Huggies And Cash

Welcome To Miami

2012-02-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Work has taken me away from The Fam this week to the turquoise waters of Miami beach. Though is stinks being away from home I can't complain about my view from my hotel. I can't seem to get the Will Smith song outta my head.

The Greatest Show on Earth.

2012-02-14T07:42:00.004-08:00

The Circus came to Greenville a couple of weeks ago and Mimi and Granddaddy scored us some tickets. Not sure who had a better time, the boys or me and Danielle. Two hours of cotton candy, flavored ices and chocolate-covered doughnuts the boys came home with a raging sugar high.Ridge has also been doing an improvised "clown-act" act ever sense. Hopefully this doesn't mean Clown College is in his future.

Asleep At The Wheel

2011-12-26T05:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was just too much for Colton. Big brother had already announced at supper that he was too tired to eat and was taken to bed. Shortly afterward Colton began nodding off as well. Unwrapping presents all day can really tucker a guy out.

Naughty Elf

2011-12-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

Our Elf-On-A-Shelf, Sir Ken, was up to no good the other night. Playing tricks on the boys while they slept.

And To All A Good-Night

2011-12-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

Hot Chocolate and Peppermint

2011-12-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

After The Eggnog Experiment, Danielle decided to make the kids some homemade hot chocolate. Ridge liked this much better than eggnog. No drama this time, though he did complain that it had too much whipped cream on top. Did I mention the kid is high maintenance?

Colton, on the other hand, could care less about the hot chocolate. He was more interested in the peppermint sticks Danielle used as garnishes.

Eggnog: Mixed Reviews

2011-12-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

I realized the other day that I have yet to indulge in any holiday eggnog. I'm an eggnog junkie. I can drink the stuff by the gallon. So on the way home from church last Sunday, we stopped by Whole Foods and we ran in a picked up a bottle.

At home it dawned on me that I'd never given eggnog to either of the boys. The reactions were mixed. Colton absolutely LOVED the stuff. Couldn't get enough.

Ridge? Not so much. Seeing his reaction after taking one sip, you would have thought I spiked the stuff with lighter fluid.

We're thinking of changing his name from Ridge to Johnny Drama.

My Boys

2011-12-13T05:53:00.000-08:00

The new job is really keeping me hopping. I was in The Big D (Dallas, Texas) for six days on a photoshoot. As soon as I stepped off the plane, Friday night back in Greenville, I received a phone call informing me that I was going to have to work through the weekend as well on a big new business pitch. Needless to say when I walked through the door Sunday evening, with all of my work finished, my boys were extremely excited to finally have their Daddy home to play.

Wrestling a four and two year old can really wear a guy out. But I love every minute. These are the times where I wish I could just hit the PAUSE button and keep my boys this age forever.

Street Preacher Part 2

2011-12-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

Here's more of Pastor Ridge this time he's accompanied by Deacon Colton.

The Street Preacher

2011-11-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

Here's Ridge "reading" from D's Bible. I think he may have a future in the ministry.

Halloween Adventures

2011-11-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

This year we're doing Halloween in Grandy's and Mimi's neighborhood in Spartanburg. The boys had a blast Trick or Treating from house to house. I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with the "treaters" turnout in Londonderry. There were kids and parents running everywhere. Felt like I was in the middle of of an Amblin' movie from the mid-80's. Tons of fun.

I went as my old standby, Bigfoot while Colton went as a Roman soldier (who refused to were his battle helmet) and Ridge went as Optimus Prime (who had trouble with his costume gloves)

Depending on where we're living next Halloween, we may be coming back over here to do our Trick or Treating.

A Future Adventure?

2011-10-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Wheels are turning. Ideas are forming.

Hmmm. More info to come...

Can't Find The Time

2011-10-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

I just got out of a client meeting here in Spartanburg, and instead of going back to work, I ducked into a coffee shop on Main Street to check my email. Thought maybe it was time for a quick blog post.

Good grief, where has the time gone? I haven't posted in a while and what few people actually read this blog have probably stopped visiting the site by now.

Anyway here's a quick update.

The Fam and I are getting settled into our new life in Greenville. We're currently living at my In-laws until our house in Atlanta sells. It's not so bad, The Crouts are awesome and I get along great with them. Obviously two families living under one roof can be stressed and cramped at times, especially with two little boys, but we're making it work. But we REALLY want our house to sell so we can move on with our life. Right now we feel like we're stuck on PAUSE.

The new gig is great. Erwin Penland is a solid company with good people. But it's also a big change in culture and pace from Brunner. This place MOVES. Lots of work, lots of energy and lots and a lot more responsibilities. On just my second week on the job I was put in charge of Denny's; one of the busiest accounts in the agency. My new title is Creative Supervisor. It's kinda crazy and frantic and to be honest I was a little freaked out at first. I was wondering if I could manage an account that big. But I'm settling into a groove, taking things one and a time, and you know, I'm actually beginning to like it.

The boys are doing great and they are loving their new school. Ridge has a new best friend named Colby. (Apparently Colby is really into Transformers and Clone Wars too.) Colton is adjusting to school as well, but whenever you ask him what he did at school, he just replies "I cried."

While staying at The Crouts, the boys are also sharing a bedroom and they really seem to like it. Which is a real surprise. Ridge even told us that whenever we move into a new house, he wants to share a room with Colton

All in all, Life is good. Maybe a little crazy, hectic and unpredictable at the moment, but good.

God has truly blessed us.

Bravos!

2011-08-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Nanna's Mountain

2011-08-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

In late July Danielle headed out to Vail, Colorado for a week of Photo seminars and training. Needless to say, I was very intimidated by the thought of playing Mr. Mom by myself in the stifling Atlanta heat, so I loaded up the boys and headed up to Nana and Papa's for a few days in the cool North Carolina mountains.

The boys had a blast. They spent their time chucking rocks in the river, shucking corn for a backyard cook-out, playing with cousins, eating ice-cream at Piggy's, hikes in the woods and even a trip up to Sliding Rock.

This trip really hit "home" to me and showed me just how important Family really is.

I am so glad we made the decision to move closer to home.

Getting Caught Up

2011-08-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

Back in April or early May I was looking forward to a nice relaxing and stress-free Summer. I was planning on lots of trips to the pool with the Fam, beach trips, ballgames, backyard barbeques, and lots and lots of mindless Summer movies. It was to be the Greatest Summer Ever. But unfortunately that never materialized. Instead it became a Summer of Stress, Anxiety and Hard Work. And because of that I have been absent from my blog for quite a while.

That is all due to the fact that in late May I was offered a job in Greenville, SC. that completely turned our lives upside.

We waited anxiously for nearly seven weeks to get an offer from the agency. During that time D and I worked tirelessly remodeling, painting, scrubbing and cleaning our house. On a typical night we collapsed into bed well after midnight, completely exhausted.

Then in late July, the offer came through and I accepted. My official start date is August 18th. But now that stress of getting a job offer has been replaced by the stress of selling a house.

At the end of the day however, Danielle and I place all things in God's hands. We rely on the fact that He will never put something on us that we can't handle, and we will get through this stressful time in our lives.

But we are also EXCITED. We're excited to get back to a simpler lifestyle, back closer to Family and my NC mountains. We love Grenville and the Upstate and we really hope that this is where we call Home permanently.

Now back the blog. The next few posts I'll be playing "catch-up" with some of our activities over the last few weeks.

Stuff Ridge Says

2011-07-02T03:43:00.000-07:00

Ridge (sitting on the toilet): "Daddy I have a bad case of quesadilla."

Me: "You mean diarrhea?"

Ridge: "Yes, I have quesadilla."

The Search For Blackbeard's Treasure

2011-06-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

On our second day at Rosemary Beach, Ridge made the archaeological discovery of the Century: the Lost Treasure of Blackbeard!

Avast Me Hearties!

2011-06-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Rosemary Beach Vacation had a strong pirate theme to it this year. Like all little boys, Ridge is experiencing a "pirate phase." It's all about swords, cutlass', treasures, and Jolly Rogers these days. His beloved Jedi's and Clone Troopers have even taken a backseat to Blackbeard, Capt. Kidd and their motley crews of cutthroats and scoundrels. And of course since Ridge is into pirates that mean little one year old Colton is also into pirates. Colton even has the pirate accent down pat, "ARRRRR!"

