Read Me a Book Crappaw! What the Heck Are You Doing Gma P?

Dear Henry, 
Next week on the 3rd of March Crappaw will be undergoing his 2nd hip replacement surgery.  It is a pretty gnarly deal.  I will save the details for when you are older.  On his way home from the pre-surgery appointment Crappaw and Gma P stopped for lunch and some play time.  You gave them your handmade Valentine's Day cards before lunch at the Cloverleaf, which we forgot to give to Nana LaJean. Crappaw read to you emphatically The Little Noisy Book.  Sorry, I don't know what in the heck Gma P is doing to you but you didn't seem to mind. Mommy comes by "it", being weird, honestly.

 
Love you, 
Mommy

Handing Over, Passing On

Dear Henry,
Somewhere around the first day you took your first breath Daddy decided that he needed to set you up with a comic book membership. So every coupe of months we go to Vintage Phoenix to pick up a few issues of Green Lantern Blackest Night. Daddy's favorite comic has always been Green Lantern and he wanted you to someday be able to experience the happiness of a Sunday afternoon reading your comics. So, let's hope that you do! You will be very set up by the time you are ready to read such things. Another tradition Daddy and Mommy started for you is buying you a record every week. On Fridays we meet Daddy when he is done with work for dinner downtown. After we feed our faces we walk over to Landlocked Music and let you pick an LP all by yourself. Luckily at Landlock all of the 1-5 buck records are on the floor in crates...Just your height, just your price. Sometimes you're quick about it and sometimes you seem disinterested, wandering around until alas you stop at a crate, flip through it, and pull out a record. Really! At 11 months you do this. You sometimes stop to shake around a little to whatever music is playing in the store.

The last two picks were Herman's Hermits (excellent choice! Mommy listened to this many mornings while getting ready for school and it has the song "Henry XIII" on it)

and Madness with the hit Our House.

After you pick your record we return home to play it and dance together. Such fun family time. I can't wait to see your record collection take shape.

Love, Mommy

Little Rascal

Dear Henry, 
Mommy has already documented your love for the toilet.  Yes, it turns out this wasn't just a fleeting boy at home's crush.  One component of your toilet love is the sneakiness of it all.  If I should innocently leave the bathroom door unlatched you will figure it out in no time.  I hear the splash splash and I know you are in the toilet, AGAIN!  I know that you know that you are not supposed to be there because as I approach the splashing quickens like a guilty heart beat.  As I enter the door you frantically get a few more splashes in and as I drag you away you reach and call to your buddy with the lids, flusher and water.  The other day I found you floating your large duckie in the toilet.  Ewe!  I did sanitize it after.  
Let Mommy just say, you aren't alone that long but you are FAST as lightening.  30 seconds and you're into something.
Lately you've started carrying over your sneak to any of the other doors not fully latched.  Most recently you have targeted Mommy and Daddy's bedroom door.  You get in and take as much as you can off of Mommy's end table.  The other day I came down the hall to find you like this....

That isn't a shadow on the carpet it is water.
You had managed to carry the cup of water off of the table and into the hall.  You had the straw in your hand and were trying to drink from the cup.  Mommy held back and watched you for a minute and as you tried to get the straw back into the cup you knocked it over.  
A mess.  Water all over you, all over the floor.

 You little rascal.  I'm going to go check those doors right now.
Love, Mommy

Smoke, Firemen and a BIG HONKIN' BILL!

Dear Henry, 
There has been enough time now I can write about the trauma that occurred the day our 42 year old heater was laid to rest.  Daddy had just left for work, you had just had your diaper changed and sucked down a bottle.  We were doing our regular thing, cuddling for an extra hour before getting dressed.  I was deep asleep until my nose was itching and I thought to myself, "hmmm that smoke is so annoying!"  Wait! "That smoke is so annoying! Smoke! Smoke!?"  I open my eyes and yep! Smoke!  I pick you up quickly and put you in the crib.  I feel the door and it is cold.  I run around the house trying to figure out from where it is coming.  Just two days before Mommy replaced the batteries in ALL of the smoke detectors, but apparently it was not enough smoke to set a single one off.  This surprises me because it was enough smoke that I was starting to feel panic as I searched to find the source.  I ran to the basement and there was no sign of any smoke there, not next to the furnace, and I sniffed all of the outlets and switches in the house, nothing!  I shut off the furnace and shut all of the doors.  Mommy couldn't find it and I didn't like being separated from you.  It smelled electrical.  I went to grab you to get you dressed quickly, yanking you from your slumber and then dialed 911.  They sent an entire fleet of fire trucks and firemen.  I felt stupid but I couldn't find it and it was getting much thicker and I worried about your breathing because my throat and eyes were burning.  They arrived and we stood outside for a while.  You were a bit in shock jumping from our warm snuggles to standing out in the cold snowy driveway.   Fireman quickly checked the attic and around the house and ascertained that it was in fact the motor on the heater burned out.  

