Bryson Tate Gallimore

Our Weekend Adventures

2009-09-30T20:53:00.004-05:00

We had lots of family in town over the weekend. Just a few pics from the fun. Nana and Memaw were here as well as Uncle Braxton and Stacey. We also went to the fair. Hope to have pics from that fun later!

I was the big poker winner. Bryson loved playing with the chips!

George Needs a Shirt Too Mommy

2009-09-24T17:35:00.004-05:00

This morning as I was getting Bryson dressed he said, "Mommy George needs a shirt too." That would be Curious George the monkey he was talking about. So we found a shirt for George. Then he requested pants, socks, and shoes too. We compromised and George got some really stylish Cookie Monster socks. So as we were leaving I was putting Bryson's jacket on him and he said," George needs a jacket too. He will get cold." So George left for Teresa's outfitted in a tank, Cookie Monster socks, and a hoodie. Never a dull moment at the Gallimore's.

Oh yeah...Bryson also wore his oh so attractive headband that he made yesterday at Teresa's. He loves it! And looks like he is ready to be in a Jane Fonda workout video!

Head and Shoulders

2009-09-22T18:55:00.003-05:00

The other night at dinner I could Bryson under his breath singing "knees and toes, knees and toes." I finally figured out that they had learned the song Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes at Teresa's. So here we are the displaying our singing/body naming skills. He had such fun!

The Plano Balloon Festival

2009-09-20T21:43:00.006-05:00

"You want me to get up at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning?" This was my response to Brian saying he wanted us to go to the Plano Balloon Festival this past weekend. If you know me well, you know I value my sleep but I must say that it was worth it to get up. Bryson completely enjoyed the balloons and had a grand time!

Paraguas

2009-09-18T17:21:00.003-05:00

Warning>>>Shameless bragging from a proud parent! BEWARE!!

When I dropped Bryson off this morning Teresa said,

"He just amazes me all the time. The other day we were practicing our letters and I held up a letter and asked what it was. Bryson hollered out "u" and then all the other kids said "u" also. Then he picked up a picture of an umbrella and said "paraguas". I asked him to repeat it and realized he was saying umbrella in Spanish."

He had remembered umbrella in Spanish from when they played Mexican Bingo several weeks before. He's a GENIUS I say!!

It's a Nightstand Mommy

2009-09-18T17:17:00.002-05:00

Conversation from this morning as Bryson and I were sitting on my bed while I was doing my makeup.

Mommy: Bryson, can you hand me the remote. It's on the table right over there.
Bryson: Okay Mommy. But that's a nightstand not a table.

Reading in a Box is FUN

2009-09-17T20:32:00.003-05:00

Nana and Shaun cleaned out his room recently. So Bryson benefited with a whole box of hand me down books. He decided to check out his new stash of books by climbing in the box and settling in!

Bryson "Reading" It's Too Windy

2009-09-15T22:43:00.002-05:00

Tonight Bryson had to show off some by "reading" the book It's Too Windy for Daddy. Reading it might be too strong a word. Using really good picture clues and having a memory like an elephant might be more appropriate. Regardless, in a mother's opinion, he is brilliant and pretty darn cute!

The Fire Station

2009-09-13T20:57:00.004-05:00

Today we had lunch with Cousin Shaun and Uncle Brandon. They mentioned that the their boy scout troop was going on a tour of the fire station this afternoon. So of course we had to tag along since Bryson loves "fire enginginges" as he calls them. The fire men were great and all the boys (and adults) loved the tour. Bryson thought he was one of the big boys too. He sat so quietly while the fireman spoke and was mesmorized. It amazed me that a two year could be so attentive! What a great time!

Watching Horsepower TV

2009-09-08T20:15:00.003-05:00

Bryson now requests Horsepower TV. He says, "Daddy let's watch big trucks." Why do I see a 4x4 in our future?

I Want Blue Toes

2009-09-08T20:11:00.002-05:00

Our conversation on the way home today.

Bryson: Mommy, I want blue toes.
Mommy: Where did you see blue toes?
Bryson: On Maggie. Let's go to the store and get me blue toes.

I guess she had blue toe nail polish. He talked about it all evening!

See My Duck's Hat Mommy!

2009-09-08T20:09:00.003-05:00

Yes, that's an Easter egg for the hat.

I Think We May Need to Go Camping!

2009-09-08T19:51:00.003-05:00

We have a very good friend who kept children in her home for many years. So over the years she has collected some very good toys. She is no longer keeping kiddos and therefore she is bequeathing all her coolest toys to Bryson. She brings them to Gran's house and so Gran always has a fun surprise for Bryson to play with.

This past weekend it was the camping gear. Complete with sunglasses, binoculars, Swiss army knife, hatchet, shovel, cook stove, canteens, and fun boots. Boy is Bryson in heaven! Thank you Nina!!!

August!

2009-09-02T18:46:00.004-05:00

Making brownies! Chocolate is GOOOOOODDDD!!!

Family Pic!

First day back at Teresa's

My first day of "school" pictures!

Look at my pepper from Daddy's garden!

Date Night at Del Frisco's! Good Eats!

My playhouse

Stacey's Graduation!

Miami

2009-09-02T18:31:00.003-05:00

Key West! Southernmost point in Continental US!

HUGE tarpon fish we fed off the dock!

After snorkeling the reef!

Standing on South Beach!

Everglades Tour!

Key West!

Sponge Monster! Doesn't he look terrified?

July!

2009-09-02T18:13:00.003-05:00

Fourth of July!

Look at the fireworks! I was concerned he would be scared but he LOVED them!

We bought a playhouse for Bryson. Brian decided that we need to finish the trench in the yard and use the dirt from it to level the playhouse. My job. Did the trench. Am I one lucky girl or what? This is the HUGE rock I unearthed!

Dasher and Brian trying out the tower addition Brian added to the play house.

The playhouse. Or "My birdhouse" as Bryson calls it! We purchase the part on the left and of course Brian had to "Gallimorize" it!

June!

