Phase Two

I think we have entered into the next phase of our experience as a family. I am learning how to deal with Henry's tantrums. They don't last long, but if we are out in public I get kind of frantic as to what to do. He seems to understand when I talk to him about what is happening, even though he doesn't talk back. I will develop my approach out of removing him from the situation and talking to him and moving to a "time out". It doesn't happen very often, and seems more common when he is tired--like he was when I woke him from his nap to go to the party.

I also noticed a couple of days ago Henry opening and looking into the cabinets in the kitchen while I was cooking. He has never done this before. I have wondered if and when this would happen--I knew surely he would show some curiosity about what is in all those cabinets. I keep the one under the sink locked since it has chemicals, but the others just have pots and pans and plastic storage bowls and other non-dangerous stuff. But I'm expecting the next step will be dragging everything out of the cabinets, not just looking.
Another thing that hit me--today I mailed off the first year report. I went to the campus post office where I have so often mailed things off to either the agency or to Vietnam or Austin, and before that I was mailing stuff to Ukraine. It was all in anticipation of what I am living now with Henry--like a dream I was dreaming and now it has come true.

Backyardigans Concert & Princess Party

Saturday we went to the Backyardigans concert with Bao and Kevin. Both boys watch the show and seemed to get a kick out of it.

Waiting in the lobby--where the inevitable toys with the Backyardigan logo were being hawked.

Henry enjoyed the shield--the story had a medieval knights theme.

On Sunday we went to church, then home for a quick 45 minute nap and I woke him up to go to a "Princess Party" for one of the little girls from the Children's Center. He had already misbehaved in church--it is a three hour meeting. He really enjoys the nursery which is the last hour and forty minutes, but the first hour and twenty minutes are a big meeting for everyone from infants to adults in the chapel. He gets bored at this meeting, even when I take him into an adjacent room where he can run around and I can still here the speakers. After thirty minutes or so he threw a big tantrum--starting swatting at my face and trying to kick me. Eventually when nursery started he was great, and one of the ladies commented on how well behaved he was.

The party was held at the Children's museum. The first thirty minutes or so was playtime, then the party itself was in a meeting room. Henry again threw a tantrum when I took him off of the tractor and took him to where the food and cake were--and also he was the only boy at the party and the girls were dressed in fairy tale outfits. I tried for about ten minutes to calm him down but he kept hitting at me and screaming so I finally took him back out to the tractor. I pulled up a chair and just sat there while he pretended to drive the tractor for twenty minutes.

Oh and apologies to Uncle Joe for the offensive green tractor--it obviously is an inferior brand that broke down and that's why it's on display at the museum.

They had a mock grocery store, and Henry's favorite thing to do is push a shopping cart.

They also had a western frontier section that reminded me of the old westerns I watch.

Henry's second favorite thing after the tractor was this plane. He probably thought it was a car of some sort, because it does not have the wings.

Below is Henry with the birthday girl Nevaeh, outfitted in her princess dress.

I need to figure out how to deal with Henry's tantrums and stop his slapping at me. I am not going to resort to hitting him back. That just seems counter-productive to me.

U.S. Citizen for One Year!

It's been exactly a year since Henry, my mother, and myself arrived back in Texas. That marked Henry's becoming a U.S. citizen. What a wonderful year it has been!

It's Morning in America!

The election is over--thank goodness there was a clear winner and the loser graciously conceded. It appears the country will move forward with energy and resolve. I would have been happy with either candidate--at various times I voted for both (without voting twice in the same election or primary). I just hope we can put the divisiveness behind us in the same way the country has put racism behind it

Yesterday Henry had a routine visit to the doctor. We got to there early and I let him sit behind the wheel. He's actually in my lap in this picture but he seemed to have a sense that he was driving the car. It did occur to me that I'm going to have to soon stop leaving the keys in the car when we are at home because he could be likely to get in and try to start it.

I looked over my blog after I posted this morning--I want to point out that the car is parked in the above photo--we were in the parking lot of the doctor's office, the engine off, and the keys out of the ignition. Reading over it and looking at the photo I realized people might get the impression that I'm actually letting him drive the car. We sat there for thirty minutes and I pulled Henry from the back seat to sit in my lap.As usual the doctor had the Ikea wooden toy that Henry enjoys. He got a second flu shot, she told me to give him Zyrtec once a day, and he got some medicine for a sinus infection. He was weighed at 27 pounds but that was with all his clothes on. I finally got out my portable DVD player and set it up in the car. I ended up switching it to hang higher on the seat so that Henry can't kick it. He seems to enjoy watching--I wasn't sure if he would like it because we don't watch much television at home. One problem is that it seems to skip. I thought it might be the DVD but I switched to another and it still skips, mainly when we hit a bump in the road. I wonder if a newer unit would be less sensitive.

Trick or Treat!

Friday Henry went out with friends to a nearby town for "Trick or Treating" in the town square. People were dressed in costumes and giving out candy in front of the businesses. Henry wasn't afraid of any of the goblins or monsters, but he screamed and clutched onto my legs when a boy dressed like a circus clown tried to put candy in his bucket.

After going around the square we went to a subdivision of the town and went door to door. Henry was unsure about what was happening at first, and kept tight hold of my hand. I stood right by him as the neighbor put candy in his bucket, which I also had to hold out. But he eventually caught on and dragged me to the door and held out his hand. He never tried to eat the candy. Maybe he didn't even realize it was candy. But he knew he was getting something given to him.

Henry's friend Blake gave him this rocking horse that he had outgrown. Henry immediately knew what do do and walked wildly back and forth.