Monday, December 29, 2008

Stylin

I came out of the shower and just about peed myself laughing. Hudson had gotten ready all by himself.


What? You didn't know that pj's, baggy jeans, headbands, and bracelets are the latest fad?


You heard it here first.






The funniest part of the whole thing was how serious he was. He was all "What? Why are you laughing?"

Saturday, December 27, 2008

"Me, Mama, Car, Down" (Hudson's 4 word version of our accident)

So the scariest thing that I have experienced so far in my life? Realizing that the car has stopped flipping, that we've landed upside down on the roof of the car, and wondering what I'll see when I turn around to face my son, who is hanging upside down in his carseat.

Where do I start with this post?

I decided to come to Montreal for the weekend, to attend a Sunday Holiday Brunch with some of my oldest friends. I drove down on Saturday (just me and Hudson) and spent the night with my parents (who wanted to see Hudson). On Sunday morning, I realized that the roads were too snowy to drive safely, so I reluctantly cancelled my plans of going to the brunch which was in another area of the city. Instead we hung out with my family at my parent's place. It was peaceful and nice.

By Monday after lunch, the roads had been cleared, it had stopped snowing, and we were ready to drive back to Ottawa. Hudson repeatedly told me he did not want to go home. Repeatedly...like 50 times, saying that he wanted to stay at Ham and Haj's house, and for Dad and Oof (Bosco) to come here and join us. Despite his protests, I got him dressed, packed up the car, and took off.

I never once felt intimidated by the conditions of the roads. The highway looked perfectly safe. I never once thought that I was in any danger. I kept driving, while Hudson slept soundly in the back. As we got further from the city of Montreal, the roads got a little more snowy in spots, but still looked mostly clear. I had my Starbucks Gingerbread latte, the radio was playing Christmas carols, I thought of some last minute gifts to buy, and was basically looking forward to getting home to see Rob and Bosco.





The highway had a natural curve, a bend in the road, and so I steered to the right to follow it. Only the car didn't turn right...it kept going straight. I was on ice going 100 km's an hour. I realized what was happening, and tried to correct the car with the steering wheel. I was sliding, out of control, and in a matter of seconds realized that we were spinning into a ditch. I saw, heard, and felt the car roll over. And over. And over. Until we stopped flipping. And it was still. And we were upside down. I didn't see my life flashing before my eyes. All I could think of was "Oh my God, what's happened to my son".





I turned to face him. And saw his eyes, big big big and scared scared scared. I asked him if he had any ouches, any boo-boos. And he told me no, but kept calling my name to come get him. I turned off the car, unclipped my seatbelt, and went to get him out of his carseat. The windows were ALL covered in snow, so I couldn't get my bearings of what position we were in. I held Hudson in my arms, trying to get the doors open and they wouldn't budge. That is the only few seconds where I felt like I might start to panic. I tried the other doors and couldn't get them open either. It was then, that I saw some people clearing the snow from the windows and calling to us, asking if we were okay. I called back that we were. They kept telling me to unlock the doors, and I kept calling back that they were unlocked (a little more panic set in). Finally they managed to open a door, and I told them to take Hudson. As I was passing the strangers my son, I heard a woman say that another car had just slid off the highway at the same corner as I did, and was also in the ditch a few feet away from us. We had to hurry and get out of the car. I climbed out, to have the stranger woman hug me tight, saying she couldn't believe I wasn't hurt. I was so grateful for her hug. And it's weird because I usually don't forget a face, but I can't for the life of me remember what any of those 3 strangers who rescued us out of our car look like. I must have been in shock.





