Apples, Balloons, Merry-Go-Rounds, and Kids. And Cows. Oh My!

Apples:

Bryce apparently loves apples. He really likes most fruits out there but we recently discovered that apples are on on the top of the list (behind watermelon and grapes.)

Noni had given my parents some red apples (yes, I have no idea what the real name of the apples were) and Bryce just tore into one of them. I was worried about him choking on the skin but he did fine.

Balloons:

15 of them to be exact. Daddy Byrd bought a bag of them, sat in the car in the driveway and blew all of them up. After he "came to," he brought all of them in and gave them to the little balloon-obsessor in the household.

Bryce was extremely excited. He started saying "red" and "blue" and tried holding all of them.

He is scared that they might pop but loves them too. Love/fear relationship. He would get frustrated when he couldn't hold more than 5 of them in his hands.

Provided weeks of entertainment.

And are now a part of the decor.

Good investment Daddy Byrd.

Merry-Go-Rounds:

The mall to Bryce does not mean clothes and stores. Nope. Mall = Merry-Go-Round. We MUST ride the MGR at least once when we take a trip to the mall. We have to prep him and remind him not to cry when it stops. He'll repeat over and over, "No cry."

We let him pick out the horse or kangaroo or seal that he wants to ride and then he says "up down" when it is moving. Meanwhile, I am trying not to puke all over the place. Can't handle those crazy rides.

He does pretty good...when it starts slowing down he'll say "one time" and hold up his finger. Very cute but you gotta watch because it will escalate into a total meltdown. So before the MGR completely stops, I have to remind him, "No crying" and he'll start whimpering and say "No cry." :)

Kids:

We had friends over to watch the first Bucs game. Burgers, brats, macaroni salad, cookies, chips and fruit. And kids!

Katrina and Brian came over with Baby Brody. So adorable! He was born a few weeks early and only weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz.

(Dan and Baby Brody)Can't wait for them to move in the neighborhood! Woohoo!

Jen and Baby Dylan came over. Bryce tried to interact with him a little. He doesn't realize that Baby Dylan is too small to really play with. One day. :)

Rachel and Chris brought there kids Luke and Hannah with them.

(Hannah and Baby Brody)

Bryce was so excited to have kids that he could play with without any grown ups telling him to "be careful" or "don't touch his face"- all warnings he hears when he gets to close to the itty-bitty crew (Baby Brody and Baby Dylan.) Jen's niece Callie entertained the little kids (and me....we played hide-seek) and it was funny to watch Bryce try and keep up with everyone. Bryce will randomly say "Baby Dylan" when we are driving. Very sweet.

Apparently Baby Brody farted on Mike the other night and after Mike told the stinky story to Bryce, Bryce kept saying "Baby Brody. Fart. Daddy." :)

We also met the family that lives diagonally, behind us. They have an 8 year old boy and 2 girls, 3 years old and 10 months old. They were out for a walk and we were playing in the driveway with the wagon when they introduced themselves. Bryce was yelling "kids!" and just wanted to be around them.

We also discovered that they are the parents of Patches, the not-so-stray cat that patrols the neighborhood and who Bryce LOVES. When we first moved in he would wake up and say "Patches."

Mike is thrilled (and relieved) that Patches has a home and therefore I will not feel the need to take him in. :)

Cows:

Everytime Bryce visits Grandma and Papaw he has to see the cows.He threw oranges (at them) to them and finally touched one (I understand buddy, they are smelly and big....)

June Cleaver called and she ain't happy!

No, those are not beach chairs in my living room.

How absurd.

Who needs beach chairs when you have a couch, love seat, recliner and a children's table with 2 mini-chairs?

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And no, that is not Mikey, Jr. trying to wedge himself through the back of one of the out-of-place chairs while eating a bowl of some type of snack that could potentially stain the not-kid-friendly beige carpet.

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Of course I would never let my child clear out the cabinets and cover the kitchen floor in tupperware, climb in the cabinets and smack his head on the pull out drawers and then proceed to use said tupperware as a drum.

No way. That kinda stuff would never happen at our house.

Etiquette people.

Manners, napkins tucked in our collars, and definitely no daddies sliding down a child's plastic slide that has a 100 lb.weight limit. (Twice. He slid down twice.)

Nope. Not at the Byrdhouse. We are up with the rooster's call, eating only breakfast food for our first meal of the day and most importantly, NO TV. Slurping cheerios and milk off of a high chair tray?

How uncivilized!

Utensils are a must. Or go to bed hungry. Or something.

(hush the music up top first...)

Don't even think about using your dinner as a styling gel. There are children starving. With bad hair. (Yes, I asked for forgiveness after that one.)

Shoes on at all times when playing outside. Wouldn't think of having my child get bit by ants, on his right leg, at least 5 times (and his toe once) while not using side walk chalk on the side walk across the street. That would be messy and probably against one of the homeowner association rules...and rules aren't made to be broken.

And last but not least, NO NUDITY ALLOWED. Running around naked after bath time is unacceptable...

...and absoultely no naked-baby-rainy-day-brownie-baking.

Won't stand for it.

...and there will be no playing of guitars or other instruments while sporting birthday suits only (you too Bryce.)

(Yes, that is a guitar pick on his toosh...)
(inspired by MckMama's Not Me! Monday blogs)