Pop Quiz-- Hudson Style

I. Multiple Choice--

1. Which of the following did NOT happen less than 18 hours before Holly hosted a surprise double baby shower for two of her besties:

a.) Lightning broke the faucet completely off the kitchen sink, creating a monsoon. Instead of screaming for help, while it was running full blast, Lightning stood there in awe until Holly came to see what was the noise that sounded like a fire hydrant blasting the ceiling.

b.) Holly mopped up two inches of water off the kitchen floor, after said monsoon occurred, and removed canned goods from the pantry and dried them off, because the water burst was so powerful, even the insides of the cabinets were soaking wet, along with the ceiling and all counter tops.

c.) The coffee pot DIED, so Holly had to make a trip to Walmart at 9pm to purchase a new one.

d.) Ashton Kutcher showed up and explained Holly was being filmed for an episode of Punk'd.

2. Upon noticing a bedroom window had been broken, The Storm was brought in separately for questioning. Who blamed whom?

a.) Lightning blamed Thunder, stating, "He did dat when he hit a homerun pwaying baseball."

b.) Thunder blamed Hail and his mad slingshot skills.

c.) Hail explained, "It musta been a robber. And a bad guy. And dey was tryin' to get in our house and steal all our fangs! All of it! Dey wanted to steal our stuffs wike our tv and our toys and our books and our wii and our clothes and dey was just gonna steal EVERY FANG! So, dat robber and dat bad guy breaked da window wif a rock to sneak in while every one was sleepin'! Momma, I'm serious." shaking his head in shock, and raising his eyebrows up as if he witnessed the burglary attempt himself.

d.) ALL of the above.

3. To figure out who was telling the truth, what did Bert do to the suspects for the crime mentioned above?

a.) Threatened to spank them ALL since no one would confess.

b.) Tested Hail's slingshot skills by having him shoot at various targets around the backyard, to see if it were even possible for Hail to break a window.

c.) Offered reward money.

d.) Threatened to force all three to take ballet lessons until the guilty party confessed.

4. Thunder came home from school wearing a t-shirt Holly had never laid eyes on. What was his reason for wearing the new shirt home?

a.) He traded with a buddy.

b.) He spilt juice on his shirt during lunch, and just happened to find another one in his cubby, and even though he knew it wasn't his, he changed into it anyway.

c.) He didn't even notice he was wearing a different shirt.

d.) He bullied a kid for it since it was a Star Wars t-shirt and those are his favorite.

II. True or False--

1.) While attending Granny Scott's funeral viewing, The Hudson Storm put on a shadow-puppet show by placing their fingers in front of the projector that was displaying a slide show honoring Granny Scott on a giant wall.

2.) All of the Hudson Family's laundry is folded and put away.

3.) Holly did NOT tear up when Flash Flood got his first hair cut.

4.) The Hudson's recently adopted a chocolate lab and nick-named her Pork, because they thought she'd go perfectly with their miniature dachshund named Beans.

III. Fill in the Blank--

1.) The Storm member guilty of breaking the window is __________.

2.) According to Holly, Tax Season can go to ____ in a __________ basket.

3.) Her Highness asked if Bert and Holly would please quit having _________ so the family could finally take a vacation to Disney ________.

IV. Math Essay--

If Bert leaves point A at 1pm driving 65 mph in a hoopty suburban, which has so low gas the warning light is on, and Holly leaves point B, driving 75 mph in a filthy mini-van with only a quarter of a tank of gas at 1:15 pm, at which point will Holly pass Bert on the side of the road and refuse to stop and pick him up since she thinks he deserves it for never filling up the tanks on either car while he's by himself?

V. Bonus-- What time will you be over tomorrow to help Holly get caught up on laundry??

"See, now is a time for courage. I guess you already know that there are angels masquerading as people walking around this planet..."

