Early Wake-Up Call
We had an early flight back to Texas this morning. The kids all did great on the flight again and I saved them a piece of wedding cake from last night for them to eat on the plane today.
October 2, 2011
October 1, 2011
Wedding Day!
I was seriously wishing I had my nice camera at this point. Or at least that I knew about Henrys' giant fingerprint smudge that was on the lens of this little camera!
Henry couldn't stay up late enough to see Lindsay!
Spinning on the dance floor waiting for Ross & Lindsay to come to the reception.
Yay for Aunt Lindsay! I swear Sarah was actually super excited although her face doesn't show it here.
Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Martin, & Mrs. Martin!
Congratulations, Ross & Lindsay! We are so excited for you two!!
September 30, 2011
Rehearal Dinner/Wedding Eve
I think the girls were almost as excited about the rehearsal dinner as they are about the wedding tomorrow! Sarah & Henry had a spectacular hug that ended in both of them in tears toward the start of the evening. Sarah & Henry went back to the hotel before dinner was served (I had taken the kids out to eat in advance) but Anna was really insistent that she stay. Thank goodness my mom was able to come stay at the hotel with us so I could go back and enjoy the rest of the dinner, too. (Thank you, mom!)
September 28, 2011
Walk
Guess who didn't want to go on the walk?
Down to Golden for dinner!
The kids, Anita, & I went on a nice walk this morning. Although Henry really didn't want to go along and wanted to go home once we got to our destination, he was briefly distracted by some fun rocks along the way. The girls had a great time, however, and we all enjoyed being in the cooler Colorado temperatures.
September 27, 2011
Cuckoo, Cuckoo!
Dipping leaves in wax with Nana
We stopped at Opa's house on the way to Anita & Brian's because Henry just loves cuckoo clocks. (He got interested in them because of Richard Scarry's "The Best Mistake Ever" book.) Opa gave us a little cuckoo clock to take home, too.
Another note about today is that Anna started talking to Opa! We were all surprised and pleased.
September 25, 2011
Colorado: Day 2
Pulling the airplane out of the hangar.
Henry was not interested in checking out the plane.
She wanted a picture of her on the plane but did not want to go up in the air.
Brave Sarah wanted to go for a ride in Grandpa's plane!
Now Craig has the camera and we (grandma, Anna, Henry, & I are all back in the hangar.
Sarah was quiet and nervous the whole time.
They solved the corn maze!
Back on the ground we are checking out the Tiger.
Craig wanted to drive my dad's truck back home.
Cousin-time.
September 24, 2011
Colorado!
Henry was pretty excited by all the airplanes at the airport and then thought he was pretty cool on the airplane!
Wow! We can actually play outside here!!
Raspberry picking!
Slackline-fun.
Having fun with the extensive vehicle collection.
September 20, 2011
Outside?
We have had a couple of mornings here and there where it has been pleasant enough to spend a little time outside before it gets hot again. Hopefully fall will come soon!
September 14, 2011
Real First Day
Henry had his real first day of school today. He did fantastic! He was also incredibly tired at the end of the day. I am so happy about how this school and the teachers seem to fit him. It was also really strange for me to not have him freak out like the girls did on their first days of school at this age. He didn't even care to say to goodbye to me!
September 7, 2011
Early Intervention
We took Henry's "first day of school" pictures today just in case his appointment was finished in time for him to go.
Henry had his Early Intervention appointment today and although I suspected that he didn't really need it anymore, I figured we had to do a bit of work to get the appointment so we should keep it and see what they say. Basically he is at or above his level in all areas and they said his speech is at a normal stage considering he has only had a month on the Claritin and hearing (hopefully!) normally. I'm glad to know that we are on the right path with the Claritin helping us. The appointment did take so long though that we missed his first day of school so he will start next week instead.
September 5, 2011
Light & Playdough
The (incredibly ugly) ceiling fan above our kitchen table died a week or two ago so we got to get a nice new light. The kids had fun with Nana & playdough today.
September 4, 2011
Eco Taxi
Anita, the kids, & I took the Eco Taxi to lunch today. Craig met up with us after his group bike ride and drove us home. It was a fun way to get into town!
September 3, 2011
First Day of Soccer
Henry was not excited from the minute he put on shin guards and his soccer socks.
Henry was that kid who cried and had to leave early.
Sarah was excited from the time she put on her shin guards and soccer socks.
Sarah had wanted to play soccer long ago but chickened out last year when it was time to sign up. This year I saw that Henry could also do a soccer class at the rec center so I signed them both up (they are in separate classes) with the hope that if Henry did it, Sarah would be more interested. Henry hated his first class and Sarah loved it.
August 31, 2011
Henry's "Meet the Teacher"
Today Henry & I went to meet his new teachers and he was so comfortable in his classroom that he didn't want to leave after our 15 minutes were up! I was really feeling good about my choice for his school and then today his teachers kept telling me more things that made me think it is even more awesome than I had realized. I wonder why there wasn't a wait-list?! He is supposed to start next week but the Early Intervention meeting is next week so he'll have to start the week after.
August 30, 2011
Spelling
Sarah & Henry thought Anna's spelling assignment was pretty tasty. She was to write all of her spelling words in peanut butter.
August 25, 2011
Game Boy
Sarah & I had fun teaching Henry how to play "Keep-it-Steady" and "Animal Upon Animal" today.
Henry also had his follow-up with his regular doctor regarding his hearing/speech. He has added a ton of new words since he started Claritin. The current plan is to keep him on Claritin until his 3-year appointment and re-assess then. He also has an appointment with Early Intervention in two weeks.
August 18, 2011
Hearing Test
Henry had his hearing test this morning and there is nothing wrong with his hearing (yay!). She said there was not excess fluid on his ears now. I will add that since he has been on the Claritin he has started adding so many words! I am wondering if at some point we will try to determine what he is allergic to so he doesn't always have to be on Claritin. We have a follow-up appointment with his regular doctor next week.
August 17, 2011
The Tube
Sending cars down the tube from one of my rolls of photo background paper never ceases to be fun. It's too bad it always ends up with someone swinging the tube around so I have to put it away for extended periods of time!
August 16, 2011
Bicycle Gang
Sorry for the fog on the lens here: it is steamy at this time of year!
August 14, 2011
Marble Track
August 11, 2011
The Party Continues
August 10, 2011
Tea Partiers
Anna is calling me on the phone to invite me to the party.
Lovely hostess slicing the cake.
Handsome host slicing some fish.
"show me your happy face"
"show me your surprised face"
"show me your sad face"
The kids are all having so much fun playing together this summer. I am so sad that it is over next week!
August 6, 2011
Baby Shower
We all went to a baby shower for one of Craig's co-workers tonight. Henry was in heaven with all of the fun car toys they had there and the girls helped Craig build a boat for a boat-building competition (they did not win).
