On the first day of our vacation down the coast of France, through Normandy, Jeremy had to work, so Brady and I explored a few places on our own. One such place was Natrospace, a giant indoor butterfly garden. Once Brady woke up, he had a great time trying to touch the butterflies and exploring. It was a perfect place to bring him, and watching him made it so much fun for me!
I can't really explain it, but for some reason, while we were visiting home, Brady started begging to play in the sink. He would sit for hours turning the water on and off, getting soaked, getting stripped down to his diaper, and so on. I, the mean mother, mostly refused to indulge this strange wish of Brady's, but his Aunt Boo and cousin Michelle were happy to give him whatever he wanted (no surprise there!). I tried to make him play outside with the hose, but after stepping on a bee (me, not him) as I went out to play with him, I gave in and let him do what made him happy inside. He's lucky to have so many loving and indulgent family members!
Something that I have wanted to do ever since Brady was born, was get a chance to introduce him to our friends, the Campions. Joyce and Carl have been friends to both Jeremy and I since before we even started dating, and I couldn't wait for them to meet our favorite little man! We went over their house for dinner (Joyce is a wonderful cook!) and had an great time! They spent the evening running after Brady and letting him lay claim to things in their home, while I was able to enjoy a relaxing meal. Even though both of their boys are out in the real world (well, Andrew is in college, but close enough) both Carl and Joyce were so in tune to what it's like having a baby, that it was so easy to be there...at least for me! I'm sure they both slept well that night...chasing Brady could probably tire out even the most successful marathon runner (not that I would know what that's like). And, I hope that he didn't call Japan during all of the time he spent playing with their phone!
...in the refrigerator? This kid LOVES his food. And when he's not hanging around the fridge to scope out a snack, he's swindling water out of Poppy. Does anyone ever say no to Brady? At least not his grandparents! Might I mention that my Dad NEVER shared bottles of anything with us growing up. Brady has managed to help him overcome germ-o-phobia. I guess that's what the stethoscope is for in the bottom picture. This kid is amazing...Harvard, here he comes!
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!
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!
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!
