my kitchen "helper"

Who said cooking with a 1 year old wasn't fun?! It was fun until I had to clean up. Have you ever heard the endearing term "hours from hell?" Well, let me tell you, they exist and we experience them almost daily here at the Byrd household. They usually begin around 5 and last until 7 (bed time). Picture this: trying to put a meal together, James clinging to my pants leg crying, something boiling over on the stove, me contemplating whether 5:00 is too early for a glass or wine...you get the picture. So, yesterday I decided to embrace the chaos and let James help me cook. It may be a while before I do it again, but it was quite entertaining. 

 usually James organizes my cabinets while I cook...

 or he cleans out the fridge..."hey Mom, can I have a beer??" But today, he cooked...

 "this stuff looks kind of fun to play in..."

 "let's give it a little taste"

"wow, this shredded cheese is yummmy"

"i think i'll lick it, that seems more efficient than trying to pick up these little things" 

cold weather fun?!

I love warm weather, even mild weather. I just am not a cold weather person. Is anyone really a cold weather person? If you are, we need to talk about how and what I can do to move my feelings a little more in that direction. We have ventured out as much as possible but as the drizzle continues outside, James needed an activity. His favorite thing, by far, is George's dog food. So after several "no no, don't touch"es, I decided to be super creative and let James play in a box of dried beans. It was a hit. He laughed, he put them in and out...I had found a winner. Then I decided to check my Google Reader...bad idea. I came back to a kitchen covered in dried beans and a kiddo swimming in them. So, we are back to square one on rainy day activities....but it was fun while it lasted, at least for James! We should probably stick to the Children's Museum for creative fun...

Here he is in action...before the BIG spill (note the small spills have already occurred)

Hope the sun will come out tomorrow

a glimpse of the holidays

I'm sitting on my NEW back deck soaking up a little warm sunshine. I've been in need of a day like today. Post Christmas blues...dirty house, toys everywhere, cold weather...you get the picture. So, today, I'm enjoying a warmer day and a sleeping kiddo (for the moment).

I know what you are wondering...new deck? Well let me tell you about my fabulous new deck.

On one side there is a bench and an awesome coffee table that my handy husband refinished. Note George gazing off into the backyard in search of squirrels.

 This is the grilling station. Isaac has put it to good use the last few weeks, especially since we didn't have an oven for a while!

See the laptop...that is where I am perched for the moment. As you can see by the toys, James also enjoys the deck; however, his favorite location is at the top of the steps.

Back to the holidays. We had our usual tour though Mississippi this Christmas. It began at the Byrd household, which was bustling with energy this year (even though we were missing a few). We then made our way to Kosciusko where the excitement and energy levels only increased. With 5 children under 5, there was never a dull moment. The week was topped off with a 90th birthday party for my grandmother. Here are a few pictures of the week. I didn't do a great job documenting...there was too much going on!

 James in Memphis inching closer and closer to the Christmas tree and snatching all of the ornaments off the lower branches. I think he was caught red-handed in this picture.

 Nana and Big Daddy with some of the grandkids.

 One of the few pictures I have with James. From the visual documentation of his 1st year, I look like an absent mother!

 James quickly figured out how to rip open a present and was an expert by the end of the week.

This is the Watts crew. You can see the lady of the hour, Maw Maw, seated in the middle.

It was a Christmas to remember filled with toddlers, gifts, family, food, football, donkeys (more on that later), runny noses, laughter, exhaustion and delight. Now, on to 2012!