August 2, 2011
2 Year Exam
Henry had his 2 year exam today. I switched him to Anna & Sarah's new doctor because his old doctor, although "intact-friendly," was a little TOO granola/crunchy/laid-back for me. Here are his stats:
Height 36" (86th percentile)
Weight 30lbs 8oz (78th percentile)
Head circumference 19.5" (72nd percentile)
Now for the news of his appointment which is not surprising to me. I explained to her my concern about his language development and when she checked his ears she said he had more fluid than is normal and that it's possible that he has some allergies. She put him on Claritin for the next two weeks and we are to take him in to get a hearing test after two weeks. She also wants us to schedule a meeting with the Early Intervention people. I guess they come to your house for a couple of hours to assess if he knows what they think he "should" know and then we go from there. The doctor's concern was that he's not even making 2-word sentences yet and most of his words sound the same and they're words that only the family understands. I know he is hearing something because he can follow multiple-step commands, but he is not mimicking our speech which is probably due to the excess fluid. Let's hope this is an easy-to-resolve problem!
School Shopping
I decided at the last minute to look into sending Henry to preschool for one or two days this fall. Last year went well with the babysitter coming to our house so I could volunteer, but I thought maybe Henry should meet some other kids his age. He does so well at the Y child-watch (better than his sisters!), that it is worth a shot. We checked out one school yesterday which was pretty good, but the school we checked out today really spoke to me and felt like a good place to have Henry spend three hours per week. I would have sent him to Sarah's preschool but her school starts at 3 years so he'll have to wait until next year to go there if we love that place.
July 29, 2011
Napping Game
Henry just loves to play "naptime." Sometimes he pretends to snore, too.
July 25, 2011
Galveston: Day 2
No, group pictures are still too boring!
We didn't write this but we feel the same way!
After two days we are all a bit beached out (some of us more-so than others). It's a good thing we're going back home tomorrow!
July 24, 2011
Galveston: Day 1 (Henry's 2nd Birthday)
See, my mom really is here with us!
That little speck in the sky between the building and the right side of the frame is Craig's kite.
Hi, Craig!
A group picture was way too boring.
He still definitely needs his afternoon nap (which he didn't get much of today--sorry, Henry!).
Obviously the kids loved the beach today! The hotel is perfect (once we got checked in): we had a separate bedroom for the kids to share, my mom slept on the bottom of a bunk bed in the hall, and Craig & I slept on the pull-out sleeper.
July 23, 2011
Happy Second Birthday, Henry! (it's tomorrow)
I honestly don't know who is the most excited about Henry's presents here!
Getting down to business!
He needed a new one because the old one fell apart. He seriously follows me around the entire time I'm vacuuming. The girls were never this dedicated!
The big hit of the day.
I bought a variety of cupcakes from Gigi's this year. I didn't need 30 cupcakes for 6 people!
Mr. Neat prefers to use a fork!
He really is super excited about his new vacuum cleaner!
The girls (that's including me) couldn't take it any more and we gave Henry his birthday presents this morning (we were trying to wait until this afternoon at least!). We are going to Galveston tomorrow so it made more sense to do it at home today than to bring everything with us.
Henry is TWO! I can hardly believe it, and of course, it feels like just days ago that he was born in that little clinic in Korea and the nurse said, "it's a prince!" Henry is a bit of a late bloomer on things (walking & talking to be specific) but he is a really great mix of daring and cautious, social and reserved. He has had so much fun with his sisters this summer, I honestly don't know what we'll do this fall when it's just the two of us again!
I can't wait to see what the next year will bring, my little Henry Lawrence!
July 22, 2011
I'd love to stay and paint but I really mustache...
She has no clue about the paint mustache.
Still no clue.
Not to be out-done by big sister, Sarah, Henry is playing with a flashlight with his sunglasses on.
July 21, 2011
I Wear My Sunglasses at night Upside Down
July 20, 2011
Grandma & Grandpa
Henry really liked having Grandpa here to play trucks with.
Grandpa drove the kids bonkers with his freestyle-reading of The Giant Jam Sandwich.
The girls had fun playing Rush-Hour with Grandma & Grandpa before bedtime.
July 18, 2011
Too Cool
Henry always wants his shirt off when he eats. Sometimes he prefers to just keep it off after that unless we go outside. Here, he's also found a pair of awesome sunglasses to complete his look.
Anna is spending a lot of time with the iPod lately but she always wants us all to know just what she's listening to!
July 12, 2011
Sous Chef
The instant Henry suspects I might be preparing a meal or snack he is there with a chair and ready to go. He wants to help but also wants to "taste?"
July 8, 2011
Shuttle Launch
Henry loved watching the NASA shuttle launch today (the girls did, too). As soon as he saw the shuttle on TV, he ripped off the car shirt he was wearing and demanded his rocket ship shirt instead. He kept saying "blast off!" and we watched it several times without wearing out the excitement.
July 7, 2011
Dancers & Musicians
An orderly collection of fallen pine cones.
I wish I had made a video of this because Sarah's dance was so good. Anna's harmonica playing and the jingle bells around Sarah's ankle really spoke to her. It was also fantastic to have such a cool afternoon that we could actually be outside and not sweat to death from the heat and humidity!
July 6, 2011
Hanging Out
Henry played at putting the little Orange Blossom doll to bed for the longest time.
And then he played that he was sleeping in Sarah's bed (which he not-so-secretly wants for himself!).
Hug.
Kiss.
I'm not sure who he is calling, but it was a good conversation!
He's saying "shhhhhhhh."
Okay, so he got a little grumpy with the camera.
On to Sarah, she was ready for a few pictures.
Sarah with Fannie, the longhorn, that she loves dearly.
Anna was grumpy about something and Sarah went to console her.
Henry's "baby."
Anna refused to cooperate with me today.
Sarah and her second favorite animal, "Big Brown Bunny."
All of Sarah's "favorite" animals (and Henry's baby).
Anna's favorite animals.
July 4, 2011
Fourth of July
We ran into Sean and his mom on the way to the parade so we sat together. Good thing, too, because Sean was a candy-magnet!
Henry loved all the different cars in the parade.
"George Bush"
We were hot again this year but didn't have any temporary tattoos to sweat off like last year.
I took the kids to the parade by myself this year since Craig is doing a bike ride called "Burn Your Buns." I drove to the parade instead of walking so that we could hopefully see the parade and then drive over to see Craig finish his ride.
July 2, 2011
Mr. T(ea)
These ladies were not interested in the tea party as they had way too many other fun things going on in other parts of the house.
June 27, 2011
Pool
June 23, 2011
Puddle Stomping
June 20, 2011
New Orleans Day 4: Oak Alley Plantation
Henry had a case of the lazies and didn't want to walk.
Waiting for the boys to catch up.
Henry tried to run back to the car so Craig secured him up on his shoulders.
Henry is looking up at me like I am the most awesome person to ever walk the earth (this is how he acts, too) I must remember this when he's 15 and wants nothing to do with me!
Henry reminds me of my uncle Neil in this picture.
This was my first and last mint julep!
