Welcome to the Terrific Two's (11-3)

Henry turned two (2, dos, TWO) this weekend. (Well, really, on Monday, but we celebrated Sunday because hey - what difference does a day make in a two-year old's life? None.)

With daylight savings time ruining our nightly walking outings / trips to the playground we decided to get serious about things and gave him an indoor/outdoor trampoline. This was a gift for him but also a gift for us. I'm a big believer in making him tired to then enjoy a fantastic night's sleep for all. And because balloons make things festive - we filled the trampoline with our own loving gift of our air trapped inside dangerous plastic. Success!

As this is a bit of a milestone post I will say this - Henry is learning how to deal with strange and conflicting emotions which means happiness that turns on a dime to complete and utter despair. Needless to say - we love him as he works on figuring out how to manage it all. Being his parent is pretty fantastic.

Binky Business (11/1)

You know, I'm never going to get out of my blogging writer's block by looking at this blog and not posting anything but continuing to put it on my to-do list everyday of "blog post." So I've just got to start - get it over with and push through the awkwardness that has resulted in me completely forgetting about this monumental record of history since July. Well not forgetting, but just pretending like I don't care about it when in reality . . . I do. A lot.

So here goes. I'm not going to try and "catch up" - I mean really, who can catch up when it comes to these things? I'm just going to start where we are at.

A couple of weeks ago - while Greg buried himself in his managerial accounting and finance class, my parents, my sweet parents, helped me go to St. George and run a little race that I had been wanting to run for awhile. The race ran right past my parent's house, it has been a beautiful fall, and running through Snow Canyon is kind of the best thing in the world. The other nice thing? Not to brag or anything, but I'm kind of in decent running shape. I'm working hard on getting faster and just seeing what my body can do and it's kind of exciting to see minutes shave off of older PR's and to really just start to crave running. Who am I?

Anyway - the point to this story is to say that while I was running the St. George half, my parents, who had chauffeured me and Henry to St. George and chauffeured me to the race, and were planning on chauffeuring me right back home - played with Henry. While in the course of playing with Henry, my Mom recognized that Greg and I had perhaps been using Henry's beloved binky as a bit of a crutch. I mean, binky inserted means no whining which makes for a happy Henry and ecstatic parents. But you know, he isn't getting any younger - so this little trip was the impetus to setting up the new house rule . .  the binky is only to be used in the car and the crib. Bless our sweet babysitter's heart for also helping enforce this rule.

But there is a point to this story. We have survived - we have (hopefully) made it through the worst of the transition and Henry is growing up. The best part, however, is seeing his personality develop through this. The other day while I was out teaching my night class, Henry insisted on "playing" in his crib (where the binky is allowed) and while "playing" he insisted on mocking our rules. Pretty great.

Henry's Loves (7-5)

Just to document - Mr. Henry is loving. LOVING. a few things lately.

1) This box:

 Who knew? But really, a box with a handle is pretty much better than sliced bread.

2) Henry LOVES his new forward facing car seat. LOVES it. See - this is a happy kid . . .

3) Henry loves the wonderful world of trampoline jumping. This is him - recovering from one of his thousands of falls walking around on that crazy jumpy thing:

But you know what Henry doesn't love? Apparently he doesn't love when Greg and I start singing in the car. Case in point:

Rude. Just plain rude. (I really wish I was kidding - but nope - we were singing and we turned around this was his response).

Life Stresses (6-12)

So few things in life stress me out more than this:

I know that Henry needs to learn how to eat on his own and that the only way to do that is to practice. But seriously. Seriously. The mess! It just gets everywhere - on him - on me - on Greg - on the highchair (provided he decides to even get in it). The other night he was so insistent that he feed himself that we just let him. And then we decided that we might as well just go 100% for it and let him play with some whip cream too. Because really - why not?

He didn't know how to handle the whipped cream and in the meantime - I'm rocking myself in the corner trying not to look at how my just hands and knees mopped floor (HANDS AND KNEES!) mopped floor is already starting to look like it's time to be mopped again.

Certainly, Henry mastering this skill is worth it - because I refuse to accompany him on dates and spoon feed him while he and his date try and have a conversation - that would just be awkward for all of us.

Splash Padding it up (6-10)

I love me some dry heat. Humid heat is the worst - the absolute worst. Dry desert heat is the best. I mean if it has to be hot - I'll take the desert over humidity any day of the week. Because it's been so hot and because we have a cruise coming up we've been doing our best to try and get Henry in the water a lot more. Last night we hit up the Provo splash pad (which took FOREVER to build - seriously, you would have thought they were building the taj mahal for how long it was closed putting in the splash pad). But really, according to Henry - it was absolutely worth it.

He loved it so much I have half a mind to hit up all the Utah splash pads to determine which one is the best. I found a (hopefully) comprehensive list - so here goes.

Favorites (6-7)

So there weren't a lot of favorites this week. Greg was out of town on a work "conference" and hence Henry and I lived it up. We had popcorn for dinner (two nights in a row) and one night I proceeded to come home and laid on the couch like a dead person and Henry roamed around the house for an hour while I worked to revive myself (it had been a long day at work). But we survived. Things are back to normal - but we haven't mowed the lawn in two weeks (it's currently a field that Henry can hide in).

Dumb dumb blog post - but I might as well post some favorites of Henry's for the week.

