An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [16 of 26] P is for the Perils of (grand)Parents in a Pit!

Dear Henry, 
Anxious to share all of our fun and inexpensive activities we find in Bloomington with Bahboo and Grandma P we took them along to the gymnastics center with us.  We also met up with Heather, Phillipe, Etienne and Sylvie too.  So we took you over to the pit and you jumped into it several times, piled up the blocks with Bahboo outside of the pit, ran around and basically tried to show off your skills to your grandparents.  I saw Bahboo and Grandma P eyeballing the pit.  I could almost hear them thinking aloud how comfy and fun it looks.  I sent out a warning about how difficult it can be to get out of that sinkhole of foam blocks and random lost band aids.  However about 10 minutes later there they were.  Climbing in. Slowly sifting to the bottom of the foam blocks and fighting to keep afloat amongst the kids deftly jumpin' in and climbing out around them.  Grandma P was even hidden for a minute under the blocks and scared a kid that jumped near here when her hands and head finally came up for air.  After bonking them over the heads a few time you wanted out to play with other things.  There were your two grandparents, stuck, whining and struggling to get out of the pit.  "Why didn't you tell me us it would be so hard to get out," they yammered.  Bahboo got out first then Grandma P followed with a little bit of hoisting and that was the end of them for the next two days.  They went home that evening and I called to see how they were doing and they both exclaimed that the pit had whooped their butts.  That's what grandkids are for right?

P is for the Perils of (Grand)Parents in a Pit 

Love, Mama

PS  Here are a couple of photos of the twins hanging out watching the parachute.

Christmas Preparations

Dear Peep A Claus, 

The preparations for Christmas this year have gone smoothly.  Santa sent word that your behaviors the last 12 months have been over all great so that means presents are on their way.  Yes, that means we aren't counting the recent episode at the post office.  Mama and Daddy have finished their shopping for each other.  Every year the labels we stick to one another's packages are almost as important as the present inside.  Our tree is decorated mostly at the top as you are in love with taking the ornaments off and on.  So the only decorations this year are plastic shiny silver snowflakes from Aunt Judy (been gone a year today), a snowman handcrafted by you, and our couple of special ornaments.  JMom would be proud to see the angel holding onto a heart that reads, "believe!" front and center.  

 She gave it to you last year.  Mama asked you tonight what you wanted Santa to bring you.  At first you said a sucker and followed up with drums.  Thatta boy!  I wanted to post some photos tonight.  The holidays can make us miss those we love and can't be with for whatever pile of reasons but it doesn't mean we aren't thinking of them.  After all, it was Dec. 25th at 5:35 pm three Christmas' ago that we received the best present ever, a call from J, your birthmom, telling us that she believed that we are your parents.  On Christmas!  Our family grew that night in all directions.  We love her and are thinking of her.

We are grateful to be together with most of our immediate family this year.  We will get to be with Uncle Gary and Cousin Tony, Grandma P and Bahboo, Aunt Krispie, GG Hazel, Grandma LaJean.  That is happiness. 

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [15 of 26] O is for Oh, Oh! Ho Ho has Suckers!

Dear Henny, 
Finally, I am to the letter O!  I have been slacking in the last week keeping the post flowing.  I don't think anyone has noticed so I will just pick things right back up where I left off.
Last weekend we took you to see Santa Claus at Greenwood Park Mall! That's right!  You saw Santa Claus.  My guess is that we were more excited than you were, until you saw the huge box of suckers.  You waved at Santa when we drew closer but you saw that sucker box and you may as well have said, "Santa Who?"  You twisted and pointed exclaiming, "SUCKERS! SUCKERS!"  Your turn came and you walked toward Santa and made a quick turn to his sucker box grabbing a yellow one just as Santa lifts you to his lap.  The only thing on your mind was that sucker!  With the long lines I tried to hurry you along.  You fumbled yellow sucker and I had to reach quickly for a red.  You were happy.  The photos the place took were bad, not even funny bad just bad, so we didn't buy them.  Mommy was happy that Santa allowed his visitors to take whatever photos they 

 wanted.  You can tell in Mommy's photos that you were really not that into it.  Daddy took video with his cell phone.  You were eating your sucker so you were happy and I got to fire off a couple of shots so I was happy.  Win, Win.  You recounted the experience later by saying, "Lap, Santa, sucker, bite it, eat it, drop it."