Henry wasn't in the mood to tour a plantation today so he & I stayed outside while the rest of the tour group went upstairs to check out the house. I can tell he is tired of vacationing so it's good we are heading home tomorrow.
June 19, 2011
New Orleans Day 3: Aquarium & Street Musicians
Sarah wasn't sure what to think of the bird inside Cafe Beignet this morning. (Much better beignets here than Cafe du Monde!)
I much prefer Sarah's fake smile to her uncooperative look!
After a sweaty walk, we went back to the hotel to cool off while we waited for the aquarium to open.
At the aquarium! Anna is copying Sarah's old "happy face" that she used to do.
Henry shaking maracas with the street musicians. I've got video that I will post (have tagged this entry with "video" to help me remember. Just getting caught up on the blog now, videos will have to come later). The girls were resting at the hotel with Craig. They had gone out to walk around and to an IMAX show while Henry napped.
After dinner we came back to watch some more musicians.
The girls wanted to be street musicians like Henry had been so we went back to the first group (who had gotten drowned out by the louder brass band).
June 18, 2011
New Orleans Day 2: Street Car to Lafayette Cemetery
The girls wanted to pick up all of the beads they found along the street car line.
She found this flower on the walk from the street car to the cemetery.
Henry passed out instantly for his nap this afternoon!
New Orleans Day 2: Cafe du Monde
We walked down to Cafe du Monde for breakfast this morning. The beignets were served warm, not hot, which was nice for the kids, I guess, but they weren't that great. We will try another place tomorrow. I think the best part was that we got a seat in the air-conditioned part of the restaurant. Henry was particularly grumpy so his missed nap yesterday must be catching up with him.
June 17, 2011
New Orleans Day 1
Writing & sticker art on the six-hour drive (a very good distance).
Settling in with a good book.
The second-half driver.
We had fun reading and driving cars.
Near the Louisana border we started to see swamps and bayous.
We went to the Insectarium after we checked in. It was crawling with creepy critters. (I tried to not act too scared but I'm sure I didn't fool anyone!) Henry & Sarah were a little freaked out by this alligator (fake, of course!) at first.
Colorful & pretty displays (I'm slightly less creeped out when they're not alive and there is a layer of glass between me and them!)
Henry checking out the "circus."
This poor kid missed his nap and refused to ride in the stroller. He was pretty hot & tired.
The kids were great on the car-ride over to New Orleans. Six hours is a nice, short trip for our family. Henry took a little nap in the car but really needs a longer one. We missed his window by the time we got to the hotel and he really did OK without his nap. We'll see what tomorrow brings. He fell asleep right away tonight! Our hotel seems to be in a good location and it was fun walking around town this afternoon (hot & humid just like home but we'll survive). The kids are all excited for beignets and the street car tomorrow.
June 16, 2011
Pool-side
The girls had their last swimming lessons today and they are doing fantastic in the water! We have all been going to the public pool after their lessons this week, but I'm not sure how often I'll do it after today since all Henry wanted to do today was run away from me so we didn't stay long.
June 15, 2011
Idea-Man
Two more Henry-ideas that the girls had to join in once they saw how much fun he was having. This summer has been much more fun so far with the three kids (last year Henry was just a little too little to really play with the girls).
June 14, 2011
Reading & Ghosts
Anna is always trying to find a cozy spot to read her books. Here, she tried to make it private, too, but that (of course) only attracted her sister & brother more.
Henry decided to be "the ghost of Henry" and the girls immediately needed to join in.
June 13, 2011
Narcoleptic
Henry keeps "falling asleep" during mealtimes and playtime. Sometimes he "snores," too.
June 11, 2011
Saturday
Henry was dancing, too, but here he had decided to be part of the audience.
Sarah getting some time to herself.
These two are really having fun together this summer! Here we have built a Museum of Natural Science.
June 4, 2011
Anna & Henry
June 3, 2011
Blueberry Picking
Anna & Henry are really having fun together now that she is home from school.
We went a little early in the week to get our blueberries but I didn't think we'd find the time again later on so we went for it. Henry got hot and grumpy after 30 minutes or so and we didn't get very much but enough to make cobbler and have a bunch left over, too. I don't know why there isn't a picture of grandma here since she was with us!
May 23, 2011
Mr. Fix It
Henry ran to get his toy screwdriver when he saw me get my real one out.
May 13, 2011
Book Fair
Sarah set up a book fair this afternoon then Sarah & Henry filled up their shopping bags with good books after Anna the cashier scanned each one. Then we re-stocked the hearth and did it all over again!
May 8, 2011
Fairy Houses & RC Car
The girls had fun painting their fairy houses from Corrine.
Anna & Henry love the RC car Anna chose for Sarah for her birthday—it is fun to see these two playing together.
May 2, 2011
Reading
Henry asked Anna to read to him and she happily complied.
April 29, 2011
Sickness, Royal Wedding
Henry with his baby that now never leaves his side.
Henry & Sarah were running circles around me.
Sarah started jumping and dancing.
Then she decided to become Kate Middleton (note the ring).
Lovely veil.
Anna woke up feeling sick this morning so she stayed home. I knew it was serious when Sarah, Henry, & I saw a mom & four baby raccoons run across our neighbor's yard and Anna couldn't get up from the couch to come see the mom chase after one of the babies who climbed on the neighbor's roof and got "stuck." She had to climb up, wrestle him, and then carried him back down the tree in her mouth. I really felt a connection to that poor raccoon mother!
We did watch a bit of the wedding since Anna was stuck on the couch anyway. I think she was a bit jealous that Sarah was playing "Kate Middleton" upstairs. Henry seemed to also get the same sickness Anna had and almost fell asleep at the table while I prepared his lunch! Poor little guy! Sarah was sick earlier in the week so hopefully this moves though them as fast as it did for her.
April 27, 2011
Strollers & Baby
Henry just loved pushing his baby around in this stroller today.
It's a good thing I bought two so Sarah could push Fannie around, too!
He has been playing "nap time" a lot lately. Now he has a little friend to join him. (He actually got his baby for his birthday last year but I guess he didn't feel a connection with him until today.)
Hopefully one of them will share a stroller with Anna when she gets home from school.
April 26, 2011
Dragon
I bought this hanbok for Henry with the intention of cutting out the dragon medallion and framing it. For some reason I felt compelled to get a photo of him in it before I took the dragon off. You can see what he thought of that!
April 24, 2011
The Hunt
April 23, 2011
Egg Coloring
The kids had fun coloring eggs this afternoon. Henry was about as graceful as Anna & Sarah were at his age. Although he did not crack any eggs during the coloring process, he did have to be removed from the table early.
April 18, 2011
Train
The couches are the sleeper cars. Sarah is the engineer way up front on the ottoman.
April 16, 2011
Saturday
I guess I wasn't getting him out to the pool fast enough. Poor little guy.
Notice how Henry has draped himself across Anna to watch Cars.
