Swing Low...

Dearest Sweet Most of the Time Henry, 
I can only guess that the actions I've seen from you in the last 6 weeks are due to the growth spurt you seem to be experiencing...or you're pulling into "Terrible Two's Station" early to make sure you make the most of it.  I realize that most of my letters are pretty glowing and for good reason.  90% of the time you are under control all on your own and manage your moods, need for sleep, quiet time or a snack easily by giving me clear calm hints.  You've had a few really over the top days in the last couple of months.  When I say over the top I mean like Mt Tambora eruption sized.  (Yes! I did google "largest volcanic eruptions on record" to ensure I was delivering this simile proper.) Rumblings that no loving hands, kind words or empathetic looks could convince you all was right in the world.  
Exhibit 1:  Dinner.  You and the corn you love so much struggled.  Oh how you struggled!  You ended up making a call from the buttery cob to some imaginary force with pleas to relieve you of the bores that your parents are.  You went to bed early that night.  

 Exhibit 2: for Dadoo's birthday we went to the ceramic shop to paint him his very own cookie plate.  "Everyday Henry" checked out and Tambora Henry entered.  You wailed, flicked paint aggressively, pulled over a water bowl, and threw things all over the floor.  We got stares Henry!  They weren't the adoring ones you normally have lavished upon you.  I'm gonna say it, we better keep that cookie plate full of cookies so we don't see the mess it turned out to be.  It was to read Dadoo's Cookie Plate, as you can see we didn't make it to that.  

Yes, Henry, I made sure we had a good lunch before we arrived, you had napped,  I brought your booster seat so you could see what you were doing, and I stayed calm.  We finished up our painting quickly.  I drove directly home to put you down for another nap.  You seriously almost died on the 12 foot journey from the car to house.  Well, at least your legs stopped working and you couldn't hold my hand, or even think about making it the easy step up into the kitchen.  You stood there with your sweet baby cheek pressed to the side of the rough house wailing.  You would not allow me to help you one way or another. You'd tense up and arch, stomp your little feet as if putting out a fire with in. Finally you came in and you went down for a nap.  

I thought you seemed more chipper when you awoke so I decided to make the play dough described in the previous post.  These two photos were snapped in the same 60 seconds.  Such range you have!  Ten minutes later you were all smiles with the play dough, see previous post.

 Mama wanted to write this one to highlight how great you really are, not how you have a couple of crappy days out of approx. 515 you have been in the world.  How fortunate we have been to have YOU as our son.  The sweet boy that gently sweeps Mama's bangs from my eyes or gives bunny kisses with Dadoo.  These events were so out of your normal personality, the exceptions to the rules of usual Peepdom, that they made me love you even more.  Just when I think that is just so impossible it becomes possible.
I love you even when...unconditional.
Love, Mama       

Dough Boy

First Encounters

Dear Hendough,

The title of this letter refers not to your expanding size but rather our recent homemade concoction, thanks to Brook's post about making play dough.  I had been looking at several recipes already but couldn't decide on which to try and since Lily looked as if she were enjoying her mom's mix I went for it.  You love it, I have to make more, the first batch started getting sticky and less dough like so it ended up in the trash.  It was great to get out while I was making dinner and Dadoo was arriving home from work. 

Per Brook's suggestion, we played with it warm and cold from the freezer.  You liked making reports its temperature.  I gave you objects to poke, cut and shape it.  You smashed your face into it a few times as well as making it cover your hands.  You'd lift your iron fist and bring it down heavy stating,

"SMASH!"  You'd pinch little bits off and then kneed at it like an experienced masseuse working out the kinks of a tight muscle.  The stuff is super salty but you couldn't keep yourself from licking it only to give me a look like, "HOLY COW THIS STUFF IS REALLY SALTY, PLLLT!" and as if you couldn't believe just how salty you'd do it again and again until you caught on and then you started saying, "PLLLT salty!"  This will be a fun winter activity for certain.

 Dadoo had another mix for us to make.  It is a one to 2 ratio of water to cornstarch and a few squirts of food coloring.  Because cornstarch is such a finely ground flour if you hit it hard it crumbles but if you hold it in your hand it flows around like water!  It was wild stuff, but also very messy when it crumbles so we will try it outdoors next time.

Love, Mama

The Fair!

