Run, Braden, Run!

Braden has been saying so many new words lately & he is repeating everything he hears. This is quite entertaining. Guess we need to watch what we say around him! One of his favorite words is "run." He will say it at random times in the house and start sprinting around the island in the kitchen while yelling, "run!" He loves to yell it when I am jogging with him in the stroller. It wasn't quite as entertaining though when he said "run" in the grocery store the other day and started running through the aisle. Hopefully he will be my running partner in a few years!

Braden just has the look of mischief on his face. He was trying to make a quick getaway because he knew it was almost lunchtime.

He was saying, "Mom, run!" That crazy hat was apparently slowing him down.....
And he was off! How fast does he think I can run with a camera in my hand?!

Livin' It Up at Legoland

We were staying quite close to Legoland, so we figured we would take Braden and his cousins there for the day. The adults were just as exhausted as the kids by the end of the day. They all had a great time, so that's all that matters! By the way, we weren't visiting the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, despite Braden's hat in many of these pictures. He will thank us years from now for protecting him from the sun!

With so many activities to choose from, Kendall just didn't know what to do first!

Hopefully this is the reaction Braden gives all girls for about another 18 years.....especially those who claim to be princesses.
These poofy bangs would have been all the rage in the late 80's.
Braden has been mastering how to block getting kissed on his cheek, but he is not sure how to fight off the hugs from his cousin, Kendall.
Braden was sharing one of his many jokes with Gramma.
No nap caused Braden to be too delirious to eat lunch, but somehow Braden figured out how to sneak into a bag of Doritos.
Legoland features a few rides that Braden is tall enough to ride (granted, he stood on Matt's feet in order to reach the height requirement). Braden loved this fairy tale boat ride,....
he laughed hysterically throughout this plane ride twice,....
and this helicopter ride....
Bummer!! Not quite tall enough for the roller coaster though. Braden's reaction was, "Ah, man!"
Braden and I had lots of fun on another plane ride. Apparently Braden loved all the aviation-themed rides.
One of our many attempts to get a cute group shot of Braden with his cousins, Sydney and Kendall.
Our little scholar took a moment away from playing to catch up on some reading.
Sydney and her Uncle Matt took a break from playing, just to people watch for a few minutes. Amusement parks provide great opportunities for that!After a long day, Braden talked Papa into carrying him.....ok, so he didn't exactly have to twist his arm!
Braden was inspired by all the Lego creations around the park, so he displayed his creative side a bit.
The quest for the group shot continued.....
Kendall and I got to share some bonding time while the big kids rode the "adult roller coaster," as she called it.
We were content with our last attempt for a group picture. We tried to convince the kids that they would appreciate these photos later on in life.....reasoning with children under the age of 6 doesn't really work, we discovered!
Braden was so anxious to go "night night," that he sprinted across the parking lot...doesn't it look like a freeway run at rush hour??!
And he was out....in about 3.5 minutes after take off!

Beach Bums

Ahhhhh, this is the life....hanging out on the beach & enjoying time in the wonderful San Diego weather. We can definitely get used to this!!

Braden was in hysterics the whole time his Daddy was tossing him around in the waves. Clicking on the picture gives more of an effect of how much fun this was for them!

