What's New with the Foster's

Swimming Like a Fish

2011-07-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share some videos from Camden's swim lessons. He started on Monday morning being pried off of me and I left him in the arms of the swim instructor (screaming for his mommy and refusing to go in the water); but he ended the class (eight, 45 minutes sessions) by jumping off the diving board!

The Helicopter People

Swim School Show Off Day - Helicopter People from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Kick One, Kick Two, Kick Three

Swim School Show Off Day - Kick 1, Kick 2... from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Jumping Off the Side

Swim School Show Off Day - Jump from the Side from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Watching "TV" in the Clouds

Swim School Show Off Day - "Watching TV" in the Clouds from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

The Grand Finale (and what to do if you fall in)

Swim School Show Off Day - The Grand Finale from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Bye Bye Baby

2011-04-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

We have arrived at the end of the first year...and I don't know whether my reaction is "whew, glad that's over and that we survived it" or "wait? what? I missed it and can I get a do-over?".

I honestly don't know where the time went. Those first few nights home from the hospital when Alison was up all night, crying for apparently no reason at all and then Camden needed my complete attention all day (yeah, forget the "sleep when the baby sleeps" thing if there's a toddler on the loose) I didn't think I was cut out for two kids. I kept repeating to myself, "God never gives you more than you can handle with His help" - but the truth is, I thought perhaps He'd forgotten to keep up His end of the deal with the help!

Slowly, but surely, we got on the routine I so desperately needed and things started to turn around. I thought perhaps I might actually like this new little being that I had once thought was sent to earth to render me exhausted and frustrated for the rest of my life.

Then all of a sudden I turn around and you're babbling, crawling 45 mph, "walking around" holding on to things, signing up a storm (especially "more" when we're eating dessert), giving your brother a run for his money when he wants to wrestle with you, keeping Millie on her toes (and above the 85 lb mark on the scale) laughing, playing, and sleeping like a champ.

My baby is a baby no more.

I firmly believe God gives us children to teach us - how to be better people and more about our relationship with Him. If I've learned anything from you this year, my sweet, precious little girl, it's that I need to slow down and focus on what's important. No longer will I take the "seasons" for granted and get so caught up in the busyness of life that I miss the life He's longing to give me...and the one He's given me with my children.

Thank you, my little angel, for all you have already taught your mommy. I am so looking forward to all the lessons of life we will learn together. Thank you, God, for allowing me such wonderful children and such a wonderful husband, to take the journey with. Ali-girl: I hope this birthday is only the beginning of another fantastic year ahead! I love you babycakes!!!

First Wish

2011-03-27T22:31:00.006-05:00

As I try to figure out how to put into words all of the thoughts I have about how much my life has changed since Camden was born three years ago, words just fail me. Camden Matthew entered this world and our lives haven't been the same.
I will confess to you, I am just not a "baby" person. Everyone told me, "Oh, that'll change when it's your own kids you're talking about" but honestly, it didn't. Sometimes I feel guilty about it - that perhaps I didn't enjoy all of those infant days because I was longing for the next stage to get here. Even now I watch videos of Camden, and even Alison, from when they were born and I just don't remember them being that small. Maybe it's the fact that you're so caught up in "survival" that it is hard to stop and smell the roses...or perhaps it's that you can't smell the roses for all of the dirty diapers!
But, what I am, is a "toddler" person. I love the stage that Camden is in right now - I love the black and white, logical, common sense he uses in every situation. I love that everything is literal and everything is linear. I love watching him learn - seeing him master new skills, make his own decisions (yes, even if they are different from what I would have decided) and marveling at how he's becoming his own little person - not just a baby that pretty much just eats, sleeps and poops all day (no offense Alison!).
Case in point:
At our house we have a red plastic bucket full of stickers, silly putty, etc. that I use to encourage (okay, bribe) Camden to stay quiet when I am on the phone. It's a simple equation: Mommy's on the phone + you stay quiet for the entire phone call = you get to choose a prize from the bucket. Last week I received a phone call that lasted all of 12 seconds (a wrong number) but still long enough for Camden to remind me that he gets a prize from the red bucket if he's quiet while I'm on the phone. As I attempted to explain to him that this situation didn't warrant a prize, he continued to remind me "that's how it works". Finally, my exasperated response was, "Camden, I just can't get you a prize right now." His reply to that, "Well mommy, if you can't do something you should pray and ask Jesus to help you because my Bible verse says 'I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.(Fa-wip-e-uns 4:13)' I was completely speechless. Not only at the fact that he could apply a verse we'd learned together to a specific situation, but that he was using scripture to "correct" me! :o)
And yes, after praying together, I gave him the stickers.
Camden keeps us on our toes, keeps us laughing, keeps us guessing, and keeps us learning how to love on a level we never understood until he arrived in our lives three years ago. Yes, there are challenges (c'mon, he's a toddler) and there are days that I spend almost his entire nap time researching how to get my license to teach here b/c I don't think I can take another full day at home with him. But more days than not, it's a job that I love and I am grateful to God for assigning him to me. I pray that he will always enjoy learning new things, that he will always make his own decisions, and that he will continue to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I pray that I will have a child that will always think to share scripture with me when I am "struggling" with an issue. I pray that I can be the mom that God has called me to be and that He will strengthen me and intercede for me when I fail (because I do so on a daily basis). I pray that Ryan and I would together show him what true love looks like - not only the love we have for each other, but the love our Heavenly Father has for us as well.

Happy Birthday little man! You are my "first wish!"

You Are My I Love You

Author: Maryann K Cusimano

I am your parent you are my child

I am your quiet place, you are my wild

I am your calm face, you are my giggle

I am your wait, you are my wiggle

I am your audience, you are my clown

I am your London Bridge, you are my falling down

I am your Carrot Sticks, you are my licorice

I am your dandelion, you are my first wish

I am your water wings, you are my deep

I am your open arms, you are my running leap

I am your way home, you are my new path

I am your dry towel, you are my wet bath

I am your dinner you are my chocolate cake

I am your bedtime, you are my wide awake

I am your finish line, you are my race

I am your praying hands, you are my saving grace

I am your favorite book, you are my new lines

I am your nightlight, you are my sunshine

I am your lullaby, you are my peek-a-boo

I am your kiss goodnight, you are my I love you.

Eureka!

2011-01-28T15:14:00.000-06:00

For those of you that know me well (okay, you don't have to know me that well to know this) you know I am a planner. I love to have things mapped out...whether its a route to a destination or a time line for preparing for something...I have to have a plan. I like for others whose plans affect my plans to make me aware of their plans so that I can plan accordingly. I am also that person that freaks out when plans change and I don't know about it early enough to plan an alternate plan. Blame it on the first-born, type A, anal retentive personality...but I am what I am.

However, I had a realization today. Let me back up and give you some insight on to how this realization occurred. Here's a typical, pretty much daily conversation between Camden and myself:

Me: Good morning, sunshine Camden!
C: Good morning, sunshine Mommy! What are we going to do first today?

Me: We're going to eat breakfast.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to get dressed for our day.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to (insert activity) - paint, play fire trucks, run errands, go to school, etc.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to (insert another activity)
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to have lunch.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to watch a show, then you're going to take a nap.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: We're going to (insert another activity)
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: I am going to strap you in a chair and force you to not speak for 2 hours.
C: What are we going to do after that?

Me: Why do you always have to know what is going on?

This is where my "ah ha moment" occurs. It's because you are my son and you are becoming just like me. And...I have to do something about this before it gets out of control!

I mean really? Is this what I sound like? Not that I think I can (or want to) do much about it - after 34 years of being like this...it doesn't look hopeful for things to change. But hopefully I have realized it early enough to steer Camden clear of the hyper-planning path he was headed down.

So now, when I get the dreaded, "What are we going to do after that" question, my answer to him is, "I don't know, we'll have to wait and see..." Although, if he's asking about anything in the next 48-72 hours, trust me, I have it all planned out.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #24

2010-12-24T22:38:00.000-06:00

Today was my kind of day. For those of you familiar with the five love languages...my primary language is "quality time" and I'm fairly certain that if I had to choose a second language, it would also be "quality time". :o)

This morning we literally did nothing. We drank coffee (Camden included...he prefers it black but I was sharing mine so he had to deal with a little half and half in it), we played games, we watched it rain, we prepped a baked strawberry french toast dish to have tomorrow morning for breakfast...but mostly we just enjoyed being together without a "to do" list in sight. Yes, we still ran a load of laundry and lugged out the suitcases to pack for our trip to NC tomorrow, but mostly we just enjoyed being in our jammies all (as Camden put it) nice and comfy and laughed the morning away.

This morning was not without it's "toddler moments" but it also held the moment when Camden just snuggled up next to me on the sofa and out of the blue said, "mom, you're the best mom". It's moments like these when I am reminded that all of the dinner prepping, potty training, laundry folding, discipline giving, manners teaching, etc, etc, is totally worth it. Being a parent is the most physically, mentally, and emotionally draining thing I have ever done in my life...but it's also the most rewarding thing as well. I have more than an occasional moment when I love my kids but I don't like them very much...but today was not one of those days (well, except during the Christmas Eve service when Camden must have thought I was a jungle gym because he climbed all over me the entire service!).

Tonight after the Christmas Eve service we had a birthday party for Jesus. We've been talking for weeks about how Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birthday and a couple of days ago Camden asked what kind of cake we were having. I'd never really thought about having an actual party, but it seemed like a great idea so we went with it.

We had a yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting (my favorite) but, according to Camden, it wasn't really a birthday cake without sprinkles so we had those too. After singing happy birthday to Jesus, Camden blew out the candle and we each enjoyed a slice (okay, two slices) of cake. (Camden even made sure that Jesus was part of the action...see his Little People Nativity Jesus hanging out next to the cake?) :o)

I then read the Christmas story from Camden's toddler Bible and we talked specifically about the significance of the gifts that the wise men brought - you should hear Camden pronounce frankincense! We are really trying to make it a point to explain that the gifts we open are to celebrate Jesus' birthday - that He loves us so much that He wants us to have the gifts instead of Him and that we can be reminded of His love toward us every time we look at the gift we received.

Back in 2001 when Ryan and I celebrated our first "married" Christmas we started the tradition of giving each other an ornament every year. We expanded that tradition to Camden in 2008 and to Alison this year. So tonight at Jesus' birthday party, we each opened our ornament for this year.

We really enjoyed having a party and I'm thinking this may become a tradition in our house. We're busy now packing the last few items in our suitcases during commercial breaks of our favorite Christmas movies. We hope that each one of you has a very Merry Christmas and we pray God's blessings on you in the year ahead!!!

25 Days of Christmas - Day #23

2010-12-23T20:38:00.000-06:00

Today we finished up a last few tasks before Ryan has the day off tomorrow and we spend the whole day in our jammies just enjoying being together.

This morning we completed our task of choosing some toys to give to other boys and girls that don't have any or many toys. At first Camden seemed to finally grasp the concept, but after his first two choices of things to give away were Alison's toys, we had to back up and talk about it a little more. He finally caught on and we ended up with a brown paper grocery sack packed full of toys to give away.

Later in the day we delivered some homemade goodies to our neighbors and a few of our friends. We then enjoyed donning our Santa hats and walking around the neighborhood to deliver our reindeer cookies...

Tonight we picked up Ryan from work and drove over to Highland Park to look at all the Christmas Lights. Impressive...both the houses and the lights.

We're getting very excited about Christmas...and of course, the airplane ride on Saturday to see Oma, Papa, Granna, all the Aunts and Uncles and the ever growing list of cousins!

25 Days of Christmas - Day #22

2010-12-22T21:03:00.000-06:00

Today was cookie decorating day at our house! Camden had a few friends over and they each decorated an "ornament" cookie.

Let's get this party started!

Camden chose a bell for his ornament.

Such concentration!!!

Camden really liked the chocolate sprinkles.

I didn't have the heart to tell him his cookie looked like it'd been pooped on by a mouse!

We had a lot of fun and Millie enjoyed cleaning up the floor when we were done.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #21

2010-12-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

So today was a no-go on the Christmas themed activities. Between house cleaning, laundry folding, errand running and baby feeding/changing, there wasn't much time for anything else.

I did prepare for our playdate tomorrow where we'll be decorating "ornament" cookies in the shapes of bells, stockings and balls. Icing, candy bits and sprinkles galore for two 2-year olds, a 3 year old and a 4 year old...hmmm, perhaps I should have waited to mop the kitchen floor. :o)

Honestly, with it being 84 degrees outside today, it was difficult to get into the "Christmas mood" and way more fun to play in the sandbox in the backyard. We did watch "Diego Saves Christmas" today before naptime...does that count?

25 Days of Christmas - Day #20

2010-12-20T23:16:00.000-06:00

Today Camden, Alison and I worked on a few last gifts for Daddy. I can't tell you much about them here since he'll be reading this as well...but let's just say mixing cement was involved. :o)

Camden and I also spent a little time today going through some of his toys and talking about what we can give to other children that might not be getting any toys for Christmas. I say we spent a little time because we had to stop when I couldn't think of ways to answer his questions. I'm going to throw them out here so perhaps you can help me...

As we discussed that there were kids that might not get any toys for Christmas, he asked me if it was because they hadn't been good and if that was why Santa wasn't coming to see them. And, if they hadn't been good, then why did he need to share with them. I could answer the second one with relatively little stress, but the first one has kinda thrown me for a loop. We're definitely a "Jesus first, Santa second" kind of family and we try not to get caught up in the "you'd better behave, Santa's watching you" kind of stuff - b/c I want him (eventually them) to behave because it's what they should do...all year long...not just when Santa might be looking in on him. But we do celebrate the magic of Santa and we will wake up on Christmas mornings and make the mad dash to the living room to see just how much of the milk and cookies he consumed. So I am at a loss for how to answer the question about the other kids not getting a visit from Santa.

Any suggestions?

25 Days of Christmas - Day #19

2010-12-20T23:08:00.001-06:00

Today Ryan got his Christmas gift from me...tickets to the Redskins vs. Cowboys at the new stadium in Arlington.

And even though we had just toured the stadium a few days earlier, it was a completely different feeling when it was full of people. They also had the roof open for this game (it was closed during the tour) and that was kinda cool too.

The Redskins couldn't pull off a win, but it was a close, action filled game and it was nice to enjoy an afternoon without the kids. We're very grateful to our friends Jaime and Esther for keeping them for us so we could enjoy (actually watch) the game.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #18

2010-12-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

Today we went to ICE! at the Gaylord Texan. For those of you who aren't "locals", the Gaylord is a giant hotel and convention center not far from where we live. Each year they bring in 40 or so artisans from China to carve intricate sculptures in ice that usually go along with a theme. This year the theme was "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown" which is Ryan's favorite cartoon Christmas special, so of course, we had to go.

Yes...all of that is carved out of ice...the characters, the tree, the tree's decorations...all of it.

It was really cool...literally. The room is kept between 12 and 17 degrees and everything that you see in these pictures is made of ice. They do give you giant parkas to wear and it doesn't last so long that you get tired of the cold.

It would appear as though Camden is not enjoying the outing if you look at this picture. The issue is that he is enjoying it and doesn't want to stop for a picture! :o)

There were giant slides in the middle (yes, made completely of ice) and of course, I had to go down one of them. Camden went down the "kiddie" slide as well. Ryan and Alison waited for us at the bottom and took some pictures.

The coolest thing was at the end. They had a giant "crystal" nativity scene carved out and they were playing the story of the birth of Christ over the sound system. As they spoke about each person or group in the story, that person's crystal lit up with a bright light and remained on until that person "exited" the story. Kinda like the Christmas Eve candlelight story that is done at Pleasant Hill (for all my Elkin peeps!). It was really cool...and it was great to see that the nativity was not only included, but highlighted.

Camden really did enjoy it...and has continued to tell people that he went to Charlie Brown's house several times since then. Alison just rode around (strapped to Ryan in her baby carrier) and enjoyed playing peek-a-boo at everyone through her "hole" in Ryan's parka.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #17

2010-12-17T21:40:00.000-06:00

Tonight was another "Christmas Lights" night. Ryan was able to go with us this time and we decided to make an event of it.

After changing into our pjs (yes, even me and Ryan) we loaded the CD player with Christmas music and set out in search of some festive yard decor. We enjoyed a "picnic" dinner from McDonald's as we drove around and saw everything from the simplistically beautiful to the excessively obnoxious. We passed by one house that had a real Santa sitting on a sleigh in their front yard - and yes, I got my pajammed butt out of the car so that my child could tell yet another Santa that he wants a train set for Christmas...only this time he also added that the train set should have a bridge. All I know is that it's a good thing there aren't that many more days left until Santa comes...otherwise his elves might not have time to honor these specific requests. :o)

This isn't part of the 25 Days, but I would also like to share an email that Camden got from Santa earlier this week. You can watch it by clicking the link below:

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/9W1CWODLqiaDPLkRhq-PDQ

It takes about 30 seconds to load, but it's worth the wait. I only wish you could watch Camden watch the video...it's way better than watching the video itself.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #16

2010-12-16T20:39:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately I am a little under the weather this evening so tonight's blog post is short and sweet...and still no video of Camden's preschool performance. Sorry - hopefully I will feel like doing more than putting on my jammies and crawling under the covers tomorrow...

Today Ryan and I took a tour of Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington. It's a long story about why we were taking the tour on a random Thursday morning...but that's what we did. After touring the general admission seats, the private suites, Jerry Jones' private viewing box, the cheerleader's locker room and the player's locker room, we headed out to the field to stand on the star for some photo ops.

Because we aren't Cowboy's fans, we decided not to have the professional (i.e. pricey) picture made, but we did get a couple with our own camera.

Just before we headed off of the field to wrap up the tour, I surprised Ryan with his early Christmas gift - tickets to Sunday's game...yes, against the Redskins. To say he was excited would be putting it mildly...he has assured me that this is way better than the dress shirts or the bigger microSD card he'd put on his wishlist.

Now if the 'Skins can just pull out a win on Sunday, it'll be even better.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #15

2010-12-15T08:53:00.000-06:00

This morning we got a jump on our activity for day #15 of our 25 Days of Christmas. I was kind of at a loss on what to do today - I had planned for today to be our "take toys to those in need day" but we (and by we I mean Camden) woke up this morning and it quickly became apparent that he was in need of a low key day at home. Luckily my pal Kristina mentioned making these with her daughter so we jumped at the chance to stay in our jammies and eat pancakes!

Yummy! Snowman Pancakes!!!

Alison loved them too!!!

Later today we'll spend some time going through the toys and deciding what to donate...but we'll take them on Friday when hopefully we are in a much more "it's safe to take me out in public" kind of mood. :o)

25 Days of Christmas - Days #13 & 14

2010-12-14T23:16:00.001-06:00

I wondered how long I could make it before missing a post...not too shabby considering my typical "once a month" or so blogging history.

So yesterday my 25 Days of Christmas Event was actually just for me. Last night we had our MOPS Leadership Christmas party. For those of you that are unfamiliar with MOPS, it stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. I am the Coordinator of the brand new group that was started at our church this year. (You can read the post from 8/19 for more info on all of that...)

Last night we got together to share a meal, have a gift exchange and spend some time together without talking about potty training, temper tantrums (our kid's, not our own...although we do have them) and effective discipline strategies. Okay, who am I kidding, we talked about all of those things...but it is the common thread that unites us all so it just naturally happens. And I think the best part about our group - and especially the gals on the leadership team - is that we are honest with each other about our struggles and our areas where we fail. There's never really a sense of "look at what I can do" because we know it's only by God's grace that we manage to survive most days. We love each other because we aren't perfect...not because we are. Just like we love our kids and like God loves us...completely in spite of ourselves. :o)

Today's event was Camden's preschool Christmas program. Ryan, Camden, Alison and I all had breakfast together at IHOP before heading to school for the program. Ryan manned the still camera while I shot the video and Alison just sat and took it all in. Camden did a great job...not with singing, but with waving and blowing kisses to the camera...which was fine with me.

I will try to have the video posted tomorrow. I can't work on it tonight because I am taking my SIX HOUR online defensive driving course to get out of the speeding ticket I got earlier this fall (see the post from 10/17 for a refresher on how that all went down). I'm on my 10 minute break between sessions right now but time is running out and I've got to get back to it. The fun never stops around here!!!

25 Days of Christmas - Day #12

2010-12-12T22:05:00.001-06:00

Today's 25 Days of Christmas event was our church's semi-annual members meeting (aka church business meeting for all my dear Southern Baptist folk back in North Carolina). I know at first it may seem weird that I'm counting this in my 25 Days activities...what with all the budget approving, Robert's Rules of Order-ing, and votes of "yay" or "nay" - but our church doesn't do anything in typical fashion...and this is just another thing that they take to a whole different level.

First, we all sit at tables in the sanctuary - not in our typical rows - which facilitates a great deal more conversation. We sit at the tables so that we can share a giant 1/2 catered (bar-b-q beef and turkey from a local BBQ joint) and 1/2 pot-luck (sides, salads and desserts) dinner. And if there's anything that Southern Baptists get right, it's a pot luck dinner...green beans dishes of every variety, casseroles that literally have butter floating on top and more desserts than we could ever eat in one sitting. After we enjoy our dinner, the choir sings a couple of songs and then we do some congregational singing...and then it's time to get down to business.

What I love about our business meetings is that the entire time spent making reports on what's happened in the past year and approving requests for the upcoming year isn't done like it's just the "business of the church" but rather it is done with such gratefulness to God in all He's doing in the life of our church. There's never ever a sense of "look what we've accomplished" or "let's see what WE can do next year to be bigger and better" - it's never about making us bigger and better, but about exalting Christ and advancing His kingdom. When we share about missions and make requests for money in the budget to go to China, Montenegro, and domestically across the US, it's never about what we can do in these places, but about being obedient to the work God is calling us to do and being the agents through which He will do His work. When we share and make requests about local ministries like MOPS, MDO, and our Men's/Women's/Children's ministries, it's never about making our programs the best in the area, but about helping others and equipping them to be the person God has called them to be and to do the things He has called them to do.

Our church is being blessed by God in so many ways and for that reason we feel it's our responsibility to be a blessing to others - not to grow our name but the name of Jesus Christ. I am personally grateful that God led Ryan and me to this church so that we could be a part of the work that He is doing there. I am grateful for the friends that we have in this body of believers and how richly they have blessed our lives. I am thankful for the opportunities that we have been given to serve there and to be a blessing to others.

So for Day #12 of our 25 Days, we are reflecting on the love and the blessings of the Lord - not just celebrating Christmas, but celebrating Christ.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #11

2010-12-11T18:10:00.000-06:00

Today was "picture with Santa" day. We went to Vista Ridge mall in Lewisville b/c their theme is the claymation Rudolph...my favorite TV special during the holidays.

I only have a second to post as tonight is also Ryan's work Christmas party and we're busy getting ourselves ready for that and the kids ready for their night with Kristina (I loooooooove co-oping childcare!)

Here's the picture we snapped during Camden's request to Santa for a train set...

