Halloween

Halloween was so fun. We dressed James up as "Super Grizz" or just a Memphis Grizzlies bball player. He had a blast, and quickly figured out how to get the most candy in one grab. 

 SLA was a trooper and hung out with us for the night. James quickly asked for her "hand" and pulled her along.

Happy Halloween! Go Grizz!

airplanes, fun and family

James and I had quite an adventure this weekend. We survived flying, a lay-over, no nap, and the Atlanta airport. It was not easy feat...headaches, sweating, some screaming, and a lot of "taking deep breaths" (that was me, not James). But- it was so worth it. We had a fabulous weekend in Greensboro with the Whites. James and Swinton had a blast. They played hard and negotiated the world of sharing. Greensboro is full of great kid-friendly activities. Here is a quick overview...

 Fun with flashlights (the favorite toy of the weekend, thankfully Jen had 2!)

 The fountain at the Science Center

 Brushing a goat at the science center

We also went to the park, children's museum, Chick-fil-a (where "moo" gave "fives"), City Church, fed the ducks at the Bog Garden. And, yes, we did it all in 2 and 1/2 days.

This was James on Monday when we arrived home. Thanks, Jen and Jim for letting us crash for a couple of days. I know we wore you out and your house may never be the same. It was a blast!

update on the napping situation

Well, he took a nap! He was rewarded with a call to Daddy at work, a call to Nana, and a pack of cookies.
Today I promised him a cupcake if he napped at PDO. When I picked him up this afternoon, the first thing he said was "cupcake." Apparently bribery works.

I can't make this turn around, but it says "He must have really wanted that cupcake!"

I guess promises for sugar make an impact on this almost 2 year old. I just hope I haven't started something that I can't stop!

just when you think you have it figured out...

it all changes. I must admit, life for the Byrds had gotten a little too good. James was enjoying a long night's sleep, napping for 2 hours after lunch. Then, wham, he decides to play in his bed for hours...literally 2 or more hours of playing, talking, jumping and NO sleeping. Then whammo, he decided to take his clothes off during nap time (including the very essential diaper). Then,  oh yes, there is more, he decided to stop napping at school and to make lots of noise and wiggle during nap time. What have I tried? Well so far, napping early, napping late, napping with books/toys/etc., napping with nothing but his "gusty" (short for disgusting) bunny, spanking (yep), ignoring, letting my mother put him down for a nap. I mean what is left, right?? Well, tomorrow I am trying my last idea- sleeping in the pack and play (less room to play) and sleeping in a sleep sack (thanks to a loaner from a friend)- oh yes they make them in XL. (If you don't know what that is, check this out.)

 http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=halo+xl+sleep+sack&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=8648218764&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17677884731376222209&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_8opxd2yh96_b

Can you imagine James is that thing? He will hate it. I'll let you know how project "keep you clothes on and take a nap" goes tomorrow. For now, James is falling asleep as he eats his dinner (it's only 5:30).

Moral of the story...you NEVER have it figured out!

i love the camera

fake smiling with his "pumpkin patch" (as he calls it)...

fall 2012

what have you been doing lately...a better question is, what have you not been doing lately. here are a few pictures of our late summer/early fall. 

BEACH

we had the best beach trip ever. isaac thought i was being a bit overly optimistic about going to the beach with an almost 2 year old. but it was a huge success (he even said it was our best vacation yet). james loved the sand, water, sea gulls, and his aunt and uncle (who joined us for a few days). the car ride home was less successful- think 8 hours in the car and a 45 minute nap...but it was totally worth it.

PICKING APPLES

we drove for 30+ minutes to jones orchard, got a little lost, picked a few apples and drove home. it wasn't as idyllic as the pictures might suggest and my homemade applesauce and apple pie were less than stellar. but, we have some cute pictures. james really loved the long stick for grabbing apples, he also may have grabbed our friends, dallas and john! 

FOOTBALL

i have no visual documentation to prove that we took james to a game because my hands were too busy trying to keep him in his seat or keep him from hitting the lady in front of him with a pom pom. let's just say that we left at halftime of the auburn game and drove back to memphis. he loved it but he wanted to "get down" and get on the field. he prefers hands on, yard football not spectator football. we enjoyed the 2 games without james a little more and actually watched those games. 

lately...

Do you remember these...

well, they were blanched, cooled, packaged, and frozen until...the freezer came unplugged and they rotted. So, if you would like to know how my ultradomestic phase is going...just know that it is over, at least for this year.

On a more exciting note. Here is what little James is up to these days. He is obsessed with firetrucks, choo-choos and diggers (is he a boy or what?). Mom took him to see the firetrucks in Kosciusko. It was a big hit.

 We spent a morning at the Neshoba County Fair with Marianna and Benji. Do you think James is getting too old for me to encourage him to kiss everyone??

 James rolled (literally) in sawdust, saw the sad animals at the petting zoo, and ran around like a wild man. It was great to see friends and catch up amidst chasing a toddler.

 After the fair, James and I headed back to Kosciusko where James had an encounter with a bee. See left eye! He was a trooper but screamed for quite a while.

 This is him the morning after...you should see the other guy.

 As you can see by my documentation, our summer has been full of minor injuries. See right eye. James crashed into the back of the couch (after throwing all of the pillows off). He also has mastered looking into the camera and saying "cheese."

 This is what we did this morning while enjoying not getting dressed until...well, too late to mention.

By the way, guess who slept on a mat at parents' day out this week....impressive!! Nothing too excited, just a little glimpse into our humdrum daily life here on Wallace Rd.

summertime

Time is flying and I've neglected a lot of things...my house, the laundry, and my blog. So here are a few of the highlights.

1. Gardening. Isaac has provided food for our table in may ways this summer. We have picked and eaten tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapenos, squash, zucchini and beans. If you are impressed...you should be. Isaac has worked hard (with a little help from some friends). James and I are counter productive, as James prefers to throw the tomatoes and dump out the buckets.

 Isaac's homemade pickles have been a hit!

 I spent more time than I care to admit and sweated more than I would ever tell, as I put up 5 cans of green beans. It was not glamorous, I complained as I did it, and I am not even sure if I did it right. I guess we will find out this winter when we eat them!

2. Trips to Mississippi

 James learned to jump on the trampoline and jump into the pool while in Kosy. He also got in some good cousin time.

 (Doesn't it look like we own a daycare?)

In Louisville, James saddled up and went for a little horse ride thanks to cousin Lori.

3. Fun in Memphis. I have enjoyed discovering the city through the eyes of a 1 year old. We have loved the zoo, botanic gardens, and children's museum.

 Elephants and the zoo

 Digging for fossils at the zoo.


This little clown has kept us on our toes...he goes non-stop, laughs a lot, gets in trouble a lot and is quite a delight.

Memorial Day weekend

James found these boots in his closet this week and refused to take them off Sunday morning. I had to do a little distracting to change shoes before church. They are a little too big; therefore, he falls a lot while wearing them. This does not discourage his efforts. They look particularly good with his pj top and diaper.

 The Byrd family ventured out to explore the city yesterday afternoon. We sweated, we were a little disappointed, but we were glad to get out of the house. James, Isaac and I went downtown to Mud Island River Park. They have a model of the Mississippi that you can walk through. What I didn't plan on is that the Miss River has varying depths, which makes it challenging for a toddler to maintain balance as he walked down the stream. I also didn't calculate all of the "big" kids that would be playing in the water with no awareness of those around them.

 It was fun to watch the barges pass, oh so slowly. James has learned to say "boat" (although, Isaac reminded me...it's not a boat, it is a barge).

 Here James has arrived at the "Gulf of Mexico." He really wanted to get into the swan paddle boat...we firmly said no.

It has been a treat to have Isaac home today. He has worked hard in our backyard and it is looking pretty good! Happy Monday!