Ch-ch-ch-change

OK. I need to do a post that addresses what the boys are doing developmentally right now, because I've been neglecting that part of the blog and they are changing so rapidly!

Henry is getting ready to start preschool in one month. I am not ready for Henry to start preschool in one month. I just gave birth to him, and now I'm supposed to just send him off to school two days a week? That's insane, who does that? Who? Everyone? And most people start their kids at age three, or even age two? And for three days a week, or even FIVE? Oh. Well, that just proves that people are crazy. I've tried gently telling Henry, "Now, at first you may feel sad or afraid about being away from Mommy..." and before I can finish with, "But school will be really fun," he interrupts me: "No, Mommy, I won't. Really." (Shaking his head earnestly.). I'm actually starting to believe him a little. In other Henry news, our summer evening routine is in full swing. Every evening when Russell gets home, Henry and I head outdoors to work in the yard, sometimes accompanied by Russell and Charlie, sometimes not. I usually plant flowers or something, and he helps me dig, but this is all just a prelude to the main event: watering the trees and flowers, which, in Henry's parlance, means watering the Henry. As I water, he dashes through the stream from the hose, fully clothed. Then he heads to the water table and dumps cupfulls of water over his head. Then he pronounces proudly, "Mommy, I'm soaked!" Then, "No, I'm dry, feel my shirt," (I feel it): "I'm SOAKED!" Yesterday, Henry had the idea to make finger puppets (Caillou did it on an episode, so...), so we did that, and it was a hit. He is sleeping with some of them as I type. Some cute expressions of Henry's: "I'm getting busy," which means, "I'm getting dizzy." Today he crossed his arms and told me, "I refuse to do that." I didn't love the sentiment - he was just testing me, but still - but the adultness of it tickled me.

Young Charles is fully a toddler now, and he has such a big personality! He is a ham. He loves to go hide in the walk-in closet upstairs, then sort of surprise whoever walks in after him. He even goes in there when it's dark, and he'll stay longer than you might expect a fifteen month old to, waiting for his prey. This reminds me of me as a little kid; I clearly remember hiding behind doors and jumping out to startle my dad. Actually it reminds me of me NOW. Charlie shakes his head "no" in response to questions now: "Charlie, can Mommy have a kiss? Charlie, would you like something to eat? Charlie, are you ever going to get married and leave your Mommy?" He recognizes many words and points to a variety of objects in books when asked to. He can make a horse sound. Every morning when we wake up, he insists on looking at a book first thing. He wakes me up every morning and after every nap by leaning over me and saying a very breathy, "Hhhhhhi!" I would say he drinks from a sippy cup about 60% of the time now, but he strongly prefers his bottle and would use it all the time if we weren't staring his fifteen month checkup in the face (Dr. Johnson will definitely want him fully off the bottle by now.) He loves berries, and we've been having berries at every meal lately; I won't know how to break it to him in a few months when they aren't in season! Charlie loves his big brother, and lots of times when we're in the car, I glance back to see them holding hands!

Other family happenings: The praying mantises all escaped. I was crushed, but I was alone in my sorrow. No one else has noticed or asked after them! I imagine they're growing big and fat in our lovely yard, but they may have eaten each other. The fish tank is cycling along nicely thanks to a friend who loaned us some gravel from her healthy aquarium. It will be ready to welcome a new fish in a week or so. Unfortunately I've done a little research and discovered that every fish small enough to survive in a three-gallon tank needs to live in a school of at least five fish. But our tank isn't big enough to accommodate five fish! We may end up with one of those fighting betta fish, which for some reason really creep me out. This weekend we are headed to Morristown to celebrate baby Dylan's first birthday...I can't believe he is already one! Next week we are going with our friends David and Wayna to Sylva for our annual trip. Henry and Jessie should really enjoy playing together now, and the two Charlies should enjoy each others' company, too. We always decide when we visit Western North Carolina that we want to live there, then we come back home to the reality of finding a new job for Russell and selling our house, and we decide we'd better stay put. Maybe this year while we're there, a really fabulous job will present itself, alongside a buyer beside himself with desire to purchase a modest but generously-yarded home in Hendersonville, Tennessee...it could happen...