Henry Rocks Out

Henry has had a superb Christmas- complete with "starring" in a Christmas play, mastering his first set of drums, and experiencing the whole Santa thing for the first time. We've had a great time with both of our families and really enjoyed our first Christmas with Henry where he's really gotten into it. The photos and videos are as follows:

1) First photo: This is Henry dancing by himself on the make-shift stage before his school manger-scene play began.

2) Second photo: This is Henry crawling underneath the white satin blanket that was under the baby jesus - yes, he crawled under it and started wearing it like a cape.

3) Third photo: This is Henry wearing Baby Jesus' blanket and acting like he's the star of the play.

4) Henry helps give toys to some other kids for Christmas with his grandparents and the Paks.

5) 3-d glasses are cool

6) Henry gets some drums and a new lunchbox from Santa

7) Henry cruises in his new 3-wheeler.

8) I just had to include this: Random cowboy riding a longhorn steer while talking on a cell phone in front of the Bandera courthouse - taken from my car window. Only in Texas....



9) First video: Henry discovers his drum set. Here is a transcript:
(what 2 year old knows that a drum set isn't complete without a hi-hat? He's such a character!)

Dad: Ok henry come see if santa brought you anything.
Henry: Hehehehe (excited laughter)
Mom: Did santa bring that to you?
Dad: Santa brought you your very own drum set
Henry: That’s why I’m so excited
Henry: What are these?
Dad: Those are your drumsticks
Henry: But what are these drums called?
Dad: This is called a tom, and this is called a snare drum and this is a crash symbol.
Henry: But where is the hi-hat??
Dad: There’s no hi-hat with this one. This one has a crash symbol, you can use that like a hi-hat.
Henry: But crash symbols are not hi-hats. Drum sets have to have a hi-hat drum.

Etc etc etc.
Pretty funny! Once he got over the apparently critical lack of a hi-hat, he got into them (see next video!)




10) Second video: henry rocks out

Preparing for Santa

Henry has been getting ready for Christmas. He's been decorating ginger bread cookies, putting ornaments on the tree, and singing lots of Christmas songs. At the store the other day, there was a picture of Santa on a sale sign. Henry said, "mommy, is that man coming to town?" Yes, I replied, yes! Henry wants a drum set from Santa and is very good at pin-pointing exactly which drums are in any song that comes on. "Here's where they play the high-hat mommy." "I want to listen to that tom-tom song." "Now there are no drums... but, now there are three drums." I have to say, it's pretty impressive.

Here are some pics from the last few weeks. There are a few shots of him putting together a snow ball in the back yard with the dusting of snow we had last week.

A very happy (and a little redneck) thanksgiving

We all enjoyed visiting Henry's Uncle Shannon's ranches in west Texas for our Thanksgiving. Henry saw lots of animals (both alive and dead) including big horned sheep, many elk, several deer, one dead coyote and the partial spray of a skunk on his dog Sophie. He dined on turkey and ham. He rode around in many types of all-terrain vehicles. He played with his cousins Thomas and Erik. And, enjoyed dinner under an "antler chandelier." All in all, it was very fun and I know he will never forget it. Here are a few shots from the occasion.