I laugh at Halloween

So we survived Halloween. I skipped out of work to take part in Cameron's class party and school celebration for Halloween. The kids were so great. It was also fun to just hang out and talk to the parents. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm a part of the class -- the kids know my kid, I know the kids and I'm starting to really know the parents.

Anyway. After Cam's party, we ran over to the newsroom to pick up all my stuff (for some reason, I had convinced myself that Cam and I could leave his party early so I could get back to work).

We ran home to eat dinner with Daddy and a former student who was in town. Then we decided to split up the Halloween responsibilities. I took Cam out trick or treating in the neighborhood while Randy stuck around talking to our former student (and friend) and he got to hand out the candy. Cameron wouldn't let me go near the door of each house where he trick or treated. He was very good at saying Trick or Treat! and Thank you! Sometimes he was willing to drop the bucket of candy (which got pretty heavy by the end of our time out there) and strike a Mr. Incredible pose. Very funny.

I'll get more pictures soon. I think the coolest part of the night was how we got to light up our real pumpkins. That just looks cool. Now I remember why carving those suckers are worth the effort.

So this is the start of Halloween?

We had a rough day today. Things were going well until Cam woke up in the middle of his nap and did something that's so disgusting... It's not worth going into the details.

After interrogating the boy for at least an hour, we couldn't get an answer from him -- And now we wonder if he even knows what happened.

So we went to our neighborhood Halloween party... And Cam got to see his new Mr. Incredible costume for the first time. He planned on being Dash for most of the months leading up to Halloween. On Thursday, he decided he'd rather be Mr. Incredible. The good news: Dash and Mr. Incredible wear the same outfit.

He was good at the party and made friends with a couple of 5 year old little girls from the neighborhood.

The last thing he said to me before he went to bed tonight: "I love my supersuit Mommy."

Let's pray for a good night. I could really use it.

Am I going to be four today?

Cameron is fixated on turning four. I keep asking him when his birthday is... And Cam knows it's April first. But he keeps asking. I think some of his friends are turning four and Cam wants to join in the fun.

He had a bad day on Thursday. But he ended the week with positive comments from his teachers. So we have our bad days and our good days. When Cam's days are bad, they're bad. When they're good... We're all happy.

Cam is really scared of shadows and noises these days. He got all freaked out by the squeaks of the second floor while I was getting dressed upstaires -- Cam was in the kitchen eating breakfast. "Mommy! I'm scared! What's that noise?" I know Halloween is exciting, but I look forward to us moving past this holiday just so he can stop feeling so scared.

We're taking him to St. Louis tomorrow. He gets to hang out with his Uncle Barry while Mommy and Daddy go to an uppity dinner/awards ceremony for the TV station. That will make it two weekends in a row when Mom and Dad get to hang out alone on a Saturday night.

Who knew that could happen?

Success on the playground

Yesterday Cam went home with a POSITIVE note from his teachers!

He actually made an excellent choice in the heat of a moment. He was out on the playground with his friends. He apparently got mad at someone and raised his hand to do hit... When he stopped himself and put his hand down. A teacher watched it happen and Cameron got a TON of praise from his teachers and his parents.

I put the note up on the refrigerator to keep looking at it. He got tons of hugs and he even got to eat an ice cream sandwich!

I hope he can keep up the good work!

What a pose

So... I was downloading pictures from the last month or two... And I came upon this shot of the boy trying to look tough. It's kind of GQ, kind of Dash from The Incredibles (Which is who he was pretending to be in this picture).

Cam had another accident last night. We can't figure out how to put an end to this 5-6 am wake-up annoyance. I'm almost ready to have him clean it all up himself... It took me forever to get back to sleep. And once I did, it was really hard to wake up. And no one wants to be around a cranky pregnant mommy.

Anyway. Cam was really excited to go to school today to show off his new shirt (with arms that were too long!!). And he was extra excited to wear his fireman jacket because of the cool and wet weather outside. It's always the simple things that makes him so happy.

I can't figure this kid out

So Cam started the morning crazy. He peed on his underwear during an early morning trip to the bathroom... I helped him go back to bed. One hour later, he did it again. That's when we got angry. There was no need for him to continue coming to us with his wet clothing problem... And then he started screaming out of control. I pounded into his room, demanded he get dressed and put him back to bed.

Did I mention his grandparents were here and had to listen to the insanity?

Not fun.

So Cam was a loose cannon for most of the day. He had to go to his room and scream it out because i wouldn't let him watch a movie. But minutes before that, he'd been fantastic at the grocery store, and even politely looked at a little baby that I demanded he see.

We ended the day carving pumpkins... Cam went to a pumpkin patch last week, so we carved that one along with a big, big pumpkin from a local store. Cameron decided the little happy face pumpkin was for Jordan, the big pumpkin is his.

I'm going to be a good boy today

I called Cam this morning to say hi... He answered and told me immediately: "Mommy, I'm going to be a good boy today."

Which makes me wonder... What happened yesterday?

Actually, he had a note sent home to tell us about an incident he had with a "friend" on Tuesday... And Daddy had to institute the new rule: hurt a friend, dog or family member... lose a toy.

Hopefully Cam will focus more on using his words (He likes to yell: "Stop! I don't like that!" And yesterday, Cam and I discussed how we can walk away when someone upsets us... instead of hitting. Of course, he immediately walked away from Randy during an incident where Cam threw a toy into the Goldfish cracker bag. Who knows if I gave him a good idea.

Only time will tell. (Just like everything else)

Out of town AGAIN

I'm in Florida right now... And I'm sad... Because I got here and quickly set up my computer to see if it would work. It didn't, I got a phone call to meet people for dinner... And I didn't call home for the second time in the evening. And that worried Randy to death. I feel terrible.

I'm sure Cam was upset too.

Fortunately, I tinkers and spent more money on the web connection in this room... So I can get the camera to work tonight... And Cam and I will be able to talk!!

:-)

Busy weekend

Yesterday was the big homecoming parade and Cam had a chance to ride in it. I joined him in the trailer... While Daddy followed the float through town. We were all exhausted after that. Cam and I also enjoyed a grocery store trip and we made dinner for house guests who were in town.

Today we took an early nap and got to go to Cam's second theater show... Today we saw Beauty and the Beast. Cam wasn't so sure about it during a couple of portions... But he loved the big group songs and when we walked out of the show he said: "I had a great time!" He had a chance to sit in the second row and we got to say hi to all of the stars of the show afterwards. He HAD to say hi to the Beast and Belle... And at the end, he decided he had to say hi to every single person. I asked him if he was ready to go and he said: "I have to say some more hi's!"

This is messy

So... I'm thinking Cam is sick. I'd like to blame it on a sickness. But the boy has wet the bed the last three nights in a row. This past night, he was waking up crying out for me -- Which just isn't normal.

My second theory -- The thoughts about Halloween have spooked the boy and he's afraid to get out of bed.

So the big question of the week: Should I plug in the nightlight? I think he'll use it as a light to read books... And not sleep as well. But he isn't really sleeping very well right now.

Hmmmmmmmm.

Fun with Aunt Jan and Uncle Chuck

So Cameron's had the chance to hang out with his Aunt Jan and Uncle Chuck in the last two days. He has been a fantastic show off... But showed how he can play intently with a simple toy from McDonald's and eat a huge grilled cheese while jamming to jazz music at a restaurant.

He's finally getting good at going back to sleep after I've been out of town so much.

We did learn something the hard way this past weekend. Randy and Cam drove down to the Lake of the Ozarks to pick me up after a conference and then we went shopping for all of Cam's winter and fall clothes. Unfortunately... Cameron saw a ton of toys he NEEDED. So it wasn't very pleasant. But Cam scored a ton of clothes and Mommy was very good and didn't buy any baby clothes. We don't need any little stuff... It's amazing how much yellow, white and green stuff I have from when Cam was little. That's the benefits of not knowing what brand baby you're going to have when he or she arrives.

Cameron's gotten really into asking us to tell him stories... Mostly about Disney movies and fables. It's so funny when you hear him ask: "Mommy, please you tell me the story about _________." My favorite story to tell? I don't know yet. I think Little Mermaid is my favorite so far.

Woah... How old are you?

So yesterday I was rushing around the house before heading to work and out of town for another conference. (I can't believe how much I can travel with this job)

Cameron was fooling around with something, I don't know what it was. But I asked him to put it down. He immediately sat down on a stool and looked very sad. I asked him what was wrong... And he said:

"You never let me do anything."

Doesn't that sound like a teenager talking? It totally surprised me.

Daddy, Are Those Horses?

Cameron was walking by the TV where Dad was watching all of the day's football games... He saw the Denver Bronco's logo and asked his dad if the team was The Horses. Broncos, horses... Same thing in Cam's world.

We've had a weekend full of picnics... Or as Cam likes to call them: pick-a-nicks.

On our way to one of the picnics, we saw some neighbors who told us the kids around here are planning another Halloween party for the little ones in the neighborhood. So Cam was invited. He had to ask permission to go as Dash from The Incredibles: "Please I be Dash?" Randy says it's because Cam wants to be sure everyone is okay with his Halloween plans. (I really have to start looking for a red sweatsuit for that costume)

Anyway, we went to a nearby waterfountain to eat a snack... And then to a nearby garden where we stopped at many different locations to enjoy crackers and the leftover peanutbutter sandwhich from lunch. Today we enjoyed our backyard picnic with crackers and mosquitoes. Man, those bugs are mean.

Cam was talking to his Aunt Tisha about the new fence in his backyard -- And he told her it was a place for Jordan and he and the dogs to play. It was kind of cool to see Cam include Jordan in casual conversations.

Right now Cam is building cities out of blocks on the kitchen table... And everytime he finishes, he announces: "It's for you!!!" He tells me it's Jennifer City. Then he knocks it down and builds it again in a different way.

Stuff You Probably Didn't Want To Know

I just wanted to mention that this past few days Cam has battled an intestinal bug... And I'm only mentioning this because it's the first really gross health problem we've needed to deal with since we've been fully potty trained.

I know I constantly promise not to talk too much about potty stuff... But I'll just say this: The boy was so good about waking up in the middle of the night when he needed to go... Not a single accident in bed.

We're very proud. And really happy to have this health problem WITHOUT diapers. It's so much easier!

Hi Mommy!!

I had yoga class tonight so I didn't get to hang out with Cameron tonight. I talked to him on the phone and told him I would give him a hug in his bedroom when I get home. I guess that was a bad decision since the moment I opened the door into the house tonight, I heard him pop out of bed and run to the top of the stairs:

"Hi Mommy!"

He acted like we hadn't seen each other in a month. I got a huge hug. It was so sweet.

I talked him into going to the potty one more time and he asked me to carry him back to bed and give him scratches -- That's what I do when I wake him up in the middle of the night for an accident-proof potty visit. He doesn't have accidents in the morning if he has that middle-of-the-night pee break.

I gave him scratches and tucked him into bed... And then he attempted to stall his sleeping as long as he could -- Including if he could sleep in the bed with Mommy and Daddy... "You're bed is big!" Good argument kid. You're still not sleeping with us.

Toothbrush talk

Cameron's wanted to talk about toothbrushes a lot lately. Last weekend, we went to the store to buy items for health kits to help the many people who lost their homes along the Gulf Coast. Since then, he talks about people who have wet home... And their toothbrushes are dirty. I keep reminding him that's why we bought toothbrushes to help people who needed them.

Cam's even offered to let people move into our house, because it's dry. I think it's wonderful he wants to talk about the hurricane disaster and seems to understand some of the ways we can help.

He's a sweet guy.

Today he asked to write his name. He wanted paper and a pen to write. It's the first time I've ever seen him interested in focusing on writing. He was learning how to write the letter 'C' this week at school. He's getting good at it... But he's writing it the wrong way. It's cool to see him interested in that.

Oh, here's another story. Last night we shared a babysitter with a friend of ours. Her daughter got to stay here and play with Cam. They're good friends even though she's in Kindergarten and Cam's just starting pre-school. It's pretty cool. The babysitter put Cam to bed and he pulled his regular scams. But she was pretty sure he'd gone to bed when 2 hours later Cam tells her he can't read one of his books. She took him back upstairs to find a pile of books on the side of his bed. Apparently, he'd been going through a bunch of his books and "reading" them instead of sleeping. He's going to be a book sneaker just like his mom: I used to read books under my sheets with a flashlight and then pretend to be sleeping when my parents came into the room.

Working on our safety

So... Cameron is really pushing his limits and having a hard time controlling his temper. I talked to his teacher today and she says she's having the same problem. When Cam gets upset, he loses control of his temper and his extremities. He starts swinging in anger... Not thinking about what he's doing. We don't think he's hitting with purpose, he's hitting in anger without any premeditation. So his teachers are working on teaching Cameron ways to "keep his friends safe." Cameron became his teacher's "safe buddy." Cameron held her hand all through playground time while they worked on using their hands safely together. It's an interesting idea and I plan to use it at home as well.

So wish us luck. We're going through a challenging phase. And I think I know why. A week or two ago, I thought to myself abouut how great things have been with Cam when I compared the challenges we dealt with last year with all of his health problems. These challenges are different... I can understand why Cam is angry. Last year he was flipping out for no reason.

I have a couple of ideas why Cam is acting a little loopy. We've been so into the "big boy" transition. Here's just some of the things he's transitioned into in the last 6 months:
Big boy bed
Big boy underpants (okay that was about 9 months ago)
Pull-up free nights
Big boy chair in the kitchen (the toddler chair is gone to make room for a high chair)
Seat belts in the car (with a booster chair)
Pregnant mommy (and the belly is getting bigger)
Pre-school started two days ago

Heck, I even took the little toddler seat cover out of his bathroom... He balances on the toilet seat without it, so why keep it around.

It could be very possible that he's stressing out over all of these changes. I can totally understand that. I just have to figure out how to help him through this tough time.

Big day

Cameron started pre-school today. He was pretty excited and proud that he slept through the night dry... (I did wake him up in the middle of the night for a quick bathroom break).
So as we turned into school, Cam got really upset. He thought his new pre-school would be in a new building. But it was just in a new room. After I challenged Cam to a race to the front door of school, he gave up his anger and shock.

Instead of driving home like I normally do after dropping Cam off, I actually turned left and headed to work. I am officially a normal working person. Okay, probably not normal, but I started working a day shift today. 9 to 6... And I'm trilled. I actually got home in time to sit down for dinner with Randy and Cam. It was wonderful.

I got to give Cam a bath and put him to bed. Very cool.

I really missed you!

I got home tonight and Cam was pretty happy to see me... But he decided to go find his new transformer toy before he hugged me. Then I got monster hugs and kisses. Lots and lots of hugs and kisses.

I sat down to enjoy some dinner when Cam walked up to me and said: "Mommy, I really missed you."

Wow, that's sweet.

I gave him lots and lots more hugs and kisses for that.

We talked about how things are going and I put him to bed. When we wrapped up the prayer, Cam said: "Night, Dad." And he realized what he said and asked: "Are you Dad?" Of course I told him I wasn't. Then he asked: "Are you Jennifer Reeves?" I said yes... And I asked him: "But what do you call me?"

"Mommy"

At least he still remembers.

A REALLY big boy

Cameron decided to go to bed in his big boy underpants for the first time last night. We considered starting that this weekend, but Cam asked to do it last night. He's been getting out of bed often to go potty and Randy thought it was possible.

So at 2:30am this morning, Randy says Cameron walked up to the side of his bed. Cam asked if he could sleep with Daddy because his bed was wet. Bummer. So a late night change of sheets got Cam back in bed. I don't know if he returned to the pull ups for the second round of sheets.

I do know that Cam was ready to try again tonight. He's been dry every single day during naptime at school. I think he can do it. This has become Cam's personal crusade. We don't even have to push him on this issue anymore. Cam wants to master the art of being a really big boy.

I'm proud of him. I can't wait to return home from my work trip tomorrow and help Randy change sheets!