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

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

Uncontrollable Urge Makes Me Want to Scream and Shout!

Dear Peepvo,
A VERY exciting Monday for Mommy and Daddy.  We went to see DEVO at The Vogue in Indianapolis.  Most people know DEVO by the song "Whip It" but you are already fond of many others.  While at the show you spent the day with your Wooby and Samantha going to the fair to see animals and to ride the carousel. 
-Lately we've been singing a few DEVO lyrics to you... "Uncontrollable Urge"...you laugh at the "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yea-yea, YEAH!" part and will often repeat it back.  Your little mouth doesn't move quite fast enough yet but you give it a good effort with a huge smile.  The show was amazing but that wasn't the really exciting part...

After the show we sat around while the equipment and light displays were taken down and waiting for the people to clear out and happened to sit down just as the band was sitting down to sign autographs on a long red bench at the side of the theater.  A long line configured around the theater and we just sat there...next to the band... and I started talking to Mark Mothersbaugh!  You know him from Yo Gabba Gabba!  which admittedly I was for some odd reason more jazzed that he was from Yo Gabba Gabba! than the band DEVO? HUH? A clear sign I am in the trenches of motherhood! 


So, I asked him if he could deliver our boy at home a special message...and he did!  

It was so cool.  Turns out he is also a parent through adoption of two daughters!  I wish I had known this while we were there it would have been really cool to discuss our experiences.  Then our friends Mason and Johnny were DJ'ing the after party so we went and DEVO 

showed up too.  It was a small number of people but we and the band stayed until 2am and we hung out with Mothersbaugh quite a bit.  It was a lot of fun but the details will have to stay in oral and visual history until you're older.  Why am I telling you about this?  So someday when we are much older and you are reading this you will know that your parents are sort of cool.  We can't wait to take you to your very own DEVO show.  You will love it!  It was hard not to dance.
Love you, Mama

Met A Girl Crazy for Me! Met a Boy Cute as Can Be!

Dear Loverboy, 
A few weeks ago we had an adoption support group meeting and all were in attendance, except for Papa.  We missed him but still had a great time catching up with everyone.  You enjoyed catching up with one little girl in particular, Lily!  You circled each other the entire evening and from time to time intersected.  Lil' was giving you hugs, you would return kisses and flip her Pebbleseque ponytail.  Like best friends you shared your goldfish crackers and kicked a ball around.  Brook and I were melting at the sight.  I took a couple of photos, of course!  I grabbed my camera quickly so some are better than others but the cute is oozing.  I delight in seeing you play with other kids and other kids taking interest in playing with you.  


Love you, 
Mama

Corn! CORN! Corn!

Dear Henry,
We found something you love as much as muffins!  Corn!

You live in Indiana so it is highly appropriate to love corn on the cob.  Clearly you do!  You love gettin' to hold it and gnaw it off.  You're so lucky to have all those teeth!  I also love when we are done eating eat we looked at each other with big butter smiles.

Love, Mama