Maybe Goats are GOOD!?!

Dear Hank, 
Per invite from our pals David, Kate and Abraham on a Sunday afternoon we took an1.5 hour trek to Capriole, a little goat farm cozied up in some rolling Indiana hills.  Mama and Daddy love to go on long rides that meander through small Main Street towns and you love animals so the trip satisfied all of our tastes.  Upon arrival there were soft drops of rain making us doubt this jaunt but soon after setting out through the barns it left and a beautiful day unfolded.  As previously mentioned goats and Henny equals a love/scared relationship.  You love them, but then at night when you're curled in your bed, thumb in mouth, blankets in hand you hear them knockin' on your window.  The first barn was full of young goats rousting about.  Big buckets of food hung from the fence edge, which your little fists shoved in and out of, dumping the food on the goat side of the fence in a near continuous motion. 
As other people left that barn I set you up on a big bail of straw and you discovered if you 

ripped out a bundle and stuck it out the goats would gladly snack out of your hand.  You giggled and laughed as an eager mouth tickled your hand.  We moved to the barn where the bigger goats and mama goats were housed.  We had just missed a baby goat being born!  The after birth still clung to her hind side and baby worked to get to her wobbly legs.  Bummer! but the lessons of life weren't missed too.  You enjoyed finding and pointing out, loudly I might add, those goats having a poop or pee or the mama goat giving her baby milk from her utters.  All that goat feeding made us hungry so we went to sample some goat cheese.  I am no foodie, I have never had goat cheese, so goat cheese after goat watching wasn't sounding very appetizing.  We tried some anyway and it was very good.  You tried some and decided, "Goat cheese is VERY GOOOOD!  I like goat cheese!"  We ate our sample down by the pretty pond.  A boys playground!  You fed goats, saw chickens, walked long rock walls, threw pebbles into the water, poked sticks through the mud, climbed in a tree, bug watched with Jackie (Kate's mama) and watched Abe's diaper change.  Daddy had to work the next day so we started to leave about 5:00.  I say started because our van was parked passed the goat barns and we got caught up feeding the goats again.  So another hour playin' with the goats and you've shown NO FEAR! NO APPREHENSION! -Until-  the adult barn.  

A doggone goat with a big long black beard came to the fence while you were feeding three other goats and scared you!  You started backin' away, and wanted to leave.  For the next week all we heard was, "Goats are nice!  I don't like that goat with the big bad black beard."  You slept with us that night.  A week later you've started to let it go of the goat with the big bad black beard but just before sleep you tell us, "Don't be afraid of the goats!"  
Love you!
Mama

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 

An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure Hijacked by Winter [20 of 26] Thank You Card Sent for Christmas Goodies

Dear Hencent Van Gogh,

From the time you could sit up on your own Mama has been holding art time with you.  We've used a variety of medium...

Crayons, pottery, glaze, stickers, finger paint, pasta, handmade play dough, peanut butter, powdered milk, honey, corn starch, food coloring, glue, icing, cookie dough, sprinkles, glitter, construction paper, pom poms, foam people with foam shoes, hair and clothes, wiggly eyes, stamps, markers, glitter pins, glitter glue, pipe cleaners, magnets, yarn, brads, Popsicle sticks, foam letters, and tape.  You now ask for art time every day.  "Art time now Mommy!....Peas!"  I ask you what you want to make and you tell me.  You choose the colors to use and I cut out the shapes.  Then you glue them together and design the rest of it.  It is a lot of fun to see you get excited by what we've made.  When you decide you are finished you'll say, "Hang it up!"  I put it on the front of the fridge and for a few days you'll talk about it.  So to show our gratitude for the Christmas presents you received this year we made a project for all of those we need to thank.  We sent them out last week and almost all of them have been delivered.  We have one more to make and send and we will be finished and ready for new projects.

Grandpa Tim sent you a sleeping bag and some books for Christmas so that's what you wanted to make him...a tent.

Bahboo and Grandma P bought you not one but two construction trucks.  You wanted to make a dump truck with rubble for them.

Aunt Krispie you said, "Elephant! Pink!"  You were all done then insisted on making it have three eyes instead of two.  It was a real hit.  We hand delivered the pink elephant and a card to her at work.

Great Grandma Hazel you said, "Makin' noodles with Henry."  I think you knew if you chose this theme for GG you would soon be swimming in her better than life scratch noodles.  She called us when she got it and was over the moon happy with it.

Grandma LaJean has Krispie's old cat Liam.  You love trying to hunt down this cat and feed it treats and try to kiss its whiskers so I wasn't surprised when you said you wanted to make her a kitty cat.

Great Aunt Cathy sent you some money that you bought books with.  She lives in Florida like three or four doors down from Grandpa Tim on an old canal...with lots of gators...We are going to be visiting in Florida in February and have been talking a lot about the gators.  You decided we should make her a gator.  It is complete with an articulating jaw.

A couple of weeks ago we visited Jo Jo, Tommy and Uriah and they gave you a cool robot dude that rolls around on the floor but when I asked you what we should make for JoJo you screamed at me, "PINK ELEPHANT!"  Ok, Ok!  This one had only two eyes and she loved it.

When Mama told you that our friends David and Kate were going to have a baby you wanted to make a baby for them...You insisted it was a boy and he was going to take your trucks.  Guess what!  It is a boy!  His Daddy David assured you little Abraham is going to steal your trucks!  You made a little you and and little Abraham that now sits on Kate's desk at work.  I'm not sure why little Abraham has a touch of blood coming out the corner of his mouth but you put it there.  Maybe you're sending a message that he better not touch those trucks if he knows what is good for him.  I am sure you guys will get along just fine.

I love art time with my Henry.  It is nice to create with you.  Oh springtime should roll in early this year so we can do some fun things outside!

Love, Mama

PS Anybody have any cool craft ideas for a 22 month old?  Leave us a comment!  We'll make it and post a picture of it here.