April 8, 2011
Water Table & Movie Night
It has been in the 90s so it was time to get the water table out! We also need new swimsuits as the ones from last year are a bit tight.
Sarah got her hair trimmed last night. This was a compromise length as she wanted it up to her ears and I didn't want to cut it!
Anna didn't want to come out for a while but finally realized she was missing out on all the fun.
Anna also got her hair cut and it is super cute but don't tell her that because she doesn't like the attention.
Henry's first time watching Cars.
Henry doesn't like popcorn and when he saw I was making it, he went to the pantry to get a snack trap and was pleased when I filled it with Cheerios.
Since it feels like summer here we decided to do Friday Night at the Movies with Henry now that he's getting so mature and can probably handle 30 minutes of TV each week. The girls were excited because they usually only get to watch TV on Saturday and Sunday afternoon while Henry naps.
April 6, 2011
The Long Wait
I found a pair of pajamas for Henry that have a crane on it and one of the sleeves is the crane part. He was pretty mad when I put them in the washer. Once he calmed down, he got excited when they tumbled past. Thankfully I was able to get them into the dryer without him noticing (I feared another freak out!). I let him get into his pajamas earlier than usual tonight!
April 5, 2011
CSA Salad #1
Henry made this nice stack while I got the salad ready.
We had our first CSA pickup tonight! Our pickup location is at the church right down the street from us which is super convenient. I don't think there's any way we're going to get through all of this on our own though. We will have many, many salads this week!
April 2, 2011
Saturday
Some of our knockout roses.
Some cute little flowers that are growing in our backyard.
Mr. Neat: Henry always asks for a napkin at mealtime and he wants it on his lap when he gets it!
His first time brush painting. This was a much better experience for him than finger painting!
March 30, 2011
Stickers
Henry is in the pile-the-stickers-on-top-of-each-other stage.
Sarah is making a border and is making the art for Henry.
Anna is making a pattern on the origami paper.
Henry is a little more interested in stickers than coloring but he only really wants to sticker with vehicle stickers so it's kind of hard to keep up the supply. I am looking forward to the day he can peel his own stickers off of the sheet.
March 25, 2011
Park
I thought it was so sweet that Anna & Sarah were sticking with Henry.
And then Sarah took off.
And then Anna was gone. Henry did his best to keep up!
Bluebonnet Afternoon
Can you guess who didn't want to be there?
This was the second time he got up to leave.
So we all joined him. Off to the park!
I know I should edit these down more but I'm at a point where I've just got to post what I've got! Also, I did not dress the girls in matching shirts, they chose to do that themselves (this is in case they ask me later "why did you always dress us in matching clothes?!"). I try to buy different colors of the same shirt sometimes but inevitably they are jealous of the other person's shirt so sometimes it's just better to go with it. And Anna feels very strongly that knee-highs should be worn with capris no matter how many times I tell her she's missing the whole point of capris.
Pinkalicious Morning
A stick of pink sidewalk chalk got crushed on the driveway so Sarah made her hands "pinkalicious!"
Henry got in on it, too.
I got him to show me his hand by saying "Stop!" which he always does with this hand motion that he saw in one of his books.
He is always safety-minded.
She is really resistant to learn on her balance bike. She is trying more since I described it as a "scooter with a seat" though.
He loves this little weather radio.
He got mad when I put the pillow down for him to rest his head on.
March 24, 2011
Henry at 20 Months
Just a few notes on Henry now that he is twenty months old:
- he wants a napkin when he eats. If he doesn't have one and he gets something on his hands, he asks for one.
- he very often will take a toy from a drawer or box, check it out for a bit, and then put it back. This happens with only the more novel "toys" that he gets from the kitchen drawer (like flashlights, for example) but it does happen with other stuff, too.
- he is adding more and more verbal words but nothing anyone else would understand and there are many frustrating situations because of this.
- he understands a lot, however, so I am not worried about his hearing. One day Anna asked for bubbles outside and I told her, "go in the laundry room and on the shelf above the cat's stuff is the package with bubbles." Anna didn't go but Henry opened the door and went exactly where I described.
- he is starting to walk when we are out and about more and is doing really well holding my hand.
- he likes to climb in the van through Anna & Sarah's door and make his way to his seat rather than have me lift him into his side.
- he is learning to sit on the bench or a chair at a restaurant instead of the high chair and is doing really well.
- he knows his body parts and will point to them whenever you mention them.
- his favorite books are One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and anything about trucks or trains.
March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day Train Ride & Museum Trip
We parked downtown and took the light rail to the Health Museum today. The train was a big hit with everyone but I think the highlight of the day was when we got to the museum we passed a group of 8-10 people with ages ranging from adult to toddlers and they saw that we were all wearing green shirts for St. Patrick's Day. Immediately they all looked each other over and saw that not one of them was wearing a drop of green and they started pinching each other (the toddlers were spared). The Health Museum was OK. It really feels like it should just be a part of the Museum of Natural Science or even the Children's Museum rather than its own museum but we did have fun checking it out.
When we got home the girls went 4-leaf-clover hunting and Anna found another one! (Anna found one last Monday as well—she is one lucky kid!)
March 14, 2011
IHOP
Anna asked to got o IHOP for her birthday after she saw someone there a few weeks ago get a giant ice cream sundae. She was thrilled when the waiters came to sing to her (we all thought she'd hate that). Sarah & Henry were happy to help her with the sundae!
March 12, 2011
Rodeo
Imagine how excited we all were when we saw a cow named Fannie! (Sarah's stuffed longhorn's name is Fannie.)
We all had a fun time at the rodeo. I'm not sure why there isn't a picture of my mother since she was there with us. I have a picture I need to scan of me, Sarah, & Henry with a longhorn, too.
March 8, 2011
Backpack
Henry thought he was pretty cool with this orange backpack on this morning. Every once in a while he'd turn to wave goodbye to me and walk away. But he always came back about three seconds later.
March 5, 2011
School Carnival
Anna wanted to go to Candyland first. Both girls got to pick out a cupcake at the end.
Craig & Henry went to the petting zoo while the girls were beading.
The girls waited in a very long line for this!
Can you tell if Henry liked the giant slide or not?
We rested for a few hours after the birthday party and then went over to the school carnival to have even more fun!
March 4, 2011
BOY
I came from the kitchen to the family room to find Henry launching Polly Pockets off of the back of the couch. I have no idea how this kid knows how to be a little boy so well. Also, if he sees a Barbie doll he will pick it up and try to rip her legs off. I'm still hoping to make a gentleman out of him though!
March 3, 2011
Puddle Stompers
February 26, 2011
Trucks!
Henry didn't have time for pictures: he had to check out the fire truck!
And he did not want to wear that hat!
I don't know what he's doing here but he has been doing it a bit lately.
Anna was super excited to show Sarah the school bus.
Anna just pulled the cord to honk the trucks horn and it was LOUD!
The girls wanted to play on the playground after they checked out the trucks.
Henry came to the playground for a bit but then couldn't keep himself away from the trucks.
