A Day at the Farm

Spending time at Peltzer Farm in wine country was an ideal way to welcome fall.

Hanging out in the bed of an old pick-up truck, Braden made the most darling little farmer....

The king of the pumpkin patch....
The cutest cowboy at the farm....
Braden thought it was hilarious that the pumpkins came in so many shapes and colors.

The pig races were the highlight of the day. Braden chose the pig with the red around his neck as his pick for the winner...a bit ironic that his favorite was the redneck pig?! We're pretty sure the huge crowd of people cheering on the race also love NASCAR....just a guess though.

The scariest ghost we've ever seen....

Taking a brief break from running through the corn maze, Matt and Braden posed for a quick pic.

And he was off again!

Braden enjoyed a relaxing ride around the farm on a train.

+ Braden played on the John Deere while giving me the "Mom, I'm completely over taking pictures, so put away your camera" look.

Faking It

I remember a friend telling me how great it was when her son was old enough to get out of bed on his own and grab himself some breakfast, allowing her time to sleep in. At times, I eagerly anticipate the day that occurs since Braden wakes up quite early most days. Well, my wish came true....sort of.

I woke up to the sound of Braden yelling my name from the family room. It was surely an emergency that required me to leap from my bed to rush to find out what was the matter. Braden said, "I'm sick so I'm having fake cheetos for breakfast, but now they are all gone. Please go to the store to get more fake cheetos." Apparently he wasn't fooled into thinking these supposedly healthy "Smart Puffs" were the real deal. Then he said he was also having a fake fruit roll up and fake chips. I thought the baked chips and 100% fruit strips could hardly be discerned from their less healthy counterparts.

Apparently the "real" pretzels made this sick kid feel better.
I don't know where Braden got the whole "fake" thing from. Guess it's hard to even fool a 3-year-old with the healthy knock-offs! Braden magically felt better though after his breakfast and then wanted to top it off with ice cream.

Little Drummer Boy

When Uncle Billy and Aunt Maria said they wanted to bring Braden's gift by our house, I suggested they save it until Christmas. I suspected this gift had the potential to be loud or obnoxious. People without children of their own should have to keep the gifts they buy at their own homes. That way, Braden would have something to occupy his time when he visits them. Then they would probably learn that a book makes a wonderful gift!

This cute rocker was thrilled with his new gift.

He gets these intense looks on his face while rocking out.
He is trying to master his drumstick twirling tricks.

Braden was insistent that I dance and rock out while he played the drums. He'd interrupt playing to twirl his stick or try other cool musician tricks.

Hanging Out with Jesus

Out of the blue, Braden asked me where Nana is. I explained Nana lives in heaven with Jesus now. He asked me what she is doing in heaven with Jesus, and before I could come up with a logical explanation for a 3-year-old, Braden came up with an answer himself. He said, "I think Nana is having fun with Jesus, just hanging out." I couldn't have explained it any better....

Braden prayed before bed and asked Jesus twice to help him to obey.

Reptile Rendezvous

We thought about having a nice, quiet birthday celebration for Braden, but somehow we ended up hosting a reptile-themed bash complete with a show presented by the Lizard Wizard. We appreciate all our wonderful family and friends that braved the heat and celebrated Braden's big day with us. We had a great time and hope everyone else did too!

We surprised Braden with the party, so he wasn't warned that there would be so many people and lots of live reptiles and amphibians at our house. He was a bit taken aback, but really enjoyed the festivities.

This was the furthest Addison and Braden were apart the whole day. They chased each other on the lawn and jumped in the bouncer after everyone else had gone home...so cute! They were listening intently to the Lizard Wizard's presentation, like good little students.
The crocodile slip n slide was quite a hit. Even the older kids, Kelsey, Keiley, and Drake, seemed to have fun!
Unsure if Adam's girlfriend, Kristin, enjoyed having this frog on her arm or if she was just trying to be as brave as the kids!

The girls at the party were just as brave as the older boys. Stella seemed to love this snake a bit more than her daddy liked the tarantula and exotic cockroach on his head!

This turtle took Braden for a little cruise.

Maybe Addison was admiring Braden's bravery as he let two frogs hang out on his arm? Obviously, she didn't see the expression of uncertainty on his face!

While some kids were enjoying hands-on education, Lance and Kenneth were wrestling alligators in the pool.

Addison was putting on her moves while simultaneously learning all about snakes.

Braden stepped up his bravery by holding a snake that got tangled in his fingers.

Braden put on a happy face while the skink sang 'Happy Birthday' in his ear.

Watching the expressions on the kids' faces was almost as entertaining as actually watching the show!

Braden took the job of holding this 10' burmese python very seriously. He chose to be near the snake's face and slimy tongue. He said the snake felt like corn on the cob.

