Henry 1st Day of 4K

Today is the first day of 4K for my sweet Henry and we are all so excited for a great school year!

His teacher is Ms. Mandy and she is who we requested and he LOVES her.

Man Man starts Mothers Morning out next Tuesday so be on the lookout for more pics then:)

Stay COOL!

What is the best use of $16.99 that one Mama can spend?

A kiddie pool....redneck style!! In the front yard:)
We had Isaac and Simon over last week for a little fun in the sun at the "Earnst Pool".

These two are buds from school, but have been having a ball together this summer:)

"Engine"

Someone from the preschool sent Henry some of his old dress up clothes today and as you can imagine he is so excited. The child LOVES to dress up! So, i'm sitting in the living room and he comes out in this all black getup (see above). Here's how our conversation went:

Mom: "What kind of outfit is that buddy?"

Henry: "An engine. Not an engine turtle, just an engine."

Mom: "Huh?"

Henry: "You know. An ENGINE!" (he looks at me like i'm crazy and then it dawned on me that he meant NINJA! like NINJA turtles)

TOO MUCH!!! I, of course, did not correct him b/c these little "henryisms" are starting to become few and far between the older he gets. I want to hang onto these little "mis-speaks" as long as I can.

Do you ever go through periods of time with your children when you love them just a little bit more than usual? I know that sounds weird, b/c I always love my children more than I could ever describe. But sometimes when they are being super sweet and extra cute you just love them a little bit more. Well, this is one of those times with Henry. He is "running on all cylinders" right now. Using his sweet manners, cuddling me up without asking, doing as he's told without arguing, etc. I could eat him up!!!

T-Ball!

Henry is playing T-Ball this spring and it is quite comical. He can hit the ball great off the T, but playing the field is another story. These little boys don't get the "team" concept yet and all go after the ball at the same time and most of the time end up in a dogpile! Too funny!

But, he is having fun and learning about the great game of baseball.

I just hope the bugs don't eat us up before it's all over!

Donuts for Dads

Two Friday's ago Henry's 3K class hosted Donuts for Dads. This photo was taken prior to the event because there were no MOMS allowed. So this is the best I could do. But, Brad couldn't say enough about how cute it was and how great of a job Henry did in hosting his Daddy. They sang some adorable songs and made some precious little things for their dads.

4 Year Old Well Check

Henry and I...and Manning...went to see Dr. Traynham for H's well check. It was interesting to say the least wrangling 2 boys in the waiting room, then in the exam room, then in the bathroom trying to catch tee tee in a cup while the little one crawled around on the nasty ground and tried to crawl into the toilet. Insane!!! If Manning doesn't turn up with a stomach bug or the flu form this trip it will be a miracle! This trip was not as smooth as some have been in the past, but all in all we have a healthy 4 year old. He got 4 shots and a finger prick and cried hard for a minute and then was all good. With a little TLC and some Motrin when we got home, he was all set! His iron levels were good and his tee tee looked good too.
However, he did have a ton of wax buildup in his right ear so Dr. T dug around in there and got a bunch of that out. He also failed the hearing test and we think it's b/c of a buildup of fluid in his ear canal. We have noticed that in the past month or so he has been having a hard time hearing us. I just put it off to "selective hearing", but it turns out he really is having trouble. He is on a steroid nasal spray for 3 weeks and then we will go back to re-test. Dr. T thinks it is definitely b/c of allergies, but we won't know for sure until we get all of this fluid cleared out. So, that wasn't fun but I was SO proud of Henry and how patient he was with all of the poking and prodding. He is such a big boy! I'll keep you posted on the ear situation. Here are his stats below:

Height: 41" 75%
Weight: 40.5 lbs 95%

*these stats were kinda of shocking to me b/c I totally think henry is a string bean. i mean, you can see his ribs. but, dr. t said it's nothing to worry about that he is just "solid". and he really is like a lead weight.

Henry's Thankgsgiving Program and Feast

Henry's class put on a fabulous Thanksgiving program and feast on Friday. They have been working for weeks on their costumes, drums, and songs. It was seriously precious!

The moms who did this party did a great job on the food and decor.

Ms. Brenda and Ms. Susan pulled off a miracle getting all of these 3 year olds to sing and dance together!

Henry got a little stage fright, but did beat his little drum and sing a few of the songs.

He loved the food and cleaned his plate!

And of course, Manning was along for the ride!
I LOVE being a part of such a special school like Westminster:)

Fire Station Field Trip

Henro had a field trip to the local Fire Station today. Brad went with him b/c his scatterbrained Mama got the days mixed up and was supposed to chaperone this trip. Well, I forgot I am keeping little Charlotte this Tuesday...NOT Wednesday! When will I ever get it together?!?!?

Anyway, Brad reported that they had a BLAST and all the kids loved learning all about Fire Fighters, trucks, and the station. They got to see where they eat and sleep.

They even got to squirt the big hose.
(you see that cute little blond on the other side of the Fireman? that's Ellie Camden, henry's main squeeze. she is too precious for words and they are both quite smitten. her mom and i always joke that we'll use these pics for their rehearsal dinner one day;)

Thanks Bradley for steppin in for me! Henry loved having you there!

Henry's 1st Flag Football Game

Moe's Southwest Grill Panthers!

Henry and his buddy Carson before the big game.
They love each other!

I can't even tell you who won the game, but I do know that it was a sight to behold! We had boys who cried the whole game (not mine thankfully), boys who laid themselves flat out on the grass to daydream (this WAS mine), boys who rode on the shoulders of the poor referee, boys who ran the total opposite direction of their goal line, and boys who pulled the flags of their own team members. It was pure comedy!

