Sunday, September 18, 2011

Celebrating Cinco

Braden kicked off his birthday weekend with a visit to his new pediatrician just for his 5-year-old check up. No sickness, no shots! She said he seems perfectly healthy and is tall for his age...a few hours later though, the poor guy had a raging fever. He missed his soccer game Saturday morning and spent the evening at the ER. Thank God he woke up feeling pretty well today on his birthday.



Daddy couldn't resist adding to Braden's monster truck collection.

Our little nerd absolutely loves puzzles. This is his impression of the bulldog that's featured on this one.
It was quite a fun surprise to receive this personalized bean bag from Uncle CJ, Aunt Sandy, Sydney, Kendall & Lyla.

Braden & Jaydon rocked out to rap while cruising to the birthday party.

Braden invited a few of his best friends to celebrate with him. The initial crew to arrive included Jaydon, Parker, Landin, Keegan and Addision. First stop was Jump'n Jammin.

Landin aimed and fired at the innocent bystanders below.

Less cooperative in flashing a smile, Braden also bombed on the people on the floor.

This wasn't a safe spot to stand. I got hit in the face by Steve and Addison.

Snack break!

A party isn't complete without a jumper. Matt had the bright idea to have everyone dog pile on him....the kids liked this...Matt quickly realized he needed to escape!

The kids worked up an appetite, so we headed to Riptide for a teppan show and dinner. The group included Parker, Caden, Carter, Keegan, Braden, Addison, Cornell, Quinn, Landin, Jaydon, and Buckley.

Keegan, Braden and two teethy grins!

Parker, Keegan, and Landin looked content to be coloring while waiting for the food to be prepared.

Shirley Temples for the group was an order.

Just chilling with Buckley and Quinn.

Cheers to a great birthday!These Star Wars legos were big hit and so were all the other gifts he received.


The kids got to attempt to catch rice in their mouths that the chef tossed.

Sweet Addison was too shy to give it a try, but Braden went for it!

In search of one cute birthday photo....

What can it be, what can it be?

This Thor helmet was another favorite!

Birthday cupcakes with a very personal touch.

Can't tell if he liked it or not!

Verdict is....They were yummy!

Time to move on to Laser Quest where we finished off the party.

It was Braden's turn to choose a name and get his gear. He chose the name Crash and had a blast shooting all the party goers in a game of laser tag. This was a great way to end a busy, fun-filled 5th birthday!


Friday, September 16, 2011

365 Days

Braden's school puts a unique spin on birthdays, so he was excited for his special celebration.




Ms. Monica explained that it takes the earth a year to orbit the sun. Braden then told the class that it's been 365 days since he turned 4.


Braden got very embarrassed while receiving all the attention from his classmates....this is his classic uncomfortable look.
Braden compiled pictures of himself to display to his classmates how he looked as a baby and a toddler....he was adorable!

Ringing the gong to gather the group for treat time.


Braden and Nicholas enjoyed their otter pops!



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Rained Out

The spring soccer season was a little rough, so Braden was looking forward to his first game on the Green Lanterns. After a week of gorgeous weather, we woke up to thunder storms on the day of Braden's first soccer game. Full of energy and team spirit, Braden still wanted to show up to the field in case he got to play anyway. The boys ran around in the rain to burn some energy and they are all enthusiastic about kicking off a great season.



The red cleats still fit, so we are going to pretend that they match with neon green. We're hoping they give him super powers to score some goals!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Kindergarten Cutie

Braden started his first day of kindergarten with lots of enthusiasm and excitement. He is still attending the Montessori school he went to preschool at and loves his teacher, Ms. Monica.




Braden likes learning in class, but his favorite subject is "playtime."

Lil Grom

Braden participated in a skateboarding camp at a local skate park. Even though he was in the camp with boys that were much older, he did a great job and had tons of fun.



I warned Braden that I was going to take a lot of photos, and he said it was cool to do so.

"Ok Mom, that's probably enough pictures for now...."
Braden was brave enough to try anything, as long as Coach Chance was nearby.

The coach seemed pretty proud of his ability to encourage Braden to try out new tricks.


Braden acted like it was no big deal to be in a camp with a high schooler. He talked to him like he was just another 4-year-old.

Braden obviously thought he looked cool with Chance's sunglasses on.

After successfully skating down a steep incline, Coach Chance proudly caught Braden in his arms.

This kid makes me so proud.

Could we have the next Tony Hawk on our hands?!


Skateboarding is really tiring and going down all these hills on his butt was a lot easier.... and just as fun!

Sheer determination....

to not let his age or size keep him from doing an awesome job!