Central Casting

Here is Henry at Children's Hospital getting his cast put on. If he looks relaxed, it's because he was totally asleep. No they didn't knock him out, it was just nap time.

This is Terry, cast putter-onner extraordinaire. Here Terry adds the final layer of fiberglass in the color Henry had chosen earlier. Something subtle.

Almost done!

Back at home and living the cast life! Papa carefully reads the cast care instructions. (avoid grape jelly in the cast, etc.)
The time-honored tradition!

Scott, Danielle, and Frankie are the first to sign.
Frankie autographs the fiberglass.
So now we have three weeks of dealing with the cast until it comes off. Loretta's up for it!

Bring Out The Gimp... A lot of people get a favor or a piece of cake when they attend a wedding. Henry got a broken leg.

Henry took his first steps at Les and Lindy's wedding, and he broke his first bone at Colleen and Hamid's wedding this past weekend. The kid really knows how to mark a special occasion.

He fractured his tibia by falling off some playground equipment and landing badly. He has what is known appropriately enough as a "Toddler's Fracture." He gets a cast put on this Friday, if he doesn't die of complete boredom before then. It's been a little bit like parking a racehorse in a Christian Science Reading Room.

Here are Henry, Nico and Cyrus Sabouriane frolicking at the wedding, earlier in the day. At the end of the clip, Jack Brennan can be heard asking Todd, "So which one is yours?"

Fun in The 'Hood This started out as a hike through Rock Creek Park, and when we got good and lost, became a surreal stroll through the ritzy suburbs of Washington, DC. The Hall/Crowley Family made it fun, though.
Tomatoey girl.
Tomatoey boy.

Enjoying the pizza garden at the National Zoo.

Ch...ch..changes.

There is a new crispness in the 95+ degree air here. And that can only mean one thing...

The first day of school! Here's Henry on his. Henry has started at a 3-morning a week preschool called Amazing Life Games. http://www.amazinglifegames.org/ It's a hippie parent co-op that's been around for 30 years. Todd and I are thrilled to be a part of their community. We went to a parent workshop this past weekend and learned a lot about helping a toddler-type person grow and flourish. Todd and I will each volunteer a morning a month there.
Here's the kids heading to their respective vehicles in the courtyard.
And teacher Natasha showing the kids how it's done.
Eating their lunches.Learning to take turns. (very very hard)
And of course, jumping onto mattresses. (heaven!)Most of the kids got tired of this activity after a half dozen times. Not Henry. He leapt and rolled, leapt and rolled for 15 minutes until I dragged him to the next activity.
Enjoying the backyard sandbox.

But of course, starting something new sometimes means ending something else. As many of the kids started preschool, this past week marked the end of our Thursday morning playgroup -- the one Henry and I have been in since he was 3 months old.

Here's some of the gang in a tree at Walter Pierce Park, our usual stomping grounds. Since we are all good friends, I have no doubt that we will all play with each other frequently, either on some other day or in some other way. But I did get a bit weepy thinking about all that we'd been through and that my Thursday mornings would be different from now on.

Peter and Miles reach new heights.

Yay playgroup!

And yay to enduring friendships! (Henry and Miles)

Feelin' The Love in Louisville

Todd (the ancient) had his 20th High School Reunion last week, so we headed to L'ville to celebrate and see the many Pfeiffers.

It didn't take long for the cousins to become thick as thieves again.

(Slone, Henry and Aiden)

Here they are live in action!

Loretta learned right quick that Aunt Vanessa and Uncle Brett are way fun to play with!

And that Uncle Kurt is really a teddy bear.

Aiden had a sweet way and instant rapport with his new cousin.

On Sunday, a picture-perfect day, we went to Plainview Pool with Gramma. This was the pool that Todd and his brothers swam at (and for) their entire youth.

Gramma: "Now remember Loretta, you have to wait a half hour after that hot fudge sundae before you go swimming."

Slone and Aiden loved the water.

So did noodle-boy Henry.

Later at Gramma's House, Todd put together some scooters that Gramma bought the kids. A VERY BIG hit.

Meanwhile, Vanessa cast a hex on the house across the street, and Madeline coulda' had a V-8.

Loretta sang a song...And Brett sat in time-out.

Gramma happily surveying the kid chaos in her front yard.

Todd put on a magic show for us!His audience was MESMERIZED.

(and enjoying the free drinks)On Monday, Madeline took us all out to the Captain's Quarters right on the Ohio River. It was a gorgeous place with a magnificent view. And here's Gramma and the kids with the Captain himself!

Say cheese!

And here they all are actually behaving themselves.

(momentarily)

We wrapped up our Louisville trip with a visit with the Lovely Lowber Clan. That's Shoma and Serena posing with Henry and Loretta. Chris Lowber and Todd behind.