25 Days of Christmas - Day #10

2010-12-10T23:10:00.000-06:00

Tonight our community had it's annual tree lighting ceremony. Around 5:30 this evening we, and several of our friends that live nearby, met at our house and then walked over to the park where the ceremony was held. From the time we arrived until about 6:00 we enjoyed hot cocoa, cookies, popcorn and a few magic tricks. At 6 p.m. Santa arrived on a fire truck - complete with horns honking and lights flashing (honestly, I think the fire truck was Camden's favorite part). Just after Santa made his entrance we started the countdown and then the big tree in the center of the park came to life with hundreds of twinkling lights.

After the tree lighting we did a quick photo with Santa. Camden shared his space in Santa's lap with his super-best friend Amanda. Her mom and I agree that this picture will be perfect for the "photo montage" that will play during the reception at their wedding. :o)

It's a little blurry b/c we took it with our phone. Kristina had her camera...when she sends me copies I'll post some better pics...

It wasn't anything spectacular when compared to the giant Festival of Lights in Omaha or the WRAL Tower Lighting in Raleigh, but it was fun for us...and the only traffic we had to fight when leaving were the strollers that had been parked along the edge of the park. :o)

25 Days of Christmas - Day #9

2010-12-09T20:53:00.001-06:00

Today was a pretty normal day around here. Camden had school from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Alison and I had an appointment to get her 8 month pictures made. I've only seen them on my dear friend Susie's (the photographer's) camera but I can tell you, they are adorable...yes, I am biased, but you'll agree when you see them. We did several different "poses" with several different props and they look great.

After Alison and I picked Camden up from school, we made our usual stop for Happy Hour at Sonic and then we went to Central Market to pick up a few groceries. By the time that was done, we didn't have much time left in the afternoon before Daddy got home and it was time for dinner, our devotional/scripture memorization time, another reading of "Santa's Favorite Story" and then it was off to dreamland.

I did wrap a few gifts and complete a couple more steps on our homemade gifts, but other than that, it was just a regular 'ol day around here. But sometimes in this season of rush, rush, rush and go, go, go...it is nice to just enjoy an evening together doing nothing but enjoying an evening together.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #8

2010-12-08T22:04:00.000-06:00

Today was homemade gift day...or at least a start to it. We (Camden, Alison and myself) spent the entire day at home today - which is a rare thing around here. We didn't leave the house until 6:15 tonight and that was only because I had choir practice...otherwise we would have stayed in our pajamas all day long.

Since we were at home all day, I managed to do some laundry (which is a good thing...I was going to have to wear my bathing suit as underwear if I didn't get some done today) and we were able to get started on some of our handmade gifts. Camden especially loved the fruit loop sprinkle gift he'll be giving to a few of his friends. From the sorting, to the hammering to the filling of the jars, he was pretty much engaged in it all.

Sometime this week or next I'll have to find time to do the other homemade gifts. The ones that Camden didn't want to help me with today because he said they weren't as cool...I think it was because they didn't involve hammering. :o)

25 Days of Christmas - Day #7

2010-12-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

Tonight we read one of my favorite Christmas books - "Santa's Favorite Story". Last year I saved this one for Christmas Eve and had planned to do that again, but thought perhaps it might be best to read it early (and often) between now and Christmas.

It's a great book - marrying the religious and the secular aspects of the holiday nicely - making sure to downplay the secular and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. I appreciate the fact that it doesn't discount "Secular Santa" and the role he plays during Christmas. I love that it's Santa himself sharing the true reason for the festivities - explaining to the forest animals that he's not the reason for the gifts, he just gets the honor of helping others celebrate the birth of Christ.

I'm sure if it's like most other "new" books that I've read with Camden, we'll read it a hundred more times between now and Christmas...but that's fine with me. Not only is it Santa's Favorite Story...it's mine too.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #6

2010-12-06T22:08:00.001-06:00

Tonight was Christmas Light Night. Ryan was stuck working late at the hospital so after taking dinner to him and having a "picnic in Daddy's office" as Camden put it, me and the kiddos rode around for a while on our way back home and looked at some Christmas lights. Camden oooooed and ahhhhhed as we passed each house with so much as a porch light on and Alison slept through the whole thing.

Perhaps we'll do Prairie Lights (kinda like Tanglewood for my NC peeps) one evening when Ryan's home. We'll save that for another one of our 25 day events. Because if I learned anything from Christmas Vacation, you can never have too many Christmas lights...

Aunt Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?

Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #5

2010-12-05T21:23:00.001-06:00

At first I thought we hadn't really done anything to write about for our 25 days of Christmas and that if I took something we did at church and used that as my event for today I was "cheating" - but isn't what we did at church this morning what Christmas is really all about?

Camden came home with the cutest picture of a nativity scene that he'd assembled (obviously all by himself...which is his preferred method for doing anything these days) and we were able to talk about Baby Jesus and the other people in the picture.

I think at some point we may discuss why the sheep, the palm tree and one of the Wise Men are floating in the sky, but for now, we'll just be happy that Jesus is actually in the stable...and that his mommy and daddy are close by...that's the way it would have been in real life. :o)

We sang carols as part of the service this morning. Camden has been going with us to "big church" (only for the singing) for several weeks now. He'd been doing really great until this morning - today I rejoined the choir after a 3 month sabbatical to take the "Disciplines of a Godly Family" course that conflicted with choir practice. Now that I am back in the choir loft, he wants to join me there so Ryan had to make a quick exit with him just before the prayer...we'll try that again later...

So, it's not cheating...today was very much about Christmas...and I love Christmas at our church. I love the decorations in the foyer and in the sanctuary, I love the "in memory/in honor" poinsettias, I love the fact that almost every woman over the age of 50 is wearing a Christmas/Winter themed sweater (or at least it's red), I love that we can mix a sing along of good old fashioned Christmas carols with an amazing orchestral call to worship complete with our electric guitarist rockin' out on Carol of the Bells. Mostly I love that our church is passionate about exalting Christ and making His name known - not just during Christmas, but every day of the year...and that's what it's really all about.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #4

2010-12-04T21:44:00.000-06:00

Oh how I LOVE Christmas shopping. Seriously...I love the crowds, the craziness, and the exhaustion that comes from a day full of successful finds for those on my list.

Most anyone can tell you that my Love Language is quality time. I know they say you're "bilingual" - but I'm fairly certain my second love language is also quality time. I do think that if I had to choose a third, giving gifts would be next. I am not a "stuff" person and I need something else to find a place to put and then dust around like I need a hole in my head. If I am on the receiving end, my favorite gifts are things to do later...tickets to a concert, a restaurant gift certificate (and free childcare) so that I can enjoy a date night with my hubby, etc. Like I said, "quality time".

When it does come to actual physical gifts, you can ask Ryan about my only rule - Christmas (and birthdays for that matter) are for gifts that you do not need and would not otherwise purchase. Do not give a vacuum cleaner for Christmas...unless it's the Dyson pet vacuum. Do not give me a coffee maker...unless it can make me a double shot latte and clean itself when it's done. The items at the top of my list are things that reduce clutter - a Nook to rid myself of books filling up every shelf in my house, Tupperware so I can organize and store things neatly, etc...

But even then, I'd rather give gifts than get them. I love the hunt to find just that perfect thing for the person on my list and then I love to watch their reaction when they open it.

I am trying this year to instill that love of giving in Camden. Before he could make out his list of what he wants to get for Christmas, he had to tell me what he wanted to give for Christmas. We thought of things for Daddy, Alison, Oma, Papa and Granna. We talked about what he might like to give Jay, Luke and Rebecca - the ever growing list of cousins. We added on a few more ideas for a few of his very close (get together multiple times a week to play together) friends and his teachers at school/church. By the time we finished talking about it, he was pretty excited about what we'd thought of together...of course now he's probably going to tell each of these people what they're getting the next time he sees them, but still, he spent some time thinking about giving to others before he thought about all the things he "thinks he needs" for himself. He's even picking out a toy each day (or so) to give to Goodwill in time for them to find a good home with another little boy for Christmas.

But most of all, I have been trying to explain what all of this gift giving is about - that we're celebrating Jesus' birthday! I hope that he will eventually understand that Jesus is the best gift of all!!!

As for Day #4's activity - it was all about the shopping. Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. today Ryan and I got all but 3 of the gifts we need for Christmas - my family, his family, friends, teachers, and even pets. Camden and Alison didn't get to go with us - but they were having much more fun at Mrs. Georgia's house. My dear, sweet friend gave me the gift of "quality time" today by keeping the kids all day so that we could focus on our shopping, enjoy a rare lunch date together and make much better time than if we'd been schlepping two kids in and out at every stop. I am grateful that she has opened her home and her heart to be Camden's "Texas Grandma" - and he couldn't love her more if she was his actual Grandma!

So naughty or nice, the gifts are bought...now, if I can just start to love the wrapping, packing and shipping as much as I love the shopping!!!

25 Days of Christmas - Day #3

2010-12-03T17:03:00.000-06:00

Today was kinda low-key...we baked Christmas cookies this afternoon.

Tonight Ryan and I have our Sunday Bible Fellowship party and there is childcare available (at no charge I might add) at the church. It is sooooo nice to be able to leave the kids in a familiar place with teachers who will love on them and care for them while we enjoy a night out with friends...and conversations void of any phrases like, "I am going to give you until the count of three to make a good decision" or "if you do that again we will have to go to the bathroom and have a talk about it" - although I guess part of that also depends on how Ryan behaves this evening.

We decided to show a little appreciation for those that will be serving us tonight in the children's department by baking them some cookies.

Camden loves to "help" me in the kitchen - everything from mixing and pouring to washing dishes - he loves it all. Mostly he just wants to be under my feet while I'm cooking and I've decided letting him help is easier than convincing him to play in another room by himself. Usually he makes more of a mess than is really necessary for the task he's trying to accomplish - we've lost many an egg to "more shell than I want to try to dig out" when I let him crack them - but practice makes perfect and he's loving every minute of it. Hopefully this will still be the case as he grows up and does get to the point where he can do these tasks a little more independently. As for now, I'll just tie his apron on and enjoy the fact that he simply longs to be where I am - even if that is just working in the kitchen.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #2

2010-12-02T21:49:00.000-06:00

Today Camden and I shopped for the family our Sunday Bible Fellowship (a.k.a. Sunday School class for all my homies back at the PHBC!) has adopted this year. It's kinda like an angel tree, except we adopt them for the entire upcoming year - inviting them to church events and social events our SBF plans, giving gifts to the mom on Mother's Day, remember the kid's birthdays, etc... it's more about being in a relationship with them and showing them the love of Christ on a "long term" basis...rather than just "playing Santa" for a brief moment of time.

Our family has a 1 year old girl in it so we enjoyed picking out a few toys that light up and make sound...along with some necessities like socks, shoes and warm clothes...and extra batteries for said toys.

I really enjoyed watching him "figure it all out" today as we were shopping. First, he just wanted to pick out excavators and trains but as I explained to him (and it took several attempts) what it was that we were doing and that we were going to think of others before we think of ourselves, it was almost like I could see the light bulb finally go off in his head. By the time we left, I think he'd suggested every pink item in the toy section and was thoroughly enjoying deciding which sweatshirt/sweatpant sets to buy...btw, he decided on the pink ones and the teal ones because they had sparkley letters on them which made them the "mostest coolest".

I hope this is the beginning of a pattern of behavior where he continues to put others first. It's something that I still forget to do myself so I know he's not always going to get it right the first try...but at least we're making a start.

25 Days of Christmas - Day #1

2010-12-01T22:25:00.001-06:00

This year we are doing a specific Christmas activity each day during the month of December leading up to Christmas Day. Some of the things we have planned are "serious" in nature (donating toys and food to local charities), some are delicious (making and decorating Christmas cookies) and some are just downright silly...like today's.

Today I had intended for us to make a Christmas chain out of red, green and white paper with our 25 different activities listed - one on each link in the chain. To help my very visual learner countdown to Christmas, we'd just tear off one link each day and do that activity...watching the chain get shorter and shorter everyday.

