One year from this date Henry will be a kindergartener! Today he is beginning a new adventure in the PreK room at Fingerprints. I'm excited to see how the next year unfolds. I'm anxious to see him perfect writing his name, learning that letters go in a certain order and not just all over the page, and watching him write the other 21 letters in the alphabet a bit more easily. He can write most of the letters just needs to perfect them a little more.
One year from today my baby will enter a new chapter in his life. I'll be the first to admit he does get away with a bit more than he should because of his status as baby of the family. He may get held a little more than he should (it helps he weighs around 34 pounds). He may get umpteen chances to stay in bed at bedtime with hardly any consequences. He may get hand fed just so he'll actually eat (remember he barely weighs 34 pounds). Being the baby also means he is being expected to do things a bit earlier than big brother in some cases too . . . simple expectations but still things brother didn't do at this age but as long as one is doing it the other can do it too!
Henry got a daily sheet each day in the 4's room. There
are 5 opportunities to earn a 'yes' for various things like listening to
directions and other good habits. In the last couple of weeks Henry
has gotten a few "X's" on the line between the "yes" and the "no". I am
hoping the move to the PreK room, in a new environment with new teachers will create more challenges and help
him stay focused.
Henry loves looking at books and does very well answering questions relating to the pictures in the book. He does well drawing conclusions from the photos in regards to questions asked about the book - so much so I actually think he is reading sometimes.
Henry has a great imagination and does great bringing characters to life while playing as he narrates the play. He can recite very simple addition (2 + 2 = 4) though I'm not sure if he understands what is happening or just regurgitating information, things he has heard and memorized. He also knows the days of the week and months of the year though I am pretty sure this is a memorization thing as it usually has to be sung out in song and not recited individually. He can recite any number written down up to 100, maybe a bit higher, mostly reading the numbers from left to right though will transpose them once in awhile. He can write numbers up to 10 but they are usually written backward - I hope that corrects itself this year and not some deeper issue. He is animated when telling a story either with his arms or facial expressions. His sentence structure may be a bit off but it's always fun to hear a Henry story. He also likes to draw and will "help" you remember details. I drew a house tonight and he let me know I forgot to put a handle on the door. I think he is starting to find his singing voice - he kept singing "There was a Farmer Who had a Dog . . " and "Let it Go" tonight. I hope he continues to develop his voice as he seems to have good rhythm - something he did not get from me!
He recognizes most landmark buildings in Lincoln like the Capitol and
the Pinnacle Bank Arena and will point them out using their full and
proper name. If the car is going a certain way or direction he'll tell
you this is the way to so and so.
Henry is a tough one to crack. In some situations he is the shyest guy ever, refusing to participate, possibly crying to get out of a unfamiliar situation; other times he is the most ornery, show-off, funny faced kid you have ever seen. The other night he kept flapping his hands like a bird (not his arms just his hands with outstretched arms) at the Saltdogs game. He was entertaining the others in the suite - most he did not know.
Today he wore brand new 9 1/2T TIE shoes though he has yet to learn to tie them. Once you wear a size 9 in our family you must learn to tie your shoes . . .though somehow he got away with waiting until he had 9 1/2's (mostly because we got a good deal on a pair of 9's that had a velcro strap certainly not because he is the baby). He is currently wearing 3T-4T shorts (nice that length does not matter since the waists can be too big in the size he should be wearing based on age so he can wear a size smaller though he sometimes gets made when he sees the 3T knowing he is 4), and 4T shirts.
Henry is . . . there really are no definite descriptives that can fully describe him. What may work one day doesn't always work the next. Stubborn is usually one word that comes to mind but loving, comical, helpful, slowpoke, animated, self-entertaining, adventurous, and shy come to mind too. While Henry is a popular name these days there certainly is only ONE Henry in our world and for that we are both blessed and thankful.
Henry had his chance to attend his first Husker regular season game today. He liked like the idea of going. He liked attempting to repeat the "Go Big Red, Kick them in the Head, Don't give them Roses, Give them Bloody Noses" quote big brother taught him but of course he put his own spin on it that had to do with other things that come from one's nose. He liked the snacks we brought along. He liked it when someone put water on his head to cool him off and didn't even complain his shirt was wet. He was in amazement watching the balloons as they were released after the first touchdown. He liked seeing Lil Red and spotting Herbie on the concourse when we went to the restroom. 