2009-09-01T21:42:00.003-05:00

Last day at Teresa's! Sure missed her over the summer!

My buddy Emily!

Connor's Birthday Party!

My buddy Ashlyn's glasses! I love them!

Carrying my shoes to my room! Interesting way to do it!

Mmmmm..Ice Cream!

Big Worm!

Daddy's Garden

Playing at Steele's Birthday Party!

Happy Birthday Steele!

May!

2009-09-01T21:15:00.005-05:00

Daddy's Company Picnic. Do you think I could carry anymore toys?

How many car seats can fit into Quadzilla? A guys trip to pick up some big plastic containers that still haven't been utilized. :)

See my grapes!

Daddy's Garden

Sick over Memorial Day Weekend. Some crazy throat virus. What would we do without Acute Kids???

April! Easter!

2009-09-01T21:04:00.002-05:00

March! Happy Birthday Bryson!

2009-09-01T20:48:00.006-05:00

Bryson and Mommy! Happy Birthday my sweet boy!

Birthday party in Lubbock at Nana's!

Hanging with Shaun!

Some birthday invite pics. He had a firemen themed party!

Playing peak a boo in my playhouse at the birthday party!

I am TWO!

My fire engine cake. Don't know why this pic is turned wrong.

February!

2009-09-01T20:45:00.003-05:00

I love to brush my teeth!

Pretending to sleep(with my eyes open)!

My handsome men!

I KNOW I Have Been Terrible!

2009-09-01T20:42:00.002-05:00

I know that I have been a terrrrriiibbblllleee blogger! I really had good intentions of getting back on track this summer and just always let other things tempt me (naps)! Sooo...I will be attemping to do some highlight posts from the months I have missed and then get back on track and be more faithful. I hope!

Bryson Loves Emptying the Dishwasher!

2009-01-18T22:14:00.001-06:00

It is one of his favorite things. We have just about trained him to put all the silverware in the right slots!

We're Back!

2009-01-18T21:45:00.006-06:00

No, we haven't be traveling somewhere fun. Just back from a long vacation from the blog. Just haven't felt very motivated to blog lately. Maybe I can get caught up soon. Below are a few pics from Christmas.

Fun with Shaun at Hooter's for dinner.

Fun with the waitress at Hooter's for dinner. Bryson LOVED her! What a typical man!

My new truck!

Race cars are fun!

Elmo?? Why are you making all that noise? (Let it be noted that I thought this would be his favorite gift. He has yet to play with him at all!)

Do you remember A Christmas Story? Bryson's version!

A little black icing on a Christmas cookie goes a long way. Boy did we have colorful diapers after this treat!

Tools just like Daddy!

My computer just like Daddy!

Big Trucks are FUN!

Thanksgiving Fun!

2008-12-02T21:36:00.005-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving Day at my grandmother's in Hamilton and then traveled to Lubbock for the weekend. Just a few pics from our travels. Keep scrolling down for even more videos from our travels.

More New Shoes to Try!

More Fun with Uncle Braxton

Great Fun with Shaun

I decided we should do our Christmas photo on campus at Tech while we were in Lubbock. Bryson however thought otherwise and only wanted to push the stroller around. When we tried to get a picture he threw a HUGE fit. I think the terrible twos have arrived. Here are a couple of the good picutures. Notice there isn't one of the whole family.

The Christmas Photo Outakes

Playing with the train Daddy had as a kid. Daddy's Uncle Ronnie made it for him!

Bryson is Rockin'

2008-12-02T17:37:00.002-06:00

Bryson learned that he can rock a chair on his own. It takes his whole body movement but he can make that chair go. He wanted everyone to rock too! You can hear my mom in the background telling him to be careful. Too funny!

I LOVE the Wii!

2008-12-02T17:32:00.003-06:00

While we were at my grandmother's over Thanksgiving, my cousin brought her Wii. It was definitely a source of extreme enjoyment for Bryson! He loved watching everyone bowl. He screamed and giggled with pure joy every time!

George, My New Best Friend

2008-11-05T20:53:00.004-06:00

Last week while hanging out at Kohl's (one of my favorite stores) I ran across a Curious George stuffed animal. It was only five bucks and kept Bryson totally happy while I shopped, so he came home with us. I could never know how loved he would become. He now has been drug all over the house (and to the sitter on occasion) by Bryson. This morning Bryson had to have breakfast with him. George even got to eat some apples. Yum yum!

I Know I Have Been Bad!

2008-11-02T21:53:00.002-06:00

Okay everyone! I am so sorry I have been such a blog slacker. So check out below for some Bryson updates. I promise to be better in the future. I do have a rather extensive list of excuses for my lack of blogging.

1. Brian has been holding the pictures hostage on his computer. He is always "messing with" his computer and now I don't have access to the pictures from my laptop as I once did.

2. You might ask, "Amber, why don't you just use Brian's computer?" Well because he is ALWAYS on it unless he is asleep and then I am asleep too.

3. You might also ask, "Why don't you just use the pictures off the camera card before he puts them on the computer?" Well because he is ALWAYS blogging and he seems to beat me to the pictures. Then he DELETES them off the camera card.

4. I know that it sounds like I am totally blaming Brian (of course much of it is his fault), so I will leave you with one final reason for my lack of blogging. Pure LAZINESS.

So to all of you faithful blog readers out there. I promise to be better with keeping up with the entries. Don't give up on me. Keep reading and commenting! Enjoy the updates below!

Trick or Treat

2008-11-02T21:37:00.005-06:00

Our obligatory pumpkin pictures. Not as cute as last year. Bryson was way more into exploring the pumpkins instead of posing for the camera.

Halloween was great fun. Bryson had a whole entourage for the event. Nana, Gran, Grandad, Mommy, and his trick or treat teacher, Shaun, were all there for the fun!

Shaun as Iron Man!

Bryson as a lion! He wasn't into wearing the oh so cute head piece.

He actually walked to some of the houses. Isn't the tail cute!

Checking out the loot! Luckily he hasn't discovered that he can eat the candy. He only wants to play with it right now!

Today's fun! Walking around in Daddy's shoes, wearing my bling, and carrying my candy. He fell over more than one, picked up the goodies, and kept on going!

Catching Up!

2008-11-02T21:17:00.004-06:00

Just posting some recent pictures since I have been so bad about blogging. See above post for excuses.

Bryson is swinging like a big guy now!

Even though he will always be a Red Raider, we showed off our Bearkat wear in honor of Cousin Brennan!

Riding the zebra at Gran's! Don't you love the shades!

The Alliance Air Show. Bryson loved the ma's. That would be plane in Bryson speak.

Teresa is the Best

2008-11-02T21:04:00.005-06:00

Bryson has been going to a new sitter, Teresa, this school year. And he LOVES her. Doesn't faze him a bit to be dropped off each day. I always have to ask for kisses and hugs because he is already involved in something more fun than saying goodbye to mom. She is wonderful. She has been doing so much with him. They have been working on letters, shapes, colors, and many many new words. At last count he can identify 20 letters, 10-12 shapes (including pentagon and hexagon) and is working on colors and numbers. Thanks to her he has also become an avid lover of books or "boots" as he calls them. We love you Teresa!

This video was from awhile back but still fun to watch!

Playing on the Slide

2008-09-15T20:49:00.003-05:00

Nana sent Shaun's old slide back to Dallas with us for Bryson to have. He has had more fun with it. He wants to go to the yard EVERY day after school to play!

Playing with Daddy

2008-09-15T20:45:00.001-05:00

Our Trip to LA (Lubbock Area)

2008-09-02T20:48:00.003-05:00

We headed out to Lubbock this weekend for a visit with Nana. We enjoyed hanging out with Brian's mom and grandmother. We caught up on some much needed rest, ate some yummy food, and help out with some projects around the house. Nana took Bryson for his 18 month pictures (a bit early). We had them also take some pics with cousin Shaun. I will post those as soon as we get them. It was interesting trying to get my on the go boy to pose for a picture. Let's just say I did some pretty crazy stuff to get reactions. Check out Brian's blog for more particular details of all the projects he completed for Nana. Enjoy the pics from the weekend.

Nana was very excited to have Bryson try out the Jeep with Shaun driving. Bryson immediately started crying. He refused to go near the Jeep again. He did enjoy watching Shaun drive from a distance.

Nana totally spoiled Bryson. All he wanted was Nana all weekend. He would walk to her and say, "Up, peasss" anytime she was around.

Rocks are such great fun!

Brian noticed that Nana's mailbox could use a coat of paint. Of course she chose purple.

It was so nice to just hang out!

Peek a Boo!

2008-08-19T22:04:00.003-05:00

Bryson's new favorite game while changing his diaper is peek a boo. He loves to sneak a peek at me behind his hands. He thinks it is hilarious if I catch him peeking.

Spinning is so much FUN!

2008-08-03T22:47:00.002-05:00

Bryson has discovered the fine art of spinning. Enjoy the fun!

Kindermusik

2008-07-24T17:00:00.004-05:00

Bryson and I have been going to Kindermusik this summer. He has really enjoyed the songs, instruments, and other kiddos. Just a few pics from our fun!

Mommy and Me!

I love the egg shakers. I finally was able to carry all four at one time!

The bells are fun too!

Playing with the clappers!

Gran even joined in for the fun!

I loved the mirrors!

Google Reader

2008-07-23T22:18:00.003-05:00

This is for all you faithful bloggers and blog readers. Do you know about Google Reader? It lets you upload all the blogs that you visit regularly. Then it tells you when they are updated. It is great. You can visit one location to see which blogs have been update. You can view the blog from Google Reader or click to go directly to the blog. I love it! Everyone may already know about this but I think it is great!

John Marshall Came for a Visit!

2008-07-21T13:32:00.002-05:00

John Marshall, Ron, and Christy came over yesterday for a visit. The boys had fun playing in the water and climbing all over the deck!
Such a happy boy!

Sweet Hugs!

The boys had fun playing in the water!

John Marshall thought Comet needed a hug!

Playdate at Stonebriar

2008-07-21T13:06:00.005-05:00

Last week Bryson and I headed over to Stonebriar to meet up with some friends. We had great fun playing in the play area, eating lunch, and riding the carousel. Thanks for the great time everyone!

King of the Hill!

Sliding!

Bryson loved the tunnels!

Macy

Maggie

Reid

Jackson hamming it up!

Weeeeeee!

Maggie and Bryson! Love that smile!

Steele.
Bryson and Steele will be at the same sitter this school year. They will have so much fun playing!

Bryson riding the horsie! He liked it at first but soon wanted off that horse. I ended up holding him for half the ride! At least I got some cute pictures before the meltdown.

Is this a button?

Cody

The China Study

2008-07-15T22:22:00.004-05:00

Brian has been reading this book called "The China Study." In short the book is about an ongoing research study that shows that if you change your diet you can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Basically he has learned that products from animal protiens contribute to these diseases and if you can reduce the amount of animal proteins you eat you can help fight and prevent these diseases.

Sooooo....my meat loving husband is working to not eat as much meat or other animal products. He is striving to eat more vegan by cutting out meat, drinking soy milk, eating less processed foods, and increasing his vegetable intake. Now Brian has always been a much healthier eater than I, so he was on board with this pretty quickly. I am slowly making some changes. I have been searching for more meat lacking meals to make in an effort to be a "supportive wife.''

So here is a picture of our meal tonight. I know you are probably wondering why we took a picutre, but I was very proud of my efforts and it was mighty tasty. So I included the recipe below.

Bow-Ties with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

12 oz bow-tie (farfalle) pasta
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 bag (10 oz) spinach, tough stems removed, leaves torn bite-size
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

PREPARATION

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add half the garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add half the spinach and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; sauté 1 minute, or until spinach wilts. Add remaining spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer to bowl with pasta.

3. Add remaining 2 Tbsp oil and rest of garlic to skillet. Cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until tomatoes release their juices. Add to bowl with pasta.

4. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and toss to combine.