After all the kids touched and rode this turtle, he needed a bubble bath! They did a great job getting Tonka cleaned up!

Braden walked away in the middle of the show to run around with this frog mylar balloon. We could have spent $6 and he would have been happy!

Braden enjoyed everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to him. He had been singing it to himself for a few days prior to his birthday! He helped me decorate his snake cake and managed to avoid sticking his finger in it before it got cut.

A snake cake wouldn't be complete without rocky road ice cream topped with gummy frogs & worms, crushed Oreos, and chocolate syrup.

Braden chose to eat the snake head, complete with M&M eyes and Airhead candy tongue.

Uncle Billy and Aunt Maria could get jobs at Coldstone Creamery. They managed to dish out the dessert before it all melted in the very warm weather. Braden was displaying his toughest snake impression.

The kids all managed to get chocolate-covered faces. Hope that means they really enjoyed their treats!? Jett, Luke, Drew, and Sarah were a few of the many friends that came to the party.

Several of my cousins drove long distances to join in the birthday festivities. Braden loved hanging out with his new "cousins," Karissa, Emma, Marcos, Keira, Ali, and baby Moises.

The loads of sugar in the cake and ice cream sundaes just wasn't enough to make a 3rd birthday party complete. So, we had a frog and alligator pinatas stuffed with treats to top off the fiesta. Braden used all of his might to give this frog a few good whacks!

It's a good thing the pinata was huge because there were lots of kids desiring to show off their batting skills.

Braden managed to have massive amounts of energy at the end of the party. This may be attributed to the large amounts of sugar he consumed!

I thought we could save all the gifts until Christmas and then just "re-gift" them to Braden. Obviously, Braden had another idea! Thanks to everyone for your generosity. Braden loves his presents, but strangely enough, he enjoyed the cards just as much. He opened each one and pretended to read it. Then he set it aside and made sure none of them accidentally got tossed with the wrapping paper. A bit odd for a 3-year-old, but kind of cute!

3's a Charm

September 18 marked our baby's 3rd birthday. We are blessed with a funny, darling, sweet boy who we absolutely adore. He cracks us up daily with his quick wit and silly sense of humor (traits from his Daddy). Braden amazes us constantly with all the things he is learning. He's proving to be quite the smarty pants! We love this little guy and look forward to seeing what this next year brings! We never experienced the terrible twos, so we are hopeful that age three will be terrific too!

We enjoyed taking some fun photos at the beach recently...there's never a lack of fun with these boys!

Braden was flexing his muscles, but Daddy was the one really using his strength for our tower!

First Crush

Braden has referred to Addison as his girlfriend for a few months now. She's an adorable and very stylish girl at Braden's preschool. He has assured me,

however, that he doesn't hold her hand or hug her. They play in the sandbox and sometimes hide under the slide together. Sounds innocent enough....until one of the teachers told me a situation she witnessed. Addison approached Braden and said, "Braden, where is my kiss?" So, like any generous little boy would do, he happily obliged and kissed her lips! Then he told her, "I'm only supposed to kiss my mom!" Oh sure, tell her that after the fact!! To top it off, he told me that he's going to marry Addison and have 5 babies. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry!

Addison put a homemade card with hearts and her hand prints in Braden's cubby. She also made a very cute birthday card for him. Both are being securely stored in his drawer.Girls are quite forward these days! She's only 2-year-old! She is sweet and adorable, just like Braden. We'll approve of her.....if she decides she still likes Braden in about 15 years from now!

Pennypickle's Workshop

Apparently it took a visit from a friend from college to discover there is a museum in town. Julie was visiting with her daughter & suggested we visit the local museum, Pennypickle's Workshop in Old Town Temecula. Jill and her boys joined us too. I should learn more about the city I live in. I had no idea where to direct the stranger that recently asked me if there was a library in town (I could direct her to 3 Starbuck's in a 1 block span though). Additionally, one of my coworkers who lives out of town just educated me on my city after a recent visit she took here. We tend to head out of town for adventures with Braden, so it was nice to stay in town, spend $5, and avoid traffic!

Braden told me he wants one of "these things" for his birthday. Maybe Daddy can figure out how to make one!

Braden loves going to the doctor's office and the bank to play with this type of toy. No clue why....it seems so monotonous & boring!
Hot air balloons are quite the rage in the Temecula Valley. Cherise, Braden, and Jackson were intrigued by all the components.

I need to make sure I educate myself on a lot of topics because before I know it, Braden will be full of questions that I can't just make up answers to!

Jill & Julie went to the restroom for 2 minutes and left me in charge. C'mon, a trip to the museum can't be just educational. I just let them burn off a bit of energy. Even 5-month-old Jacob had fun!