A big 18 wheeler had witnessed the accident, and had pulled over, offering us to wait for the police in the warmth of his truck instead of outside in the minus 25 degree cold. I took him up on his offer, and cuddled Hudson in the warm truck, while singing Pink Floyd and Guns N Roses in his ear (the bands that were on the radio station...97.7 CHOM, so stereotypical of what I would peg a truck driver to listen to!). I was nauseous, petrified, confused, and overwhelmed with what had just happened, but the last thing I wanted to do was scare Hudson more than he already was. So I lightheartedly kept saying things like "Hudson, Mama's car is upside down!" and "Hudson look at the ambulance and firetrucks lights". He is an amazing kid. He was so patient while we waited close to 40 minutes in the truck for the police to arrive. He was so patient as he was poked and prodded by the paramedics (who said that they know that particular bend in the highway as it is always a spot for accidents). He was so patient as we left the truck and got into the back of the police car. And then when we got into the tow-truck. And again when we got dropped off at the garage where our car got towed to. And again when we took a cab to the closest Tim Horton's to wait almost 2 hours for my mother to come pick us up. I swore that day that I would never call him "difficult" again.



I felt every single emotion a person could possibly feel that day, and the days that followed. Thankful, scared, angry, sad. I finally let myself cry when I saw my mom walk into the coffee shop. Then again when I first talked to Rob and recounted the story. I cried when I found out how much the towing of the car cost ($375 plus $30 for every day our car was on their lot). But now, I'm done crying. I'm trying to just be grateful that Hudson and I are okay. We have Not. One. Scratch.



Hudson makes a sad face when he says the words "Me, Mama, Car, Down". And says that he was "Bravff" (Brave). He really was. I was too. My point of this whole post??? Hug the people you love at every chance you get.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry Christmas

Nanny and Bob with their grandsons
Us

Ro, Ew, Kuh, Ro's dad, and Ed

Playing Wii with Kuh

Ham and Haj playing with their Christmas gift (massager)

Hugging his new Bert and Ernie dolls from Alex, Rachel and Sophia

Opening presents

Halmoni and Hadaboji with their grandkids

Melting icicles in the fire

Sisters outside Santa's home, Audrey we really missed you



** This Christmas was really weird...Hudson and I were in a pretty serious car accident at the beginning of the week. I think it warrents it's own post at a later date. **

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Family...

with Santa (Hudson calls him "Ho Ho")
The boys first thing in the morning.
10 piggies
mama's boy
a junk food junkie like me
mega block tower

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

FYI's

Remember the white frame that I got for $2 at a garage sale last summer? This is it, repurposed as a "Things to do" blackboard above my desk. I love it, although I never really "do" anything on my list.



Remember that post about me getting into Scrapbooking? This is page 2 of 2 (yes I only completed 2 pages in 2 months). The first page is pretty much garbage, since I didn't know you weren't supposed to use glue to stick your photos to the paper (who knew?). Apparently you are supposed to use double sided tape. My first page got all bumpy when the glue dried (reminiscent of elementary school craft projects). I've learned that Scrapbooking is not for me. I really think an old fashioned photo album with JUST pictures and NO embellishments is what I'm going to do with all of Hudson's photos.


I started reading a book about "Raising Your Spirited Child". "Spirited" is a nice term for "ADHD" (just joking). Seriously though, the more I read it, the more I realize that Hudson is not '"spirited" like we once thought he was. Maybe I'll write a book about "Raising Your Stinker Child". THAT kind of kid, I definitely have.


This is the color that play dough becomes when you ignore your son for a few minutes and he decides to knead all 8 colors together into one big ball.

The love of my life. Although whenever I tell him that I love him the most in the whole world, he adamantly tells me "NO", and that I love "Dad" the most in the whole world. He even gets upset when I correct him.



Thursday, December 11, 2008

sickly, sleepy, snuggley...





although I hate the fact that Hudson is sick and feels lousy...it's nice to be able to steal some snuggles for a change. usually we have to BEG for a hug and kiss...he's usually got better things to do.