So this afternoon I gathered our supplies and started cutting the paper into strips and for some odd reason, this greatly upset my child. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I've told him that scissors can hurt him and he thought I was hurting the paper or what?...but he was not happy with me for cutting it.

So, revamping today's activity, we just took the white paper, crumpled it up, and had ourselves a big indoor snowball fight. Even that took a little bit of convincing b/c he wasn't sure throwing something, especially indoors and at someone, was permissible...but I think when I popped him in the forehead with one and then laughed hysterically at his reaction, he started to understand that this was (what he calls anything fun and out of the norm) a "special privilege" he jumped right in - and I must say, that kid's got an arm!

Even Alison got in on the action...not so much with throwing, but if one of the snowballs landed within her reach she would grab it and chew on it.

Of course there's no video or pictures b/c I can't very well defend myself and snap pictures at the same time, but hopefully this will be a recurring event all winter and we'll get some documentation when Daddy's home to participate.

Meanwhile, I've got to get some paper strips cut while he's asleep or we'll never get this paper chain made!

Say a little prayer

2010-11-25T08:11:00.000-06:00

One of the "lessons" I'm currently trying to teach Camden is that we can pray to God anytime that we want. This was a fact that I was very much aware of throughout my childhood...but didn't really put into practice. I made sure to pray at dinner and before bed and here and there as the situation called for it, but it's only been in the last few years that I've really gotten to the point that I just "talk" to God whenever and wherever I feel like it.

I also try to spend a little time each day in God's word and in conversation with Him...but as the laundry piles up, the teething poops get more frequent, and the dog hair accumulates, I have learned that sometimes it's not only "easier" but "better" for me if I simply continue to converse with the One who gets me through all of that each day instead of adding another "task" to my to-do list. It may not be the "ideal quiet time" that I was taught to do in my youth group days, but honestly, some of my best conversations with God have occurred over a sink full of dirty dishes.

So as I am trying to model and prompt this behavior for Camden I try to take advantage of situations that his comments present. For example, there are times when Camden will comment on how much fun it is to play outside and I'll ask him to take a moment and thank God for our nice weather. Or he will make a statement about Daddy being at work and I'll suggest that we thank God for daddy's job and for the things that we are able to have because Daddy works so hard to provide for us.

Recently at a playdate with a friend of mine (who shares this goal of "anytime" prayer with me) and her two daughters, we heard a siren in the distance and her 4 year old suggested that we pray for the people that were in need of a firetruck or an ambulance and for the workers that would be helping them. I know, she's ridiculously adorable...and spot on with how prayer should just be a normal, regular part of our day.

Fast-forward to yesterday morning - we were getting in the car to head out for the day and we hear a siren in the distance. Camden says, "Mommy, we should pray for the firemen like yesterday." Great! He's learning the lesson of talking to God anytime we want! We're getting there!!! So I ask, "Would you like to pray or do you want me to do it?" He volunteers to say it and after a few moments of silence I hear him say, "Thank you God for our good food! Amen!"

Hmmmmm...off to a good start but we'll keep working on it. :o)

So sleepy

2010-11-21T22:32:00.000-06:00

Perhaps we should have put her in the bed instead of in her Bumbo seat. And really, I have got to do something about that hair!!!

Click here to see our little sleepy head!

Long awaited photos

2010-11-12T21:46:00.002-06:00

Here are the pics that I know many of you were wanting to see...

Here's a shot of Saturday night "bath time" - other nights of the week we approach bath time with more of a "let's get this over with" attitude...but on Saturdays there are bubbles, toys and social interaction.
Alison loves for Camden to dump water on her head!

Here are a few from the pumpkin patch. A friend of Camden's (and Alison's) had her birthday party here in October. It was great - just hard to get into the "fall" festivities when it's still 90 degrees outside!

A high-five for Tyrone!

And a fist bump for Austin

Picking out our pumpkin

Alison's "bucket pants" say it all...

Farmer Camden

This one is from a dinner out at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants.

What else would you do with a kid's meal bag?

The second weekend of October we went to NC for my 10-year Homecoming at Western Carolina University. These pics are from our drive home after returning to Dallas late Sunday evening. The kids were great on the flight...but they couldn't make it all the way home before they passed out asleep.

After pulling in the garage, Ryan brought Camden inside and laid him on the changing table. Changed him, got his pj's on and got him to bed...he never woke up.

And this is a kid that hardly ever falls asleep in the car and if he does, we pray not to hit a red light or traffic on the interstate b/c he'll immediately wake up if the car stops moving.
That'll tell you how exhausted they were!

Here are just a few random ones...

Hittin' the bottle!

Goooooo Redskins!!!

The first week of November we were all in San Diego as Ryan attended a professional conference.

Here are a few pics from that trip...

Camden's first time in First Class...don't get used to it, kid. If we don't get our "Unlimited Domestic Upgrade" then you're in Economy Plus!

On the way there our flight from LA to San Diego was delayed so we ended up with a four hour layover. We decided to leave the airport and take the bus to a local park and then have dinner out before returning to the airport. No, we aren't typically that brave...we were traveling with one of Ryan's co-workers and his wife and four kids who used to live in LA and invited us to tag along with them. It was much better than killing four hours in an airport with a toddler and a 7 month old!!!

Happy Halloween 2010

We had already left for San Diego when Halloween arrived so we missed trick-or-treating in our neighborhood and the Fall Festival at church.
But we still dressed up as we made our way around San Diego.

My adventure to the park with the kids (flying solo and traveling by city bus and trolley no less)

A day at Coronado Beach

At the Science Center in Balboa Park

Playing in the water fountain outside the Science Center

Alison's favorite thing on the menu at Hard Rock Cafe?
The actual menu...

At the San Diego Zoo

And probably one of my favorite shots from the zoo...
we're thinking Millie might like to have a "cat" of her own?

First time...last time

2010-11-10T14:52:00.000-06:00

I started reading back over the blog and I quickly noticed how much more I posted about things when Camden was little than I am about Alison. It's not that I'm failing to capture photos and video or not writing down things to scrapbook later, it just that I'm not getting around to uploading, writing, and publishing the blog like I should.

I know Alison will probably hold it over my head later...giving me grief for not "caring" about her firsts like I did Camden's. While it is true that everything isn't "new" like it was when he was rolling over, sitting up, cutting teeth, pooping all over everything (see the post from 6/2/08 if you need a refresher on Camden's first poop fiasco) it is still exciting to see it happen for her. She's so pumped that she can sit up now and watch Camden as he makes laps in the house...she just laughs and laughs every time he runs past her. She's hates anything and everything we try to feed her from a spoon...but she can down 8 ounces of milk in about 3.7 seconds - at some point we're going to have to make her learn to eat solids whether she likes it or not. And, she's also got a tooth that's all but broken through her bottom right front gum...which is evidently painful judging from the attitude she's had the past couple of days.

I love having a couple of days a week to spend with just her as Camden attends Mother's Day Out at our church. It's nice to run some errands with only one kid in tow or to come home and clean the house or do laundry without having to swat a tiny human off of my neatly folded stack of towels...but my favorite thing about MDO is having time to just snuggle, coo and make googly eyes at her while she lays next to me grinning and repeatedly saying, "Da-da" over and over again (Ryan's eating that part up!).

I had a thought just the other day that was kinda sad but special in its own kind of way - the thing that I realized makes posting about Alison's "firsts" just as important. As you may or may not be aware...Ryan and I are not planning to have any more kids. It's something that we've prayed about, talked about, etc. and we feel a great sense of peace about having "just" two kids. Of course, if down the road we feel like God is calling us to something different...we'll be obedient to that call - but as for now, we feel as though our family is complete.

So, in light of the fact that Alison is (most likely) our "last" kid...my thought was that not only am I documenting her "firsts" but I am also simultaneously documenting our "lasts" - several of which we've already experienced...the last time we deal with middle of the night feedings...the last time I carry the bucket seat around...the last time I buy a pack of newborn diapers. Some lasts are just around the corner...the last time I change a diaper...the last time I put a kid to bed in a crib (although if she's anything like her brother, it'll be several years...he's still there and hasn't tried to climb out yet)...the last time I feed a bottle...etc, etc, etc.

And it's not just the "lasts" that I've thought of...it's also the list of "last firsts" that have me thinking too...the last time it's the first time she rolls over...the last time it's the first time she eats solid food...the last time it's the first time she says "mommy" or "daddy"...the last time it's her first day of school...the last time it's the first time some idiot boy breaks her heart...the last time it's her first time behind the wheel...the last time is the first time she visits a college she's thinking about going to...the last time it's the first time she brings home the man that will someday be her husband.

I think what happens is that it's easy to capture the "firsts" - and while the lasts are just as important, you don't realize that's when it was until the time, the moment, the season of life has come and gone. And while I am taking pictures and getting a video recorded now and then and I am writing down things to remember to scrapbook later...I know there are some of you (especially the grandparents) who want to see these "last firsts" too. I had planned to make blogging regularly my New Year's Resolution...but since so much will happen between now and then...I am making it my "November 10th Resolution" instead. I know you've heard this pledge before...but now that I have had my "ah-ha" moment I promise - not you and not me, but Alison - that I will do better.

And if it saves me a little grief through her teenage years by not giving her any additional ammunition to use against me, well that's just a bonus. :o)

I've Got the Golden Ticket

2010-10-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

So over the last few weeks we've celebrated Ryan's 34th birthday, made a quick trip to NC for my 10-year Homecoming at WCU and made it successfully to the end of the potty training era. All in all, it's been a mostly uneventful few weeks at our house.

I did however, receive something that I've never even been in a situation to receive before in my entire life...my first speeding ticket. Now, this isn't the first time I've driven faster than the speed limit...that's pretty much expected on the roads in Dallas...if you drove the speed limit around here you'd get run over. But a couple of weeks ago I was headed to the doctor and the road I normally take is out b/c of a bridge replacement so I had to go a route I'd never been before. I'll admit, I was running a little late and distracted by both my baby in the backseat and looking for detour signs so I really had no idea how fast over I had been going when I saw that motorcycle cop behind me...honestly, I didn't even know how long he'd been back there so that'll tell you how aware I was of the situation! Luckily I was only doing 42 mph in a 30 mph zone (and it wasn't a school or construction zone) so no immediate revoking of my license was necessary.

For the most part, the officer wasn't too bad...he did however irk me with his response to my question of whether he could just give me a warning ticket considering this was my first "pull over" since getting my license in 1993. His response, "I would think this would be a great opportunity to teach your children about actions and consequences"...my response to that, "we're currently working on learning to extend grace and forgiveness at our house". Yeah, that didn't get me anywhere...but I felt better after saying it. :o)

After I called Ryan (and yes, I cried like a little girl) I called my insurance company b/c I didn't even know how the process worked or what I needed to do. I found out in the course of the conversation that since this was my first speeding ticket, I could either pay it and get the points on my insurance, pay a fee and do deferred something or other meaning I just can't get another one in the next three months and then it'll go away or I could take a defensive driving course and it would disappear like magic. I also found out that the defensive driving course would save me 10% on my car insurance over the next three years (which, considering the cost of car insurance in Texas is a pretty nice chunk of change) so I opted for that.

I immediately started looking around for defensive driving courses and I found out that it doesn't really matter how the material is delivered...it just has to be 6 hours of instruction followed by a standardized test. First I considered doing it online but I heard from others before me that it's really a pain...no "doing it quicker" than the computer will let you and you can't open other windows with the instruction material open. Like I could find a time when I'm home that I could have six uninterrupted hours to work on this...I can barely manage six uninterrupted minutes! Then I found my solution...a class on Tuesday nights at Joe's Crabshack where the presentation is done by a bunch of comediennes! So for $30 I get to have a child free night of laughing about driving defensively, all while removing my ticket from my driving record and saving a boatload of money. I feel like I should write the officer that gave me the ticket a thank you note!!!

