Applesauce, Sippy Cup, and a Sing-along Nursery Song
There were so many apples that the rule about finishing one before starting another fell by the wayside. There were so many that Bryce played hockey with a stick using an apple as a puck.
We taught him to watch out for the cow manure on the hike down to the old abandoned orchard. He developed an eagle eye for it and we cracked up every time he so seriously pointed out the “poop.”
His opa (pronounced hope-a by Bryce and nicknamed hope) was the hero of the day, climbing the apple laden tree to shake and make an apple shower. “It’s raining!” Bryce shouted with a glee that was contagious (watch video HERE and HERE).
“This is a nice room,” was the first thing he said upon arriving back at Nannie and Opa’s house. Soon after that our mission in life involved a drive to town to get a new sippy-cup after his mother called to report that he forgotten his. It was his first time spending the night, and we could take no chances. We knew that no amount of apple picking fun or the promise of music and dance the next day would be enough to comfort a boy who calls his sippy cup his “baw-baw.”
He did cry out once in the middle of the night for his “momma” and “daddy” but I knew when he started talking about robots first thing in the morning and asked for “my opa,” who was in the kitchen making scrabbled eggs, that everything would be alright.
Turns out that the gripping story and music of Peter and Wolf that we listened to on the CD player was too intense for a boy of two. But the music of Kari Kovick’s Early Childhood Music Program at the Floyd Country Store was just right, Goldilocks said. Watch HERE.
Even so, by the afternoon he was more than ready to go to “mommy’s house.” The little rubber duckies and squirt gun dolphins from his bath are still sitting on our bathtub ledge because they remind me of him and I can’t bear to move them (2 days later).
So, did he have fun or what? See the video HERE and decide.
October 17th, 2010 1:32 am
Awww first night sleeping over was a rousing success!
I love that little hat he is wearing on your apple walk…and that second picture is awesome. It makes me smile. The next to the last picture makes me laugh!
October 17th, 2010 7:59 am
I think it is debatable as to who had more fun – you or Bryce! I remember listening to Peter and the Wolf when I was little, too. It sure is nice that Floyd has an Early Childhood Music Program – Kari is such a dedicated teacher!
October 17th, 2010 12:29 pm
This so reminds me of our first visits when the grandchildren stayed and were so little. Now they are active toddlers and while my heart is in my throat when they leave, it has become a nicer routine.
October 17th, 2010 11:09 pm
Such joy! And yes, we had a similarly blissful weekend with our two year old grandson. We also have our own forlorn rubber duckies sitting by the tub.
Our son lives with us so Sebastian has been visiting every weekend since he was an infant, but the goodbyes don’t get any easier.
October 18th, 2010 5:03 am
colleen, these videos were so much fun to watch. i love how joe interacts with him and know you must enjoy observing their special connection! i think bryce is adorable, and i have enjoyed watching him grow into this playful, curious little boy!
October 18th, 2010 8:46 am
We felt so privileged to have him over. like we had struck it rich!
October 18th, 2010 11:01 am
Watching Bryce in these pictures and Videos—-I cannot get over how much he has grown and developed. It seems like he was just born!!! If I feel that way, I can only imagine what you must feel Colleen. He Is Adorable—Beyond Words!!! Such a Happy child.
October 18th, 2010 11:55 am
We just planted our apple trees so we will have to wait awhile to get to do this. But our strawberries this year were so abundant rules like not wasting went out the door as well.
October 19th, 2010 7:42 am
Love the photos, especially those of Joe and Bryce…it’s evident how much “Opa” loves the little guy!
Wendy
October 19th, 2010 10:17 am
I love picture #1 – the resemblance of the two of you is amazing. Same smile, same eyes. I’m sure it won’t be long before he will be begging to spend the night with Nannie and Opa.
October 27th, 2010 10:16 pm
I agree with Carolyn T, the first photo is fantastic.
October 27th, 2010 10:44 pm
I’m adoring him and he’s adoring his Opa!
September 16th, 2013 9:59 am
[…] and I made our annual hike down to the abandoned apple orchard off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Last year the apples were puny. This year there were none. Either we […]
September 15th, 2014 12:18 am
[…] the kids were little we took them with us, and one year our grandson Bryce picked apples with us. Some years there are lots of butterflies. Other times we shared the space with grazing cows. […]
September 29th, 2014 8:18 am
[…] The boys learned to avoid fresh cow patties and listened to stories about Robin Hood and his merry men. “I just saw a real cricket,” said Bryce, who walked with a big stick for knocking down apples. He remembered being at the orchard when he was not quite three. He had a big stick then, too. See HERE. […]