Hose Monster

Dear Henny,
You are a hose monster!  You like to hold me hostage in the kitchen by grabbing the hose by the side door, watering the flowers and then spraying the window or waiting for me to peek my head out of the door then, "SQUIRT!!!"  A splash of water is hurled my way with a cascade of giggles.

 Silly!
Love, Mama

Mother's Day! Number 4! Really?

Dear Peep! Special thanks to you and Daddy for a sensational Mother's Day.  This is my fourth year having the honor to be designated a mother, your mommy.  Click here to see 2009,  here for 2010,  and I must not have labeled 2011.  We had a great day, we did my celebration Saturday and Sunday went to Columbus to see your Grandmothers.  So Saturday was beautiful!  Daddy sent me flowers with a dream note attached reading, "You are so good at just about everything you do, but you were born to be a mom and you are awesome!  We love you!! Steve and Henry"  What woman/mother wouldn't melt over such loving, affirming words?  

We went to brunch at JoJo's restaurant and then drove out to Lake Monroe to walk around the lake.  We had so much fun!  You challenged Daddy to multiple races and hunted down all of the beaver spots.  

I told you to use your elbows when you run because it will make you run faster so you started flapping those things around like crazy.

 As we walked back to our car you spotted a dog, Bently.  You can't just walk by a dog, you must pet!  We've taught you to ask if you can pet the animal, to put your hand out so a dog can smell you first, then you usually pat its back and ask if it is a girl or a boy and the ask the name.  Bently and you had a special bond instantly and Bently's owner made it clear he loved you playing with him. 

He handed over a tennis ball and you would throw it as far as you could and Bently retrieved and placed it back by your feet and waited.  Bently is and A+ dog and you REALLY didn't want to leave.  Daddy had you saying "Happy Mother's Day Mommy, I love you!" as much as possible all day long.  I relish being together with my two boys!

Sunday we had brunch with your aunts, Great Aunt Ruthie, GG and Grandma LaJean then spent a little time at Grandma P's and Bahboo's to return home with a very tired boy.

I love being your mom!
Love, Mama

May 12, 2012 Birth Mother's Day

Dear Peep, 
The day before Mother's Day has been designated by the adoption community as Birth Mother's Day.  In the last 6 months you have become much more aware of your adoption and your connection to JoJo, your sensational, beautiful and sassy birth mom.  3 years later, even if I could, I still would not change a thing about the way you came into our family, other than to take away the sadness and struggle that JoJo had to experience during the months she searched for the best thing to do for the baby boy she was carrying.  A couple of months ago she moved even closer to where we live and has changed many things about her life, including starting school again on the 21st, living clean, and she now has a job.  We have been trying to get together with JoJo the last few weekends but buys schedules got in the way so on Saturday we decided to surprise her at work (after I checked to make sure it would be okay if we came in the see her sometime).  We entered her work and she caught sight of us and became so excited!  She gave ya a big hug and kiss.  You were excited too.  She gave you a little kid kit and you wanted only JoJo to put your paper card together.  We were able to chit chat a bit as we were her last table.  We had one of her fellow waitress take a picture of all of us.  As we were leaving you both had a moment of growling in each others faces and looking eye to eye and I see your connection.  

I am grateful that we are still able to be in each others lives . We are so proud to see her working hard, she has dreamed of getting to work for some time and has come a long way.  We sent her cards in the mail but it was nice to see her face to face.  We are forever grateful to be the ones for you.
Love, Mama

Your Buddies

Dear Peep, 

We had a wonderful Sunday last week.  We spent the afternoon at the park together and met up with our friends Heather, Phillipe, Sylvie and Etienne.  I should say Sylviesaurus because you both roared at Daddy, who pretended to sleep, over and over and over and over and over again...until Daddy would spring open his eyes, throw up his hands and act terrified.  The two of you would burst into giggles.  Etienne tried to join in too but let's face it, he is more teddy bear and so sweet with his dimpled smile, his roars made me giggle.  

Then Sylvie pushed you in the swings, you two play so well together.  

Later in the day we took a drive out to Lake Lemon to look around and came home with a very sleepy Henry.

I love being with my two dudes and having good friends.  

Love, Mama

It's Time to Play the Music, It's Time to Light the Lights

Dear Henrique, 
We loved introducing you to the new Muppet Movie last weekend.  You certainly enjoyed it, all except the part where the little Muppet flings himself into the electric fence trying to get into Kermit's house.  You shook your tightened hands in the air, quivered, grimaced and edged closer to me.  I love your little giggle.
Love, Mama

 

Too Much to Say

Sunday walk

Dear Big Kid, 

It has been a long time since I have written an inventory of sorts documenting your abilities and progress.  Now that you're just past three and growing like crazy I feel the need to do an overview because the pile of Henry's are building at an alarming rate.  You change so quickly now and in surprising ways.  My Henry of last week is not my Henry of this week.  Some days I wish I could keep a list of all the interesting conversations we have but they can often be long and arduous often leaving me stunned at your understanding of the world and your ability to reason.  You not only offer explanations of things but you also inject your opinion; which is often well thought out.  