We also grilled some squash, red peppers, and red onion on the grill. I tossed these in extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper in a zip lock bag. I tossed some bread sticks in the oven too. It was pretty quick and delicious. This wasn't totally vegan due to the cheese but met our goal of reducing animal proteins.

Now off to have some ice cream. Not sure if I can part with this animal protein product. Tee Hee

Our First Major Tantrum

2008-07-15T21:53:00.003-05:00

Bryson has had fits before but mainly when he is really tired and you wake him up before he wants too. Not so much when you take something away. He might cry a bit but get over it pretty quickly. That all changed today. This morning I headed to a consignment store on the search for a jogging stroller. Bryson fell in love in one of those oh so noisy ball popping push toys. He ran it all over the store. It was only $2.99 so I bought it. When we went to the car he was furious that I took it away so we could get in the car and leave. He proceeded to have a 5-7 minute crying fit. He cried all the way across Allen. Let's just say I didn't get to finish my errands.

The Fit

The toy at the center of all the turmoil! I finally got it back out tonight for him to play with outside.

These pictures have nothing to do with the fit but he was too cute waving at all the cars that drove by.

Sunglasses

2008-07-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

Bryson's Nana bought him this pair of sunglasses. He LOVES them. He has more fun taking them off and on and having Mommy wear them. Luckily they are Fisher Price and VERY STURDY. It is amazing he hasn't broken the ear pieces off yet. I thought it was absolutely adorable when he was walking around the house with them on his head yesterday. Just like Mommy. Today he had them on and was riding his car around too. Too cute!

The Pool

2008-07-15T21:27:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I got the bright idea to get out Bryson's kiddie pool that he got for his birthday and let him play some on the deck. I also thought I could maybe sit in a chair, read a book, take cute pictures of Bryson, and relax some while he played in the pool. Boy was I wrong. Bryson spent the majority of the time trying to climb in and out of the pool over and over again while I kept requesting that he get in and SIT DOWN! I think he heard, "Bryson sit down" at least 50 times. I was so afraid he would slip and crack his head on something because it was so slippery. Finally after taking all the toys out of the pool and announcing that we were going inside did he decide to SIT and play in the pool. Not the relaxing experience I had envisioned.

Mom would you quit telling me to sit down!

Our grapevines on the deck are currently producing tons of grapes which also attracts the birds. I noticed this red bird/cardinal feasting on the treats when we were playing.

Dasher, our dog with a spring in his step! Right before taking this picture he had leaped from the bench on the left of the shot to the table he is currently standing on. He can also jump the full height of our back door. He could probably escape our yard if he really wanted to.

Dr. Kev Kev Got Married!

2008-07-14T11:03:00.006-05:00

We headed this weekend to San Angelo for the wedding of my cousin Kevin and his new bride, Meghan. You're probably wondering about the Dr. Kev Kev in the post title. My nickname for Kevin as a kid was Kev Kev. He called me Bamber. He recently got his doctorate degree so I like to tease him and call him Dr. Kev Kev.

They had a lovely wedding and a good time was had by all. Bryson attended his first wedding and stayed in a hotel for the first time. Bryson also had his first dance with a girl. Take note of the song that is playing. "I Don't Even Know His Last Name." The flower girl was definitely leading the dance!

The Bride and Groom's First Dance!

Bryson enjoyed exploring the hotel room. He loved the fact that the tissue dispenser was on his level. He had more fun getting tissues to "blow" his nose.

Dinner on the floor of the hotel room. Bryson figured out he could use his feet to make himself rock back in his booster seat. Such fun!

The Family!

He loved this fountain in the courtyard. He was thrilled when he could finally find a spot that was tall enough for him to reach the water.

When Bryson and I came in from out side my dad was holding this little girl, Emerson. Bryson did not like Grandad holding any other baby. Bryson even tried to push her away.

Bryson was attached to Uncle Braxton.

All the cousins.
Amber, Jessica, Lynette, Brennan, Meghan, her niece Steeley, Kevin, and Braxton

Bryson had a late night. You would have thought he would have slept the whole way home but no. He really wore Brian and I out trying to keep him entertained on the way home.

We passed through a wind energy center on the way. The huge wind turbines were amazing. You can seen them from I-20 and the amount of them is impressive but driving through the middle was way cool.

This picture doesn't do justice to the sheer numbers of them everywhere.

Bryson's first trip to Cracker Barrel.

All in all we had a great time. It was super to see all the family and celebrate such an exciting time!

We Were Warned

2008-07-09T18:01:00.002-05:00

When Bryson started getting mobile, someone warned us that things would just suddenly disappear around the house. We might be lucky and find some of those things in random places months later but most would be gone forever.

Welllllllll....Bryson has struck! Sunday as I was picking up the house, I noticed that Bryson had come into the living room with the TV remote for our bedroom TV. (It is the only one that will work the satellite in the bedroom) I thought to myself, "I better take that away, or it will get lost." But I was too busy cleaning and let the thought slip my mind. However that evening I began looking for the remote and it was nowhere to be found.

My mom came that evening to watch Bryson for a few days while I went to a workshop. I mentioned to her to keep her eyes open for the remote as Bryson played the next day. So the next day Mom mentioned that she noticed Bryson had thrown a couple of his sippy cups that I let him play with in the trash, and I ought to look through the trash for the remote.

That evening I dug through the two bags of trash we had recently thrown out but no remote. For the last four days I have searched every chair cushion, cabinet, closet, trash can, toy box, nook and cranny of our house looking for the remote. Or so I thought I had searched everywhere. As I was picking up toys in our office today I walked by the trash can and thought, "Mmmm I haven't looked in this trash can. I have seen him put things in it before." Low and behold at the bottom of the trash can, below all the papers was the remote. I had just ordered a new remote this morning.

Moral to the story-Take the important item away from the child the minute you think about it.

My Computer

2008-07-09T17:18:00.003-05:00

Bryson is getting so big. He can crawl into many of the chairs in our house. The other morning as I was making breakfast I heard him laughing hysterically and squealing in the dining room. I looked around the corner and he had climbed into the chair in front of my laptop. He was having the best time making my mouse work and causing it to beep. The laughter was contagious!