Other than that, things have been pretty normal around here...a few Sharpie marks on the wall, a squirrel (we think) in the attic, Alison starting solids, you know, just the usual stuff. :o)

Brave...crazy...or a good balance of the two?

2010-09-09T08:09:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we decided to take the kids camping...yes, camping - in a tent, for an entire weekend, 5 hours from home, with a (almost completely potty trained) 2 year old and a 4 1/2 month old. Like the title asks, "brave...crazy...or a good balance of the two?"

After packing the car to the point that absolutely nothing else would go in it,

we set out early (4:30 a.m.) on Saturday for DeGray Lake State Park in Arkansas. After a quick breakfast we set up camp - Camden loved helping to pitch the tent and get out all the supplies.

We spent the weekend at the lake, at the playground, taking walks and playing football/baseball/soccer or whatever was Camden's sport of choice at that moment.

Alison was her usually compliant self - just hung out in her Bumbo at the picnic table with us or lounged in her swing while we sat in our camping chairs.

We had a wonderful time - Camden thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. From sleeping in a tent...

to making and eating s'mores...

to playing in the lake with Daddy...

there were only a few times when we heard any whines of protest from him...and that was usually because it was time to stop whatever super-fun thing he was currently doing to move on to something else.

The weather couldn't have been better - low 90s during the day (and our site was completely shaded) and just cool enough at night to need a blanket over you.The bugs were actually at a minimum too...which definitely makes for a more enjoyable evening outside.

I have two "memorable moments" from our trip - the first was having Camden wake up next to me both mornings around 6 a.m. and quietly ask if he could snuggle between me and Ryan until it was "wake up time". I've decided that my firm stand on "absolutely no co-sleeping" doesn't apply when you're all in a tent together in the first place. :o) My second...and probably my favorite...came Sunday night when I took Camden out into a clearing in the trees so that he could look up and see the thousands of stars above us and hearing him gasp and say, "ooooo, somebody put sprinkles on it!" - I'm certain I will never forget that reaction.

I think we've decided we could make this an annual Labor Day activity for our family - although we may have to take next year off...I'm not too sure how I feel about taking a "crawler" camping for the weekend. But I'm certain to make a point of getting my two "city kids" into the great outdoors as often as I possibly can.

I do want to share a quick word of thanks to my mom and dad - although I have been known to give you grief about all the camping trips you "made us endure" and how I was jealous of all the cool things we could have been doing if we'd stayed at The Sea Mist, I am actually glad that you took the time to instill in us an appreciation for the great outdoors. I love that I know how to setup and light a lantern, how to roll a tent back up so that it fits back in the bag...on the first try, and exactly how to roast a marshmallow to make a perfect s'more. I know that staying in a hotel would have probably been more of a "vacation" for you (b/c if I learned anything with this weekend trip, it's that camping with kids is not really a vacation for the parents)...but would we still be talking about just sitting in the mall so that we could be in the air conditioning or packing up everything we owned in the middle of the night in the pouring down rain and heading home because we finally decided that a tent was not really the best place to be when Hurricane Hugo made landfall if we'd stayed at The Sea Mist? :o)

Two days in a row...

2010-08-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

Don't get used to it! :o)

Just thought I'd share a cute video of Camden performing his ABCs...

Enjoy!

ABCs by CMF from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

An Attainable Goal

2010-08-19T22:37:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the best thing for me to do right now is not commit to posting on a routine basis. Seriously, I thought I was busy in college...then I graduated and got a job...I thought I was busy working full time...then I got married...and thought I was busy being a wife while working said full time job...then I had one kid and found I was busier than I'd ever been before...even though I'd stopped "working" to stay home...

Then we had our second child and there are some days when I feel like I deserve recognition for taking a shower before dinner time! I'm not kidding...busy has taken on a whole new meaning. Between keeping both of them fed, diapered, educated, entertained, and socialized...I have barely a second to myself. It doesn't help that they have "opposite" nap routines - i.e. she's asleep when he's awake and vice versa. And I have to admit...when I do get that coveted moment alone, the blog just isn't high up on the priority list...getting that shower in and possibly going to the bathroom with complete privacy, now that's a priority!

The ease and availability of Facebook has also allowed me to feel like I can "slack off" in the blogging area. I can snap a picture on my phone and upload it directly to my FB page - one little statement and hitting upload vs. finding the cable, connecting the phone/loading the SD card, logging in, writing a blog post, etc. and you can see how with my limited "free time" FB is just so much more attractive. Because so many of you that read the blog are also my (or Ryan's) Facebook friends and you see the pictures, read the funny things Camden says, and generally know how things are going with us, I just let the blog slip by the wayside. However, I do understand that not all of you are on Facebook and to you, I apologize for the lack of update...

My last "excuse" is that MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is getting ready to start in the fall - and while I was busy last year serving as Hospitality Coordinator for a group at a church here in Irving, I've reached a new level of busy this year as I hesitantly obeyed God's calling to start and coordinate a group at my home church. God has blessed that (initially reluctant) obedience and I am so excited to have 56 moms and 81 kids registered for our group this year. We are now down to the wire in our preparations - lining up speakers, placing moms at tables, training table leaders and mentor moms, etc. etc. etc. So when the kids are finally in bed for the night, I use what little time I have before passing out from exhaustion to work on MOPS stuff and catch up with Ryan.

My hope is that as Camden starts his two day a week preschool on September 7th and MOPS launches on September 20th, things will slow down for me a little and I can have a little more time to myself. Blogging may not get moved up on the priority list, but hopefully the increase in the amount of free time I have will allow me to get to things I don't normally have time for.

In the meantime, since I know for a fact there are a few of you who are eagerly awaiting current pics of the kids, here are few from our recent beach trip to tie you over...

Once a month...whether I want to or not...

2010-06-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

Evidently that phrase refers to my frequency of blogging. Cut me some slack...between diaper changes, making bottles/giving bottles/washing bottles, entertaining Camden and then giving him his (much needed) baths, conquering Mt. Laundry, keeping up with the dog hair, and taking the occasional shower, I don't have time for much else. I know with a new baby you all want to see pictures, hear all about how things are going with the kids, etc...and I will try my best to keep you updated. Unfortunately blogging gets moved to that category of things that "I wish I had done today"...much like a shower often does.

So this morning marks my first formal attempt at getting back to my pre-baby body. Just before getting pregnant with Camden I lost around 50 pounds. It took me about six months of Weight Watchers and Jazzercise (once a day during the school year and two-a-days during the summer when I wasn't working). I also walked 4 miles just about every day (in addition to the Jazzercise) and even did a sprint triathlon during my first trimester of pregnancy with Cam-man. I was probably in just as good, if not better, shape as when I was playing tennis at good 'ol East Wilkes High 14 years ago.

However...fast forward three years and two babies later...I get winded just climbing the stairs to my Sunday School class at church - and now you know the real reason I insisted we buy a ranch-style house this time. I'll be honest...it's just a little discouraging. I just feel like I have sooooo far to go to get back to where I was - not just with the baby weight, but with the muscle tone, resting heart rate, etc. But Confucius say, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" so I figured I'd jump in with both feet. I just don't think those "single steps" he was referring to were on an aerobic step in a 5:30 a.m. circuit training class!

Holy cow! Let me say that again, HOLY COW! I thought I had achieved my goal just getting up and being there on time...but that wasn't all the instructor was going to expect from me this morning. She obviously needs to get to know me better so she can have more realistic expectations about what she's going to get from me - especially that early in the morning. I'm not going to go into great detail on the torture...er, I mean, exercises she had us doing. Let's just say if our government wants to get terrorists to talk, forget waterboarding, just let this instructor have an hour with them. I would have told her all of my deepest secrets if she'd offered to let me skip the "squat thrust using a stability ball" station. At one point during the weight lifting portion of the class she's walking around and offering constructive criticism on our performance and starts to instruct me on how to hold in my abs tighter so that I can "really feel the burn". Are you kidding me? I'm not even close to the point of wanting to work my abs better - I'd just like to find my abs. I haven't seen them in months. Seriously, can I just be waterboarded next time?

Alas, it's really what I need so I guess I'll stick to it. Being at the gym is helping me watch what I eat too - not b/c I'm thinking that I shouldn't just eat back all the calories I've just burned...but b/c my arms are too sore for me to lift them high enough to get something out of the fridge or pantry. This will certainly help when I weigh in at Weight Watchers on Saturday morning.

So here are my official goals - by the time Alison turns one I'd like to:

be back at my pre-baby weight
celebrate her first birthday by doing a 5K and
do at least one of those squat thrust thingies without passing out

Wish me luck!!!

Nine years...and counting...

2010-05-26T15:45:00.002-05:00

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

It's so hard to believe that Ryan and I have been married for nine years today...and since we started dating in 1996, we've been together in some form of a relationship for nearly 14 years! Over the years we've taken vacations, dined a fancy restaurants, and spent quality time engaging in our favorite hobbies/pastimes to celebrate these anniversary milestones. So, how does a couple in our current stage of life celebrate year #9 you might ask? Why, by getting the kids to bed early so that we can enjoy some takeout on the sofa and hopefully get in a little meaningful conversation before the baby needs a new diaper or to be fed again, of course! :o) And we wouldn't have it any other way...

Before I grab the takeout menu and start thinking about dinner...please indulge me for a posting's worth of a mushy anniversary message to him...

Nine years into this sacred institution of marriage, I can safely say there's no one with whom I would rather be institutionalized! :o) Seriously, I just want you to know how thankful I am that you are a part of my life and there's not a day that goes by that I take your presence for granted. I've known for a long time what a wonderful man you are...and I've known for several years what a wonderful husband you are...but now to see over the past couple of years what a great father you are, I know that I am truly blessed to have you in my life.As each year passes and we move in and out of various life stages, I am thankful to have you to walk through them with me...I can't wait to see where the journey will take us next. Knowing that you'll be in all of my tomorrows makes my today so wonderful!

James Taylor said it best...how sweet it is to be loved by you...

I needed the shelter of someone's arms,
and there you were
I needed someone to understand my ups and downs,
and there you were
With sweet love and devotion
Deeply touching my emotion
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

I close my eyes at night
Wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore
Everywhere I went it seems I'd been there before
But you brighten up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet, in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

You were better for me than I was for myself
For me there's you and there ain't nobody else
I want to stop and thank you baby
I just want to stop and thank you baby

How sweet it is to be loved by you!

Love...multiplied

2010-04-29T16:33:00.006-05:00

I have a confession to make...about a month ago I really started to worry about my ability to love two kids "equally". I just wasn't sure I could juggle having two and making sure that one or the other didn't get the shaft when it comes to my time, my attention, and especially my patience. To make matters worse...Camden is such a good kid. Don't get me wrong, he has his "two year old issues" like any other kid...but he's always been a good sleeper, a good eater, and an all around pretty "textbook" baby. (If you're familiar with "The Baby Whisperer" and my personality, you'll know that's a good thing.) I honestly thought that if Alison wasn't quite so textbook and took too much of the the time, patience, etc. that I have for him away, then I was essentially "cheating" on him.

Then she arrived...and I quickly realized that just when you think you've been giving all of your love to someone, you find that you have the capacity to love even more.

I knew this was true when Ryan and I went from being "a couple" to being "a family" but I really thought that it was because the love was different. I had all of this new love for Camden b/c I love him in a totally different way than I love Ryan. But I love my kids with the same kind of love...so I was worried that there wouldn't be enough love to go around. It's amazing how love is just multiplied without any effort on the part of the parent or the child - that there's connection that exists that bears no explanation b/c there really is no way to explain it.

