Visiting Nana and Pap!

Another fun event while we were home...Brady, along with my parents, sister and I had a chance to visit Brady's Nana and Pap on their farm. Brady wasn't too keen on this young (and a little bold) stallion that was staying in the stables, but with a few more visits, hopefully, he will get more comfortable! Brady did, however, enjoy the yummy barbecue, great company, and dancing on the porch with his Nana. (I was able to get video of Brady dancing, but can't put it on the blog. I will try to figure out how to post it on our website from my camera.) It was a great night!

The Jersey Shore (or "Beach")

While visiting home this past July, my parents and I decided to take Brady on his first "Fletcher" family trip. So, in typical Fletcher fashion, we loaded up the car to capacity (yes, I said a day trip), then we waited for my Dad to join us (after cleaning out the garage), then my parents argued (staple of a family trip), and FINALLY, we drove the hour and a half to Avalon beach. And I must say, I would wait in the car for my dad for 7 hours if it means getting to take Brady to the beach again. He had SO MUCH FUN! We hadn't even dropped our bags yet before Brady was digging in the sand with his shovel. Uncle Blaise buried Brady's legs in the sand...very fun. And, Brady LOVED standing at the edge of the water as the waves rushed over his legs. He kept trying to bend over and blow bubbles in the water, but by the time he got to it, the water was gone...perplexing. When the water actually rushed up over his face, he didn't even get upset...he just loved everything that the beach had to offer. It was like his giant playground! We will be bringing Brady to the beach on our vacation next week, and I can't wait to see how happy it makes Brady again!

Independence Day!

In the spirit of Independence Day, Michelle and I decorated the airplane that Brady's Aunt Boo bought for him. It took into the late hours of the night before we finished perfecting the glamorous decor on the plane, but come morning, it was drizzling, and quite frankly, none of us felt like parading in a cold drizzle, so we went out to breakfast instead...Hey, it's the American way! And Brady looked darn adorable in his red, white, and blue!

Oy vay: The Folk Tale of a Registering Bride

Once upon a time, poor little Brady was dragged from store to store while his Nonna and Mommy helped his Aunt Reggie register for wedding gifts. Unfortunately, Aunt Reggie was very, very particular about what she was looking for, so registering took a long, long, long time. At first, Brady ran around playing with everything and getting scowled at, but eventually, he grew so tired, that he had to grab his Nonna's head in the bedding section at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and play with her ear until she realized how tired he was. The moral of the story: When registering with a picky-pants, leave little baby boys at home to do manly things with their poppy. We learned this the hard way, and let Brady stay home while we took Regan to pick out a duvet!

Lazy Days of Summer

Brady and I left a very sad Jeremy to come home for almost a month this summer. While Brady really missed his daddy(and, of course, I missed Jeremy, too), we had a great time trying new things with our family. For example, Brady spent several afternoons rocking in my parents shady backyard hammock. He seemed to love the cuddling even more than the rocking! Not only did Poppy rock with Brady in the swing, he also let Brady squirt the hose while still wearing his pajamas, drink hot chocolate with whipped cream in the morning, and eat fudge right before bed. Nonna also let Brady get away with a few things that I might not have approved of, but I completely understand that it is the natural right of a grandparent...and I must say that Brady is very lucky to have amazing grandparents!

Lacrosse...he's a natural!

If there is one thing that we learned about Brady while we were visiting home in Pennsylvania, it was that, wherever we were, he owned the place. So, it came as no surprise that when we went to watch Brady's Uncle Blaise play a lacrosse game, Brady owned the field and called the shots. He waited patiently on his Poppy's lap as the game went on, but once the buzzer went off to signal the end of the game, Brady stormed the field with his lacrosse stick to show the big guys how it was done! I think we have a gifted lax player on our hands! P.S. Brady also did a little showing-off for Blaise's beautiful girlfriend, Jenny. Watch out Blaise...Brady is younger, and moving in for the take-over!

Get a Job!

There comes a time in every boys life when he needs to step up and get a real job. No more mooching milk and yogurt off of mom and dad for this kid! So, we bought him a good pair of shoes, taught him how to type, and he is well on his way to success in the world! I mean, I think we all know that he could have made it on good looks alone, but it doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan!