Tropical Hudson

For Thanksgiving, the well-traveled Sr. H was in St. Maarten with Brown grandparents and dad. Fantastic photos from the trip, some of them posted here.

All who've hung with Hudson in the past few months have reported a charming, engaging, super bright + curious, unbelievably cute and well behaved little gentleman. You get a sense of that budding charmer in these photos showing a range of Hudsons.

And the GREAT news is that in less than 10 days time I (along with Ruslan, Dad + Sarah) will be joining Hudson and Chad in Honduras and there will be even more cute beach shots + turquoise waters w/ boy pics to come. Just not immediately - apparently Honduras not too wired.

So - stay tuned for a blogger going ringside.

And happy holidays/love to all from a proud aunt, about to be even prouder.

Autumnal Hudson

Amidst the foliage,
gathering yard debris,
wielding sort-of-safe looking scissors to tame pumpkin innards,
amassing his Mr. Potato Head army (!?) and,
finally, H at rest...



Lynn + Bill have been visiting with the little guy most recently so these photos c/o on half of the marvelous grandparent 4-some the boy's blessed with.



After way way too long, I'll finally see Hudson for Christmas this year so anticipate partial nudity and beach shots...



Much love to all,



c (hoping all readers/Hudson lovers have protected the little guy's future by casting their votes today...)

The two men

Handsome?
Tow-headed?
Bigger-than-a-breadbox and growing?

Yes to all.

Parted ways with Dad + Sarah yesterday morning in Logan - they made their way southwards so may have more photos from them, live-ish from Dallas, soon. Hudson missed blueberries and Maine this year but we made sure all's intact and as-was ready for him next year - Maine is patient, Maine's not going anywhere and there'll be time.

(I'm en route to Sea Island to install Grandpop in his new apartment - too many places + people, way too little time...)

(This is not a shabby placeholder in the meantime.)

With love to all

c

The many moods

Lynn's master Hudson-documenter and as hands-on grandmother,
there amidst Hudson's multi-disciplinary, multi-tasking, multi-location, life -



Happy Feet from training-potty vantage eating cheerios
kitchen-sink electric-toothbrushing,
pool-basketball...

Her pictures are in an album here:
(http://picasaweb.google.com/circatrade/HudsonBrown)






C - realizing as a choose (hard) only a few pictures that H's "many moods" are largely sunny, occasionally contemplative...
bless the happy boy

July 4th for the cutest boy

Hudson did it all this July 4th - full-on frolicking and I want Chad as my activities director next year.

Photos of the day are here.

But highlights (hard to choose, really all highlights) include:









Doesn't get much handsomer...

With big hugs to the men of Dallas and love to all.

ctp

Further Fete-d Man

Julie Saliba created this amazing photobook for Hudson's 2nd birthday.

Hudson's Memorial Day...

turf

Hudson has a bustling social schedule - Memorial Day weekend no exception.
The full scope of parties/pretty girls/visiting Grandpop/cannonballs into pools are here in Michael and Janelle's album.

surf

night trippin'

Thank you to all participating partiers and recorders and sending much love to all, everywhere, from the namesake town...
C - in Hudson

3 cupcakes

Very VERY cute pictures of Hudson's shared birthday party - with girlfriends and fellow Aries Cecilia, and Sibley care of Julie.

Happy-making pictures

fishing man

Fishing at the ranch, May 2008

Of the many revelations (some reportable, others not) of the cousin ranch weekend, was the wholesome/welcome discovery that that Hudson's Dad, is a gifted fisherman. Brilliant and, contrasted with cousin Andrew, practically divine. One-hand-tied/bait-no-bait - Chad's touch was sure and Hudson, Honor and Will were enthralled.





Clearly, Hudson will inherit this uncanny knack. We see a quiet confidence, a beguiling sort of semi-crouch stance, one hand holding rod firm while the other does something clearly technical with the line...

So - fish of the world fair warning: Another Brown man will be pond-side again soon.

Love + fish tales.

c

Burma - help

The news from Burma, what little can get out, is appalling - it is now estimated that over 100,000 have died due to the cyclone. Rangoon is without power, many regions remain - days since the cyclone - still submerged, there isn't adequate drinking water and petrol is in short supply. Despite this, Rangoon's airport sits practically empty - most relief teams have not been issued permits and planes filled with disaster-relief experts and desperately needed supplies remain grounded, the Burmese government will not allow them to land.

