Growing, learning... Testing

Mister Kindergarten has talents that he's never exposed before at home. Look at this picture! It's his self portrait. It's awesome.

Cam has been REALLY busy since Kindergarten started. He has a whole bunch of friends and he's been pretty darn positive about everything he talks about at school. And I finally got Cam interested in riding his bike! On Sunday, I finally reached him as he started screaming, "I can't! I can't!" That's when I announced to Cam that I won't bike ride with him unless he changes his attitude to "I can." It worked pretty well. Instead of driving to the nearby parking lot, I got him to walk his bike up the hill we live on and then ride it almost all the way to the parking lot. We rode like crazy and I almost got him to ride all the way home on the bike. The best part: He asked to go out biking after dinner. So we did. I hooked the bike trailer to the back of Randy's bike and had Jordan join us for the ride. Cam had very few "I can'ts" and Jordan even wore her helmet the whole time without protest. It was fantastic. I'm SO thrilled to have more excuses to enjoy outside time with the kids. The best part: As Cam and I were riding down our street he looked over to me while he pedaled and said: "I love being outside." It was awesome. Then we talked about our great camping trip. It makes me all warm and fuzzy.

Of course he's still testing me. Food continues to be a big challenge. But that testing is normal stuff... And the crying and craziness is not as crazy as it has been. The funniest stuff is Cam's complaining as we walk towards school. He is a bit more motivated each morning when we walk with our neighbors. That's been an added plus to the morning walks: Grown ups to talk to!!

I blame the iPhone commercials

I have an iPhone. Yes. I'm that kind of nerd. Cameron knows how to use it. I haven't shown him a thing. He knows how to do EVERYTHING.

I had to institute a no-touching policy on the phone.

If only I could convince the baby to keep her hands off the thing. Every time she sees it she yells: "MINE!"

What a guy

Cam has been a really good kid this weekend... Some of the normal issues... But we've had a good time hanging out. Cam has been talking more and more about his new friends and fun games at school. Apparently some of the guys in his class are his "Super hero friends." I guess they play super heros during recess. On the whole, it sounds like he's having fun and recovering pretty well during setbacks in his day.

What's super funny about Mr. Cam these days is how everything is to the extremes. I'll talk to him at one moment and he'll say: "This is the best day ever!" Something goes wrong and instantly it's "the worst day ever!" So dramatic. My boss is pretty sure Cam has a future in theater. Who knows.

Oh! We've started reading "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." I've been waiting to read this to him. I think he's going to really enjoy it. Apparently he had to brag about it to all of his friends at Sunday school today. I didn't realize he was that excited. Aren't books fun?

By the way, we haven't watched a movie over a weekend since we were on vacation and stuck in the car. Any time Cam asks to watch a movie, I take him outside. It feels better... And I have ALL KINDS of bug bites.

He's figured out my computer

Computers are so intuitive for my son that I opened my computer and found this picture and many, many others. He's figured out how to take his pictures and do silly things with the camera using a program called PhotoBooth. He's also quite good at turning on iTunes and playing some music. He's figured out how to start a slideshow and play music with it. It's NUTTY.



So I got an iPhone. I know. How much nerdier can I get? But here's the funny thing. He's totally figured that thing out without ANY training. He's figured out how to turn it on, use the camera and play music. It's crazy. But to add to the crazy stuff. Even Jordan can unlock the phone. Nutty.

During the church service

"Mom, how does a baby come out of your belly"

"Is God a boy or a girl?"

"Where does God live?"

My answers:
"We're in church!"

"God is both."

"God lives in our hearts."

Randy had sinus issues this morning so I took both kids to church. Having Cam in the pew all by myself has never been so exhausting!

He did great!

Here's an email from Cam's teacher:

Cam had a great first day of school! He made several friends and seemed to be happy all day.

Looking forward to tomorrow

Hooray Cam!

My little boy is a big Kindergartener

I just sent my boy of to his first big day of school! He was excited... Until he realized the walk includes some hills that can be a little tiring. I'm really happy that we can walk there... We met up with some neighbors along the way who are coordinating an official "walking school bus." The idea is you get enough grown ups and kids together that it's a safe and coordinated effort to get to school. I like that. We were already committed to walking to school so why not make it a social arrangement!

Cam was with us at work yesterday when one of our students asked him if he was excited about starting school. He said: "Yeah I'm excited. But my mom is REALLY excited." Dang that's funny. He had spent all day yesterday telling me how excited he was about going to school... I'm wondering if he was just humoring me.

By the way -- no tears from Cam... And I didn't cry either. On my walk home I got a bit nostalgic about my little baby boy. I'm proud of how he's growing up. I'm a little overwhelmed with the concept of my involvement in the public school system for the next 16 years. But I'm also excited to work with Cam's new teacher and help him build a good solid base for his education.

Some things work out... others don't

Today was insane. I woke up with the kids and ran right out of the house and trained people for almost seven straight hours. Cam was so good. He kept himself busy, he got really good at printing things out. We were very excited about Can's big day. He got to meet his new teacher in his new school. He also had his cool HSM 2 party.

So we ran out of work, I cooked up dinner super fast and the whole family ran out to the elementary school. We walk up to the school to see the class list. I immediately discover that Cam got the teacher I wanted. We grab material and head to the classroom. It turns out his classroom has AIR CONDITIONING!! That's pretty exciting. The school doesn't have air but I guess a few classrooms do. So not only did we get the teacher I had hoped, we got air conditioning. Wow.

Because I'm a little loopy, I've been keeping in touch with our new school since last Spring. I sent a number of emails that I wanted the new teacher to receive before the school year started. So when we met her tonight she already knew why I think it's really important to get to know Cam and make sure we're all on the same page. I can only hope we're making the right choices to help Cam calm down, relax about his world and enjoy life. Cam's teacher said she planned to call us this weekend and set up time to meet on Monday.

After the big-deal school meeting we ran home for Cam (and my) big High School Musical 2 party. We had a nice little turn out and a lot of fun watching the show. By the end of the movie, Cam was incredibly exhausted. I took him to bed and he crashed.

Suddenly I sit down for the first time and realize we forgot an important day. I feel horrible. Just horrible.

Yeah, it's silly

But we're going to have a High School Musical 2 party this Friday. How silly is that? We're kind of excited anyway. Having friends over (young and old) sounds like fun and a great way to warm up into our big school year.

The trick: Getting the house cleaned up. I have a feeling that's not really going to happen. I'm swamped preparing for another semester.

Plus, Cam is going to work with us this week and that cuts into my productive time. He starts Tae Kwon Do tonight -- he had an introductory session on Monday. He seems interested. Our goal: to help him learn self-calming skills. I hope it helps!

When Cam got back from his grandparents, he announced that he takes showers now. I had NO idea how much faster bed time can be with a shower instead of a bath. I'm almost considering getting Jordan to take showers!! SUPER fast! No one told me that!

On vacation

The boy is with his grandparents this week... And just like last year, the house was strangely quiet. I realize the girl is a lot louder these days, but there's an energy that he gives the house. It was kind of strange.

So now I'm leaving town... Off to speak on a panel at a conference in Washington, D.C. It should be pretty cool. I have a couple of really good friends there AND I get to stay at Uncle Jon's place! How cool is that?

Updates on Cam will resume when we all get back in town on Sunday.

By the way... So far on his trip, he took his first shower (and hopefully he'll be a shower taker from here on) AND he asked for us to kiss his sister when she wakes up in the morning. I think that's pretty darn sweet.

