"mom, wouldnt it be funny if everything talked?" "that would be funny. and loud." "yeah. but everything really does talk it its own way." "does it?" "trees talk by waving in the wind, and snow talks by floating. signs talk by showing people where to go. the sun talks by going up and coming down. clouds talk by changing colors..." "i guess you are right*. everything really does talk. i love the way you are thinking." "thanks."
awesome. hannah, have you seen any of the reggio emilia books? i have so many and much of the books are children's conversations on different topics. let me know if you are interested and i can point you in that direction. xo
you're first day three years later each day in between has been filled with smiles, tears (lots of tears on your part), hugs, kisses, laughs and gnashing of teeth (on my part). i love you sweet thing. you stole your dad's heart, and continue to slay him multiple times a day. watch out world.
aww...she's adorable, time does fly...the new born shot is so precious but I have to say, the child disappearing out of the shot made me smile...Happy Birthday little one!
happy birthday sweet arlo! i can hardly believe that a whole year has gone by already. certainly it seems like just yesterday, but i always say that. what i havent said, or dont say very often is that i was terrified of the thought of you. all through your pregnancy i was at a loss, what were we going to do with three children? how would it all work? and the secret, guilty part of myself was sad that you would somehow feel my fear, that it would be a part of your growing and i hated that, but i couldnt shake the worry. happiness was hard to find. but then you arrived, and you were beautiful and you were loved, you are loved. of course there was room in our hearts. of course we could all squeeze into our home. of course i cant even imagine life without you. the best part of my day is coming home to your never failing, blinding smile, your pudgy (and sticky) hands reaching out for me. and i love you arlo. i love you, i love you, i love you. while there is so much of my own life story waiting to unfold, i can hardly wait to follow your story, and eliots and collettes. so happy birthday my sweet one, my baby. thank you for teaching me just how easy life really is, and that it can and does all work out.
I don't have any children yet and I always think we couldn't afford to financially and wonder how we would manage to work things - and this makes me postpone planning to start a family - but things do work out in the end and maybe I should trust this thought more!
Hannah, I also was in tears reading this, not really sure why. You and Dave have been the best parents for Brett and I to look up to. We may not have much as far as money or big houses but you always find happiness in your family and the small things in life. I love coming to your house and seeing your family interact, it is like all my problems that seem so huge suddenly go away.
Love you one year old Arlo and love you too mommy!
Hannah, You said it all, really. There is so much fear involved in this parenting caper. But the very thing we fear turns out to be the best thing in our lives. Happy Birthday to Arlo. And the very best wishes to her Mummy, who says so many things that I can identify with.
wiping my tears, too. thanks so much for sharing - it was something i needed to hear today. i am currently expecting my third (a surprise) and am feeling most of the feelings you've just descrived. it's nice to know i'm not the only person who has ever felt this way, and to know that it will indeed all work out...
Wiping tears here also. My little love is 9 months old and I'm 4 months pregnant with our next baby. I can totally relate to the words in this post. My Bella has brought me so much joy and my life didn't seem to start until she came along. Happy, happy, happy birthday Arlo! All the best to you both! ^_^
Happy birthday Arlo! How lucky you are to have such an expressive and dedicated mummy. Hooray for your whole family -- from the outside looking in you seem like an amazing bunch.
I can't believe that it's been a year already! I remember watching your pregnancy unfold as I was facing fears of my own. I can so relate to what you have written in this post.
Oh this is why I love reading your blog. I feel silly getting weepy reading it and then I see that everyone else did too! My little boy will be one in 2 weeks too. It's amazing how much my love grows for him over time. Where did all that time go?!
Happy Birthday, Arlo! She is so sweet and chunky! I had the fear with my second--all is good now. As for another child, I am afraid my husband would not be able to get over his fear of child #3...
When my husband and I were trying to figure out when the best time would be to have a family, my aunt and uncle told us "You're never, ever ready. And it always works out." They had four in about four years, and the last two were twins, so I guess they know.
yesterday eliot turned five. the official age of big boys we have been informed. big indeed. big heart, big hugs, big smiles. eliot you changed our lives in so many ways i cant even begin to keep track. i cant imagine life without you. i remember life before you, and sometimes it seems nice, but i could never go back. i wouldnt trade you holding my hand on the couch. i wouldnt trade you telling me that you think i am great on a whim. i wouldnt trade telling stories under the covers with you for anything. nothing. i know that soon enough you wont be asking me to play transformers, that you will be off with your buddies doing what buddies do. i know that soon you wont let me give you kisses outside of school. i know that soon mom and dad will be soooo embarrassing, but i know too that in our house, away from buddies, school, and anyone else you will let me give you hugs and kisses and rumple your hair and scratch your back. dont worry, i wont tell. it will be our secret.
eliot - "you are my sweetest downfall. i loved you first"
Oh, I love how you talk about your babes, hannah. So honest and sincere and just lovely. You are printing all of this off as a baby book, right? What about a blurb book!?
Happy birthday sweet boy! And Happy BIRTHday to the mama too!
Happy Birthday E! This post made me teary...something so sweet and special about the bond between mother and first-born son. Let's pretend our boys will always want to hold our hands. =)
I am not sure how a five year old boy wins for being the kindest boy I know. I am so glad to have gotten to know him these years. My new favorite is that he wanted a black monster face tshirt and I could only find navy..."that's okay, this is a different color of black Sarah". I do still wish he called me Saria.
Happy Birthday Eliot! I will always remember how sweet you were on the Colorado trip when you were 1! I'm glad you were there and our family is glad to know you.
david was out of town for three days, which gave me a whole day at home with the kids yesterday. even though i come home at 2:30 four days out of the week, it was nice to have the whole day. i realized after we dropped off eliot at school that i really dont get to spend much time with just the girls, they are both napping when i get home from work. after i put arlo down for her morning nap, i realized that i spend even less time with just collette. i need to change that. it was wonderful spending time with her, one on one. i am an oldest child and have what some might say is an, ahem, strong personality. i think eliot is headed down the same path. yesterday as i chatted with collette, i started thinking about how little i really know about her personality. or i should say, that i know her in such a different way than i know eliot. of course there is no way to capture that first child mutual discovery experience with other children, and arlo still has so many baby needs that take most of my time and attention. but that doesnt mean i cant discover collette on her own terms. she wears her heart on her sleeve, for real and to her advantage. cries at the drop of a hat, i think that has a lot to do with the advantage thing. is a total night owl. is small, but mighty. can bully eliot and drop him to the ground with a body tackle if she feels like it, but also just as gladly plays along side her big brother. has a love of all things fuzzy, because she likes to pick with one hand as she sucks the thumb of the other. is turning into a ham, and is just plain wicked cute. i love you collette, thanks for hanging out with me yesterday.
i love how you appreciate your children. and want to discover who they are. and get excited about their differences. and treasure the times you have with them. the way you are a mother encourages me. thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings, han.
oh geez, it's hard not to be smitten! i'm the eldest, my brother ethan is the middle, he and my mother have a very special bond, i'm glad we're all her favorites, in our own unique ways. love you. :)
i think middle children can often be the most complex and different from the bunch (i am the youngest)... i think it's tough to be in the middle. . . . . . love that last photo.
I have three children too and it's a real treat when I get to spend some one-to-one time with one of the older ones. They're such special people in their own right!
Seeing Collette the other night made me realize how much I miss our playdates before Vance was born. Those photos perfectly capture her. I love that girl. Glad you got some one-on-one time with that cutie-patootie.
oh sweet arlo, how did you do it? how did you manage to make eleven months go by in a blink? and just when i think you couldnt possibly get any cuter you manage to bowl me over with those eyes, those cheeks and that grin. i keep putting your little hand in mine to somehow stamp in my memory how soft and chubby it is, just how small it really is. i just know that in no time you will be running to keep up with eliot and collette, you will be on the top of the dog piles on dad and you will be telling me about your day in halting sentences. little lady i love you so much, you will always be my baby no matter how big you get.
