Hangin' With the Big Kids

Dear Peep, 

A few weeks ago we were able to hang out with some long time friends.  We had breakfast and played in the playground for quite a while.  Bryan, Brad, David and Kate, Mason and Samantha, Oliver and Ruby and Max.  It was fun hanging out and Brian enjoyed seeing you.  You insisted on sitting next to him at the table.  :)  Kate gave Abe his first ride down a slide, although he didn't know it yet.   We love that you're so cool we are still able to hang out with friends too.

 Love, Mommy

Babe-ra-ham is Here!

Dear Little Buddy, 
Since finding out four months ago that our friends Kate and David are expecting you have been so excited to meet baby Abraham.  In preparation you have been diapering your baby, holding him and learning gentle touches.  Well!  He is here!  Abraham James was born late on the 17th of May, weighing 6lbs 1oz  and stretchin' 18 inches long.  Yesterday morning when I came to get you from your crib I informed you on his arrival.  I told you he was "out" of Kate and you could touch and see Abe now and an impossibly big smile came across your face and you screamed out, "YEA!  I am going to teach him to stand on one leg!"  While he isn't quite ready for standing on one leg, he was ready for a visit.  While getting ready to go the hospital you kept laughing and telling me that you are going to see "Abe-ee Baby."  We clipped the finger nails on your quicker than a cheetah hands and sanitized them twice on the way to the room.  I begged and pleaded that you refrain from yellin' or scratchin' that baby!  After we entered the room 'Henny wanted out of his stroller' immediately!  "Let me see that baby!"  It was hard to hold you back.  We went closer and like every newborn he was perfect, tiny, preciously pink and golden.  The trio that is now Kate, Dave and Abe have been through so much the last few days.  What a crazy storm that ended in this new life wrapped tightly, sleeping peacefully in his bassinet...only to have big Henny come to take a peek 'n' a poke or two.  

You were born at the same hospital as Abraham.  As we walked to Kate's room today I would feel little rolls of emotion thinking, "This is where Steve and I stood while we listened to Peep's first cries, or that is the room where we stood with Jo Jo and held you, the three of us admiring your handsome features."  Then while seeing Abraham and Kate, on an uneventful day, getting to know each other as we did all those days ago I was yearning for those flashes of love back.  We all really do start out so very perfect, hopeful, and unique. 

I can only hope for you, as well as Abraham that we as parents and that life, in general, leads you gently to adventures coated by enormous love, awesome people, resilience, and a way to not be ashamed of or too shy of your own uniqueness.  I asked Kate, "What is the first thing you hope that Abraham learns."  After a pause she said, "To laugh."  Trust me, I haven't met two people with more robust laughs so Abe better get that lesson down quickly.  There is a deeper element to laughter though...it is looking at the bright days more than the dark (or at the very least finding humor in unlikely corners) and knowing that there is always happiness waiting for us.  It is a necessity to seek it out.  I want happiness for you, our family...and Abe and his family.       
Love You!, 
Mama 

There Hasn't Never Been Anybody Else Like GG!!!

Dear Peepsuki,
You're going to hear many times in your life about this or that person being referenced as there "sure ain't anybody like..."  Well, they don't know what they are talking about, unless they are talking about your Great Grandma Hazel, Daddy's Grandma Hazel, Grandma LaJean's mommy.  As far as you're concerned she allows you to get into just about anything.  If you're being just a little naughty she has a sweet, harmless way of eggin' you on...I've never seen her smile with more light than when you're "pushin' it."  She reads magazines with you, cooks all of your favorites, allows you to drag all of her spatulas/things our of her drawers, sets you up to pretend cook along side of her, has you water her flowers, and shares cuddles and kiss without abandon.  She is so accepting and exceptional.  
 Her love knows no depths.  GG is forgiving and strong in character and resilience.  There will never be anyone like her.  

We can only hope that we all carry a little bit of that spirit inside of ourselves.  We are lucky to have been dropped into her family.  There is just about nothing that Daddy and I cherish more than seeing you play with your GG.  

You say she is nice and makes you cookies.  I mean that says it all for a two year old.
Love, Mama

When things get quiet...

Dear Henoosk, 
When things get quiet it is time to hunt you down.  Most of the day you are by my side playing, doing whatever I am doing or vice versa.  Then a minute here or there you go this way and I go that and as long as I hear you I can go about putting the dishes away or hanging some laundry, but when things go quite...I am on a manhunt for a 3ft tall 28lb 2 year old with curly locks, quick wit and lightening speed for find himself a "situation."  
The last two incidents...
1. You had just peed in the toilet and didn't want to leave the bathroom, in an effort to get you out I turned off the light and went back into the living room.  I heard you in there standing on your step stool talking to yourself in the mirror and then static....my cue to find you asp.
* I entered the bathroom to find you had turned on the light, climbed back up on the step stool and were moisturizing your hair with loads of hand lotion.  You'd smack a handful in, rub it around vigorously and look at yourself in the mirror with a self praising gaze.  You did this over and over and over and over again, even offering me a handful.  My baby was a little greaseball.