Dear Henry, 

We did take you to the fair this year way back at the end of July.  We had a great time last year but this year you were even more excited, talking and pointing out everything you know a word for.  You took greater interest in the rides this time stepping up the stairs on your own to wait your turn.  You rode the helicopters and plummeted down a 
side reachin' into the clouds.  We had a large lemon shake up, hot dogs and fries covered in cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and ketchup.  We pulled back from last year's fried food marathon.  When in the animal tents you called to them each in their own language with no fear in touchin' them or getting close.  

Cousin Jonny was able to go with us this year and he really enjoyed all of the free sweetie treats we picked up in the barns; cotton candy, popcycles and suckers.

I told Jonny to walk like he is tuff. This is what he gave me.

 


We topped off the night with a seat at the tractor and car demolition derbies.  You clapped along with the crowds and screamed and pointed exclaiming, "tractor!"

We came home and you and Jonny settled into your jammies, read a couple of books and slept so soundly!  So exciting to see your understanding of the world grow.  

Love, Mama

Did I Tell Ya You Love the Water?

Dear Fishry,

Have I mentioned how much you love the water?  Oh, well here are some more examples of swimming at Bahboo and Grandma P's pool, the hot tub, bath and just gettin' your face in the water.  You love makin' friends in the water too and picked up this sweet little honey at the splash park a couple of weeks ago.  You don't yet have a refined pick up line but you smoothly tried to "borrow" her little cup.  Mommy's cousin's boys JD, Kolsen and Nash came by for a swim and Grandma P's and Bahboo's.  JD loves helping you do things.  Nash jumped from the diving board for one of the first times!  It was really cool.  

Another day Ella, Tyler, Kerri, Clarice and Wendy made a pool visit.  Ella liked making you water balloons and Bahboo enjoyed letting them go in your face to hear you giggle.    You and Jonny had a great time playing in the tub during his visit and playing at the public pool together.  Jonny went down the slide for the first time and Anthony did some crazy good flips from the diving board. 
If we ask you to put your face in the water, even if you aren't in water, you will.  So cute.

Enjoy the pictures.  The public pool has closed so our water fun is likely to taper off of a while now.  So sad.
Love, Mama

Morning with Dadoo

Dear Henry,
Dadoo loves getting you up since in the last two months you've perfected his technique.  I wonder why?  I love peekin' around the corner to see you guys giggling your way through it.  Look at those smiles.
Love, Mama

Down, Down, Over

Dear Henry, 
Down, Down, Over...these are the words I used Monday as I held your chub of a paw, wrapped around a pen inside my hand.  I guided your hand 5 or 6 times on a post it note to mark your first H for Henry, ever.  I was trying to divert your attention from my computer and thought, eh, why not try.  So I made a few for you, guided you, then said, "Now see if you can do it yourself baby."  And guess what?!  You did.  We practiced again yesterday.  I was gloating about your skill when Grandma P and Bahboo picked you up for a couple of nights sleep over so I could recover from having Shingles .  I sat you down in your booster seat and put paper in front of you and said, "Henny, make an H for them, draw them an H."  and... YOU DID!  Whilst saying, "down, down.o"  You were so proud you started handing them all of the papers you've been drawing, stickin' stickers to and "writing" on all at once. 
At least you can do this for now.  I know how things can come to a kid and then not resurface until later but I'm still excited for you.  In the last week we've also been working on the idea of circles.  You can point them out if I ask you to find one.   I asked you to draw a circle, after showing you, guiding you and then setting you on your own to try. You did!  I mean it is a blobby one but, eh! Who cares! You have the idea, we'll work on perfection later.  I do like that in all of this brilliance you had a hard time keeping the scented markers out of your mouth so you looked a little wild.  
When Dadoo arrived home I showed him your papers and he came beside you to see the new trick.  He was really impressed and proud of you!  ....and once again you had to eat the markers...your face was covered in ink anyway so Dadoo and I decided to draw on your face a mustache oldie tyme style.

I happened to be texting with your birth mom J on Monday after the big event and shared your abilities with her via story and photo.  She replied, "Hellsss Yea, he's gonna be a genius!!!"  To which I said, "fer sure, by nurture and nature sista."  J said, "Yup.lol"

We are all so proud of you and your desire to try new things.  You've been quite the fun boy lately.  My little buddy patting and fixing my bangs in the morning and rubbin' Dadoo's arm. My sweet boy.  We love having our first refrigerator art.