I just love your photos...little odes to your children. They are really sweet. Come over and visit my photo blog and join in the My Best Shot Mondays! I think your work would be a welcome addition to our Mondays. : ) http://picturethis.clubmom.com
this is my mom. i talk about her here sometimes, but i thought it would be a good idea to tell her story. recently she has been driving me crazy, but then last night as i was looking through some old photos i found this one, a favorite of mine since i can remember. as i sat there looking at it, my irritation melted away, and i felt so much appreciation for her, for her bravery. i love this photo for so many reasons. i love her hair, i want mine to look like that. i love her clothes, that they are back in fashion, i love that she is wearing yellow converse and petting a baby squirrel that she rescued from the side of the road. but thinking about her story, about her life at that age, this photo suddenly struck me on a different level. i see a sadness around her mouth, i see that she is alone in the picture, and in a sense she was so alone at that point in her life. i see her petting that small life and see her reaching out for something to care for and above all i realized that she was so brave to do what she did. and so i thought i would share that story. it isnt particularly amazing or harrowing, but it is hers and therefore it will be mine forever.
my mother was born in 1954 in bogotá, colombia. she is the second child in a family of three girls and one boy. her dad worked a hard job in a factory and loved to sing along with opera records late at night on the hi-fi. her mother stayed at home with her children and her mother in law and kept the house spotless. a family of the 50's. she grew up a happy child in a life that was good, but had its fair share of ups and downs. many times those late night opera sessions were spurred on by alcohol. at one point her mother moved out of the house for six months because she was fed up with her husband. a bold move for the time that ended up serving only as a temporary fix. but still she was happy, maybe a bit prone to mischief but always with a twinkle in the eye, a laugh and a big smile. as a teenager she had friends all over the neighborhood and would go visiting. there was a boy she liked who lived up the street. she liked to walk that way and see if he was home. one day she made the short walk and found out that he was home and had a friend staying with him. an american. tall and gangly, with longish straggly hair. she noticed him for sure, but still had her eye on the neighbor boy. this american was staying for a while. his teenage cynicism had him exploring central and south america, and he was in no hurry it was the 70s. besides, this colombian girl with the big brown eyes was worth some time. they started spending time together. he lost his dictionary on the bus the first day in town and was slowly building up his spanish skills. i like to think there was giggling over grammatical errors, but that they made him that much cuter and slowly the neighbor boy realized he was no longer needed for those walks around the block, they were doing just fine on their own. two months go by, he says he has to go back to the states for money, but that he will come back. she says ok, but doenst really believe him. he leaves, and keeping his word, comes back a few weeks later. three more months go by and he asks her to marry him. she says yes. she is 20 and he is 19. her parents are skeptical but dont say no. he doesnt tell his mom back home because he is afraid she would object. they get married. she wears a bell bottomed jump suit with pearl buttons all the way up her tiny torso and flowers in her hair. he wears a blue suit with a fly collar and has grown a mustache to look older. they honeymoon on the coast and then comes the jumping off point. she says good bye to everyone she has ever known, to a family she has never left, the few blocks that made up her world until then and leaves for the land of dreams. america. reality sets in. she lives in a house with her new husband and his mother. his mother does not disapprove, but does not quite give her approval either. she doesnt speak a word of english and her mother in law doesnt speak a word of spanish. he works all day at a gas station for $2.15 an hour. she sits in her room crying most of the day until he comes back and she has someone to talk to again. she misses her mom. her sisters. her block. she is afraid of her new mother. he has friends in washington, why dont they put a mattress in the back of his red toyota pickup and drive there? it is beautiful and they say you can make money picking apples. they pile their belongings on the mattress under the makeshift shell of plywood that he has tied down on the back and begin their journey. they stop in montana at a rest stop. she sits on a picnic table to stretch out her legs. she sees a little movement in the grass. a baby squirrel. she approaches softly, and picks it up. feeds it some crackers, slips it in her pocket and on they go. she is lonely living in a world of millions and she knows only one person. they arrive in washington and pick apples for a season. stay with friends in some cabins. after a few months, they drive back to missouri. she finds out she is pregnant and has never been happier. in june a baby girl is born and her life is changed forever. here is her very own doll to take care of, a little thing that she can talk to, coo over and whisper spanish nothings to. someone to keep her company while he is at work. someone to share smiles with, someone to give all of her love to.
mom sometimes tells me that i saved her life. that i was the best thing that ever happened to her. it struck me last night what that really meant. how brave she was and how alone she must have felt then. being 20 in a strange country with out a thing to her name, a penny in her pocket. not even able to speak the language. thirty years later and she has four children. lives in the house she first came to with my dad, and though my grandmother doesnt live with them anymore, she comes over every morning for coffee. they love each other and my mom calls her mom. they speak the same language and a day doesnt go by that they dont see each other. my dad is still gone most of the time. they still speak in spanish with each other and they have had their own share of ups and downs. and life goes on. i love you mom.
Hannah, what a wonderful story, I am not sure if your mom reads your blog but I hope she does. Your mom is a wonderful person and I am sure all those hard times helped her to become such a women of strength.
That's a beautiful story -- and a beautiful woman. I want my hair to do that too!
I love stories about ordinary people and the arc of their lives, seeing how a situation that's awful at first changes over time. It's such a good reminder that the whole story doesn't happen in one day. Thanks.
Oh, Hannah, that was beautiful. I too love everyday stories -- your mom sounds so wonderful. I'm glad that you took time out from being driven crazy by her (hey, we've all been there) to count your blessings. Thanks for such a moving story this morning.
As a mother, I can only dream that my own daughter would write something like this one day. Motherhood changes your perspective on your own parents, doesn't it?
my own mom drives me absolutely crazy most of the time, but when i sit myself down and think of her life and what she's been through (she essentially left home at 15), i begin to understand and love and appreciate her more.
maybe you should have posted a warning that if you read this story you might find yourself crying in front of your computer at work... its good to think of our parents as real people with real stories.
Hola, te escribo desde España, acabo de encontrar por casualidad tu blog con la preciosa historia de tu madre. Me ha gustado mucho leerla y creo que es conociendo la historia cómo mejor podemos comprender a nuestros seres queridos, sobre todo a nuestras madres que, como bien dices, "drive us absolutey crazy". Pongo tu blog en mis favoritos así podré visitarte a menudo. Un saludo cordial.(Espero que entiendas el español, a mí me cuesta bastante expresarme en inglés)
what a beautiful beautiful beautiful story hannah. this merits publication. so glad you came to save her life too ;) wow. and this photo with it...what a story...
i have been waiting for a moment to read this through carefully. i knew from the first line that it deserved my complete attention. a beautiful tribute hannah. thank you for sharing it.
hannah, as a mother whose own mom also drives me crazy most of the time, i thank you for sharing this. so poignant and makes me love your mother even more.
as i am getting ready for a trip with my mom back to paris (where she spent her 20s... where my dad and her met) this story was especially profound... especially touching... thank you dear hannah for sharing such a beautiful piece of your history. xo
I think the most moving part of this story for me is when your mom told you she thought you saved her life. It makes me look at what my children bring to my life so different all of a sudden. A beautiful story Hannah, thanks for sharing it in your eloquent way.
Hannah, Thanks so much for sharing a piece of your life. I think as mothers we can all relate to your mom... the lonliness we can feel, the complete love a child can bring. She is beautiful. As are you.
such a beautiful story. i can't say that enough. it has, this very moment, helped me to appreciate my own mother so much. what a gift we have in our moms. than you for reminding us.
Dear Hannah, It is the first time I visit your blog and I am so happy I found it. The story of your mom is so touching to me because, even though I've lived here for a few years and I am older than your mom then, I still feel a little lonely and miss my country {Argentina} but I have my little girl, the joy of my life, who saved me as you saved your mom. Besos
My own mother, now suffering early onset alzheimers, often drives my crazy but every day when my kids have run me ragged I remember that at my age she had four (not two like me) and had already been married, alone and repartnered but this time in her life. She is strong, even if you never knew it and brave even if she doesn't remember. We must as daughters remember our mothers and bring them alive for our children every day. Thank you for remembering and sharing with all of us.
i am taking this whole week off from work to relax at home with my favorite people. david took the opportunity to write while i had a lunch date. grilled cheese never tasted so good. i will be taking it easy here at huffmania this week as the operative word is relax. i will also being obsessing over the sudoku book i got in my stocking. i have been avoiding them because i knew i would do just that, obsess. so much for sewing. have a good week, and get a little silly at the tail end of 2006.
