Hudson Says

While boogie boarding in the ocean, Hudson says, "All of this exercise is going to make me so good on the Mario Cart Wii."

Elijah asked me if people HAVE to get married.  I told him that no one had to, but it is often good to get married.  I went on to tell him that if he wanted to be a daddy, he needed to get married...since mommies are the ones who have babies, not daddies.  Hudson interrupted and said, "Some boys do have babies!"  And I corrected him and told him that wasn't true.

He then said, "Male seahorses have babies."

I stand corrected.

Hudson's Prayer Box

Hudson came home from VBS with a prayer box. (VBS #3, that is.)  He had already put one request in the box during VBS: I pray that everyone has food.  When we got home, he asked me to write a few more.  

I pray that everyone has a house.
I pray that everyone has a car.
I pray that everyone has house numbers.
I pray that people who can't hear can talk and not speak in sign language.

Ha!  That last one was out of left field.   And controversial.  ;)

Depravity at it's Finest

E:  I don't mean to be a tattle tale, but Hudson called me a liar.
Me:  Hudson, did you call Elijah a liar? (List reasons why he shouldn't...blah blah blah.)
H:  I didn't call him a liar, I called the air around him a liar.

Hudson's Friend

For several weeks, Hudson has been telling us about a friend named Ducas.  We kept asking him if his name was Lucas, and he'd always correct us.  "No, it's Ducas."

We assumed he was a child in Hudson's Sunday School classroom at Providence, and we'd hear random stories about Ducas, usually stories of him disobeying.

"Mommy, this is NOT good.  Ducas put his feet on the table!"   "Ducas didn't share with me today in my classroom."   ... Those types of things.

He'd usually mention Ducas after Elijah would mention a story about a friend from preschool, so I could tell he was trying to have something to share too.   I know he wants to chime in and tell a story like his big brother, so we have always listened and ask questions about Ducas.

Well, on Sunday, Hudson told me about Ducas as we drove home from church.  He says, "Mommy we need to pray for Ducas at lunch.  Ducas' daddy DIED!"   I asked how he died and said I was so sorry to hear this....and started to get suspicious of this little dude.   He told me that his daddy had nails in his hands and feet and was tied with ropes.  Hmmm.  I tried not to laugh and managed to look really sad as I told Hudson how sad I was that his daddy died.

So of course, Nick and I started to wonder if Ducas really even exists?   We figured he was a real kid in his class and maybe the stories were just made up but that he was a real child.   We asked Hudson more about Ducas today and found out that he 'has brown hair just like you Daddy,' and he's in kindergarten and he's in the Lizards class.

(Elijah was in the Frog class this year at preschool. There is no Lizard class.)

HA.  

I think it's safe to say that Ducas is Hudson's first imaginary friend.

(Even if there really is a child with that name, he is not referring to him at this point anymore.)

It's interesting to note:  Elijah has a very vibrant imagination but he has never ever made up a story or a fact.  If he recalls something or tells a story about someone, it is 100% accurate, down to the details.  He has an amazing memory.  Hudson will parrot Elijah's stories and change a few facts in his version of the story to be able to chime in and have a conversation.  It's so innocent and precious.   I just think it's hilarious how Ducas has been a part of our lives for several weeks!

Hudson Says

The boys and Nick were talking about Jesus' return and that Believers will "meet Him in the clouds."

Hudson said:

Wait.  (dramatic pause)

Before we do that....  (pause)

We need Tinkerbell.

Hudson Says

Hudson is our "talker."   This is no surprise to anyone, but he talks non-stop.  I mean, non-stop.

For example,  If I take Hudson and Emmaline to a park, thinking I'll have a little break while they play, he will feed me lines to say the whole time.

"Mommy, say 'Look at that Batman!'  Mommy, say 'Woah look how fast he can jump!'  Mommy, stand right here and say, 'Go get those bad guys, Flash!'   No, not yet Mommy, wait until you see the bad guys.'"

He doesn't do it as much if Elijah's around, so I wonder if he is just needing/missing that interaction when Elijah's not around.   I'm ready for Emmaline to be able to talk so she can help me out and say half of the lines for me!

Hudson Says

After a spanking, Nick was talking to Hudson about the "circle of obedience."  We have told them that when they step outside of the circle of obedience, they get a consequence to remind them to stay inside the circle.   When we stay inside the circle of obedience, God promises that things will go well for us.

(This is from Ted Tripp's Shepherding a Child's Heart and Ephesians 6:1-3, if you are wondering.)

And it always leads right into a conversation about the Gospel, where we always remind them that Christ never sinned and He died to pay for our sins.

This particular time, Hudson was very attentive.  Nick asked him, "Who never stepped outside of the circle of obedience?"

Hudson replied, "Batman."

Hudson Says

I didn't want this to get lost in the comments...I want to remember this!

Katherine. said...
Oh, Allison - I meant to tell you that Hudson was telling us his middle name was Parker in Sunday School the other day...so I asked him what Elijah's middle name was and he said, "Elijah Luke." And then I asked him what Emmaline's middle name was and he said, Emmaline Sweet Precious." I almost died - it was amazing. :)

Playdate

I told Hudson that William was coming over this morning for a playdate.

He pretended to fall on the floor and faint, then said, "Mom, I have goosebumps!"

Washdisher

H: Mommy, can you open the washdisher? I want to get a cup.

Table Talk

Before dinner, Hudson said: We need to pray for Jesus to come back. And for my mosquito bite.

Priorities, huh?

Nick asked Elijah who rode a donkey into Jerusalem. Elijah answered, "David and Jesus!"