The Rabbit

2008-07-09T13:15:00.003-05:00

Bryson spent last weekend with Gran and Grandad. We were hanging out on the patio when we went to get him Saturday afternoon. He took a liking to a plastic rabbit Mom has on her patio. We were all just sitting around visiting and Bryson just walked over to the rabbit, bent down, and kissed it. I of course had to have a picture of that so I moved the rabbit to the center of the patio. Bryson then had more fun carrying the rabbit all over the yard (he figured out the ears made good handles) and stopping every so often to kiss it!

Our Busy July 4th Weekend!

2008-07-05T21:43:00.004-05:00

We had a fun and busy July 4th weekend. We took Bryson down to Gran and Grandad's to spend the night. Brian and I headed to Azle for a party at one of Brian's former co-worker's homes. They live on Eagle Mountain Lake. Brian had more fun setting off fireworks. The neighbors had a super fireworks show that was as impressive as any city show. We had great fun.

Family picture at Mom and Dad's

It is amazing to see how much Bryson has changed in one year!

Brian in firework heaven! He loves blowing things up!

Since Bryson was spending the night with the grandparents, Brian and I took advantage of the toddler free time to attack our shed and garage. If you have seen either lately you know how awful they were. We were able to better organize the shed, add another row of shelves, and move some stuff from the garage into the shed. I am so CLOSE to being able to park my car in the garage. It did feel good to get some stuff organized. We just need to get Brian's workspace in the garage cleaned up and some shelving rearranged. Hopefully I will be parking in the garage soon. Here are some before and after pictures of the work.

Shed before

Shed after. I know it may not look much better but we added another row of shelves and organized it much better. We were also able to move quite a bit of stuff from the garage that we don't use regularly and we still even have more room on the shelves!

Garage before

Garage after. I am so excited to have the middle area somewhat cleared out. My car can't fit yet but we are getting closer. Just a little more rearranging and organizing.
Now if I can just keep Brian motivated to build shelves for Bryson's room, install tile in the kitchen, and clean out the office. Wish me luck!

Wild Hair

2008-07-03T22:16:00.003-05:00

I was having a little fun with Bryson's hair after his bath last night!

15 Month Check Up

2008-07-03T22:02:00.004-05:00

Bryson had his fifteen month check up this week. Here is Bryson posing with Dr. Mc Donald. We love him and he always is patient and answers all my questions. Here are some of Bryson's current stats.

Weight: 23 pounds 10 ounces
Height: 31 inches

Words:
Mama
Momeeeeee (that is about how he says it)
Dada
cracker (covers any food)
bye (he says this when he wants to go outside or going to sleep)
hi (while waving at any person who will give him attention)
car
juice juice (his sippy cup)
eat (he said this for the first time tonight and pointed to his mouth)
doggie
hot
baby
nana (Brian's mom or a banana)
He can also find his mouth, eye, nose, and hair

Loves:
crackers in his snack cup
playing with his Home Depot tool kit
going outside
any kind of fruit
wearing my shoes
any woman who will make googly eyes at him
running naked from the bathroom before and after baths
turning on light switches and pushing any button

Tree Trimming

2008-06-30T22:58:00.003-05:00

Brian set out to work on the shed on Sunday and ended up trimming our trees. Somehow I got involved when he asked for my advice on how much to cut. Needless to say I ended doing more work than I intended for a Sunday afternoon. And I ended up in the tree doing the cutting. This is something how the conversation went that resulted in me being in the tree.

Brian: Amber hold the ladder while I climb the tree.
Amber: Okay. How much will you give me to hold it really well? Tee Hee

(At this point Brian attempts to move into the tree from the ladder. He had to hike his leg up pretty good to make the first branch.)

Brian: Ooooo! Owww! (Brian begins climbing down the ladder)
Amber: What's wrong?
Brian: I need to stretch first. (Brian begins some serious leg stretches.)
Amber: (laughing) I bet I can climb into the tree without stretching. I have been working out. Remember.
Brian: Go ahead and try
Amber: Okay I will. (Amber then shimmies up the tree. No stretching needed.)

I guess Brian got his way. He got me to do the work and he was able to stand on the ground and "manage." And he calls me the bossy one.

Busy Day at the Mall

2008-06-30T22:52:00.003-05:00

Bryson and I headed out to the mall the other day to find some new duds for my cousin's wedding. Shopping trip was unsuccessful, but Bryson had fun playing in the play area. So much so that he crashed in the stroller while I was tooling around the shoe department.

Mommy's Shoes

2008-06-30T22:36:00.003-05:00

Bryson has been very intrigued with my shoes lately. He can often be found pulling numerous pairs off the shelves in my closet. But he has his most fun trying to walk in my flip flops around the house.

Lazy Days of Summer

2008-06-24T14:01:00.005-05:00

Bryson and I are certainly enjoying our lazy summer days. Just a few pictures of what we have been doing.

Brian's mom bought us baby dolls for Christmas before Bryson was born. Bryson now loves playing with them. He will give them big hugs and makes them clap their hands.

Bryson and I having been taking a stroller fitness class. It is giving me some exercise, and Bryson loves seeing the other kids and being outside. I am however extremely out of shape so I have been very sore and can be seen sucking wind during our "power walk" time.

My friend, Karen, and her girls, Emily and Ellen are in the class too.

Our first trip swimming. Karen has a pool so we headed over for a little swim. Bryson hadn't done the pool yet. He was a little skiddish at first but was soon standing on the step and splashing in the water.

He didn't like it when Mommy got out of the pool to take the pictures.

My father wears a magnetic bracelet to help with his arthritis. Bryson LOVES playing with it and wearing it. So I got out some of my old jewerly that I don't wear anymore. Boy did he loves putting it on and off. Don't you just love that grin!

Summer Has Arrived!!

