egg hunting

James had his first Easter egg hunt last weekend. He was a little overwhelmed with the sheer mass of children present (Matt and Katie Futrell are very gracious hosts and very brave).

Who wouldn't be a little unsure of themselves with this crowd...
(James is on the far right)

So, when the hunting started, James needed a little prompting. He quickly grabbed one egg for his left hand and one egg for his right hand. He refused to put them down, so he was finished hunting. I think he was going for more quality than quantity. James soon realized there was candy in the egg and decided to just chew the wrapper until the chocolate oozed out. You can't say he isn't independent. (He also ate several half-eaten donuts...a little sugared up??).

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We are excited about a weekend with family in Lousiville. Time is flying. This guy is getting too big, too quickly.

His latest tricks/skills include: throwing balls (and other inappropriate objects), climbing furniture, pretending to brush his hair, throwing things in the garbage (and sometimes taking them back out), scribbling with sidewalk chalk, blowing all of his food as if it is hot, saying all done/up (a million times a day)/my turn/ball/bye bye (for bird--not sure why)/hat/head.

Happy Easter to all...

where does the time go?

I've been a horrible blogger lately...so here is a quick recap of what we have been doing for the last few weeks:

1. driving, driving and more driving...weeks on the road for wedding showers, a bachelorette party, and vacations. No photo documentation needed.

2. Isaac and I took a grown-ups only trip to Mexico. Other than the greeting at the airport by armed men with machine guns (don't worry, it was the police) we were very safe and VERY relaxed. I did nothing for days...it was glorious. My sweet parent and inlaws kept James and didn't tell me until after the fact (thank you) that he was sick almost the whole time we were gone. It's one thing to ask someone to keep your busy 1 year old (and your dog); it's really asking a lot to hand over a kid with a high fever who wakes up during the night! So, thank you parents...the debt we owe you, continues to mound up!

How can you not relax when you are looking at this for 4 days??

3. where do I begin with this weather?? I love spring, I love sunshine, I love to be outside and stay out until it's dark. Thankfully, so does James.

 Check out the hair...I can't seem to bring myself to cut it. I tried to trim the front this week...it's pretty crooked.

 Master builder...

16 months and pretty adorable, busy, and a big handful

Here is where all of the fun happens.

Happy Friday! We hope to do some yard work and enjoy a weekend at home together!

going somewhere...

um, YES! The last few weeks have been a bustle of activity. I have a love/hate relationship with logistics, busyness, and a full schedule. On one hand- time flies, we get out of our usual rut, I see people. On the other hand- my DVR gets full and I really want to sit on the couch and watch mindless tv. Our last few weeks have included: a visit from Nana and Big Daddy, a delightful gathering of college friends in Birmingham (Isaac and James had some quality time together), catching up with family in Kosy, and a shower for a beloved high school friend. Unfortunately, I did a terrible job remembering my camera (or taking it out of it's case when I did remember it). So this is all I have to show...


I met these precious babies in Birmingham. How funny to see them "interact."


As for what we have been doing while at home, here it is...

 James was very quiet while playing a few days ago, and this usually means trouble...so I found him re-handed with tea bags. He was very proud.

 His current favorite playing spot (under the dining room table)

 When I tell James to go to his chair, he always chooses the booster seat, rather than the high chair. I guess he prefers to smear his mess on the table rather than a tray! Check out that wild hair. Does he need a haircut or what?!

 Best investment in a long time- James has spent quite a bit of time in his sand box over the last few days. I have perched in the chair next to it and watched.

And our big news is....drum roll...Isaac and I are taking an adults only vacation in 7 days!!! Yippee...

we have royalty in our midst

Make way for the queen...that's right, my mother was crowned the 2012 Charity Ball queen. Isn't she stunning?! We enjoyed a night of celebration in Kosciusko. Mom was beautiful and we are very proud of her. She does so much for the community and her city and received her well deserved recognition.

Sunday we enjoyed playing with cousins, exploring the front yard and a yummy lunch at Nana and Big Daddy's house.



The Byrds have spent some quality time at Fed Ex Forum lately cheering on the Grizzlies.

We have a busy February ahead, so I'm enjoying a day at home with James (and a special visit from Emily and Ed!).

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!