So this year at the beach, we decided to have a lot of activities based around the age-old profession of piracy. We had a treasure hunt on the beach in which Ridge "found" Blackbeard's map hidden beneath the sand which led of course to his treasure, buried in the sand dunes. The treasure chest contained plastic pirate figures, candy and "pirate teeth." The boys loved it. Now unfortunately they think ever time we go to the beach we'll find a treasure chest.

Another day we took a Pirate Cruise along the coast on a real pirate ship. The ship's crew were dressed as pirates and they had a ton of games for the kiddos- sword duels, water gun fights, spooky stories, face painting, they even made the kids swab the decks. Ridge and Colton were in heaven. At the end of the cruise, they even hoisted an actual treasure chest out of the water and distributed the "booty" (candy and plastic gold coins) amongst the kids.

All in all it was a fantastic family trip. D and I didn't get a lot of free time to relax, but hey, that's the name of the game with toddlers, right? Can't wait till next year. AAARRRR!

Death Star Construction

2011-05-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

It took the Empire several decades to fully complete the Death Star. The pinata version took me about two weeks from start to finish. I think I made the external shields too powerful since none of the toddler jedis could smash the darn thing. The real battle station took two torpedoes up the air shaft to destroy it. My pinta needed a swift kick from my size 9.5's to bust it open.

Here are a few pics of it's construction from start to finish.

May The 4th Be With You

2011-05-09T11:43:00.001-07:00

Death Star pinatas, Jedi cupcakes, epic light-saber battles, John Williams on the stereo and Magical Storm Troopers from the 501st- pardon the cliche but it was An-Out-Of-This-Galaxy Birthday Bash. I can't believe my little padawan is four years old. Happy Birthday Ridge, Daddy loves you. Live long and prosper. (Oh wait, wrong movie series.)

Coloring Eggs

2011-04-23T19:29:00.001-07:00

Unleash The Hounds!

2011-04-23T18:58:00.001-07:00

Egg Hunt: 2011

2011-04-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

On Friday since work was closed I was selected to be an "official egg hider" at Ridge's school for their annual Easter Egg Hunt. Hiding space was somewhat limited on the small playground so I wasn't able to get too creative with my hiding skills.

Once the eggs were stashed, all we had to do was wait.

"If you hide them, the preschoolers will come."

One more reason to love the Tarheels

2011-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Now this is just plain awesome. Still praying they all come back next year and if they do, I predict we'll win it all. Go Heels!

Heartbreaker

2011-03-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

No Final Four for the Heels this year. We lost a close one to Kensucky and their scumbag, Tony Soprano coach. We tied it with a minute to go but we simply could not defend the three.

But I'm proud of these Heels. After the train wreck of last year's season (NIT anyone?) to ACC regular season champs, Elite Eight and Coach Williams taking Coach of the Year honors, they achieved a lot. Now if the big buck$ of the NBA doesn't rip this team apart, we should be pretty dang hard to beat next year. The Final Four is in New Orleans in 2012, a place the Heels have never lost.

Now lets go UConn and knock off those Wildcats!

Down Goes Dook!

2011-03-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

So long, Dirtbags! See ya next year! Now it's up to the Heels to beat Marquette tomorrow night to advance to the Elite Eight. Let's Go Heels!

Knock Knock

2011-03-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

Ridge has recently discovered knock-knock jokes. He writes his own material. Here's one that brings down the house.

Ridge: "Knock Knock"

Me: "Who's there?"

Ridge: "Strawberry"

Me: "Strawberry who?"

Ridge: "Strawberry-spider-bird-face! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Jedi Mind Tricks

2011-03-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately Ridge wasn't brave enough to face Vader. (maybe next year) But we did manage to catch him on video lying to Disney officials.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along."

Soccer Practice

2011-03-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Danielle is now officially a "soccer mom", so I guess that makes me a "soccer dad." Ridge had his very first soccer practice last Sunday. (At the same time as the UNC/DOOK game btw) He did great. He was a little timid at first but then he really got into it. They practiced ball handling skills, dribbling and shots on the goal. He received his very own soccer ball to practice with at home and a REALLY big t-shirt with his name on it. Afterwards we all went to Brusters for ice cream.

I'm glad his practice was the same time as the ACC Championship game. It spared me from seeing my beloved Heels get dismantled by those dirt-bags from Durham.

Man I hate Dook.

Staying Alive

2011-03-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

Today was more of the same from the Heels. Down 14 at one point to Clemson. Then Harrison Barnes took over. Heels rallied, tied the game and then put it away in OT. I have no more fingernails to chew.

We now have a date with the Dookies tomorrow at 1PM.

Bring it.

Hyperventilation

2011-03-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

The ACC Tournament has just started and the Heels are already frying my nerves. The Heels played Miami today and came out just flat. They couldn't score against the zone and couldn't defend against the 3 ball. They were down 19 with 9 minutes to go and I pretty much thought it was over.

Then Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall started playing ball.

In one of the best comebacks I've ever seen from the Heels, they tied the game with a minute left and Zeller hit the winning basket at the buzzer. I was screaming and standing on the furniture at my office. Most of my co-workers thought I was insane.

Good grief, what a game!! Now to take a breath and get ready for semifinals tomorrow. Come on Maryland! Let's knock off the Dookies tonight.

Marshall Law

2011-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my. I've been on Cloud Nine since Saturday night. The Heels accomplished their mission and destroyed the Dookies at Chapel Hill. They are now the 2011 ACC Regular Season Champs. Who would have thought that after last year's disaster? Roy's Boys have played their rear-ends off the last half of this season and have shown real guts and heart; two things that were noticeably missing last year. Now we are the regular season champs, a legit Top 10 team and we're back in the Big Dance. The Heels are back where they belong and Old Roy has my vote for Coach of the Year.

But the best thing to happen to this team is that slimy, no-talent, rich kid, Larry Drew slinking out of town with his tail between his legs. Kendall Marshall has stepped up and has shown how a point guard is supposed to play.

Bring on the ACC Tourney and The Dance. LET'S GO HEELS!

Basketball and House Cleaning

2011-03-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

By 10PM tonight we'll have a spotless house from top to bottom. Oh, and I'll be watching the Carolina/Dook game at the same time. You see, this is how it works: when it comes to big games like this I'm always too keyed up with nervous energy to just simply sit and watch the game on the couch like a normal person. So I put the game on and busy myself with household chores, like vacuuming, mopping the kitchen, dusting furniture, folding laundry and scrubbing toilets. It's the only way I can watch epic showdowns like this and keep my blood pressure at somewhat normal levels.

Danielle, by the way, really likes big games like this.

You should have seen me during the 2009 National Championship game. Even though the Heels destroyed the Sparty's by over 20 points, I cleaned nonstop for two hours. By the end of the game the house was literally sparkling.

I expect tonight's game to be no different. It's Dook vs The Heels, the epic battle of Good vs Evil and the regular season championship is on the line. LET'S GO HEELS!!!

Stuff Colton Says

2011-03-01T18:23:00.001-08:00

Colton: "Good guy."

Judge me by my pancakes, do you?

2011-03-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

Today was National Pancake Day. (it scares me that there was actually a committee of people who decided on that) So to celebrate, the Bryson family decided to make homemade flapjacks this morning. And of course since me and my boys are Star Wars nerds, our pancakes were inspired by "A galaxy far, far away..."

Stuff Ridge Says

2011-02-25T04:03:00.000-08:00

While at Epcot:

Me: "Ridge, which country do you want to eat supper in? China, Mexico, France, or Germany?"

Ridge: "Umm, I want to eat in Germany!"

Me: "Is that because you're part German?"

Ridge: "No, it's because I have germs."

Man The Guns!

2011-02-24T20:09:00.001-08:00

Of all the multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art rides and attractions at Disney World, Ridge and Colton's hand's down favorite was Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland. Ridge was obsessed with the fort on the island where he could man the guns in the Rifle Roost along the catwalks. He played for over an hour there pretending to shoot bad guys across the river. He and Colton liked the place so much we ended up going back the next the day. Never mind Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean; they were all about playing in the fort.

The Fog Of War

2011-02-24T20:07:00.000-08:00

The bloodthirsty Creek Indians have formed a deadly alliance with a devious horde of Caribbean zombie pirates and have laid siege to Fort Langhorn on Tom Sawyer Island. Only one man has the courage and natural leadership ability to command the fort's band of rag-tag soldiers to victory. His name: Capt. Ridge Bryson. He dashes along the catwalks as musket balls and flint-tipped arrows zip past his head, shouting strict orders to his troops.

Return From The House Of The Mouse: Day 4

2011-02-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

Day 4
Since Tom Sawyer's Island at Frontierland was such a big hit the previous day we decided to go back to the Magic Kingdom on our final day. We woke up and early and got to the park right when it opened. The day was perfect; great weather and it was a lot less crowded! We rode the train, Dumbo, Peter Pan and It's a Small World (that ride drives me freaking crazy! hate it.) We visited Uncle Jason at his gift shop in Frontierland where we bought the boys personalized leather bracelets. Then we floated over to the island for another day of fighting injuns and pirates at the fort. The boys both fell asleep in the stroller and we headed back to the resort for midday naps.

That evening we headed over to Epcot for our last night in Orlando. We all donned our plastic Viking helmets and hit the park. It was perfect ending to a great week. The skies were clear, the temps in the 70's and no crowds or long lines. Perfect.We rode the Nemo ride which the boys loved and then we met Jason for dinner at the Chinese Pavilion. We spent the rest of the night strolling leisurely "around the world" sampling the different culinary treats from the various countries. I even bought a rocking Godzilla tee shirt at the Japanese pavilion. And I would totally recommend trying the "school bread" from the bakery in the Norway Pavilion. Delicious.

Said goodbye to Jason and headed back to our "swamp room." Up early the next morning and hit the road for the ATL.

All in all it was a fun trip even if it was a bit exhausting. I'm realizing that as a parent there are no such a thing as a "relaxing" family vacation. But I wouldn't have it any other way. My boys may be a lot of work, but they're worth it.

Return From The House Of The Mouse: Day 3

2011-02-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

Day 3

Got up early and went back over to Hollywood Studios where we hoped to sign Ridge up fro Jedi Training School. He was initially excited to train as a Padwan and fight Vader. But after seeing the real Vader come out and fight the other kids he chickened out. When the big metal doors on the stage and Vader stepped out of a cloud of smoke with the Imperial March booming over the loudspeakers, Ridge nearly jumped out of my arms. Maybe next year he'll muster the courage to face Vader and become a Jedi.

After Hollywood Studios we went over the The Magic Kingdom. Not the best day. The park was PACKED and we were only able to ride one ride; Pirates of the Caribbean which neither of the boys were fond of. Ridge said it was a little too scary. While Mommy and Colton got an ice cream, I took Ridge over to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree house (my personal favorite) Ridge loved it! We then took at raft over the Tom Sawyer's Island. That was a big hit as well. The boys loved to run around the island and Ridge especially loved Fort Langhorn. He ran along the catwalks and shot the guns in the Rifle Roost for well over an hour. After a late afternoon snack, we headed back to the room for some much needed downtime.

Later that evening we went back over to Downtown Disney and ate pizza at Wolfgang Pucks.

Return From The House Of The Mouse: Day 2

2011-02-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

Day 2

Up early and ate breakfast at the resort. Headed over to Animal Kingdom where we rode the safari ride. The boys loved seeing all of the different animals. Ridge spent the entire time shooting all of the animals with his pirate pistol and announcing to the entire bus that "he shot it dead." Daddy was proud. We'll have to go on a real safari one day when he's older. While there I got to ride my favorite ride Expedition Everest. Awesome roller coaster and terrific art direction. Walked through the rainforest, the boys really loved running along the paths. We all treated ourselves to Mickey Ice Creams.

Later that afternoon we traveled over to Holywood Studios where Ridge and Colton built their very own lightsabers at the Tatooine Traders. Ridge constructed a Mace Windu saber and selected a purple blade. Colton on the otherhand built a Obi-Wan/Dooku hybrid saber and selected a green blade. We spent the rest of the evening having lightsaber duels in front of the giant AT-AT walker and chasing Colton around. "WANT DOWN!" was Colton's mantra the entire trip.

Return From The House Of The Mouse: Day 1

2011-02-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

We just got back from The House of the Mouse (ie Disney World) a few hours ago. I was planing on posting daily, but once again there was no wifi in our room and the internet connection we did have wasn't free and I refused to let Mickey suck out any more of my money. (Yes, I'm a cheapsake) But really it wouldn't have mattered anyway, since at the end of the day Danielle and I were practically falling into bed at the end of the day; chasing a 3 year-old and an 18 month-old around four theme parks is utterly exhausting. So here is a quick recap of hour 4-Day adventure.

Day 1:
Left Atlanta bright an early around 5:30 AM. Trip went pretty quicky and we checked into our hotel around noon. We stayed at the Port Orleans resort at the Alligator Bayou section. Ridge called it our "Swamp Room." Took the boat over over the DownTown Disney and ate at Earl of Sandwich. (The greatest sandwiches in the world. Sorry Atlanta Bread.) Did some early shopping and ate dinner with Uncle Jason. Turned in early ready to hit the parks the next day.

The Magic Kingdom

2011-02-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Early tomorrow morning, the Bryson clan will be hitting the road on our annual pilgrimage to see Mickey. It will take about 7 hours total for us to get to the Magic Kingdom and the car is packed and ready. We'll be staying 4 nights total and the weather is supposed to be great; no rain in sight and the highs in the 80's. The boys are really excited and after all we've been through the last two weeks, a getaway will do us all some good. Hopefully it will take our minds off things for a little while.

I'm crosing my fingers that this year the wireless in our hotel works and I'll be able to post to the blog through out our trip. See you in Orlando.

Bub

2011-02-13T05:14:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday evening I received one of the worst phone calls of my life. On the phone was my brother, who informed me that my uncle had just passed away. I was left absolutely speechless and in utter shock standing shivering in the cold outside an Atlanta restaurant.

Most folks knew my Uncle as Arnold Bryson, but to the children and grandchildren of Robert and Aileen Bryson, he was known as “Bubba” or simply “Uncle Bub.” The story goes that when my Aunt Elaine was a toddler she couldn’t pronounce the word brother. All that she could muster was Bubba and the nickname stuck. Which is a good thing since I’ve been told that he disliked the name Arnold and that he REALLY, REALLY hated his middle name Truman.

Arnold Truman Bryson; he was named after a preacher and a President.

I’ve really struggled this week to wrap my head around the fact that Uncle Bub is no longer with us. Bub has ALWAYS been there. He has always been a permanent fixture in my life. Having someone tell me that Uncle Bub is gone just seems to go against the Laws of Nature. There are certain facts in this life, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, flowers always bloom in the Spring, Clemson always loses at Chapel Hill, and Uncle Bub is always around. Bub not being here just doesn’t seem natural.

All through out my life I can’t recall a single holiday, birthday, family reunion, Fourth of July or backyard cookout that Bub wasn’t a part of. I can remember as kid Mom taking Joe and me out tricking treating on Halloween; heading out the door dressed in our cheap vinyl Batman and Darth Vader costumes and the first house we’d visit would always be Bub. He was always good for a Snickers bar or two. I can remember stuffing myself silly on cheese balls, Elaine’s homemade mint candy and summer sausage at Bub’s annual Christmas parties, surrounded by friends and family. And of course Christmas mornings; Bub would always arrive bright and early at our house to open presents and stockings. Bub never missed a Thanksgiving or Easter dinner. He was always there with a smile, a laugh and a hearty appetite.

For as long as I can remember, Bub had always lived right next door to us. When Mom and Dad was a newly married couple they purchased several acres of land from my Uncle Perry at the end of Williamson Road. Not long afterwards Uncle Bub built a little place of his own on the property down by the river. Years later, when Mom and Dad decided to move the family farther on up South Mills River and build their dream house, Bub said “Well I guess I’m coming too,” and purchased a couple of acres just down the hill from us and built a little place over looking the pond. From my earliest memories as a toddler up until I was 22 years old and finally moved away from Mills River, I saw my Uncle practically every single day of my life.

In fact Bub was one of my first babysitters. Mom likes to tell a story of when she dropped me off at Bub’s house one evening when I was just two or three years old. I had with me a finger-painting set. When Mom picked me up later that night, I met her at Bub’s door covered head-to-toe in brightly colored sticky paint. Of course there was also paint all over Bubs kitchen, carpet, walls and every seat cushion of his couch. Bub handed me over to Mom and said “Did you really have to buy him a finger-paint set?”

I can remember hot summer days as a kid; exploring the woods and pastures around our home, building tree forts, playing hide and seek in the old barn loft, and fighting make-believe pirates down at the swimming hole. But no matter where my adventures took me, I always made time to swing by Uncle Bubs sometime in the afternoon for a quick snack and a cold glass of Pepsi.

As I grew older into a teenager, Bub and I worked side by side doing countless hours of farm-work; diggin’ taters down at Mr. Burt Wrights place, putting up hay in the sweltering late-summer heat, mowing grass down at Paw and Nan’s, chasing stray cows when they got out of their fences and splitting firewood on cold winter Saturdays. Bub helped us split a lot of firewood over the years; and I do mean A LOT of firewood. When your Dad is the owner of a wood-stove company you tend to cut down a lot of trees. But Bub was always a hard worker. He never complained. He never grumbled. He was always there to help.

Bub was also a gifted teacher. He taught at West Henderson where he inspired countless students over his 29 year career. I being one of them. And I honestly believe he was the sole reason I didn’t flunk out of high school and that I’m not working at a car wash today. If it weren’t for his private tutoring sessions in mathematics, I never would have made it past the 9^th grade. There are those individuals out there who have a mind for numbers, arithmetic, charts and graphs. But I unfortunately am not one of those individuals. Algebra, calculus, geometry- forget it. You might as well try to teach me to speak Mandarin Chinese; it just wasn’t happening. But Bub stepped in to help. From junior high onward, my nightly after-dinner ritual involved me packing my books and heading down the hill to Bub’s for an hour or so of tutoring then back home in time to watch The A-Team on TV. During those sessions I can remember getting so frustrated and snapping at Bub. “This stuff is stupid,” I’d shout. “I’m never going to have to use a logarithm in my life!”

Bub would just shake his head. “No, pay attention,” he’d say calmly. “This stuff is important. You’re going to need to know this when you’re out of school.”

That’s when I’d look Bub right square in the eye and say, “No YOU don’t understand. I’m going to college and I’m going to major in ART. I’m going to draw and paint and design things for a living. I will NEVER have to use a logarithm or algebra, or calculus or any of this stuff.”

Then of course my senior year I had the uncomfortable experience of actually having Bub as my teacher. That was really weird to say the least. The hardest part of that class was figuring out what to call him. I mean I couldn’t call him Bub and there was NO way I was going to address him formally as Mr. Bryson. So I just settled for “Hey You.” If I need help on a particular math problem in class I’d simply raise my hand and blurt out “Hey You, I’ve got a question.” I think I ended up making a C in his class. But I didn’t care. It was enough to get me my diploma.

Then there are the little things that I’ll miss about Bub.

I’m going to miss his laugh.

I’m going to miss how easy it was to make him blush with embarrassment.

I’m going to miss how his house smelled of menthol and spearmint chewing gum.

I will miss his love and passion for horses. Bub’s house is filled with photos, paintings, books, and magazines of racking horses. His closet is packed with horse show t-shirts and caps. His cars were even adorned with racking horse license plates. But the ironic thing is that in 37 years I never once saw him actually RIDE a horse.

I’m going miss his unique love for the great outdoors. Bub always looked at nature in a completely different way than the rest of us Bryson’s. You see most Bryson’s look at a beautiful mountain and think two things: 1. “Where are the deer?” And 2. “Can I shoot the deer?” But not Bub, he noticed the smaller details of nature that most people miss; the hue of a perfect sunset, the sounds of the birds in the trees or the colors of the flowers dotting the ground.

And I’m really, really, really going to miss his homemade sweet potato casserole. Holiday dinners will never be the same. Especially since he never shared that recipe with any of us.

***

Bub never married and never had any children of his own. I’ve always felt kind of sad about that; Bub was one of the most kind, gentle and patient individuals I’ve ever known. I never heard him say anything negative about another human being or utter a single curse word in anger. I believe he would have made a great father. Though I’m not so sure I can quite picture Bub changing diapers on a regular basis or chasing a messy toddler around the house.

But I suppose in our own way Joe and I along with Chris and Josh were Bub’s boys. He loved us like we were his own. And when our children came along he loved them like grandchildren. His house is a treasure trove of pictures of his great nieces and nephews. Joe and I even had a tradition of calling Bub first when we were expecting a new baby into our families. Bub knew about Ridge, Colton, Ben, Jake and Emma even before the grandparents did. I think he enjoyed that. And of course we knew Bub could always keep a secret.

Bub’s passing is going to take a while to set in. It just doesn’t seem real to me. I’m sure the next time I come home for a visit I’ll be looking for Bub’s familiar face to appear at the back porch door and walk on in the house without so much as knocking. Bub never knocked. He didn’t have too. He was part of our family.

And I’m sure at some point in the coming months, when all the grand kids are up at Mom and Dad’s, we’ll decide to have a campfire, or roast marshmallows, or Mom may bake a homemade pound cake and someone will out of habit pick up the phone and instinctively dial 891-4567. Bub was always the first to be invited to any kind of family activity.

Old habits are going to be hard to break.

We can’t always understand God’s Will. He has a bigger plan that we often can’t see. I can’t comprehend as to why the Lord felt the need to take my Uncle home at such a young age. I would have preferred to have Bub around for another 20 or 30 years. (After all my boys are going to need a good math tutor in a few years.) But the more I think about it, I believe the Lord took Bub exactly how he would have wanted to leave this world. If you had to pick just one word to describe Bub the first thing that would pop in your head would be the word quiet. Bub was a very private individual. He kept to himself and never wanted to be the center of attention. Dad always said that was “the Sitton in him.” He never ever wanted anyone to make a big fuss over him. And that’s exactly how Bub left this world.

Quietly. Peacefully. In his bed.

He left without a fuss.

But in the end I know I will see Bub again one day. That is the promise that Christ gave to this world; that if you believe he paid for our sins on Calvary and that He was who He said He was, you will live eternally with him. Through this darkness, we will one day see the light.

Christ said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I believe that.

Bub believed that.

So though I will miss him dearly for the rest of my life I’m comforted in the promise that I’ll get to see my Uncle again.

Goodbye Bub. I love you.

The Baquarium

2011-02-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

The other night at supper, Ridge decided to tell us about his adventure at the "baquarium" where he saw sharks, whales and other strange sea creatures.

Papoose

2011-01-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

It was in the upper 60s in Atlanta on Sunday so the Fam decided to get a little fresh air. So we decided to hike up Kennesaw Mountain. Colton especially like riding along in his Kelty pack.

Deer Blind

2011-01-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

Ridge has discovered that placing his Star Wars tent on top of his bed makes an ideal deer stand. I wonder if he's now going to make me plant some food plots in his bedroom?

Cool Runnings

2011-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

The hill outside our house is coated in about 2 inches of solid ice, so I decided to start honing my bobsledding skills. The 2014 Winter Olympics are just around the corner.

Snow Day!

2011-01-11T09:16:00.001-08:00

Hot-lanta (or should I say HOTH-lanta) got hammered with a snowstorm on Sunday night. When it was all said and done we were left with 6 inches of snow and sleet that shut down the entire city. It was pretty to look at but not so much fun to play in. The sleet that fell in the morning left a 1/4 inch crust of ice on top of the snow. Terrible for making snow men, snow forts or snowballs. We took the boys out in it and attempted sledding but it wasn't much pun'kin. Basically we spent the day inside playing board games, building Legos, drinking hot chocolate and watching Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs for the 1,000th time.