 O is for OH, OH! Suckers!  

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [14 of 26] N is for Naughty, Naughty, NO! NO! What the Heck are You Doing Now Henny?! and Your Favorite Video Right Now.

Dear Henny, 
Good gawd!  Since birth, rolling over the first day, you've been a physical phenom.  You started crawling right around 5 months, pulling up a couple of months later and walking completely on your own the day before 10 months.  I'm bragging a little but all this early strength can cause some problems.  For instance, you have recently been on a climbing jag.  You are so stealth about it too.  One minute we are playing in the living room and by the time I drag my old bones up to follow you to the kitchen, you've shimmied up the bar stool and are standing on the kitchen counter or sitting there with your feet in the sink acting like you're doing dishes.  You also love to sit on the dining room table grab my mouse roller ball and throw it or stand up and try to swing from the light fixture, seriously.   You s-t-r-e-t-c-h your arms above your head standing on your tip toes and smile at me.  You know you should not be doing this!  When I pull you down you say, "naughty, naughty!"  Huh?!  I haven't said naughty to you more than once or twice your whole life.  Where did you get that?  It is true but where did you get that word from?  But hey, if it fits.  This weekend we thought you were hiding behind the Christmas tree but I found you sitting on the record shelves discovering all of the crap you've been throwing back there for the last year.  Pointing and trying to crawl over the shelves head first to dive for a three month old cookie I was in shock.  Not about the three month old cookie, but rather your boldness!  By the way our house is clean in most spaces but I've just left the crap back there to accumulate, until now.  I had to remove your motivation!  So the letter N is for....

  Naughty, Naughty, NO! NO! What the Heck are You Doing Now Henny?!

In addition to watching Lily in action, some afternoons we will dig up fun You Tube videos to watch.  Babies giggling, chimpanzees, Koko the gorilla, and music videos.  You have your favorites requests.  "Elmo A, B, Cs,"  "Frog, banjo, rainbow, Debbie," and most recently, "Elmo, bed, sleepin', guitar, milk, milk."  It features the letter N and the rockin' out part gets your head moving swiftly from side to side, up and down and all around surrounded by chuckles. 

N is for the letter N with Elmo and Ricky Gervais

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [13 of 26] M is for Marshmallows, Molkky and HayMarket Riot visit

Dear Henny, 
At 10 days old you went to your first punk rock show.  Some may say that is a little young but thankfully it was at a recording studio and you and I sat in the recording booth protecting your teeny ears from sounds that might have just blown your mind grapes.  I was able to adjust the volume to protect you.  The band you saw, Haymarket Riot from Chicago, have been friends of ours for a decade now and we all have a lot of mutual love and respect.  They were so happy on that first visit to meet you and give you cuddles and gifts.  This visit, a year and 6 months later, you didn't get to go to the show but you did get to hang out.  Their show was very late at the Bishop and so we started a little fire in the back yard, threw acorns at each other, played some Molky and roasted marshmallows.  You really tried to play Molkky and had no problem shoving marshmallows in your mouth.  Chris Daly, Daddy and I exchanged parenting stories and had a good visit.  I think they were surprised at how big you've gotten.  We were happy to see our friends and to congratulate our friend Fred on his recent marriage.  Remember Henry how great it can be to maintain friendships with good people over time and distance.   It is always rewarding.