~Idgie Threadgoode, Fried Green Tomatoes

I live in a bubble. A bubble where my children are healthy, developing according to the books, and thriving. A bubble where my biggest complaint is not sleeping through the night and re-loading the dishwasher for the billionth time. A bubble where loading up the van to go to the ballpark four nights this past week, since we now have three children playing on two separate ball teams, makes me feel too busy to slow down and truly appreciate what's around me. A bubble where there is almost nothing but laughter and hugs, and when there are tears, it's only because someone fell and scraped a knee, or got their feelings hurt by an older sibling who doesn't feel like playing at the moment. Or the tears are from me because I don't feel like loading the dishwasher at the moment. Their pain and illnesses are typical to a healthy childhood. Stomach viruses feel like they'll never end, but a few days later, we're all healthy and back to our normal rat race.

Some days I feel trapped inside my bubble. Being a Mother is exhausting, even on the easiest of days. Having others depend on you for everything morning, noon and night can wear down even the strongest of souls. I have no idea why every member living in our bubble thinks to ask ME where their belts/wallets/shoes/baseball gloves/hats/over-due library books/dance shoes are located as we rush out the door, late, to meetings/lunch dates/church/ball-practice/school/ballet lessons. And what puzzles me even more is why I can't recall important details such as their social security numbers, or even to schedule Flash Flood's 15 month check up, yet I do know that those items are located on the dryer/top of the refrigerator/on the ping-pong table in the garage/under the couch cushions/in the van/and maybe you should check in your ROOM for those ballet shoes, since that's where they belong.

Even on the days when I feel trapped in my bubble, I'm still happy to remain there. Reluctant at the thought to ever leave. Because it's cozy in that bubble. We're safe. We're happy. And life is, for the most part, relatively easy.

Life isn't supposed to be easy though. And for some, living in a bubble like mine was never an option.

On Friday, my Momma forwarded an e-mail from her school counselor. My Mother has been blessed to be a part of a school faculty (the same school I attended grades K-12) where the teachers and administrators support each other, and their students, in a loving, nurturing environment. My Momma explained the following.... This precious little girl is wheel chair stricken. She has Hurler's Syndrome and her future is unknown, but you can't prove it by her. She is, like the many handicapped children I've had the privilege of meeting here, a happy optimistic Pollyanna sort of child. For every grandchild we have, including toddler ages, I have met amazing children in leg braces, using walkers, nonverbal, and those who will never walk. These children are so drastically handicapped they must have an aid with them wherever they go. Their attitudes make me smile and weep. I wanted you to see this, because I am very proud of the people I work with. They make me a better person, as each of you do. "Count your blessing name them one by one!" xoxoxo Much love, Cookie In the email, Tami Wester, the school counselor, attached some pictures and a brief description of the concert, where she had taken this beautiful little Angel to meet Sam from the popular Nickelodeon tween show, iCarly. In her e-mail, Tami wrote the following, very valuable lessons.

1. If you have a child, or children, who are healthy...and you get up in the morning and complain about anything....shame on us!
2. Being the parent of a handicapped child is hard work! It took me, and four other members of the staff to figure out how to get everything in order, just to get her up in my car, yesterday. :-) You don't realize how much "stuff" you have to do.
3. Our healthy children need to be taught and to be exposed to children who are "different". We learned a lot of life lessons last night.
4. When I hear people complain about places not being handicap "friendly", I will realize this is a genuine problem.
5. When you see a child in a wheelchair, bend over and speak to them.....even if they can't talk or respond.
6. Don't be afraid to ask for things, you might just get them. We were standing at the back of the concert last night, and she couldn't see anything except butts. She kept asking...why are they clapping? Is someone on the stage? She never complained about not being able to see, she just wanted us to tell her what was going on. I went and talked to an executive with Capitol Records and told him we couldn't see....he immediately called a security guard and cleared a huge path for us to get to the front of the stage right as Jennette McCurdy was taking the stage. :-) If I hadn't have asked.......
7. Kids get a bad rap, but there are some good ones.....As we approached the stage, there were two pre-teen girls in front of us, who were just as excited as we were about being there. One of the girls turned around and saw us behind them. She elbowed her friend and told her that we needed to get in front of them because "that girl" can't see. We were then able to be at the very front...and I know those girls couldn't see over my head, but they never said a word.
8. Most people, even celebrities, are kind, decent folk. Jennette McCurdy spent a lot of time, one-on-one. She made a girl's dream come true. For that, I am grateful! 9. We all have a lot to be thankful for and need to remember to count our blessings every day!