2008-06-14T08:24:00.004-05:00

School is finally out. I really thought it would NEVER get here. Having to go to school after Memorial Day was almost unbearable. But I have made it and now I am finally able to spend some much anticipated time with my two sweeties, Bryson and Brian. Of course we began the summer with both of the babies being sick. I think Brian was the biggest baby of all. Tee Hee Here are some random pictures from the last few weeks. Hopefully I can be better with posting now that things have calmed down.

I love my Texas Tech Chair!

Loving on Daddy!

Taking a rest. Playing is such hard work!

Bubbles!

I love to look at books. Mommy just wishes I would sit still long enough for her to read the book to me.

My New Job

2008-05-23T22:07:00.002-05:00

I am going to have a new job next year! I am bidding farewell to third grade after 10 years. I can't believe it has been that long. I am going to be the SSI teacher at our school. This means I will be coordinating small remedial groups of students who are at risk of failing TAKS, working with teachers, and coordinating tutors. And much much more too. Luckily the teacher who currently is in this role will be taking a new position that will keep her on campus, and she will continue to work closely with me. I am so lucky that she will be around to be a guide. I am very excited about this new job. Not only will it be a change of pace, but it will allow me to take on some new challenges that could help me as a principal later on. Now I just have to clean 10 years of stuff out of my classroom. Oh MY!!

The Nanny Crises

2008-05-22T21:39:00.002-05:00

We have had a nanny crises this week. Our nanny, Lulu, that we share with my good friend Angie has quit. She called Sunday night at 9:00 to say that she was sick and couldn't come to work. We have explained several times that she has to give us notice so we can prepare for a sub. Needless to say we weren't very happy and let her know that. She said she would come to work on Tuesday. But after numerous unreturned phone calls on Monday night it was apparent that she might not be showing up. Sure enough come Tuesday, no Lulu. My sweet, wonderful mother was able to come and watch both boys on Wednesday. So is order to get through these last two weeks of school we had to put Bryson in daycare. I am not very happy about this but it is only for nine more days. Right? I keep having to remind myself of that. So if anyone out their knows a good home based child care, send the info my way!

Our Little Linus

2008-05-22T21:31:00.002-05:00

Bryson has developed a deep fondness for his blanket. I try to restrict its use to sleep time only but he will often pull it out of the crib and carry it around the house. On top of that he also loves this little piano someone gave us. Thus we now have a Linus.

Want to Eat a Stick Comet?

2008-05-10T20:41:00.003-05:00

Dancing!

2008-05-10T20:33:00.001-05:00

Some Random Bryson Pictures

2008-05-10T20:26:00.002-05:00

Helping Daddy put together his new shelf.

Playing on the deck.

All Smiles!

Tubes!

2008-05-02T21:56:00.004-05:00

After five ear infections since January and fluid in his ears that just wouldn't clear up, Bryson had tubes put in his ears this morning. He did great! He was mad as mad could be coming out of the anesthesia, but recovered nicely other than that. He had his appointment with the ear, nose, and throat specialist yesterday morning and got the tubes this morning. It all happen so fast I didn't even have that much time to fret and worry. Probably a good thing. I think I was more worried about not being able to feed him this morning. I just knew he would be a bear because he LOVES to eat. He was a champ. Didn't even seem to faze him!

In the car on the way. We were amazed how cheerful he was without any breakfast!

Waiting with Daddy!

Recovering! It was pitiful and the worst part. He just couldn't wake up and most of the time he was screaming. These pictures were taken when he was finally settling down. His blankie helped though. Don't they always do?

Completely back to normal this afternoon. Daddy let him play in the dog's water dish. His socks may never come clean again!

Playing Outside is Fun!

2008-04-19T06:41:00.007-05:00

I think if we would let him Bryson would be outside all the time. Since it was such a beautiful evening, we decided to have dinner on the deck last night. Bryson had more fun digging in the flower pots, walking ALL over the deck, and giggling at the dogs. He even knows a couple of the words to the "Wheels on the Bus" song. His laughing can't help but make you smile.

Digging in the flower pots is such fun. Guess I need to put some flowers in these pots. Of course Bryson would then just pull the flowers out of the pots.

Bryson got tired of just dumping the dirt out of the pots and then turned to rubbing it all over his shirt!

Bryson is in CONSTANT motion now days.

New Yard Accessory

2008-04-14T20:38:00.004-05:00

I came home today to find a plastic pink flamingo stuck in my front yard. I have this thing about plastic pink flamingos. It is hard to provide background info on my dislike of plastic pink flamingos without sounding like I grew up in a crazy neighborhood but here goes.

One summer when I was about 12 or so some people rented the house two down from my parent's house. They had several pink flamingos in their front yard as well as two whiskey barrels with some VERY ugly plastic flowers in them. (I also have a thing against ugly plastic flowers.) Well come to find out the renters of the house were making and selling drugs out of the house. (I REALLY promise I lived in a very quiet and nice neighborhood.) Anyway the ugly stuff in the yard was there to signify that it was THE house. So houses with pink flamingos in the yard are drug houses in my mind.

Needless to say Brian thought it was HILARIOUS to put this attraction in our front yard for me today. Thanks sweetheart! You are the funniest husband alive! Tee Hee.

Bryson obviously didn't like it either. See the firm grip on it's neck!

Playing in the Park

2008-04-14T20:30:00.003-05:00

Since Bryson is mobile now, playing in the park is a lot more fun. He liked the play stuff but really enjoyed playing in the wood chips more.

Swinging equals smiles!

Some serious riding is going on here!

Hi Mommy! I see you!

Daddy's Company Picnic

2008-04-14T20:21:00.006-05:00

Saturday we went to Brian's company picnic at White Rock Lake. Great fun for Bryson. He must have walked at least a mile around the park. Boy was he (and us) tired after all the fun! Go to Brian's blog to see more pictures.

Playing horseshoes. Don't you love my lei?

That looks like fun! Can I play with it?

Sweet doggie kisses.

Bryson's Birthday Party

2008-04-04T21:43:00.009-05:00

Bryson's party was a great success. We ALL had such fun. Here are just a few highlights from the party. Click here to get more pictures.