M is for Marshmallows, Molkky and HayMarket Riot Visit

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [12 of 26] L is for Ladder Climbing & Late Night Leaf Jumping with your BFF

Dear Henry, 
Our fall has been so warm that we have had lots of wonderful weather to play on the many playgrounds in Bloomington.  On October 9th, 1 year 7 months for you, we made our rotation to Cascades park meeting up with Sam, Max and Samantha to find you stronger and more daring.  I attribute it to all of the gym time we've been spending.  You can walk up and down stairs upright holding on to the rail with one hand.  You can walk up slides and climb under and around things flawlessly.  On this particular visit you wowed us by climbing up the ladder on the side of the jungle gym.  I was sitting at the top and you grunted and pulled until you made it to the top.  Then I put your little person dolly at the top to motivate you.  No problem, you did it over and over again.  I love new cool tricks.

 L is for Ladder Climbing

L is for Late Night Leaf Jumping

Finally after weeks of no hangin' out we were able to get in touch with Devo, Mike and Megan.  They were in Indy and said they would bring us back some pizza from a special place there that half cooks the pizza so you can cook it up hot when you get home.  It was such delicious pizza.  OH MY!  You love pizza these days and sat at your Peep sized table with Devo to eat.  After dinner we went out back to have a fire and roast marshmallows.  The real fun for you and Devo was to jump around in the leaves.  It is fun to watch the two of you, still learning to navigate the etiquette of friendship... sometimes this means wanting the same toy at the same time and others it means sharing openly.  
Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [11 of 26] K is for Krispie Givin' You a Shoulder Ride At the Market

Dear Henny Bear,
During Grandpa Tim's visit we met him and Trish at the Saturday market.  It was soup tasting day and I believe I've mentioned before your love and persistence in your goal to eat soup!  I procured a spoon for you, sat you on Dadoo's lap and went for some soup!  There was an awesome maple sweet potato squash soup that you and I loved.  Happily Auntie Krispie joined us at the market and went with us to eat at The Bakehouse.  As we walked around you got Krispie to chase you and to perch your on her shoulders for a cuddly walk.  So...

K is for Krispie Givin' You a Shoulder Ride At the Market

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [10 of 26] J is for John Deere Tractor Rides with Grandpa Tim and J is for the John in Henry John Carl

Dear Henry, 
Grandpa Tim was recently up from Florida for his Hank fix.  He was also working hard at the farm getting the barn-do-minim primed and painted after we set up a surprise professional dry wall finish.  This is a good thing too because as Grandpa Tim returned back to Florida his physical showed some issues with how his heart was functioning.  Just after Papaw Elmo's funeral we get the call that he was going to need open heart surgery!  What!  This put us in a panic and we tried to decide if we should rush to Florida.  Grandpa Tim was so worried that he wouldn't be able to keep himself on the healing path with you around because the compulsion to play is too great that we decided we would wait a few weeks for some strong recovery to happen before we made it down.  The surgery was a success and today he should be waking up a bit.  Mama wanted to post this blog to motivate a quick recovery.  I know he will be looking.  So...

J is for John Deere Tractor Rides with Grandpa Tim

We spent the day out at the farm and Grandpa Tim allowed you to ride the little John Deere by yourself, well sort of.  He just turned it on a let it drift in idle back and forth.  You seemed to think you were big time, but you enjoyed riding with him just as much.  He tried to get the big Johnny Popper running but it needed a little work.  He allowed you to drink out of the hose and took you on a walk.  What 19 month old could want more than that?!  We love Grandpa Tim and hope that he feels even better than before quickly...he has to be!

 J is for the John in Henry John Carl

Carl Foldenauer

Carl Meyer

John Marr Thompson

Your full name is Henry John Carl Thompson.  Before you were born we knew we wanted to name you Henry.  No real reason other than we liked the name and it floated around both of our families.  Carl was always going to be our boy's middle name to honor both Daddy's maternal grandfather who was killed way too young when his delivery truck became stuck on the railroad tracks, and Mama's paternal grandpa who died at 64 from an unexpected heart attack.  After about the third meeting with your birth mother J we learned that everyone of her sisters' kids, and her sisters, and her mom and other family members all have names starting with a J.  We wanted to honor your birth family connection and realized it would also allow us to honor your Daddy's paternal grandfather John at the same time...Thus you have a long name...Henry John Carl.  
It has worked out well thus far.  When people exclaim, "Why such a long name?" it gives us the opportunity to decide to share our story or not.  What a pretty one it is too.