I think we're all starting to get a touch of "cabin fever." All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

I've been busy with work lately and I really need to get our Christmas pics posted soon.

Hanging out with my big boy

2010-12-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

Ridge has been sort of a mess lately. He's been going through a lot of mood swings and temper tantrums. Obviously that is par for the course for a three year old, be we've been noticing a lot of it has to do with Colton. Because Colton is still just learning to walk he demands a lot more attention from us than Ridge does. Everything seems to revolve around the little man these days. So we've decided that every so often one of us will spend an afternoon and have some special time with just Ridge.

S0 on Sunday afternoon, D took Colton along to one of her girlfriend's Christmas parties and Ridge and I spent the afternoon together. We re-enacted the epic Battle of Hoth in his bedroom with his army of Jedis and new Imperial AT-AT Walker. After that we suited up in our Clone Trooper outfits (a backpack and black knit hat) and headed to the park to fight Count Dooku's Droid Army. After flying countless dangerous missions in our Intergalactic trooper gunship (the jungle gym), we topped the afternoon off with a piece of chocolate cake the size of a car battery at the Seasons Restaurant. Can you say "sugar-high?"

A great day with my eldest and I really think the one-on-one with Daddy really helped. No tantrums or mood swings at-all. He was a perfect child for the rest of the day. Let's hope that attitude carries over into next week. Fingers crossed.

Christmas Day! (sort of)

2010-12-18T09:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas came a week early to Bryson house this year. Mimi and Granddaddy Crout came down from "South Cadillac-cy" to bring presents and spend time with the boys since we were spending Christmas with my parents this year. Ridge and Colton both received some pretty awesome swag from the grandparents. They both got Empirial AT-AT Walkers! Honestly I thought Ridge's head was going to explode when he unwrapped his. I have to admit AT-AT's are pretty sweet. Heck I never even had one when I was a kid (even though I asked for one almost nonstop through out the entire year of '81) Now 30 years later, I have one that I can play with (although I do have to share it with Ridge and Colton.)

Ridge was so jacked up over his gift he was running laps all over the house. Hopefully the gifts that Santa/Mom and Dad bring are as big a hit.

The Christmas Story (as read by Ridge Bryson)

2010-12-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Ridge likes to read us the Christmas Story every night before bed. He grabs any book at hand and reads aloud. His version of the Christmas Story however typically involves Jesus, a manger, "Glory to God in the highest", a bad guy who tries to steal our Christmas tree, a Jedi, and the phrase "you don't understand."

The Great American Santa Claus Freak-out 2010

2010-12-16T05:01:00.001-08:00

Curse Of The Chupacabra

2010-12-11T04:29:00.001-08:00

I've been neglecting the blog as of late. Traveling for work, deer season, Thanksgiving, etc. All cut into my time blogging about the adventures of the Bryson clan. But my biggest distraction from the blog is the my attempt to finish up my novel starring my two boys. I finished the first 'book' of the series several months ago. In it Ridge and Colton do battle with a fierce swamp creature and recover an ancient diamond hidden by Spanish conquistadors. I have three 'books' in my planned story arch and I'm happy to say that over the past six months I've finished the second book and started on the third.

The second chapter deals with Ridge and Colton once again venturing into the mysterious Conquistador Cave. But this time they are magically whisked away to the Yucatan Peninsula over 500 years into the past where they battle a chupacabra monster in their search for more ancient treasure. "Fortune and Glory" to quote one Dr. Henry Jones Jr.

Anyway, the writing is going good but I'm anxious to be finished. I still need to finish the third chapter, involving a nasty sasquatch and there's a lot of editing to do before I try to get this sucker published. (Or should I say self-published, I'm not that naive) Plus I'm looking to add some cool drawings and sketches into the book that were drawn by Colton. (He loves to draw in my stories.) So that's going to take some time. It's just so dog-gone hard to be creative at night after working all day and chasing two rambunctious boys around at the end of the day.

But I keep plugging along and I'll get there eventually. I hear Peter Jackson is looking for his next project after The Hobbit. Hopefully I'll have it ready by then.

On Location

2010-11-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

One of the responsibilities of being the "World's Greatest Dad" is of course putting food on the table and bringing home the bacon. This past week my job took me to the sunny West Coast to shoot a television spot for one of my agency's clients. All in all it was a good week: great weather, fancy hotels, expensive dinners (on the client's tab) and celebrity-sitings (Bill Paxon).

But all of that gets old really fast and after a few days in Santa Monica I was ready to be home playing Anakin vs Count Dooku with my boys.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T19:35:00.001-07:00

Halloween is always a big holiday in the Bryson family. Especially for me. Man I love Halloween: horror movies, candy, jack-o-lanterns, dressing up and basically getting to act like a 8 year-old again. Ridge has recently discovered Star Wars and so this year we decided on a "Galaxy far, far away..." theme.

Chewbacca, Leia, Anakin and Master Yoda had a great time. Can't wait until next year.

Dj Lance Rock and Popcorn Balls

2010-10-26T06:16:00.001-07:00

Seven Year Itch

2010-09-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

The majority of the stuff I yap about on this blog is about my boys and as much as I love them, sometimes Mom and Dad need a little break from them. So this past weekend, Danielle and I celebrated our Seven Year Wedding Anniversary in Charleston, SC.

And we did so completely KID FREE!

We dropped the boys off at D's parents Thursday evening and we hit the road bright and early on Friday. The drive down to the coast was great and much shorter than expected. We checked into our hotel around 2PM and we decided on a late lunch at Justine's Kitchen. I went for the fried flounder a side of green beans and topped it off with a slice of lemon, custard pie fresh out of the ice-box. (southern cookin' awesomeness!)

After lunch we headed back to the hotel, changed into our "fishing attire" and headed to the dock to meet Uncle Robert and his friend Fred for an evening of shrimping out in the harbor. Being out on the water at sunset while dolphins circle your boat and pelicans dive-bomb schools of mullet is one of those times I'll never forget. We set the poles, made our chum-bait patties and as soon as the sun sank below the horizon we cast our nets. After about three hours we had our cooler nearly full of shrimp. (I still need to work on my casting form, I still don't quite have the technique down) Around 10 PM we headed in and cleaned our catch by "popping" their heads at the dock. It was a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year.

The next morning we slept in until about 8:30 AM, which being kid-less was one of our top priorities of the trip. (Colton has a nasty habit of getting up around 5 AM eery morning) Saturday was spent being a typical Charleston tourist. We ate a fantastic breakfast at The Hominy Grill (Cinnamon French Toast!) explored the USS Yorktown (something I haven't done since I was a Boy Scout in the sixth grade) walked along the pier, shopped at the Old Market and took a carriage ride around the city.

After freshening up we headed over to FIG (Food Is Good) a restaurant we had heard good things about for an early dinner. To say is was a great dinner would be a criminal understatement. Now I'm not a "foodie" in any way shape or form, heck when I'm hungry, you could plop a Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich in front of me and I'd say it was the best thing I'd ever eaten in my life. But my meal at FIG on Saturday night which consisted of chicken schnitzel and some sort of grain salad, was hands down the best meal I'd ever had. It was an awesome culinary experience. Everything was just so fresh and savory. The bartender told us that FIG is the restaurant of choice for Anthony Bourdaine when he comes to town.

We spent the rest of the evening exploring the streets and shops and eventually ended up at The Rooftop Bar for a glass of wine and to watch the Carolina/Auburn game. After Carolina wet the bed and blew the lead, Danielle was in such a bad mood we headed back to our hotel. (She's a lot like me when I watch the Heels)

Sunday morning we woke up early and walked down the street to a local bakery for coffee and muffins. We then loaded up and hit the road back home to G'ville to pick up our boys (who were greatly missed by now) We made a short detour to Summerville to chat with D's Aunt and Uncle and to pick up our shrimp from Friday night.

All in all it was a fantastic trip; restful, relaxing, and fun. Now we're back to our day jobs of being full-time Mommy and Daddy's; changing diapers, cleaning playrooms, and arguing with strong-willed three year-olds but the difference now is that the batteries are fully re-charged.

