Happy 5th Birthday Henry!

It's hard to believe that just 5 years ago today, Henry looked like this. . . .

Now, he has grown into a bright, funny, and creative little boy who we are SO proud of! Happy Birthday Henry! We love you very much!

Preschool Program

It's that time of year for all parents of preschoolers -- that wonderful day when you anxiously gather at your child's school with all sorts of AV equipment in hopes of capturing what might be a first glimpse of raw talent in your performer. That's how it was at Henry & Bradley's school this week. Parents elbowing each other for the best seats, cameras galore, grandparents galore. . . oh, the expectations were high!! Here are a few glimpses of our "performers."

So, for those of you who know our son, you know that he is NOT comfortable in the public eye as evidenced here. But, we all have our gifts, and his are numerous. . . just don't ask him to show you in front of a large group of people. Bradley, on the other hand, usually welcomes an audience but perhaps this gig was a bit too much for her.

Yes, they are real.

While I might make our new home sound picturesque in my blog, there are a few drawbacks that I have failed to mention such as the loud magnolia wallpaper in the kitchen, sharing a hot water heater with the neighbor upstairs, gold faux-painted molding with emerald green wallpaper in the bathroom, and oh, let's see . . . a NAKED mermaid statue in the front yard!! Norfolk has a mermaids all over town as part of their public art. You will find them in parking lots, on top of buildings, on the harbor, etc. Apparently, the owner of our house thought it would be really cool to have one in his front yard. When we met him, we discovered quickly that he took great pride in "his mermaid." He even went so far as to "enhance" her with the aid of Playboy centerfold models so that she was more voluptuous than when he originally purchased her. Yes, that's right - he performed ceramic surgery on this lady. He explained that the reasonings behind his augmentation was because he was a "T-n-A kind of man." Nice.

During our first few weeks here, we tried to brainstorm ways to cover her up to make our home more G-rated. But over time, we got used to her and now barely notice her as we pull down the driveway. A few weeks ago, we got home from a trip, and to our great surprise (and dismay) she had been repainted and spruced up! She was a bit more palatable when all the colors were muted, but NOW everything is florescent!! She practically gleams now -- especially with her spotlight that comes on at night. . . sigh. . . .

Let's end on a positive and say, that it's REAL easy for the pizza guy to find us! We always say, "We're the house with the naked mermaid," and people always know where we are. We're getting a giggle out of it, and isn't that a grand thing in life. Any creative ideas on how we should decorate her for Christmas????