Wednesday, December 10, 2008

So NOT going to be a tradition

I have never ever decorated a gingerbread house before. This was not a holiday tradition in my house. I totally wanted to do it this year. I bought two kits, and had envisioned inviting our neighbours over (with their daughter who is a little younger than Hudson) to decorate one with us. I thought the adults could sip on something alcohol-y and the kids could sip on something festive like hot chocolate or eggnog. (Note: we have never invited them over before, or vice versa...actually we have never had a conversation lasting more than 5 minutes, but that's besides the point).


To make a long story short.


I never invited the neighbours over. And this morning, as I was going stir-crazy at home with a sick toddler and no car, I thought making the gingerbread house would be the perfect activity to pass the time.


I laughed that there was a 7 page pamphlet with detailed instructions on how to build it. It was a ready-made-kit for heaven's sake...mix the icing, glue the house together and stick candy on, right? The instructions, and I quote, said to join the side walls to the peaked walls and let dry one hour. LET DRY ONE HOUR??? And then the next step was to attach the roof panels. And then let house dry 2-3 hours before further decorating. LET DRY 2-3 HOURS MORE??? This was the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my entire life. That is a total of 4 hours of drying time.


I didn't follow the 7 page instruction manual.

I didn't wait the 4 hours.


I glued ALL the pieces of the kit together, held them in place for a few minutes, while yelling at Hudson to STOP licking all the gross-nasty-sweet-as-pure-sugar-icing, and yelling at Bosco to STOP whining and no he wasn't going to get any gingerbread...and eventually made my son bawl his eyes out (has any other mother out there made their kids CRY while decorating a gingerbread house...no?...didn't think so). And so, feeling really guilty for taking my "gingerbread-house-frustrations" out on Hudson, I stopped holding the house together, figuring that it was 'dry enough' for him to decorate...yay the fun part! I pryed open the sealed candy packages, only to have tiny little candy balls go flying everywhere...to Bosco's delight, as he started going mental trying to inhale them as fast as he could before his rotten mama could stop him. And Hudson squealing and pushing more of the candy off the table because it's so much fun to see Bosco snorting up candy like a maniac. This was the total opposite of what I thought decorating gingerbread houses would be like. I'm so glad I didn't invite the neighbours over to witness that fiasco.

And the waiting 4 hours for the house to dry. There's a reason for it.

Our house fell apart while we decorated it. And I left it like that. And now...a few hours later...it's rock hard in that same lop-sided position.

Lesson learned. Follow instructions. Not that I plan on making the other one. I'm going to try to return it and get my $8.99 back.








Who cares what it looks like, it tastes good!

Don't mind the mismatched clothes...he's sick...all I cared about this morning while dressing him was that he was warm and cozy.


Our open-concept Gingerbread house. Yes that would be the side panel fallen over, and both roof panels slid down.


It dried like this. Hudson proudly showed it to Rob when he got home.

I think Bosco might get some, after all.


Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Foot warmer

Hudson's been sick lately. Feverish, coughing, and runny nose.

This is why he's had a permanent line of snot from his nose to his ear. He's trying to save the environment by not using any kleenex.

Still kissable...germs and all.
The best foot warmer for aches and chills.


I wish I could say that Bosco is sitting like this because he is concerned about his brother being sick. Maybe you would have believed me if I edited out the food in all the pictures.

Friday, December 05, 2008

lesson 1001 in motherhood...

You can't expect a two-year-old to wait 20 more days until Christmas to unwrap a gift that's sitting under the Christmas tree, after telling him that it's FOR HIM.

Heck, even I don't have that kind of willpower.


Sorry Kaili, Robin, and Jaia...but your Christmas present didn't make it 'til Christmas. But thank you for your very thoughtful gift...Hudson LOVES it.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Footed P.J.'s by the Tree...

What could be cozier than that?


The look he gave me when I asked him to smile. Stinker.


I said "smile" Hudson.

Time for some props to help capture a smile.


It worked! Although he still looks like a stinker.


Nothing's more sweet than striped, footed pajamas.