h at the beach

..
I'm there soon but this man returns to his strip of white sand in a few hours (flying into Tampa with Lynn this Sunday afternoon).

I'll be reporting live, Hudson-side in St. Pete's in a few days but think this is an excellent tease in meantime...

Love from a colder place

c

Like lobsters to merry men

Hudson's a wiggling lobster in '06

And because we're now working with a proper archive, I'll direct the nostalgic back to this time last year and the really wonderful Hudson's-a-lobster outfit here.

Actual costume

May be a merry man, may be a scarecrow - it's clearly a huge hit with Hudson himself and should put to rest suspicions (c/o previous post) that Hudson was costume-less in 2007.

With that and the last of the candy, Halloween's a wrap - check back same time next year for Hudson's Halloween III (he talks).

Hudson impromptu Halloween

Hudson wasn't a naked bath-punk for Halloween -
he was in Florida with grandparents Lynn + Bill
(and briefly Grandparents Dad too) and he was
A (the?) Scarecrow.

Very cute with floppy hat - actually maybe he was a Robin Hood posse-member now that I'm thinking about it - but anyway, I couldn't save the photo but will have that up soon and these struck me as scarier.

As scary as Hudson gets.



I am RICH in recent photos of the little man and way way behind. I really do appreciate all the great ones that have been coming in and promise to get many more up in the next few days.

These fantastic bath shots are from Pep + Marty's visit, more of their album here.

Hudson's evening-wear

I don't know the back story on Hudson's new sleepwear but I am impressed by it, and by the obvious swagger he brings to the striped sleepwear.

(If you were the giver of the pajamas - thank you. Fantastic wardrobe additions and great training for a little man to launch into a lifetime of well-attired nights. No nasty fruit of the loom t's and remaindered boxers for H.)



Chad's posted the Hudson fashion spread here.

C - (who really really missed the little man and hopes to hug him in his pjs very soon)

man, girl and pumpkin

Hudson-the-tousled seated beside Mark + Kelly's very cute, and very much just-1-year-old, Lindsey (after dear Linds).

Companionably lost in thought, there amidst the pumpkins...

(Happy fall)

Love c

Hudson goes to school

Presenting one of the cutest little series to arrive in my inbox in some time: Hudson's first day at school as documented by dad Chad.



Calm anticipation -->



Barely, but bravely, held-back tears on separation -->



Mature resignation to the ignobility of being strapped into a kiddie-buggy.


There's something in the way Hudson's eyes address the camera and frankly ask that you appreciate his fortitude...He a lovable little man and I hope his school buddies are half as cool as he is.

C

Hudson at the game

Chad send this very latest of our little man H at the Texas A+M Game - Hudson's very first college football game.

Which all seems straightforward, a milestone in a man's life to be sure and especially at his parent's alma mater, except that Chad referred to an "Aggie" football game and had me baffled.

Aggie = Texas A+M, am waiting for Chad to explain why.

or, if I wait a little longer, maybe Hudson will volunteer an explanation? - he on the cusp of conversation...

With love to all.

C

Blueberries for Hudson

So that supermarket blueberries will always leave him cold, Hudson was taught young - and by his own expert grandfather - to seek and savor Maine's own, hard-won, fruits.

(we picked, he savored).

More of Hudson's Maine tour here.

Sand in our...

I have a million lame + involved reasons for why I haven't updated.
They're tiresome.
This is better.

A genuinely GOOD reason, accompanied by an excellent illustrative photo.

Was in Maine
Hudson was too
We had a picnic...

Many more to come as we chronicle Hudson's first, post-baptismal, walking+nearly-talking visit to Seal Harbor.

Hudson's summer of love + water

These came last week from Grandma Lynn - 5 very cute glimpses of a grandparent's summer with mr. h, his summer of water.

Lynn's photos.

Water Man

No order to these, just a whole lot of them to drive home the point that:

OUR BOY LIKES WATER

A lot, Give hudson a hose, a small pool, a fountain and the man is happy.

(H of simple pleasures.)

C

Cousin onslaught

Annie, Marty and Peppie also visited Hudson last week. I managed, via very very poor, scheduling, to miss them by minutes

But Annie recorded their stay so I have some idea...

Annie Photos here

C - visiting cousins number..

Two men

They have routines, they have understandings and they listen to eachother.

I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship...

C - milk-toasting

camel and phone

Yvonne is pictured here "doing the camel" - Hudson can't get enough of this.

While Chad's away (earning diaper money), Hudson's in the remarkable hands of Yvonne - the relationship's magic.