That's Craig climbing across the playground toward the middle of the picture.
Henry just wanted to admire the trucks again.
We went to the Touch a Truck day at the park. The girls complained because princesses (Anna) and dinosaurs (Sarah) are so much better than boring old trucks but they actually enjoyed it once we go there (although they might not admit that if you ask them about it).
February 20, 2011
Train
She thought it was pretty cool that her shirt was the same color as the door.
We went for lunch near the train track today. The girls acted like they didn't want to go but they thought it was pretty cool (and LOUD) every time the train passed! Henry thought it was super cool, of course!
February 17, 2011
Leaf Confetti
The kids had a ton of fun doing leaf confetti this afternoon. It's too bad I don't have a leaf rake but this one got the job done, too.
February 12, 2011
Valentine
Henry loved this construction site valentine from Grandma & Grandpa!
February 10, 2011
Lego Mania
Henry is obsessed with the Legos lately and I love it because it's something all three kids can do together.
Tap & Ballet
Sarah seems to really enjoy her tap & ballet class and Henry is having fun playing with the toys there and one of the other little brothers who has to wait around outside for his sister to dance.
February 8, 2011
Goodbye House
The kids were sad that the cardboard house finally fell apart (I was surprised it lasted as long as it did!) but you can see they've got a blanket fort in the background so they were easily distracted.
February 6, 2011
Football & Legos
The girls thought snacking while watching TV was the best idea ever although I don't think they truly enjoyed the football game. Henry made his first Lego train engine during the game. I was surprised when I looked down and saw what he built!
February 1, 2011
Ground Hog Day Preview
"Where did it go?"
Henry discovered his shadow on the wall today and played the "were did it go?" game he loves to play so much. This game consists of Henry "hiding" something (usually he sticks it under his legs when he's sitting down, for example) and then putting his hands up and saying, "guh? guh?"
Germ Tree
I took Henry to the "Germ Tree" at the mall this morning. I remember taking Anna here when she was pretty young and having to do everything with her and convince her to go through a tunnel, etc. I unstrapped Henry from the stroller and he was gone. Something in between super-clingy Anna & Sarah and Mr. Independent would be nice!
January 27, 2011
Ballet & Tap
Sarah had her first tap & ballet class this morning. This went much better than the mommy & me class we tried this fall. She participated and seemed to have fun! Henry & I played with the other moms & brothers in the gym while Sarah had her class.
January 23, 2011
Uh-oh
The girls have for months been eating their pretzels in this way: stick a finger through one of the holes and say, "uh-oh, oh-oh, bite" and then take a bite. Repeat and repeat some more. Henry has now started in on it. He sounds more like, "uh, uh, uh" and then he takes a bite. (Actually, almost everything he says sounds like "uh, uh, uh.")
January 22, 2011
Arbor Day Festival
I stood in line for our baby trees while Craig took the kids to the bouncy rooms. The girls were having too much fun in the bouncy rooms to join Henry on a pony ride and in the petting zoo. The girls loved their balloons but Henry was only mildly interested in his cat balloon. Anna's popped in the car on the way home and it was the worst thing that has happened in her entire life. Sarah was sweet and shared her balloon with Anna once we were home so that helped to soften the blow a bit. Anna & Sarah helped me plant the trees along the back fence while Henry napped & Craig went for a bike ride.
January 21, 2011
Fountains
Coloring & Stacking
I think Henry spent more time stacking the crayons than coloring. He also spent a few seconds trying to eat the crayons which, unfortunately, meant that his time at the table with crayons was over.
January 20, 2011
Children's Museum
Henry reluctantly checked out the grocery store first although he had his sights on the firetruck from the moment we walked in.
Although less busy than the one downtown, this store wasn't really as well stocked and the register wasn't as fun.
This is what he wanted to check out!
Sarah got her fire-fighting gear on first.
Now Henry is dressed up, too!
Henry was in heaven here. The "dirt" is bits of tires.
This was fun until "too many" kids came by for Sarah's liking. Henry, on the other hand, was hanging out with other moms & kids like he'd known them for years.
Water is always a hit.
Experimenting with wind and sails.
I took Sarah & Henry to the local children's museum this morning and it was just their speed. Not quite as busy (although it was rainy today so we were not alone for long!).
January 19, 2011
Mr. Clean
If I can only convince him to do this under his seat after he eats we will be in business!
January 17, 2011
Painting Pottery
We were going to meet some friends on the other side of town to paint pottery but when we got there the studio didn't open for another hour and a half and that timing was not going to work with Henry's napping schedule (I had tried to get a sitter for him but couldn't) so we ended up going on our own to one right by our house. The girls had fun and Henry & I attempted to paint a dump truck together. He got a few strokes in and then I mostly painted one-handed while holding him on my hip trying to keep him away from the shelves and shelves of irresistible pottery. Lucky for me the girls were quick painters today but I promised them another trip without Henry in the near future, too.
January 15, 2011
Children's Museum
Craig is having a very hard time here waiting for his turn with the wave machine.
All three kids were in there together but I was slow with the camera.
We all had fun at the Children's Museum downtown today but it was a bit too crowded for our taste. It was geared more toward Anna's age and up although there were still many things that Sarah & Henry enjoyed. We will definitely go back but we'll wait a while before we do.
January 14, 2011
Finger Painting
Henry was not into finger painting. He wasn't even into eating it. He pretty much just pushed the paper and paints away and wanted nothing more to do with the whole scene.
January 13, 2011
Thursday
Henry is thrilled with his trucks coloring book.
Anna is performing on the step-down. Henry has just fallen from spinning. I don't know what has happened to Sarah!
Now Sarah is in on the performance. Sometimes Henry goes up and spins and dances with them now, too.
January 12, 2011
Wednesday Afternoon
Beading mania continues!
Watching the bread rise.
Anna is pretending to be "really rich."
Henry does a good job sitting in his chair reading or playing with toys while I prepare dinner. If he is on the loose he will climb on the chairs & table and get into all sorts of trouble.
Sarah got in on being rich, too.
Henry's sunglasses were in the car but he seemed happy with these so he could be rich, too.
Fire Truck
Henry & I have gone to story time at the library the last two weeks and this week there was a bit of a funny smell as we left. Henry was thrilled and we hung out checking it out for a while. (I'm pretty sure there was no fire as they did not evacuate the building!)
January 9, 2011
The Difference a Year Makes
I was hoping that I had a portrait of the girls from last January, but we did those in February, apparently. Still, I'm going to show you Henry in January 2010 to compare with Henry in January 2011. I'll see if I can get portraits again next month for a comparison with the girls, too.
17 January 2010
9 January 2011
Portraits
The kids were not super in to getting their portraits done today and I didn't get one of the three of them together. Another time!
January 4, 2011
Sweater
I like this sweater so much because it reminds me of my friend Ashild from Norway. She handed down some nice boys clothes to me before she went back to Norway and before Henry was born. I am glad some of the things have fit in the right season!