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [8 & 9 of 26] Hot Tubbin' and Icing

Dear Water Bug, 
Though the weather has cooled you have not shied from the splish spash of Bahboo and Grandma P's hot tub.  You love it when they move you between them or put you under pulling you into the air quickly.  I just love watching you have fun.
H is for Hot Tubbin' with Bahboo and Grandma P

Almost daily you get out the mixing bowls, a spatula and the mixer finding the beaters from the top drawer you reunite them delivering them to me with the command, "COOKIES! MUFFINS!"   You also love identifying what each cookie cutter shape is so I wanted to make some sugar cookies with you for Halloween.  I tried to mix up some sugar cookie dough, allowing it to rest in the fridge over night.  As I tried to roll it out it was clearly not going to be good for cookie cutters.  I'm not sure what happened.  We followed the recipe precisely.  The taste was awesome so we recovered our mess by rolling them into balls then pushing them flat.  When it came time for decorating I used the pre-made black icing.  Little did I know that this icing was not quick to dissipate in the mouth.  Your face and hands were black for quite a while after.  It was still a good time...even if it left you looking like you had some type of scary zombie disease.  I hope to get the recipe right before Christmas cookie time!

I is Icky Black Halloween Icing All Over your Face and fingers!

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [6 and 7 of 26] F is for Fountain Cleaning with Bahboo & G is for Glue Art on a Gloomy Afternoon

Dear Peep, 
You are a worker at heart.  Recently when Bahboo was helping with the leaves you broke out of the house and I found you helping him fish leaves out of the fountain.  It was cute as you really had to s-t-r-e-t-c-h your baby arm to make it into the water. 

 F is for Fountain Cleaning with Bahboo

______
A few weeks back I was looking for something different to do with you.  I had purchased some craft sticks of different colors at the dollar store and I have LOTS of glue from my teaching days.  I put out a big sheet of paper from a roll Grandma P found at a garage sale and stickers, barley, sprinkles, markers and macaroni and we made glue art.  It was of course a bit messy but that is what makes it fun.  I am pretty sure though I took it to an entire different level by putting the glue in a little bowl and adding blue food coloring.  Surprisingly I did not catch you eating the markers per usual, the blue glue is another story.  I live for your intensity when doing projects, even if it is short lived, your little hands working this way and that, pinching off stickers, and dashing on sprinkles.  I need to make time and reserve more energy to find creative pursuits with you.

G is for Glue Art on a Gloomy Afternoon 

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [5 of 26] E is for Every Leaf Sticking to Your Sweater

Dear Fall Monster,

Bahboo brings his tractor over with a cool leaf sweeper doodad on the back and helps us with our astronomical number of leaves.  In the midst of gathering l've come to the understanding that everyone around us rakes a nominal little pile of leaves to let them know it is fall while we are secluded to this little leaf cemetery, where all the other leaves come to be laid at rest and I am charged with being their undertaker.  With three pin oaks it the arrivals last well into march. I should add that by proxy it heaps on Bahboo's shoulders as well because even with an awesome backpack leaf blower and Dadoo with a tarp tied to his wheelchair the task is impossible for only two.  So enters the leave sweeper Bahboo purchased this year for both of our yards.  It takes about an hour to circle back and forth through the yard and dump at the street for the city to pick them up.  It turns our grass into what looks like a freshly vacuumed carpet.  Bet of all, for you it leaves behind the largest leaf pile EVA!  So Dadoo and I took you out the other day to romp and jump around in it.  You rolled and played chase for about 30 minutes in our Giza of discarded foliage.  But as you undulated in and out your sweater tried to camouflage you by grasping on to every leaf or twig that touched it.  I can't forget to mention how much I love hearing you giggle and watchin' you run, and for us the leaves have only just begun. 

