Sleeping Beauties

Last night I went in and just watched Camden sleep, actually I've found myself doing this quite a bit.  .  .I know this seems strange--but if you are a mom I know you get it!  I looked at him and thought, I can't believe you are about to be 5 years old!!  5 YEARS OLD!!  It seems like only yesterday he was Evan's size, wandering around with his sippy cup and saying "Mama" & "Da-ya".  .  .and now here he is this little man who gets up in the middle of the night to pee, and goes down the street to play with his friends!!  Looking back I never could've imagined this stage.  I think with your first you just don't know what to expect, and it's so hard to imagine your baby as a kid.  .  .    

THEN

NOW

I do watch Evan sleep too, but it's harder with him b/c he's in a crib!! :)  These boys are growing so fast and it's hard for Jason and I to ever remember a time when we didn't have them, I'm pretty sure any life we had before wasn't nearly as fufilling!!  As time goes by I become more thankful that I have the option of being home with them and being as involved in their schools and lives as I want and need to be.

The other great thing about watching them sleep.  .  .they can't talk back! ;)  I had to laugh this morning when both of my kids woke up on the wrong side of the bed, talking back, screaming and crying, and basically not doing anything I asked without a fight!!  All after I went to bed after gazing at my "angels" and thinking about how absolutely perfect they were.  .  .when they were sleeping! ;)
 

Oh Wise One. . .

Playing hide-and-seek

Jason and I have been discussing lately how incredibly smart our kids are.  We've really noticed (b/c he's the child that talks) that Camden really is smart, I mean--he thinks of things that I would just never think of--and I'm an adult!!  So this post is dedicated to him and all of his wisdom!! :)  I'll share with you my favorite 2:

FRIDAY AT SAMS

"Mommy--they sell cars here?" (observing a car in the bay where they put tires on) "No baby, but you can buy tires here, that car is getting new tires.  If you get a flat tire you can just come here and get a new one."  "MOMMY--how are you going to get here if you have a flat tire??"  He then proceeded to get out and show me where the spare tire is (well, he was sort of right he was showing me where it would be if we were in the truck, but we were in the car so I showed him where the spare for the car would be)

  

IN THE CAR ON THE WAY HOME FROM A BIRTHDAY PARTY

"Mommy-God died so that we wouldn't have to go in timeout anymore."

(this really needs no explanation.  .  .)

August

we are going to call this one a month of firsts.  .  .hear me out fellow bloggers--do you ever start composing blog posts in your head?  I do, most of them never actually make it from my brain to the computer mind you, but last night I was thinking I needed to start posting about August--we've had a lot going on, we always do, but this month it seems like we've had some important "firsts".  .  .such as:

FIRST INTERVIEW FOR MOMMY (in a long long long long time):
So last year, towards the end of the year, I started thinking about finding something to do that would allow me to work (sort of), and still be home for the boys.  I have been doing some volunteering with kids on Wednesday nights at Mt. Zion, and being the room mom for Camden definitely put me in the classroom setting a little bit, and I thought this might be the route for me to take. .  .maybe I should try to work in the pre-school!  The hours are good, it would allow me to put Evan in school a couple of days a week and I would get a discount, and I would still be able to pick Camden up at the end of the day and we would still have time for dinner, etc.  .  .I applied 2 different places and was thrilled, and a little nervous, when one called me in for an interview. .  .

FIRST DAY OF PRE-K!!

First Day of Pre-K!!  (YES, I know his bag is huge!)

Camden started pre-k on August 9.  It was such a big important day!!  He is in school ALL DAY PEOPLE--ALL DAY!!!  He doesn't have to take his lunch, they feed him there.  Of course that means pretty much doesn't eat all day, but he will.  .  .eventually.  I am so excited about the year, I think that Camden has great teachers (one even graduated from GaSouthern)--even though he says he doesn't like it b/c it's too long, I know he does.  One more thing-the other day when I picked him up, he said: "Mommy, I wanted you so bad today!  I just missed you so much and wanted to be with you!"  Y'all--if that doesn't make you feel like the most important person in the world, hearing those sweet words out of your baby's mouth--nothing will!!

FIRST TIME TO THE DENTIST AND THE DOCTOR WITH NO TEARS:

I know he looks frightened, but he still did it!

What a relief!  The dentist took a little bribe!!  Camden was really pitching a fit beforehand, so I calmly looked at him and said: "Camden, it's okay to be scared, but if you go to the dentist and do everything they ask and sit in their chair with no fussing and fighting, Mommy will take you to get a pack of SillyBandz."  IT WORKED!!  He insisted that I hold his hand, which didn't bother me one bit--but he did AWESOME!!    I've always felt if I could just prove that it's really not that bad, if I could just let him see one time that it doesn't hurt that he would be fine--I really hope it worked!!
The week after we had to go get caught up on some shots for Mr. Camden. .  .rough month so far, right??  We've tried to get these shots more than once, but due to wheezing, have had to cancel.  SO--off we go and again with the bribes. .  .;)--well, maybe it wasn't a bribe, but more a something to look forward to.  On the way there, he said: "You know, I might cry..." to which I responded: "Baby, you can cry, and you can be scared, but you can't kick, scream, or do anything that makes it difficult to give you a shot, I don't want them to have to send a nurse in to hold you down, remember, when you are done we get to watch the Squeakuel, eat pizza, and I'll let you pick out some ice cream at the grocery store!"  Did it work, OH YEA, it worked!!  He said "ow" and scrunched up his face!!  I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!!

