Busy Boys

We had an opportunity to see what it would be like to have 2 children this weekend when Braden's cousin, Charley, stayed with us. Not only did we survive, but we really enjoyed having this adorable little guy visit. Braden loved having a playmate and he was helpful with Charley too. If he ever has the opportunity to be a big brother, we have no doubt Braden will do a fantastic job! At the rate we're going, Braden may have a sibling when he's about 8-years-old! Speaking of which, since Charley is about to become a big brother to a baby boy, maybe Aunt Kristen and Uncle John-Paul should prepare themselves by taking Braden for a day or two? Just for the practice of course.....

Braden and Charley were the most handsome twosome at church. Strangers made the same remark!

Charley may not have been able to keep up with the big boys yet, but he still enjoyed hanging out at the park just doing what he does best....looking cute!
Before we know it, Charley and Braden will be having competitions to see who can hang from the monkey bars the longest. Jett and Braden just seem so big now!

It was as if Charley was covered in syrup or something because Enzo couldn't stop licking him! Charley loved it, so a puppy would probably be a perfect belated birthday gift for him.

Almost forgot a spot in his ear!

Braden generously showed off all his toys to Charley and even shared his favorites without a complaint!

Braden was trying to teach Charley how to golf in the family room. He told him it's ok to throw the little balls in the house....hmmm, I never made that rule!

The boys loved cooling off in the pool.

Braden recently started taking swimming lessons. He's been having so much fun!

He wanted to know if he could climb out to show me how he jumps off the side. Had to put the camera down for that one!

The super messy popsicle hit the spot on this warm summer day.

These boys even look sweet with mohawks. As long as they don't decide to get mohawks in 10 years from now....

Braden eagerly taught Charley all kinds of things. Here, for example, Braden was telling Charley that "these are called buttons!" He made that up himself, and we haven't corrected him.

Braden was negotiating with Charley to share his lunch. He offered to give him a bite of an apple for a piece of his fruit roll-up. No a bad deal!

Braden had an ulterior motive in feeding Charley. He figured if he was in charge of handing out the treats, he could sneak a few extra for himself.

After a long day of playing, these boys were dirty!

Braden closed the day by reading Charley a book and looking through a photo album. Braden had so much fun with 'Baby Charley James,' as he kept calling him.

Crack Up

Braden cracks us up daily with his joking and shenanigans. He was being silly trying to do the splits on the tiled floor while wearing socks. Inevitably, he slipped and fell. His reaction was so natural, yet so humorous at the same time....

After falling on his bottom, he said, "Mom, I cracked my butt! Look, I cracked it!" Of course, Braden showed me the crack and was not nearly as amused as I was!

Birthday Beach Bash

Somebody may want to remind Braden that his birthday is not for another 3 months. Our little birthday party lover acted like Charley's 1st birthday party was his own! I was too embarassed to take pictures of Braden opening all of his cousin's presents or playing with all of his toys, but I did snap some of him intruding on Charley's space in the baby pool. It seemed like both boys had a blast. Braden is so excited that Charley will be spending this next weekend at our house. Since Charley lives across the street from the beach, the 100 degree Temecula weather we're expecting may be a shock. Don't worry Kristen and John-Paul, we'll be listening to country music while watching NASCAR, so Charley should acclimate to the Inland Empire in no time at all.

Happy 1st Birthday Charley James!

Looks like Braden scared Charley out of his pool.
Charley gave the pool idea one more try, but he didn't look happy after Braden splashed his face.
This 1-year-old can sure give a mean stink-eye!

Time for a little revenge....Charley figured he'd snag Braden's hat!

Quite a reaction after having his first taste of cake! Wish my reaction to dessert was more like that!

Braden, on the other hand, was thrilled to eat cookies, fries, and chips for lunch.

Grandma Judy and Braden caught a few rays before it started getting chilly.

Happy Father's Day to Dad! Braden still calls his Granddad by his first name, Bobby.....we're working on that. He started that about a year ago and he finds it quite funny. Ok, admittedly, so do we!

It's been a while since my mom's children were all together, so we gave in and took one family picture.

One final family picture combination. Whew!

Granddad was trying to convince Braden that smiling for a photo is more fun than playing in the sand. He was partially successful at doing so!

It was a beautiful day to celebrate Father's Day and Charley's birthday at the beach!

Braden wishes his Daddy a very Happy Father's Day with lots of love!

Fab Fathers

Happy Father's Day to all the men who are dads in our life! We are especially thankful for Braden's father and grandfathers.

Braden is blessed with a fantastic father whom he adores. Here are the top 5 reasons Braden said he loves his Daddy soooo much....

1.) Daddy has a big truck.

2.) Daddy is funny.

3.) Daddy flips him upside down to make him laugh really hard!

4.) Daddy takes him to eat "dipping balls." (what he means is Dippin' Dots, a kind of ice cream treat).

5.) Daddy is really funny! (This reason made the top 5 twice!)

Braden said he needed to be on the floor to make his Father's Day card look "really, really good." He covered it in sparkly 'Matthew' stickers (which I have no clue why we have!). Braden also decorated the carpet with non-washable markers (another item that I have no idea why we own!).

Well, apparently Braden is not lacking in the humor department either. This little potty-mouth said, "Happy Farter's Day" by accident and thought it was so hilarious that he rolled on the floor roaring with laughter!
Braden suggested we buy Daddy a snake for Father's Day. Unfortunately, the reptile store was sold out, so we settled on a few more traditional gifts instead.