E is for Every Leaf Sticking to Your Sweater

Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [4 of 26] D is for Decorating Cookies with GG and Grandma LaJean

Dear Henny, 
On a recent visit to GG's and Grandma LaJean's GG had made some buttermilk cookies, our favorite.  Being the thoughtful woman that she is and knowing just what makes a little boys heart beat double time she set aside several cookies, a bowl of icing and some Halloween themed sprinkles for you to decorate your own.  Mind you, this was BEFORE dinner, breaking all of the rules to getting a child to eat the stuff that is good for you first.  But, if there are no rules for grandparents there are certainly no expectations for great grandparents and so you grabbed at the icing, pawed a couple of cookies and went to town eating them.  GG and Grandma LaJean certainly were happy watching you so what is one appetite ruined out of thousands in a lifetime.  The unusual sequencing of cookies then dinner was not missed on you...you kept giving me little, "do you see I'm eatin' a cookie," look!  It was worth it to see them enjoying it.

D is for Decorating Cookies with GG and Grandma LaJean

Love, Mama  
* I had to add that I just showed this to you and you said,"HAZEL!" and reached out to touch the screen bringing your finger back to your mouth a few times and then you said, "Taste! Taste! Cookies!"

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [3 of 26] C is for Chicken Noodle Soup Served up like Aunt Claircee

Dear CacaCooCoo, 
When I was a little girl and Aunt Claircee, Grandma P's sister, would have me and uncle Gary over to play with cousins Wendy, Tommy, and Tony she never allowed us to go hungry.  I have vivid content memories of lunch time because I always thought it felt warm and cozy and I knew what to expect...
Campbell's soup, usually vegetable beef, chicken noodle, or tomato.  It some how felt fancy in the cool white Corelle bowl encircled with what I believe was the green spring blossom pattern placed a top a matching plate with ritz crackers fanned around the edges, sometimes with peanut butter.  It is funny what you think is fancy as a kid even without smoke and mirrors.  No special frills yet special all the same.  Perhaps it was just the feeling of being in a place where you knew you were loved, would be safe and taken care of, but I loved those little lunches and get a visceral reaction when I see that type of dinnerware even today.  Mama's not sure exactly when simple happiness for kids was that the soup pasta was the alphabet in lieu of noodles but I want you to notice the little things.  My heart's desire is that you aren't hoodwinked by flash, bling, noise, or mass hysteria but rather hold on to the small moments and details like soup near the window on a sunny afternoon with people who love you.  Then like Aunt Claircee I'd tell ya to, "Get on outside and play! Go on!"  For now you seem to love it.  You get out the bowls and beg for soup just about every day, but each cracker only gets licked off and one or two bites taken out of it.

C is for Chicken Noodle Soup Aunt Claircee's Style 

Love, Mama

*It may have been the other pattern, I think Aunt Judy had the spring blossom...that's an entire other post for a later date. By the way the smock your wearing was Mama's as a little girl.

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [2 of 26] B is for Bees All Around Buddy

Dear Bitty Butt, 
I am not going to pass B off as if I didn't try to get some specific things all day.  It was a comedy of errors.  I started out wanting to show case our little game where I act like my hands are bees buzzin' around and sing, "Bees all around, Bees all around, looking for honey, is it here, is it there?"  On the here and there part I tickle you under the arms, at the chin, on your feet, wherever it seems good at the time.  You giggle and bunch up.  You've started singing it, apparently only when you damn well please.  I made several efforts to tape it, gave up and just had you say a bunch of B words.  Eh, you came up with boobies on your own during one take.  So I choose this short clip where you're chit chattin' with me and just as you try to lean all cool on the bench you roll off and hit your head.  My poor boy.  Who would have bet B would be such a big bold bully to my baby and bonk him on his block?

B is for Bees All Around Buddy and other B words

 


Love, Mama

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [1 of 26] A is for Admiring Animals at Freedman Farms

Dear Henny, 
This is the first post of 26! (Oh my GAWD! will I make it to 26?)  You've gained interests in the A,B,C's lately and so I want to mirror that in my posts and pry in all the fall fun we've been having at the same time.  So here it goes.

