Chin-ups

My dad hung a chin-up bar in the doorway to his office.

Henry was keen to give it a try.

Nice strong grip, kid!

Outdoor activities

Henry has gotten super-mobile and enjoys climbing all over everything (including his dad). This sometimes makes it tough to take him for a longer walk, because he doesn't want to sit still in the stroller.
But since grownups need exercise too, we took him out for a walk in the woods today. Among the objects he was given along the way to coax him into sitting still in his stroller was a pine cone.
He doesn't normally put objects next to his face and talk into them. Could it be that when we told him it was a pine cone, he heard us say "pine phone"?

Kimono

Aaron's former host family came to visit recently from Japan. They never met Henry, but they were kind enough to bring this outfit as a present for him. Note the little spaceship design.

Thank you, Takahashis!

Family picnic

A picnic on the occasion of our third anniversary and several other occasions. In the foreground are Aaron and Ana Paula, in town for a brief visit from Japan.

Henry looked on with great interest while his cousins cavorted on the lawn. You could see him following their every move.

Oh well! For those too young for piggyback rides, there's always the consolation of janitorial duties.

Wind-up toy

In Massachusetts

It was not quite two months ago that Henry took his first steps. Now he is running. Amazing how quickly he got the hang of it.
Henry and his mother are pictured here practicing for their future career as a mother-son team of J. Crew models. Soft, early evening shadows, untamed mane, casual lounging pose on the lawn of a New England prep school...
If J. Crew won't sign them we will have to create our own line of wasp-wear for today's shabby gentility.

Sunglasses

The little dictator? Some cute photos from before we left.

In New York

So on Tuesday, still a bit fatigued from our respective travels, we met up with some friends in town from Florida. Henry took a little nap right in the backpack.

David (Ebru's husband) thought this was a very funny way to sleep and insisted we take a picture.


The nap left Henry well rested for a ride on the swings in Central Park with our Florida friends' younger son. Miguel, a big cutie at 10 months old, is rather better than Henry about keeping his hat on.

Brushing his teeth

I (M) got back from Cairo to find that Henry had grown a second tooth! Also on the bottom, next to the first one. Here he is using my toothbrush at our friend Ebru's house in Queens, where we reconvened on Monday after arriving on our respective flights.

With Trudy

At the Cambodian Buddhist Temple

Yesterday (Aug 6) we went with Henry to the Cambodian Buddhist Temple in Oregon, WI. Here he is, pictured with the Khmer-English translator, Sandra, who is expecting a baby of her own in October.

The children there were happy to share their toys with Henry. Here he is holding borrowed binoculars aloft. He was happy to have them, but did not know what to do with them.

My mom made paper crowns for the kids.

Henry wore his and chatted in regal tones on his cell phone.

Some More Henry Pictures

Henry fashion

Changes in weather and temperature provided the occassion for numerous costume changes.

Haircut

Henry had a long overdue haircut today. As in previous haircuts, we were only able to cut a portion of his hair. In this case, the back.
He was not happy and cooperative for the whole haircut, but we will not show you those parts.
His aunt Kate provided distraction and succeeded in getting him to hold his head in a single position for a couple of seconds enough times to do the job.

Straw Man

Henry enjoying a two cent plastic straw.
It makes me uneasy seeing him play with found objects.
Unlike most children's toys today, straws do not come with lists of the developmental advantages they impart. The "stacking ring" Henry recently started playing with stimulates, we are told, language skills, logical thinking, mathematical skills, and physical skills (though it ranks only four out of five on physical skills).
So what is Henry getting out of the straw? A priority question for our nation's developmental psychologists.

Mendota

Henry took his new beach toys to the beach on Lake Mendota. He loved the water and the sand. The only thing that bothered him was the seaweed, which he handed to his minders as he encountered it.

Not content to eat the kernals provided for him, Henry demanded the whole cob.