 So!  Daddy gets home after a speedy drive from work and we get to work on buying a new furnace.  It was a long dramatic day.  New furnace was installed the next day while we staying in the bedroom with the bedroom closed and the space heaters on, you bored and Mommy trying get over the sticker shock, despite talking the salesman down 25%.  I'm certainly grateful that our home and bodies were alright.  
Love, Mommy   

The Lord's Been Good To Me, Giving Me The Things I Need

Dear Henry Appleseed, 
Having teeth since you were about 4 months old has created an eating machine.  Apples... your newest favorite, next to your banana stand by.  You can eat an entire banana yourself and if I'd give you another I do believe you'd eat that one too.  In the last two months Mommy and Daddy buy a couple of apples each grocery trip and Mommy starts to eat them and you steal them away.  At first it seems you just want a little nibble so I break you off a piece, NO WAY!  You want to handle the apple yourself and eat it all!  You put your pint size jaws opened as wide as you can on the side and chomp down.  Your eyes get huge!  

Then you chew with such relish and delight, juice soppin' out of your mouth and down your chin.  You smile and smack those pouty lips.  

 

Your rub it around on your face giving it a little hug, or to just keep us from getting it back.  You clap for the apples sweetness and sometime eat it so quickly you forget to chew.  Mommy and Daddy stand by as needed to help fish out pieces of the skin that get caught on your tongue.

 You smile and I can see all the happiness in your heart shoot out through your eyes.  I know you'd eat the core if I didn't snatch it away from you!  

 

 You love apples so much perhaps one day you'll take off where the legend Johnny Appleseed's work left off.   I've seen you with a pan on your head practicing already.  If you could just stay out of the toilets long enough to travel.  So grateful for nature's sweets like apples, bananas, carrots, peas and you!
Love,  Mommy

Snow! Snow! OOOOOO Cold!

Dear Henry,
With all of the snow we've been having Mommy could NOT resist getting you and Daddy outside to play.  We gave you the fresh snow experience in small doses as the cold could bite your nose right off!  Snow pants, t-shirt, flannel, sweatshirt, coat, hat, and scarf!   You waddled like a penguin, side to side, slowly with your hands to your side.  At first you were excited to be outside experiencing the snow.  You paced the sidewalks, grabbed onto Daddy's leg, and shook hands with the plants.  As the cold tapped its icy fingers on your plump marshmallow cheeks you walked down the side walk to abruptly turn to go back to the house but alas you'd change your mind and return to Daddy's side.

 

  

 

You also chanted, "S-NO! S-NO!"  Falling forward, your naked fingers touched the sidewalk and that was it.  You ambled off to get back into the house, stunned by the cold you couldn't shake off of your fingers.  Daddy snuggled you in his arms.  You cried until Daddy could get you inside.  

 

 

 So we took you in to warm up for about 20 minutes and you were ready to go again tapping on the windows.  This time we put your hands in the special gloves that Auntie Krispie bought you for Christmas and you seemed much happier.

Daddy brought the I Flip out to get some videos of you.  In his excitement to not miss a thing he backed his wheels right off of the sidewalk step!  It was time to go back in anyhow so I put you in the warmth and safety of your crib and got the board ramps to get him back onto the sidewalk.  It was fun to take you out to play in the snow!  


Mommy clearly needs to have more adult conversations, as she just called Daddy a bad boy.
I tell ya though peep I sure can't wait for some spring walks! and some summer park visits.
Love, Mommy

School's Out

Dear Henry, 
All things were passed. 
Aurora is no longer. 
Boo.
Love, Mommy

Civil Disobedience

Dear Henry,
Anxious to start your activism young we stood out at the courthouse with the Aurora students, teachers and principal, Chuck Holloway, for a cool 15 minutes the other day to gather support for the school board to not vote to close the school.  Chuck took these cute pictures of you.   When cars honked and the kids screamed and waved, you followed their example.  

 

 

All cuteness and silliness aside Mommy and Daddy are very fearful of what our schools will be like in fours years when you begin.  Due to the policies of Mitch Daniels Indiana schools are being forced to makes some very hard and damaging decisions in cuts of certified staffs, librarians, assistant principals, and closing programs that are the three parachutes for at risk youth.  It is likely after the school board votes at 6 today the two large high schools will raise class sizes to the point where those large classes of 32-35 will be the good ole days of small classes and Aurora Alternative High School will be closed after 15 successful years.  Over 300 hundred young people have graduated from Aurora and a large unknown number were at least given another chance after feeling ignored, bullied, or forgettable in the large high school and many moved on to get their GED or at the very least had more semesters of education than they may have had.   
Aurora opened the year Mommy was student teaching.  All  wanted to do was teach at this school!  When we moved  to Bloomington mommy subbed there and put the hard sell to Chuck.  He found ways for me to be a the school each year until you came...just as he finds a place for all types of kids to fit.  Aurora is family.  Aurora is a chance to be yourself.  Aurora is a place where some of MCCSC's most educated teachers love to teach and they write and earn thousands of dollars in grant money every year.  It will be a loss.  Mommy's heart is breaking.  I thought we were moving to a community that supported all types of educational opportunities for a variety of learners.  I know this will not be easy for the school board, they have loved Aurora over the years.  The best one can do is support a referendum to Mitch Daniels' funding of schools via income tax back to property values.  I hope, Henry, we aren't forced to make hard decisions against sending you to a public school in four years.  
Love, Mommy