UH-mazing.

Today, a woman at the mall asked me if I was a college student. I had Emmaline and Hudson in the double stroller. She said she thought I was their nanny.

Apparently Nick and I are kids who have kids. (Remember the magazine salesman?)

Hudson Says

"My tummy is so full. I think it has a cavity."

"Could you turn the TV off so the batteries won't run out?"

--Little boys love to talk about their poops, so I'm living in that world right now. If bathroom humor makes you uncomfortable, skip these next three.--

"My poop looks like a chocolate milkshake." (He had one too many grapes.)

He pooped, and didn't flush. He came to tell me about it, as he always does. Then said, "I need to poop some more, and I'm going to make an X with this next poop on top of it."

The boys somehow started saying "quack" for passing gas. We told them that certain words they were hearing/saying were not good manners. So I guess they made up their own code word. They always crack up laughing, saying "I quacked!!"

Pushing the Envelope

The boys were in the tub together.

H: The hippo is poooooping!
(Both laugh hysterically.)

Me: Guys, we don't use bathroom words to tell jokes. That's bad manners. We just use them when we have to go to the bathroom.

E: But we're IN the bathroom.

Funnies

Hudson, climbing out of booster seat after dinner: "I'm outta here."

As Nick was tucking the boys in for the night, Hudson asks Nick to call Batman on the bat phone to see if he will come over to play. He asks Nick to call Superman too. Nick says he doesn't know Superman's number. Elijah says, "Call Batman and see if he has his email address."

Nick asked Elijah if Hudson was going to share a room with him one day when he is married. Elijah says "yeah" as if it were very obvious. Then, behind Hudson's back, he points and whispers, "I'm going to marry him."

Pretzel "R"

Hudson told me his pretzel was an "R."

Hudson Says

Tonight, some neighbors stopped by. They asked Hudson what he did today.

He said, "We watched Jesus die on the cross and ate popsicles."

We watched a movie called The MiracleMaker, which is a claymation/animated movie that follows the Gospel of Luke. It's actually a great movie, in case you're wondering. And the boys did have popsicles while they played outside earlier in the evening.

Overheard

I overheard Hudson say to Elijah, "that's ridiculous."

Elijah spilled a little bit of juice on the carpet. He came to tell me and said, "I don't know what happened. I was totally out of it and accidentally spilled my juice."

"totally out of it" and "that's ridiculous" -- when did they become teenagers?

The Royal Roarks

Hear Ye, Hear Ye.

For a while, Nick has called us by royal titles (Prince, Princess, etc.) and the boys caught on. Now, they've added to the titles and we now have nicknames too.

Nick is King Charming
Allison is Queen Elizabeth
Elijah is Prince Jack Rabbit
Hudson is Prince Spring Pig
Emmaline is Princess Sweet Precious

We've had fun with these names lately. I heard Hudson tell a teacher at Elijah's preschool, "We're here to pick up Jack Rabbit." Love it.

Dinner Time

We've heard a lot of funny comments at dinner lately. I can only remember three.

Elijah told Hudson, "Don't pray the Hudson way, pray the nice way."

Elijah opened a prayer by saying, "Heavenly Father, you are wonderful and crazy."

Hudson had a scowl on his face after Nick told him to finish his dinner. Nick said, "Wipe that look off your face, son." Hudson, with a very serious look, started wiping his face with his hand.

Hudson Says

Hudson and I had some snuggle time tonight. It was one of those times where part of me wanted to just put him down quickly and tackle the tornado in the living room, the disaster in the kitchen and the mountain of laundry (oops! I did it again.) in our bedroom. Nick and Elijah dashed out the door after dinner to make it on time, while Hudson played in the tub and Emmaline needed to eat and go down for the night, so the table is still covered in plates and crumbs. The counters have dirty dishes and utensils all over them. Not to mention that the kitchen floor isn't white anymore.

But those kinds of moments one-on-one with my children are so rare and precious, so I seized it.

We got in his bed together. Hudson said, "Let's talk." I giggled.

I asked him what he wanted to do tomorrow. He said he wants to put up the Christmas tree. The one that only Mommy touches with the star on the top. The star that's sharp and pointy.

And that led into a conversation about how only Daddies touch the fireplace, and only Emmalines touch their playmat, and only Mommies touch the Christmas tree.

Then he wants to play on his digger and scoop up blocks. Then he wants to play with his toys. Then watch Truck Tunes.

I asked him what he wanted for breakfast, and he wants cupcakes. He played with my eyelashes the whole time.

I told him to get one book and we'd read then sing whatever songs he wanted. He got three books. I gave in. We read Bible Heroes and he called every woman 'Mary.' (They do all have on those same light blue hoods over their heads. Who can blame him?) Then we read Rough and Tough Trucks and he named every capital letter in the whole book. Then we read Baby Animals and talked about soft and rough textures.

After our three books, he said he wanted to "talk some more." I told him we were having Pillow Talk, which reminded him that he'd rather have a pillow fight. Hee. I suggested that we do that tomorrow with Elijah. (I'll regret that later.) So I asked him what songs he wanted to sing. We sang: The Gospel Song, Happy Birthday, This Little Light of Mine, Praise God, Nothing But the Blood, and Glory Be to the Father.

It's 7:58 p.m. and I'm just now starting on cleaning up. I'll make a dent in it, then Elijah and Nick will come home, and I'll talk with them about their time at Leadership. Then I'll try to finish it while I talk with Nick about the day.

When I get in bed close to midnight, as I fall asleep, I'll remember that it's all worth it.

How I treasure those sweet moments with my children!