Tears streamed down my face as I read Tami's lessons. Those slaps in the face that say, "Wow, you're really a spoiled rotten BRAT, Holly!" are never fun. But are very much needed. I am so thankful for how easy it's been to live inside our bubble. But slowly, I'm maturing enough to realize that living inside of it may not be what God has planned for us. And if/when that bubble gets popped, I hope and pray to carry on with the strength and love some of my friends have always shown.

Tesney & Greg Davis have also been a HUGE inspiration to me.

I've known Tesney a long time. She was a camp counselor and life guard where I went to church camp every summer. She was a positive influence, beautiful, fun to be around, and she was my oldest brother's age, so for me, that added to her coolness factor. Sometimes, the people we look up to as kids don't seem so wonderful anymore when we become grown ups ourselves. Unfortunately, I've re-connected with quite a few of my past role-models through facebook, and other venues, only to learn they didn't grow up to be such a great role-model after all. Even though I'm now an adult, I always feel so let down and bummed when that happens. I am proud to tell you, this is NOT the case for Tesney!

Tesney and her husband, Greg, have been in the process of adopting a precious little Angel named Kirill for well over a year. Kirill has Down Syndrome and lives in a region of Russia where these children are deemed "socially unadaptable" and thought to be better off in an institution, hidden away from the world. On March 17th, Tesney and Greg went before a judge for FIVE HOURS of questioning, and at the end, were given the ruling: REJECTED, due to Kirill's inability to adapt socially, according to the judge. The judge told Tesney and Greg they could be approved of an adoption for a "typical" child, since they were indeed very good parents. (I'm paraphrasing here.)

I was so sad to learn the news that day, that Tesney and Greg, and their biological son, Clayton, would not be welcoming their sweet Angel- Kirill into their home as quickly as they thought. Tesney and Greg haven't let this "rejection" get the best of them. They are petitioning our prayers, as they fight hard to bring Kirill home. They are filing an appeal with the Supreme Court system in Russia.

Please pray, as this family and Kirill await the next decision. They are begging for prayers to change the judge's heart about these special angels, who are hidden away from the world, all because they have an extra chromosome. Tesney has asked that no one slander the judge, or write negative comments of any type. And to please, please pray for the judge's heart to be changed. There are several other families waiting to adopt children with Down Syndrome from this same region, and will have to face this same judge, so other lives hang in the balance. Please also pray for Tesney, Greg and Clayton to feel God's peace and comfort during this time as well.

You can read more and follow their journey over on their blog: Our Eyes Opened.
Make sure you read Kirill's Story.

It's these strong people, who are my heroes. Some do it by choice. While others have no choice, and are simply playing the hand they were dealt. They are living outside of a cushioned bubble, and doing it in a way that's truly inspirational, and glorifying to God.

Thank-you, Tami, for sharing that angel's story. And thank-you, Tesney & Greg, for helping us to open our eyes. Love & Hugs to you, ~Holly

Deep Thoughts by Hail Hudson

"Hey Momma, I know why you needs to wear unnerwares everyday."

"Really? Why, babe?"

"Cuz just wike when you wear yur tenna shoes wif out socks, yur feets get stinky... Well, if you wear shorts wif out unnerwares, yur butt crack will get stinky!"

Bittersweet.

I had to return Her Highness and Thunder to their teachers today, after having them all to myself for an entire week. And while I know they need an education, and that they enjoy socializing with their classmates, I'd be lying if I said I didn't hate to see them go. I love having everyone home. Together. I'm a home-body, and am happiest on the days we lazily make plans as we go.

Most of our break was spent doing just that...relaxing in our backyard; enjoying the breeze and warm temps, before mosquitoes arrive for the summer. The Storm begging to be pushed higher and higher on their swings, and squealing that they "just nearly sorta almost kinda touched Heaven!" will forever be ranked as one of my favorite memories.