Tom & Jerry and Waffles

2010-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

This is what has become a typical weekday morning in the Bryson household. Colton now wants to sit side-by-side with big brother and watch Tom and Jerry while munching on Eggo Waffles. Of course most of Colton's waffle ends up on the floor and Ridge is too busy laughing at Jerry club Tom to a pulp with a baseball bat to eat his waffle, but oh well, what are you going to do? At least Mom and Dad are able to enjoy a cup of coffee before racing around getting everyone ready for work and school.

Life these days is unbelievably frantic and crazy. But I wouldn't change a thing. Plus who doesn't love watching old T&J cartoons?

Stuff Ridge Says

2010-09-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ridge (sitting on the potty): "Hey look at that poop in there! What do you think that poop is doing?"

Me: "I don't know."

Ridge: "Maybe he's just watching the news."

Roughing It

2010-09-06T10:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great Labor Day weekend camping up in the Smokies with the extended family and the Sorrells and Sullivan Clans. We drove up Friday afternoon, a three hour trip from Hot-lanta to the mountains of my native home in Western North Carolina. We stayed at a KOA campground just outside of Cherokee. Not my favorite sort of camping per say (I'm more of a backpacking sort of guy) but it was convenient and kid-friendly. Ridge was especially excited about staying in his very own cabin in the woods.

We set up camp in the dark and in a drizzling rain, but the next morning the sun was up, dried things out and the rest of our time we had spectacular weather. It was such a relief to be out of the sweltering heat and humidity of Georgia. We spent the day throwing rocks in the river, fishing for trout, eating ice cream cones in downtown Cherokee, sight-seeing on the Blue Ridge Parkway, organizing Scavenger Hunts and playing trivia around the campfire.

I would say with the exception of having to walk a cranky Colton around a dark, cold campground every morning at 5:30 AM, it was a perfect trip. Looking forward to it next year. It's always good spending time with family and friends.

Even Iron Man Has To Poop

2010-08-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Tony Stark takes a bio-break from battling bad guys to go "number 2."

Hanging with Mr. Gummy

2010-08-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

You know what stinks? Trying to eat an apple without any teeth.

"Convert All Power To Uni-Beam!"

2010-08-14T03:57:00.000-07:00

Water Balloon Fight

2010-07-26T08:02:00.001-07:00

The Lizard King

2010-07-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend we attended Ben's 8th birthday. (I can't believe he's already 8! Seems just like yesterday he was a toddler breaking it down on the dance floor at our wedding.) Anyway, Ben is really into Man vs. Wild, Survivor Man and all of those cool Discovery Channel nature shows. So he decided to have an exotic animal show at his party. The kids got to pet a plethora of weirds creatures, like tarantulas, scorpions, Burmese pythons and monitor lizards. I was worried Ridge would freak out, since he's currently going through a "bug fear" stage, but in the end he really warmed up to touching the animals. Maybe it was the older kid peer pressure, but he did it and hopefully has gotten over his fear of animals.

I Am Iron Man

2010-07-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

Ridge watching the "jet fighter scene" in Iron Man for the 1001st time.

Stuff Colton Says

2010-07-07T04:21:00.001-07:00

Colton: "Ding."

Stuff Ridge Says

2010-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

To rip off the insanely popular Twitter feed, website, book and soon to be released sitcom, Sh*t My Dad Says, I've decided to start an on going post of some of the things that comes out of the mouth of my three year-old. Here is today's highlight:

Ridge: "They have lots and lots of Buzzes at Wal-Mark. Because they like Cheetos."

Hey Baby, It's The 4th Of July

2010-07-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Boat rides, water balloon fights, matinee movies, sun tans, hamburgers, firecrackers, homemade peach ice cream, live music, street food, frosty beverages, mac and cheese, naps in the afternoon, good books and a great family.

Happy 4th!

Hell Week

2010-06-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Navy SEALs, the military's "best of the best" under go the most rigorous physical and mental training in the world. It's kicked off by the infamous "Hell Week." It's seven days of pure torture that's designed to weed out the weak. I think it's something like only thirty percent make it through those seven days.

I'm not sure if there has ever been any scientific study comparing the mental stress of the SEALs "Hell Week" and toddler potty training, but there should be, cause I'm convinced they have to be right on par with each other. We've started potty training for the third time this week with Ridge and it has been nothing short of "Hell."

Ridge is a very strong-willed child and the past few days have been extremely difficult. There have been more than a few mental breakdowns between D and I.

But that being said, we've stayed focused and I think our determination is paying off. Ridge is showing signs of "getting it," and I think it's finally starting to "click." After just four days, he's actually sitting on his little plastic potty voluntarily and going "number one."

Still working on trying to get him to poop on the potty which apparently he's terrified to do. But we're not pushing that right now. Baby steps.

Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatca gonna do...

2010-06-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Colton has decided to take matters into his own hands when it comes to being abused by Ridge. He's apparently getting tired of getting beaten up on a daily basis by his big brother and yesterday he said "Enough is enough" and called the cops. Around 6PM we received a knock on our door. It was a Dekalb County sheriff's deputy. I immediately thought we had forgotten to pay a tax bill or something and they were coming to haul us in. But instead the officer informed us that a 9-1-1 call had been made from our address. Danielle came to the door and said that Colton had been playing with the phone about an hour earlier. The cop just laughed, said it was no biggie and left. But I just wonder if our little 10 month-old really did know what he was doing. Ridge better watch out, Colton be calling in a SWAT team next time Ridge sits on his head.

Gulf Coast-"Sand"

2010-06-21T13:24:00.001-07:00

Gulf Coast-Day 4

2010-06-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ridge and I got up early and ran over to the Donut Truck to pick up some sweets and coffee for breakfast. They sell fresh donuts all morning until they sell out, then they're closed for the day. Delicious! After breakfast, we all headed over to Panama City to catch a ride on a cruise to Shell Island. It was a 45 minute ride over to the island and we spent an hour playing on the white sugar beaches. On the ride back we rode up the channel where we spotted several dolphins. Ridge was initially excited to the see the dolphins but after a while he was more interested in playing Iron Man vs Buzz Lightyear.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and lounging in the AC of the room. It's freaking hot down here. (106 degrees!)

Around 6PM we walked 50 feet across the square to a Mexican restaurant where D, Ridge and Colton presented me with my birthday card. After that we hit the beach to watch the sunset and headed over to The Sugar Shak for ice cream and milk shakes.

A great 37th birthday.

Gulf Coast-Day 3

2010-06-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Skeleton Pirate Siege!

Gulf Coast-Day 3

2010-06-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

Up early this morning and drove an hour north to Destin to get our family pictures made. We had to bribe Ridge to behave by promising to take him to the toy store to buy an new Iron Man action figure. Can you say "The World's Most Spoiled Child?" After the shoot we headed back to Rosemary Beach but we took the scenic route back along Highway 30A through Water Color. Amazing homes.

The afternoon was spent by the pool playing Ridge's new favorite game of throwing action figures to the bottom of the pool and making Daddy dive and fetch them. After an hour of this activity my eyes where on fire from the chlorine.

Ate dinner in Water Color at a kid friendly spot called Pizza By The Sea. Great pizza!!

The rest of the evening we played on the beach and we practically had to drag Ridge away kicking and screaming.

In the morning, we've booked seats on a glass-bottom boat that takes us out to Shell Island.

Gulf Coast-Day 2

2010-06-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Got up early and hit the beach for an early morning walk. Ridge was still a little intimidated by the waves. His favorite thing about the beach so far is the little shower things they have on the boardwalks to wash off sand.

After our walk we ran by the sundries and got some sausage biscuits for breakfast. The rest of the afternoon consisted of trips to the pool and naps in the afternoon when it was really hot. While the boys and D slept, Daddy got some good down-time by the pool. Catching up on his reading and working on his tan.

We went to an early dinner at The Red Bar. A local hangout that everyone recommended. Good food and great atmosphere, unfortunately Rdige was not into it, and we gobbled our food down as fast as possible since he was on the verge of a meltdown. It's like dining with a ticking time bomb.

