Gleaming the Cube

Dear Hen, 
Super development in the life of Henry.  You have enrolled in summer skate camp!  Step one, after signing up, was taking you to get a stunt wood of your very own choosing, a helmet and some shoes (those boats of yours just keep growing, currently you wear the same size as mommy and have been wearing my tennis shoes for a couple of months now).  We are fortunate to have such a patient, helpful and accommodating skate shop owner as Johnathan at Rhett.  Johnathan is also the skate camp instructor.  He was super at helping you find the right size deck, Almost, and choosing your artwork, trucks and Spitfire Slash Pro-classic wheels at a 99 hardness, same brand daddy first used. 

He took the time to explain each step of how the wheels and bearings slide onto the trucks, how the grip tape smooths on to the deck and the trucks attach and tighten and loosen on the deck.  

In a situation where some kids would feel apprehensive or self-conscious about ones lack of knowledge in the face of an expert he helped you to feel relaxed and comfortable to ask any question with encouragement.  A week or so later we found some awesome Vans and you were ready to go.  

The week before camp you wanted to practice in the driveway each evening, learning to push and gain balance on the board, "dropping in" off the concrete downspout drain, and asking important questions like, "How do I pop up the board and get it?  How do I carry the deck?" before jumping in at the skate park.  The first week you were super stoked, and sweaty!  Already you can roll into the ramps and are starting to pump and fakie on the ramps.  A respectable fall and bonk on the head humbled your boldness a bit but you are getting back up, sweaty and resolved to keep on learning.  You are getting better each day and most of all, you freaking LOVE IT.  It is funny that Mommy and Daddy have a hard time not coaching you along, like a soccer parent or football parent. We have to remind ourselves it is supposed to be FUN! Duh! So we back off, drive you to the skate park and cheer you on when you do what you are going for and leaving the rest up to learning on your own.
Here are a couple of links to your first efforts. I have to figure out a way to load them directly.  Until then...  
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.f.thompson.98/videos/10160584297520484/
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.f.thompson.98/videos/10160571725385484/

We love you and are excited about this new hobby.  I can't wait to see where you go with it.
Love, Mama