Listening to Her Highness giggle with sweet girlfriends while jumping on the trampoline, and eaves dropping on their discussions over new hair styles and who was cuter: Justin Bieber or one of the shaggy haired boys from Big Time Rush, is also being recorded in the "Best of Spring Break 2011" file in my brain. Along with the memory of them dragging tons of "necessary" items outside to work on their tans, because according to them, that's what you do during Spring Break. Beach towels, Barbie dolls, purses, plastic high heels, snacks and Capri Suns just to name a few. Only five minutes of laying in the sun, and both girls declared it was "Waaaay too hot to get a tan!" (I believe the high for that day was 72.) So they skipped back to the shaded trampoline and jumped while singing their favorite songs.

We splashed in the wading pool, met friends for picnics at various parks, fed the ducks at a nearby pond at dusk, ate popsicles until our mouths were blue and red and orange and purple, stayed up late watching movies and thoroughly enjoyed lazy mornings smacking on frozen waffles and sticky syrup. We were all sad to see the week come to an end, but were brought joy by Spring's official start, and the promise of summer vacation only nine weeks away.

Bittersweet.

During our escapades, we were saddened to learn of the loss of Bert's grandmother, known to many as Granny Scott. Though her death was neither untimely, nor unexpected, losing such a precious part of our lives, and our family heritage, left all of us with heavy hearts. Granny Scott was filled with such a sweet and gentle spirit, and was simply a joy to be around. Letting go of such a jewel in peace, to be with the angels, was difficult-- even knowing she had been in such pain the last few months of her life. I feel so blessed just to have known her. And to be a part of the beautiful legacy she leaves on this earth makes me proud. She was survived by her nine children, and over SEVENTY grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. All of whom are positive contributors to society. This world is a better place because of the life Granny Scott lived.

Bittersweet.

The day we received the news of our sweet Granny Scott's passing, we had a playdate scheduled with some dear friends at a park that is located on a nature preserve. The beautiful scenery and laughter was just what we all needed. Walking down one of the nature trails, the rest of The Storm ran ahead with their buddies, leaving me with Flash Flood and Hail to ourselves.

Hail opened up, asking many questions concerning the passing of Granny Scott. I stopped walking for a moment, so he would know I was listening, and he asked, "Momma, you know why I'm so sad about not seeing Gwanny Scott anymore? 'Cause now she can't give us peppermint candies when we hug her face!" His lip quivered just a moment before tears started flowing, from us both. I couldn't help but laugh, as I wiped away tears, at his precious innocence. Holding my three year old, who is still so new to life, while being thankful to have known his great-grandmother, who is as much a part of that baby being here today as I am, and thanking God for them both, is also a memory that's been permanently stamped on my heart, and locked into my very soul.

Bittersweet.

"And I was wike, Baby-Baby-Baby NOOO! I fought you aw-ways be mine."

Until I went home a few weekends ago, I had over 3,000 pictures and videos saved on my phone. My big brother, Matt, (SHOUT OUT!) helped me get them all off my phone, and burned onto a DVD, because I'm technologically challenged.

It was fun, skimming through all 3,245 old pics and videos that had been shot over the last year, many of them taken by The Storm. Good times, good times.

These two videos especially made me giggle. The first was taken while lounging on the couch. Hail announced, "I can woll my eyes!" which immediately made Lightning want to try it out too. You know, because rolling one's eyes is apparently important... in this house, anyway.


There were approximately 47 videos just like this next one. Lightning learned all the words to "Baby-Baby-Baby, Ohhhh!" as we call it. For three solid months afterwards, he would ask me to video him, so he could watch it. Over and over and over again. Guess we all got a little bit of Bieber Fever this past year. My favorite thing about this one is listening to Lightning's husky little voice. No, he's not hoarse. Nor is he getting over a respiratory infection. This is how the boy has sounded since the day he was born. His very first cry for breath as he entered this world sounded all husky and hoarse, and made Bert and I laugh immediately. He sounds like a chain smoker. And I LOVE it.

Lightning's Rendition of Baby-Baby-Baby

(with Flash Flood squealing in the audience)

Videography by: Big Momma

Captions for those who can't understand what he's saying. And for those of you fortunate enough to not know every. single. word. Justin Bieber, your manager is a genius.


