Boo to June

 Boo to you, June. You stunk. I can not wait to see you go.

Well, today is the last day of June. And I think the good news is I survived. I survived my own work overload for a planned LASIK surgery that never will be and new realities of our life to come.

First to acknowledge the really upsetting...Hudson's dear buddy, lady friend since the young age of six months, Kaelyn is moving away. Her family is being relocated to New Hampshire, which I think is somewhere near southeast Asia. Much to Tucker's chagrin, her baby brother and HIS new buddy, Brennan, will be going with her. And much to my deep distress, I am losing close proximity to a very sweet friend Sarah who has rode this motherhood roller coaster with me since, what feels like, the beginning.

"Izzy", "Jake", "Cubby", and "Scully"

I know KK has been focused on this blog quite frequently as she has been such a big part of Hudson's life. She has attended every birthday party, cheered at his soccer games, and hung out at minimum weekly for over four years. Hudson does not really understand what is happening, but has suggested some weekend trades instead of our current 4 hour "swap sessions" each week. He also laughed at me when I told him it would be a airplane ride to see her.  

Swap sessions have been a ton of fun this June. Sarah and I swap babysitting of the kids each Tuesday and Thursday morning. While at my house, we have fallen into a routine of "treasure hunts" where the kids play the roles of Jake and the Neverland pirates. I create these elaborate maps with hidden clues (using pictures or sight words) and the kids enjoy "Yo Ho Ho"ing their way around the house to find their bounty. 

Just as evidence that kids KNOW when things are emotional; the crew of four have been extremely loving this summer. Every departure and greeting requires multiple hugs and "I just love you"s. It is enough to make me lose it every time! 

I don't think I can write anymore about this right now. 

Birthday dinner with Poppa Eddie

For the past month I have been wearing my glasses in preparation for LASIK surgery (which was to happen on June 28). Three days before surgery I found out that, in some rare form of God's twisted irony, my corneas are too thin for safe surgery and I would have to have another surgery. It is totally doable, but not for someone who uses their eyes for their job. Having things "cloudy" or "fuzzy" for three weeks would not bode well for my workload this summer. Nevermind that I would need to be in sunglasses through the season. I don't think I can photograph well like that. Alas, I will just save those pennies to make some other more ample portion of my body thin at a later time...

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day. And a new month. I anticipate things will only perk up in July!
The kitchen is almost done!!! 5 year project might just finish this year!
Tucker will be 2!!! Goodbye, whole milk jugs!
We are celebrating our anniversary!! Nine years, say whaaaa?
County fair! County fair! Meat on a stick! Meat on a stick!
Girls trip to Florida! This Mama is going to sleep for 24 hours straight!
IndyCar race trip! Which Brazilian driver will need family photographs?!?!
Our garden is rocking! Whoop!!!
What else? I can only imagine!

Self-portrait:June

almost forgot this month! last day of swim lessons

And the Oscar goes to...

I thought we had world class dramatics from our eldest; however, his younger brother is definitely giving him a run for his money (or Oscar). Tucker is a fantastic, effective, and adorable pouter. And at age (nearly--gulp!) two he pouts about 30 times a day. He has the perfect "pouting stance" which includes slumped shoulders, folded hands, and sad eyes. 

If it wasn't so adorable, I would give in more. Who am I kidding? I give him everything!

Junk Man

Garbage sale find of the summer. Trike with giant wheels. Bought for Tucker. Claimed by his brother. $3.

Soulshine

When you can't find the lightThat guides you through a cloudy dayWhen the stars ain't shining brightAnd it feels like you lost your wayWhen the candle lights of homeBurn so very far awayWell, you got to let your soul shineJust like my daddy used to say--
He used to say soul shineIt's better than sunshineBetter than moonshineDamn sure better than the rainHey now people don't mindWe all feel this way sometimesGot to let your soul shineShine till the break of day
Grew up thinking that I had it madeGonna make it on my own.But life can take the strongest manAnd make him feel so aloneBut now sometimes I feel a cold windBlowing through my aching bonesI think back to what my daddy said.He said, "Boy, there's darkness before the dawn"
Let your soul shineOh, it's better than sunshineBetter than moonshineDamn sure better than rainYeah now people don't mindWe all feel this way sometimes.Got to let your soul shineShine till the break of day
Sometimes a man can feel this emptinessLike a woman has robbed him of his very soulWoman too, God knows, she can feel like thisAnd when your world seems coldYou got to let your spirit take control!
Talking about the soul shineBetter than sunshineBetter than moonshineDamn sure better than rainLord, now people don't mindWe all feel this way sometimesGot to let your soul shineYeah, shine on and on and on and on
Oh, it's better than sunshineBetter than moonshineDamn sure better than rainYeah, now people don't mindWe all feel this way sometimesGot to let your soul shineShine till the break of day

"Soulshine" my favorite song for 18 years.