He was even cracking up when the waves crashed on top of them.
Daddy makes every activity a blast!Somehow Braden escaped getting buried in the sand like Kendall and Sydney. He still ended up with an unbelievable amount of sand on every inch of his body though. The woman on the Mercedes commercial was really on to something when she brought a blower with her to the beach!
Just pressing some extra sand between the toes....
Can we really blame 'em for being hyper?? Matt treated everyone to ice cream sandwiches, just to wash down the chocolate pudding!
What's wrong with this picture?? Oh, there are no kids in sight! Nevertheless, Christian and Matt were intent on constructing the perfect sand "fort."
Braden was enjoying a break from being the king of the castle. He loved running around, up, down, and through the sand castle so much that he forgot all about naptime today......again! The guy on the right would have been cropped out, but just thought we'd include the copycat. His kids were jealous of Matt and Christian's creation, so he put forth his best effort to create a fort for them. His kids were really disappointed with the final product though!
Hanging out with the girls means enjoying their toys, but the pink handle on this shovel was a bit much. Braden was just trying to yank it off....
Braden was just trying to talk his Daddy into relocating to the beach. Don't we just look like a happy family that should live at the beach?!
Figured a boogie board would be a good first step to transitioning our little surfer boy to a longboard.
For some reason our winter and summer hobbies include sand....and LOTS of it! Braden sure doesn't complain though!
This is Suzanne Dethier, circa 1965.....oh wait, that's Gramma Suzie showing off that she is still a beach girl at heart! She was just showing her grandkids how to tear it up on a boogie board just like she did growing up in Newport.
Is this fun or what?!?

Soakin' Up the Sand, Sun, & Surf

We kicked off our vacation with a perfect day at the beach. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Braden enjoyed the waves and, of course, the sand.

Braden was getting back at his cousin Kendall by throwing some sand on her. She loves giving Braden lots of hugs & sometimes he returns the love in his own little way.

Braden loved splashing in the waves. He should be surfing by the end of the week!
Unfortunately, this photo doesn't do the castle justice. Kendall & Sydney helped Matt & Christian design their masterpiece. The detail-oriented brothers were very meticulous and even included a tunnel in their creation. The other kids on the beach were very impressed!

Are We There Yet?!

Guess we didn't get enough of the beach a couple weeks ago when we camped in Newport, so we will be spending the week camping near the beach in San Diego. I walked into Braden's room to pack his stuff and discovered he was starting the fun a bit early. Granddad gave Braden some sand toys to make sure he gets the most out of our trip.

Braden definitely cracks us up all the time. We often think he is just showing off when others are watching. However, he apparently doesn't need an audience to bring out his goofy side!

Braden's Invasion

It kind of seemed liked a tornado swept through Nana's place just minutes after we arrived for a visit. With so many people and new things to look at, Braden just couldn't help himself from taking over. Visits to Nana's are what I'd imagine growing up in Brooklyn would have been like for my Dad and my other family members. Everyone hangs out in one room, talks very loudly, and discusses what we will be eating (even if we just finished a meal). On top of that, the tv was on because Nana likes to keep up on politics and Braden kept turning on the music too.

Nana actually loves the "family frenzy" that is created when we all visit.

Hopefully John-Paul enjoys all the sweet moments with his newborn, Charley. Soon Braden and Charley will be wreaking havoc together!
Braden was teaching the big boys a thing or two about football. Plus, he was burning off some of his energy! Well, sort of.....
Just hangin' with Uncle Biiillly. Braden sounds Hispanic when he says his name!
Chillin' with Auntie M and Uncle Billy. OK, so Maria had to basically pin him down for this picture!
Nana has always told great stories. Looks like Braden is enjoying a chat with her. More likely though, Nana is sharing her very strong opinion on who our next president should be!

So much for being careful with his newborn cousin's soft spot.....Braden was just greeting Charley. Uncle Roderick and Braden took a break from the craziness in the living room to chat on their cell phones.....looks like they were having serious conversations.
Apparently real Italians don't eat pizza with a fork. Granddad insisted Braden eat the pizza like this.
Braden wondered, "When is Charley going to be my partner in crime?" Right now, Charley is just good at being sweet and cuddly, but that won't last long if Braden has any say in it!
Braden was wondering when Uncle Roderick is going to take him to one of these cool concerts he was headed off too.....or maybe just a Sesame Street Live show?!
Oooohhhh, busted!! Graddad scolded Braden for repeatedly calling him Bobby. Braden just immitated what he heard Nana call him......and maybe we coaxed him along after finding it so funny!
Hmmmm, wonder who was in charge?!?
Ahhhh, finally some peace and quiet!!!!
Just kidding Granddad!!