Hudson, my Hudson

Month eight was a sweet and sour month.
The sweet is an easy one. Hudson is turning more and more into his own little person every day. He's doing some pretty hilarious things right now - like whipping his head from side to side and giggling at the dizziness that follows (he does this ALOT). I guess he's learning that he can control the environment around him, and is apparently enjoying it! He's learned how to pull himself up on objects, and does really well walking circles around the coffee table.

"Helping" mommy dust

The unfortunate part about that is that he'll try it on any object, no matter how stable, and the inevitable result is him being trapped under speakers and clothes drying stands and the list goes on. His curiosity gets him into plenty of other trouble too. It seems like the second one of us turns our back from him playing nicely on the kitchen floor, he makes a beeline for the mat by the front door in an attempt to stuff as many pebbles in his mouth before one of us can get to him (he almost never even gets to the first one, but wow, does he ever try!). Between the mat, the toilet, the dishwasher, the  fridge, the stairs, the stove, the broom or mop, any paper product, and his amazing fine motor skills (perfect for picking up the teeniest of crumbs), we have our hands full. But I have to say, even with these new challenges, I think this month has been the best so far. We've found a rhythm. A general flow to the day. It might not always go perfectly, but I see how having a routine has benefited the both of us in so many ways. His nights are better. His naps are better.  I am not in such a fog. I am much better at meeting the challenges of being a mom.  There are still a few things we'll be working on in the near future, but I'm happy with where things are currently going.

"Helping" mommy put away the dishes

This month my inner Mennonite came bursting forth and I've started a foray into the world of homemade. This past week, I've done homemade tortillas (QUITE the workout to roll them out, but so worth it!), pizza dough (whole wheat and regular), and beef jerky. Since I've been stay-at-home-momming it since last summer, I've discovered a whole new world of cooking delights, things that I've never attempted before, but usually meet with success. I think the key is not being afraid to try new things. The beef jerky was probably my most exciting feat. So easy, so much cheaper than buying in stores, and mine doesn't contain ingredients that are ten syllables long. I plan on trying it with different types of meat, and different marinades, until I find something that rivals Deroche General store (I know that's asking alot, but still!).

As for the sour: it's no secret, but the world is hurting. Just look on the news at the devastation in Japan, and you can see it for yourself. People in my little world are hurting too. Last week my uncle Steve survived a major heart attack. He has four kids and a wife that need him. Very thankfully, he's now at home with them, recovering, but I'm sure there lives will all look a little differently from here on in. I was also incredibly sad to hear that my sister-in-law's dad is starting another battle with leukemia, something he dealt with about two years ago, but had receded after months of chemotherapy. The bad news will never stop. I learned that awhile ago. But God will never stop either. I have to believe that, even when His plans and purposes are so far away from where I can make sense of them.
And for the other stuff - I had a fun little week being sicker than I have in awhile. I spent three and some days rotating between the bed, bathroom, and couch, and am just today finding it a little easier to make it up the stairs without my knees feeling like jelly. I've definitely seen the unfortunate side of living way out in farmville (no association with the facebook game of the same name) - no convenient access to medical care. Last week I self-diagnosed myself with a, ahem, medical issue that wasn't necessarily an emergency, but definitely something to be addressed. In the city, I could have made my 15 minute stroll on over to my clinic, and had it dealt with right away - but out here there are just simply no convenient options. So I opted for the "maybe it will just go away on it's own" attitude, as I knew it would be a 3 or 4 hour round trip escapade into the city otherwise, in the evening hours, where there are only two clinics in Winnipeg that take after-hours patients. Well, let's just say it didn't go away on it's own as I had hoped (and in fact got considerably worse), so we were forced to make the trip into the city during the week that I was already very sick with something else, but thankfully it's all over and done with now.
I am also relieved to report that winter seems like it's on it's way out. Like, physically and mentally relieved. This one has felt long to say the least. I took a walk yesterday evening, and just those 45 minutes of fresh air that didn't freeze a path way all the way up to my brain made me feel that much better. I have been feeling very closed in and isolated lately, but I'm staying positive by focusing on the fact that soon the outside world will be available to us again.
Well, time to go - that floor's not going to sweep itself (though sometimes I wish it would!).
So ta ta, Tut-tle.

Helping daddy sort his traders...

...But decided he'd rather eat them instead

Finding his way into the magazine tray...

...And not being able to get out