During Daddy's day in Knoxville with us, we went to the zoo. It was so much fun! We picked a crazy day for our trip there though, because it was PBS Kid's Day (can you say crowded!!). That was great because Bryce got to meet the Berenstein Bears (we didn't make it to the Barney show....thankfully, hehe!). We really enjoyed some family time and getting to see all the animals. Bryce's favorite animal was the red panda, with the kookaburra being a close second. He was thrilled about the kookaburra because it's from his favorite lullaby!
Before Daddy left, we also went down to campus and to his favorite restaurant Sawyer's. I'm pretty sure Heath has missed Sawyer's more than anything else in Knoxville! Bryce loved getting to see campus and the stadium. His favorite part was UT's torchbearer - who he dubbed "The Human Torch" (like from the Fantastic Four). It felt so good to be back...I've missed that place!
During our remaining time in Knoxville, Bryce and I met up with my friend Jen from college. I'm so glad we got to see her - I've missed her!! We went to the fountains down by the river and had a blast. Afterwards, we fed the geese and ducks on the pier. We met one goose with a broken honker that was hilarious. It stuck out its tongue and made this odd hissing noise (which Bryce will still randomly imitate every now and then, like at the dinner table the other night!). Bryce had so much fun and gave Jen his seal of approval! Hehe, he has mentioned several times that he wants to go back and see Mommy's friend at Rocky Top. And darn it, Christin, next time we have to get together! I miss you!
We left Knoxville to spend the next 2 days in Pigeon Forge. I was feeling like quite the brave lady taking a 3 year old to the tourist mecca by myself - but it went better than I could have ever imagined. Bryce and I went to the Dixie Stampede for supper on our first night there. We couldn't do any activities outside because of an awful thunderstorm, so I gave him the choice of going to see fish at the aquarium or seeing horses at the Dixie Stampede. He surprised me with his choice and I was nervous about how he would handle sitting for the whole show. Luckily, things fell into place perfectly. We arrived just before the show started and so we were the last people on the front row with about 5 empty seats beside us. In order to get Bryce in free, he had to be admitted as a lap child - which meant he stayed on my lap the whole time and didn't get a plate of food and just shared mine. So having so many empty seats beside us worked out perfectly because Bryce could sit beside me and the server we got was so sweet and gave Bryce his own plate with a full course meal for free! Things have a way of working out sometimes! During the show, one of the lady riders for the South even picked Bryce to throw a rose to during her victory lap! It was so much fun and Bryce stayed involved and interested the whole time (something amazing for a 3 year old boy!).
The next day, we headed to Splash Country. I was worried about being the only adult with Bryce, but it went so well! He's such a water baby! We went down a zillion water slides, swam in the wave pool, floated in the lazy river, and played in all the different kiddie play areas. It was such a great day! The only downside was that I had to drag the poor baby across the entire park to get back to our locker any time we needed something, but we had an amazing time! I'm pretty sure that he would go there every day if I would let him!
I feared that after nearly a week of being the only adult around, I would be completely exhausted. It didn't work out that way though. When Bryce napped or went to bed at night, there was nothing for me to do....no laundry piles waiting or messes to be cleaned. I was forced to lay in bed and rest. Let me tell you, it does wonders for the soul! It was just what Mommy and her big man needed before starting the drudgery of another school year!
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