Easter Weekend

If Easter is not a sign of Spring time...then this stormy weather we're expected to have sure is! I love the cool mornings and warm days of Spring but I could definitely go without the high winds and tornadoes, not to mention that this weather decides to visit during the weekend when we have the best opportunity to be doing things outside!

As everyone is completely aware, Easter was last weekend and for us and most others this was a busy weekend. The weekend was kicked off by taking a trip to the zoo on Good Friday with a few friends. 

Saturday morning some friends of ours were kind enough to invite us to their annual Easter egg hunt, so Bryce and I decided to go while Daddy worked on a side job. Last year was Bryce's first Easter as a walker, therefore it should have been his first opportunity to hunt Easter eggs, however we had severe thunderstorms so he didn't get to hunt Easter eggs last year. So this year, given the weather cooperated, was his first experience of hunting Easter eggs. Of course Saturday morning it was raining lightly but that didn't stop us! Thank you Raychel and Rusty for inviting us out! We had a great time!

Saturday evening we designated for dying Easter eggs...again another first for Bryce. Dressed in an old t-shirt with the counter top covered with a trash bag and paper, Bryce went to work. First he added the dye tablets to the cups of vinegar...he did manage to slip 3 tables into one cup and make an interesting color!

In an extra effort to keep the mess to a minimum...I found some spill and splash proof cups to use. 

Drop!

Easter Sunday, Daddy had to work, so Bryce and I loaded up with my sister, her husband and kids and drove a couple hours south to be with my Mom's side of the family. BUT before we left, Bryce had to check out what the Easter bunny had left for him.  

I do think the Easter bunny may have been a little tired by the time he/she made it to our house, as one book was placed upside down! ; )

That morning we began our two our drive early enough to make it to church at my childhood church where Bryce, Kell and Sophia participated in the "Beautiful Baby Parade" that is held every year on Easter Sunday. 

Dressed in our Sunday best!

Grandma's usual Easter Sunday meal was prepared including Cajun ham, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, swiss chard casserole, YUMMY homemade rolls, and much, much more. This Easter Holiday was extra special as it was the first holiday that has been spent with my Uncle Eddie in attendance in over 12 years. 

 While we were waiting on dinner, there were a few more eggs to be dyed.

 A little bit of lounging around!

The assistant cooks!

Time to hunt...READY...SET...

GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Family picture!

That's that!

So Time Goes On...

and on...

and on...

and on...

Things have been moving at a fast pace around here and I’m sure everywhere else as well.  I’ve definitely struggled to keep up with anything besides work and school. Thankfully this will be all over soon! First my busy season at work is about to wrap up, then second I was able file for graduation…for the Summer semester!! Yes, I will have a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting after July 26^th, which is a whole semester sooner than I had planned! Right now it’s hard to believe and I’m going to have a lot of work to do this summer with my two final classes, BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT! How nice it will be not to have to worry about homework or going to class in the evening and that extra time I’ll have to spend with my family!

Speaking of family and most importantly…Bryce! No matter what I do that boy won’t stop growing and learning new things to do and say. The other day we were driving down the highway and he started talking about ducks and geese, which coincidentally right below the bridge we were on was a duck pond with a duck flying over it…there’s no way he could have known that was a duck! He’s very observant and knows where many of our friends live.He knows why we go to Sonic...to get drinks!

So Thursday night we took Bryce to see Sesame Street Live. He shows one obvious personality trait he took from me, being TERRIFIED of the characters! My particular fear is and always was clowns. The entire time he kept saying he wanted to go "Bye, bye".  He clung to me so tightly that I wasn't able to take many pictures, but he did intently watch the show. Of course as soon as we left he told me he wanted to go see Elmo again!

We still haven't mastered potty training, though he's showing interest but he still won't tell me he needs to go, even when I ask constantly, unless he's running around butt naked! Yes, when he's being my little naked hippy is when he is best about going on the potty! 