2.  You love the bowls in the kitchen and pull them out everyday to pretend you're cooking for me.  You were in the kitchen, I was in the living room and I hear the bowls shuffling, clank, clank, clink, clank and then static....then rustling...but no talking.
 *I go into the kitchen and first see the bowls all lined up along the edge of the island and I pan up to you gnawing through a cellophane wrapper encasing a marshmallow bunny, with three or four wrappers strewn around your feet.  You bite a little piece off, pick it out of your mouth and toss it in a bowl and say, "Here Mommy, this is for you to mix up."  Then you continued gnawing through that paper.  My baby was a little wild animal gettin' him some chocolate.

You never fail to make me laugh in a day.  I am grateful for these moments.  I am also grateful my camera is always only an arm lengths away so I may share these moments with your future self.
Love, Mama

Hippity Hoppity Easter Came and Went

Dear Peep Peep, 
We had a great Easter this year, despite the rain on rain off weather.  We started out at Grandma LaJean and GG's house.  We visited with Daddy's cousins who live in Colorado.  They have a girl and a boy, Sarah and Johnny.  Krispie prepared a couple of yummy vegetarian dishes and GG prepared Sloppy Joes.  You ate a lot then played with Johnny a bit.  The rain took a break so we took a walk around the block so the Easter eggs could be hidden about the yard. 

Our walk ended and the rain began again so the hunt was conducted with a quickened step.  You really enjoyed spotting an egg and running to it.  After the three of you had full baskets we hung out on GG's porch to open the plastic eggs and to riffle through the Easter baskets from Grandma LaJean.  

It became clear quickly that you were ready for a nap!  

You took the two hard boiled eggs you found and with chocolate all over your face, crushed them all up into GG's empty blue jean pot.  GG tried to get you to settle in with her, happy with the thought of a nap with you in her recliner.  She laughed and said you were afraid to stop movin' or you'd fall asleep.   Attuned to your cues, Daddy and I loaded you into the van and drove you around for an hour so you would nap.  You did without a fight.  We returned to Grandma Lajean's to say our goodbyes and headed out to Great Aunt Clarcee's to see cousin Tommy's and Amy's new baby boy, Jack.  He is sweet and you were so very gentle and loving with him, rubbing his head, smooshin' noses and showing amazement over his tiny fingers.  Nash came by for a bit and you ran with him for at least two hours.  

You guys had an awesome time.    After hugs and kisses goodbye we went back to town to see our friend's band play some olde country.  You started out looking like sleep was leading you by the hand but when a talented guy played guitar with lots of pedals the variety of sounds inspired you to pop your foot up and down on a lonely kick drum.  

At one point people turned around and the guitarist stopped and smiled at your efforts.  A really long fun day was past over so we loaded in the car and spent the night at Bahboo's and Grandma P's.  We hung around on Sunday for an awesome bacon and egg breakfast.  Then off to Grandpa Tim's for one more Easter basket.  He gave you a bug hunting kit with a shovel and bucket.  You loved it...and were filthy and tired from all the hunting and digging and digging.  You helped him fill the bird feeders and went on a little walk and brought me back a mushroom.  

With all of us tired and dragging and rain falling again we trekked back home.  A very eventful Easter 2011.  Love being with family, love getting to spend some time outside.  Love candy.  Love you!
Love, Mama

The Indianapolis Children's Museum

Dear Peep, 
I will no longer make comments as to why I haven't posted in a while or why I am behind.  Anyone with a two year old, or has been around one understands.  I will say the hacker backed things up for a while.  Jerk hole!!!  Who would mess with my precious boy's memory book? 

Now that you're two Daddy and I decided we would go to the Children's Museum more frequently so we bought a pass with pass for the year.  We have already gone twice with guests so from here on out it is "free" visits.  It really is amazing how a pass to a place calms your nerves.  No more rushing, now more anxiety that you won't see everything.  We've been twic
e since the purchase.  Once with Heather and Phillipe, Sylvie and Etienne.  Then we went with your best dude Devo and Mike and Meagan.  Both times were great, both times were different. I just browsed for the photos with the twins and there aren't there anymore.  I am not sure what happened!  Here are some photos of you and Devo to enjoy as you orbited around each other all day.  Your favorites this trip...playing in the ice cream parlor/house, looking at the Star Wars costumes with Daddy, trains, and building your own Chihuley sculpture with Devlyn.  

