When Henry Was Small

Henry turned three last week.  

THREE!

We blew up balloons and snuck them into his room on Wednesday night after he went to sleep. 

On Thursday morning he came into our room and with his little face close to mine said, "Mommy!  Come look at the balloons behind the chair in my room!" because they had all been blown to the corner by his ceiling fan.  I told him they were for his birthday, that today he was three.

He stood on the edge of my bed in nothing but his underwear, and said, "I'm big!".

Because turning three makes you big overnight.

As much as Henry likes to tell me he is big, he equally likes to hear about when he was small, when he was a baby like Nelle or the baby in my tummy.

Henry has been loving all of his new toys and books, but it especially makes my mama heart happy when he picks this one
from the new pile over and over again because I just knew I wanted to get it for him for his birthday
sure he would love reading about a boy named Henry hear about when he was small.

One day not too far from now our Henry will be bigger and bigger, and I hope he still loves to hear about when he was small. 
Because I sure do love telling him...no matter how big or small he really is.

When Henry was three and small, he liked to tease his mommy and tell her,
"I love you Mommy," in the sweetest voice followed by,
"not too much, but a little."

When Henry was small, he loved to ride his bike, coasting through as many puddles as possible,
but especially the big ones that made splashes on both sides of his tires.

When Henry was small, he loved his baby sister fiercely.  He also tackled her fiercely.  No one was going to mess with her...unless it was him, in which case he did with gusto and glee because that's what big brothers do.  Some would even go as far as saying he got extra of this instinct.  He was the first to grab her by the hand and lead her back up the driveway away from the street, but also the first to shove the hose in her face.

When Henry was small, he loved to try to do things by himself.  Like pouring the orange juice in the morning, cracking the eggs into the bowl when making cookies, turning on the hose in the backyard to water the plants, and opening the garage door maybe a few minutes too early before anyone else is ready to leave the house...except for the dog who appreciates the direct escape route to the street.

When Henry was small, he got a new twin bed to match his sister's when they share a room soon, and after sleeping in it the next morning he announced he liked it because it didn't give him pains in his knees or aches in his legs.

When Henry was small, he wanted to be a fireman and a construction worker when he grew up.

When Henry was small, he started to ask why.  A lot. 

When Henry was small, he loved to play fumble (football) with his dad every night after dinner and used good napping as his bargaining chip.

When Henry was small, he only wanted to wear K-State shirts.  At home.  At the store.  To bed.  Every day.

When Henry was small, he taught his parents so much about finding adventure and joy in every day. 
There was always a bear to hunt, a laugh to have, or an devilish smile to give.

When Henry was small, he lived big and was loved big too.