Learning to stop and smell the roses

This week we have been able to spend time outside and I taught Henry to smell our (dying/dead) flowers. I must have stuck my lips out when I did so, because now when he smells something, he puckers up. He even smells our fake indoor plants - too funny.

No more monkeys jumping on the bed

Henry's newest idea of fun is jumping on our bed. He loves it! He gets a little too gutsy near the edge, but if you put the pillows up as a barrier, he'll throw himself all over. About once day, he will run to the bed and whine with his hands up signaling for a lift and usually once a day we indulge him.

Church

Henry is getting better and better about being at church. This has been tough because of his napping schedule, but now he can stretch to miss the morning nap if he has too, which I don't do often, but always happens on Sunday mornings.

Last week he lasted the entire service with us and if he can make it through the sermon, we are usually in good shape. After church, he loves to explore the sanctuary, running up and down the aisle. And he has just started to go to Sunday school. The class is really supposed to start at 18 months, but so far so good!

The first picture above is Henry and the other kids during snack time in Sunday school. Henry has finished his snack and getting ready to 'ask' for something from someone else. The second pic is twinkling the ivories after the service.

Henry's House

We recently bought another car seat for Keisha's car and was left with a good sized box that Keisha turned into Henry's house. He was a little too tall and couldn't stand up all the way, but loved crawling in.

Fort Building

Is there anything more fun than building a fort out of the couch? Mom went to the store and dad and Henry took advantage of the situation to tear apart the living room couch and make a big, tall fort. Henry loved it! Although his favorite part was climbing inside and then knocking it down, his laughter was infectious so I had to keep rebuilding it for him!

MF

Christmas with the Frankes

We enjoyed a visit from the Franke side for the holiday, starting with Grandma and Grandpa arriving on Christmas Eve. It was great to have a house full of family and Henry did great with the changes to his routine. We ventured out to the alligator park, enjoyed some shopping, ate very well (maybe a little too well) and played a lot of board games - a great time was had by all!

Checking out the frog from Mary and Boardman. Grandpa says that my profile looks like Alfred Hitchcock, but hopefully I am less scary.

Nothing like playing with a new sand and water table, with no sand or water

Henry's first try as the engineer to his new train

Four generations of Franke men


Henry and his buddy Eli

Haircut

Before Christmas, Henry and I went to get his haircut. I knew that it would be traumatic, but I didn't think it would be this traumatic and really didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was the quickest haircut known to man and for $17, I'll be buying a good pair of scissors and doing it myself next time.


The 'before'