A Valentine's Visit to the Grandparents

Dear Henry, 
Mommy bundled you up and packed you a bag so we could send you over to Columbus for the weekend.  Grandma LaJean and Great Grandma Hazel greeted you with a big hug and you immediately went to the toy box where Grandma LaJean had added some things she lucked out on at Good Will.   You spent your first night there and then went to Crappaw and Grandma P's.  They stuffed you full of oatmeal, strawberries, blueberries and bananas.  You must have had a great time because you slept the entire day after Crappaw brought you home.

So glad family is close by.
Love, Mommy

Head of the Class

Dear Henry, 
In search of something to keep both of us occupied I turned to our public library to look for a class we could take together.  Mommy looked into swimming and music classes but dang! those classes are expensive!  At the library Mommy found 1 class we could take called "Bouncing Babies."  Last week was our first class.  We arrived about 10 minutes late! ARG!  The library has been remodeling and it was impossible to find a parking spot!  We rushed in,  Mommy looking like a crazy unorganized mom.  I'm not really but I felt stupid setting the bad precedent of being tardy to class.  We enter the room to see a room full of babies and just in time to join the circle and have them sing about how, "Henry wore his striped sweater, his striped sweater all day long!"  You sat on Mommy's lap bouncing around and kicking your legs to all of the songs.  We came to sing "Bah, Bah Black Sheep."  I don't think they thought about the meaning of "one for the master" but I let it slide as I doubt the 7 to 11 months old's set needed a lesson on the controversies of many childrens' songs, and honestly scholars still debate over if it is in fact an embedded slave reference.  

 

 So, the teacher passed out different colored sheep to each kid and you were to hold it up when your color was sung about.  You had a blue sheep.  You don't know your colors yet so you just decided to fly your sheep in the air each time the song was sung.  It was cute.  When that song was complete I asked you to hand the teacher, sitting to our right, your sheep.  You held it out to her and she didn't see you so you threw it at her.  Mommy handed it back to you and asked you to hand it to her gentle, I got her attention and you did.   So proud!  She then pulled out a big book about a train and you pulled yourself around so you could see.  You were the only baby to babble at the book and point.  So proud!  At the end a box was put out with toys that the babies could play with.  You had fun with this and found a book to look at with a little girl.  We checked out the remodel in the kid's section and as you were playing with a train car at the train table you walked to me to show me the car and fell.  You started to put the train in your mouth and a bigger kid, 5 or 6, walked over to you and said, "Hey! Get the train out of your mouth!"   I took this photo as he was talking to you. 

 OUch!  You stared him down then ignored him and gave it a little lick anyway.  I decided you were hungry and took you over to Laughing Planet for our weekly Hungarian Mushroom Soup.  You love the stuff.  Then we returned home for a nap. 

 

before

 

 after
This week we returned to class, but we weren't supposed to.  When Mommy registered for the class the lady said it was every week.  It is on the calendar every week but it is only supposed to be once a month.  We stayed anyway.  This was the year old to three year olds.  You fit better with this group as you're walking, babbling and it was full of energy. 

You were much more settled in my lap this week and really looked around at the other babies.  You cheered after the songs and clapped your hands.  A couple activities were different and it was fun to see you enjoying the songs.  We did one song with ribbons on a stick and you love waving like a flag anything you can get your hands on (socks, wipes, or you jammie pants you've managed to take off) so ribbons were totally your thing.  When getting your ribbon you became preoccupied with a little girl's gingerbread sweater.  She liked you too and tried to lick your face.  This threw you off and you stumbled and fell over together.  It was really cute.  Mommy happened to be filming at the time.

We checked out some books and went for soup at Laughing Planet, meeting up with Auntie Krispy who was enjoying a snow day.  She and Auntie Carrie working down stairs cuddled and showed you off a bit and it was time for us to go.

It was fun watching you interact and play.  I am so proud to be with you.
Love, Mommy

SNOW

Dear Henry, 
I had to take you out in the snow for a few minutes last week.
You looked around with wonder.
Then we got cold and came in for a cuddle.

