade wanted to be traced over and over!

After I took this picture, I asked Cade what was in his mouth. "a apple." he still had apple peel in his cheeks from lunch several hours earlier!

K is the letter of the week at pre-school.