Hopefully I will get back to writing a bit with each post - for now all I can seem to manage is uploading a few pictures...

Henry again...

This little boy plays spends his days playing, running, jumping, swimming, talking non-stop, running some more and in general wears himself out. (as seen above - he didn't even make it all the way up on the couch before he fell asleep) He doesn't know how to do anything half way. He can wear his Mamma out too! Then he can do the sweetest things - he often comes up to me and gently strokes my cheeks and gives me a kiss before he runs off to his next adventure. The other day he brought me this, vase and all:

How sweet is that?!

Another quick Henry story: This morning he came down to let us know that a monster had broken his toys overnight. When he went to check on his things and found them all to be ok he said that the monster had put all the toys back and it must have been just a little monster. Henry fully believed that his dream had actually happened.

James and Daddy watching TV

Oh Henry...

Henry has an umbrella so it is ok for him to be out in the rain. (his words)

Happy Birthday Henry!

Today my little man turns 3! Henry is so excited that it is his birthday - he tells everyone that he is "free" now! We started the day with hosting his playgroup this morning and tonight we are going to see the Harlem Globetrotters (Hopefully he will enjoy the spectacle even if he doesn't understand the game...). We will have his birthday party with family and friends on Saturday.

Here is a new and improved list of Henry's Top 10:

1. Henry gives the best hugs and loves cuddle...at least for 20 seconds at a time.

2. Henry is a talker! He has so much to tell us.

3. Henry is obsessed with certain DVD's, especially Ice Age. He doesn't necessarily need to watch them but he like to talk about them and carry them around. He takes 3 or 4 in his backpack when he goes to Grandma's house.

4. Henry loves to eat Macaroni and Cheese, PB&J's and Chicken Nuggets...and not much else. (Except for breakfast when he does eat oatmeal most days.)

5. Henry is very concerned with whose turn it is to go to Grandma's house, Emma's or his - this is one of his favorite topics to talk about!

6. Henry loves driving over railroad tracks. Nothing makes him happier than when we go out of our way, just so we'll have to go over them. If we see a train in the process, Henry's life is complete.

7. Henry sleeps with about 6 stuffed animals and his aquarium in his bed. He is very specific about "who" he wants there and knows instantly if "someone" is missing.

8. Henry holds my face gently between his hands when he really wants me to listen.

9. Henry has to cry every time he is dropped off at school - but only until Daddy or I has left his line of sight...then he is fine and has a lot of fun.

10. Henry is the sweetest, most loving little boy in the world - how did we get so lucky!?

I was thinking back to when Emma turned three. I thought she was such a big girl then. Maybe its because Henry is the younger sibling but I still see him as being my baby. I suppose that will change after these twins come...

That elusive "perfect" picture...

Every year, I struggle with getting the "perfect picture" to send out as Christmas cards. I realize that with two small children (and sometimes a couple of adults and/or a dog thrown in there too) this is a losing battle. Still, I try.

On Sunday, we went to a Santa Brunch. I thought this would be a great place to get that perfect picture I've been dreaming of. There would even be live reindeer to pose with - how could we go wrong!? Well, as you can see from the results above, perfection wasn't quite reached. Emma tried so hard to smile sweetly while putting her arm around Henry...Unfortunately, Henry wasn't exactly cooperating.
Today we tried again. We have fresh snow on the ground - great for Christmas picture taking! So, what I finally realized today was that Henry has no idea how you smile on command...The above picture shows Henry "smiling" (I know this because when I told him to smile he said - "I am!") What he was doing was squinting his eyes and holding his breath. Sometimes he would open his mouth wide a stick out his tongue as well. Poor guy, all he needed was a little coaching in the art of smiling!
In the end, after dozens of pictures, I think we ended up with something pretty good. (Thank goodness for digital cameras - however did we survive before that wonderful invention?)

One more thing checked off my to-do list!