 Love, Mommy

The Midnight Train to Clapsville

Dear Peep, 
On the night of your 10th to 11th month turn over you were in rare form.  You went to bed between 8:30 and 9, per usual.  Mommy and Daddy came to bed and you stirred and popped up in your pack-n-play like a little jack in a box.  As we readied ourselves for bed I'd run over to you and say "SPOON".  Laughing so hard you'd knock yourself backwards we knew you weren't going down easy that night.  We pulled you into bed with us, Daddy and Mommy exchanging wide eyed looks as you were chattering enough for 3 Henry's!  Once in bed I turned off the lights but this didn't turn you off...or down.  You kept talking and talking and talking.  Finally, with as much energy as it started, it stopped.  You wiggled around so you rested your head where your feet should be so Mommy had to cuddle your legs.  Quiet, other than the sound of my little Monchichi sucking his thumb!  Ah!  Dozing off, Mommy and Daddy became startled about 5 minute later when you sat straight up in bed and you clapped your hands.  What!?!  This is the first time you've ever clapped your hands on your own. Yep!  Just after midnight.  Needless to say, your parents were shocked and thrilled.  The more we cheered you on the more you clapped.  Those five minutes you fell asleep your little computer rebooted and updated.  You awoke a new child.  Clapping your hands.  Daddy sang patty cake and this time you independently clapped along super pumped that you were doing it.  We love seeing you as proud of your accomplishments as we are.  I hope this is a quality that continues because being able to find approval within will only help you be a confident, happy and successful man.  Even when you're a man, I am certain Mommy and Daddy will not forget your little chatter mouth smiling with your 8 Chiclet teeth clapping your hands at midnight.  No photos... we tried to get video...but that's okay, some images are just for us.
Love, Mommy

Robot Friends and Birthday Grandma's

Dear Henry, 
Grandma P's birthday was this week so we went to Columbus to take her to lunch and to help her clean up the house for visitors.  Even though it was Grandma P's birthday they had a gift waiting for you on your arrival.  We walked into the living room and there it sat!  A Fisher Price Kinderbot.  They found it at a flea market and had to get it.  To Crappaw's dismay it didn't work when he put batteries into its back.  This didn't stop your excitement.  The moment you saw it you went a little bananas.  Crappaw, being the Mr. Fix It that he is tinkered with the connectors and bam! Kinderbot started talking to you requesting you push a button to select from one of his many games.  Grandma P and Crappaw were way excited to see your excitement.  When you get older you're really going to love all of the activities and games you can do with him, for now you likes shaking his hand, watching him move and squawking at him.  

 

 Before we left Grandma P snuggled with you for a quick birthday snap shot.  Then you spotted Crappaw's dog, Roxy and went running after him.  Crappaw kept a tight hold on her because she can get wild but you wanted to give her lovin's so badly.  You really love dogs.

So cute!  Always happy to spend time with my mom and dad, your Grandma P and Crappaw and our son!  Here's to many more groundhog days with Grandma P.

 

 

Love, Mommy

The Crazy Tentacle from Outer Space

Dear Henry, 
I've been meaning to post about this for quite some time but I feared it would be uncovering one of your attributes that would keep people away from you.  One of Mommy and Daddy's old friend Peg is super perceptive and in commenting on one of the previous posts she pointed it right out and now I can't avoid it any longer.... it is your curl in the front of your head.

When it was shorter I just perched it up on top of your head like a Kewpie doll.  Now your hair has filled in and looks like a toupee and that curl has turned into more of a tentacle.  It reaches out and snatches things.  

Yep, I have to pull food, lint balls, and other odd ball things out of it daily.  You like to tug on it when you start to get sleepy.  If you pull it straight it pulls down past your pouty baby lips.  It is like an extra finger.  I love it.  It has a mind of it's own.  I don't think I'll ever be able to cut it.
Love, Mommy

Yummy Yummy

Dear Henry, 
The cheezy ooze of a gourmet grilled cheese from the Bake House dipped in their tomato soup seems to please your baby palate as much as it does Mommy and Daddy's big people gob.
Last Saturday we went there for dinner and you seemed to have a good time.  There were only a couple of people dining so we you had a little more freedom with your behavior than you normally might.  We usually go there for lunch and it is packed full.  You enjoyed picking out a dessert with Papa and ran around discovering decorations, like a wooden rooster, you could carry around.  

 

  

 You flirted with the table behind us who thought you were beyond cute, which comes to no surprise.  We shared a delicate and moist lemon cup cake.  When you really like a food you give me a sly smile.  I love this.  After eating you were chatty chatty chatty full of funny expressions and arms flinging around tellin' the world your message.  Daddy was unhappy when a woman with a dorky beret had on made a comment about your "too much energy."  I think she was just commenting on your pizazz. hahaha.  You were under control just fast walking and talking.  

 

 

It was a nice family outing.  How lucky I am that I have years more of these times?
Love, Mommy