Sporting his new hair-do, Braden was helping Papa feed the birds and squirrels. This is one of Braden's favorite activities to do while visiting his grandparents. They've spoiled the animals so much, that herds of them visit daily to feast at their cabin. Strangely enough, I always thought wildlife fend for themselves, but apparently they are very reliant on Gramma and Papa. Maybe they should just get a dog?! Braden and Granddad don't get to hang out nearly as much as they'd like to. They get quite a kick out of each other!

Causing a Commotion

Guess you never quite understand what it's like to love grandchildren until you actually have some of your own. For this reason, it's hard to imagine why Gramma Suzie and Papa Gary would agree to taking three of their grandkids for several days. Ranging in age from 2 to 6, saying that this threesome is full of energy is an understatement. Nevertheless, the grandparents display their immense love for the children by taking them on hikes, creating projects, and playing with them...nonstop! Maybe all the activities are keeping them young! They managed to find time to snap a few pictures of the wild duo. Kendall and Braden are like little partners in crime. Unfortunately, Sydney got sick and didn't get captured on film.

Kendall and Braden had a dance party on the deck. I think Gramma and Papa encouraged this so that they would tire out! Braden said he was only dancing because he thought it was funny to scare the blue jays and squirrels.

Hiking seemed like another clever way to burn a bit of energy....doubt this ploy worked either! Braden said they searched for bears, pumas, and coyotes, but reported that all the scary animals were hiding in the bushes.
Climbing trees in Idyllwild will surely make for a memorable pastime for Braden. He doesn't seem to pass up on any opportunity to be a total ham!

I Stand Corrected

Forget the show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Sometimes I wonder if I'm smarter than my 2-year-old! He seems to say something clever, hilarious, or intriguing every single day. Here's just a sampling of the conversations that have left me laughing or feeling a bit dumbfounded over the last couple days!

Braden is obsessed with the idea of birthdays. He always asks me who has a birthday coming up next. On a few occasions recently, I have told him the next few celebrations will be for Uncle John-Paul, cousin Charley, Aunt Maria, Grandma Judy, and cousin Sydney. Today, I mixed up the order a bit, so he quickly reminded me what the correct sequence is. Braden was also kind enough to remind me that my birthday falls right after Charley's....one day he might realize birthdays lose a bit of significance after a certain age, but for now he's focused on his birthday in a few months!

Looks like he's thinking of something witty to say.....

There are some horses in our neighborhood that Braden loves to go see. There are two horses at one of the homes that look alike, so I asked Braden if he thinks they are sisters. He immediately retorted that they are boyfriend and girlfriend or maybe brother and sister. I asked why he thought that was the case and he offered me the anatomical explanation as to why one of the horses was a boy. What's next? A conversation about the birds and the bees?

There's usually a humorous comment lurking behind this sweet, innocent grin.....

One of Braden's favorite things to do when we're in the car is to yell S-T-O-P when he sees a red light. Then he says, "Mom, that spells STOP!" Then he'll say "G-O, that spells GO Mom!" I asked what I should do when we are approaching a yellow light, but before he told me to slow down, he explained that the light isn't really yellow. According to my toddler, the light that is "yellow-orange" means to slow down. He's got a point. The light is often more of an orange shade. At least he's not color-blind!

No matter what the situation is, Braden is always looking for fun and adventure! He definitely keeps us laughing and sometimes speechless!

Demolition Dude

After thinking about remodeling our master bathroom for the last 3 years, we finally took the plunge.....well, sort of. Matt started the demolition, but the only minor problem is that we don't really have a plan for what we want to do in that room. Looks like we will be without a master bathroom for a while. I'll post updated pictures probably in about a year! Nevertheless, Braden was excited to be in on the loud and messy project.

Helping to dismantle the sinks, Braden took this task very seriously.

In his deepest voice, Braden told me how strong he is. He isn't fond of the fact that we have a dumpster in our driveway. Quite frankly, nor am I! He said it is too dirty.
Lining up his tape measure with Daddy's, Braden was apparently checking to see how much baseboard we should order.

Hopefully my somewhat obsessive-compulsive side (which has subsided quite a bit since having a child, by the way) hasn't worn off on Braden too much. He didn't like all the clutter, so he just swept it up!

This is exactly how I feel about the project too!

Happiest Place on Earth

Visiting Disneyland is definitely one of the activities that is so fun to experience through the eyes of a 2-year-old. We took a spur of the moment trip to this magical park and Braden absolutely loved his first trip!

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was Matt's favorite ride as a child, so naturally, Braden loved it too!

I always enjoyed the teacup ride as a child, but I discovered that it isn't nearly as fun with Matt in control of the wheel.....
At first, Braden and I thought it was fun....

But then the speed began to make us feel really, really queasy!! His expressions were priceless!

One of the kind managers at Disneyland arranged for Braden to have a special visit with Mickey Mouse. Braden was so excited about his private meeting with one of his favorite Disney characters.

Braden thanked Mickey and gave him what he referred to as a "big, squeezy hug."

It's easy to get lost at Disneyland, even when using the map. So, we just gave the map to Braden so he could direct us!

Braden was eagerly anticipating a ride on a roller coaster. He was so brave on all the rides!

Toon Town was one of Braden's favorite parts of the park.

Braden naturally ran up to Pluto with sheer excitement!

Braden was so appreciative of all the characters taking the time for a photo with him and gratefully thanked them.

It was challenging to get this hat lover to wear this hat for a photo. My parents bought this one for me on my first trip to Disneyland when I was about Braden's age....30 years ago (yikes!).

Ok, so the hat is very 1978....and Braden thought it was ridiculous!

If he knew what his hair looked like without it, Braden might just put the vintage hat back on!