Don't get me wrong, I know there will be many moments when even though I love my children, I really don't like them very much (it happens most often during her 2 a.m. scream fests or when he's having one of his "two year old issues" I mentioned earlier) and I know that because my children are different, I will love them differently. But it's great to know that while I love Ryan with all my heart, there's more than enough love remaining in that heart to go around for the kiddos too.

I am totally in love - with my husband, my kids, and my Jesus (who gives me the strength to get through the scream fests and the "issues") and it just keeps multiplying everyday!

Just a few cute pictures...

2010-03-25T16:45:00.001-05:00

Ryan's mom was in town this past weekend for a "pre-Alison" visit with Camden. Since she's soooo much better about taking pictures than I am, I swiped these from her camera to share with you...

Camden in his new Nemo suit - a handmedown from a friend - he would leave it on 24/7 if I would let him.

A booty shot of Nemo...

Camden in his kitchen -

a future Food Network star in the making

Granna and Camden in what will hopefully be our last snow of the season!

The next posting may be to announce Alison...we're two weeks from the due date. Keep us in your prayers and we'll keep you posted!!!

Clickity-clack, Clickity-clack...

2010-03-14T17:04:00.004-05:00

Away went the engine without looking back...and we were on it!!!

Yesterday, our child learned that we are the coolest parents...ever. In fact, he told us about a hundred times using that very word - "cool". It was intermixed with another 100 uses of the word "awesome" - so all in all, we felt pretty good about our decision to take him to ride Thomas the Tank Engine for his birthday rather than getting him another toy (which he needs like he needs a hole in his head...seriously, we're running out of room to peacefully exist in our house b/c half of it looks like a Toys R Us and the other half looks like a Babies R Us!).

We started off the morning in the giant inflatable Thomas bounce house and it just got better from there. From everything to playing with the wooden train sets in the Imagination Station Tent to meeting and getting his picture made with Sir Topham Hatt to actually riding on the train, the morning was just full of one giant smile after another. It certainly made the day even more special for him to share this adventure with his friend, Amanda with whom he does just about everything. Her mom, Kristina, and I think it'll be absolutely adorable to have all of these pictures for their "wedding slide show" about 30 years from now. :o)

After the train ride we came back to the house for a cookout with some friends and a Thomas the Tank birthday cake to round out the day's festivities. He loved being sung "Happy Birthday" to by all of our guests...and even waited for us to sing to him again when he had another slice of leftover cake at dinner that night. Here are a few pictures from the day and a link to the Picasa Album with all of them. Enjoy!!!

Our little engineer playing at the Thomas Table

Camden and Amanda enjoying a snack together before the train ride.

Camden and Ryan just after the train ride!

Happy (early) 2nd Birthday, Camden!!!

Click here to view the entire album.

Getting Ready for Baby

2010-02-22T14:34:00.001-06:00

So my mom was in town the past 5 days and I've (along with some major assistance from Ryan) worked my @$$ off to get the nursery put together. How'd that turn out, you ask? Well, the room is painted (rejuvenate green and tuti fruiti pink) and the new blinds are up...but the crib is in pieces and the changing table is still on order. I'm not stressing...I've got 45 days left to get it all done - unless of course she decides to show up early like Camden did...in which case, I'm down to 34 days. :o) Still, plenty of time to get it all accomplished, right?

The main reason for my posting today is to share a picture with you of Camden. The other (more way fun) thing that we did while mom was here was to get our maternity photo session checked off the infamous "to do" list. Debbie Anderson of Polka Dot Cottage Photography took our pics by the canals at the Omni Mandalay in Las Colinas. She's still working on getting them all posted to her gallery, but she sent me this one and I just had to share it with you. I know I am biased, but this kid is ridiculously adorable...must've gotten that attribute from his daddy.

Once she's gotten them all done and we've placed and received our order, I'll have a whole CD full that I can post and share with you. Debbie will also do the newborn session in April once Alison's arrived (before she's 2 weeks old) so there'll be more on the way after the big day. We'll keep you posted...but for now, there's a storage unit assembly job calling my name!!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-02-15T14:12:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday we were able to witness "Dallas weather history" as we got a record breaking 12 1/2" of the white stuff in just a 24 hour period. Moving here after four years in Nebraska still means it's not the most I've seen at once, but still...enough to put "life on hold" as they figure out how to manage all of the issues that come along with snow in a place that doesn't regularly get any.

It's actually quite amusing to watch how people in Dallas drive (and I use that term loosely) in inclement weather as opposed to watching people in Omaha who have been doing it since they got their license. Fortunately, the good thing about snow in Dallas is that even with a record breaking amount, it was back in the 40s a couple of days later (with temps in the 60s forecast for this week) and the only remnants still around are the few pitiful piles where some pretty impressive snowmen once stood. This is actually my favorite kind of snow - pretty coming down, it's warm enough to play in it for a day or so, and then it all melts away.

Speaking of playing in it...that's exactly what we did. Camden loved the snow and once we got outside, he had no interest in going back in. We mostly played on the swings in the backyard and threw the ball around. He also liked making snowballs to throw for Millie to catch. Here are some pics from our snow adventures...I have some video too but I am currently searching for the cable to hook the camera up to the computer to get it off...I'll keep searching but enjoy these in the meantime.

Forgive me, Blog Readers, for I have sinned...

2010-02-04T20:15:00.000-06:00

It's been 34 days since my last posting...my sincerest apologies...

In my defense, I was without a computer for 10 or more days of those 34 so you should at least cut me a little slack. My laptop was possessed by the devil or something b/c we couldn't get it to do anything except get halfway through the boot-up process before beeping, freezing and then just sitting there. Ryan had to lay hands on it (and install a new hard drive) but now all is right with the world and I am back to the land of Facebook, Blogspot and Gmail on a regular basis.

My second defense is that January was just plain boring...there wasn't that much to write about. After the whirlwind December we had - full of parties, gifts, trips home to NC - it seemed as though all we did in January was hang around the house and "recover" from the previous month. I had a couple of OB appointments - one included the ultrasound where I learned that I DO NOT still have placenta previa (yeah!!!) and I don't have to schedule a planned C-section for baby #2. We also learned that Baby #2 is still a girl...which was a relief since I've already sorted through more than 14, 28-gallon totes full of girls clothes that have been given to me by my generous friends - not to mention that my pal Kristina had already ordered the extremely girlie shower invitations. :o)

Camden has, for the most part, spent the entire month eating. Literally...I have no idea where he puts all of this food. I am starting to think that his legs are hollow. Seriously...one morning he had 3 bowls of oatmeal, a cereal bar, 2 clementines, and a bowl of cereal before I cut him off. I know all the "experts" tell you that kids his age should just be allowed to self-regulate in their food consumption, but I had to cut him off...we were running out of food for the next day! His other new "trick" is to count to three himself when he knows that he's doing something he shouldn't be. For example, tonight he stood up on the sofa and when I looked at him and told him to choose knees or bottom, he responded by saying, "one...two...sit" and then promptly sat down. Of course Ryan and both busted out laughing, which warranted the response, "I'm funny" from our precious child.

It's safe to say that there's just not a lot going on around here...which is kinda nice considering how much will be going on around here in just a few short weeks. It's hard to believe we're only 9 weeks away from the due date. We're getting pretty excited - I was hesitant in the beginning, but the more dresses, bows and shoes I receive from friends, the more excited I get about having more than just jeans and tshirts in the clothing rotation. Camden, for his part, is pretty excited about having a baby at our house too. I don't know how much he really understands, but if I point to my belly and ask him who that is he always replies, "As-uhn" and then leans in to kiss my belly...and gets upset if I don't let him "kiss the baby". I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that this sweet spirit he has now will continue even after she arrives.

I promise to get some pictures posted soon too - we have our pregnancy photo session coming up mid-month while my mom is here to visit (this way she can wrangle Camden while we get the shots that he won't be included in) and then of course there's Camden's birthday in March so I am sure we'll have lots of pictures to share from our train ride with Thomas. Above all else, I promise not to go another 34 days without posting something so check back soon for all of the "not so exciting" things that are going on around here! :o)

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T09:35:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to wish each of you a very happy new year and nothing but blessings for 2010. We are currently still in our pajamas having just enjoyed our 2nd breakfast of the day, reading books and playing Memory with two of the most adorable 21 month old boys you've ever seen, and listening to the ocean rolling in the background. Is there a better way to start a new year?

We head back to Dallas tomorrow and I promise there'll be pictures of Christmas and the beach trip posted eventually.

For now, enjoy your own New Year's day and may 2010 be the best year ever!!!

Jingle Bells...

2009-12-25T07:28:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!! We hope that the arrival of this holiday brings joy, peace, and lots of time with family and friends. We ourselves are still in the Big D...enjoying our first Christmas "at home" with Camden. We'll fly out later this evening and head to North Carolina to spend the next week and ring in the new year with family and friends there.

Before we get too engrossed in the present unwrapping and the breakfast casserole eating, I wanted to share a quick video of Camden's Christmas carol performing debut. I'll apologize in advance for my singing (and for the fact we're in our pajamas) - but if you can tolerate the singing, I promise it's worth the suffering. Personally I love watching him "snap" his fingers. :o)

We hope to cross paths with many of you who follow this blog from God's Country (better known as NC) while we're in town next week, and we wish all of you...from NC to NE to TX and beyond the merriest of Christmases and nothing but blessings for the new year!!!

Love - Mandy, Ryan, and Camden

Jingle Bells from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

And laying his finger aside of his nose...

2009-12-15T14:43:00.002-06:00

Camden loves to be read to. I think he could sit in my lap for hours and listen to "The Belly Button Book" or "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" 100 times and never lose interest. Every morning when I go into his room to get him up he picks up his blanket and Ciggy (the stuffed piggy) and promptly says, "book peas". We spend a good 30-45 minutes every day in the "rocking and reading chair" - usually starting our day with "Hey Wake Up" and ending most every night with "Pajama Time". Seriously, I have done more reading the past year or so than I did the entire time I was in college...but I don't know if that speaks more to my child's love of reading or my love of doing other things in college besides the actual school part.

In the past couple of weeks we've been reading all Christmas books, all the time. He especially loves the "What is Christmas?" book his Great Granny Wagoner got him last year. He's also a big fan of the ones that have places for his picture in them. But his absolute favorite is "Twas the Night Before Christmas". We read that one at least 10 times each day. I pretty much have it memorized at this point so if it's ever a "party game" to see who can write it from memory, watch out because I am ready to thrown down on that one.

Last night we were reading it - as usual - with much feeling and dramatization. I squeeze his cheeks when I read the line, "his cheeks were like roses" and I jiggle his belly when I read the line, "that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly" - you get the picture. But last night brought a new "commentary" from Camden that I hadn't gotten before.

When I turned the page to read the lines, "And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose" Camden pointed to the picture and said..."Ahhhhh a booger. Ho, ho, ho got booger" And you really can't argue with the kid...here's the picture he was referring to.

So...I did what any good, self respecting mother would do, I told Camden that yes, even Santa sometimes had boogers and that he should be using a tissue rather than sticking his finger up his nose. I finished the book as best I could and then went in the other room to laugh my head off. We've read the book a few times today and once he pointed to the picture and said, "no, tissue" - but I still can't look at the picture without laughing.

Best Santa Picture Ever

2009-12-07T20:23:00.003-06:00

This past Friday night our neighborhood had it's annual tree lighting in the park. After bundling up and walking a block or so to the park, we were able to enjoy some hot cocoa, popcorn, cookies, the tree lighting and a chance to sit on Santa's lap. Here are a couple of pictures from our excursion...

Camden with his "girlfriend" Amanda - these two are inseparable and thick as thieves when they get together. :o)

Remind you of that scene in "A Christmas Story" or what? :o)

I am thankful...

