Happy Birthday to Braden! March 21st

Braden's actual birthday was on a Friday this year. Because of different family members being out of town for 2 weeks around his birthday, we decided to put off his Birthday party until later in April, but on his actual birthday, we just celebrated as a family. Since Braden has every toy imaginable that is passed down from his brother, we didn't even buy him anything this year. We did however, bring in from the garage, the one thing that he's always wanted, but never known it until now--a "Choo-Choo" table!

He was SOOOOOOOO excited about the table! First, he and Daddy just played roll the train, cars...whatever back and forth across it for quite a while...

then he decided it'd be more fun just to get up on it and play. Later when we built a train track on it, he climbed right up in the middle of it to play.

While I was getting dinner ready and on the table, Ben suddenly discovered what was going on and he quickly disappeared into his room. Having a feeling I knew what he was doing, I went and peeked around the corner of his bedroom doorway and overheard him discussing (out loud to himself) what (amongst the toys in his room) he wanted to give to Braden for his birthday. I smiled from ear to ear and went back into the kitchen to finish dinner. Pretty soon, he came and got a Walmart bag, went back to his room and then emerged with his "gift" for Braden. I quickly grabbed my camera and took the video below of him giving it to Braden. Braden responded so cute! "Keys" (thanks) "Bubba!!" "Ooohh cool!!" What a big heart our little 6 year old has.

Ben's Gift From The Heart

Here is a video of Ben giving Braden his "gift"-so sweet! And Braden responded just perfectly. This is one I will always treasure! Before this night, I had never really heard Braden put words together to seem to form little sentences, so it made this even more priceless to me!

Braden's B-Day Dinner Cont...

Dinner is served...

Braden's favorite dessert right now is COOKIES!!!! So instead of making a cake (which I will make later for his birthday party) I decided to make COOKIES!!! He loves to say "COOKIE AMM AMM AMM AMM AMM" just like Cookie Monster on Sesame Street does and he did it several times while he was eating them tonight. Since it was his birthday, we let him have about 4 and even then, he whined and whined saying, "Cookie, cookie, cookie" when we took the plate away. It was funny! The day after Braden's birthday, Ben made Braden a train track for him to play on.

After he made it, he decided I could make him a better one and tore his up and asked me to make one. Then he showed Braden how it works. :) Braden seemed to really like it!

Ben finally lost his "snaggle tooth"

While we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house over spring break, Ben finally lost the first of his front teeth. This poor tooth looked so deformed that we were calling Ben, "Snaggle Tooth Dixon." He thought it was funny. I took the above picture just minutes after we pulled it. As you can see, the new tooth was already 1/2 way in thus it was pushing his baby tooth out making it look quite deformed (sideways and sticking straight out.) I don't have a picture of the baby tooth, but it was hideous looking. I was worried about his adult tooth coming in crooked, so I told him that if he would pull his tooth out (this very night) I would give him $5.00 for doing it himself. He tried and tried and after a little push from Mommy on it, he pulled it out. Hey, bribery works! :)

An Easter Egg Hunt

My good friend Kandice set up an Easter egg hunt for her kids on the Friday before Easter and had invited the boys and I to come over and hunt with them. The weather was supposed to be horrible on Easter so she wanted the kids to be able to have some fun with it ahead of time. Ben had a ball, Braden finally caught on...I think. He was just happy to be outdoors I'm sure. Our winter has been F O R E V E R LOOOOOOOOOOONG this year. I don't know if it'll ever end! Anyways, he just wanted to stop, open each egg and eat what was in it as he went. There's no focus to a nearly 2 year old unless it's eating.

Juice in hand, Braden attempts to join in the "hunt."

Ooops, something else distracting---his FAVORITE THING-- a "CHOO-CHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" J.D. and Kandice have a wooden train engine that J.D.'s dad had made for them several years back. Braden thought it was the COOLEST THING EVER i'm sure.

He just kept looking at me and saying "Choo-choo" over and over as if to say---"Mommy LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!"

An Easter Egg Hunt Cont...

Oh wow! Look--CANDY!!!

Cutie pie!

Oh, another one!

"Bubba" trying to help Braden find eggs.

The kids had a great time and it was soooooooo nice of Kandice to put this all together and share this with us! She is a great friend!

Spring Break at Grandpa and Grandma H's House

Well, just about the time Ben was on spring break from school, Andy came down with the flu. I knew he would be in bed for about a week, and didn't want it to turn into a 4 week ordeal with each of us getting it and passing it to another. So we took the opportunity to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa. The first night turned into a second night, then another, then another, then I was just like, "Oh, let's just stay the whole week!" I can't speak for "Grandpa and Grandma" but the boys and I had a great time! Our dryer had begun acting up on us several days earlier, so I took all our laundry with me over to their house to get caught up. Here Braden is obviously having a ball playing in it.

The boys were so tuckered out by the time it was time to head to bed that they made a bed in the kitchen floor for a few minutes.

While we were there, I pursuaded Ben to pull his right front tooth by bribing him with $5.00. I told him if he pulled it out that night I would pay up. I was desperate to get it out b/c as you can see from the picture above (taken minutes after he pulled it) that his other tooth was nearly 1/2 way in already. It had made his baby tooth hidiously crooked and ugly. It had even turned gray.

Braden and one of his many "blankies"

Spring Break with Grandpa and Grandma H

While we were there, we were preparing the house for the Easter dinner that was to be held that upcoming Sunday afternoon. Mom cleaned out her flower pots and the boys were right in on the action! :) Anything to be close to Grandma!

My little cheezarooni!

Braden wanted to "help."

Braden began talking so much this week! He began calling Grandma "Ga-ga" in which I'm not sure went over very well, but it's better than nothing (or "pa-pa" as he did several times too) "Pa-pa" got the chance to get out a train set that he had been saving for quite a while. The boys both had a BALL playing with that the whole week. Of course, Braden thought it was HIS and would adamently tell his older brother--"MY CHOO-CHOO" when Ben would try to play with it. I had to break up many an argument. :)

Isaiah's 2nd Birthday--Party

Jer and Sheila furnished pizza for everyone at Isaiah's party. Needless to say, the kids didn't have any trouble eating that night.

Chow time!

Isaiah--Yummy!!!

"Bahoon--Yay!!!" One of Braden's favorites!

Isaiah's Birthday Party Cont...

Grandpa H. and Isaiah sharing a moment...

What a cutie!

For a reason I cannot remember at the moment, the kids were sitting in time out (help me out here Sheila, I can't remember what happened) Anyways, it was so funny that I took a picture of it...

When I started taking pictures of it, some of us started laughing about it and so all the kids thought it was a big joke after that--not very effective as you can imagine. :)

Isaiah's Birthday Party Cont...

Yummy! I can't wait to dig in!

Present time!

"MY CHOO CHOO!!!!!" Braden got out his Thomas the Train that he took to Isaiah's house and Isaiah decided he wanted to play with it. Well, you can imagine what happened between two 2-year olds that can't really talk very well. There was a lot of "MY CHOO-CHOO" going on!

After all the presents were opened, Braden decided to make a game out of playing in the tissue and left over wrapping paper. He soon had ALL the kids involved and it was a "paper tossing/jumping into" party all of a sudden. Us adults tolerated it for about 2 minutes, then put an end to it. :) .....cute anyways!

Jr. Bible Quiz

Ben has been going with Grandma to Bible quiz at her church for a few months now and this was the last one of the season. I went and watched what Ben had been involved in for the past few months...

He was so much more involved than I imagined!

Gettin' some Grandma time.

He has learned SO much about the Bible through doing this! I am so amazed at how much he soaks up! It's GREAT!