When Yvonne has a call to make, Hudson gets on the line.

They also: putter, do laundry, read, dance, communicate in Spanish, do errands, play with anything to do with water, eat, giggle...

C - thanking Yvonne for being a part of Hudson and our lives, and for doing the camel

Report

This is not Hudson after my visit last week. I did not actually manage to wear the little one out - that would take a birthday party attended by cast of thousands.

But I did manage to watch the little man at play, at eat, at sandbox...
and he was remarkable.

Everything dad said was true +
Hudson clearly understands absolutely everything - his murmurs and outbursts are words inches from being spoken.
He has a well-developed if a little silly sense of humor - knocking down blocks killed him, over and over and...
He plays well all by himself - busy with water bottles in the sandbox (he pours and, i think, measures), quietly with his food, calmly with toys.
Hudson loves Chad like no body's business. He adores Chad and the father/son bond is something to see. Chad is the sun of his life, Hudson will follow this man anywhere.
And Yvonne is his loving constant through the day. She and Hudson have an evolved buddy relationship - buddy pastimes and buddy secret signs...

In short: Hudson is thriving.

C - witness to a happy household

More of desert man

I'm so sorry these have been a trickle rather than the deluge they deserve to be (life and house guests stood in their way).

The biggest news besides how cute the 5-some is was that my father uploaded all of the photos, with very catchy titles, BY HIMSELF to Kodakgallery here.



What does that tell us?

That a certain 1+ year old boy has inspired/is teaching his grandfather brand new tricks...

Have a look at the slide show and I'll continue to post highlights.)

Love c

The cheeks have it

That you thought the man was not adored, my father now refers to first grandchild as: Little Master Hudson.

And describes the sort of fellow - not precious in the slightest - who you'd want to hang out wading-pool-side with:

He is fun and funny - an amazing sense of humor which pretty incredible considering that he can't speak. But he understands almost everything and is a terrific pointer out of things.





He loves the book with all sorts of little animals that he's getting better everyday recognizing. You can see him growing intellectually before your very eyes.

We took a 9-hour trip up through the majestic Sadona area today and he was terrific the entire way.

He charms everyone he meets.

He's a good waver - both as a greeting as well as a goodbye. Trying to teach him to blow kisses but that may take awhile.

C - reporteing him as they see him

You'll need a sun hat

Average temperature in June: 105

Phoneix AZ - in Navajo, Hoozdo, literally: "the place is hot"

Witnessed in Phoenix

We have a case of feast of famine with Hudson news.

Obviously, there is always something going on in the growing man's busy life but there's not always folks around to take a step-back, record and comment. Chad and Yvonne get to witness the everyday but it wasn't until recently, and a certain fab 4 gathering around H, that the reports and photos started to pour in.

We're talking about 4 grandparents after all - there's no way on earth that Hudson's every gesture wasn't being reviewed (adoringly).

Last week, Bill + Lynn, dad + Sarah, made their ways south/south-west to Phoenix - effectively going right against the tide of crowds and logic and settling in for extraordinarily high temps and Hudson time.

Dad reports:
Having a good time with the little man.
He's reaching the sponge stage - do something a couple of times and he'll imitate. He's really cute and good natured.
He slept in our room last night - up around 2AM so we took him in our bed for the rest of the night (well, at least until 6AM).
He loves one of the books we brought along with us - lots of details so he can look for the bird, rabbit, dog, etc. Almost as much fun as looking for Lowly Worm - doesn't get much better than that!!

Our big outing yesterday was exploring the big hotel/spa and going grocery shopping. Don't get a lot done when you have a 14-month old around.

Much more to come

Love C

Mountain Hudson

Well in the running for being one of the
better traveled little fellows out there:
Hudson just returned from the mountains.
And streams.
And time spent in a log cabin.

Hudson got his Huck Finn on and, from Chad's reports, takes in magestic scenery and tall pines as a native.



(Of some significance:
Our little guy who was a little wobbly is now a runner.)



And finally.
The dad who's making Hudson's life a very full one.
That Hudson will remember his time in Colorado I doubt.
But in later years he might just feel a mountain-pull,
or have an primordial-sort-of-memory of an icy brook...

(All of Hudson's memorial day photos.)

With love to Hudson and Chad

C

Lynn's photos

Ooops - forgot to mention, and link to, the album the gathered-grandparent photo came from.

That would be Lynn's album.