Love, Mama
PS I love seein' your little curls comin' back just in time for fall.
PSS The little cut by your eye, I had the dishwasher three fourths of the way shut and going and you decided to stick your head in it at lightening speed I didn't have the chance to stop.  I hated it!  I felt so bad. 

Mommy's Little Helper?!

Dear Peep,   I know it is weird but I really love spying on you.  I love lookin' in on you when you're playing your own games, vrooom vrooming your cars, and singing your own epic opera for nobody but you.  You can carry on for quite sometime before acknowledging that I'm there.  It is in those little moments when pure "kid" is happening and you're being your own person.  The kind of moments adult long for in their own lives but can never quite reach that level of blissful play after the age of 13.  My love for you grows watching you, is that possible? You already seem to fill every thought,  every nook and cranny of my heart.  I have mentioned before your love for work both taking part and watching others.  Your own desire to help around the house is increasing as you make more sense of how the deluge of choreographed motions fit together to complete various tasks.  For instance this week you kept swiping the rubber spatula from the kitchen after watching me use it to make cookies and cup cakes, always allowing you to taste the progress of such goodies from it.  You took it to the living room and were cooking up something for daddy on the couch and you were continuously offering him imaginary tastes.

  

In the mornings when I say, "It is time to get dressed," you run to your dresser and grab a 

handful of shorts and bring them back to me before I'm even half way down the hall.  You're the quickest booger I've ever seen conjuring images of supernatural movements only possible in fictional movies.  When doing laundry you will transfer the dirty and clean clothes or towels back and forth, mixing them all up.  The other day I caught you trying to sort your clean clothes in the laundry basket I had just placed in your room.  The sort was happening high in the air as shorts went one way shirts went another and you'd start all over again when you heap them back into the basket.  

It is sweet when you insist on taking the sponge from me to wipe the counters down after dinner or take the extra broom and sweep my pile of dirt willy nilly for me to sweep up again.  The pots, pans and mixing bowls make their way out everyday if I even approach the kitchen.  You still get Dadoo his bag of M&Ms in the morning if you're up... that reminds me he needs some more!  

I am not sure what you think is helpful about pulling out all of your wet wipes on Dadoo's mat in the living room but you have your work face on so I know you think you're doing something.  All of these things and more you feel you are helping me greatly so I always give you a big thank you hug.  Truth is this turns the work into double the amount of time but I really don't mind most days.  You will put your books back on the shelf and help put the toys away.  For now that's a little ray of light.   Someday soon you'll be helping me in the yard when the insurmountable leaves take their bow to autumn littering our yard in mountain sized mounds.

Love, Mama    

PS  The basket has been in the family for possibly almost 100 years.  That was Bahboo's Grandma's basket who immigrated to the United State from Poland around 1908.  Pretty cool.  Here is a photo of Uncle Gary looking at me in the same basket when I was younger than you are now in 1974.

Won't You Take Me to Bubble Town?!!!

Dear Bubble Butt, 
This summer we have tried to take advantage of free community resources as much as possible.  Mommy Brook clued us in on a bubble truck that would be arriving at their library in Spencer.   We had a quick lunch at the Dairy Queen and waited for the truck to show while keeping an eye out for your girl Lil' and Mama Brook.  Unfortunately Mommy Brook and Lily didn't end up coming because the library told them it was canceled due to the weather!  A large storm was on the way.  So the Ram truck... I don't know if this orchestrated monstrosity was what we expected or not but it did deliver the bubbles in volumes juxtaposed the angry looking sky.  

The wind was blowing so strong the bubbles and all of the kids running around created a rather dramatic scene.  You certainly loved playing in the buckets and shouting out, 

"BUBBLES!"  It was awesome too that the heavy rain held off about 45 minutes, just enough time for bubble bliss.  As you can imagine the ground became a sloppy, soapy slippy mess.  It was worth the short drive.  As a side note, you looked super handsome in your bubble makin' attire.  I so love garage sales, dollar bins and second hand stores where I can pick and choose fun, unique and inexpensive pieces for you to wear.  You were the coolest dude at the bubble fest hands - with bubble wands- down!
Love, Mama