FIRST HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Things that start with "C"

Okay, I know what you are thinking--Homework??  In Pre-K?? --technically, it's optional, just not in our house.  So the first assignment was to cut out pictures of things that start with a "C"and paste them to the letter "C".  I'm going to be honest, if our first experience foreshadows what we have to look forward to in the homework department--I'd like to retire now!!  Camden does not focus well on these things--and he pretty much "half-assed" it.  .  .HOWEVER, he comes by that very honestly b/c (as much as I cringe to admit it)--I was the EXACT same way!!  Needless to say, it did get done, but Mommy had to recut our pictures!!  Oh well--we have to do one every weekend (I think) so hopefully it will just get to be habit. .  .  

FIRST DAY AT A NEW JOB:
Well, yes, I did get the job!!  I will be assisting in a 2-day 2 year old class.  So 2 days a week, Evan and I will head on into Snellville UMC (this is also where Camden went).  I'm very excited, school hasn't actually started yet, but Monday started 2 weeks of orientation and pre-planning.  I don't have to actually go for the full 2 weeks, but it's nice to have something else to focus on other than my "cleaning" schedule :)!!  I think this is going to be such a wonderful opportunity, and I really just can't wait to get started with it!!  The girl I'm teaching with is COMPLETE opposite of me--so I think we will feed off of each other very well!!  I'm sure more on my experiences will be posted!!

FIRST DAY OF SOCCER:

First Soccer Practice

So, I know we are all over the place with our sports, BUT, my goal is to show Camden his choices and then see what he excels in, and what he enjoys the most, and then focus on that!!  I totally wish we had STARTED with soccer--we got to the field the other night and Camden grabbed his ball and said "SEE YA, I KNOW HOW TO PLAY SOCCER!"  Not once did I have to tell him to go join his team, or remind him to pay attention.  He had a great time, and he can kick the ball!  I was so proud and excited for him!







Well, that's it for our month of August!  It's been a good month, and a HOT month!!  I'm ready for it to cool off a bit--anyone else???

July & August--summer continues

How I thought I could fit everything into 1 or 2 posts, I'm not sure!!  Ideally I would blog all through the summer, rather than once it's all over.  .  .okay--but hindsight is 20/20--so moving on!!!

Had to throw this one in!  The 3 Amigos: Bryant, Molly, & Camden
They've been friends from the very beginning!!!

Okay so July--my GoPro gig ended up lasting through the month of July!  It was nice to make the extra money, stressful trying to find people to keep my kids.  I did learn that as much as I enjoy working, I am so thankful to be able to stay home and "hold down the fort"!!!  I feel like I said that in my last post, so we'll just leave it at that!!
Let's see--the first BIG catastrophe we had was that Evan fell and hit his head and had to get stitches.  .  .did I mention we were IN the doctor's office??  Yea, we were.  .  .did I mention I had an extra child with me??  Yea, I did.  .  .I thought I was staying calm, but I must've looked completely panic stricken b/c the NP that was helping me "STOP THE BLEEDING" offered to drive me and my children (loved the look on people's faces when I gave Sam's bday as 10/15 and Cam's as 11/7--they thought I was A-MA-ZING! to have children that close in age, even though, I'm pretty sure this is impossible) over to Scottish Rite and get us settled in!!  About 2.5 hours later we left with 6 stitches:

and a bracelet that stated: FALL RISK--well, NO DUH!!!!!!!!!  The bracelet was mainly just b/c of the meds they gave him to "calm him", but truly, I think I should have a shirt made for him.  .  .

Okay--so after this adventure the rest of July was pretty calm!!  We hit some birthday parties, hit the pool maybe once.  .  .(it's really a lot of work people), and then the week after the fall the boys went to stay in PTC with Nana & MoPa for the week!  This helped in so many ways, it was my last week at GoPro, and they were originally supposed to be staying with them anyways at the end of the week so we could go to Statesboro and Savannah for a Returning Warrior Workshop.  Camden had a great time, he was able to take private swim lessons which helped him so much with his swimming!  He's still not an expert, but HIS comfort level is higher and I truly think that is a good thing!!  Jason and I had such a great time on our weekend away!  We stayed overnight in Statesboro--we walked all around campus on Thursday--Georgia Southern has really come into it's own!!  I swelled with pride walking around and knowing that I went there way back when.  .  .GO EAGLES!!  The RWW was wonderful as well!!  I don't want to go into a lot of details, but to any of my military spouses who are dealing with a deployment--this workshop is  MUST DO!!  I think Jason and I have adjusted pretty well with his return to the civilian world, but it really opened up some "cans" that were maybe on the "backshelf" and I think made us feel comfortable dealing with them.  I can't say enough good things about our weekend!!  It also helps you to feel like you have a support system in place in case your spouse is ever deployed again.  .  .I don't like thinking about it, but I know it will more than likely happen. .  .Sorry no pics of the happy couple on our weekend away, some were taken, but we never got them!!!