Sarah Newhall (my step-mother) runs PACT - a global community building, aid organizing and community-level impacting organization of enormous reach and integrity. PACT also happens to have been working in Burma for over a decade, with a number of development projects already flourishing including HIV/AIDS prevention and micro-lending programs specifically in the delta areas hit hardest by the cyclone. While the access of most organizations remains, for the time being, blocked by the military government, PACT is in place and so uniquely positioned to truly effect change and implement the aid immediately.

Please contribute what you can to PACT's initiative and pass this post along to friends and colleagues so that they may do the same. (For PACT's tracking purposes, please mention this blog.)




(In Burma in 1997, I trekked outside government boundaries into Shan State; I spent time in a Palong village. The Burmese were to a man/woman/child: kind, hopeful, resourceful – they stole my heart. The tragedies they've known, perpetrated by their own people - ignored by the world, have wrought a nation of all-too-human souls. Demanding aid without implementers, the Burmese government has essentially charged us as global citizens to get step in. The Burmese people must know the world cares deeply, and right the wrongs of our historical inaction.)

Big sky ranch weekend, spawn gather

What an amazing and too short time it was...

I hope I'll have time to give a chatty report but for now, these albums will tell a good chunk of the story.

Annie's Album
Erin's Album
Ten's Album
My album

Hudson "don Juanitito" Brown

I wasn't in Portugal but Annie captured some magic moments with a paparazzi's instinct. Very grateful.

This is the first I'm seeing the move but Hudson's nonchalance + calm expression, indicates that, perhaps, this is not a first conquest.



Love + kudos to Portuguese lady slayer.

c

happy birthday dear hudson, happy second to you

Hudson in Portugal, March 2008 (Taylor behind)
Photos c/o Annie's amazing album.

Same time, last year, we gathered in a chilly but very festive Tietze Park to ring in the little man's 1st Birthday and christen the toddler park in Lindsey's name. I recorded some of that day here.

Today, Hudson and Chad are joined by family for a smaller celebration, but I imagine he's being remembered, and milk-toasted, everywhere.

I am wishing him another year of love, play, travel (H having logged more air miles than larger men with far bigger vocabs. His recent trip to Portugal, to visit Ambassador Uncle Tommy, being most recent...), haircuts, kisses, naps, cousins, bananas, blueberries and beaches. For starters at least. He can make it up as he goes along - lots of room for improvisation I wish for him, that he always feel free to call it as he sees it.

And happy second year to his remarkable dad Chad. Behind every well behaved and charming small man, you'll find a extraordinary father.

Love to both - raise your sippy cup.

c

Lindsey's 35th

March 30th - Linds' birth launched spring.

She left when she was 33, two weeks after that birthday, so it's two years gone. Linds and I were a year and 10 months apart, which means (quick math) I was almost 35 when Linds died.

Which feels then like some strange circle closing.

Which means?

What I gather from the circle described by two sisters turning 35, is simply that she's still here, out there, and as constant as she ever was. Her own birth constellation of Breach Candy Hospital, Ward ___, March 30th 1973 (our constellations are neighboring, in the born-in-Bombay-in-the-early-70's celestial district) remains part of the universal memory, no more or less fixed than mine and eternal. And in a way I hadn’t expected, Lindsey is growing up with me now and we're in step except she keeps pace on a cosmic scale, her perspective vaster and so she's watching over us as she grows in lightness.

In this photo (a visit to Oyster Bay and Mimi) Linds has a sureness and a calmness I like. I imagine what more years would have brought. I think that if I listen maybe I can hear, maybe Hudson hears.

Happy happy birthday Linds. Don't fall asleep in the cake.

Love
ctp

Lindsey's Song

Ashlin Halfnight, Chad and Lindsey's great friend (and Hudson's too) has written a song for Linds with composer John Mitchell.

It's beautiful, I'm humming it still.
(Thank you guys.)

You can play and download it here: http://jahalfnight.googlepages.com/

(note to folks who don't think they can figure out how to do this "download music thing" - you can, it's that easy, double click and you're off.)

Download, share, listen and hum. With the song, Linds' spirit goes out.

Love
c

Chad's report

Chad + Hudson, Taylor + Honor + Will
Photo from Hudson's recent trip to the west coast cousins/Chad's birthday celebration, are from Annie's excellent album. More to come from of it but it's worth a long browse.