Running Partner
My view when I'm running with Henry in the jogging stroller.
Henry makes a pretty good running partner. He snacks and reads his book, comments on dogs or cars, rarely complains, and sometimes falls asleep.
December 31, 2010
New Year's Eve Party
Lots of shots of Henry because I can't get over how cute he is in his tie! The TV in the background is playing our party music.
We each had a skewer with 12 grapes (Henry had blueberries) to represent each month of the year. Some months in 2011 will be sweet and others might be sour!
She didn't want me to take her picture so she's saying, "Nooooo!"
v
Anna & Sarah wanted to do "the exact same thing we did last year!" for our New Year's party. So we had a dress-up hors d'ouevres party again. This year was more fun though because Henry got to more actively participate in the fun. The kids loved their champagne glasses, the balloons, and the confetti. They weren't happy when we started vacuuming up the confetti but then we had fun making "balloon confetti." I love these kids!
Oatmeal
Henry can now feed himself oatmeal! It is still a messy process but he loves using his spoon and fork at mealtimes.
December 30, 2010
Zoo
We had a great visit to the zoo this morning. Henry definitely "got" the animals this time. The monkeys were active and noisy, we got to watch the leopard and panther eating their meat, and we even got to hear and see the male lion roar. Very fun!
December 29, 2010
Art Time
Henry is signing "hot" because the dough was still warm here.
December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
I don't know how Sarah fell asleep last night because she was so super duper excited about Santa coming in the night! Sarah is the early-bird in our family but Anna was the first up. Their alarm clocks glow green when it's "OK" to get up in the morning. Sarah's glows at 6:20 and Anna's glows at 6:40 (Sarah would be up much earlier many days without that 6:20 time so it's a compromise time. Anna's is at 6:40 because that's what time she needs to be up when she takes the bus to school although she'd sleep until 7:30-8 if she was allowed.) Back to the story! Anna woke up first and saw that Sarah's alarm wasn't green yet so she waited in Sarah's room with her. It's not clear where she waited if it was in bed with Sarah or on the floor with the animal bag. At 6:20 they both came downstairs to get us (even though we told them they could get their stockings and anything Santa might have left on the hearth without us). They were excited about their Santa gifts although I know there was some disappointment on Anna's part that she didn't get a star that walks or real magic. (They got chocolates, stationery stuff, and a walking dinosaur for Sarah and a purple unicorn for Anna; Henry got chocolates, a few car books, and a wooden car; Craig & I got chocolates.) Henry woke up relatively early for him since the girls were probably a bit noisy! He got his stocking, we had breakfast, and then the gift un-wrapping began. Henry was, of course, surprised by the whole situation and loved it all.
December 19, 2010
Quick Visit
Grandma & Grandpa came in today to see Anna's Nutcracker performance. The kids were super excited to have them here even though it was too short of a visit! Anna was thrilled that they came to see her and Henry enjoyed having someone else to discuss trucks and trains with. My dad & Craig knocked down the ugly shade thing we had in our back yard, too, which was the highlight for me! Sarah thought it was pretty cool when she said, "I can see Nana in my head" to my dad as he was unbuckling her from her carseat and then we all said that we could all see Nana in our heads now!
December 18, 2010
Gingerbread Saturday
Sarah's side.
Anna's side.
We assembled a gingerbread house and make gingerbread cookies today. The girls had a ton of fun cutting out cookies and decorating the house and the cookies. Henry wanted to eat every single gumdrop off of the house!
December 17, 2010
Another School Party
Sarah, Henry, & I stopped at Anna's school party today. I think Sarah was a little overwhelmed and Henry, again, wanted to get his hands on everything in the classroom. Everyone is very excited for winter break to start!
December 16, 2010
School Party / Decorations
Sarah, Henry, & I went to Sarah's school party today. Sarah didn't want to go at first but ended up having a good time in the end. Henry had fun, too, but I was glad when they said we could play outside on the playground because he was trying to check out all of the things in the room that he doesn't normally have time to investigate when we drop of Sarah in the mornings.
December 9, 2010
Finally Fall
This boy goes to Anna's school and his dad is working on a project with our neighbor so he's been coming over to play dome afternoons. Anna has started talking to him a little bit but mostly just in front of him.
This is Sarah.
The kids are having a ton of fun in the afternoons now that the weather is so nice.
December 6, 2010
Forward
Henry is now facing forward in the car!
Henry & Sarah loved driving this car-cart at the store close to Anna's ballet today. The ones at our regular store are slightly different and they love those, too.
December 2, 2010
Tea & Zamp
We had tea on Thursday today with our vanilla pretzels and some store-bought treats. The girls loved Zamp's hiding place today (he is the "Elf on the Shelf" we got last year). Henry doesn't really care about Zamp or the Christmas tree which is fine by me!
Fall Weather
November 29, 2010
Tasters
Sarah and Henry like to get a sample to taste when we stop at Great Harvest during Anna's ballet class.
November 28, 2010
Home Again!
The kids did awesome again on the drive home. We listened to "The Cinnamon Bear," the girls colored, and Henry watched for trains and big trucks. We only hit traffic about thirty minutes from home and we were in that for about thirty minutes. We all started getting impatient at that point!
The minute we walked in the door, the girls wanted to start decorating for Christmas and I figured that they deserved that after such a long drive. You can see in the picture above that Anna & Sarah have major knots in their hair from the drive. We were all happy to get home again. I hope jumping back into the regular routine tomorrow isn't too tough!
November 27, 2010
Driving Back
Henry is thrilled every time we see a train or big truck or construction equipment! The girls are enjoying The Cinnamon Bear radio show and coloring. We all can't wait to get back to our house tomorrow!
November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving & 34
November 24, 2010
Moon
I know I've forgotten to add some words (sorry, Henry!) but one of the cutest words Henry says is "moon" because he looks at the moon very excitedly and wants me to say "I see the moon and the moon sees me; God bless the moon and God bless me." When I say that he gets the biggest smile on his face. So I say it about 15 or 20 times again.
We have a poster just outside his bedroom door that he also loves when I read it (most times when we leave his room) that is from Arnold Lobel and reads: "Books to the ceiling, books to the sky, my piles of books are a mile high. How I love them, how I need them, I'll have a long beard by the time I read them."
Spoken Words: Anna, bird, elephant, Dada, car, balloon, ball, moon, truck, boat, eye
Signed Words: waves goodbye, cat, drink, fan, light, all-done, car, phone, bird, elephant, more, train, book, eat, monkey, hot, bear, dog, airplane
Sounds: moo, quack, elephant trumpeting, train whistle, car motoring
Grandma & Grandpa's House
Anna & Sarah got a tea party set up right away.
Henry is thrilled with the selection of vehicles to play with. The cousins are pretty good, too!
Owen's party
The kids had a ton of fun at Owen's party. Craig took the big kids on the big trampolines and I took Henry in a little bouncy room which he loved.
