Three and a Half

That line that every parent is told about kids growing up too fast is so true. Lately, Braden has been telling everyone that he's 3 and a half years old. When I correct him and remind him he's only 2 and a half, he says, "No, I want to be 3 and a half instead." He is focused on getting strong too. Every time he eats anything now, he flaunts his muscles to display how buff he's getting. We often remind him that if he eats, he will grow big and strong. This ploy is working for now!

Papa treated Braden to a calorie-laden "snowball" which surely helped with Braden's quest to get big and strong. This pink, coconut, marshmallow-filled, chocolate cake must have had Red Bull in it too. Bonkers is the only word to describe how he acted the whole day.

Braden was grunting and flexing his muscles to anyone who would watch. These girls really showed no interest, but that didn't stop Braden from showing off.
He knows Mommy will always give him the attention he's looking for....even with remnants of chocolate on his face and belly.

In between being extremely silly, Braden managed to pull off the whole "being cute" thing pretty well.

Ahoy Mateys!

Braden invited Uncle Billy and Aunt Maria over for some fun in the pool. We brought out the inflatable pirate island we had bought for Braden's pirate-themed 1st birthday party. He enjoyed it a bit more now than he did a couple years ago!

This two-fisted pirate doesn't look too intimidating.

The standoff included Daddy holding up a shield, Billy firing back, and Maria just soaking up the sun.....of course until Braden began shooting at her as well.
Even though the pirate adventure was all about Braden, I'm pretty sure everyone had their fair share of fun!
Matt and Billy were quite entertained by Braden's impression of what looked like a drunk pirate.

Looks like Matt's just standing up, but he and Braden had actually just plunged into the deep end.

Man overboard!

The boys decided that there were no girls allowed on their island, but Maria was trying to fight her way in.

Looks like she got her way...and Braden didn't mind!

Even the shark wanted to get in on the action....

Fun with Sprinkles On Top

Braden took a break from watching Matt working in the yard to cool off in the "sprinkles."

Enzo inhaled the water to quench his thirst on this warm day.

Braden thought that was a brilliant idea, but it didn't quite work as well for him.
So, he opted for soaking himself by running through the sprinklers and getting the dogs to follow suit.

Just enjoying some good ol' fashioned, simple fun!

Beating the Heat

Staying cool when it's ridiculously hot isn't easy, but we do our best to have fun while trying!

Matt used to be an avid surfer & it looks like Braden just may want to follow in his Daddy's footsteps.

Braden and Papa took a break for just a moment and then continued their rough housing!
Growing up near the coast, Gramma has lots of pointers on how to be a surf diva. Sydney's more interested in just looking cute.
She may live in Nevada, but Kendall looks like she's ready to ride some waves. She isn't afraid to try any stunt!

Gramma must have been worn out after several hours in the pool with her grandchildren. She got quite a workout from picking them up, tossing them around, and teaching them how to do flips.

Meanwhile, lovely little Lyla looked liked she wanted to escape all the craziness! Braden was intrigued by this sweet girl and even shared his hat, as well as his beloved DeeDee and Cousin monkeys.

Speaking of monkeys.....

The Mouse and the Purple Car

The title sounds like that of a children's book. This story is not about a cute, little pink mouse cruising around in a purple sports car though....

Once upon a time there was a boy named Braden who often received whatever he asked his father for. So, he told his daddy several times that he wanted to get a pink mouse and a purple car for his mommy's birthday for some crazy reason.....you can see where this is going.

Braden's heart was thumping out of his sweaty chest after he literally ran 20 laps with the giant dolphin balloon. Wore me out just watching!

Highlight of the day was when Braden said, "Mom, you're not old like Daddy. He's 34....whoa! You're only 12."....Well, give or take a few years. Thank you my darling, Braden.

There are few things more entertaining than watching a 2-year-old break dance to a card that plays "Celebrate." He played it over and over just to show off his skills. Maybe he got this talent from Uncle CJ? He's been known to do a pretty mean "worm."
The first gift out of the bag was....a purple car! Thanks Braden--It's what I've always wanted!
A brown paper bag that was stapled at the top? Hmmm, a pastry perhaps?

It was alive...and got loose....twice....in the house. I screamed like a 2-year-old!

This darling creature is now a wild meadow mouse....hopefully roaming very, very far from our house.

There's Something Wrong With This Picture....

Any kind of union that lasts happily and successfully for four decades is something to be congratulated. Matt's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on the 4th of July....I use the term "celebrated" loosely because they offered to watch Braden for the weekend & we happily accepted! They claimed that they would be delighted to spend the weekend with their favorite grandson....I can think of better ways to spend an anniversary!

Gramma and Papa are a true example of love & devotion to each other. They dated 5 years prior to marrying. They were 12 on their wedding day. Congratulations and we wish you many, many more happy years together!

Matt and I spent time with friends riding the Harley up to Julian. Thanks for allowing us to spend quality time together so we can one day celebrate 40 years....

Good Ol' Boys

What could be more fun than taking 4 boys, ages 4 and under, to Old Town Murrieta to try to capture some nice photos?? Actually, the boys found this activity enjoyable...not because there was a camera involved, but rather because they got to hang out and cause just a little havoc.

Early in the day....prior to Sarah and Erin pulling out the bribe candy.

Old Town offered a historic atmosphere that felt like we were taken back about 50 years.
Not grumpy...just going for a serious, mature look.

The camera loves this darling face!

The Owens family is quite talented in the photography department. No clue how this was created, but it looks cool.

Luke and Braden were like old buddies cracking jokes in front of this old mechanics garage.

Ooooh, old rusty machines are way too hard to resist.

Much cuter than any mechanic I've ever met!

JC Penny's ad kind of comes to mind when I see this pose.

We were shooting pictures of our boys just for fun, but Braden sure displayed a variety of expressions and poses for the shots.

Who knew taking pictures could be so fun?!

Just melting my heart, as usual.....

Move Over David Letterman

Braden's future may entail a one-man variety show. Late Night with Braden Johnson, perhaps? We've mentioned on countless occasions how we think Braden is quite the comedian. His antics and comments crack us up daily. Braden is witty and clever, just like his Daddy. He's actually pretty smart too. Braden stayed up waaayyyy past his bedtime and was acting very silly and borderline delirious on this very late night. I happened to have the camera nearby, so I captured a bit on film. These clips don't do his humorous side justice. Because he's so tired, he's kind of hard to understand. He tells a joke that he apparently learned from one of his buddies. He puts Barry White to shame with his baritone version of the ABC's. He often busts into a very deep voice mid-sentence or in the middle of singing a song. It's really funny and unexpected when he does it. He'd make my late Nana so proud since she was convinced since he was a newborn that he'd be a baritone singer like his Granddad Bobby. Lastly, I told him Uncle Billy and Aunt Maria were going to Mexico where they might run into Dora and Diego (his favorite animated characters who happen to speak Spanish). Braden offered a quick lesson on how to say 'adios' and how to count to ten in Spanish.

Deal or No Deal

Braden seems to be learning the art of negotiation at a very young age. Case and point...Braden desired to stay up past his bedtime and watch tv. When I told him he couldn't, he suggested watching tv "just for a little bit" in his bed. I agreed to letting him do so for 5 minutes. He then said, "Ok Mom, but let's shake on it." Then he said, "Thanks for letting me watch tv for 5 days!" He thought this was quite funny and hoped to get away with it. Hey, it never hurts to try!

How could I possibly refuse to make a deal with this adorable negotiator?

He's especially irresistible when he says with outstretched arms, "I love you thiiiissss much!"

Guys' Day Out

Matt decided to take the day off to hang out with Braden and do "boy stuff," as Braden referred to their activities. Their day was chock full of events including seeing Ice Age at the theater, playing games at Mulligan's, and going out to dinner.

The first thing Braden announced to his preschool teacher when he arrived today was, "I was gone doing boy stuff with my Dad. We played lots of games and saw a movie on a big tv." It was so cute!

Braden had lots of fun with Dad!

Backyard Beach

We may not live at the beach, but Braden sure found a way to make our pool into an ocean-like atmosphere.

This was Braden's meanest impression of a frightening shark.

Braden tried to scare Daddy with his shark impression.

Braden loved all the tossing and splashing.

Daddy simulated the ocean by creating waves while riding this boogie board.

Our little surfer boy looks like he should be living in Newport Beach. Maybe we'll have to move!

Braden absolutely loves the water! He constantly wants to go in the pool and even asks every night before bed.

Daddy got quite the workout!

Matt got under the boogie board so he could hoist Braden up into the air and then splash back in the water. Braden had no fear and just squealed with delight!

Preparing to leap off the side of the pool....for the 5th time!