Oops, Where Did 7 Months Go?

I confess. I let my blog and all the interesting connections to it go by the wayside. In the blink of an eye seven months slipped by. Lives went on. Families grew. How thankful I am to be caught up now though. Congratulations to the two "H" families. God has multiplied your blessings in beautiful ways. So happy and excited for you both!

Here is what life has presented to us these last number of months:

1. Chris and I completed a nine week Foster/Adopt course. We are one step away from being licensed but have decided to take another route. After much prayer and discussion, we felt that Cameron was just too young. How do you explain to a two year old why the child he has become attached to for the past few months or year is suddenly leaving? No, we wanted more stability for him at this stage in his life. So we stepped out in faith and are adopting again. Our profile is complete and being sent out. We have finished two of three Home Study visits. In a short time we will be eligible for the most exciting part of the whole process.... meeting the new addition to our family. Even now we pray for our next child's Birth Mom. There is and forever will be a life long connection there because of a precious little child.



2. We celebrated Cam Day (our second anniversary since bringing our son home) by introducing Cameron to the overstimulating world of Chuck E Cheese. Neither Chris or I had been to this restaurant in years. We both remembered that it was once called Showbiz Pizza. There were a lot more animatrontic characters then and the pizza was tastier. Then again, we were kids then too and probably thought the world revolved around such a cool, kid-centric eatery. The look of awe on Cameron's face when we entered the front doors should have been caught on film. He was instantly mesmorized by all the twinkle lights, bells, whistles, and activity. I was overstimulated, so I can only imagine how he was trying to process it all. In the end, he had the most fun climbing up and down the slide in the toddler area. Chris played the games. We picked out the prizes. As for Cameron... a memory was etched into his mind and the name Chuck E Cheese has been spoken by him more than once since this date.



3. After living in Virginia for eight years, we finally went to the local amusement park. Can't believe it took us this long. Then again, maybe I can. The credit, however, goes to good friends of ours who asked us to join them. One Sunday in June we all played hookie from church and spent the entire day in the heat and frivolity of roller coasters and overpriced food stands. It was worth it to spend time with friends AND to see Cameron fall in love with kiddie rides. At first he cried because we strapped him in, then he cried because the ride was over. Thankfully there weren't any lines, allowing him to go right back through the gate and into the fun. For the record... I, a roller coaster aficionado, will never ride The Intimidator again. The perk of the ride is that it makes you "almost" pass out. Seriously... Not... Normal!!!



4. Cameron is potty trained. After six weeks lil man is officially diaper free day and night. He loves being "just like Daddy." This is a statement we hear often in regards to the clothing he wears, the dishes he uses at the table, the lunch box he carries around, and in regards to how much he has grown. I am amazed at how long and lean his legs have become. As for the potty training, I am thankful for its success. The first week was a trial for us both as neither of us had any clue what to do or how to do it. By noon the first day I was ready to quit but Cameron was undeterred. As we are with most things he does, Chris and I are incredibly proud!



5. End of June/start of July we took a long family vacation to, well, visit family. In two and one half weeks, we traveled to South Carolina, Oklahoma and home again. Despite all the fun we had it was good to be home. The ants noticed our absence though and moved in. There is something very unnerving about these large black ants. They display a sort of intelligence that creeps me out. At any rate, we called in the Pest Control folks and they restored balance to our world... people indoors and bugs out.



6. Cameron and I leave for Colorado in less than a week. This too will be a nice long visit. Now that we have to purchase Cameron's seat on the plane, we have to make the most of our get-aways. I don't have a clue what we will do once baby number two comes along. In a couple of years we'll have to ditch the flight and be like the Griswolds... in that we'll be traveling by car instead. Hopefully our trips, unlike theirs, will not be grossly dysfunctional with pitfalls or police. As for this current trip, Chris has to stay home and build up more vacation time. He isn't looking forward to our absence and I can't say I would either were our situations reversed. Still, I owe him a father/son visit away... one of these days he will cash in on that promise. Until then, though, I will teach him how to use Skype so that we can all stay in visual touch even if separated by miles.



7. My twenty year High School Reunion is in one week. Twenty years? How did that happen? Chris and I are only a year or two away from 40. We used to think that was old but now with it upon us... we still look and feel pretty young. Or so we think. Okay, so bones pop and creek more than they used to but still. I haven't decided yet if I am going to the reunion. I'm not the social butterfly that Chris is and since he won't be there to chat up my old classmates, I'm a little hesitant to go it alone. The only folks I really want to see can't be there. Everyone is spread out and either unable to attend or uninterested in the event itself. A part of me would like to brave it, even for half an hour. The other and somewhat larger part of me says forget it. I'll let you know later which side gets its way.