After dinner we took the boys to The Sugar Shak and picked out some candy. Riding a sugar-high we took the boys back down the beach so Ridge could play with his glow sticks. Finally, his fear of the waves diminished and we experienced that moment that we have been anticipating since we get here and he spent the next half hour or so splashing in the surf.

We watched the big giant ball of fire sink into the the horizon while we walked back to our condo. Stayed up late watching cartoons. Great day.

Gulf Coast-Day 1

2010-06-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

We made the 5 and a half hour trip to Destin successfully and without incident. (though we were bummed when we initially forgot that we crossed over into another time zone and were excited that we made the trip in only 4 hours)

Our condo is great and really roomy. Ridge loves the fact that he gets to "adventure sleep" on the fold-out couch at night. The really good news that the beaches are beautiful, white, clean and oil free. The oil slick is looming out there on the horizon but the currents and the winds are keeping it away from Destin for now.

Yesterday we hit the beach around 2PM. Ridge was initially excited to see the ocean but the intense heat of mid-day and the waves soon took their toll and he was ready to go in about an hour later.Colton on the other hand could have stayed out there all day shoveling the sugary sand into his mouth. After lunch D and Colton ran to Publix to load up on food supplies for the week while Ridge and I went to the pool. We ate dinner at The Summer Kitchen and afterwards strolled around the town of Rosemary Beach.

Looks like we're in for a fun week, we just need to learn to pace ourselves with the kiddos.

Heading To The Coast

2010-06-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

The Bryson clan hits the road in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow, headed for the Gulf Coast. I just hope we beat the oil slick there. What are we, in something like Day 60 or something in this oil spill mess and there is still no end in sight. I read an article just the other day that this spill is already 8 times larger that the Exxon Valdez back in the '80's. Good grief! BP and the Obama Administration should be ashamed of themselves at how this whole situation has been handled. This is Obama's Katrina.

Any-hoo, as of right now the beaches of South Walton, FL are untouched by the spill and we're crossing our fingers that it stays that way until the end of next week. This will be Ridge and Colton's first glimpse of the ocean and I'd hate for it to be a vision of black toxic tar and oil. At least our condo has a pool...

I'm hoping that our beach rental has wi-fi so I can post to the blog while we're having fun in the sun. For some strange reason I can't get the song "Toes" by The Zac Brown Band outta my head. But as Danielle was quick to point out, "A vacation with kids is not technically a vacation, it's a business trip."

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

Picnics. Catching lightning bugs. Slip 'n slides in the backyard. Home-made chocolate milkshakes. Hikes at Red Top Mountain. Tarantino war movies. Super Hero action figure battles. Long runs in the afternoon heat. Rain storms. Candy stores. Iron Man pizzas. Afternoon naps.

A great way to kick off the summer.

Operation: Get Ridge

2010-05-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

Eyes Wide Shut

2010-05-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure who actually reads this blog or not. Being the father of two boys both under the age of four is exhausting to the point I don't find a lot of time to write and post. But I do what I can. Plus I don't really have any dedicated fans out there like Dooce or Perez Hilton, I just sorta see this blog more of a little diary or journal that my kids can look back on when I'm old and gray and hopefully see that their father was actually cool once.

A lot of things big events have happened in the past few months and if I actually do have any readers out there, I'm probably leaving them hanging, since certain key plot points have been brought up and dropped. So allow me to sum up:

Previously on LOST....

About four months ago, Colton at the age of five months was diagnosed with a rare eye condition known as Nystagmus. Nystagmus is basically an involuntary and rapid movement of the eyes. Typically people with nystagmus have low vision and in a lot of cases they are considered leaglly blind. Oh and did I mention nystagmus is incurable even with the aid of glasses and contacts? Colton's nystamus is very mild but his eye doctor recommended a series of tests to rule out certain causes. The root of nystagmus with people born with the condition usually stems from one of the following: 1. Brain tumors 2. Ocular Albinism or 3. Causes unknown.

So about two months ago, Colton had an MRI to rule out any tumors in his brain. Needless to say, that was an extremely traumatic experience for Danielle and I. Watching your baby being sedated and inserted into a giant metal tube so that doctors can search for lesions on his brain is pretty rough. Oddly enough, Colton was a real trooper through the entire ordeal. We actually had several nurses comment that they had never seen a baby so calm.

Several days later we received that good news: NO BRAIN TUMORS!

After that was ruled out we moved on to find out if he had ocular albinism. Ocular albinism is a condition where the eyes don't have enough pigment. It's a permanent condition to which there is no cure. Most people with O.A are considered legally blind. This was our second fear, that our son would live a life where he could never operate a motor vehicle and be considered handicapped.

Fingers crossed and prayers said, we visited a second eye doctor who specializes in Ocular Albinism. After a nail-biting hour long examination he deliver the news to Danielle and I: Colton DOES NOT have Ocular Albinism.

As soon as we walked out of the doctors office, Danielle broke down in tears. (The good kind of tears.)

The doc said Colton's eyes look healthy and his nystagmus is on the VERY mild side of things, so he suspects that his vision is pretty good. Obviously he'll require further check-ups that make sure, but right now he believes Colton sees just fine.

So now that simply means that the cause of Colton's nystagmus falls into the camp of UNKNOWN. So people are simply born with shifty eyes and no one knows why. But you know what? We'll take it. Our son is otherwise healthy and can see just fine.

We've started vision therapy to help dampen the nystagmus and strengthen his eyes and he undergo therapy session for the next few months. In the end we hope to get his vision the best that is can be. It will probably never be 20/20 but that's just fine.

After all, when's he older he's going to have to be able to help me spot elk in the timber up on Roaring Fork when I'm too old to see.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

2010-05-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Danielle had the day off from photography so we decided to have a family day. After church and naps, we loaded the boys up and headed outside The Perimeter to watch the Gwinnett Braves play an afternoon game. It was our first time to the new Gwinett Stadium and I must say I was impressed. Very nice little minor league park and extremely family friendly. It was much more low-key and accessible than dragging the whole family down to The Ted. We purchased general admission tickets which were incredibly cheap, and sat out on the lawn overlooking the outfield. I was initially surprised at how interested in the game Ridge was. When we walked in the front gate he immediately began talking about the pitchers and the hitters and how fast they threw the ball. But unfortunately from our outfield seats he couldn't make out much of the action and quickly became distracted by cotton candy, pretzels and the kiddy playground. So we spent much of the game playing in a giant jumpy castle while Danielle baked in the sun trying to keep Colton hydrated and from eating grass.

All in all it was a good experience but a lot of hot, sweaty work. I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in the game. I think next time we attend we'll buy actual seats in the shade closer to home plate so I can teach Ridge about "hit and runs" and "double plays."

Advice

2010-05-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

"Psst... Colton, did you know grass tastes really good? Seriously, I'm not kidding, the stuff is amazing. Go ahead...try it. You'll like it."

Birthday Boy

2010-05-07T18:10:00.001-07:00

Three years ago tonight I was sitting in a room in Northside Hospital having an anxiety attack. I was lying on a couch with my wife and newborn son sleeping soundly in a bed just a few inches away. Even though I had barely slept myself in the last 48 hours, my mind raced with wild and panicked thoughts: Will I be able to support a family financially? Will I be a good father? What do I know about taking care of a baby? Will I be a good role model?

I psyched myself into a frenzied panic, and I came close to calling a nurse that night to bring me a paper bag and some Xanax. All I knew at that moment was that my life had just changed forever.

Flash forward three years and the anxiety and panic is nowhere in sight. Today I'm sitting in our living room playing "Iron Man vs Captain America" with Ridge and I couldn't be happier. The last three years have flown by and Ridge has been a blessing in my life. I love being a father more than any other accomplishment in my life. Of course I still hope and pray I'm doing it right. (There aren't a lot of instruction manuals out there.)

I love you buddy. Happy Birthday.