Distracted by the first toy I opened. Mommy got to open everything else!

I love my new lawnmover. I think Mommy regrets buying it for me because it is so loud!

The cake!

My very own cake all to myself. Can't wait to dig it!

Icing is good!

Do I look like I am having fun or what?

The cake after.

Happy Birthday Bryson

2008-03-27T22:01:00.001-05:00

You changed our lives forever sweet boy. We love you so much!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

March 27, 2007

March 27, 2008

More birthday pics to come soon!

A Year Ago Today

2008-03-26T21:54:00.003-05:00

I may be smiling in this picture but I was hungry and popcicles and ice chips weren't doing the trick. I was anxiously awaiting my epidural and wondering why this labor thing was taking so long. Little did I know that in just a few short (sorta) hours I would really be putting the hard work forth in a 2 and 1/2 hour delivery. But what a joy I have in my life now!

Easter???

2008-03-25T22:11:00.004-05:00

I had so hoped for an exciting Easter for Bryson. Church, lunch with the grandparents, Easter egg hunt?? But no, that is not what was in the plan. We spent Easter Sunday afternoon in the Acute Kids Care Clinic with a continuing ear infection with sweet Bryson. I could tell that he felt SO bad. It was sad. He just can't seem to lick this ear infection that has lingered for about 5 weeks. It just seems to come and go. He did have moments of fun when the Motrin kicked in. What would we do without Motrin?

Now how pitiful is this? Poor Bryson.

Bryson's Easter package from Nana

Look at my Elmo and Cookie Monster egg!

Gran gave me a cool elephant chair!

Brian's New Blog

2008-03-24T10:41:00.003-05:00

Check out Brian's new blog at blog.briangallimore.com. His perspective on "things" is always interesting. Enjoy!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

It was such a beautiful day so Bryson and I headed outside this evening for some play in the front yard. I had such fun snapping one picture after another of Bryson playing.

Just Like Uncle Braxton

2008-03-17T22:03:00.001-05:00

We have teased my brother, Braxton, for many years about his need to stick out his tongue when concentrating on any task at all.

It seems that Bryson has inherited this trait too. Very cute!

We Have Table Food VICTORY!

2008-03-17T21:54:00.003-05:00

I have been very anxious over Bryson's disinterest in table food. All he wanted to do was spit it out. So my spring break mission was to introduce him to several new big people foods and try to get him on board. I was VERY excited that we had success on the second day. Bryson ate chicken nuggets, carrots, pasta spirals, strawberries, oranges, ravioli, and green beans over the last few days. Green beans were a HUGE success. He kept shoving them in his mouth! I so wanted to do the happy dance but didn't want to disrupt the momentum we had going on. He is even trying very hard to use a spoon to feed himself. He still needs some help guiding the spoon to his mouth but he gets the idea. Needless to say Mommy is breathing a sigh of relief that Bryson won't be eating baby food until he is two! Enjoy the pictures of our VICTORY!

Green beans are GOOD!

Mandarian oranges are YUMMY!
Working hard with the spoon!
We are celebrating!

A Visit From Wyatt

2008-03-17T21:48:00.002-05:00

Our friends from college, Megan and Laura, stopped by for a surprise visit on Saturday. We hadn't seen Megan since the arrival of Baby Wyatt and enjoyed seeing Laura as they await the arrival of their baby very soon. It was so good to see them! Bryson was very intrigued with Wyatt and had fun showing off for the whole crew!

How Much Difference A Year Makes

2008-03-16T08:30:00.003-05:00

I was sitting in the recliner TRYING to get Bryson calmed down to go to sleep the other night, and I remembered a picture we took of us in the same recliner right after he was born. How much difference a year makes!

These are the pics of just trying to get him turned around to LOOK at the camera. He was really ready to play!

Teaching Baby New Tricks

2008-03-08T16:34:00.003-06:00

Interesting things always happen when Brian stays home with Bryson and I am not there to supervise. They had great fun sticking their tongues out at each other the other night. You can always count on Brian to teach those good manners.

SNOW!!

2008-03-08T16:30:00.003-06:00

We had several days of snow this week. Bryson didn't get to explore it as much as I would have liked. We had to race off to school one day, and the other day he was sick so we didn't venture out. He did get to check out what was left after school the first day.

Trying New Foods???!!!

2008-03-08T16:20:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to introduce Bryson to more table foods. He however really hasn't been all that interested. He loves all bread products (puffs, tortillas, crackers) but anything else that may have a strange texture he really doesn't like. I think he is currently trying to master the "spit it out" method of eating. He still really enjoys his baby food and sitting back while I shovel it into his mouth. We did have some recent sucess with chicken spaghetti. Bryson was rushed to the bathtub directly after that meal. Comet enjoyed that meal too!

Daddy Thinks I Am a Genius

2008-02-24T12:49:00.003-06:00

Brian posted a quite funny bit on his blog on why he thinks Bryson is a genius. Take a look!
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-RxWGm5s6efM6Ur.RQss-?cq=1&p=316

Poor Bryson has had a rough couple of weeks. He developed a yucky runny nose that moved into an ear infection that hit him like a mack truck. At the same time he was cutting a tooth. Amazing though, once on antibiotics he just kept on going. He has finally figured out how to to make the toy that blows balls into the air work, but he really enjoys putting all his blocks into it more.

Since he is cutting a tooth he pretty much has spent most of his time walking around with some toy hanging out of his mouth.

Walking Like A Pro (most of the time)

2008-02-14T21:52:00.005-06:00

An updated video of Bryson's walking technique. Sorry for the wind noise and the uh-uh I said at the beginning. I really didn't want to have to go in after that leaf he was about to eat!

Happy Valentine's Day From Bryson

2008-02-14T21:16:00.006-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day From Bryson. He created this valentine for Daddy and Mommy! Don't you love it! Lulu (his sitter) said that he quickly made the crayon marks and then threw the crayon on the floor. Guess the masterpiece was done!