The last week of July we went to visit my grandparents in Asheville!  We were actually supposed to go earlier in July, but we had to postpone b/c I was working.  It ended up working out fine, we had a nice visit.  We took the boys to the Children's Museum again (yes, I totally forgot my camera), and up to Weaverville to visit with Aunt Le!  I also had my Nana teach me how to make Mango Chutney!!  She makes it and it is SOOOOOOOO yummy!!!!  I'm so glad I learned to do it, it's not quite as intimidating as I thought it would be!

Me & Nana

 Me & Papa

The boys on their big wheels, you know, those things will hold an adult.  . .just sayin. .  .

So, our last week of summer we did some back to school shopping, went to see my MeMaw in Athens, and had a fun playdate at the bouncy with friends!  It truly was a great summer--I can't believe it's over and pre-K has started!!!  

Summer in a Post. . .or 2!!

Well, if you can believe it--summer has come and gone and I haven't had time for a single post!!  Right now, I have a second just to get started, I have lots of consignment things to tag!!  So I will start, and hopefully finish this post in a day or two--as a reader none of this matters to you, but if it's in here I will feel it looming and go ahead and take care of it instead of vegging in front of Big Brother!! :)  Our summer truly has flown right by--since there is much to tell, I will start with June, and then follow up with July and the one week of August that we had!!

Okay--it's Friday and I'm back to writing!!!  Okay so--June! Camden was able to go to 2 weeks of VBS, he went on an adventure of the 'High Seas' at SUMC, and saddled up for 'Saddle Ridge Ranch' at Mount Zion.  I was able to volunteer in the 4 year old class at Mt. Zion so in essence I played a "fly on the wall" and watched Camden interact and play with other kids.  Other than the KILLER stomach bug I came down with the second day it was a great week!

In between these 2 weeks we packed up and headed to good 'ol Huntsville!  It was Family Day for NMCB 24--now the last time I went to Family Day was pre-deployment, it was hot-I was pregnant, knew no one, had a 2 year old to chase around, and had to sit in meetings regarding living wills, and power of attorney, etc.  .  .This time was different--it was still HOT!!  However, there were no meetings-just fun!  Also, I was able to catch up with some of my friends that I made while the guys were deployed!  Much different the 2nd time around, I just wish they would do it a little earlier in the year so it's not so HOT!!!!

Daddy at work (he's the one in the camo.  .  .)

This face paint lasted about.  .  .30 seconds!!  He wanted it so bad, then realized he was bringing attention to himself and people were looking at him, so it had to come off. . .

While we were in Huntsville, we decided to take the boys to the Air & Space Museum.  Thanks to the Military discount, we all got in for F-R-E-E--FREE!  I was so glad, b/c really they are probably too young for it, but we needed something to do!!!

Mommy and her boys!!

Ready to BLAST OFF!!!

I don't know why--but I just love this picture!!

The last week of June I went back to work.  .  .yep--that's right--I went back to help fill in at Go Pro!  Sometimes it's nice to do something different--it was nice to make a change for a while, but I'm really glad that I'm able to be home and close to my boys!!  I really enjoy being involved with them and their school and activities--and if I was working full time outside of the home I know that's something I just wouldn't be able to do in the capacity that I want to do it!!

So--the next post is JULY and AUGUST--wonder how long that will take me to get to?? :)

It Happens. . .

and by "it" I mean S&*%--I'll just go ahead and let you know that if you can't handle discussions of poop then stop reading now.  .  .

OKAY--I think I've given everyone a chance to exit if they feel necessary--now it's time for me to just have my say for a second, after all-it is MY blog!!

Summer is in full swing and with summer comes long afternoons at the pool with the kids--or sometimes early afternoons, but never mornings b/c if you go in the morning what will you hang over their heads all day to get them to behave???  This post isn't about that though--this post is about POOL CONTAMINATION.  .  .

Our neighborhood pool has been opened since a week or so before Memorial Day--since it opened we have had 2 incidents of POOL CONTAMINATION--now I'll be the first to admit that it is inconvenient to have to pack up and leave, or to have your plans cancelled due to poop in the pool--but let's be real here people, it's an ACCIDENT!!  People don't go to the pool thinking, "My kid is mostly potty trained so let's just see how they do without a swim diaper on today"--they take their potty trained kid to the pool and that kid has an unfortunate accident!  This doesn't make the parent in charge irresponsible, or dumb-it makes them a parent who's child had an accident.  If your child was potty trained would you put them in a swim diaper...just in case??  NO YOU WOULDN'T --SO BACK OFF.  Mom's of toddlers don't automatically decide to double up a child's swim diaper b/c they might poop and it might seep out.  If that was something that was necessary shouldn't the manufacturers correct that problem--rather than make us use 2 swim diapers (those suckers are pricey).  .  .and honestly rubber pants are not easy to find (I know, I looked today) so why would we buy them on the off chance that there may possibly be an accident at some point??