Here's a snippet of Chad's (frank ; )) report on H:

Hudson is doing really great as he approaches his 2 year birthday in April. He is starting to say the alphabet and sing songs. I am proud to be his dad, except sometimes he's lazy and sleeps too much on Sundays (see photo).

I am doing great and looking forward to a fun 2008 -- a few fun plans with family on the horizon in Spring and Summer.

Chad's card

Most of the blog ink goes to Hudson, for obvious reasons. Hudson's accomplishments take center stage, as they ought.

But this photo, of the little fellow and his Dad, is from Chad's Holiday card this year and demonstrates, by existing at all and then by landing in my mailbox, that the accomplishments of the Dad are pretty remarkable too.

In a year that included a 1st birthday attended by masses, a dedication too, unbelievable travels to - truly - the earth's far corners and the mad day-to-day of raising a fine little man - Chad's exhibited enormous spirit, never once called Uncle.

Then he goes and manages to get out a card, on top of all of that - holiday cards being as good an indicator of organization as we have.

So here's to the father, growing and shining right along side his son.

Wishing them both a year of nice naps and sweet dreams.

With love

c

Tenley's Report

We're LOVING having Hudson here!

He started calling for Dad when he saw John, but I think he'll be fine.
He's having so much fun playing with the kids and esp. Will's train table.
Will and Hudson ended sleeping in the same room because Will chickened out of sleeping in HOnor's bunk bed. The boys woke up a little before 5, but we got Hudson in our bed, and they went back to sleep. Hudson was sad when Tia left for work this morning, but like I said, we have great distractions here.
It's just like we always pictured
-- all the cousins' kids playing together. If only
Chad and Hudson lived closer . . . :)

Safe travels Chad, and love to you all!

T

Annie's Report

I can not tell you all what a JOY it was to travel with Hudson yesterday!
I burst into tears when I landed in SF and saw Tenley and Honor waiting for us at the gate because Hudson had been so easy, I just felt like little Linds was somewhere making sure that I had an easy trip :)

We avoided a tearful good-bye with Chad, as he just kind of walked away, which was hard for us adults who knew what was going on.
Then Hudson and I made it smoothly thru security and onto the plane where we had TWO SEATS in the bulkhead! At one point a man came and sat down, forcing me to put Hudson on my lap, but I asked him to move 5 minutes later--
there was NO WAY that was going to work : )

We played with his trains and cars and "wri, wri" - that's writing, Hudson style-
had some snacks and watched about 10 minutes of Happy Feet ("peh, peh") and then Hudson drifted off to sleep. I was so thankful!
Then he woke up with about 10 minutes before landing, and Tenley and Honor were waiting for us at the gate.

Hudson had a BIG old time playing with Honor and Will, and as Tenley mentioned, is OBSESSESED with all of Will's trains.
He is such a little pipsqueak compared to Will, and it is such a crack-up to watch them all play together. They had a bath together last night, and Honor and Will were wrestling each other to be able to sit closest to Hudson.

No surprise, but I can't stop getting emotional (tearing up as I write this of course) because it is so incredibly bittersweet to watch Hudson play with his cousins, knowing we all did the same thing when we were little with our cousins,
and how Linds had always talked about wanting to move back to the Bay Area some day so that the new generation of cousins could all play together.

Hudson is such an incredible little soul.

I took lots of pics while I was in Dallas and will get those uploaded as soon as I get home tonight. We had a great time at Chad's birthday party, and I really enjoyed my time alone with Hudson at Tietze Park.

Lots of love to all of you. I'll be back with the kids on Weds night and will give another report- Ten's got her hands fill with three kids this week, so leave the updates to me : )

xoxo
Tia

Pep's Report

We just returned from a cousin's outing to Chuckie Cheese.
We were each assigned a child - Marty had Will, Tenley had Honor
and I had Hudson.
They all loved it.
Hudson seemed to take a liking to Chuckie Cheeze himself
and to the simulated roller coaster ride.

We are now back at Ten's making dinner and watching the 3 playing together.

Pep

Meanwhile, he travels

mr h, by the sea, Thanksgiving 2007

I am so behind
and the little man keeps moving forward
and logging miles
and celebrating his 2nd Christmas on this earth
with his loving dad.

Yesterday, Hudson - accompanied by round-trip flying aunt* Annie - arrived in California and is now happily settling in amidst cousins* Will and Honor.

The reports follow (and photos I assume).

Love and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.

Aunt C

* We're just going to call all relatives by the titles that best suit their roles, no second/removed/steps here.