2009-11-26T21:29:00.002-06:00

There are so many things that I have to be thankful for. I thought about making this blog posting just a list of all the things I am thankful for...but it may take me forever and I am sure I'd still leave someone or something out. Like most of the posts I've read on Facebook lately, I would also list things like my health, the health of my family, my friends and God's provision of all our needs...and even most of our wants...at the top of my list. But I got to thinking, what are the things that I am thankful for that are often taken for granted?

So this week I started paying attention to all the things that I am grateful for that might otherwise go unnoticed...and made a "Thanksgiving Day Resolution" to start being more aware of them each and every day.

I am thankful for the ducks that live near our house. Camden and I have spent many sunny afternoons sitting on a bridge on the walking trail by the canals feeding those ducks. I love to watch his reaction when they all swim up and start quacking like crazy.

I am thankful for the cabinet full of Tupperware and other assorted plastic items that Camden can play with while I attempt to make dinner around him. I am thankful for the fact that he is content to sit at my feet and play with a bowl so that he can be near me rather than in his room or in the family room playing with one of the 4,972 toys he has. I'll try to remember these days when he's in junior high and thinks that his mom is totally lame.

I am thankful for my mommy friends who have been so transparent with me that I have learned I am not the only one who has my days where I feel like I am climbing "Mount Guiltmore" - at least if I am climbing it, I am not alone in my adventure. I love having other women that I can call when I feel like all I have done all day is give time-outs and say "no, stop, give that to mommy, don't throw that, put that down, that doesn't go in your mouth"...and so on, and so on, and so on...

I am thankful for hand-me-downs...yes, I do realize this cuts into my shopping opportunities...but I figure while they're little and could care less, I can save money for when they think it's only a totally lame mom that would think they would want to wear something someone else has already worn...and heaven forbid, was last year's fashion. (And I am especially thankful for all of my "mommies of girls" that have offered their adorable "preowned" clothes for our expected bundle of joy. I could really get carried away shopping for a girl - and I'm pretty sure Dave Ramsey would not approve...at least that's what Ryan tells me.)

Today I learned that I am thankful for silly Thanksgiving songs that make my child laugh. I had to sing "Hello Mr. Turkey How Are You?" about 900 times tonight. I sing and Camden, Ryan and I all do the motions together. As soon as we finish he says, "more, more, more" and we do it again...and again...and again. I will also try to remember this one when he thinks that my music is totally lame - and trust me, it's not...there is nothing lame, nor will there ever be, about Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band.

Most of all, I am thankful for laughter. One of my favorite quotes is from Nicolas de Chamfort and it's "the most wasted day of all is that in which we have not laughed." I try to remember this every single day. Whether I am laughing at something hysterical my child has done or said or just laughing at the overwhelming circumstances I find myself in, I have found it best to just laugh. I am a worrier by nature and I cling to the verse "Can worrying add a single moment to your life?" (Matthew 6:27 NLT).

So my Thanksgiving Day Resolution is really a two-part deal - in focusing more on what I have to be thankful for...which is SOOOOO much, I concentrate less on what worries me. I know that all the good things I have to be thankful for come from God - and if He's in control, what do I really have to worry about anyway? So on this Thanksgiving Day I want you to know that I am thankful for all of life's "little things"...and for craft time with my kiddo. I think his Picasso-esque turkey is a true work of art.

To share...or "snot" to share...

2009-11-25T15:05:00.000-06:00

So I debated on sharing this story...but the more I think about it, the funnier it is so why not?

We were coming home from having lunch with our Sunday Bible Fellowship class this past Sunday when I noticed that Camden had gotten really quiet in the backseat. Fearing that he may have gone to sleep and the 15 minutes in the car was going to undo any chance of a decent nap at home, I turned around to make sure I didn't need to blast the radio or roll down a window.

What transpired over the next 30 seconds put us in stitches...

My sweet child had his index finger two knuckles deep into his nose...when he pulled out his finger he had a "surprise" on the end of it. He looked at me like, "what am I supposed to do with this?". I asked him what he had and, speaking of surprise, he plainly replied...a boo-gah - and with a tone that said, "I just pulled my finger out of my nose, what else would I have on it?" Honestly, I have no idea where he learned this term and I am not so sure I want to count this word when the pediatrician asks me how many words he's up to at his next appointment.

We tried our best not to laugh, knowing that a response like that would only encourage such behavior, but we failed miserably. So, now, whenever Camden wants to get a laugh out of you, he just points to his nose, says "boo-gah" and laughs hysterically.

Oh, the joys of parenthood...

Sugar and Spice...and Everything Nice

2009-11-15T21:03:00.006-06:00

For those of you that haven't heard the news, we learned on Friday that the gender count will even out in the Foster house come April. That's right...it's a GIRL!

I must admit, as a former middle school teacher, my mind immediately fast forwarded to all the drama that comes with female adolescence and I was not initially as thrilled as one might have suspected. As he could see my apprehension building, Ryan quickly reminded me that adolescence is a long way off and there are lots of days for playing dress up and having tea parties between now and then.

And speaking of Ryan, I think he's pretty excited. I know that he really wanted to have at least one boy and since our first child got that task checked off the "to do" list, he was thinking that it might also be nice to go to father/daughter dinners and to have someone to walk down the aisle on her wedding day...albeit it'll probably be after he's had to sell all of his non-essential organs on the black market to pay for said wedding day. I think at this point, he's really just hoping for a head full of curly red-hair when she's born. :o)

Once I stopped fixating on adolescence, I started to get more excited about having a "mini-me" running around...although I don't know that I could survive trying to raise a "mini-me" so I'm hoping that if she does have that red hair that Ryan so desperately wants, that she'll get his temperament and not mine.

What I do know is that I treasure the relationship that I have with my mom and I am already praying that my daughter and I will share that same kind of bond someday...even if it does take stopping just short of strangling her during her teenage years to let her live long enough for both of us to see it come to fruition. On a side note - thanks, Mom for not strangling me even though looking back I deserved it on many, many, many...many occasions - your "revenge" will come in watching me go through it now. :o)

So bring on the pink, the ruffles and the bows...we've got a girl on the way!

Fun at the Foster House

2009-11-12T21:54:00.008-06:00

So for those of you that aren't on Facebook, you may not have heard about our exciting ordeal this week. Camden now has a bright, NC State red cast on his left arm courtesy of the spiral slide at the park.

On Monday we were at the park with some other moms and kiddos when Camden decided to try to put his feet down and stop himself while coming down the slide. This resulted in him toppling rather than stopping and he must've thought the best place to land was on his elbow.

After a couple of hours of "watching it" and seeing that he had the use of his arm (both for picking up objects and rotating his hand around) we figured it was just bruised and that it would be fine. By Tuesday night, I was starting to have my doubts that it was okay because every time I tried to change Camden's shirt I was met with ear piercing, blood curdling screams. After deciding to err on the side of being overly cautious, I took him in to see his pediatrician on Wednesday morning. She promptly sent me on to Plano Pediatric Imaging for x-rays which confirmed that there were no broken bones and that the joint itself was still intact.

There was still much concern over the pain that he was experiencing (and that Ryan and I were experiencing as a result) so today we went to Pediatric Sports and Spine in Grapevine where the Pediatric Orthopedist said that there were some "wrinkles" in the cartilage of his elbow. The fear is that if the elbow wasn't stabilized and he fell again (which is a real possibility since he doesn't know how to slow down and has no fear of heights...) that he could do some real damage and need surgery. The other fear is that with a kid his age, most of that cartilage will eventually calcify and become bone and if there's something wrong with it and it "grows that way" he may not be able to straighten his arm later...and if he's going to be a major league pitcher, he's going to need that arm. :o)

Here are a couple of pics from our evening. He seems to be doing okay with it so far...he's only asked a couple of times for help getting it off. It's going to be a loooooong four weeks. :o)

Is it wrong to say that the tiny sling is "cute"?

Nothing can come between my boy and his "bites"!!!

Check out the cool glove I made (out of a sock) to help keep his cast clean while he eats.

0 to 60 in 3-Days

2009-11-12T08:40:00.005-06:00

This past weekend I participated in the Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day. Together with my dear friend Charrisa we each walked 60 miles and raised $2300 to benefit Susan G. Komen for The Cure.

It was an amazing experience and I met so many wonderful people along the way. I was really inspired by these two gals who pushed their mom in a wheelchair the entire 60 miles b/c she was too weak from chemo to walk it herself.

One of the most generous stories I hear came from a lady who I was sitting next to in the medic tent getting first aid for some blisters. First - a little background info... In order to participate in the 3-Day you have to raise a minimum of $2300. If the walk dates arrive and you haven't made the goal, you have the option of dropping out or of giving the 3-Day your credit card info and getting 30 days post walk to finish your collection. At the end of the 30 days, whatever you have left gets charged to your card. Now...back to the story...

So the lady was telling me that she was riding on one of the sweep vans and got to talking to the rest of the people on the van about their fundraising. She asked them if they all had met their $2300 required goal and they all had met or exceeded the required amount. Another lady then asked her about her fundraising situation. She told them she was still about $600 short - she said that she had faith that she could meet the goal so she gave them her card number and went ahead and did the walk. The second lady then reached in her backpack and pulled out an envelope full of checks made out to the 3-Day and gave them to the lady that was $600 short. She said that these came in to her after she met her $2300 goal and rather than just exceed her goal by that amount, she brought them to the event hoping to find someone that needed the money to reach their goal. There was over $400 worth of donations in the envelopes. The gal who received the checks said she was so blown away by this woman's foresight and generosity that she could barely get off the van at the next pitstop b/c she was crying so hard.

The other people, stories, events that will stick with me forever are too numerous to share. Let's just say that it was such a wonderful event that even while limping from blisters and sore feet, Charrisa and I went to the 2010 tent to begin registration for that one.

Here are a few pics from the event... 0 to 60 in 3 Days!!!

Walking through Turtle Creek

My prize waiting on me at the finish line!

Happy Halloween...a couple of days late!

2009-11-02T13:53:00.007-06:00

I hope that each of you had a safe and fun Halloween this past weekend. My mom and dad were in town and it was really special to spend the week preparing for the big night. We had a costume playdate on Thursday with a few of Camden's friends (a dinosaur, a chicken, Superman and a Halloween cat were all present and accounted for). Camden went as Batman this year and it was hilarious that we would "sing" the Batman music and he would chime in "Mat-man" at the appropriate time.

Friday night our church had their annual fall festival where we, along with about 900 others from the community, enjoyed and chili supper, moon bounces, pony rides, and all sorts of games. Camden started out playing the games and having a great time doing so...then he realized that he would get candy at the end of every game and so he decided it was best to skip all that work and just ask those running the game for the candy...why waste time throwing rings on sticks or beanbags through holes if they're going to give you the candy anyway? :o)

Ryan and I went as the knight in shining armor and the fair maiden...again. I think those costumes have been moved about 5 times and worn every year since college... Perhaps we'll go as something different next year. My dad went as a pirate - he figures if he's going to have a prosthetic leg, might as well put that "peg leg" to some use. :o)

Saturday night we started out just hanging out at home and handing out candy. Then we found out that a house down the street was giving out stuffed animals instead of candy so we decided to leave Oma and Papa at our house on candy detail and we walked Camden down the street for some loot. Once we hit that house, we figured this would be a great way to meet some of our neighbors so we spent about 30 minutes in our cul-de-sac meeting neighbors and loading Camden up with more candy than he's had in his whole life. Too bad most of it's chewy or nutty and he can't have it...oh well, guess I'll have to eat it since he can't.

Unfortunately, most of the pictures we got from the holiday's events are on my parent's camera and I didn't get them before they left to go home. Mom's going to send me a CD of what she's got later. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from our outing to the pumpkin patch. Camden really loved "driving the tractor" and riding in the wagon with his friend, Amanda.

Happy Halloween...a few days late!!!