Boy's Life

Sometimes social media just annoys me.

Like yesterday when one of my former students, a twenty-something, posted, "I'm booooooored" as her Facebook status.

I literally wanted to write a lengthy response of how she could ride/walk/drive her sorry butt over to my house and I could give her about 300 things to do. But then I realized that this was just jealousy talking and I, too, had been a 20 something who had lazy days and rarely an urgent to-do list and so I settled with the kinder, gentler response, "I haven't been bored since 2008."

Can I get an "Amen"?

What was life like before kids? What was it like to come home to a quiet house? And why was I so eager to keep working? What is it like to not have a to do list? Or a schedule? Or a booked calendar?

I am a Hughes. We might be a lot of things, but lazy is not one of them. We are movers. And doers. And, often, overdoers.

So, I am trying to mix in a little of the "relaxed" with a little of the "necessary" this summer. Every night Hudson wants to "talk about the next day" and with few regular events I have organized a little visual schedule for us.

 I just took some strips of construction paper, wrote down 40 possible events, taped pieces of cut up advertising magnets onto the back, and viola! we have our fully adjustable, each day can be totally different schedule.

We have maintained it for a full week of summer, which I believes makes it a success. Of course, all this organization and coolness still did not stop Hudson from pestering me through last Thursday's "Quiet Time" with the "I'm bored" routine.

Oh! to be four years old.
Or 20.

Father's Day

There is no greater gift I hope to give to my children, than to surround them with as many amazing adults as possible that love them.

Happy Father's Day, Poppa Bear! Happy Father's Day, Dale! Happy Father's Day, Papa Eddie!

Funny Friday: A Whole Lotta Love

 Finally Hudson has shown interest in some music other than Raffi!!! On our way to the zoo, he repeatedly asked for louder Led Zeppelin songs. When we got to the parking lot, I turned around and this is what I saw.

I nearly peed myself.

Favorite Picture 2013

Well, it is up there.

Wordless Wednesday: Big Crew

How does your garden grow?

Oh we will do anything for our kids!

After 8 years of asking, Josh finally got his garden. Naturally, only this spring did Little Man ask about growing "vetch-etables" and here we are...growing things!

Burned in my brain are horrible memories of bean picking in our garden growing up. Of course, I know now that we only had a garden in 1st and 2nd grade, but I can still see myself in my mind's eye, crying as bugs surrounded me. It was obviously traumatic and more impressionable than the secondary, but also vivid, memories of frying up delicious pumpkin blossoms for breakfast. 

Our efforts were  a whole family affair. First, Hudson and I created our garden plans-- and don't count me out for a future in engineering just yet! I made our plans to scale. I know, my hubs was impressed.

Josh did an amazing job creating our vision. It is an L shaped raised bed with a flat top/seat all around the perimeter. Hudson selected our plants. We are growing tomatoes for daddy. When we ran to Lowes to pick up some landscaping fabric (to line the inside with), Hudson altered our plans and quickly kicked carrots to the curb. He insisted watermelon was far superior. I know it will probably take over the whole bed, but he asked so sweetly.

Although his planning was superior, I don't envision Hudson with a career in hard labor. He was mostly in it for the "fizzy pop" and leaning against Dada's truck taking in the sights. He did have an opinion regarding our planting strategy though. "I think we should plant them with the dirt they came with so they will feel like they are at home and grow." Yep, I agree. We definitely grow the most when we are in a safe place. :)

Honestly, I would be happy if we reap a single yellow "crookneck" squash from the thing, but Hudson has HIGH hopes of all the treasurers we will get from it. I figure it is never to soon to teach him green beans do not grow from a can. Both kids have been on a huge sweet pepper kick. I am amused as I have only taken to those thing within the past year myself. Last week the boys working together finished an entire bag of peppers in one afternoon. Seriously, how am I going to afford our grocery bill in ten years?!?