A is for Admiring Animals at Freedman Farms 

Freedman Farms is a pumpkin patch/petting zoo in the county just outside of Bloomington proper.  It is set in the picturesque hills and is beautiful.  Last year they were closed due to "family reasons" and this year they had to haul in pumpkins from other farms due to a poor pumpkin harvest.  Those are details we don't really care about as we just wanted to get some great pictures and to give you the opportunity to touch live animals and feed them.   You are fearless.  You stepped right up to the donkey and tried to stuff food in her mouth, the horses you nuzzled and the goats you laughed at.  We stayed for a long time reveling in your excitement over the tractors and cars set about for kids to ride around the pumpkin patch.  You think you're a strong man.  You tried to heave up very large pumpkins with grunts and moans trying to defy the acts of gravity and mass with your wee 19 month old arms.  We stayed until the sun began to rest and our tummies growled, prying you off of the tractor and getting you strapped into your car seat, you were asleep in about 5 seconds.  This is always a sign of a successful adventure.

Love, Mama

Twick or Tweet

Dear Chew-peepa, my sweet wookie, (please click on any image to make it larger)
Halloween had new life this year.  Is that an oxymoron? being that Halloween is about death and ghoulies.  Let me tell ya!  You got the hang of it getting candy quickly.  Mama and Dadoo were excited all day waiting for just the right moment to get you dressed up so you wouldn't start rippin' things off before gettin' a bag full of candy.  Last year you were a hot dog and this year you were Chewbacca from Star Wars.  First off we had a slight costume malfunction...let me just give you the bullet points...
* bought costume at a great local costume store, it seemed to fit when I tried it on you at the store but at home it was WAY TOO SMALL.  Took it back and they tried two of their suppliers but could NOT get your size, causing them to go against their policy of exchanges only they did give us our money back.  * Dadoo ordered the costume online.  It arrived a day or two later than it was supposed to and three days before Halloween.  Mama opened it when Dadoo got home and yes! the body fit perfectly! but the hat??? well who the heck knows how it fit because they forgot to send it.  Well, the hat makes the costume darn it!  So... Dadoo goes about trying to get the hat sent and a major fiasco ensued that ended up in a letter to the better business bureau and canceling the charge through Amazon.com.  We never got the hat so what were we to do?  Last minute the night before Halloween we traipsed to the fabric store and grabbed the last shreds of faux fur and teddy bear like fleece we could find.  I cut out a pattern based on a Yoda hat we had and made our own Wookie hat, and with some left over fabric I made some furry gloves too.  Crisis averted.

Halloween about 4:30 we get ya in your booster chair in your costume and get started on your face.  I mix up the brown paint and wait for you to freak and it never comes, instead you love it.  You sit still and stare at yourself in the mirror watching your face transform. You even wanted in on the painting and tried to make Dadoo's face brown too.  We put a little black on your nose, popped your hat on and made it out the door.  

Grandma P and Bahboo came to watch you and all the kids enjoy the fun.  We went to one house in our neighborhood.  Your first candy of the year was gummy brains!  

We choose this as the one house to go to in our neighborhood because she goes all out with the decorations.  The decorations don't scare you yet though, you tried to pick up and hold her scary baby positioned by the front door.  Then we abandoned the rest of our neighborhood for the very lucrative neighborhood of Doug and Peter.  They made homemade hot chocolate, rice crispy treats, brownies and soup! What a treat.  Their neighborhood was FULL of kids EVERYWHERE!  The most trick or treaters we have ever had at our house is 30, they had around 160 I think!  

A mecca for candy getters everywhere!  I kept saying how it looked like the scene in ET when they take ET out during Halloween, children in really great costumes wandering to and fro.  The rest of our wee friends skipped their neighborhoods too and we all met up at Doug and Peters.