It was such a beautiful Valentine's Day so Bryson and I decided to spend some time playing in the front yard. He made many steps (and falls) across the yard and loved every minute of it. I just took picture after picture! Sorry there are so many. I just couldn't decide! Enjoy!

The Smile

Aren't I cute?

The Thinker

Now for the ACTION shots. There were sooo many since he is never still now days!

Ready for trouble!

Almost some baby butt crack

Paper Mommy?

Recent Fun in the World of Bryson

2008-02-09T20:30:00.001-06:00

Tasting a lemon for the first time!

Remotes are SOOOO much fun!

Bryson - Future Engineer

2008-01-28T20:25:00.000-06:00

I thought it was very funny that tonight (and many other nights) Bryson spent much of his bath playtime examining the faucet and shower controls in detail. Abandoning all the "fun" play toys. It seems that he may take after his father. I can't wait until he starts taking home appliances apart to see how they work.

The Abandoned Toys

Ten Months!

2008-01-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

Bryson is ten months old today and as I mentioned in the previous post he is EVERYWHERE! It was finally warm again (sorta) so Bryson, Shaun, and I made a trip to the park. Bryson really enjoyed playing in the grass. He was so mesmerized with it he would barely even look at me for a picture!

Bath Tub Fun

2008-01-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

Bryson loves taking baths. Even when he is fussy at night I can plop him in the tub and he is happy!

Some Pictures of Bryson

2008-01-27T14:52:00.001-06:00

We have had a very busy January so I have been bad about posting pictures. Bryson is walking ALL over the place so we now spend most of our time chasing him. Bryson had a bad cold during January which turned into his first ear infection. Of course it happened the weekend Brian was camping so Mommy and Bryson had a VERY long night until I could get him to the doctor. He had a couple of doses of antibiotics and was as good as new. He is so excited that he is now mobile and is into everything. He loves walking circles around the house with a toy in each hand. He is also beginning to bond with Comet more! He loves the fact he can walk over to Comet and pounce on him. Comet is pretty good for about 10 seconds before he retreats to safer surroundings!

Feeding Mommy

2008-01-10T21:55:00.000-06:00

As I was snacking on a tortilla the other evening, Bryson discovered when he took it away from me that he could feed me. It was so cute I had to re-create it for Brian when he came home. Enjoy!

We have a WALKER!

2008-01-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Our house will never be the same again. Bryson is walking! He took is first steps the day after Christmas. It was one day before he turned nine months. This weekend he started actually walking five to tens steps before getting so excited that he plops down.

Christmas Part One

2008-01-06T20:31:00.000-06:00

We had a very busy holiday week. We started off with a trip to Lubbock to visit Nana and Memaw.

I had so much fun with the wrapping paper!

All of Shaun's goodies!

Nana got me this really cool train. I love to push all the buttons and walk it all over the house!

Sitting on top of all the presents. That big box is Daddy's new subwoofer! It is REALLY loud!

All the new toys but a cardboard box is still so much fun!

Christmas Part Two

2008-01-06T20:12:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas Day with Gran and Grandad. Bryson had tons of fun playing with all the family!

Full of mischief!

This rocking chair belonged to Mommy and Uncle Braxton when they were kids. I had so much fun playing with it!

Gran and Grandad gave me this very cool doggie that barks and walks. Mommy got one almost just like it for her first Christmas. It was a very special present!

Here I am with my Santa bag full of goodies!

Hanging with Daddy! He really had fun opening all my presents!

I got this cool toy that shoots balls into the air. Very fun for me and all the adults who had to chase the balls!

Stacey and Braxton

One of my many Christmas outfits!

I Can Hold My Bottle!

2007-12-19T22:33:00.001-06:00

Bryson has reached a monumental achievement. He can hold his own bottle!

Santa!

2007-12-19T22:28:00.001-06:00

Bryson and I went to see Santa today. It was nice because we were the only people there and were able to walk right up. I put Bryson on Santa's lap. Jumped back to get a quick picture and then the crying commenced. Bryson turned around, looked at Santa, and it was instant scrunched up face and screaming. I was able to calm him down and get another picture before the whole thing started again. You can definitely see the look of uncertainty on his face! It however was a great memory!

Poop in the Bathtub

2007-12-18T22:40:00.000-06:00

Okay I had a totally gross Mommy moment tonight. As I was giving Bryson a bath he was playing and I saw something strange floating in the tub. I naturally thought, "What is that? Where did that come from?" and reached to take it out of the tub only to realize that it was POOP! I screamed for Brian and dragged a very unhappy Bryson out of the tub. Bryson really didn't care that there was poop floating in the tub but just that he didn't get to play as long as he would have like. Brian of course asked after I cleaned and disinfected the tub if I got pictures of the event. Of course I didn't because I was so freaked out. You all however are probably grateful that I didn't race for the camera for this event!

Happy Holidays from Bryson

2007-12-15T21:54:00.001-06:00

Daddy on Duty

2007-12-15T21:47:00.000-06:00

Daddy was on Bryson duty the other morning while I got to sleep in a bit. When I woke up I noticed it was rather quiet in the house. I discovered Bryson and Brian on the front porch. Bryson was sitting on the sidewalk in his pj's having a great time playing with snails, leaves, and the flower beds. Don't think the grass stains will ever come out of those pj's!

Bryson On the Move!

2007-12-15T21:36:00.000-06:00

Well Bryson is ALL over the place. He is crawling and cruising like a mad man. And the last few days he has started walking while just holding onto one hand. Ooooo it is about to get interesting! Enjoy the pictures of the adventures of Bryson!

Hanging out in the bathtub. He was very interested in this baby doll.

Nothing is safe anymore!

Sweet smiles!

I went in Bryson's room the other night to check on him and found his legs hanging out the bars of the crib. Too funny. He barely moved when I re-situated him. Boy is he tired at the end of the day!

Socks...Mmmm Tasty!

2007-11-29T21:58:00.000-06:00

Bryson had such fun the other night chewing on all the clean and neatly folded socks in the laundry basket. The best part was when he had one pair hanging out of his mouth while trying to pick up as many more pairs as he could hold.