It's Friday

Hey B,



It's Friday and you know what that means. It's Jadda time. Pops! gets to see Jadda after five days. If you can't tell, I really love Jadda. She is definitely one of a kind. I guess that is why I love her so much.



Your daddy and mommy have been keeping me posted on the adventures of B. I hear that you have taken five steps on your own and that is awesome. It won't be long before you learn to stand up on your own and you'll be forever on the go. The next time either pops! or Jadda sees you, you'll be walking for sure.



I also hear that you are now saying momma and dad. Isn't it good that finally mommy and daddy are understanding a little of what you are saying? They'll start understanding you better from now own. I know that it is frustrating to be talking to them and they not understand a word your saying. Daddy knows Spanish and mommy knows French, yet they couldn't understand you. Go figure?



As I've said before, just be patient.



And remember,



pops! loves you

The Hat Trick

Hey B,


I hope my little buddy had a great weekend. You did take care of daddy yesterday, didn't you? I'm sure daddy had a great day on his first daddy's day. My Daddy's day was great. Jadda took me out to eat, your Uncle Wookie called, I got a voicemail from your daddy and a very nice blog that he wrote me. So, it was a great day.


I travelled to Columbus on Sunday night and as is my usual routine I was thinking about my little buddy, along with Jadda, daddy and Uncle Wookie. I was remembering the "Hat Trick" that you pulled on your old pops! We were going out to eat in Berkeley and as we were walking down the street, you decided to drop your hat. Pops! then let you swoop (nice redneck term) and pick it up. We followed this routine until pops! was too tired from swooping and laughing to do it anymore. Your mommy and daddy had to divert your attention by playing the "I'm going to get Brendan game". But buddy, it has been a long time since I have laughed that hard.

Let's see if pops! can figure this out.

He is old you know!!!!

How does it do that? Right to the ground every time!!!

Wheee!!! The swooping thing is fun!!

I got it. Unswoop now.

Is it a earthquake? No, it's just Pops! laughing.

Remember the "hat trick" and maybe you can play the trick on Jadda when you get out here this summer. I'll make sure not to let her in on our trick. And remember,



pops! loves you

Father's Day

Hey B,

Well, I got to see Jadda after about eight days and that was really exciting. She and I have spent the day catching up on our past week. She'd tell me about things that happened at Yogaville and I'd tell her about B stories. She had a great week and I had a great four days with my little buddy. I know one thing for sure, Jadda can't wait to see you.

I got a call from your daddy last night announcing another first for you. You took your first steps alone. That is really exciting and now Oma and Opa will be able to chase you around when they see you at the end of the month. You are about to give everyone a run for their money now!!! You will hear that word no a lot more now-remember what I told you on one of our walks. You'll see what I meant soon.

Now don't forget, tomorrow is a big day for daddy. It's his first Father's Day. There is nothing like that first one. Try to be extra good for your daddy tomorrow. He's made pops! so very proud and pops! can see that you have already made your daddy so very proud. But for sure keep him on his toes tomorrow. And remember,

pops! loves you

Is this heaven?

Hey B,

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means!!! It's Jadda Day. I get to see Jadda after a whole week. We both flew out of Birmingham last Friday, she was fling east and I was flying west to see my best buddy. So, I'm really anxious to see her today.

I just wanted you to know that you gave your old pops! a memory last Sunday that he'll never forget. It happened when we went to the park. I certainly enjoyed the walk to the park(just not the walk back which was straight uphill) and watching your hand dart out of the stroller to touch a bush or flower as we went down the sidewalk. It was really fun to get on a hill and let the stroller go and me run beside it-just kidding mommy. :) But we got to the park and laid out the blanket and watch the other kids for a while. You also played with the grass and a leaf for a long time. Then you played the hat game, you took it off and I put it back on. That went on for a while. Then we "wrastled" for a while until you finally pinned me. I had seen you give mommy and daddy a kiss sometimes when they asked you, so I thought I'd try it. A BAM!!! I got this big and sloppy kiss. And when that happened, I thought I'd gone to heaven. The scene from The Field of Dreams came to mind when Ray asked his father as they were playing catch if this was heaven. That's how old pops! felt. It may not have been heaven but it had to be close. We continued the kiss game for a while. Pops! would kiss you, then you'd kiss Pops!. Man, it made this old man feel sooo good.

That's all for now, but remember...

pops! loves you.

The Cucumber Kid

Hey B,

How you been my little buddy? Pops! is still missing you, but am loving the stuff mommy is putting on your blog. I was thinking this morning about my trip out to visit and was remembering our trip to Berkeley on Friday. That was the day that we went to Moop's toy store. And I haven't decided who had the most fun-you, me or your daddy. Right now I think Daddy had the most fun. I picked out my toy for you right away, because you had already told me what you wanted, but daddy looked and looked and looked!!!