A few recent discussions, 

Yard work!

       +  Mammals vs egg laying animals...why? where? babies, how are they different....

       +  Why don't worms have faces?  You don't like this, living things without faces.  You  told me yesterday.  A couple of months ago you asked me why worms didn't have faces.  I 

explained they live in the dirt where it is dark they don't need them in their world.  You sat for a moment and said, "Well, I guess it is good they don't have faces, if they did when they came out of the ground they would need sunglasses.  I still don't like it though."

       +  Why can't I have a drivers license, "I mean I could sit on your lap and drive right?"

       +  Back to the faces, why don't cars of eyes?

       +  Your adoption story.  You like to talk about how JoJo choose us to be your mom and dad.  You talk about it in many different ways.  I am really pleased that you are understanding the notion that before you were born we didn't know it was you, Henry proper just yet.  Adoption experts suggest that it is important to stress that a child isn't placed because of who they are but rather because a baby takes a lot of care and birth mothers are either not ready to parent or not in a position to parent another child which could be of detriment to all the children involved, so they make a responsible, loving, gut wrenching choice to find a family who can.

You've been talking about wanting a sibling for a while and you told me the other day, "I'm going to tell you a story about a little deer family.  The one deer found a family for their little baby deer and gave him a mommy, daddy, and a Bahboo and grandma p and a Krispie and Currie and a Grandpa Tim and a Grandma Jean and a Jonny and Tony...and then he got a baby brother, the end."  I've never used the words that when JoJo chose us "she gave you ..." but it would be no surprise that this spontaneous sign of gratitude on your part swelled me a up a little.  You are a little confused that a new sibling won't be joining our family through JoJo.  I told you a sibling would have their own birth family, their own JoJo, but let's face it there is only ONE JoJo in the world.  You shrugged this one off for now. 

     You are in love with living creatures big and small, creepy and crawly, furry and fuzzy.  Worms, frogs, beetles, birds, dogs, turtles, bunnies and fish; it doesn't matter. If it has a face you want to take care of for a while.

    You are more or less potty trained now!  You love to pee in the back yard, on a tree, my car tire but now you go to the bathroom at home all on your own.  Just as I think I am going to find you pulling out all of the toilet paper you are standing there doing your business.  You're growing so fast.  Just the past few days you've began making it to the potty to poop.  I know at some point I will need to cut out the poop and pee talk because it will be an invasion of your privacy but for now I want to document this because it shows a lot  about your independent personality... before making it to the potty you would go in your pants, go to the bathroom, take your pants off, clean out your underwear in the toilet and flush it all down and clean up anything that may have gotten anywhere.  This is a bonus for Mommy but also you taking responsibility for yourself.  It isn't weird, you aren't trying to hide it.

   I love how you want to snuggle, pat my back, make jokes with me and give me kisses.

   You are specific about what clothes you like to put on.   Just this morning you weren't happy that I put a plain white t-shirt on you for school.  You want your shorts to fit a specific way and love a good t-shirt.

Daddy and Henry on Record Store Day 2012

  We asked if you'd like to move your room around a few weeks ago and you were game.  You choose where to put your bed and now you've been sleeping there every night, but Sunday.  We think you sense that Daddy will be going to work in the morning and you tell us, "I just need to be near you." Melt.

  Your mood can be over all more stable but at times you can flip from happy to sad in a second.  We've been workin' the whine out of your voice by ignoring high pitched requests, reminding you to take a deep breath and helping you rephrase your frustration.  It is improving.

  You still love to read and have been looking at books on your own but you must...know...what...it...says and so we read often.  About a month ago you started "writing" lists for me to go to the grocery.  I love how cute this is, and so like Mama.  If I don't make a list on my own you often remind me.

  Your favorite color is green, you love flan, snacks, snacks, snacks of any kind.  Your imagination is going full steam right now.  You love playing "you're Henry, I'm Mommy"  "superhero"  "Diego from Ice Age" "Doctor" "Back to the Future" and not quite my favorite but where I am a cow and you're a farmer.  One that has worked out in my favor is Curious George, that's right, you make Mommy play a monkey.  If you are misbehaving and I talk in a monkey voice, I can stop you in your tracks!  You'll turn around come back to me, take my hand and say, "No, No George you need to ..."  At least I have one sure fire trick to get you to behave...even if I look a little wacka-doo in public yellin' after you "EHH OOOH EHH UH AH OOOH."  Eh, actually most moms of a 3 year old would get it.  Slow down growing up Henry.     There are so many things...this is already long but it is so hard not documenting every second...I can go on forever about my sweet Henny.  I also know this special time together with out the distractions of school or activities is limited.   I love you baby.  Love, Mama