Boy Built to Play Take Two

Dear Peep, 
We stayed over at Bahboo's and Grandma P's a few weekends ago to hang out and run around the yard.  You love this.  You ride the tractor with your grandparents, follow Roxy the beagle around, roll in the grass like a dog, help pick up sticks, explore every inch of every blade of grass and every log on the log pile, see froggies, ride in the wagon, run and frolic, frolic and run, roast marshmallows as big as your head at the burning pile, and just have an all around grand little boy time.  You run till exhaustion and eat like a giant.  It is fun to share this with you.

Love, Mama

Oigee Boigee

Dear Peep, 
Around the house Mama and Papa make up and perform LOTS of ditties, jingles, songs, operas, and cheers for you and all the daily tasks you do.  Every now and then Mama gets one out that sticks... the most recent is Oigee Boigee.  I hope you always know and love it like you do right now.  It goes like this...  I scrunch my body all up and hunch over my back with my hands up in the air distorting them around in alternating claw like balls while I pinch my face up and say in my deepest crackly voice, "OIGEE BOIGEE, OIGEE BOIGEE."  I creep closer to you and my balled up claws open up slowly as they reach toward you, to quicken to open hands that tickle under your arms in a fast oigee boigee crescendo.   You tense up and smile with anticipation and as the tickle ensues it instantly sends you into a giggling frenzy.  Sometimes you will sing it for me.  I love this!  It makes my song writing feel legit. :) and you look incredibly cute.  I took this photo while you are singing oigee boigee to me from the back seat.  Seriously! Look at that face!
Love, Mama

Boy Built to Play

Dear Henry, 
You are a boy built to play. Fast!  Eons of endurance!  Strong!  Capable!  Unstoppable!  Spinning! Dodging! Short, making it possible to get under, around and wedged into places clearly built with the intent to post a sign stating, "No Adults Allow!"
Labor day weekend we stayed over at Grandma P's and Bahboo's and called up Grandma LaJean and Great Grandma Hazel to play at the park around the corner from their house.  The park was designed with accessibility in mind so Dadoo was able to play right along side of you for the most part.   It was hotter than Hades out but that didn't slow you down.  You walked up tentatively to the park your hand in Gma LaJean's.  You found your way around the park easily and the rest of us worked on keeping up with you and anticipating your next zig to your zag.  I gave up and left it to Gma LaJean and Dahdoo opting to sit and talk with GG Hazel.  We commented on how crazy the playground looked! So much to do!  She laughed and reminisced about having roller skates and balls to play with, nothing even close to this mecca for tots.  

Finally, the adults tired out after watching you sit on a little table thing that spins you around.  When you stood up you walked as if the world was toppling over and smooshed on the rubber matting below.  You loved this of course!  We tried to get a photo with the three generations but you went havin' it when there was play to be had.

It was a good visit but made us hungry so we went to a local owned pizza place where you inhaled two pieces of pizza and a breadstick.  I love watching you play hard surrounded by the love of your family.
Love, Mama

Deer! Deer! and blog post #300

Dear Henry, 
This is blog post number 300! and you are 1 year, 6 months, 10 days old.  That's a post every couple of days of your life.  Last year people would ask Mama if I could/ would keep the blog up after a year.  I wasn't sure exactly...but I just feel like it is an important record for you, your life, your open adoption, and your family.  I know all of your family reads here to find out what kind of things you're up to and in a sense can be with you where distance or circumstance may make it difficult to be with you in person.  To be honest it also gives me something to do with the photos I am obsessed with taking of you.  Believe it or not I don't make many prints and the only photos I have up of you in the house are our 10th anniversary photo in oldie tyme clothes and your dumb, chain store, cheesy background photos that are inexpensive and fun to do.  I think the reason why is because I can't choose between them all.  It is the same reason we don't have family photos up...I can't choose.  Silly, but there is always a photo I like better around the corner, or you change so quickly a month old photo can feel so out of date.  I just have to buckle down and get some family/Peep picts up!

I also wanted to tell you about how much you love watching the deer right now.  We get them in our yard daily.  Sometimes one, sometimes 4, as many as 5, babies and adults.  The other night you were out back sitting on Dadoo's lap and exclaimed, "DEER!" 