Henry and Devo on the carousel

 LOve, Momisk

2 Years in the Making

Dear PeepsTWO,
You are now two years old and 1 month. It is time to update all of your exciting abilities.
A list will be the easiest to get out the latest and greatest...
1.  You sing ABC's (knowing what they are and that they make up words mean), Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Happy Birthday, Mary had a Little Lamb and our made up Jammie Time song.
2.  You can identify at least 20 letters of the 26 letter alphabet army.
3.  You've moved on to to more involved story books.  You really like to read Goggles!, Peter's Chair, Hi, Cat!, Man on the Moon, and Skates by Ezra Jack Keats.  Keats was an author that based his character Peter on a photo booth picture he found on the ground one day.  Peter grows up through the books with his sister Susie.  You loved the characters names and pictures in Keats books so much Mommy put them all on reserve at the library and we spent a week reading them over and over again.  You also love Blueberries for Sal by Robert McKlosky, Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman, Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion.  It appears that you like mostly books written in the 50's-70's.  The stories are crisp and clear with sweet characters. 
4.  You have started "reading" books to us.  For about 6 months you've "read"  Machines At Work by Byron Barton.  One afternoon I said why don't you read it to Mommy this time.  And you recited each page accurately.  You do the same with most books after 2 or 3 reads.  
5.  You have a super charged memory for books or events you've experienced. 
6.  You easily talk in 5-10 word sentences using nouns, pronouns, verbs, contractions, adjectives and verb tenses.  I should add that you LOVE to talk.  You speak very clearly too.
7.  A great joy together is art time.  We paint, stamp, stick stickers, play with play dough, markers, glue, glitter, and crayons.  You tell us you're drawing cool backhoes.
8.  With all of the road work in town you can identify every type of heavy equipment.  You point out the window and yell, "BACKHOE, CEMENT MIXER, LARGE EXCAVATOR, BULLDOZER!"  It isn't unusual for me to hear begging from the back seat to turn around because the crane is now working.

9.  You are starting to have dreams and with that comes fear because you aren't quite sure how cows and horses are floating in the sky or why there is a goat in your room.
10.  We are so pleased that you now say yes more than no.  It is particularly endearing when you say, "Yes, I do!"
11.  Word games are a favorite of yours.  You mix and match the middle and ends of words or swap out the vowels as if you conjugating verbs for fun.  Tico Taco Toco Tico...Henusk, Henisk, Mamisk, Mamusk, Smack, Smook, Smeek.
12.  You can identify and say the colors... red, blue, green, brown, black, yellow, orange, silver, gold
13.  You can identify and say the shapes... circle, oval, square, triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, octagon, hexagon, pentagon, heart, star, plus or cross, diamond, crescent, half circle, and quad foil (four leaf clover).  You find these shapes around you all around you and shout them out.
14.  Still love sweepin' for Mama, which is wonderful but you can make a lot of mess.
15.  Pee in the potty often.
16. Brush your own teeth and wash your own hands.  You love washing your hands.  It is hard to pull you away from the sink!  If I try to help I get a quick, "Henny do it his ownself!"
17.  You make good playtime practice at the library train table of always handing a toy to someone else before you begin to play.  Along with your new understanding of playing with others, this has seriously cut down on your desire to swipe other kid's train cars.
18. Most nights before bed time you look out the window by Daddy's office to find the moon.  As soon as you find it you let us know if it is a crescent moon, half moon or a full moon.  I love that!
19.  You are obsessed with poop.  Someone got you the book, Everything Poops, and all you can talk about it poopin' in mud and running over it with a backhoe.  I hope this one passes quickly, no pun intended.
20.  You can id most money, and can tell us who's picture is on the penny & 5, quarter &1, the 20 and sometimes the 10 and the nickle.

21.  You now love our night time ritual.  Daddy and I take you back to your room after reading for 20 mintues (you'd have us reading all night long).  Then you ask daddy to, "TICKLE BELLWEE!"  Daddy does that for about 5 minutes then you have him hold you like a baby.  Next you give him a hug and kiss.  Daddy says, "Goodnight, see you in the morning, I love you tantamoose!"   Then it is my turn.  I give you big hugs and snuggles and sit you on the edge of the crib.  I slide you back and forth with a big hug and sing with you, "Squeezin' means lovin'.  Lovin' means squeezin!"  With a kiss on the nose I say, "I love you, I love you SOOOO much."  You lay down and you say, "So much! Too much, Too much Mommy."  I say, "Never too much! Never!"  You roll over and put your thumb into your mouth and curl around your blankets and say, "I love you Mommy, I love you Daddy!"   I say, "Goodnight, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. I love you."  Daddy yells out, "Dude abides."  We close the door and you shout it back a couple of times and you're asleep.  Thanks for being so easy.
22.  You can spell your own name!  We were at the zoo with cousin's Ella and Tyler and Tyler asked me if you could spell your own name yet.  I waited a second, looked at you and said, "Henry can you spell your own name. H..."  You said, "H-E-N-R-Y!"  Never under estimate my dorky obnoxious songs doing some good!

You scare us with your knowledge sometimes but can't get enough of you.  We are so fortunate.
Love, Mama