Favorite toy: A shoehorn - look at the concentration on his face as he works to "tickle" Greg while driving:

Oh Henry is also currently in LOVE with yogurt melts. He eats them as if he is starving and he hasn't seen food in days. It's a little embarrassing.

Favorite hair-do:

A mohawk - courtesy of a little bit of bed head and some good sleep.

And finally - Henry says "Hallelujah - it's summer - time for some muscle t's!"

Whoa - apparently this blog has now become the life and times of Henry. Crapola. I need to up my adult game.

sick-o! (6-2)

I kind of think there is nothing worse than a sick baby. NOTHING.

See how all the sheets are off the mattress? Oh that's just because Henry threw up all over everything. Awesome. And the middle shot documents his fever. Oh man. I keep telling him to "use your words" to tell me where he hurts because the whole whining thing doesn't help me figure anything out. Yowser. Here's hoping we move to recovery - SOON.

But washing the sheets did allow us to re-enact some of our favorite Scooby Doo episodes - so maybe it was worth it.

a day in the life (5-8)

Henry's life is pretty happening. Here's a quick snapshot:

Drive to work.

Do a bunch of organizing at work while dressed like Don Draper:

Go to a business lunch and drink cafe rio dressing straight from the cup - what? it's delicious. You would totally do this to if you could get away with it.

photobomb credit - Drake

Come home and mow the lawn:

(Toddcat - he totally looks like he is "Doug-ing" me)

Go to sleep - only to start over again tomorrow:

Happy Mother's Day! (5-5)

I'm the first to admit that I'm really, really, really still new to this "mother" thing and there are times where I love it and then there are other times.

But this was so so so so so awesome. I had the audacity to get out of the car on Saturday and this was Henry's reaction:

Nothing makes me feel more like a rock star then knowing that my presence will *definitely* be missed.

Also, Henry LOVES to pretend to drive Big Red. LOVES IT.

(don't worry - the car seat is there - just not pictured - and we aren't moving).

Henry check-in (4-8)

I just thought I would show you some Henry shots. You know, for posterity's sake.

 

a) Still obsessed with the horses. We've started putting carrots into our monthly budget purchases.
b) City Creek - being awesome. And being quite serious about that binky.
c) The Red Wagon. Courtesy of the basement that keeps on giving (i.e. my sister)
d) Proof that he is working on the whole walking thing. And sure he is in the street, without shoes on, but don't worry about it. I'm a working mother - I'm just happy he is dressed.

Henry's Ladies (4-2)

So Henry is quite a little ladies man. He even has grown some facial hair - you know, to look sophisticated.

Here's some more proof of his debonair skills:

He knows that sometimes ladies like to get a little dirty.

He also loves to show off his hot wheels.

the evolution of a haircut (3-10)

1. Sweet and excited 

2. Concerned and intrigued

3. Mad as H. E double hockey sticks

4. Handsome but holding a grudge

pinterest challenge #2 (3-4)

Because I have the goal to do more interactive play with Henry  (you know, instead of just pulling out the vacuum and swiffer and letting him clean) I saw this idea on pinterest and thought - "let's give it a go." I was also encouraged by the fact that earlier this week we we had had some sticky rice and Henry could not stop playing with it.

So my goal:

The result?

 So maybe it wasn't a hit.

He played with it - but I think he kept hoping that the baking soda/water mixture would taste delicious and well . . . apparently it doesn't.

if only there was dj rumba (2-9)

Our house has never been so clean - Henry insists on vacuuming - or at least being held while someone pushes the vacuum every chance he gets. Before leaving for work this morning Greg and I both vacuumed some rugs and the wood floors. Dust bunnies don't stand a chance with this guy. Or at least dust bunnies don't stand a chance when this guy bosses us around (which is all the time).

And yes, we got him dressed . . . eventually. But we must vacuum first. Priorities.

no bueno. no bueno. (2-7)

Henry has failed at learning the art of sleeping in on a Saturday morning. FAILED. I let him play with all the junkety junk in my nightstand hoping that I could just lay there in bed and he would miraculously play quietly. Dream on.

And then he discovered the hidden box of tissues. (While I lay on the couch in his bedroom hoping that he would miraculously play quietly). He did play quietly - but it was too quiet. No bueno. No bueno.

fall is busy

Dear Fall Semester,

Sometimes you are so busy that I just don't know what to do besides look at my 1,000 tasks on my task list and think - "whoa." And then I look at a task list that I wrote for Monday and realize that it is now Friday and I still don't have it all finished. Ugh.

But just face it - when Henry comes to the office - fun things happen.

king henry

It's pretty obvious that we Carlklef's have a new boss in the house.

a repeat

Greg posted this picture on facebook but oh my goodness - it needs to be published on the blog -

Henry NEEDS this fedora - Greg does not - but Henry NEEDS it. I think I'm going to have to go back to Old Navy and buy it. Today.

extra! extra! read all about it!

Really - it doesn't get much cuter than this. It really doesn't.

Also when our life gets interesting again - I'll start doing more posting than just putting up pictures of Henry.

it's official

Boo-yah - look who got blessed last Sunday:

We didn't have any plain socks - so looks like "vans" are the sock of choice for this hipster. And sure, this isn't the best picture of him or anything - but at the same time - it's pretty sweet.

Ridiculous.