Since that night every morning you rush to the front window hoping that one more back ho will drive by (the city has been working to update storm lines up the street), then rush to the back and hope there is a deer running around.  I appreciate how observant you are.  Sometimes we find a grumpy looking ground hog with a rapidly expanding waistline due to all of the acorns our three pin oaks shed.  For ole whistle pig you send him salutatory grunts.  It is fun to see you begin to take on some interests.
Love, Mama

Snuggle Puss

Dear Henry, 

 

I don' t know many things that warm me up more than snugglin' you in a sweatshirt in the early fall.  Mmm.  I love it my little monkey.

Love, Mama

What Do You Think You're Doing Young Man?! %$#@%^$

Dear Henry, 
In a matter of seconds this is what you can get yourself into, in the time it took me to walk across the living room to get you.

Quicker than lightening! 


Love, Mama

Minature Clean Up

Dear Henry, 

When I clean you're by my side stealin' my sponge or trying to maneuver my broom.  As a kid I had constant dreams of a world where everything was transformed to kids size, including a kid size olive green Nova car like my mom and dad's that I could drive to school.  So I got to thinkin' if the boy likes to clean than he shall have the tools to clean.  It seems like a win win for me.  You'll be busy and a spot or two will be swept, dusted or polished by a hand other than mine.  Mama went to the dollar store, my favorite place, and Great Aunt Judy, rest her soul, would have been proud.  I found a big people broom but the head was kid sized, a squirt bottle, some sponges, a towel and a bucket with a rope handle for $6 you had your very own cleanin' bucket.  

At home I used a coping saw to make the broom handle Peep length and reglued the rubber grip to keep your hand safe from any metal burrs left on the end.  I clearly put your name on your spray bottle and added water and a couple drops of peppermint extract for a fresh scent.  I added a Swiffer duster to the bucket to finish it off.  While you were napping I set it all up in the kitchen so you would have a surprise when you woke up.  

You woke up and I had you run to the kitchen.  When you came around the door you exclaimed, "OH!" and went running to check it out.  You loved it!  Scrubbed the floor a bit, squirted your bottle and handled the broom.  When Dadoo arrived home from a hard days work you shined his shoes.   

This was an inexpensive way to make you happy and fun too!  Now on to your own cabinet of pint sized kitchen stuff.

Love, Mama

Are Ya Ready Boots?

Dear Henry, 
We bought some scuff free boots at a garage sale for 75 cents.  You were instantly interested in putting them home when we arrived home.  They are a size 7, you are a size 6.  They gave you a very cute swagger.  You walked around on the back deck crunchin' acorns with them for a good 20 minutes.  Cute!

Love, Mama

Great Papaw Elmer Really did Tell Henry to Go Ahead and Get Into Anything He Wants To!

Dear Henry, 
I wanted to include this post because it is likely that by the time you're old enough to read this your Great Papaw Elmer, 86 years old, Grandma P's dad, won't still be around and you may not have been old enough at his death to have memories of him.  He is something else.  I'll just start there.  Mama's cousins who may be reading this are nodding their head at that statement.  Old Elmo can be pretty charming, bold and STUBBORN.  Whatever one might say about the many moods of the man there is absolutely no doubt he has a special feeling about you.  Great Mamaw Mergie too.  He cuddled with your blanket and had you sit on his lap and play!  He allows you to touch his cane and walker, even encourages it!?!   GMM tries to dig up things around the house for you to play with while you're visiting (the ball was a hit but the glass flower thing Mama had to pry from your hands).  She blew bubbles and chased them with you in the yard for 20 minutes!  

