Bennett the Dinosaur

We have survived Hudson's birthday party and now trying to find places to cram all of the new toys he received so we have some semblance of a living room. The current favorite birthday present are the plastic dinosaurs from Gigi and Bobba. Much like his mommy, Hudson must have a little paleontologist DNA in him because he loves those things. He even takes one of them to bed every night, and that is a BIG deal. That favorite dinosaur is a brachiosaurus. When we were getting ready for bed the other night, I asked Hudson if he had named him yet. "Yes," he says. "Bennett." I tell him that's a great name and ask how he came up with it. He looks at me in all seriousness and says, "neck mommy. You can ben-it". He follows this up be demonstrating how easily the neck bends on the dinosaur. Well duh!

2 More Minutes

So, being one month shy of the big 2 years, Hudson has gained quite the personality. And, whether I like it or not, I see a whole lot of my attitude and stubbornness in that little guy. Last night after bath-time, we put on Hudson's pajamas and were getting ready for bed. When I told him to tell Daddy and Osiris goodnight, he looked at me and said, "Two more minutes." Yep, my son is now negotiating by the minute to postpone bedtime exactly like my brother and I used to when we were little! I guess I should be thankful that two minutes feels like an eternity to a toddler. Of course, sometimes it feels like an eternity to a mommy too...

Excuse me?

So Hudson's new thing is to stick his tongue out and lick around his lower lip. Not wanting my child to look like one of those gross "kool-aid mouthed" kids (sorry if you were one) I am doing everything I can think of to break him of the habit. Given that this means I tell him to stop about every three minutes, sometimes I am just too exhausted to take issue with it. That means it is time for Nick to jump in and fight the good fight, which he just did the other night. Hudson stuck that little pink tongue out and Nick immediately told him to quit. Hudson stops, looks directly at Nick, and deliberately sticks his tongue out and gives Nick a look that clearly says "Bite me, Daddy." Um, EXCUSE ME? The little fart isn't even two yet! Who in the world taught him that? And, in a case of master parenting, Nick and I looked at each other and bite our cheeks to keep from laughing out loud! One upped by a toddler - it's the start of something special...

He's Almost 2 - Time to learn how to shovel snow!

Hudson getting a better look at IU whipping Minnesota

Go Hoosiers! A pic from IU football season 2010.

Hudson - aka Evel Knievel

Do you ever look at a kid and think, "I wonder what he'll try next?"  Yeah - that's my kid -  Mr. Stuntman in the Making.  Last night Hudson heads to his toy tub in the living room, dumps the whole thing out, and then brings it to me and says "Spin, Mommy."  (This is followed by "the look" from me that prompts him to sweetly say "pleeease.")  I dropped him into the tub and start to spin him around in it, and then faster, and faster, until he is tipping back and forth and started hanging on for dear life.  Thinking he was done, I stopped and looked down at him.  He looks up at me, grins like a fool, and says "I dizzy....AGAIN PLEASE!"  You've got to be kidding me!  Nick and I took turns spinning that tub faster than a teacup at Disney, and Hudson just giggled and shrieked and enjoyed himself thoroughly.  He loved every minute of it, the nut. That kid isn't afraid of anything, which as a mom is a little refreshing (and a lot frightening.)  Nick and I decided we better steel ourselves for lots of stupid stunts, adrenaline rushes, and trips to the emergency room in the future.