November 22, 2010
Nana & Papa's
November 21, 2010
Snow!
The kids spied a small patch of snow by Nana & Papa's house and just had to check it out!
Easy Drive
Sarah's turn to nap.
We had another easy drive today. We started by listening to some kids audiobooks which was a big hit. We made it up to Nana & Papa's by 1:30 thanks to the time difference and no traffic the entire trip!
November 20, 2010
Driving to Colorado
We got off to a good start this morning at 7:30 but Anna was still not 100% better (it seemed to come and go). She did end up napping a bit in the car and we stopped for the night in Dumas, Texas in order to get everyone to bed on time. Overall all three kids were really great. Henry was easier than during the trip to Minnesota because he did nap longer than 45 minutes the two times he fell asleep. He also really loves to read now so between books and all of the trucks and trains we passed, he was pretty easy! The girls did a lot of coloring and sticker art.
November 19, 2010
Delay
I love that all three kids were just hanging out reading books tonight.
We were supposed to start driving to Colorado this afternoon after Anna came home from school but instead she got sick at school this morning and although she as acting fine most of the day, she got sick again just before Craig came home and then fell asleep on the couch for about three hours. When she woke up she had a very hard time "getting" that it was still Friday and not Saturday already. We hope she feels much better in the morning and that we can get on the road by 7 or 7:30!
November 18, 2010
Acorn Hunters
His trunk is loaded up with acorns.
Anna's hands.
Sarah's hands.
Henry started adding to Sarah's stash while I was taking the previous picture.
Here he comes with an acorn for me (in his left hand).
Pausing to chat with Grandma on the phone.
Henry nabbed Anna's acorn-net while she was on the phone.
She had something "really important" to tell Grandma.
Signing "thank you" after he handed me an acorn.
Showing me the inside of the acorn.
Just a shot of the back of his little blonde head.
"Look at all of the acorns I have!"
Ready to go in and help me make dinner.
For the longest time the girls have been going on "acorn hunts" at the bus stop. This morning and this afternoon Henry joined in! He walked around and gathered acorns and brought them to me just like Anna & Sarah do. We had a ton of fun playing in the yard this afternoon again. We are loving this fall weather!
November 17, 2010
Wednesday
Sarah was proud of the headband she made in school and wanted to make sure I got a picture from behind.
He came across his helmet and had to have it on!
This set is him "throwing" the frisbee into the grass. If I threw it on the porch then he brought it back to the grass.
They both need to be on the grass.
His new shoes are grippy so he can now make it to the top of the slide (although he has to really work at the top).
I took it off of him and it wasn't clear at first whether or not that was OK with him.
We are enjoying the cooler weather (finally) in the afternoons. I hope this lasts a while.
November 14, 2010
Renaissance Festival
This was about the point when I wondered why I was volunteering to do this "with" Anna.
She doesn't look so sure in this picture but she had a blast!
Sarah wasn't brave enough to do the trampoline thing so we found a ride that she could do, too.
Henry was excited to see the elephant (and the camel).
The girls really did walk most of the time but they took a break when we got some pretzels and Henry took the opportunity to stretch his legs.
Because everything is better on a stick? Henry didn't like the sausage but he found some other things to eat!
The kids all had fun at the renaissance festival today. I made the mistake of going on a super spinny ride with all three kids and really had to concentrate on not losing my lunch! The girls thought it was super fun and I think Henry was just shocked by the whole experience.
November 9, 2010
Nupboards in the Cupboards
Henry was having so much fun playing in the cupboard that the girls just had to join in. Henry can actually stand in here. I love it when there is an activity that all three kids can do together and this one is great for dinner prep or clean-up!
November 7, 2010
Biking
Craig got his new bike and Anna's tandem attachment a couple of weeks ago so we have been trying to get out as much as we can. Today we rode into town for lunch and saw a car show on the way home. Henry was very impressed with the cars we saw.
November 5, 2010
Balloon Fun
I let Sarah drop the balloons from upstairs today under the explicit instruction that only today and only a balloon was OK. The rule we established when we moved in is that anything that goes over the edge gets thrown out and that has worked so far. Henry just loved bouncing the balloon around. I think I might have to give in and start using my flash inside the house, too. It's just too dark for quick-moving kids, unfortunately.
November 4, 2010
Book Fair
Henry fell asleep in the car on the way home from the zoo and then took another nap in his bed but he was up much earlier than usual so I brought Sarah & Henry over to Anna's school for the book fair. Henry freaked out when the librarian went to scan his new truck book. Lucky for everyone involved she was quick so he didn't have to freak out for long! It is so funny to me how he is so drawn to vehicles of any kind where the girls just weren't. Sarah was really excited about her new dinosaur book. Anna picked out a few princess books when she went on her own during school.
Zoo
The monkeys were fun to watch this morning.
He was getting tired.
I took Sarah & Henry to the zoo this morning and Henry really "got" it this time. He signed elephant and monkey and quacked at the ducks during lunch. Sarah walked the whole time and didn't complain until she fell on the way out and then suddenly her legs were tired, too. She pushed through and made it to the car and doesn't have to live at the zoo now. Thank goodness!
November 2, 2010
Autumn Project
Anna's running the tape and Sarah is holding the leaf in place.
Henry wasn't into the Autumn Project.
Anna & Sarah decided to work on an "Autumn Project" when they found this stick. They quickly came up with a plan to tape leaves onto the stick and they were thrilled when I told them I'd put the finished project up on the mantel as part of our fall decorations.
A bigger moment in the Autumn Project is that Anna talked with our neighbor for a time. I was in the kitchen doing dishes but listened in through the open window. Anna has never spoken to our neighbors so this was a pretty big deal! Later on, Anna came in and proudly told me that she talked to Kris. The girls also made Kris some acorn & tape sculptures which Kris took home with her.
Vampire Teeth
Henry refused to wear the vampire teeth when I tried them on him a few days ago (the pacifier shape is different than what he is used to, I suppose) but he found them today and checked them out for long enough to get a snapshot.
November 1, 2010
Upside Down
Henry just loves getting into this position. It is always good to get a different perspective on things!
October 31, 2010
Trick-or-Treat
Anna ended up getting sick just after the kids got their skunk costumes on and Henry really didn't like my witch costume. Craig stayed home with Anna & Henry and I took Sarah around for her first American trick-or-treating experience. I had to really coax her into going to each house. We went to maybe 10 houses and she still got a ton of candy. I think she was a little creeped out by being out in the "dark" and was feeling bad that Anna wasn't with us (they give each other confidence). Hopefully next year all three kids will make it out!
October 30, 2010
Birthday Party
One of the boys in Anna's class had a birthday party at the park today and the girls loved hanging out in their skunk costumes. I got to meet one of Anna's friend's mom and we talked about setting up a playdate with the girls. And that same friend has an older brother who was having a bit too much fun chasing Anna the Skunk around on the playground. Anna was having fun, too, but I could see Craig's mind fast-forwarding to the teenage years!