I still haven't figured how why we did all that walking. We walked all the way across Berkeley-bought toys and then walked all they way back across Berkeley. And our toy bags were so big that we had to carry you and push the toys in the stroller. I guess we looked like rednecks from Alabama-oops I am from Alabama. I guess your daddy had noticed the extra weight I had put on and took it upon himself to be my personal trainer. But anyway, we then went to this really cool park (after we bought a Berkeley blanket) and hung out in the park and waited on mommy to come for a visit. And the minute you saw your mommy your face lit up. I think it is so cool the way that you get excited when you see your mommy after you have been away from her for a while. There's nothing like a mommy, is there?

Then we went out to eat at PF Changs(my favorite place to eat). I got to have "just you and me time" while mommy and daddy ate dinner. I really enjoyed our talks while we walked around outside the restaurant. And then I saw you do something that I don't think I ever seen a nine month old do-actually chew on a piece on cucumber. You loved that cucumber!!! I wished we had gotten a picture of that cucumber sticking in your mouth. It was so funny and cute.

But believe me when we finally left to head home you were one tired puppy. Man, you can really scream when you are tired and fighting going to sleep. Seems to me that I remember your Uncle Wookie fighting going to sleep. WHen he was little Jadda actually had to put her legs over him and hold his eyelids closed for him to go to sleep.

Got to go my little cucumber kid and remember,

pops! loves you

"Come on, pops!"

My pops! loves me.
Hey B,

How's my little buddy doing today? Pops! really misses you. My three days with you, mommy and daddy were really a blast. I couldn't believe how much you had grown and developed in the last couple of months. And you are certainly MR. PERSONALITY.

I guess, as I look back on my trip, the first memory that was made was on the ride from the airport. You were asleep when I first got in but you woke up when daddy put you in the car. You just stared at me at first in the car. But shortly after we left the airport, I was looking out the car window and I heard the "raspberry" noise that I had taught you to do. When I looked over at you, you just gave me that full faced grin of yours. I know people will probably think I'm crazy BUT I know it was your way of telling me that you remembered me. It certainly made your pops! feel special.

After that we did all sorts of mouth noises and each time you would imitate the noise. But we didn't make any of those noises that mommy wouldn't approve of, at least not yet. But mommy beware!!!

And when we got to your house, I got down in the floor to play with you and you started crawling toward your room. You'd crawl a little then stop and look at me as if you were saying, "come on pops!" SO I started crawling behind you and every few feet you'd stop and turn around to make sure I was coming. We got to your room and I think you eventually showed me nearly every toy and book in your room. I certainly appreciate you making pops! feel so welcome.

Enough for now, but remember...

pops! loves you

Hey B,

The following pics are for the most special lady in my life, your Jadda. I hope that she enjoys these pics of you and me while she is in Virginia.

I'll write you again soon.

I love you, pops!

Three Generations of Hensons

Who cares about the picture, I want the green plum!!!

Pops! can you tell mommy and daddy that I want to go with you to Birmingham!!!

Still flying high

Pops! and B-best buddies
Hey B,

Pops! is back in Birmingham but my heart is still in California. My little buddy I had a GREAT time. It was the fastest and best three days I've had in a while. I sure hate that Jadda missed it but like I explained to you on one of our walks, this is something that she had planned for a long time(her trip to "Yogaville"). And you can finally find something good about the Bush Administration, pops! used his tax stimulus package to come see his little buddy. :)

I guess you can say that pops! is still flying high from his trip. I tried to read on the plane but I kept thinking about all the fun that I had, and I think you did too, in California. Later in the week I'll write to you about some of the special memories pops! made.

Make sure you tell mommy and daddy that I enjoyed being with them, too. I used to refer to them as my son and daughter-in-law but now they have a more honored name- B's parents. You've actually done a pretty good job with them. Another three months and they'll probably figured this thing out. REMEMBER-patience is all that it takes.

I love you,

pops!

A Brave new world... look out here comes B!!

Hey B,

This will probably be my last blog until I arrive in sunny California. Three days and counting and pops! can't wait to see my little buddy and your mommy and daddy if they happen to be around. ;). I am really getting excited about the trip and my few days with you. I think that the first order of business will be to get you that new toy.

I understand that you have now mastered the art of standing alone. Now, it is only a matter of time until you are walking. You will be amazed at how the "world" changes when you start walking. You'll see things that you can get into that you have never seen before. You'll really keep mommy and daddy on their toes for sure. You'll hear mommy and daddy say things like, "Have you seen Brendan?" If you think they are paranoid about the things you do now, wait until you start walking.

I also hear that we'll go to the petting zoo in Berkley over the weekend. Do you think we ought to let mommy and daddy go? It'll probably be a good thing to let them go, they can get rather pouty, you know. Parents will be parents. You know what they say, "Can't live with them and can't live without them.

See you soon and remember,

pops! loves you