"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, da da da da (music beats, since he's singing acapella)
Whoa whoa whoa whoa, da da da da
I know you wuv me. Yeah.
I know you cawe. Uh-huh.
I said wheneva, and I be dere.
You are my wuv. You are my hawt.
And we netha etha etha be apawt.
I need a item. Yo.
You be pwayin'.
We're just fwiends. Yo. What are you sayin'.
Take anover wook what's in my eyes.
My furst wuv bwoke my hawt fer da furst time.
And I was wike, baby baby baby OHHHH! Wike baby, baby, baby NOOOOO!
Fought you aways be miiiine.
Fer you, I woulda done what-etha. And I just can't bewieve we not togetver.
I wanna pway coow. But I'm woosing you. I buy ya any-fang. I buy ya any wing.
I'm in piethis. 'Til you fix me. 'Til you shake me, 'til you wake me frum dis bad dweam.
I'm goin' down down down. And I can't bwieve my furst wuv won't be awound.
Now I'm wike baby baby baby OHHHHH! Wike baby, baby, baby NOOOOO!
Baby baby baby ohhh, I fought you aways be mine.
(REPEAT THE ENTIRE SONG... TWICE)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, now I'm all gon.
Yeah, yeah yeah yeah, now I'm all gon.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, now I'm all gon, gon, gon, now I'm all gon!"

"Off we go to sing-a-ling-a-land to sing and play all daaaaay!"

Flash Flood absolutely loves "helping" me unload and reload the dishwasher. It's cute, except when I actually need to get it done, then it's annoying. In a desperate attempt to distract him from my monotonous morning ritual, I grabbed an old VHS tape that was a sing-a-long favorite of Her Highness' when she around the same age. He'd never seen it, so I thought it might keep him busy for a few minutes, while I finished loading the plates, crusty with dried ketchup and dehydrated scrambled eggs.
For three and a half minutes, Flash Flood was in a trance, staring at the silly (almost disturbing) characters who were singing their way to Silly-ville in the Wee-Sing Train. But that was it. Three and a half minutes later, he was off to destroy the bookshelf. Even though the video didn't capture his attention, it did mine.
Warm memories flooded my heart, as the dorky bunny and talking clouds danced and sang together. Images of Her Highness at age two played over and over in my brain. There she was, all 24 pounds of her, dancing and singing along. Tiny little pig tails bopping all over the place. Sweet little voice, that never missed a word to those songs, then pleaded the moment the video was over, "Again! Pwease! AGAIN!! PWEASE MOMMA!! Sing-a-ling!!"
A giant lump filled my throat, making it hard for me to swallow. Tears filled my eyes, as I stared down at the dirty dishes. It seems like two days ago I was meeting Her Highness for the first time....

And then for about 20 minutes she was this size....

Yesterday, she spent the day dressing up like a bunny and hunting eggs...

And now, today, what seems like only two days after our first meeting....

She's this brave big girl, who doesn't need her Momma so much anymore.

Who rolls her eyes when I wave too big in public, or scream "I LOVE YOOOOUUUUU!" with my head hanging out the window of our dirty van in the drop off line at school.

So, today, in what seems like only two days after our first meeting, I plan to snatch her up the second she walks in the door from school, kiss her a million times, then make her watch that obnoxious video. Just for old time's sake. And to pay her back. Because now all those dorky songs are stuck in my head. And every time I sing one, I get a lump in my throat.

It would be the only fair thing to do, really.

Like Mother, Like Son.

Flash Flood is a dirt eater. Just like his Momma. Though I no longer have a problem with eating the earth, my mouth still waters to this day if I smell mud. Strange, I know. Even stranger.. I get the same effect when smelling a damp basement. Don't de-friend me. Please. I promise I'm normal. Well, normal is a relative term. But, for some reason, I was super attracted to dirt as a child, and ate tons of it. Out of five children, Flash Flood seems to be the only one who shares my affinity. I've read that mud/dirt eaters may be iron deficient. Any other dirt eaters out there?? At least I wasn't a booger eater. And I KNOW FOR A FACT some of you were! And nowhere have I read that booger eating could mean you're iron deficient. So there.

Happy MARCH 1st!! Winter's nearly OVER!! Woo-hoo!!