Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

Archives for July 2008

38 is great!

by 7 Comments


Last night, as I was tucking her into bed, Eden asked what kind of birthday I wanted.  

“What do you mean?”  
“Well, Rennie’s having a Princess birthday and I’m having a horse and Chihuahua birthday, what kind do you want.”
I knew it wouldn’t be any good to explain that adults don’t usually have themes.  “I want a flower birthday.”  I said.
“You always pick that.”  She said, without missing a beat.
It was  a good day.  Paul took it off but it was fairly low key.  We went out to lunch while the kids went to see Wall E with their cousin, Ren, and  her Grandpa and Grandm P., who she shares with my kids and who treated everyone.  Torey and Willa Z. came along for the ride.

After lunch Paul took the kids to a park and the library so that I could stay home and write.  When they returned Lydia and I did a little math, as she is doing some extra credit this summer.  
There weren’t any presents to unwrap or candles to blow out, but they all made me cards, even Paul.  We have had a couple of projects around the house done that we have counted towards several holidays.
I jokingly told Paul today, “Your presence is your gift.”
And it was.

by 5 Comments

It’s been a busy few days since we last spoke: terrible storms, a power outage and it’s attending chaos,  (note: do NOT bring a breast feeding infant prone to screaming when separated from her mother into your home at the precise moment you realize that the generator you were relying on to keep hundreds of dollars worth of food frozen and that sounds like a lawn mower in your kitchen whilst belching headache inducing fumes, is not actually keeping anything frozen because it’s not working.  Just don’t.  Trust me.) a national holiday and it’s fun and – let’s face it – chaos,  home renovations and a birthday – Torey’s 33rd.  

Mine is Tuesday.  I will be 38.  Please send presents.

In the coming days you will be able to witness the glory and pageantry that was the Second Annual Dad and Christopher Fireworks Extravaganza as well as pictures from the Fourth of July parade, the carnival and Torey’s birthday dinner.  It’s all a feast for the eyes.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/07/424/

In Honor of Canada Day though slightly delayed

by 1 Comment

This was taken over a month ago, the day before we left for Montana.  I was watching Ren and Willa for a couple of hours.  These pictures were taken in the fifteen minute period that I wasn’t holding Willa and walking around with her.  Since she was separated from her Mama and was already planning to refuse her bottle (after refusing her nap) and since she’s a smart girl, she probably knew she needed to make a plan for survival – a gorgeous bod like hers doesn’t just happen people, it’s made.  Lydia’s bowl of popcorn seemed a logical place to start.

She had observed that you grab the bowl and then move your hand towards your mouth.  Hmmm, maybe there was more to it than that.  She decided to get a closer look:

Here she lunged forward to try and maneuver closer, never removing that little hand grasping the bowl.

Let’s try that again.  Hand back to the mouth, but still nothing.  What’s missing?   
Here she lunged again and actually grazed the popcorn and we realized the two were going to need to be separated: Willa and the popcorn, that is.  Lydia, needing to choose, decided she couldn’t be separated from the popcorn and divested herself of Willa.