So, what to grow? Our final planting includes one watermelon, one cucumber, 5 sweet pepper plants, one crookneck squash, one yellow squash, and two tomatoes. I also dropped in some cilantro and lettuce seeds last night but have no hopes for those. I added a couple of marigolds to remind me (even more) of Granny. I am confident the watermelon will take over the entire space. And Hudson would be just fine with that.

Silly me, I did not take a final picture of our masterpiece. I will do that and post it later! Alongside pictures of our "bounty"!

What I value about IndyCar

This blog is a repost from what I recently wrote over at IndyCarMom.Com. I just wanted to have it here as well, so it can be part of the boys' blogbook.

Just like the annual let down after another Christmas has past, that is often how we feel here in central Indiana when another Indy 500 is in the books and suddenly our June calendars do not have plans including the IMS. This year might even seem particularly emotional as it was such a fantastic month full of awesome weather days at the track, a really great festival parade, and one of the single most enjoyable races in my memory. Those lead changes! That race pace! The full ensemble of awesome potential winners and their stories!  It is as close as this non-exerciser will ever get to a "runner's high".

After years of excruciating heat, this year's Memorial Day weekend was a breath of fresh (and cool) air. The 500 Festival Parade is an event, I believe, all fans and families should add to the perennial calendar. Just as in all sports, race fans have their "team."  And in a field of 33, it impresses me how a crowd can decorate themselves in sportswear to represent them ALL. Instead of their just being one driver everyone likes, it seems like there are so many this year. So many new and seasoned IndyCar fans hoping that Marco Andretti could take away from the IMS what his father did not. Hometown Hero and racing-through-the-ranks veteran Ed Carpenter made even my husband weepy as he took the pole and looked to have a team capable of winning. Tony Kanaan is so respected and such a hard worker. Indianapolis loves Helio and just might be warming up to Dario as they graced the cover of the program poised to capture the elusive "number 4". And could James Hinchcliffe be more hilarious? Of course, there were others... But unlike so many events where opposing team fans sneer at one another, shout and boo at each other, and downright are rude to each other after time expires on the clock, IndyCar fans this May literally gave me chills. Something about the way they all embraced TK impressed me.

The crowd stayed and applauded.

They didn't run to their cars and talk of next year.

TK, I believe, doesn't just represent a crowd favorite; he represents a collective winner that was valued by both his competitors and racecar fans around the world.

As not just an IndyCar fan, but also a Mom, I appreciate it so. I think it teaches a fine lesson to my sons that hard work, perseverance, and a good attitude pay off. I just don't know how you can beat that.  It's better than Christmas.

IndyCar Mom {Heather}

Life is a zoo

Whew! Another school year is in the books. This week officially starts our Summer 2013. Bring on the craziness. As the year closed I revisited my angst regarding Hudson starting kindergarden next year. I have absolutely NO reason to want him to start school other than selfishly wanting more time to do my own business. When people ask you if your child is going to start kindergarten they also dip their head in such a way that I feel like they are asking if he has some communicable disease.

Me: "We just finished a year of preschool."

Them: "Is he going to going to start (pregnant pause as they sheepishly and sadly look to the ground) kindergarten in the fall?"

I think this is society's way of confirming that I do not need him to go to full time school come August 7. That or I read a lot into body language, so beware! :)

For the record, here is the reason you, my eldest, are not starting kindergarten in the fall: You do not make the state cutoff. End of story. Here are five other reasons: I think a full day of school would kick you in the butt; I firmly believe I want you to not be the littlest through middle school; I would rather you be the driver than the passenger come age 16; Everyone says boys should wait; And, most importantly, I will miss you! Okay, well, the last reason is true and always will be. Can't I just invoke a "because I said so" here?

Tucker waving to the fish.

Enough of all that! Our first item of business was renewing our zoo passes and taking a day to enjoy each other. So, enough chitchat, here are my images:

Still thinking this looks like this is a good idea.

For mom.

Naturally T's favorite thing was something we have in our town!

I've thought of creating a book called, "Curls" and it would be full of images of all the places I have taken Tucker.  

And in case you needed more evidence that nature is amazing: