Riding in the car with Henry

Being strapped into a seat with no option to run, jump, kick or dance, has created the opportunity for us to have a wonderful glance into Henry’s blossoming imagination.

This morning-
H-Yook Mama. I caught a butterfly.
M-Wow Henry. What color is it?
H-It’s Yellow and Huge.
M-I see it.
H-It is wiggling and tickling my hand now.
M-How does it feel?
H-Silly
M-What will do it with it next?
H-I will hold it and keep it because it is my beautiful friend.
M-Okay
H-Yook Mama. Ders one right next to you head.
M-I caught it!
H-What color is it Mama?
M-It’s pink and very tiny.
H-Does it tickle you hand?
M-A little bit but not as much as your yellow one because it is so small.
H-Be very gentle Mama.
M-I will Henry.

Music

It seems almost cruel to post this video without any sound but I love the first 15 seconds so much that I just can't resist. Sorry it is dark and blurry. I think you'll get the idea. The song was called Cheese. As in "Cheese" for the camera. It was pretty much just "cheese, cheese, cheese.." over and over again. A Henry original.

Big Boy Underpants (We'll try anything to get this kid on the potty)

Oops

Wade got pulled over on Sunday. When he called to tell me about it Henry was playing with blocks in the other room. Evidently I must have called the officer a jerk because this morning Henry called both his Aunt Susie and Grandpa a jerk. When asked what a jerk is he told them “A cop that pulls you over because of your expired tags.”

Henry wisdom

It's a beautiful day to wake up Papa.
Ders the sun and the clouds and the birds singing and the blue skies and the ground and Kaiser (our cat) and the cars.

Room

It has been almost a year since we started working on Henry's room. It's amazing how difficult it is to finish a project with a 2 year old, especially when it is his room that is the project. It was cool and rainy this morning so we decided to work on Henry's room. We have been waiting for a cool morning so that we could open the windows to lessen the paint fumes. We got all of the painting done this morning and put on the moldings and even had time to put a little art on the walls. Tomorrow we are going to go look for a new bedroom door and closet doors and then once we get that up Wade is going to start building shelves and a window seat on the north wall. Hopefully we will have that finished by Henry's 3rd birthday :)
This picture is super boring but I just wanted to show you the color of his room and the new carpet and moldings. I'll try to take more pictures soon.

Henry and Grandpa

Susie and Ted

Wade and a boogie board

Wade, Kelly, Annie and Sergio in the ocean

Annie in what could be the coolest surfer picture ever!Wade at surfing lessons He caught on pretty quick

More of Wade surfing
Kelly catching a wave Uncle Ted doing some engineer work on Henry's train The people that made the whole thing possible. Gigi and Grandpa

I hope he never has to wear glasses. Wade has perfect vison (and perfect teeth, no braces) so I am hoping that he takes after him. But if he does then at least we know he will look pretty cute in them :)

* Photo taken with Aunt Kelly's camera phone

Backwards

We have 3 different night-night songs that we sing every night. There is the standard Rock-a-bye with a few tweaks- like instead of “Go to sleep little baby” we sing “Go to sleep baby Hanky”. Then there is a song from Cinderella So This is Love. It’s Henry’s favorite so I usually have to sing it at least 3 times. Normally he sings along, it’s pretty sweet. And then lately he has been asking me to sing Here Comes Santa Claus. Since his bed is set up like a toddler bed now, I can sit on the floor and rub his back while he settles down and we sing our songs. Today he asked for Here Comes Santa Claus first and we sang it over and over again. He was pretty squirmy. He sat up a couple times. Then he rolled onto his tummy and stuck his butt in the air, proudly saying “Yook Mama yook. My bottom is up there.” He spun around on his shoulder/head and twisted onto his back so that his rear was on the pillow and his head was on the bed, his legs sticking straight up into the air. He was singing along to Here Comes Santa Claus as he made this maneuver. At the very end of the song he interrupted me and said “Yook at this Mama. I can sing it backwards.” And he started singing again.

Joy

Henry is getting big. So big that his feet hang over the ledge of his stroller and high chair. So big that he nearly fills up his bed. So big that he talks in paragraphs. So big that his shoe size is nearly double digits. So big that he makes jokes.
So when a moment comes along that reminds me of the little 7 lb.9 oz tiny baby he once was, it makes my heart beat faster. Like tonight when Henry called for me around midnight. He needed a drink. I watched as his big blue eyes closed slowly and then fluttered for a second as he took a two big sucks of water and fell asleep with his cup in his hand. Just like when we were nursing and he would do the same thing right before he would fall asleep. Sometimes I miss that time. When he was just a baby and made those little baby noises or when he would make a sucky face while he was sleeping. Or the first time that he decided that the bath was pretty fun or when peek-a-boo would knock him over with laughter. But then other times I find myself dreaming of what he will be like as a man. What will he believe in. What will he be passionate about. What will he do. And during those daydreams I have to remind myself that some day I will be looking back on these moments right now and wishing for them like I wish for my tiny baby moments and I have to tell myself to slow down. Slow down. Slow down. Enjoy him now because this moment is creating the man he will become.

Henry's new greeting

So Mama, what's the news?

Weekend

Can you believe that we didn't get a single photograph of Henry setting off fireworks for the firs time in his life? If you are familiar with our camera you will believe it.

Friday was a great day. Henry and I got up early and drove out to Bismark Gardens for some freshly picked corn. On the way back in town we picked up a few, mostly legal, fireworks. We decided to set most of the stuff off in the morning so that it wouldn't push back Henry's nap or force us to be outside during dusk. We didn't want to be swatting at mosquito's while holding objects that are on fire. Overall, Henry liked shooting off fireworks. He was mildly amused by the snakes and poppers, seemed to enjoy the parachutes, smoke bombs and the sparklers, and was not a fan of the little cars and made loud squealing sounds. Once we were finished with the fireworks we headed inside to play with Gigi and Grandpa a little bit. After they left Henry and I made chocolate chip cookies, ate lunch and took a nap. That evening we went to the local fireworks display. Henry loved it.

We went to the public pool on Saturday. It was Henry's first time in a pool. And, it was the first time that Wade and I have been to a pool together....after 10 years together I thought that was kind of funny. That is the great thing about kids, they get you to do things that you normally wouldn't do. Henry loved the pool. LOVED IT! I have a feeling that we will be there every weekend until Labor Day, when it closes.

Sunday we took at trip to Topeka to play at Gage Park. We rode on the train and then headed over to the carousel. Henry loved the carousel. He rode on it 3 times and would have gone 3 more times if it wasn't time for lunch.

Next weekend should be quiet. We are hoping to finish painting Henry's room and will probably go to the pool. The following weekend Grandpa and Grandma are coming into town from Western Kansas. Henry is already practicing for their visit. He runs to the door, knocks and says "Hello. Gandpa Benya is here."