Easter Eggs

2010-04-05T07:46:00.001-07:00

Like Father Like Son

2010-03-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely creating a future Heels fan and Dook Hater in Ridge. While screaming at the TV last Sunday during Baylor's bed-wetting and the refs practically handing Duke another trip to the Final Four, I noticed Ridge was screaming right along with me. I know we shouldn't teach our children to hate, but in the case of Coach K and his squad Blue Devils, I believe it's acceptable. GO HEELS!

Gone Fishin'

2010-03-30T13:53:00.001-07:00

Last weekend The Fam journey up to Madison, GA to attend the birthday party of one of Ridge's friends. The party was at a family farm which had a little bass pond on it. A couple of the adults were fishing off the dock, so I grabbed a rod and made a couple of casts. Ridge immediately came running up to me yelling, "I want to do it! I want to do it."

The cool thing is that Ridge is only two and to my knowledge has never really seen anyone fish before. But he loved it. I would cast the line out for him and then hand it over. He would then sit there quietly and reel it in very carefully with the most focused, intense look I have ever seen on his face. We didn't catch any fish, but he didn't care. He had a blast. I think I have fisherman on my hands. Over Easter, I hope to take him up to Ray's pond and see if we can catch a trout. If he does I think he'll be hooked for life. (pardon the pun)

Little Helper

2010-03-30T03:58:00.000-07:00

The great thing about having to boys is that one day they'll be big enough to assign chores around the house. And not just talking about the small chores either like taking out the trash or cleaning their rooms, I'm talking about real, back-breaking manual labor here. The kind of stuff that my Dad had me and my brother doing on the farm; digging drainage ditches, cutting firewood, hauling gravel. It's not that I want my boys to grow up too fast but, I gotta admit that's going to be a great day when they can do all the heavy lifting and Daddy can just kick back on the back porch with a cold lemonade and the latest edition of Outdoor Life.

Today Ridge showed signs of a future hard-worker by helping me shovel mulch and haul it to the backyard flower beds. Of course that only lasted about fifteen minutes until he became distracted and began chasing squirrels around the house. At least it's a start.

"Tink! Where are you?"

2010-03-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

As Ridge gets older, I love watching his imagination grow. A few months ago he discovered Disney's Peter Pan and has probably watched it at least 100 times. Last night after his school had wrapped up their singing program he rearranged the chairs in the auditorium and made an elaborate tunnel system. He then began re-enacting the scene in Peter Pan where after Capt. Hook blows up his hideout, Peter crawls through the collapsed tunnels searching for Tinker Bell.

I can't wait to introduce Episode IV to him in a couple of years. Then the light saber duels can begin...

The New American Idol

2010-03-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ridge's school put on a little musical number last night entitled The International Spring Sharing Festival. All of the classes performed folk songs from around the world and Ridge's class performed songs from South America. Foods from different regions of the world were served afterward which sent me home with a belly ache. Curry chicken, meatloaf, tacos, pizza, and fig cookies do not mix well.

Prayers

2010-03-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sending some prayers to the Big Man upstairs tonight. Tomorrow is Colton's MRI to check and see if there are any brain tumors that are causing his nystagmus. Personally I believe the little guy is completely fine, he just has a little 'eye wobble'. At 7 months he has shown more hand/eye coordination and better balance than Ridge did at this age. But obviously when you're taking your child in to be examined for possible brain tumors you tend to worry. But I believe Colton's future is in God's hands and whatever happens is part of His plan.

God is good and he is in control.

Pizza Night

2010-03-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Make-Your-Own-Pizza Night at the Bryson's. Ridge really likes pepperoni.

Nystagmus

2010-03-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

nys•tag•mus
–noun

a congenital or acquired persistent, rapid, involuntary, and oscillatory movement of the eyeball, usually from side to side.

Snow Day-The Prequel

2010-02-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

Snow Day!

2010-02-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

My Mind Was Just Blown By Polka

2010-02-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

The Disney Diaries

2010-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well my original plan of posting a daily log of the Bryson's adventures in Disney World didn't quite work out as planned. The internet connection in our room was down the entire trip, much to the chagrin of Danielle who is a Facebook Junkie. Here's the Cliff Notes version of the trip:

Friday
Loaded up the kids and hit the road at 5AM. Drove through a freaking Monsoon rainstorm until we hit the Florida border where the rain finally let up. Arrived at our resort, Caribbean Beach, "Welcome to the Islands," around 3PM, just in time for a tornado warning to hit the Orlando area. Went to Downtown Disney for supper and ate at Earl of Sandwich. Gay name, great sandwich.

Saturday
Hit the Magic Kingdom after breakfast. Weather was good, overcast and cool. We took Ridge on the Dumbo ride which he loved and renamed the "Gumbo" ride. We also rode Snow White which is basically a haunted house attraction and Ridge rode the entire thing with his hands over his eyes. It kinda freaked him out but we later took him on the Peter Pan ride (which he loved), the Aladdin Magic Carpets and the Jungle Cruise. Passed on Pirates of the Caribbean since we had a feeling it would be too much for him. Definitely next year. Left the park around 4PM and ordered room service for dinner.

Sunday
Had Breakfast with Mickey and the other characters at the Contemporary Resort. Unbelievably lame and the food wasn't all that great, but Ridge and Mimi loved the experience. After breakfast we hit Hollywood Studios where Danielle and I rode the Rock N Roll Roller Coaster. Not bad, not bad. That was pretty much it. Not a whole lot at that park for little kids, but Ridge had a blast chasing Daddy up and down Main Street screaming "FAST!" We'll probably skip that park next time. Sunday night we headed over to Jason's place to watch the Super Bowl. Way to choke Peyton!

Monday
Hit the Animal Kingdom. Ridge loved running through the jungle area chasing Daddy and looking at the tigers. I have to admit, I love tigers too especially after reading the stories of Col. Jim Corbett. Danielle and I rode Expedition Everest, my favorite ride in the entire park. Love the production design on that thing. If they can make a blockbuster movie out of the Pirates ride they could defiantly make another one out that. Come on, who wouldn't want to see a movie about a blood-thirsty Yeti monster? Had dinner that night at the T-Rex Cafe. Again too scary for the two year old and a six month old. While everyone else ate dinner, Daddy took Ridge across the street to Mickey D's for chicken nuggets. "Too many dinosaurs," said Ridge.

Tuesday
Our last day and the weather turned sour. We headed over to Epcot around noon where we had lunch reservations at the German restaurant. Awesome food and I stuffed myself until I nearly burst. The rest of the time was spent walking around the park in the pouring rain. Finally got back to the hotel around 3PM soaked to the bone. We decided not to got out that night and instead had a low-key dinner at the resort with the grandparents.

Wednesday
Loaded up the Pilot and hit the road around 6AM. Got back in the ATL around 4 that afternoon.

All in all it was a great trip. Lots of work and not a lot of "down-time" for Mom and Dad but I suppose that comes with the territory. I think our yearly trips will just get better and better from here on out as the boys get older and can enjoy more of what the parks have to offer.

Off To See The Mouse

2010-02-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

I've never been much of what you'd call a Disney Fan. Sure as a kid I watched The Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday night and I liked several of the early Disney movies (my favorites being Swiss Family Robinson and Davy Crockett) but I wouldn't say that my childhood was shaped by Uncle Walt. I was more influenced by George Lucas and Senior Spielberg.

Of course I did make the prerequisite pilgrimage to the Magic Kingdom as a kid but by time Mom and Dad got around to taking us, I was nearly twelve years old and the "magic" just wasn't doing it for me.

But in less than 24 hours from now, Danielle and I will be loading up the boys and heading south to Orlando to see The Mouse. And you know what, I'm actually looking forward to it. I think that's the magic of children-that you're able to relive your childhood through their eyes. I know that's sounds unbelievably cliche but it's true. Obviously Colton is much to young to get what's going on, ( he'll probably just do a lot of drooling and cooing) but I think it's really going to "click" with Ridge this year. I'm really hoping he rides The Pirates of the Caribbean with me, since it's in my opinion the coolest ride in the park.

We'll also be hitting the other parks as well- Animal Kingdom, MGM Studios, Epcot, and I'm planning on keeping a daily journal of our exploits, complete with pictures and video.

Stay tuned Mouseketeers.