Okay--so I know what you are thinking, and I promise IT WASN'T ME!!  However, I feel bad for the moms that it did happen too.  Maybe it's just that it's so easy to vent these days and have everyone see it thanks to Facebook, but when the poop hit the pool the s*&^ hit the fan so to speak and these ladies were basically crucified for all to see.  I just want to remind everyone that it could happen to you--if you have a infant, toddler, preschooler, etc--swim diapers leak and children have accidents (potty trained ones have accidents too)--keep this in mind when you are talking about how dumb people are and criticize their parenting skills because their child had an ACCIDENT. .  .the next ACCIDENT could be one that your child has.  .  .

18 months

WOW--where does the time go!  I can hardly believe my MonkeyMan is already 18 months old!!  Well, technically he was 18 months old a couple of weeks ago, but I held off on this post so I could post his stats from the doctor!

WEIGHT: 24lbs 13oz (32%)
HEIGHT: 32 1/2" (51%)
HEAD: 19" (61%)

As you can see--still a pretty big head!!  He was healthy as a fiddle, which is good considering he was just at the doctor Friday with an ear infection.  .  .and he woke up this morning with a fever.  .  .I swear we've been to the doctor once a week for a couple of months!!  The doctor's only concern is that he has NO words!  He downplayed it a bit for me I think, I told him he understands us and can identify his family, etc--he just doesn't really want to talk back yet.  .  .there's plenty of time for that!!  Anyway, he gave me the number for Baby Can't Wait--I'll probably call when we get back from Huntsville.

Here are some more interesting tidbits:

Nickname: MonkeyMan or The Evanator
at 18 months you are into EVERYTHING--so active!!  I can't take my eyes off of you for long, if I do you will have crawled on top of the kitchen or dining room table, thrown everything in sight into the trash can, fed the dog anything you can find, or splash in the toilet!!  It's safe to say "The Evanator" suits you well!!
You are a very happy baby, though you do have a witching hour around 5 and you want to be held, and held, and held--and I can't just sit down, I have to walk around b/c that's what you want.
You are very good about playing with your toys, your favorite at the moment is your Fisher Price cash register--it's a retro one and one that Mommy always wished she had when she was little!!  You actually do quite well with it and you can sit and play with it for hours. .  .okay, it's more like minutes--but do you know what I can get done in that 15 minutes??
You don't like for anyone to feed you, from the time you discovered utensils you have wanted to feed yourself--and I let you, you actually do quite well!
I would say your favorite food is bananas or yogurt.
You LOVE the water!!  There is no fear at the pool--we put you in arm swimmies and let you go!!  Well, not completely b/c you do have a heavy head and it tends to make you a little top heavy--but you love to kick and splash.
You love to play chase, and you LOVE to dance!!
You also really love your brother--when I say "come on Evan, let's go get Camden from school" you squeal and run to the garage door!!

MonkeyMan--you've got a personality like no other!!  We love you more than you will ever know!!

Your Favorite Shoes:

YAY for a Successful Dinner!!

So, if you check out my blog list over on the right hand side of this blog you will see that I read several cooking blogs!!  For the first time today I finally tried a recipe (actually 2 recipes) off of one!!  I'm so thrilled that I had success I thought I would share!!

The first thing I tried was the Buttermilk Ranch Dressing--I am a big fan of ranch dressing, especially homemade.  We have our own personal preference of ranch dressing in the Conner household, it's the one I grew up with, but I thought I would give this one a whirl!  It really is very good--nice and creamy and I made it with lowfat mayo and lowfat buttermilk to help knock down some of the fat.  I will warn you that it has 1/8 of a tsp of Dill--Jason is not a huge fan of dill so I'm not sure I'll be able to trade out our old dressing, but I will use this recipe again, maybe I'll even try it without the dill (or maybe he won't read my blog and won't notice, but it's a pretty strong flavor in the dressing)!!  Camden LOVED it!!!

The next recipe I tried was the Spicy Honey Chicken--the boys LOVED it!!  Now they suggest using chicken thighs, but I used regular old chicken breast and it turned out great!  I only cooked one pack of chicken, so I mixed up the rub as instructed and saved 1/2 of it for the next time.  Before realizing what I was doing I put all of the honey mixture on the chicken (I should've cut it in half)--but it turned out just delicious!!  I paired it with brown rice, and steamed broccoli and carrots--CAN YOU SAY CLEAN PLATES???  Camden even went back for MORE chicken!!  It is not "spicy" as in "hot", it's "spicy" as in a lot of spices!

Don't you love when you find a good recipe and your family just chows down?!  I sure do--this has given me inspiration!   I'm going to start my "try one new recipe a week" tradition!  It usually doesn't last long, we get so busy--but if I can get a few more recipes to throw in the mix it's totally worth it!!!

Have a great week!!

Validation from Fitness

2 wonderful things I read in Fitness Magazine last night:

1-Women who drink one to two servings of wine, beer, or liquor a day tend to gain less weight over time than teetotalers.
2-While too much alcohol can hurt your health, experts say that  little bit daily may boost it.  Stick to no more than two five-ounce glasses of wine, 12 OZ BOTTLES OF BEER or one and a half glasses of liquor a day.  .  .

Okay, I know you are thinking we already knew this part--but they are always just talking about wine helping your health, and not just any 'ol wine--RED WINE--ick.  I feel validated with my 30-pack now.  .  . ;)

That is all.

Celebrating Camden

So, I feel like so any of my posts are about Evan, or have lots of pics of Evan--it's mainly b/c I'm with him 24 hours a day, and he's a total ham for the camera, whereas, Camden isn't the best poser (as you'll see from the pics in this post).  Anyway, he's growing so quickly and I just want to take a minute to Celebrate Camden!!

Camden hit a major milestone last week.  .  .We made it 7 days waking up dry!!  The 7 day mark was my goal--once he hit that, he was ready to go on without pull ups at night, AND he got a prize.  We've been marking the days for several months--and we finally got 7 days in a row last week!!  It happened Wednesday, which also happened to be the day he missed school b/c he was wheezing and coughing and just needed to rest.  So, we headed to the doctor and then we went to Wal-Mart for his prize.  As many of you know, he has a major obsession with cameras (read all about it here), so his choice for a prize was a camera--not a pretend one, a real one!!  So off we went, I'd already checked one out and he was thrilled that I finally agreed to it!  It's by no means something I would want to capture lots of my memories on, but it's digital, you can hook it up to a computer to download, and it takes videos.  The only drawback is that it only holds 30 images (even though it's stated clearly on the package that it holds 120) and with my avid photographer those 30 images fill up FAST!!

Camden also wrapped up another year of Journey class (his Wednesday night program at church), and his final year in pre-school (I don't think pre-K counts as preschool.  .  .)  Last Wednesday was his Awards night at Journey and the Explorers got up and sang their Journey song and recited their Journey Bible Verse--but before that we were able to see a lovely performance from his 3 year old handbell choir.  .  .I would love to post video, but for some reason the video I took isn't working.  Once I figure it out, I will post it for you!  It's great!!  I know he was sad to leave his pre-school as well, he has had the best teachers at Snellville UMC!  Monday we will be wrapping up t-ball and then the summer begins!!  We are very excited to get in some pool time and to visit grandparents and great grandparents very soon!

So besides the milestones--there are lots of things that you should know about Camden:

--He is starting to LOVE grilled chicken--he couldn't get enough of it tonight at dinner

--His shyness seems to be wavering a bit--I've been noticing that when we go places and he sees people he knows he runs toward them ready to give them a high5 or a big hug!!

--He's still not really "athletic" but he does enjoy playing sports--so far I think his favorite has been basketball, but we will try soccer out in the fall!

--This year, he learned to write & spell his name, and he can tell you his phone # (or he could yesterday ;)

--He and I joined the summer reading program at the library and we are going to set a goal to read 10 new books and learn 10 new words (1 from each book)

--He loves to share, but sometimes wants to give his toys away rather than just let his friends play with them

--He's grown 3" since September

--His laugh & smile are AWESOME

--He is the best big brother ever!!  

Camden, we love you buddy!  It's hard to believe it's been 4.5 years since you so abruptly entered this world!!  I can't imagine life without you in it!!

The Mama Bear in Me. . .

Okay--so here's the situation.  .  .
We have a great street with lots of kids--Camden is the youngest and the ones that are around his age are, of course, girls.  The kids have all played together over the past year or so, and they go through their normal ups and downs as all kids do.  It's hard for me to keep my mouth shut most of the time, but I do--for Camden's sake, he needs to learn to work out some of the typical social issues out on his own.  I do get tired of hearing him get pushed around and bossed around, and I get tired of hearing them tell him they aren't his friend b/c I won't give gum out to the whole neighborhood-but again-he has to work this out.  They are kids, they don't mean it, but it still hurts my heart a little when people are being ugly.  Jason did tell me the other night that he really heard him standing up for himself to one of the kids and he was proud of him.

BUT TONIGHT.  .  .I don't know if it was the discussion of bullies that I had with a girlfriend, or if it's just that I don't want my kid to get pushed around or treated badly (let's face it, do any of us? ) but I had a MAJOR Mama Bear moment.  .  .
So we got home from t-ball and it was late--well, late for the kids, it was almost 8--and the little girl that Camden had been playing with earlier came scooting down--I hear her say to Camden "We've had such a good time without you here.  .  ."  I think to myself--I'm going to let that go, surely I couldn't have heard her correctly.  .  .So, I get out start unloading the boys and such, and I hear again "We've been having such a great time without you.  .  ." That does it, because at this point I realize Camden doesn't know that what she is saying isn't nice--he's too sweet to understand that sometimes people do and say things just TO BE HATEFUL.  .  .
I whipped around and said (very calmly and even toned, yet VERY stern):
"What did you say?"
---silence, silence
"What did you say?"
-- um um I was just filling Camden in on what we were doing while he was gone
"Did you tell him you 'had so much fun without him'?"
--yes
"and how would you feel if he said that to you" (still holding eye contact here--I even made it a point to take my sunglasses off so she could see my eyes)
--(eyes down) bad
"I am not going to have you coming down here and talking ugly to my little boy.  I like you and you are a very sweet girl and a special friend to Camden, but if I hear you talking like that to him again you aren't going to be allowed to play with him--do you understand me?"
--yes ma'am

she retreated VERY quickly, and I did start feeling a little bad about it--but y'all, I'm not going to have people talking ugly to my little boy.  He is such a sweet and sensitive soul, and I'll be danged if I'm going to let someone treat him like that.  She knew what she was saying to him, she was trying to be ugly.  .  .I think that's what chapped me so bad.  As I rehashed this to Jason he agreed that I did the right thing, I was proud that I stayed calm (that's a tough one for me), and I KNOW without a doubt that if I heard Camden talking to someone like that I would've done the same thing to him.

Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you...




Have I mentioned that Evan is CLIMBING?????  EEK!

She's Crafty

...she gets around, she's crafty, she's.  .  .OOPS--wrong song!

Okay--so I'm generally not one to toot my own horn, and I'm really not tooting just MY horn this time--BUT--another mom and I did a little project for Camden's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week--and I'm kind of proud of it.  Now, to those of you out there who are going to say: "Gift cards, we teachers want gift cards!!"  Trust me, I'm hearing you!  It was up to each room mom to decide how to approach Teacher Appreciation, I chose to do a different little something each day, ending the week with the "Class gift" (which is also the end of the year gift, since the end of the year is next week).  SO here's the week in a nutshell (well, really it's in a list, but you know what I'm saying):

MONDAY: shower them with flowers
TUESDAY: handmade card-let your child write their name or a note (they've been learning all of this in class this year)
WEDNESDAY: we are responsible for one part of a meal for ALL teachers AND they are presented with my craftiness.  .  .just wait, just wait
THURSDAY: sweet treats for our sweet teachers
FRIDAY: class gift

Okay, so I'm really not crafty, most things that I do end up looking like I'm really not crafty.  .  .BUT I wanted to do something from the class, since it seemed like ALL of the other room moms were doing crafty stuff.  So I chose to do Teacher Handbooks--the idea is to get each child's handprint (or trace each child's hand) and on each hand write why their teacher is special to them.  .  .Have you ever tried to trace a 4 year old's hand?  Have you ever tried to write inside of a cut-out of a 4 year old's hand?  There's really not much room.  So another mom (thank goodness for Cheryl b/c I would've been tying string around paper cut outs of 4 year old hands without her) and I decided we were going to try to make little books for the teachers and just paste the handprint on each page--Y'ALL--they turned out sooooooo cute!!  We are so proud of them!!  I am so proud of our efforts! :)  Don't you love when a little project comes together??!!!

What?  You aren't as impressed as I am??  That's cool--I'm a total amateur.  .  .I'm impressed enough for all of us! :)

Do the hills really matter???

Oh yea, the hills REALLY matter!!  So, Evan has been in swim lessons for the past few weeks and before his lesson I go to the park where the pool is (also the park where Adam and I played ball and worked the concession stand) and I do a jog.  I set a goal on the 2nd lesson that I was going to jog the whole trail (it's only 1.5 miles) before it was all over--honestly by the next lesson I had met my goal.  Now, I didn't go fast--it took me about 18 minutes to finish--but that is huge for me!!  I've not been able to go longer than about 8 minutes outside--18 minutes on the treadmill in the A/C I can do-but I DESPISE the treadmill!!  So all week last week we sort of dragged, I had a lot to get done and the boys really weren't feeling well due to allergies so pretty much I worked out 1 day.  Monday came and it was pouring rain leading me to the conclusion that "you should never put off what you can do today b/c tomorrow it might be raining!"  Normally I would put Evan down for a nap and do a workout on the Wii, but since he had swim lessons at 11 we had to forgo the morning nap, which means no workout for Mommy.  So today, I was ready!  Not only was I going to jog around the neighborhood, I was going to do a Wii workout as well--I have to make up for my lack of movement last week somehow!!  I set a goal (because remember last time I set a goal I met it no sweat--well I was sort of sweaty...nevermind) my goal was walk 5, jog 20, walk 5.  .  .
I walked my first 5 and was ready to go, b/c I was bored with the walking--I picked up my pace and literally 5 minutes in thought I was going to keel over.  .  .but I kept going--now, our neighborhood is pretty hilly (the trail is too, but I work it so the big hills are in the beginning and easier to push through), and there's not much shade, and I had the dog.  So, I made it about 12 minutes and me and the dog both were ready to keel over.  .  .
MORAL OF THE STORY--the hills matter, who knows, maybe I got a better workout than I do on the other trail (which again, is not completely flat, but it's also very shady and I never have Penny)--but how sad that not only did I not meet my goal, I didn't even make it as long as I normally do.  .  .

Oh well.  .  .

The Helmet Wars

So, did you know there is a law that children under the age of 16 have to wear a helmet when riding a bike?? Yea, there is.  .  .So when we bought Camden a bike for his birthday, we bought him a helmet to go with it.  At first, he wore the helmet when riding the bike.  .  .then all of a sudden, he never rode the bike anymore.  It was strange, I would see him ride all of his old toys, the tricycle, the big wheel, the scooter with 3 wheels-but never the bike.  So one day I asked him: "Buddy, why don't you ride your bike anymore?"  His response: "I like to ride the other stuff because I don't need a helmet for them."

I didn't like this answer, I still pushed the bike every time we went outside, no interest at all if he had to wear the helmet.  So here is the main problem--the kids on our street, they don't wear helmets--I don't even think they have helmets.  So one night, Camden asked if he could ride his bike to Lauren's (right down the street, a very FLAT street) without his helmet--I looked at Jason and we both said: "okay, but just this one time!"  Let me tell ya, we had to PULL him off the bike, we really did.  I was so thrilled to see him on the bike the next day I let him ride it without the helmet--but just down the street, the really FLAT street.  I know, I know it's bad--but I didn't wear a helmet, Jason didn't wear a helmet.  .  .so is it really that big of a deal??????  Well, once we looked it up and found out it was a LAW.  .  .anyway, I've been pushing the helmet with not much luck.  I even pointed out one day that the police would arrest ME and take me to jail if he didn't wear his helmet.  .   .to which he replied after a moment of silence: "It's okay, you wouldn't be gone too long!!"  So tonight we went on a walk after dinner, and he wanted to ride his bike--off we went--we passed the STOP sign at the end of our street and he sort of stopped and looked at me and said: "I'm not wearing my helmet" I said: "well, it's okay this time (I really didn't want to turn around), but form now on we need to be sure to put one on"--well, apparently someone has been listening to all of my police talk (I actually try this scare tactic quite a bit) because he stopped and said "No Mommy!  I don't want to get arrested, we HAVE TO GO GET MY HELMET!  I CAN'T GET ARRESTED!"

TA-DA: and the helmet is on!!!  I have no false notions that he will be wearing it on a daily basis, but it seems that once he passes that STOP sign he feels a need to put it on!

In other news--I won a contest a month or so ago!  Can you believe it?  I won a gift certificate from an awesome photographer!!  Check out her blog.  

The school year is swiftly coming to an end--only 3 more weeks--then Camden will be Pre-K bound!!  I can't believe it!! 

The boys have been a little under the weather the past month--dang allergies--we had them on dual breathing treatments last week: 

We are gearing up for a week without Daddy, this is the longest stretch we've gone since he's been home, I have to say when he left I got a sick feeling in my stomach and even cried a little.  The first night went fine, I made breakfast for dinner and Camden actually ate my pancakes with no complaining!  He even told me they were "So Good!"  Evan did well with his breakfast too, he eats a little more than Camden so he did well with his eggs and grits--even used a fork and a spoon!!  He so wants to be a big boy and that is really breaking my heart a bit :(--they grow up so fast!!!  

Y'all have a great week!!!  

Breckenridge 2010

I know--this post is about a month past due!!  Sorry for those of you anticipating ;)

So off we went to Breckenridge-I have to say, I was mainly concerned about the travel (initially)--we are talking about a 4 hour flight plus about an hour and a half drive to Breckenridge from the airport!  I knew Camden would be good--he would be restless, but good.  Evan on the other hand, well Evan I knew would be restless and EVERYONE would know!!  He's not a child that likes to be sitting in a lap or confined to a small area for hours on end, by the way, if you know one I'd like to meet said child because I'm pretty sure they don't exist!  Anyway, we get to the airport grab lunch to take on the plane, change a poopy diaper and board--shew I'm already exhausted and we've lost a shoe.  .  .
We did have one passenger request to move, he claimed he was too big for the seat they put him in, but when he boarded and saw us his eyes bulged a bit and he said he "remembered traveling with his 2 when they were "their" ages. . ."  the plane takes off and other than a few cries of protest from Evan everything went off without a hitch!!!  In fact, when we were unloading I heard people say: "wow, I didn't even know those kids were on the plane"  My heart swelled!! I was so proud of my boys, they made it with no problems and people thought they were good AND cute! :)  woo hoo!!

Okay--so now to the good stuff!!  Camden was signed up for 3 days of ski school (which, by the way, is longer than his actual school day 9-3:30), and I was signed up for 1 day.  I have to say, I'm no skier--to say it scares me is an understatement--but I really really wanted to not be scared so I went to ski school and gave it my all!  I've been skiing once before in NC and the ski school in Breckenridge blew it away!  My instructor was great, it was an all day thing, and truly everyone there was a beginner!  I would recommend it to anyone who is nervous about skiing.  I have to say I really didn't embrace the skiing like I thought i would, but I did leave knowing that the next time I wouldn't be as scared.  I only fell once, and of course I was getting off the ski lift and they had to stop it.  .  .GREAT, but you know--I'm not the only one that happened to b/c they stop that ski lift A LOT!
Camden also did really well in his ski school, although he would definitely have to go through it again if we went back!  He seemed to enjoy it, and he walked around like a CHAMP in those ski boots.  Wednesday, our third day of skiing, was intended to be an "off day"--but Camden was ready to hit the slopes so he and Daddy, Papa, and Grandma all went out.  I figured they would make it down once and be back, but I think they went up 3 or 4 times!  I was so proud of Camden!!

Camden talking to his new friend in ski school
 

Camden riding the "magic carpet"

Learning to wedge

So the other thing we wanted to do on our off day was go tubing--but that was a little complicated with Evan and also a little pricey for my taste!!  So we talked to our concierge and she handed us some sleds and directed us to the sledding hill at a local park (maybe 2 blocks from us)--"oh what fun it is to ride.  .  ."

We had so much fun with this, and even though it wore us out walking up that hill (usually with one of us carrying a child) it was so much fun!!

Our last day Camden wanted to go skiing with Mommy.  .  .this was it, my big moment.  I couldn't be scared, I had to be brave and show him how it's done.  .  .his experience wasn't so great with me, although it wasn't because of me!  It was the most relaxed I'd been with it the whole time!!  Personally, I think he was just worn out.  It had been a long week, and he came home from ski school with more energy than I think is possible for a little boy who's been walking around in ski boots all day!!  So Daddy took him home and Grandma, and a little later Papa, hit the slopes for a couple of hours!  I'm so glad that Camden asked me to go that day because if he hadn't I probably would've sat out and then I wouldn't have realized that maybe skiing isn't as scary as I thought it was!!

All in all we had such a wonderful trip!!  Breckenridge is such a beautiful place!!  I would've loved a little more time to explore it all!!  The place we stayed was very nice, it was called Main Street Station.  We were in walking distance from most of the restaurants and shopping.  In fact, other than sledding and a grocery run, I don't think we drove at all!  Thank you so much Grandma & Papa for taking us!!

Grandma & Evan taking a walk in the snow!

Evan all bundled up and ready to explore with Mommy!

**Please note: sorry for the poor quality of these pics!!  I pulled them off of Facebook b/c Jason never syncs up our iPhoto!  If I get some better ones I'll post!!

And Away we GOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Well, we are off to Breckenridge for some skiing!  I can't believe we are taking this on, but everyone seems to think it will be a great time!!  I know once I get there I will relax and enjoy--but do you KNOW how much you have to pack for 2 kids and 2 adults? :)

Catch you on the flip side!!

I'm having a bad day. . .

don't you just hate those?  especially when the day previous was so delightful??  ugh
woke up with a killer sinus headache--figures (however, we slept until 8--the whole house, even Jason; this is me trying to focus on the positive), I had the windows open all day, and we were outside all afternoon yesterday.  I got camden off to school and decided I was not going to workout yet.  .  .it was too cold to walk (my original plan) so I plopped--I don't feel well, remember??  I started feeling a little better and planned to workout, but Jason called and forgot his computer at home--so I took it to him.  This didn't make my day bad, it just messed with my schedule--but I'm a domestic engineer, I can be flexible and make it work!!!  I knew that probably I wouldn't be working out so I went ahead and stopped for milk and then picked Camden up from school--so far so good.  .  .while I was there I also bought some of those black elastic hair band thingies for my hair--they don't work, they just pop off. .  .DANG IT!!!!!@!!
We get home and Evan and I haven't eaten, I tell Camden that I'm going to make us some lunch and then they can play--guess what: Camden is hungry too--this is weird b/c he's NEVER hungry. .  .(hahaha)--so I split up last night's homemade pizza between the 3 of us, divvy up the strawberries and give myself a salad.  Evan is a bit of a whiner, and learning some words would be good so he can stop pointing at things that I don't see and crying b/c he wants them.  .  .Camden tries to be helpful, but sometimes he perpetuates the situation.  PLUS, he often ignores when I'm telling him not to do something and does it anyway.  Sometimes I can deal--but today, not so much--I'm having a bad one.  ANYWAY, the boys go upstairs to play and of course about 5 minutes in Camden decides he's done.  I ask him to give me 15 minutes to get my clothes put away (a task that is VERY difficult when Evan is downstairs b/c he is into EVERYTHING) and then I'll let them come down.  I get done, let him know, but he has decided playing is fun and he wants to do it a little longer.  I do my routine 5 minute check and Camden has dumped every bin out into the FLOOR and the bins are stacked nicely up on his train table.  He tells me this is because his friend Lauren doesn't like to have to go back and forth to get things out. .  .LAUREN IS NOT HERE!!  ugh.  It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't a fight (a blood pressure raising, mommy yelling fight) EVERY TIME it was time to clean up.  .  .but it is, and I'm just not up for it.  I very calmly let him know that he was to pick every toy up and put them back in the bins--he would do nothing until that was done, and this was the only time I would tell him.  .  .

I wonder if it will work???

I guess it's good to have bad days sometimes, because otherwise how would I know when I'm having a good one??  :)