Growing pains

I think I've figured it all out... With the help of a big vacation, it has become clear that a lot of Cam's recent behavior is directly linked to his jealousy of his sister.

He's never been jealous before and I guess I didn't see it coming.

A year and a half down the line seems a bit late, but I guess it had to happen at some point.

Oh, by the way... Cam's old website is down... You know, the one I built with the help of Yahoo when he was a baby. Those were the days when I didn't know how to build web pages on my own and it wasn't easy to have your own server space. Anyway. I'll post the old site up online again someday.

"It tastes like french fries"

We took the kids to one of our favorite sandy beaches in Maine: Reid State Park. Cam's been there a couple of times before. This time was certainly the best. He was SUPER brave and went right into the ocean to enjoy some really great waves for the Atlantic. He smiled and giggled even though his parents were not in the least bit interested to get too wet in that FREEZING cold water. When Cam was telling his grandpa all about it, I caught Cam telling him how the water "tastes like french fries." Wow.

I can say our vacation is finally winding down... It's become quite obvious that Cam is very jealous of the attention his sister is taking away from him. I wish I could really help him. The best I can do is tell him that I understand. I've been there. Living like as the older sibling is HARD! Sharing your parents is HARD! I've also asked him to look for ways to get my attention without total mental breakdowns. We can only hope my advice to him helps!

This is a heck of a vacation

This has been a hell of a vacation. Cameron was a hell of a camper. He was a hell of a hiker: 3.2 miles up a mountain and back on our first day in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. He helped with his sister, he tried not to get aggravated with us too much. He was pretty under control emotionally! But the best part of taking him camping was watching him respect and enjoy nature. It was so awesome to hear him say: "Thanks for taking me here." We saw beautiful lakes, river gorges, waterfalls, animals... It was great. We had some rainy days and Cameron (along with the rest of us) got really good at sleeping in our tent to the sound of rain (which becomes pretty peaceful after you get used to it). Now we're in Maine and Cam is taking his mountain enjoyment of nature to the ocean. He's throwing rocks and skipping stones and climbing all over the place. Today he got brave and ventured into the water to reach a "rock island" in the cove. We're tired and still catching up on sleep from our four day camping adventure. Cam asked to take a nap and go to bed tonight. He's EXHAUSTED. But we're having a really good time. This much family time is just what we all needed.

Could this be love?

We've had a whirlwind trip so far... And the best time so far for Cam was probably when his met his new friend. They had fun. They went to a art event and played in a fun water area. They held hands and walked and talked together. They played and fought (because they are almost IDENTICAL personalities) and they even...

KISSED

That's right. You read it right. Cam had his first kiss. He was proud of it. I thought it was kind of sweet. Her dad wasn't so amused.

Today was a great day as well. Cam got to go to all-day event for limb different kids and their families. So Cam saw more kids with little arms than EVER. He wasn't phased although it took a while for him to warm up to the event. Then he had to warm up to the pool and using floaties. Then he had to be convinced to get out of the pool. The list goes on... But he had fun and even won a few fun toys. It was a big day.

To wrap up the day, I'm writing about this big trip from our hotel room. Both kids are sleeping. Randy and I are both sitting in the dark tinkering with our computers. I think it's kind of funny.

Booked weekend

Big grins in the stands
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom

There's nothing like a weekend that starts with walking the field at Busch Stadium and ends with going to a Disney/Pixar movie with two of your closest friends.

So Cam got to go to the Cardinals game and walk the field. The seats were crazy high in the stands... We've been so spoiled. This was Cam's third or fourth game this year. It's amazing.

The next day he had a big pool party... He LOVED it, even though he's still a bit skeptical of of actually getting his head under water. He really wanted to stay and swim for the rest of the day. We'll make sure he gets more pool time soon. I'm sure of that.

Today he got to see Ratatouille. We planned to go with Camryn, but they also bumped into their friend Eric... So they all got to sit together. It was the perfect day for Cam. Two of his closest friend, popcorn and a really good movie. What a day.

Zoo fun

Last weekend Mr. Cam went with the rest of us to the zoo... And he had a blast. Honestly I think this was the best trip for him. He isn't afraid of the animals... Except for the penguin room. He still has issues with that cold, dark area.

He had a relatively good week... A couple of ugly fights over food this week. We had a nice fourth of July that included a lot of play time in the sand box and he went to the big fireworks show in town.

Today he's going to the little league night at the Cardinals... He's even getting the chance to walk around the field. Exciting stuff if you ask me.

Have you noticed how the majority of the pictures I take of Cam are of him wearing a red shirt? I think we've gone overboard with the Cardinals this year. What do you think?

Oh my gosh

My poor baby. He was in the pitcher position during his final t-ball game when the final batter hit a line drive right into Cam's... um... private area. I took a picture of the moment right after it hit. The poor kid. I ran onto the field. I had to... Although the dad/coach told me there was nothing I could do to help and he helped Cam walk it off. No fun. And his team was SO concerned. The kids kept asking Cam: "Are you okay?" Apparently Cam is okay. But I think we just lessened the chance he'll be able to have kids 20 to 30 years from now.

On the upside: Uncle Barry and Beth came to see the game. Cam loved seeing them. We all did! We're planning to hang out again this weekend.

So the t-ball season is over. Cam says he'll play again next year and he's still talking about playing in the Little League World Series. We have major attention issues to attend to first... A little coordination work... But he's only 5. If he really wants to work towards that goal, he could make it happen.

A good weekend

Jumping through
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom

We had one of those Saturdays where everything fell into place. Cam woke up in a sour mood, but it didn't last. His grandparents were in town! They brought this plastic ring that fills up with water and sprays out. So we decided to set it up... But not before Cam got to spend pre-school graduation money to buy his first real water guns (I'm trying to be open minded and allowed the purchase) -- Super Soakers -- and a new bubble blower (it doesn't spill!!).

So we started out with the water ring. It was crazy fun. Jordan was a little skeptical, but Cam was all over it. The water gun and bubbles came out and he LOVED it. Then his Poppy arrived with new sand for the sandbox that's built below the treehouse. That's when life got very messy and extra happy.

There are many adventures to be had in that sandy box. The hard part: Sharing with Jordan and Jordan sharing with Cam.

Second base out!

In our second to last t-ball game, Cam made an out! It's pretty exciting. He's proud. Plus some friends from the tv station came to watch... Which was very special! As usual, Cam is a lucky kid.

A good day at school

No need for words

Negative talk

My husband says this blog has taken a turn for the negative... So I'm going to take some time off here. Hopefully Cam's challenges during this transition time will wear out and I won't feel so worn down.

Crying that doesn't stop

I won't get into the details, but Cam's crying needs to stop and I'm starting to think that I can't help him. I'm too aggravated and I'm afraid that exhaustion and aggravation makes me the wrong person to guide him. I just want it to stop... But we really need to get to the reason.

Here's my theory. After talking to Cam's new teacher, he's upset about anything he does wrong. He's hyper-sensitive to negative input... Nomatter what it is. We have to try and figure out a way for him to feel better about himself, but it's all just so hyper-focused in his world. I wish I could make it easier... But I think my aggravation just makes it harder on him.

Some trouble there

So I called in this afternoon to hear how the day went. I heard that Cam got into a pushing match. The later at home Cam lets out that he was sent to the office. He says some kid hit him really hard and then Cam hit back. I understand, but he needed to tell a teacher. I can't imagine that the playground rules are as simple as they were at the Academy. So we had to really talk to him about getting a teacher involved before Cam tries to take things in his own hands. That's all we can ask for!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a little easier for him!