Chris will be glad that I made a new entry in my blog. I feel better having put myself out there even if for no other reason than to say I did it. I am thankful for my family and we are feeling pretty blessed right now. Tomorrow is the great unknown and I am curious what it will bring. Summer will too soon come to an end, winter will too soon rob me of seasonal colors. But if that is all I can come up with to complain about, then life is very good. Thank you Lord for that!!!!

Another New Year

Well, here were are... 2011. Chris has been on my case to write another entry for my blog and, truthfully, I've tried. I've had a blog block. Can't say that it is gone but I am feeling a familiar twitchyness in my fingers, a feeling that usually leads to half an hour of typing out random thoughts I didn't even know I had. So here it is. My first entry of the New Year. Get ready to be inspired.... or not.

Cameron will be two years old next month. Yikes! How did that happen so fast? With that celebration also comes the dreaded "terrible two" syndrome that our culture talks of in hushed yet knowing tones. But wait, if his birthday isn't until next month then where is the current rash of attitude-lased behavior coming from? Oh yeah.... it's pre-terrible two-itis. The actual date doesn't have to arrive in order for the whines, tantrums, and out right defiance to kick in. No, they are definitely in full swing already. Lucky us!

There have been hints of the 'tude' for the last couple of months. It was this past week however that brought the full on change. It all started when Chris caught a cold. No, you don't understand. Chris NEVER gets sick. This means that in order for Chris' rock hard immune system to be compromised, a super bug has to be present. If said super bug breaks down his defences and is brought into our home then Cameron and I don't stand a chance against it. Within days of Chris becoming stuffy headed, red nosed, and generally acting pitiful, Cameron started to follow suit. When the fever kicked in, lil man wanted nothing more than to snuggle. Snuggle all morning. Snuggle all afternoon. Snuggle all night. No food. No drink. No play. No smile, talk, anything. It was as if a zombie had replaced my once active child. It was a bit disconcerting... to put it mildly. I spent each day wiping an unstoppable nose. Shielding the house from a dry, hacking cough. And at the end of the day, I had the pleasure of peeling off my mucous covered clothes in the desperate hope that the germ in question would be kind and skip me all together. Two sick males in the house is tolerable enough to handle as long as the female taking care of the sickies stays healthy. No such luck despite Clorox wipes and Lysol spray. As I sat on the couch one night I literally felt the germ take up residence in my head. It settled in and by next morning I was stuffy and gross too. Our home officially became a zone of unending ooze and spittle. Isn't that just a lovely picture to paint?

I digress though. Thankfully we are all on the mend. The point of this entry is this, upon coming out of his zombiness, Cameron' s tude began to show. Right out "No's," VERY selective hearing, meal time reluctance, juice snobbery, and one other thing that I know will be the cause of deeper crows feet around my eyes. Whining. Dear Lord, the whining. All verbal communication has gone out the window. In its place is whining, pointing, tantrum throwing, and let's see.... more whining. What happened to my son????? I knew this was coming but I had no idea it would hit now. Perhaps I've been naive. I must have an overdeveloped pride in my son's skills and aptitude. Maybe, just maybe, I thought we would cruise through the dreaded two's with little to no battle scars. Please God, if this is only the beginning.... bless me with patience. And promise me Dear Father in Heaven that my son will come through this to be well mannered and still loving his Mama.

Of course I joke... a bit. What is happening is natural, or so I have been told. All my years in the classroom only taught me how to create a controlled environment. The world, however, is HUGE and provides ample opportunity for embarrassing outbursts and multiple discipline opportunities. Will I succeed? Will Chris prevail? I hope the answer is a resounding "yes." As the New Year gets on its way so do all sorts of new trials, adventures, and life moments. I'm a little nervous. I cringe in the same way I used to cringe when it was time to clean up dog doo in the backyard or when I have to plunge a recently used but now plugged toilet. The situation isn't fun but in the end the experience as gotten you through the poo and life is better, cleaner, fresher. Odd example perhaps but strangely inspiring at the same time. Get through the inevitable crappy moments and the end result will be well worth the work.

I love my family. I'm glad I get the privilege of facing a new year with them. Colds, whining, and who knows what else aside.... I am so thankful to live this particular adventure. I'm living my dream. Gotta go for now.... time to change a diaper, clean the kitchen, start some dinner, change the paper in the bird cage, so on and so forth. Until next time.

God Bless!