Henry enjoyed himself thoroughly and even scored a TD toward the end of the game.

He had quite the cheering section. Nana and Papa and Aunt Hanna drove all the way to Chuck for the event. And Mimi and Pops, of course, were there too. Brad was out of town for work and was so sad to miss his first game, but we kept him updated the whole time. He'll get to see him play this weekend.

Way to go Henry!

First Day of 3K

My Dear Henry,

Well, the summer has come and gone and it's time again to begin a new school year. I cannot believe you are in the 3's! You have Ms. Brenda and you are going to LOVE her! I hear she is tough, but so sweet and loving and I have no doubt that you'll adjust fine.

You're going through a little separation anxiety right now for the first time ever. You've gotten a little teary the last few times I've left you at school and at children's church. I know it must be b/c i've been home with you all summer and you're not used to us being apart yet. I am not used to this b/c you were never like this when I dropped you off at Ms. Brenda's (your old babysitter). But, I am SO VERY PROUD of you at how quickly you dried your tears. You realize that you're there to learn and have fun with your friends. We've discussed our jobs in this family at length lately, and you know that it's your job to do your best at school and at home. To listen and use your very best manners and to always try your best.

You are my best buddy Henry and I have had more fun with you and your brother this summer than I could have imagined! You are growing and learning new things every day and you continue amaze me with that mind of yours.

You have a huge heart Henry and such a sensitive side and I want you to know that I will be right beside you each and every step of the way as you navigate through this big old world.

It won't always be easy, but we'll get through it together as a family.

I am your biggest cheerleader Henro. Don't you ever forget that!

I love you more than you'll ever know!

Mama

Are You Ready for Some Football?!?!

This is Henry in his 3 point stance preparing himself to take it to the gridiron. Brad told him to get on his mean football face and GIT DOWN! And that he did. But only at home. He was a perfect little gentleman at his very first Flag Football Practice tonight. This is our first experience with organized sports and I don't think anyone in this family is as excited as I am about it. Sports was such a huge part of my childhood and adolescence and I am so ready to be a little league Mom!


I still don't understand how they intend to teach a bunch of 3 and 4 year old boys how to play football, but we're gonna find out. It was HILARIOUS to watch the coach and all of the dads out there trying to explain what to do. They were all issued their flag belts and a mouth guard (that we have already lost) and were organized into somewhat of an offense and a defense. The rest was kind of chaos, but so so cute!

This is my little baller scoring his first touchdown ever. I don't think he had a clue what he was doing other than the coach just telling him to RUN!

This is the huddle.

He wasn't too sure about the flag belts. They kept falling down.

And there was lots of just running around with the other boys. And maybe a few times he wanted to come over and give his Mama a little squeeze and a kiss. We've instructed him you can't do this in football. Gotta be tough and save all your sweet kisses for the end of practice/games.

And at the end of the practice he told his coach "fank you". If nothing else, we'll make a good sportsman out of him!

So, stay tuned for updates on the season. They practice on Tuesday nights and games are Saturday mornings. Should be interesting!

Latest Obsession

These boots have become my little Henry's most coveted possession as of late. Mimi bought them for him for Christmas from a cute little shop at Pawley's and he thought they were ok for a couple months, but now it is an all out obsession. As in, we don't leave the house with out them on! They are his puddle jumpers, Luke Skywalker boots, cleats for baseball or football, pirate boots, and anything else his wild imagination can make them become. Some days we HAVE TO HAVE socks on underneath, but other days bare feet will do just fine. They are beginning to develop a stench, but i'm ok with it as long as he is. So chances are the next time you see us, you'll get a chance to see THE BOOTS!

I'm thinking his next pair of boots needs to be Cowboy Boots! You know, so he can run around in his undies and boots...Naked Cowboy Style (NYC)!!!

End of the Year...Boo Hoo Hoo!

Today was Henry's End of the Year party and I could cry a bucket of tears that this school year had come to an end. For one, I am going to have to brew up MANY activities for my kiddos every day for their sanity and mine. Luckily I have made lots of friends who are always up for play dates! And I hope to plan a few mini road trips to visit friends and family who also are trying to stay sane with their kids bouncing off the walls!
Secondly, this year has been so amazing on so many levels for Henry and for me. Ms. Barbara and Ms. Cheryl provided such a wonderful atmosphere for him to learn not only numbers and letters, etc. but how to BE in school. He has learned to play with others, follow instructions, self control when something doesn't go his way, and so much more. And I have learned how to be a mom with a child in school. I worked with some really great moms on a few of the parties and really learned a lot from them. And we've both made some great friends in the process!
I am so very thankful to be a part of such a great pre-school and look forward to the years to come with both my boys!

First Trip to the Dentist

Today was the day I had really not been looking forward to. I mean, who really likes to go to the dentist? And who really wants to take a THREE year old to the dentist? But Henry really surprised me and made his mama proud. He was such a big boy and behaved himself very well the whole time. Grant it he asked approx. 250 questions to sweet Ms. Deb the hygienist and insisted on holding the little toothpaste/cleaning stuff thingy that she had on her finger. And he might have even licked it a time or two, but who's counting!

He held his mouth open wide the whole time and was really intrigued by all of the high tech equipment.

Dr. Sander gave him a great report and said his teeth look great. No cavities, but possibly a developing under bite. Really, we're supposed to start worrying about such a thing at this age? Henry came away with a cool new blinking toothbrush and a couple prizes from the prize chest. All in all, his first trip to the dentist was a total success and I don't think he'll be dreading that annual trip quite so bad. At least not for a few years!