GPE has had about every health problem a man can have and he is still kickin' it around, despite currently being weak from kidney failure when you come near him he sparks up and his visual and audio acuity seems to recover.  Perhaps it is because the day J called us saying her water broke I was shufflin' the couple out of Walmart with a mega sized box of honey buns and fresh razors, to the car to hear a frantic message from Dadoo to get my butt back to Bloomington ASAP!  I freaked out, cursing up a storm and speeding them back across the 8 miles of twistin' country roads to drop them off, only to have Mergie tell me, "You don't really need to rush off, you should just stay a while."  GPE pipped up, "Marge! She's got to go!  The baby is coming!  She doesn't have time to sit down!"  At any rate, they see your specialness and don't hesitate to tell me how good lookin', smart or strong ya are 15 times during a visit.  This means a lot to me...some people have a hard time understanding why we choose open adoption, because they are old school I wasn't sure how it would go around them.  I wrongly sold them short.  It didn't even take them time.  They laid eyes on you and beamed like you were gold, because of course, you are!...all that being said, I never thought I would live to see the day when Great Papaw Elmer would say to any child after helping them down from a stool, "Go ahead and get into anything you want to!" 
 

















Mama grew up certain the man's first heart attack was due to the fact that the grandkids couldn't get it through their pea brains to, "SHUT THE DAMN DOOR," quick enough to keep the air in and to keep the flies out.  This is clear proof they think you're something else.
Love, Mama

Hello Henry, Meet Star Wars!

Dear Peep, 
Daddy has been waiting for the moment you would take interest in Star Wars.
Remember your 1st birthday present, the tauntaun sleeping bag?  Well, as we were watching The Empire Strikes Back you saw the tauntaun on the screen and ran to get yours to lay on the floor.  You cuddled it a bit then hopped up on Dadoo's lap for a closer view.
So cute!  Dadoo has a Star Wars buddy now.  On this day you said, "Star Wars, tauntaun, wookie." 
Love, Mama
PS Yes, Dadoo could tell you exactly what line is being said in this still shot. :) I am sure of it.

You, BahBoo and Elephants

Dear Peep, 
You have a thing for Bahboo right now mostly because he makes great animal noises with you.  You stick close especially when he talks elephant.  

Just about like with any kid he has ever come in contact with you're instant best friends, but he has a special twinkle in his eye for you.  Like Jonny and Tony before him you take his necklace and stick in in his mouth over and over so you can see what funny way he'll propel it towards you next.  You bring him books, he takes you for tractor and wagon rides and you watch him work, trying to help out when you can.  I think you really like that he feeds you cheezies until your fingers and lips are coated that bright probably not even safe to eat orange color.  These are all the things Mama did growing up.  I'm grateful you get to know Bahboo too.
Love, Mama

Sweet Mornings with the Jammie Kid

Dear Peep, 

Had a nice morning with you and Dadoo on the back porch eating peanut butter  jelly crackers and rice crispies with strawberries.  You were wearing your sock monkey pjs so I got sock monkey for a couple of quick pictures and instantly e-mailed them off to J so she could share in your cuteness.  She said how adorable you are! But of course!  Love you cuddle do, Mama

My Spatula, My Friend

Dear Henry,

You've added a new "buddy" title to your status... Bakin' Buddy...

You love your spatula and cling to it like life itself.  If you can find it in the drawer or fish it quickly from a momentarily open dishwasher you do.  Quick Draw McGraw you are with that thing. You walk around the house with it, taste on it hoping with the greatest hope there will be sweet batter clinging to the surface.  Often I find you taking it to Dadoo for a quick taste too.   I've been baking a lot lately.  Deliciousness such as but not limited to muffins, chocolate angel food cake, red velvet cake, cookies, brownies, chocolate mousse, and tomorrow night it is an apple crisp.  Tryin' to make sure my boys are happy, and apparently fat.  Dadoo works so hard that I want him to have delicious treats.  Recently we spent an evening mixing up chocolate chip white chocolate chip cookies with Dadoo and you and your spatula were in heaven.  So eager you are to mix, dump the heaping cups of flour into the bowl for me, roll out the butter from its shiny wrapping and did I mention and ultimately taste the batter for freshness and sweetness.  Your eyes gleam in a particular way in these moments.  Notice the breadth of your mouth to get maximum lick area on that spatula!  My gosh! Are you human?

I think you know that when we let you do this it really isn't healthy or nutritious and that makes it all the more right and good.

I Love ya, Mama  

**NO WORRIES, if you have eaten any of our cookies or baked goods, if others are eating them that slimy spatula doesn't make it near the real bowl of stuff.