I'm starting to figure out the trend

So Cameron has been a huge challenge lately and I'm trying to figure out how to put a stop to it. He's a smart kid. And my theory behind the smart thing is we can communicate our way out of this annoying funk. But talking him through his insanity during a tantrum is impossible. So the only way is to catch him before he spins out of control... And I don't always have the energy to put a stop to it.

So then I have to figure out why he's doing this. Here's my theory -- He thinks he's always gotten what he wanted. It's not true. But for some reason, he thinks the tantrum system will work. So I created a system where he has to earn TV time. If he throws a tantrum, he doesn't get TV time. That worked for a while, but he doesn't seem to care anymore. So I have to find a new way to encourage him to be good. You know; I don't even care if he isn't good as long as he doesn't continue this defying authority and screaming junk. I keep hearing 4 years old is a preview into the teenage years. If that is true, we're going to have ugly teenage years.

Meatballs

He threw a tantrum for an hour and a half over meatballs. He didn't like them... Even though he hadn't even tried them. He wanted meatballs you find in spagetti-ohs. I was a mean Mommy. He stuck his tongue out. He screamed and ranted. He was in time out, he was almost going to have to go to bed at 5:45 in the evening. I actually walked out of the house and into the garage just to restrain myself.

He's sleeping now. I pray he will get enough rest so we can have a better day tomorrow.

12 hours wasn't enough

So... Yesterday we went to church and Earth Day because Cam was acting much more human. But even though he had 12 hours of sleep, he was MOODY. This picture tells it all.

In church, I had to take him out of the sanctuary to get him to calm down. At Earth Day, he decided to pout for a while after throwing a tantrum.

Good news. After his nap, he only threw a MONSTER tantrum. It was so bad, I took him outside to let him scream it out in the fresh air. That fresh air eventually did what I wanted it to do... Get him to want to play. We drew with chalk, made up fantastic stories under a tree and ran around in the grass. He considered taking his shirt off, but he told me he didn't want anyone to laugh at him. How he became modest and concerned about what people think about him, I'll never know. But from there on, he was a sweetheart. And he continued it through today. Thank goodness.

Poor guy

What a bummer. Cam woke up in the middle of the night last night with the croup -- the barking cough that makes you feel so bad for your kid. He has a cold that is a bit uncomfortable for him. So when we woke up this morning, I assessed the situation and decided that he could still go to swim class and a swimming birthday party. We may have pushed it with the birthday party.

He continued to cough through the day. No barking. But unhappy coughing. He took a good nap and I decided the party was a go. He had a ball. But in the end, he wasn't hungry for dinner. He wanted to go to bed. So my boy actually went to bed 15 minutes before his sister.

That's a sick little boy. Poor buddy.

Really good

Cam's teachers told me today that he's been amazingly good at school. He's listening and not throwing big tantrums. Today he listened really well while the rest of his friends were crazy. They think he's doing better because of the consistency of me returning to work. I really don't know why. It could be because he's growing up. That's very possible.

"I love my new van"

Cam loves his new van. Someone told him it was his Mom's van... And he disagreed. Someone else told him she liked his new car... He had to remind her that it was a VAN! Funny kid.

Not only does he like the van, it's become this awesome play place while we're visiting his grandparents. It is a jungle gym. It is a cool place to buckle up. It's a really awesome place to pretend it's rocket from Little Einsteins and go on a mission. The wonderful thing is Cam's "cousins" Lindsay and Hunter played along with him and enjoyed the trip on "rocket." Good thing Cam and Lindsay buckled up, just like the characters do.

It's fun to watch him boss them around... And they are so kind enough to listen to his demands. He's a lucky little boy to have so many people who care enough to play with him... Even when he's bossy. It's really great to watch him running around outside being silly.

A great day

Cam decided that today was the greatest day ever. He got to play outside, help wash cars, dye Easter eggs and ride his bike. He climbed around in the minivan and he and I pretended we were the Little Einsteins.

Anyway. He decided that we have "the greatest van," he was having "the greatest day" and he was SO happy he got to color those eggs.

He's so funny.

I did forget to mention on Wednesday that as we drove up to his grandparents house to visit them he said: "They'll be so happy to see me!!!"

They were. He was right.

A fish tale

Cam got to go fishing for the first time ever... He got to throw a line out on a pond at his Great Uncle Larry's house. And can you believe, Cam was the only person to catch a fish.

Did they have a camera with them? No.

SO I grabbed the video camera and asked him about the experience when he returned from the pond. I'll post it on the site once I edit it. I asked him what happened. He told me he caught a fish... and it was THIS big (he held his arms out wide). The men in our family were quick to teach him how to tell a fish tale.

We also took a big step into the family transportation world: We got a minivan today. Yup. A minivan. The vehicle Randy and I promised each other we wouldn't get before we got married 8 years ago. But it's everything we need and I think we're going to take more road trips because of it. I'm also a much more credible Mommy with a minivan. Because having 2 kids isn't enough credibility. ;-)

A Triple!

Randy just called me on the phone... He's at a T-ball class with Cam. The boy just hit a TRIPLE!! How cool is that? The teacher had to show Cam where first base was, but after that, he ran to third base!

I'm so proud.

I'm so bummed Randy doesn't have a camera there!!

Yesterday was so great...

Why was today insane. Cameron lost it for hours today. We couldn't get him to calm down over a toy that aggravated him... So he screamed and screamed and lost the toy. He ate lunch and then Randy had to fight with him for 2 hours to take a nap. I think the boy is finally asleep. I was out of the house for a couple of hours.

I got my hair cut for the first time in almost 5 months. Oy. I think I had it cut too short. The good news: Hair grows.

This is why I love Spring

Imagine this scenario: "Mommy, I want to go back outside! Please! Come outside and play with me!" I think I've dreamt of that type of scenario for years. It seemed to be a rare occurance. But the power of a beautiful Spring day took over... And the boy wanted to play. His new backyard tent seems to help encourage the outside time as well.

Cam started the day helping Dad volunteer to clean up a park. They climbed up a "mountain" and even found a bowling ball! Wow. They went straight to swim class. Randy thinks the new teacher is much better than the old one. I'm happy about that. Not to mention, Suzanne from school was in a different class at the same time. Very exciting.

After nap, Cam wanted to watch a movie... But then I had to beat my head on a wall to get him to grab his shoes so we could go outside and play (and eat a snack in his new tent). What did it take to get the boy outside: Daddy arriving with his new bike. So Cam went out and tested out his new bike again. It was awesome. He finally sat down on the bike seat for the first time. We're hoping to figure out ways to help him feel safe and brave. If Randy rides his bike a bunch, it will happen. Cam and I played in the backyard for a while... And as you can see, Randy came out and played with us for a while too.

To top off the day, Cam got to hang out with a babysitter so Randy and I could have our anniversary date (a movie and a late dinner). The babysitter said Cam was really good. He didn't play her at all. I'm guessing that means my boy is growing up.

Or he was just so exhausted from enjoying a perfect Spring day.

Birthday bash finally ends

After three days and many, many hours of preparation, travel and party exhaustion... We held our final party for Cameron. We had one more Little Einstein's bash at his school today. The kids had fun, I annoyed the teachers by handing out blowing noise makers (sorry!) and I actually had three kids thank me (Camryn, Nathan and Samantha)!!! Cameron had a lot of fun... A lot.

Later in the evening, I took him home along with Jordan for dinner. He played outside in his new tent house, blew bubbles and we played with his dying balloons. At one point I corrected his verb tense in something he told me... He says: "You teach me a lot of things." I asked him if he liked that... and he said yes. I hope he really meant that.

:-)

Cam had a heck of a birthday... I'm so lucky to have such an amazing kid for 4 years. I have learned so much from him... From patience to unbelievable love. Not to mention really good hugs (Which he shared with his friends today at school.)

4 Years Old!!!

My goodness. My boy is getting so darn old. And he had a heck of a day. He woke up VERY early. His body is very ready for daylight savings to kick in tonight. Fortunately, his Grandma and Poppy were here to wake up with him and enjoy his company. I got up with the baby... And by the time I got down to see the big boy, he was hopping excited about opening gifts and having a party. By the time Randy got up, Cam got to open two gifts: A new backyard play tent (and it's huge and awesome) and a new set of kid-sized golf clubs. Those two gifts helped Cam stay busy running around outside all morning long.

By the way, God gave him the most perfect day outside. It was in the 70's and sunny. A slight breeze made it just perfect to enjoy the day outside.

After nap (and I have no idea how I talked him into to a nap... And he could only rest for an hour, he was so excited) he finally got to open the rest of his presents. He has new movies, cool Incredibles clothes, new T-ball gear, magnetix, a fire truck, clock, a bunch of Buzz Lightyear stuff... the list goes on. Another very cool gift he opened near the end of the day: A new bike that will help him learn how to ride a bike without training wheels. It's hard to explain and I'll post more about it another time.

Anyway. I worry about the excess... Cam got so much stuff. He said thank you... He soaked in the joy of gift opening. He got a little whiny. He wanted and wanted and wanted. But what do you expect when you're 4 and you're living the good life with so many family and friends who want to give you things. I actually really restrained myself this year on the gifts. I did spend many, many hours preparing for his party - including decorations for our home, at Chuck-E-Cheese's and his party that is planned at his school on Monday. He wanted a Little Einstein's party... And they don't make pre-made decorations. So I got crafty and made decorations myself. I also found a few things on eBay to help me.

So we did the Chuck-E-Cheese thing. It is a silly place. Cam got a little birthday cake and a song sang to him. But the coolest thing? His friend Eric came to the party. They had a blast togther. It was so great to see them happy and playing. His Mom and I got them to pose for a cool picture that looks like a sketch. I included it here because it is so sweet.

After the crummy pizza and insane children (we had 8 kids at the party), we all returned to our house to let the kids play outside, the adults ate real pizza (Shakespeare's!!) and the kids ate birthday cake (the big people ate some eventually).

I'm exhausted. Cam was exhausted. I think all the kids who came to the party were exhausted. There was a lot of running... Not a lot of crying or injuries. It was fun to see the kids having a ball. I also feel like my hard work was worth it. My kid and my friends' kids had a lot of fun. That's why we do this, right?

No fun to be Cam

Big guy threw up on a regular basis between 4am and 7am. I've got him sucking on a little pedialyte popsicle. At the same time, he's terrible at blowing his nose... He rubs instead. So the skin under his nose is a mess. Poor guy. He's really mad he can't eat and drink yet. The pedialyte is a test run through for liquids.

No fun.

But here's some fun. I found a way to upload Cam's reaction to Santa for Christmas 2004:


If that doesn't work, you can visit the YouTube website if you'd like.

Technology testing

So since I'm so obsessed with Flickr, I thought I'd test YouTube. Here is a little video I shot from my camera when the boy was a itty bitty baby. I had hoped to post last year's Maine video, but it's 2 minutes too long to qualify for YouTube. Bummer.



I hope that works. IF it doesn't, you can view it from the YouTube site

Cam wouldn't take a nap this afternoon. I'm annoyed. I told him he'd have to go to bed after dinner if he didn't take a nap. And like everything else we agree upon... He'll throw a fit later when I make him go to bed early. But that's just how things are going to be today.

9 days

Cameron is counting down to his birthday. When we figured out there were 9 days left, he gasped in excitement.

I spent the day making party bags for his birthday at school, finding primary color table cloths and plates... I even ordered the big cake for his party. I'm planning two parties -- one for close friends at a very cheesy pizza playland and one at school. I'm putting together a Little Einsteins party... Our first birthday that requires I become a bit creative since Disney has decided not to really oversell the Little Einsteins product -- They see more money in Baby Einstein products. Anyway. I'm going to bake my own cupcakes this year. Last year I struggled with rice krispie treats in the shape of stars. I will never use a cookie cutter on rice krispie treats again. That was hard work.

Anyway. Cam was sent home sick from school today. He spiked a fever... and it continues to spike. He's on the Motrin-Tylenol-Motrin treatment to keep it down. His teachers thought he was strangely good at school today -- It's because he was sick. Poor buddy.

So on my final day of maternity leave, I'll have both kids with me. I think I'll just enjoy my children and relish my new life.

That was insane

Cameron lost control this morning. Complete control. He left for school kicking and screaming... I'm afraid to call Randy to find out if he was kicking and screaming the entire way in the car.

I'm trying to figure out how to prevent it from happening again. Cam woke up sometime after 6am... Way too early. Of course he was complaining that he was hungry. Apparently he thinks that's the only thing he can say to actually get us to move in the morning. I told him to get dressed if he was hungry. But he cried instead. All the pounding and crying woke up the baby.

So I took care of the baby. Cam said he was hungry. I told him to get dressed. So he cried more.

This pattern continued until about 7:25. He and Randy have to leave the house at 7:30. He hadn't eaten breakfast and totally fell out when he discovered he had to eat his breakfast in the car.

It was all around ugly and stressful.

Plus, he already lost two of the three "dots" on his board to get the chance to watch TV. That's going to go over really well tonight.

My big ham

Cam is a ham. And this visit to his Uncle's house is proof that my boy is one heck of a performer. Yesterday and today, he's been really into performing. I don't mean throwing fits (which is a performance in its own way). I mean getting up on a "stage" and performing. The first thing he did was get up on a patio table and perform for anyone. Later, he grabbed his Wiggles guitar and microphone and just danced and sang to his heart's delight. Amazing to watch and it just brings a smile to your face... Even if you've heard the songs so often that you want to scream. His joy in performing is so worth the constant Wiggles songs.

The TV time board is going pretty well... Tonight, Cam was getting really tired, so it wasn't really working. But I'll give it a little more time before I decide we need to try ANOTHER type of behavior modification plan. (I like that instead of bribery system)

Busy day

Cam got to be in a really big St. Patty's Day parade. That included 2 hours of playing in the staging area and walking around 2 miles. He was tired, very tired. Luckily, he took a nap! Later this afternoon, he started dancing on a table outside. Classic picture. Classic.

Trying to do it different

I tend to use threats a lot when Cameron acts up. I know this isn't the way to go. I know I have to break that habit. I'm not sure when I started the threats. But I know it has to stop. So I've come up with a reward system. Today Cam came home from school with this on the door in the kitchen: Cam's TV Time board. He was intrigued and excited that he had already earned the "Get Dressed" dot. If he earns three dots in a day, he gets to watch a show. The other dots: "No tantrums" and "Eat dinner."

So we gave it a run today. Cam didn't throw any tantrums and he considered eating a pea at dinner, but didn't. So he came one dot shy of getting to watch a show. We're getting there.

Now, at bed time, he threw a doozy... But I think it was more because he needed to be asleep and I waited too long to get him to bed.

One other development in the world of Cam. He's starting to stand and pee. I know everyone wants to know that. But consider this one. I noticed he was in the bathroom this evening and decided things were too quiet behind the closed door. So after he tells me he's cleaning up... I find him using the hand towel to dry up his inability to aim properly. And it made me wonder if he's done that before. Ewwwwwww.