cuteness abounds at the huffmania residence, as usual. i love sodoku too and get so obsessed that others think i've lost my mind. what a great way to do "nothing" though, eh? have a good one, hannah!h
what a good plan... I think i'm going to have to have grilled cheese for dinner and those kids of yours are just too much sweetness--"so cute I could eat you!" as we say in this house.
hard to believe isnt it? kerry can you believe that you have had a little one in your belly for almost that long? crazy i tell you. let me see, lets do a rundown of accomplishments to date, shall we? i am gonna go ahead and say we shall, you know the whole baby book thing... so, sitting is an obvious one. pulling up and plopping down are in the works but no cruising yet. cheerios have so been mastered for about a month now. ticked off sippy cup with juice today, as well as the whole mom i am pretending i cant hear you thing. this mostly happens while turning the power to the cable box on and off and on and off and on...you get the picture. lots of sounds that i will spare you the details of here. um, almost reaching her arms out for hugs, almost but not quite. and pretty much just dang cute all of the time. so arlo my love, i think you have officially crossed over from just being a baby to being a little person with your own personality, not quite full fledged but pretty darn close. happy ten months my love! in case you were wondering eliot and collette are doing just fine with all this arlo talk. believe you me, they still get more than their fair share of attention. and mom even managed to do a little sewing today...
40 weeks doesn't really seem like that long, but its hard to remember not knowing arlo. getting excited for our 40 week mark to be here. maybe arlo's future boyfriend?
yay for arlo ! and your last post hannah... fantastic... i am just catching up - so yes - even though i am not 24 and i have no kids i am sometimes amazed at how things just HIT you.....
can't get over the pics of ellito and collette! jumping on the bed in the backround? too much! oh, and by the way, my oldest is turning 10 YEARS old next month. that one will definitely set your world in orbit. i'm not old enough for a kid who is almost a teenager!
today is my moms birthday! 52 and beautiful...ah mom, te quiero mucho gracias por todo! i am taking her out to see marie antoinette tonight, that is if she can brave the snow and ice. just wanted to let you know that there is also a new soup up at the box for you to relax with this weekend. birthday or not, if you can go share a tub of popcorn and giggle with someone you love, do it!
Wow! Your mother is wonderfully cute:) So i haven't been paying attention here for too long-is there a post about her story or where she is from, etc? Now I am all intrigued. I hope Marie Antoinette was fun.
they really have gone by in a blink these past nine months. so hard to believe arlo has been with us for as long as she was in my belly. and now thanks to blair in another blink i will look around and have an eight year old, ten year old and 12 year old!! oh my. but i really must thank arlo for adding a sweetness to our life. i like to moan about time and clutter and all kinds of things that i blame on having three little ones underfoot, but it is really all for show. i cant imagine not seeing that sweet little face smiling at me in the morning, or seeing eliot and collette crowded around her arguing over who gets the next hug. so my love, thank you. and thank you for three poopy blowouts in one day. you do have flair sweet thing.
oh yes, nine months is a wonderful and reflective age. no longer super needy. mobility takes over and smiles, giggling and exploring food becomes a joyful part of every day. yeah the poops get bigger and grosser. thanks for the reminders and I do think about the age and how the playful innosence(sp?) seems to change by the day/month/year. Sweet Arlo! I do love her name. makes me want to sing "take you ridin' in my car-car" over and over!!
Okay. Crying. We've been going through old pictures of our now 21-month-old this week, so i've been feeling very sappy about family these days. Thanks though for the beautiful picture of your Arlo -- it's very sweet that you appreciate how lucky you are.