In meantime, sorry for no more current news and promise too check in with Chad and find out if:
Hudson's 1st birthday glow has yet worn out.
the presents have been tested.
or full conversational skills achieved...

C - looking forward to reporting the man's 2nd year.

Hudson's dream team

Just for a second,
we pause to celebrate,
not Hudson (just for a second, he has had his cake/his 15 minutes),
but Hudson's Grandparents.

Lynn + Bill + Dad + Sarah
= a Hudson team of 4 who will:
unswervingly, mostly-non-critically, ever-vigilantly and extremely lovingly
have the little man's back through life.

Chad may chide, aunts (the kind that will insist on gifting not on the wish list items) may intervene and annoy, even cousins will occasionally hog the toys, but grandparents (listen up H) are your dream team.

And they love you .

C - not yet ethnic aunt

More Hudson, more partying...

Pep amidst the kids

The photos keep arriving - more albums and a wholly random smattering of what's within.

Mine (including never before seen Whole Foods shots) are here

Cousins around our grandpop.


Susanna's are here.

Ten's (including Honor and Will's Easter and a certian plane...) are here

Kelley's here.

Our favorite #8
(we got his back)

C - picturing it and missing all

A birthday well celebrated

So, readers can remotely participate in a big party, my first post from the weekend.


On Saturday afternoon, at a little patch of Dallas green, a little boy named Hudson celebrated his 1st birthday and Tietze's Toddler's Park was inaugurated in the name of his mother, Lindsey Stephenson Brown.

Hudson's birthday - hosted by Chad and attended by pretty much a Hudson entourage - was a success. Though freezing, in a way a southern state shouldn’t be, everyone layered, hugged and managed still to celebrated in Texas-scale style.

(I huddled behind the caterer's table, warming by the enchiladas bunson burners.)

Some 100 people sang Happy Birthday 3 times in unicent as Hudson gazed across, then smushed/ate, a magnificent cake depicting the park and his own personal cake...

That Hudson is now spoiled for every birthday from here-on-in is a given.

That this boy’s 2nd birthday – even if hosted in a football stadium - will be a come down is hard not to assume.



The Toddler Park was established by funds gathered in Lindsey's name. Perched on a bed of wood-chips, a sort of pirate-y, slide—centric, enormous jungly-structure with outlying bouncing things, the park is a toddler fantasy.

Thanks to our most organized attenders, there are photos of the party are here and here too.

Thanks, on behalf of Hudson and Chad, for attending.

C - full of cupcakes

Remembering Linds - from Shady Hill

Childhood friend to Linds and cool lady Kerry Tribe (writer, photographer, recorder), wrote this piece for the Shady Hill School Quarterly.

Linds attended Shady Hill, one of its happiest participants, from 2nd grade (we think - Dad and I are bad at year math) through 8th:
She made little friends who grew into medium sized friends,
went to Turkey and came back to make more friends,
hosted dance parties with J Geils Band and a spider-web game(all of 11, I chaperoned with a friend),
learned ribbon dances for May Day (wearing the letter "I" we don't know why),
got her first bra (Kerry's mention) and boyfriend (unrelated),
became a kid old enough to hang out at Steve's Ice-Cream at Harvard Square,
went from car-pooling to solo MTA travel,
from transferring water cup to cup to dissecting things fetal,
from learning about the Greeks to the Ch'ing Dynasty (Shady Hill international that way)...

Linds had many chapters to her too short life.
Shady Hill was a very happy one and friends from those years more than mere sand-box mates.

With thanks to a truly great school, the people Linds moved amongst and to Kerry Tribe for rounding it all up.

C – shady hiller too

Watching the park

As we celebrated the park, and Hudson, we were remembering Linds. The joy it will bring and memories make, are in remembrance of Linds.

I am sure Linds is watching over the slides and the boingy-car and the enveloping toddler swings; she's watching the 1 year old ingesting wood chips as the babysitter looks elsewhere.

Saturday was Hudson's day for sure but it was within the loving presence of his mother, and my sister, Lindsey.

Who we will not forget ever.

Lovingly

C

We ate cake

In one more instance of generosity and creativity run riot (good-way riot) this last weekend, the cake(s) that Pam created almost outshone the park itself.




Slides and clouds and aspiration-ally green grass - in CUPCAKES: a park of sugar.



When happy birthdays had been sung, and Hudson had absorbed as much love as 20lbs of boy could, we the gathered partook of the park.



(After which the jungley-gym-stucture went a little crazy with sugar-fueled small folks and some bigger folks too.)

To Pam from all of us.

C - eating cupcakes still