October 29, 2010
Fall Festival
Sarah's friend, Emma.
She was still nervous/hesitant to participate in the games.
Sarah with her teacher. She had previously agreed to get the photo but then got nervous when it came time to actually do it.
Sarah's school had a fall festival this afternoon. We brought some pumpkin cookies to share and I volunteered to help clean up. Sarah was thrilled that Craig came to her school party and he took the kids home when it was time for me to help clean it up!
Costumes
October 25, 2010
Signs
Henry added bear, dog, and airplane to his list of signs this past week. He still really isn't talking all that much (he is making noises but his list of spoken words is smaller than I think the girls was at this age) but he can definitely hear. When I tell the girls it's time to get their shoes, Henry will go sit on the bottom step and wait for me to bring his shoes to put on him! He will also toss his pacifier in his bed when I ask him to and go to his high chair when I ask him to do that. He is such a good little listener right now (so different from the girls who seem to have tuned out my voice entirely!).
Spoken Words: Anna, bird, elephant, Dada, car, balloon, ball
Signed Words: waves goodbye, cat, drink, fan, light, all-done, car, phone, bird, elephant, more, train, book, eat, monkey, hot, bear, dog, airplane
Three of Three
Henry loves the pumpkins!
Henry's pumpkin. Carved by me; template chosen by Sarah.
Anna's pumpkin already has a bit of mold growing in it.
October 24, 2010
Airport
Lunch. Henry was just as interested in the fuel truck as the airplanes. The girls were all about the planes.
Signing "airplane."
She just did this naturally after she sat next to him. She is so sweet.
I guess this is what she thinks I'm after when I take her picture!
Nice pant legs, Sarah!
The kids had a ton of fun at the airport this afternoon. It was just down the street from the pumpkin patch so we thought we try out the restaurant there (the sign says it is "worth landing for"). The food was fine but the airplanes were better! All of the kids definitely want to go back again.
Pumpkin Patch
I love this one. And Anna has super skinny legs!
The thing is that Sarah thinks it is funny when Henry does stuff like this.
Henry was enthralled with the pumpkins.
Anna chose this all-orange outfit so she would be "a big pumpkin."
Sarah fell on the way to the bus stop on Friday and scraped her philtrum.
Riding the "train."
One day he is going to have a major tongue injury with as much as he stick it out!
He often starts out crawling.
I set him up walking and now you can see how he goes with the following set of photos.
She had no idea how heavy they were until it was time to pick one out. She tried really hard to lift it!
Henry wanted a nice one with a long stem.
The kids had a blast at the pumpkin patch this morning. Thank goodness we went right when they opened because we were all getting much too warm by the time we left! It is still getting into the 90s which is very unfortunate.
October 22, 2010
Storybook Parade
Sleeping Beauty waiting for the bus in the morning.
He was starting to get tired here but also kind of wanted to stand on his head.
Anna is so sweet. I think she wanted to be Sleeping Beauty for the parade today was because her hanbok is pink and we didn't need to buy anything for the costume. Her favorite Disney Princess is actually Jasmine but she "doesn't like her outfit." Anyway I wasn't sure if she would fall asleep last night she was so excited that when she got on the bus everyone would see "a princess getting on the bus!" Sarah & Henry had fun watching the parade although Henry kept walking over to the little girls on either side of us to check out the food/toys that they brought along. I was so excited for him to be walking and happy that he never tried to venture off too far (or actually try to swipe someone else's stuff, for that matter!).
On a related topic, Anna calls the girls that have Disney Princess backpacks, "The Disney Girls."
October 21, 2010
Reading & Doorman
Please note the start of drool here.
Please note the major drool here.
Henry loves to play with the half-doors from the kitchen to the dining room. I knock on one side and say "who's there?" (I realize this doesn't make sense but it's how this game works) and then Henry opens the door all excited. Then shuts it really fast and starts over. The girls couldn't resist joining in when they heard how much fun we were having.
October 20, 2010
Sitter Success!
Henry really wants to join in the art-fun with Anna & Sarah so I let him check out the crayons today.
Also this morning I was able to volunteer in Anna's classroom because I think I've finally found someone to watch Henry each week! She is a former preschool teacher and is reliable. What more could I want? Henry seems to like her, too! He didn't want me to hand him to her but when we all sat down together he happily started chatting with Kerry and didn't seem bothered when I left and he was still happy when I came home!
It was so fun to go to Anna's class today. I noticed that she is mouthing words when the group is responding to the teacher. Every kid has a partner for their' "writer's workshop" so I sat with Anna & her partner when it was Anna's turn to share. She shared her story with me but I'm not sure her partner heard her. Next week I'll try to position myself so Makenna can hear her, too.
Several of Anna's friends came up to me and said that Anna doesn't talk at school. I responded by just telling them that she isn't ready yet but maybe she will later in the year. I hope she does but it's up to her entirely. She will talk to me (quietly) in front of the other kids but not to them or specifically so they will hear. I went to lunch with her, too, so I got to chat with her and the other kids then a bit more. Anna said a few things through me to the other kids at lunch. I'm super excited that I'll be able to go each week.
Anna also has a playdate set up for Saturday which we're hoping to do with a few of the girls from her class on a one-on-one basis to try to get her more comfortable with them individually in the hopes that she'll start talking to them outside of school and then maybe at school, too.
October 19, 2010
Shopping Cart
Henry has finally discovered the fun of walking with this shopping cart. He does best when I load it down with a few books but I guess he decided here that there were too many in his cart and they were slowing him down. It is so fun to finally see him working on this walking thing!
October 18, 2010
Two or Three
Henry was taking two and three steps at a time today. Go Henry!! It's fun to see how proud Sarah & Anna are of their little brother.
October 17, 2010
One Step
Henry has been taking one step between things a lot today! He knows he is doing it and I think this is the beginning of him learning to walk!
October 15, 2010
Softball & Bike Ride
Craig played softball for charity today with his work. Sarah, Henry, & I went down for the first game (the only one Craig's team won). When the kids & I got home I decided to bike them over to the bagel shop for lunch which went well except that some of the trails around here aren't marked well so I had to consult a really old map that I had in my bike bag several times. Henry was tired (he fell asleep in the trailer on the way there but sleep didn't come as easily for him in the way home) so he cried which caused Sarah to join in the fun. You can imagine me riding my bike through the trees with two crying kids in the back. It was somewhat comical and I did ride faster because of it! I took Craig's GPS watch so I know I went 14.4km round trip.
October 13, 2010
Two Skunks
Nice, awkward smile, Sarah!
Anna didn't want me to get a picture of her in her costume so I distracted them with Halloween grow-capsules.
The girls love their skunk costumes! I finished putting the ears on tonight. I am debating whether I should make one for Henry, too, since it was pretty easy and I have a ton of fur left. However, I did buy him a garden gnome costume from Target that he'd look pretty cute in. I also got him a pacifier that makes him look like he has vampire teeth. Maybe a vampire garden gnome??