Pressuring himself

So it's a lot harder to guage how the new school is going. I didn't realize how lucky we were in pre-school to get a little note about my child's day or the quick conversation with the teacher on a daily basis. So I kept asking Cam about his day all evening long. Little pieces of the day came through. But it all came crashing down as we were going to bed.

I asked him what his teacher told him to work on... And Cam just started crying. He started talking about something that didn't make sense. He was really upset. I think I boiled it down to the fact that he couldn't remember what he needed to work on. So I told him the best part about Kindergarten is how you get to work on the same thing a bunch of times. That seemed to calm him. So Randy and I are going to focus on how Kindergarten is fun since he's clearly putting a ton of pressure on himself all by himself. We don't need to encourage stress.

Cam also told me he was shy at school. I tried to understand why. But I just told him that as long as there's one friend who he feels comfortable around, he doesn't have to feel shy. It's the first step towards feeling okay around everyone else. I don't remember feeling shy... So I don't have a ton to offer in that department. Randy says he thinks he can relate and may be able to help him. We'll see. I just want to hold him and tell him that he'll be okay and he'll never have a rough time. Wouldn't that be great?

BTW, I upgraded this blog -- It looks similar, but a bit different. Randy was giving me hell for not creating a new banner for Cam's blog after what I did for Jordan. Mission accomplished.

First Day!

My boy is on his way to becoming a full fledged Kindergartener. Today I took him to school, walked him to his class line and just waited until it was time to move over to his classroom. We talked about Jordan's arm with a bunch of kids and I even got a few moments to chat with his teacher. I was the only crazy parent to just hang out... But I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm just lucky enough to not need to rush off.

There was a wide range of kids in the class. My favorite analysis of the group was watching the difference between the girls and the boys. The girls were congregating and talking about who knows what. The majority of the boys were just sitting there, wiggly and wanting to move. None of them really talked to each other. I got Cam to say hi to a couple of people, but he didn't really strike up a conversation. He knows one other kid at school who is in a different class. They'll get to play out on the playground together. Cameron was really excited about that.

We have a t-ball game tonight... Hopefully we'll have a good report at the end of his day. I know he's going to be exhausted!!

Open House

We took Cam to the open house at his new school this evening. He's pretty excited and doesn't seem to freaked out by it all. The interesting part was when we went into the classroom. We met his new summer teacher and he and I immediately found the circle time carpet. There was a little piece of tape at the top of each color. We found his color (green) and Cam quickly proceeded to find a book and plop down into his spot on the rug to read. I chatted with the teacher and felt like we're going to be okay with her. Another child came in and I was humbled by how fortunate we've been to educate Cam so much. This little boy had a very poor language ability and it was clear he hadn't spent a lot of time in a classroom before. Cam's going to be in a classroom with a wild range of kids... That's how public school works. I knew that, but I'd never actually seen it in action.

Then we went outside to the playground... And all I can say is THANK GOODNESS we went to the playground at Barry's nearby elementary school. We pushed Cam to play on apparatus that he hadn't played on before and that helped him ease up on his nervousness over this new school's playground. He did AMAZING things on parts of the playground. I'm thrilled for him and how he's not going to be as freaked out as he used to be.

"I had a busy day!"

Cam had a busy weekend! He got to spend a bunch of time with Uncle Barry and Beth. They took him to the Shakespeare Festival while Randy and I went to an awards ceremony. He proved his keen ability to negotiate anything... From taking a bite of his sandwich to going to bed. I've figured this out and can put a stop to his negotiation before it really gets rolling.

Cam also got to play with Uncle Barry and just enjoy standard hang out time. They played and played on a nearby playground. I love this picture because you can see Cam's admiration. You can't catch that kind of picture every day.

Cam and his Dad got to see the Cards beat the Angels. Two different home runs from Pujols! Even Scott Spiezio hit a home run. Cam just couldn't stop talking about it. He's really starting to catch on to the game and how it works.

We drove home tonight and Cam mentioned what a busy day he had... We read a book, I sang him a lullaby... And as I walked out, I felt like we're really transitioning into a new lifestyle. Tomorrow Cam goes to work with us and then Camp Kindergarten starts. I will be in charge of getting the boy to school since it starts at 8:30 and Randy has to be at work by 8. That means Jordan's schedule will change too. I'm going to kind of miss the quiet morning time I had with her. But I also look forward to getting the kids a little more time together in the mornings. I'm also starting to wonder if I need to feed Cam more food. He'd eat at home AND have a morning snack at school. That morning snack was a lot like a second breakfast. He won't have that in public school. So that's a new thing to fret about. I'm also trying to think how we'll be able to bring swimming lessons in his world along with whatever other activity he's involved in. I'll miss that ability to send him off to swimming while he's at school!! So many little things. But hopefully there will be all kinds of exciting and good things that will come with his start in public school. The best so far: Much much much much much less expensive!!

Thanks Academy!

Cam wrapped up his last day at school today. It's exciting to think what's ahead. Cam wasn't happy about me asking him to pose for pictures. I got some nice ones (coming to a flickr page near you)... But this one told the story. Cam was kind of sad. I was pretty much okay with all. No tears, just a touch of nostalgia. It's probably not that hard because I still have my connection to the school through Jordan

The transitions are still a little scary. I can only hope for the best.

Last day of preschool

It's official. Cam's last day is today. So last night I spent a bunch of time editing video together for Cam's friends' families. Here's a snippet I put together from graduation when the kids sang "I Won't Grow Up."



If you can't see it, go here.

I also went through all of my school pictures and separated them out to burn CDs for each family. I didn't count, but I think I made at least ten different picture CDs. I couldn't imagine not sharing them. Randy put it best: Today is the last day Cam is ever going to play with some of these kids. Our town is large enough that he might see some of these kids in passing, but they won't have a school connection. I couldn't imagine losing touch before offering each family my view of their kids. I've been lucky enough to have a job that's given me time to get to know a lot of them!

Baseball excitement

We survived two straight days of T-ball. Last night, I took out the super-cool camera that the station recently acquired for KOMU.com. I have a cool sequence of Cam trying to make it to first base. He didn't get there in time during this string of pictures, but he did the other two times he got up to bat.



I have BUTTLOADS of pictures on my Flickr page, but remember, you have to be my Flickr friend to see it all! If this slideshow doesn't work... Sorry, it's been a little spotty for some reason.

Oops

I just went to tell Randy about Cam's teeth issues. He read about it on the blog first.

Woops.

Big head, small mouth

So as most of you know, Cam has a good sized head. It's kind of big actually. He's grown into it. But apparently, his dentist doesn't think Cam has much of a mouth. His baby teeth are crowded in there... And after Cam's dentist appointment today, the dentist thinks it's possible that Cam might have to lose some adult teeth when they start coming in. I hope not. He said things will probably get ugly when the adult teeth start popping in a year.

Only time will tell.

The good news: Cam's doing a pretty good with his teeth. He's brushing, he's flossing. And I even got Jordan her first appointment. Hooray! I'm getting her to the dentist a whole year earlier than Cam.

My boy in action

We had a super fun day after we dealt with getting Cam to finish last night's dinner. I got the family out to a fun event called Art in the Park. Cam wasn't so interested in the art part until he I told him about the face paint. ROCK ON. He asked for Spider Man and he got it. He was pretty excited and as usual, he was quickly in character.

He was really worried about the face wearing off... So he skipped the nap part of the day. I let him get away with that for the sake of Spider Man. Eventually he tried to wash it all off. He kind of turned his entire face and ears red instead. After some good scrubbing I think I got it all off.

Anyway. A fun day on the whole. Cam continues to kind of play with Jordan. He's not so into sharing, but they are laughing and being silly together. I can't help but be excited about that.

My boy, the graduate

It was so dang sweet to watch Cam and his friends graduate from pre- kindergarten today. I spent a small portion of the day preparing -- I bought a little window paint to decorate the van and advertise his graduation. I bought a little sign announcing his graduation. I got him a new outfit... And finally some dressy shoes (since he hasn't had any that fit him for a while). Of course I grabbed a few balloons. All of it was exciting because I knew Cam would love it.

The ceremony was sweet. The kids performed a couple of songs... I brought a camera that will give me a chance to edit it down a bit. But the greatest moment was a slideshow of pictures that included photos of the kids since they were little babies at the school. Cam started there when he was 17 months old. There were so many pictures of him! His head was SO huge! Anyway, the best moment was when the kids got to see a baby picture of each friend and it dissolved to a picture of their friend now. They would squeal to see the "before" and "after." That may be the best part of the video... But you probably had to be there to really enjoy it. Randy caught some pictures of them squealing. It was so sweet to see how excited those kids were.

Thanks to my friends in the J-School's convergence department, I was able to test a new Nikon D-70. It was AMAZING. Now I have to figure out how to own one of my own. It's THAT good. I figure my computer will spend the entire night uploading all of the photos to Flickr. I only do that so friends and family can see and download as they see fit. BTW - The thousands of kid pictures are protected on Flickr just for friends and family. If you want to see graduation, you have to become my Flickr friend.

Now Cameron thinks he's supposed to start his new school IMMEDIATELY. I told him he's going to have to wait another week. Then we'll see how it all goes.

By the way

We put this little video together in honor of Grandma Lee's big birthday today. She's already seen it, but I figure sharing it with the general blog world will just rub in her grand new age.



Love you Mom!

2 weeks left

.
Cam officially has two weeks left of pre- kindergarten before he moves over to the public school for "Camp Kindergarten." I'm excited for him. But I'm also a little nervous. I wonder how I can help him enjoy the transition. I wonder if he'll be an emotional wreck. I wonder if I worry too much and that will just make it worse!

Anyway. I dropped by and took a few pictures of Cam and his friends. This one has Cam and Erick hamming it up... Noah was in the background being silly as well. This was a really small class. I wonder if that was a hinderance for my boy. But either way, he's reading, writing, spelling and figuring out math on his own... Not to mention he likes speaking in Itallian! I can't complain about his education.

I'm getting a little nostalgic about the almost-three years he's gone to this school. He was a tiny chunk of a kid when he started. He was just starting to talk, loved colors and needed to get better at socializing with other kids. Now he talks a ton, loves learning and gets better at that socializing thing by the day. He's a thousand feet taller (at least it feels that way). He's way skinnier and he finally fits his head. He's goofy and cuddly and he still loves his Mommy.

Cam graduates from Pre-K on Thursday. It's silly. The kids wear purple caps and gowns and get a diploma. I plan to take a ton of pictures because I have to. It's a parental requirement of an event like that. I do plan to do my best not to cry... Not until I drop him off for summer school for the first time. That's when reality sets in.

So that's why we stay home most days

It was a holiday... The kids got to stay home but I had to work a bit in the morning and this evening. Either way, I had the middle of the day to play. Once the kids napped (Cameron kind of half-napped, half-threw a tantrum), we set out to take a bike ride. Cam and Randy had bikes, I pushed Jordan in a stroller. I have yet to set up the baby bike trailer, but that will happen soon.

Anyway. I crave getting out on our local trails more. So I was looking forward to it even though I was a bit cranky from the challenges with Cam and my long day. The start of the bike ride/walk didn't go so well. Cameron was instantly freaked out about falling down, losing control or anything else he could cry and scream about on his bike. I know he's a careful guy, but we really want to push him to trust in himself. Pedaling isn't a death sentence!

About a mile and a half, he calmed down, pedaled hard, whined less and even went down a hill fast enough to get back up the next hill. It was exhausting. I just wish I could come up with ways to skip the screaming and crying and go straight to relaxing and having fun. It's the same thing with food. When he gets past the screaming and belief that the foreign food is horrible, he often likes it. It's a pattern I can't seem to beat.

Play time!

For the first time, Cam and Jordan played together! Cam was so proud of himself. They played baby basketball in the living room. They giggled and made a lot of noise. It was wonderful. Both kids were happy. I got to cook dinner. It was a simple moment that bought our family closer together.

When Jordan was little, it felt like we had to do so many things separately. Cam didn't get left out, but there were separate patterns and habits in each kids' lives. A little moment of playing together helps bring those patterns closer together.

Cam also got a chance to play out on a farm after church today. He had all kinds of fun meeting cows, running around with friends and eating all kinds of food. The only mishap was after he stepped into a cowpie. He wasn't happy with the smelly mess on his shoes. He calmed down after it was cleaned off.

Silly day

Silly family
Originally uploaded by Camera Cam

Cam got to bed late tonight because we let him play with the Photobooth application on our new Macs. I had Photobooth on my old computer but I never seemed to have the energy to pull out my iSight camera. Now our new computers have cameras installed so there's no need to plug something in. I haven't heard Cam giggle with such happiness in a while. It was fantastic.

Anyway, we played outside this morning... Lots of chalk time. Cam was covered in chalk. Big mess. He's starting to discover the demands of a more mobile little sister. She wants everything he has... She yells: "Wa-wa! Wa-wa!" Maybe she's saying "want want." Who knows. But she's really asking is GIVE IT!! Cam has done a really good job giving stuff to the needy baby. We read "Me Too!" tonight. It's a book about a big brother who has a sister who is always saying "Me Too!" Cam decided it was really important to read that story and talk about how his world is just like that. I gave him really big hugs and thanked him for understanding Jordan's "Me Too" moments.

Getting there

My big boy woke up with crazy hair this morning. So crazy that I just grabbed a handful of water and dumped it on his head. It worked!

Cam is not just reading these days... He's spelling! He and I were playing with chalk on Sunday and he just starts spelling. I'm thrilled to watch him soak in language so thoroughly... And without any need for badgering. I pray he keeps this love of learning. Every time he announces something he's learned, I congratulate him. Then we talk about how the more he learns, the stronger his brain gets. He really gets that idea these days.

The temper is still there... The crying is still there... But yesterday we had a cry-free day. It was wonderful. Since Jordan is stepping up her tantrums, I'd really hope that Cam tones his down.

Only one crazy kid at a time please.

To infinity

Cam and I have been talking about infinity a lot. About a month ago I told him about how infinity means a number that never stops. He was really confused, but the more we talked about it, the more he understood.

So now our big thing is to say: "I love you to infinity."

It's very sweet. But now at bedtime he'll say "I love you to infinity." Then I counter with the same. Then he says "I love you to one hundred." And he expects me to say the same... even though infinity is more and he's just downgraded his love of me by infinity. But apparently 100 still has its merits in Cam's world.

BTW - His last t-ball game went WAY better. Not a lot of crying. Barely any. Fortunately one of the other parents made Cam the team "leader." And with that responsibility, Cam took on the job to not cry, cheer on his team and pay attention. It helped him a lot.

Oh... One other number thing. Recently I was working on something in the yard when Cam was begging to go inside for something. I told him to count to one hundred thinking that would take a while.

I was wrong.

He sped through the numbers and hit 100 and expected me to drop everything at that very moment.

I'm trying 200 next time.

Cross your fingers

Tomorrow is another "big day." That's what Cam calls each of his t-ball game days. I'm asking you to cross your fingers because Cam hasn't gone through a game without at least one major emotional breakdown. He thinks he has to catch EVERY ball. He doesn't get this whole team concept. I don't expect him to. But man does he beat himself up.

On Wednesday's game, he either had an emotional breakdown or went the complete opposite way and played with dirt instead.

So just keep your fingers crossed.

Play ball!

Fielding the ball
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom.

We had a very busy day... Cameron got to play in his first t-ball game. It was opening day in his league. So not only did his team play against the Reds, his team had pictures and a bar-b-que.

He had a huge cheering section while his dad coached: Mommy, Jordan, Grandma, Poppy, Uncle Barry and even Beth! Very exciting. Maybe too exciting for our boy. He wanted to be in the infield... He wanted to be in the outfield. He wanted to catch the ball... He missed the ball... He hit the ball!! He got to run the bases.

There was one kid on the other team that looked 10 years old. He was a hearty player. He was probably six. Dang.

It was great to hang out with other parents with kids close to Cam's age. We're all dealing with similar behavioral stuff. Cam's are a bit more pronounced... I think having his Dad running the team has a bit to do with it.

Who knows.

I do know that the boy books are open and I'm delving into better understanding the basics of boy emotional development. Hopefully that will help. Maybe it won't. I'll try anything at this point.

The big game!

Silly face
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom.

Tomorrow's the big day! Cameron's first t-ball game is tomorrow. His planned Tuesday game was rained out! What a big deal. It's such a big deal that his Grandma and Poppy, Uncle Barry and Beth are even coming. Very exciting. The little league is also having a big bar-b-que event as well. It should be fun and interesting to see the little league community. It's our first year and this goes on for seven years!

I'm hoping Cam really likes it and wants to stick with it. Randy is really into the coaching experience. I also think it's very cool that we get to meet a whole new batch of people.

Tomorrow is a big day on the photo site I belong to. It's called 24 hours of Flickr. I'm hoping to document the day. I was actually scheduled to speak on a panel tomorrow, but canceled so I could enjoy the big t-ball event. I'll certainly put together a much more enjoyable photo set at the baseball game!

Hmmm. Interesting strategy.

I came home prepared to do battle over dinner. I was ready because I wanted to cook up one of my favorite meals: Sea scallops sauteed with shallots and portobello mushrooms and risotto. I was in the mood to eat a real dinner on a work night... Even if it meant the baby was going to bed late.

I was almost done cooking when my parents called. I was almost fully done cooking when Cam started whining about the food. I immediately told him to stop whining. I wouldn't have another night of whining over food or he could go to bed. Moments later as I was spooning food out, Cam arrives in the kitchen in his pajamas telling me good night. Oh really? Okay. He came down once after that to say good night to Dad when he got home from work. But that was it. He went to bed. Even though I told him he'd have scallops for breakfast. Going to bed won't get him away from eating dinner. But this is an interesting development.

I need to consult the "raising a boy" books

I've mentioned before how Cam has been strangely weepy lately. It's exhausting because I don't know the right way to put a stop to it. But things got out of hand this evening. I went to pick him up from school and he immediately started whining about how he wanted to stay at school and it wasn't fair. Then he wouldn't help clean up. Then he got disrespectful to me and the teacher. I wasn't happy. So he cried and cried as we got into the car and most of the way home. Then he whined that he wanted to listen to music. I just quietly drove home because I didn't want to get mad while I drove. No music. As I pulled into the garage he says: "I didn't get to listen to High School Musical.... d****it!"

He used a bad word. It took him 5 years, one month and one day to use a bad word and I'm so sad.

I stopped the car, turned around and looked at him with my death-ray eyes. He started screaming. All out screaming. He started yelling "I didn't know!" "I didn't know!" I threatened the end of favorite toys if he ever used a word like that again and sent him to his room.

Things didn't get better. Dinner was miserable and he'll be eating his broccoli at breakfast tomorrow morning. He ended up going to bed straight from the whiny dinner table to bed. It was all kicking and screaming and disrespect. I won't have it.

I think I need to pull the books I started reading a couple of years ago and really read them. I feel like we're at a turning point developmentally and in how I react to his outbursts. I don't want to put an end to Cam's emotional displays, I just want them to appear for good reason.

Learning respect

I had to take Cameron out of church for the first time... You'd think I would have had to do that when he was a baby. Nope. I had to do it when he was 5. He was being disrespectful and wouldn't sit in the pew. So I took him out, found a pew in a nearby room and we practiced. For 30 minutes he practiced sitting properly. He had a hard time learning that lesson.

I'm trying soooo hard to be patient.

We've moved into this stage where anytime Cam is told to do something on any negative level, he starts to cry. If he doesn't get anything he wants, he starts to cry. If he gets upset over anything, he instantly cries. I'm trying to help him direct his energy... I'm trying to not call him a cry baby... I'm trying to talk to him logically about how there are consequences to his actions. Crying won't stop those consequences. I wish I could help him. Obviously this is a developmental issue that he needs to work on himself. But I also will keep guiding him and helping him see the logic in walking away from the constant crying. But it's going to be up to him.

Signs I have calmed down as a mother

No your eyes are not deceiving you. I let the boy go out and get his haircut by riding in the convertible. Yes. I said he'd never ride in it until he was 12. I guess 5 is okay. No highway driving or anything like that.

We're about to head home... I'll write more when we get there.

Kindergarten-ho!

Yesterday was a big day. We finally got to go to Cam's "home school" to fill out the paper work, make sure he's properly immunized and check out how the school works. It turns out the immunization stuff got me a little stressed -- the possibility of not having all of the right shots got me nervous. But we're good.

We've been struggling with what is the right place for kindergarten. Cam's learning style is different and I want an environment that fosters his growth, not stymies it because he's very active and wiggly while learning. I've talked to a local magnet school a couple of times and had emailed the principal at our local school. When I got to registration, he had made sure the vice principal tracked us down so he could meet with us. That was very kind. He spent time with us in his office talking about what his school can do for us. He's been more mindful of boy needs in the learning process since he became principal of the school. He's been there 3 years. I know the school pretty well from volunteering there for 2 and a half years so I've heard a lot about him from the teachers. It's been mostly positive. Right after all the paperwork and learning about summer school for kindergarten (how cool!), we got a tour with a really cool 5th grader. I saw parts of the school I hadn't seen before, but on the whole I felt really comfortable there because of all of my volunteer time.

Immediately after we spent almost 2 hours are our local school, we had a sit down meeting with the principal and a teacher from the magnet school. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I got the same positive vibe from the meeting. But I'm still a bit torn over which school is the right school for Cam's needs. We might put our names into the hat for the kindergarten lottery... If we get in that doesn't meet we have to put Cam into that school. So we have some more time to think about this. I'm trying to not be crazy about elementary school. Honest I'm not.

Family time

Fun pose
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom.

Cameron had a blast this past weekend hanging out at my cousin Mike's house. He has a son who turns 6 next month and a daughter who is turning 5 next month as well (or 4. Dang I can't keep that straight). Anyway, it is so cool to see how Cam loved playing with Will and Amanda. They have a younger brother Henry who I loved playing with. He and Jordan will have fun playing together someday soon.

So I actually go to see my Aunt and Uncle and all three of their sons at the same time. Unfortunately all this fun and excitement was for Mike. He's an emergency room doctor in the military and is headed to Afghanistan to help with a hospital on a base. He could use all of your prayers. He leaves May first.

On another side note, it appears that Cameron may be allergic to grass. He and Randy rolled down a grassy hill... And now Cam's arms are broken out into a red rash. I can't seem to get rid of it. He doesn't seem to mind it though.

Oh, one other thing and I'd love some input. Cam has taken to sleeping under a quilt and his pillow. He says it keeps him safe. Well, I went in to kiss him tonight. When I dug him out of the pillow/quilt combo, he was a ball of sweat from head to toe. I have to get the quilt off him, but he was upset and felt unsafe. I have to figure out an alternate to this heavy quilt. He's going to be stinky and gross and need an early morning bath. Which is reason for me to get to bed.

How sweet

I'm out of town in Vegas for a conference. Cam called me while I was in a conference session and left a voicemail on my cellphone saying:

"Hi Mommy. I love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever! Night!"

Damn that makes my heart melt. I played it again and again tonight.

Party guy

1. Birthday guy, 2. The crazy crowd, 3. Dodgeball sillies, 4. The cake!!

Man did we have fun at Cam's birthday party. My goal was to have fun and I think we really did it. It was cold outside and I was worried the kids would feel too cold to stay outside. So I bought board games and crayons to keep them busy inside. It turned out that it can be cold outside... But if the sun is shining, the kids will play nomatter what. I bought bouncy balls for each kid to shoot hoops in the back yard. Instead, the party turned into a battle of dodge ball: Grown ups versus the kids. It was awesome.

As the craziness was winding down, Cam walks up to me and asks if it's cake time. The party boy asks.. The party boy gets. The cake was yummy. Even the parents had fun. It was a blast. I'm so happy the kids had fun, I had fun.

Why don't I sound stressed about it? I bought a ton of food from the grocery store and I was lucky enough to have two students come by to help. They are wonderful, fantastic and so dang sweet. They actually helped shoot video! So I could savor the moment, juggle other details. Randy took pictures. It was wonderful. Thanks Matt and Nikki!

Cam had fun. He told me that his favorite part was the dodge ball and getting a Transformer. His awesome friend Camryn actually brought him back a High School Musical baseball hat and a wall hanging. It's so cool. He's wearing the hat all around the house. The wall hanging is right over his bed.

To add to the silliness, the Easter bunny arrived the next day with gifts of new Disney underwear and a Little Einsteins toy. Sugar, sugar and more sugar. Cam was begging for sugar for hours. It was kind of silly. But I figured Halloween and Easter are two days where you're allowed to go nutty with the chocolate.

Birthday and Easter fun and games

Oh my gosh. So much happened this weekend and I have to go to bed. The pictures are all uploaded on our Flickr page. Many stories are to come. I promise.

Funny moment today: "Mom, the Easter bunny is pretend right?" I just smiled. He's already figuring this stuff out. But not enough to require fewer gifts next year.

Marriage talk

Today is Randy and my 9 year wedding anniversary. I'm proud and happy of this day. We were married on 4/4 at 4:00. I thought that was cool. I'm glad we didn't wait to get married on 4/4/04. It was actually 1998.

So I went downtown and picked up one of my favorite dinners to surprise Randy. I had to take the kids to get it without him knowing. So I started talking to Cam about our anniversary.

I told him how his Dad and I were celebrating the day we got married. Cam thought Randy and I were actually going to GET married. So then I framed our anniversary like it was the birthday of our wedding. Cam understood that. Then he asked:

"Did you dance at your wedding?"

"Yes"

"Did you kiss?"

"Yes"

"On the lips? Like you're married?"

"Yes and yes."

Happy birthday buddy

Happy birthday buddy
Originally uploaded by NerdyMom.

Almost exactly 5 years ago I woke up with a jolt and knew my boy was going to be an April Fool's baby. It was no joke. It was awesome. I had expected Cam to arrive in the world early... Just like every other baby in the last 2 generations of women. So when he was four days late, it was like it was the end of the world.

Cam's arrival was amazing. No drugs, a little scary pushing (the boy's head is big, very big). But the high I felt when I held this sweet child armed with the knowledge that I brought him into the world... My gosh, it was incredible.

I'm still just as proud to be Cameron's mom. I'm working on my patience. He says he's working on his listening skills. But either way, he's an incredible little guy. He's the best big brother. He's a caring friend to everyone he knows. And boy does he love birthdays. (I wonder where he gets that from.)

Happy birthday Cam. Enjoy the celebrations we have planned for you this week. Since the big family party was a day early, we're going to take him to Meet The Robinsons on his actual birthday. Cupcakes are planned at school on Monday. Then his big High School Musical birthday party is planned next Saturday. I can only hope we have a sunny day for that one. Oh the things we do for our kids.

He's worth it.

It's because he's a big brother

My boy is big. So big. Today he went out and kept working on his pedaling skills with his dad. Then he buckled himself in with the seat belt all by himself. I talked to him on the phone as I was about to drive home and I exclaimed how I was really impressed with how big he's getting. He told me "because I'm a big brother!"

Almost 15 months into the big brother thing and he's still proud about that. That just made my heart glow with pride.

Success!

After discussing pedaling the bike over the weekend, Randy was able to get Cam to really give it a try. They packed his bike into the car and took it to a nearby parking lot. And he finally did it: pedaled up and down the lot. He was so proud that when I got home, we all packed up and drove over to watch him bike up and down the parking lot again.

I'm thrilled! He's proud. He wasn't even traumatized after falling off the bike a couple of times. I'm proud. Then he even showed Jordan how to use the bike. It was very cute. It's so great to see him try to expand his boundaries and trying harder without just quitting before he even tried.

I'll be honest. I think I know why. We've made a conscious decision to change the way we praise Cam. I found an article called How Not to Talk to Your Kids; The inverse power of praise in February's New York Magazine. We're making a conscious effort to praise Cam for his hard work and focus on learning. I really think it's making a difference. Randy doesn't think it's possible to know that our praise change is the reason why Cam is willing to work harder and not crack sooner when he takes on new tasks. But I have to think that it's helping.

New responsibility

Because my boy is SO into books and reading words, he got his own library card today! So he is now responsible for his books -- with a special book bag and a pocket for his library card. We also talked to the librarian about how to find books that will help him read. I'm pretty excited and he was thrilled to take a pile of new books home.

He had the big task of cleaning up his book-covered bedroom. Of course one of the library books ended up in his book shelf. Hopefully that won't happen again!!

Cam plans to take his library card to show-and-tell at school on Tuesday.

Great day

The day didn't start well... With the pea incident. But overall, it was great. We got up, battled over peas and then played outside while Jordan took a little nap. Chalk drawing is a big activity at the house lately. Today Cam drew a pink Darth Vader with a white torso that was throwing pink fire. I drew a rainbow that had Cam and his friend Camryn standing under it. I gave Cam a smile which he exclaimed looked like he had lipstick on. Picky picky picky.

After lunch and a nap for both kids (and mommy), we headed out to a nearby water fountain. Cam likes to run around it. Then I got this awesome idea that we should get ice cream cones and then walk to a nearby garden. There was this place nearby that sold ice cream and snacks... But when we walked in there, things looked different from the last time I was there almost 2 years ago: No ice cream. Yup. The place didn't sell ice cream and snacks, just snacks. Luckily, there was a grocery store nearby and I bought a box of little ice cream cones... To make it even more exciting, it was supposed to be Incredibles ice cream cones. So we took our box of ice cream cones to the garden, gobbled it down with quite a mess. And we just played outside. It was awesome. Cam got to have even more fun when we saw a friend from school there. They ran around while his friend's mom and I stressed about elementary school plans. It really is more stressful than I expected.

After the big garden/ice cream fun, Cam rotated between running in the back yard and coloring a race track on multiple pieces of paper while I prepared dinner. Yes, I had vegetables in our meal: Chicken burritos with hidden mushrooms and red and green peppers amongst the cheese and chicken. The hiding never works. And after a number of dramatic attempts, Cam ate a tiny bit of red pepper. It included very dramatic gagging. But he didn't want to eat it at breakfast tomorrow, so at least he tried a new vegetable. By the way, the mom of Cam's school friend told me how she gets a report about lunch every day including how Cam ate one pea or one bean. That's how dramatic my boy has become about vegetables. Even the other kids need to talk about it at home.

I got the girl off to bed, then Cam and I played "basketball" in the backyard, talked to neighbors, got him in the bath (after much protest), read him a book and got him into bed. I asked him to clean up some of the billion books that cover his bedroom floor before waking me up in the morning. Hopefully that plea works. His room really is a disaster zone.

Anyway. The great weather gave us a chance to chat with many neighbors. We got to hang out for HOURS outside... And the boy seemed happy most of the day. It was nice.

One other thing, after saying his prayers tonight, Cam asked me why he prays for himself... Ever since he could say a prayer, he has always ended it: "And God bless Cameron Lee Reeves, Amen." I never encouraged or started this -- it was his creation. I told him that I didn't know why, it was his thing. So he announced that he won't do that ever again. If that's the case, I'm kind of sad. It was very cute.

Update

He ended up eating one pea before breakfast. And that required a lot of drama. He's already asked if we'll have vegetables at dinner tonight. Of course I said yes.

Again?

I'm heading into a long weekend of family fun... And our dinner tonight was miserable. Cameron decided that he would return to the crying over vegetables tactic.

I turned the tables onto him.

He just wouldn't eat his peas and he just couldn't handle the fact that his sister had earned a yummy roll, milk and a Thin Mint. So he thought he could get that stuff by crying. So I let him choose: eat the peas now or eat them for breakfast? That made him cry more.

The peas are waiting for him when he comes down for that morning.

The morning will be interesting. Very interesting.

He's a star

I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep up with the rapidly changing world of Cam. First thing's first. He did a fantastic job in his show, "Curious George and the Puppies." I didn't get a lot of good shots, but when I have time, I'll download the video and post it online. By the way. Cam is in the top left hand corner of the picture. He had a grey and white doggie costume. I guess he could have been a wolf if he wanted.

It was very cute since I hadn't seen Cam in two days. So when I walked into the auditorium, Cam yelled hi and started waving his dog tail. Very cute. It was obvious he wasn't nervous, just excited. His class did a little dance. Then they performed the show. It was hard to hear some of the kids, they whispered. So it was hard for Cam to hear some of his cues. You could hear his director say: "Cameron!" to remind him to say his line. He crawled along the flood while he said: "He even saw a snake!" He climbed up on top of a chair to say: "One puppy climbed on top of a cage to watch the other puppies get into mischief." Very cute stuff.

After the show, the kids posed as a group (note the picture above). After that, Cam ran into the crowd of picture taking parents to hug Jordan who had come with me to take pictures. He was SO sweet. I don't know why. Maybe it was the 2 days away from him. But he looked so old, so grown up. I can't believe how he is maturing rapidly in front of my eyes. Maybe it's how we're growing his hair out. Maybe it's because he's going to Kindergarten soon. Maybe it's because he's reading up a storm these days. I don't know. But I'm already nostalgic for my little boy!

Cam and I had fun visiting the children's museum while we were hanging out in basketball bonanza world at his uncle's. Cam was fantastic allowing Jordan to play and patiently waiting from area to area so Jordan could enjoy fun too. He even helped her get down the little baby slide by herself! It was plain darling to watch him love her.

But a strange thing happened this morning. He woke up feeling icky. But Randy took him to school... and Cam promptly threw up in the car. YUCK. For the first time ever, Randy had to deal with the really messy mess. I went to a conference. By the time I got home, Cam was feeling better. We read some books together, we cuddled, he got a bath. Life seems back to normal again. I am really stunned by the simplicity of it all. Other than the periodic emotional outburst, Cam is just growing and working so hard to learn every minute of the day. He and I work on basic math because he wants to play with numbers. We read everything... He's sounding things out. He's making up stories. He's writing words with the magnets on the fridge. It's stunning to watch his brain grow by the minute. It's shocking to see how fast he's maturing. And best of all, I'm so proud of how caring he is of his sister. He's SO much nicer than I ever was to my brother (sorry Jon). I'm touched by his kindness and love. You should have seen him hug every kid her knew when we left his show on Saturday. He truly enjoyed his new friends.

Next big event: Cam's birthday. His High School Musical invitations showed up in the mail today. We're going to try to get them ready to go before everyone leaves town for Spring Break. The big party day is about two and a half weeks away! His birthday is a week and a half away!

WOAH. I'm going to have a FIVE YEAR OLD! I'm getting old.

Big day

Cam is with his dad watching basketball... So I went to a coach's meeting for his little league T-ball. I picked up the roster and signed up the team for practice time. So I start going through the list of names... And who is on the roster? Cam's best guy friend Eric!! I'm so excited.

So I call Cam and he drops the phone and yells and screams to tell everyone how excited he is that his friend, Eric from school is going to play on his team. I was so excited I even called Eric's Mom... Who told Eric. Eric jumped out of bed and jumped up and down with excitement. He's even excited that Randy is the coach. Very fun stuff.

Isn't is awesome how easy it is to be excited as a kid. So cool.

Growing up

I remember last year when I looked at the kids who were in the 4-5 year old preschool class and I thought... How do they look SO much older? I looked at Cam today and realized he is one of those older-looking kids now. It's like something happened to him in the last few weeks.

He's so grown up. He's reading like gangbusters these days. I went in to hear him read to me today. The kids in class thought I was there to read to him. We switched the tables around. Cam figured out how to read a book called "Ten Timid Ghosts." He only needed help on a few words. It makes me so darn proud... Especially since I haven't pushed Cam in any way to read. This was his effort. He works on words every day because he wants to. Some nights he reads to me, some nights I read to him. Most days we find time to do a little of both. After Cam does something really well, like read a new word or hit the softball really far off his tee, he closes his hands, squeezes his eyes shut and yells: "YES!" I love that he's proud of his effort as much as I am.

Ah. A warm and fuzzy posting. I haven't been able to do enough these with Cam lately.

Risky guy

So Cam's taking a few more risks on his "balancing bike." It's a bike that doesn't have any pedals to help him learn how to balance first. He got a real bike for Christmas, but he hasn't been convinced that learning how to pedal is the way to go.

Anyway. My mom visited this weekend and caught this moment of Cam riding his bike. Notice how she got all freaked out and I cheered:


If you can't see it, go here.

New hope

For the last almost two years, getting Cameron to eat healthy has been a struggle. This past year, he took to crying about vegetables on his plate. This week, things started to change.

It all started when someone in his class convinced him to eat "two halves of a pea." Yup. He ate a pea. One. And it took two swallows to finish it. But he started saying how much he LOVES vegetables. So the attitude was changing. So at dinner, he'd eat one, maybe two for dessert. But then I talked him into eating five so he could watch a show on TV.

It was amazing.

But what was extra funny was watching him eat those peas. He didn't really eat them. He swallowed them like pills. One at a time, drinking A LOT of water. But you know what? I think it gives us new hope in the vegetable world.

I have to say as a former vegetarian, it's killed me watching my boy who won't even eat corn or a simple bean... Let alone the extra yummy stuff that I can splurge on (like asparagus and artichokes).

Returning outside

Drawing in the setting sun
Originally uploaded by Jen.

Yesterday was cool, but the sun just screamed: "Come out and play!" So we did. We went for a walk through the breezy wind earlier in the day. Late in the afternoon, the sun told me that we had to come and enjoy its light one more time before it set.

So Cam, Jordan and I went out to draw on the driveway. I love playing with chalk. It was the first time Cameron was totally into drawing his own stuff. He drew his own hopscotch, a basketball hoop, basketball player and a scoreboard. Then we drew many, many characters from Sesame Street. I'm kind of good at making fuzzy monster heads, Cam did the bodies and Oscar the Grouch.

The funny thing was when we went outside, Cam had be asking to watch a movie. I looked over at him while we drew and I said: "Aren't you glad we didn't watch a movie?" He agreed and said we should draw on the driveway every weekend.

I like that idea a lot.

Oh yuck

Cam woke up at 5:30 this morning throwing up... It kept happening every 15 minutes or so until 7:00. I was getting over my own stomach bug, so we spent the day working on feeling better. By late afternoon, Cam was very normal. I think it's because I got him to take two naps.

I let him watch a lot of TV. So much that he spent a lot of the day telling me how much he loves me and how I'm a really nice Mom.

But the moment I have to mention is after I put him back to bed after his first throwing up bout. He knew I was painfully ill the night before. I tucked him into the bed and he looks up at me and asks me if I'm feeling better. Here's this little guy who just threw up and he's concerned about me. That made me feel very lucky. I was feeling better enough to care for him and I'm grateful for that.

Cam's stuff

Cam has a new thing he's doing. He found a pad of post-it notes. So he takes his pencil and labels things in the basement: Cam's TV, Cam's desk, Cam's couch, Cam's shelf, Cam's door, Cam's books. He writes some of them by himself. Others he asks how to spell it. There are yellow tags all over the place.

I think it's awesome.

It wasn't that long ago when I couldn't get him to write to save my life. It's awesome.

Cam has also been really excited about using his scissors. But today he took it too far and I'm going to have to restrict his scissor use. He sliced his jacket. I think he was testing the power of his scissors... And he was surprised to discover that scissors will cut things that aren't paper. So surprised that he SCREAMED and SCREAMED in his room. When he emerged (I was in the bathroom with Jordan who had enjoyed a HILARIOUS bath full of giggles and splashes) he apologized to me. I hugged him, asked him if he learned a lesson... And now I'm going to need to go to a fabric store to find an iron-on patch.

Growing up

Cam got a chance to go to a gymnastics class today... And although he cried a little at the beginning, he branched out and seemed to have actual fun! He even climbed across the balance beam and climbed along the parallel bars. Of course he also got to run around and jump. It was pretty great.

Afterwards, both kids and I got to go get ice cream with Cam's best friend and her family. I love hanging out with other families... It makes me feel good to be around other people who are in the same kid world. When I work around so many students, I sometimes don't feel like I can chat a lot about my world the same way. Don't doubt that my poor students have to listen to me talk about the kids all the time. But they can't say: "Well, I totally understand because my kid did/does the same thing."

Valentines Love

Valentines Love for Cameron
Originally uploaded by Jen.

Cam woke up at 6am this morning because he was so darn excited about Valentine's Day. I gave him my homemade Valentine, baked biscuits for breakfast and had doughnuts with him (and Jordan) at school. Every single thing set him into crying fits early in the day -- A standard sign that he's overwhelmed with his expectations for the moment. By the time I got to school this afternoon for the school party, he seemed okay.

He also officially made it through 5 straight dinners without crying about vegetables or any other silly thing. Hooray. So now he has a chance to watch the original Charlotte's Web animated movie. That was his reward. He's thrilled and I'm just hoping he's quit this crying habit at the dinner table.

I'm exhausted. The combination of early rising 4 (almost 5) year old and a cranky baby has exhausted me.

He will hate me for this

Cameron has been really into High School Musical... I've mentioned this before. But now I have proof:



If you can't see it, go to here.

He will hate me for posting this someday.

Family time

Cam had a great weekend with his grandparents in town. He also made it through another theater class. Randy picked him up this week. Apparently Cam was in time out two times this week... There's a kid who keeps egging him on. The teacher asked Randy the funniest thing: "Do you know any way to help him focus for longer periods of time?" Ha. Right.

Cam and Jordan are being sillier with each other lately. Cam does anything he can to make her smile. He was sitting next to her at breakfast this morning as Jordan kept patting him on the arm and giggling. Cam joined in on the happiness. It was great. Simple pleasures of siblings.

Story I almost forgot to post from last Sunday. We were watching the Superbowl while Cam was eating a hamburger. He looks up to me and says: "Jesus' body is in this bread." It was communion Sunday. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that one.

HSM Drama

So tonight we decided to try Cam's new obsession with High School Musical to get him to eat vegetables. Randy announced to me earlier today that he had to put a stop to our constant High School Musical music listening because he keeps catching himself humming to the music. And he wants it to stop.

I think he figured out how to make it stop. Tonight we tried to encourage Cameron to stop crying at dinner. I decided to offer him the chance to earn the Charlotte's Web DVD (the original movie) if he could go 5 straight dinners without crying. Every night he's decided to cry over vegetable eating. He cries if I spoon the vegetables on his plate. He cries if he's told he has to eat a vegetable or he will miss ice cream or cookie opportunities. He cries. He cries. He cries. It's annoying. So we put this new carrot (ha, get it? carrot? it's a vegetable!!) in front of him. He was ready. I spooned vegetables on his plate and he didn't cry. We discussed him eating the peas and carrots. He didn't cry. But then Cam asked if I would turn on High School Musical. That's when Randy said: "Only if you eat one pea and one carrot." That set off a MASSIVE crying jag. He had to go to his room and cry. Then he came back and told me that I couldn't listen to the music unless he can. I told him that wasn't how it worked.... And the crying just kept going. He was still crying when I needed to put Jordan to bed. But I decided Cam was going first. And he cried and cried and cried. He cried so much that he lost his chance to say his prayer and get a nighttime lullaby from Mommy (which includes back scratches). He was a disaster.

Jordan eventually got to go to bed. Cameron eventually went to bed too. But it just wasn't much fun.

Hopefully tomorrow he'll try harder. I kind of want to listen to High School Musical again with him. It's too fun to watch him dance around in the kitchen.

Dramatic day

Good news... Cameron was only sent to time out once during theater class today -- and it was during the dance portion of the day. He felt very proud for knowing some of his lines ahead of the class. Hopefully we'll be able to stick with theater through the big show day in March. Of course I just realized that Cam's big show is on a 4 day Reeves holiday weekend: The first weekend of March Madness. So Daddy's going to have to come back home for the morning to see the performance before we all trek to STL and hang at Uncle Barry's house for the fun.

Everything would have worked out just fine except an ice storm delayed the start of theater class. Bummer.

So after Cam had a dramatic morning and a nap, we spent the afternoon playing. The highlight of the night: I downloaded the High School Musical soundtrack from iTunes. We sang the music until Jordan needed to go to bed. When I came down to play a little more, he was just chanting one of the songs. Randy was just rolling his eyes. I've dragged Cam into my love of Disney silliness. I just can't stop. For some reason, Cam and I both love HSM. It's catchy music. And it captures the true silliness of what it's like to be in a high school musical. I've been there, done that. So I'm having a ball.