Henry Turns Three, Aqcuires Every Transformer Ever Made...

Henry had a really sweet robot party with a number of family and friends. I can't believe the little guy is three years old. In the picture below he is making his embarrassed face because there are thirty people singing happy birthday to him. I have a bunch more great pictures from the party and will include them at a later date. I just had to get a new post up due to mounting pressure from my readership.

Here is a close up of the amazing, made from scratch robot cake that momma rustled up. Very innovative.

Henry got a bunch of awesome presents including about two million Transformers. Henry will tell anyone who listens that there is more than meets the eye to these toys. Below is an example of gift opening madness.

This is what ice cream cone night looks like at the Johnson house: Total Anarchy!

This is my sweet new hauling rig. I wish I would have had this about two years ago.

I mowed the lawn for the second time this summer and thought some photos were in order...

This is the view looking easterly from the end of our driveway...

Looking down our road from the base of our driveway...

Still chipping away (very slowly) at the landscaping...

Henry proudly points out our bountiful vegetable garden -- three tomato plants and two pepper plants. Hopefully, we will expand our produce operation next summer. I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew for now so we stayed small.

This is the kids little playground area I made for them. Henry and mamma worked very hard on this fine example of of a post modern sand castle.

Henry enjoys himself as the goats free range...

Johnny Drama looking suspicious...

Johnny Drama's days of escaping are soon to be numbered. I am nearing completion of my substantial fencing operation and am quite certain that it will contain my two guys. I even have a real functioning gate.

Coming Soon...

-Henry in his pirate costume

-Henry in his hand made robot costume

-Henry begins dance classes soon

PLUS: Lots of other stuff!!

Henry's Birthday Wish List

Henry wants Transformers, Hungry Hippos board game, puzzles, toys for his new sandbox (shovels, pails, whatnot), books and DVDs, McDonalds gift certificates, and four chickens (no roosters).

Fourth of July, Summer Fun, etc.

We stayed at my brothers in-laws cabin on an island on Spider Lake near Birchwood, Wisconsin for the holiday weekend. Mama spent about two weeks planning and preparing for our epic weekend vacation. Overall, it went pretty well -- no major catastrophes. I downloaded "Holiday Road" by Lindsey Buckingham to my ipod for the trip to provide the feel of a real vacation. We got the guest cabin to ourselves. I've always felt the Danish hip roof offered elegant roof lines. Very nice.

I was amazed at how interested in fishing Henry was. It helps that his older and pretty cool cousin Eli is like a young Babe Winkelman. Below is Henry with his first fish! Look close, it's a little sunfish. He was perfectly content just to be at the end of the dock and have a minnow on his hook. He'd say "Look Dad! I got one!" and I'd say "Nope, that's just a minnow. We'll use him to catch a bigger one." I gave him an old Zebco 404 that I think I got at a yard sale. First thing in the morning he would say "Dad, let's go shishin'!" His next favorite thing was the fireworks.
I made Violet change into a one-piece suit. The thong suit looked ridiculous over a swimmer diaper.

Henry wasn't really into playing in the water until I threw him in the yellow tube. He morphed into a little motor boatin' SOB.
Violet pretending to be a monster...

Here's me nursing a High Life with Vi and Jada.
Pickin' a boog with mama...
Eatin' a boog with Dad. We may have to have some type of intervention. The finger is always at work. Not an exaggeration.
Lazing about with the kids and cousins.

Here are some shots of Henry and Violet chilling out in their new pool from Grandpa Fred! She is big time in her folding chair.

I am 90% to 95% sure he is peeing in the picture below.

Henry got his stitches taken out earlier in the week. He likes Pokeman and still haven't figured out exactly what Pokeman is. As near as I can tell, it is some type of Japanese Dungeons and Dragons stuff. Lots of ins, lots of outs -- very complicated. He has like two books and a trading card that he got from Burger King and somehow with that we "do Pokeman". He likes his Kung Fu Panda guys too. His tastes are very broad. I am pretty sure he will be a renaissance man.

I am working on a major goat fencing project that I envision to putting an end to their Houdini antics. Everything seems to be falling into place.

That Boy Has Kool Aid Running Through His Veins...

Many, many major events have transpired since I last blogged.

• Violet has taken her first steps. She still crawls all the time. However, if we beg she will do a step or two. She loves standing up and will do that on command like a little circus dog. She also loves pointing at stuff and saying "ta". Her favorite things to point at are ceiling fans and shiny objects.

• I bought a sweet 1991 F 150 to use as an extra vehicle when my Subaru is on the fritz and for weekend projects, boat hauling, goat transport, etc. I always felt like kind of a rube pulling up to the feed store and throwing goat chow and straw bales into the trunk of our Honda Accord. We've already used the truck for hauling sand for the sandbox / playground thing for the kid's and it is just super handy to have and has improved my outlook on life. Although I didn't get the impression it was on mama's top ten list of cool things to buy when we have a little extra money, she did say I should get it. Note to self: I think a CB radio and a police scanner would be practical additions for my new rig.

• Last night, I was relayed a message at my softball game that Henry had "cracked his head" and was on his way to the hospital. Kind of a vague message, so I dove into my sweet new rig and peeled out. On my way out of the parking lot I was able to get through to mama on her cell phone and it didn't sound too serious but I figured I better get down there and hang out with them at the hospital. Henry was goofing around on a wheeled cart (kind of using it as a skateboard) and he lost balance and fell hard on his chin on the hardwood. He split his chin wide open and he was bleeding like stuck pig. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there but he was in pretty good spirits and was just getting prepped for his stitches. They applied some numbing jelly to chin and bandaged it up and we watched Pokeman for a half hour while it took hold. Then a doctor and two nurses came in to start with the stitches. I tell you what -- my son has ice water running through his veins, or at least ice cold kool aid. The staff went about there business and stitched Henry up and the he didn't even blink an eye or move or anything. Henry basically had the exact same look in his eye as John Rambo in First Blood when he cauterized his own wound in an abandoned mine shaft using primitive methods.

Towards the end, I could see one little tear streaming down his cheek as he stared at the ceiling. They gave Henry about a million Transformer stickers for being such an excellent young gentleman.

Afterward, a nurse remarked to me and mama that she was amazed and had never had someone his age or younger be so well- behaved and composed for something like that and that it said as much about us as parents as it did about our nerves-of-steel child. So I guess we are all just pretty awesome in a general sort of way. Note the blood on his shirt. Most of it was absorbed by towels, but there was some on the floor and what not.

I can now envision Henry down the road as a wily four-star general wearing an eye patch and telling people about the time he had to remove his own appendix during a battle. Then he'd stare off in the distance with his good eye and say something like, "we lost a lot of good men that day..."
Violet sitting at the picnic table Grandma Sue and Grandpa Bruce picked up at the thrift store and practicing her Spring Break chug-a-lug...

Me and mama at a wedding reception a few weeks back.