There was Lily the Deviled Egg, Google Eyed monsters Sylvie and Etienne, and a Lobster in a Pot for Keegan.  It was a beautiful evening and a lot of fun to see you and Lily walk up and say, "Twick or Tweet!" and to leave with a, "Thank You!"  

After you acquired your candy I would sit you back on Dadoo's lap and you would hold on to it with a death grip and chew on the candy through the wrapper.  You know better than to allow us to get it from you.  I would then pry the smashed candy bar out of your jaws and throw it in your bag.  It started to get colder and late so we reconvened at Peter and Doug's to polish off their goodies.  

Sylvie had no problems pulling up to swipe Mommy Heather's abandoned brownie to stuff it into her mouth as quickly as possible.  Keegan and you sat on the couch together and in your sleepy sugar haze you gave him a couple of kisses.  While he was distracted by his glow in the dark bracelet you slipped into his pot and pulled out a sucker.  It was great to feel so excited about Halloween again.  Next year you may have something to say about what you masquerade around in but we enjoyed our little wookie this year. Sorry this is so delayed, as is the obligatory pumpkin patch post and all of the other great fall photo posts but the stomach bug has been playin' tricks on me.
Love, Mama

Bye Bye Chicago, Hello Michigan City

Dear Henry, 
Our last few hours in Chicago we drove Dadoo to work and worked our way back to the hotel to pack and to load the van.  Soon after, we ate a bagel then picked up Dadoo.  We braved the traffic out of Chicago and went to Ikea to get a Henny sized table and two chairs to bring home with us.  Then it was off to Michigan City for a visit with Mama's Auntie Glo, Uncle Dave, and cousin Joseph, another of your Greats.   We also hoped to see Uncle Donald, Aunt Diane, and Cousins Carl and Maria but it wasn't in the cards during this impromptu visit.  Maria reads about you all the time and sends me consistent questions about you on Facebook.  She's a sweetie and we wish that you could have finally met in person.  She loves babies so.  We did stop by Uncle Don's house to check out what new formations his garden has taken.  He is quite the artist using a media plants, concrete, wood, paint and found objects.  It really is beautifully impressive and eclectic, bordering on outsider art.   Every turn there is something new, up, down, under and through an old halogen light bulb becomes a jewel, recycled brick becomes a maze, old jars house miniature plant worlds, etched drawings and grand sculptures from concrete and wood become gateways to a culture that doesn't exist.   We plan on having him sculpt something for our backyard after we get a fence back up.  This year he was recognized for his work by winning the Michigan City in Bloom award.  

I can't help but think of your great grandma Stella smiling when he beat out her cousin across the street for first place.  All of it really does make your jaw hang agape.  
Click here if you'd like to see more of his work.  
Next ,we took a risk and went to visit Mama's Uncle Dougie and his partner Debbie who have a little 3 year old boy named Zachary.  I haven't gotten to meet Zachary yet and I was so excited to get the opportunity.  You took to each other instantly and you were jolting up the stairs to play cars with him.  He is so cute! and a great playmate with an open heart to sharing his toys with you.  I had a hard time pulling you away and we ended up visiting for about an hour and a half.  
At Auntie Glo's and Uncle Dave's Joseph showed you his own personal zoo complete with a chinchilla, dog, salamander/newt, and a rooster.  You were a little apprehensive of the rooster but every time he cock-a-doodle doo'ed we heard a Henry echo.  The chinchilla ran around their gazebo but the salamander you wanted to touch, as you stood with the safety of Glo and Joseph flanking you.  Later we went inside and Dadoo did some math with Dave while Auntie Glo snuggled with you in a big chair to read.  We played outside for a little while and you found some sticks you were fond of and Glo gave you a few of the gourds she had grown for her students.  

Once home you loved these gourds and they became your favorite morning toy for about 4 weeks.   We seem to have a hard time making it up to visit them but we always have such a nice time siding with lingering around over getting home early.

It is always great getting the opportunity to visit family.  It is a reminder of how many people are really on our side in this world.
Love, Mama