As obvious in one of the above pictures, Bryce's hair is getting a little long. It is one of the few "first's" we still have remaining. I’m still debating on when that might be. Right now I’m loving his blond locks but everyone keeps teasing us about his mullet. He also seems to be getting mistaken for a girl a lot despite his very boyish clothes.

Well I thought I would give my blog a little love before I enjoy this unusually hot April day...then of course study a little bit for an exam this week. 

Catching Up

Yea, yea...the USUAL!

  

Any free time I get goes to these guys!

So I thought while I have a moment before I go to a seminar class (so that I can get my one hour upper level elective course out of the way) that I might try to do some catching up, well at least start the post and probably finish later. I apologize in advance that this post probably won't flow real well.

Bryce is definitely fitting the stereotype of the terrible two's, though he's still not quite "terrible". I will admit we're having a difficult time finding the best form of discipline for him, nothing seems to work! AND I won't even get into the battle of getting him to sleep in his own bed...again.

Then we're having another bath battle. Once again he is hating his baths...apparently he doesn't like the water getting in his eyes. We have tried everything to keep water from getting in his eyes but usually he will fight us and end up getting it in his eyes anyways. So I've just given up trying not to get it in his eyes and hope he'll just learn to deal with it...soon!

We usually give him a bath every other day, and for the past month he cries the entire time! Sometimes as soon as he comes home he wants in his" jammies", because he thinks once he's in his "jammies" he's safe from taking a bath. I guess that could be why most of our recent pictures he is in his "jammies".

Then he's learned the phrase "Don't want to!" and he sure uses it a lot.

"Bryce, pick up your toys!"

"Don't want to!"

"Bryce, eat your dinner!"

"Don't want to!"

"Bryce, let's brush your teeth."

"Don't want to!"

As for eating he's definitely in that stage where he's too busy to eat. However, when I do get him to sit still long enough to eat, he will eat just about anything...even asparagus...but still no mashed potatoes!

 

Now he's started telling me that HE is the boss! I haven't figured out where he's getting that from! 

Right now he's at the fun (and frightening) stage where you don't know what he's going to say next...he definitely keeps us constantly laughing!

Bryce's Third Christmas

Wow! It's so hard to believe it really was Bryce's THIRD Christmas...and with each Christmas the magic of Christmas gets even better.

First things first...he had to go tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. This was only our second Santa photo since I didn't feel the need to have one taken when he was a newborn, however to be honest I now regret that decision. Either way...I have yet to get a screaming Santa photo (that we all love to keep for future blackmail) as he has been cooperative both years!

Loving on his "Der Der".

Early Christmas at my Grandparents' house.

Dressed for an Ugly Sweater Party.

 

 

Since Daddy had to work Christmas Day (again), we again made a special request for Santa to visit our house a night early so that Daddy could share in the excitement. Santa fortunately obliged and we woke up to find the presents he left on the morning of Christmas Eve. 

 Bryce's very own laptop!!!

 Oh my...a basketball goal!!!

A new horse!

Powertools!

Loving the safety goggles provided in his tool kit!

We spent the evening of Christmas Eve with Nic's Dad's side of the family. Below is Nic's grandparents with 4 out of 5 of their Great-Grandchildren.

 Christmas Day was spent with my Mom's side of the family.

New OU recliners from Granny.

Cool new tricycle...which he can't quite reach the peddles on but it should be perfect for this summer.

 Four generations.

2 Year Check-Up

During the first week of December we took Bryce in for his 2 year old check-up. Thank goodness this check-up did not require any shots, just a flu mist.

Here are the stats for my little guy.

Weight: 27 lbs (36%)

Height: 33.5 inches (23%)

Head: 50.5 cm (89%)

For the first time they also "measured" his body mass index, which was 17 (61%)...whatever that means.

I sure hope that big ol' head of his means he's going to be a petroleum engineer! ; )

As one of my previous posts stated, at his second birthday we converted his crib to a toddler bed since he was climbing out of his crib...needless to say we have not been able to keep him in his bed since. Right now our only option is just to lock him in his room but that is just torture to me...I don't know what we're going to do now...