So big and so small

We're driving... We're driving a lot as we head towards the northeast for a long vacation. Cam has grown so much that his head pops up in the rear view mirror. It's one those kinds of little things that remind us how freaking big he's getting.

Speaking of big, last Thursday I took the kids to the dentist. It's the first time they went together and Jordan got to watch her brave brother. He was so good getting his teeth cleaned, flossed, x-rayed and fluoride treated. The teeth look good. I talked to his dentist about how Cam grinds LOUDLY at night and how I think it may play a role in his moodiness lately. The dentist said many kids grind a lot when they have new teeth coming in or even when they have cavities (Cam has no cavities). Cam does have his six year old adult molars coming in and it may play a role in his recent grumpiness.

Who knows. He is doing relatively well on the car trip. Just like last year, the DVDs seem to keep the kids happier than any of the other awesome options I created for them. Oh well.

A couple of funny moments. We were driving into Illinois when Cameron asked if we were in New Hampshire. Ha. If only it took two hours to get there. When we got into our hotel in Ohio last night, Cam rushed over to the ironing board and touched it. He kind of jumped back in surprise. He looked at me a little embarrassed and told me he thought it was a surf board. I guess that's a sign I don't iron clothes enough.

Summer school and stuff like that

Cameron's summer is going pretty well. His summer school started last week... And it ends for him this Friday since we're going on vacation. He's had a hard time trying to hold onto his emotions... And as usual, it's up to him to figure out a way to fix this problem... Boy is it hard to not get angry. I'm doing my best to stay calm.

An interesting turn of events took place this past week while I was at a conference. The kids started bickering. Not a little, but a lot. They're at each other's necks one moment and they're playing really well the next. Randy and I have noted the fighting only happens when the parents aren't nearby. I've recommended Cameron walk away from some of the battles... and I've told him to hold his own in others. It just depends on the situation.

Cam is super excited for our vacation. I think we all are. We're looking forward to camping and hiking and exploring. We're also excited to hang out in Maine for a while. It's the best time of the year for the family! Minimal work, lots of outside time... And we get to personally enjoy many of our nation's highways. (I said that part sarcastically) The new battles between the kids will make this extra tricky... But I'm going to put on my patience cap and hope for the best.

Super cool

I took Cam to the pool this afternoon to enjoy some real vacation time. He and I went to a local indoor pool since it was raining outside. This was the first time he and I have gone to a pool where we actually had fun!!

We floated around (he used a kick board a lot) and get this: HE EVEN WENT DOWN THE SUPER HUGE SLIDE! Not once. Not twice. He went down FOUR times! I'm so proud. He's still not a pro at swimming yet, but he's getting braver every moment. I'm really excited.

Plus, we had some fun Cam and Mom time. That's also pretty great!

My baby isn't a kindergartener anymore

Can you believe it?


I can't.

Look at this bravery!

There's something about becoming an almost first grader that has inspired Cam to do brave things. To celebrate the summer, we bought a thing called a skim board run. It's like a slip and slide but it lets the water sit in a shallow pool and you have 26 feet of space to skim across the water on a small surfboard thing. Cameron spent a lot of time trying to do it himself. It was amazing to watch. He was okay with falling down and laughed even when you know it had to hurt! But the bravery didn't end there.

We took a really nice (yet steamy) bike ride down the Katy Trail. Cameron is enjoying our new bike extension and it's giving our family a chance to really enjoy biking together (although Jordan doesn't like just sitting in the trailer). Cam was adventurous during the trip. He was picking up baby frogs and climbing around on a fence. Randy and I just looked at each other and asked: "Who is this kid?" I'm a fan of the adventurous Cam but it's also reason for me to be more concerned for his safety!