Nine month olds are the kind I want to eat up. I moan about all the same things, don't think I'll ever actually find a balance. But I was just telling Peter that if something has to give, it just has to give, they are most important to me in life. All of life's other things can wait.
where is the phone? oh, arlo is eating it in the hallway... i dont know if i have mentioned here that arlo has been doing reconnaissance all over the house now for a few weeks. i cant really call it crawling because she doesnt get up on her knees, but it does it slow her down? not in the least bit. i also think there is some sort of secret corrosive element in her saliva. given enough time with the phone she really could eat it. i guess it is time to get out some of that baby proofing stuff. by baby proofing i mean covering up the outlets. that is about as diligent as we get. oh and locking up the cleaning supplies. apparently we didnt even do that much when collette was a baby because when david put in some outlet covers eliot looked over and said, "what are those??". oh well, i dont really believe in locking up and putting everything out of the way. i mean, we spent a fortune on those damn norton anthologies while david was getting his masters, seems like a shame that they should sit ignored all this time. if arlo wants to chew on the corners so be it. maybe she will glean some literary smarts in the process. i know she is building muscle mass just working them out of the book shelf. and who knows maybe she will start correcting my grammar like someone i know...
put up a recipe on the recipe box for monday... mmm mmm. and melissa, i fixed the commenting thing. sorry dear. once things slow down at work, i am going to tackle the massive task of converting almost two years worth of huffmania over to beta. scary, but good.
transferring over wasn't quite as bad as i thought it would be. actually easier than changing the template! we never did more than locking up cleaning supplies and covering outlet
oh arlo. I love that she looks so focused. like she's gonna dial up china or something.
yeah the beta switch isn't too bad. Going back and tagging old posts takes some time (though you don't have to do it if you don't want to, or just do it a little bit at a time) Oh, and also you can add the labels right from the dashboard instead of editing each post and then republishing them. Which I figured out just after going through all mine and republishing every single one. eeeee.
And you can keep your old template if you want, which is what i did.
but how in the gosh darn world did you get your recipe box image in the header over there? you may have to let me in on that secret cuz I was all kinds of stumped.
Too funny, I just put away my husband's gianormous art books because our little guy has started to notice them. We're a little behind on the baby proofing ourselves...
That's so funny... when Audrey was at the book eating stage, a norton anthology was one of her favourites to snack on, too. What's that about I wonder? Gorgeous photos!
yes, that sweet corrosive drool, someone should patent it. I remember this stage very well. Eight years later I mostly remember the snuggling at that age. When they finally slowed down, they fit our arms like a glove, don't they. xo
and three kids later and these pj's finally succumbed. not too bad for $5.99, and i have to admit i kinda like the hobo/charlie chaplain look. at the very least it makes for easier toe nibbling. yum.
mmmm. toes. {also - love those polaroids. wanted to comment on them all. but they kinda left me speechless. they seem very powerful. regal. did you take turns shooting each other?)
okay, now you can't just give up on them THAT easily! Surely there's more life...as something else? Um..the fabric? A patch? Um, something? (all in jest. that's a mighty fine bargain you got yourself.)
a jumble of arms and legs and cuddles in the middle of the day is just right. not at night, but during the day i am all for it, and if you can throw in a nice light rain? perfect. have you seen this picture? it brings tears to my eyes...
I LOVE this picture. and i love how your hubby is totally konked out (at least appears to be)...that is so Dan, he's usually the only one who can completely fall sound asleep during a 'family nap'! it always amazes me.
:: :: :: :: amanda's post hit the spot this morning with the strange mood i am in. my crafting umph has puttered to nothing. bleh. instead, how about some baby chub? everyone loves it. everyone.
13 Comments:
Oh my, what a soulful child. What a grand thought to keep in my mind during my day today. ^_^
i've thought it for a while and this confirms it: eliot is more profound than 97% of the people i know.
seriously. that kid. he gets me everytime. love him.
Wow. This surely makes me want to listen a little closer. Thanks, kid. :)
too freakin' sweet
oh eliot, i wish you could meet kate. the two of you would have so much to talk about.
and hannah, i will be thinking about this for days and trying to remember to stop and listen just a bit more.
awesome. hannah, have you seen any of the reggio emilia books? i have so many and much of the books are children's conversations on different topics. let me know if you are interested and i can point you in that direction. xo
my turn to say, oh my gosh!! that si so sweet...
i like how he is so polite about it.
brilliant! he's like a tiny buddah.
he is a joy. bright joy.
the best!
nothing like something being said that acutally causes you to sit down to think. Yep, I sat down and thought.
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