Account ending in 5394

2009-10-23T15:15:00.002-05:00

This week Ryan and I had a first...we became the victims of identity theft. Someone used my debit card number to make a fake card (b/c I still have mine) and spend almost $6,000 at Saks 5th Avenue here in Dallas - at least they have good taste. :o)

Fortunately, if we had to have something bad happen, this is the best bad thing. The thief/thieves don't have any of my personal information like my SS#, DOB, etc. - they just had my debit card number. So while they can't steal my identity and open fraudulent accounts in my name, they still have caused me to lose a lot of patience and a couple nights of good sleep.

We also have total consumer protection from Bank of America so (eventually) all the money and any overdraft fees we've incurred will be put back in our account...but there are lots of hoops to jump through and many, many, many phone calls to make before it's a done deal.

I've spent the last couple of days with a phone in one hand and something to entertain Camden while I am on said phone in the other. Most of the places I've had to call just took my initial info and then said they'd call me back...but usually NOT during nap time b/c that would be too convenient. :o)

So after speaking to about four different departments at the bank, all three credit reporting bureaus, and several departments within the Dallas Police Department, I think I am all done with my calls. Hopefully we'll get our money back sometime early next week.

On a side note...we've been to the pumpkin patch and we'll hit the fall festival at church next week so we'll have some cute pics of Camden for you as soon as we can get them uploaded.

Have a Happy Halloween!!!

Mandy

My sincerest apologies...

2009-10-08T14:36:00.005-05:00

I must apologize...of late, I have become a horrible blogger. My posts are few and far between and they almost always promise an uploading of pictures or videos "to follow soon" and yet I never seem to get around to it.

In my defense, I am exhausted from chasing Camden around and growing another person...but really, that's no excuse. Granted, Camden only has one speed...which is run...but still, I need to do a better job of keeping you all updated. So, here's a rundown of all that's been going on with us.

If you read the last post, you know that Ryan and I spent a Camden-free week in Germany at the beginning of September. Here's a link to the Picasa album of those pictures. I haven't had the chance to go in and write a description for each picture...but they basically follow this timeline - trip to Neuschwanstein, pictures from around Germany - including our bike ride through the city, the day trip to Austria where I got to see the gardens and the cemetery used in "The Sound of Music", and our very emotional morning spend at Dachau - the concentration camp used to train Nazi soldiers and others working at various concentration camps throughout during WWII.

Germany2009

After returning from Germany, but not before recuperating, we headed to LasVegas. This time Camden went along for the trip. It was a lot of fun. He really enjoyed all of the animitronic statues at Caesar's Palace and the animals in Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage. It's where the white tigers and other animals "live" when they aren't performing. He liked the tigers, but he was much more interested in the emus...which he kept calling doggies. :o) Actually, one of his most favorite parts of the trip was waiting for Daddy to get done with his training classes...b/c the training center was right next door to the airport and we sat and watched the planes take off and land less than 100 yards from the car. The other favorite part was pushing the elevator button and riding it to hear it beep at every level. Both of these things we could've done here in Dallas...oh, well. Here's a link to see the handful of pictures we took during that trip.

LasVegas2009

In addition to traveling, Camden and I are also staying busy with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) where I am serving as Hospitality Coordinator this year. We've also got play dates for everything from going to the Pumpkin Patch to playing at the play place at the mall. I'm also involved in a Bible Study and I have launched my own Southern Living at Home business which has done well in it's first month or so. Ryan's busy researching, working on treatment plans for patients and writing a grant.

On top of everything else, we're also preparing for the arrival of our new little one. Camden loves to be around the babies at MOPS and at church so hopefully he'll adjust well to the addition. Millie still doesn't know what to think about Camden so I'm not sure how she'll do with another one around. She's not a big fan of him when he's trying to use her as a pillow to lay on the floor, but she loves him to pieces when he's eating b/c if there's something he doesn't like, he knows she'll eat it for him. They're sneaky those two...gotta watch 'em.

Here's the first picture we have of the new baby. We'll find out the gender at my next ultrasound on November 13th. I promise to post things between now and then, but you'll definitely want to check back then to find out the big news.

We don't have much in the way of travel for a while, but we'll be entertaining guests throughout the month of October and then I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of 3 days during the first weekend of November...so I'm sure there'll be lots of things to post and I PROMISE, I'll do that sooner rather than later.

Sprichst du englisch?

2009-09-08T15:55:00.009-05:00

One of the many German phrases I've learned to say since getting here last Saturday, "do you speak English?"

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to Rosetta Stone some German before landing this past weekend, but luckily, many people here speak English rather well. There was a taxi driver that wasn't quite sure where we were trying to go, but he gave his best attempt English and we did at German and we got to our destination no problems.

I've learned please, thank you, you're welcome, etc...but the other big phrase I've learned since getting here, "Wo ist die Toilette, bitte?" As a pregnant gal, you probably need to know how to say "where is the bathroom" in just about every language. :o)

We just wanted to share a couple of pics from our travels so far. We've mostly been in Munich but we did venture about 2 hours out of the city by train to Neuschwanstein which was the castle of Crazy King Ludwig II. It's the castle that Walt Disney modeled Cinderella's castle at Disney after. It was undergoing some exterior renovation/construction so it's hard to see what it would look like uncovered from all the scaffolding...but his backup castle down the hill a way was pretty impressive too.

We're doing a bike ride through the English garden and a day trip to Salzburg, Austria (so that I can sing Do-Re-Mi on the steps of that building where it was filmed in Sound of Music) later on this week so check back later for more pictures.

It's now after 11 p.m. here so I'll just leave you with Gute Nacht!!!

The beautiful Germany countryside

Neuschwanstein

The "backup castle"

Animals and Announcements...

2009-09-02T21:59:00.005-05:00

Camden's learned lots of new animal sounds so we thought we'd make a short little video of him demonstrating them for you. The pig's kinda hard to hear...but it's hysterical. He tries to snort but can't figure out how to "suck in" to make the sound so it ends up being more like he trying to "hak a lugi" instead.

So listen carefully for the animal sounds...and for his other demonstration of what he knows that you might not...

Camden Knows What's There... from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

When Mommy's Not Looking...

2009-08-21T21:32:00.009-05:00

A couple of days ago I was laid out on the couch watching HGTV...I mean busy folding laundry while the tv played in the background...when I heard this strange noise coming from the kitchen. For those of you that haven't been to our home, the kitchen and the family room are open to each other with just a bar height counter between them. So, normally if someone's in the kitchen, you can see them...unless that someone is only about 2 1/2 feet tall.

I wait, thinking the noise was the fridge or the dishwasher and then I hear it again. I also hear Camden in the kitchen but I don't think much of it. We have all of the "off limits" cabinets locked up tight and the rest I don't mind if he explores and plays with the pots and pans or the measuring cups. But nothing I can think of that he can get to would be making the sound that I am hearing.

My curiosity finally got the better of me so I laid down my laundry and walked around the edge of the bar to see this...

Evidently I had gotten the refrigerator door closed just far enough that the alarm didn't sound but not closed enough that it sealed tightly. Camden opened the door and promptly found the Reddi-Wip and proceeded to make himself a snack.

Now some of you are probably wondering where he even got the idea to squirt it directly in his mouth...that would be my fault. And I guess it's also my fault for not getting the fridge door shut all the way. And since I already had two strikes against my winning the "mother of the year" title, I decide not to take the can from him, but to get him to do it a little longer so that I could get a good picture to share with all of you.

And since it's been a while since my last posting, here are some other pics from our summer for you to enjoy!!!

Camden jumping to Daddy in the "big pool"

Sliding down the slide #473

How we kill time while drying off before leaving...
Mmmm, Rainbow Pops

I LOVE GOING TO THE POOL!!!

Happy Cousin's Day!!!

2009-07-24T07:43:00.007-05:00

So I am pretty sure Hallmark just makes up "holidays" in order to create more cards and gifts to sell. Nonetheless, we just wanted to take a moment to wish Cousin Jay a "Happy Cousin's Day" today.

So far, this is Camden's only cousin...but none of my three siblings have started having kids yet so I am guessing that number will grow if they ever get around to it. I know I shouldn't pressure them, but I had to deal with the "pressure" for a few years and now it's someone else's turn. Okay...now it's Matt and Annie's turn - I'm fairly certain I don't want Camden's next cousin to be Uncle Ira's kid. :o)

So, Cousin Jay, enjoy your lone spot of cousin attention today - and have a great cousin's day!!! We'll see you in just four days!!!

A Visit with Friends

2009-07-20T17:54:00.006-05:00

This past Wednesday Camden had his first "sleepover" when my dear friend Jenny and her one year old son, Drew came to visit. We had a great time hanging out for a few days and then Jenny was off to a conference so it was just "me and the boys" for a couple of days.

I know there's lots of research out there trying to disprove or prove the idea that boys innately play with trucks and girls with dolls. I'm not sure which side of that argument I fall on, but I learned this weekend that at least our two boys fall on the side that likes to wrestle as soon as you put them together.

We enjoyed watching them so much we decided to take a couple of short videos to share with you. They're our version of a "cage fight" since they're trapped in the crib - but they enjoyed it and only cried when we took one of them out and the match was over.

I really enjoyed having a great visit with my friend and getting to know her little guy better. I will admit, going from one kid to two wasn't easy and took a lot more thinking, planning, patience, and Advil than I had thought it would - but even though they just left to head back to Raleigh/Durham today, I'm already looking forward to the time that we can visit again!

Happy Birthday, USA!

2009-07-05T21:08:00.006-05:00

We hope you all had a great Independence Day weekend. Ryan and I enjoyed a nice long weekend where we were able to get all of our "chores" done on Friday so that we could spend Saturday and Sunday just relaxing and enjoying time with friends.

Friday night we took Camden to see the fireworks in "Kaboom Town" which is in Addison, Texas about 15 miles from where we live. They have one of the best Independence Day celebrations in the country as rated by the American Pyrotechnics Association, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal...and they didn't disappoint. We got there in time to enjoy a nice dinner (thanks for the gift card, Mom and Dad) and see the war planes and flight stunt show before the fireworks began at 9:30. Camden loved the fireworks. He sat perfectly still for about the first 15 minutes and then he just wanted to play with the glow sticks a local church group had been handing out. I think they gave him 7 or 8 of them...they bought us quite a few minutes of peace - i.e. when he wasn't begging to get down and walk around.

Saturday night we had some friends over to grill out and earlier that afternoon while I was cutting up the watermelon for our appetizer, I handed Camden a piece...he wasn't quite sure about picking it up to eat it, but hey, whatever works...

The Last Few Days...

2009-06-29T08:13:00.009-05:00

We've been doing our best to survive the 100+ temps we've been having in Dallas the last few days. Yeah, right - you'd think we'd at least have enough sense to stay indoors where it's air conditioned. But no...Camden and I spent all day Friday at the zoo, then Ryan and I worked in the yard almost all day Saturday and then we had a church picnic Sunday late afternoon. At least the higher-ups at church did have enough sense to move the picnic from the park back to the church where we could at least have the option to be indoors if we wanted. It's supposed to cool off with this "cold front" passing through...it's only supposed to be 98 today...what a relief! :o)

I just wanted to share a couple of videos we've taken over the past week or so. There's nothing spectacular like first steps or anything...but Camden's a total ham and keeps us cracking up non-stop (I've been told he gets that from me...) and I wanted to share a few funny moments from the last few days. Enjoy!!!

The first one comes courtesy of Ryan's mom. She mailed Ryan a gift for Father's Day and Camden found the packing peanuts to be much more exciting than the actual gift. We agree with the YouTube video of the kid cracking up when his dad rips the paper...why buy expensive toys?

The second is Camden's assessment of his trip to the zoo. Here are a couple of still shots of Camden checking out the animals and then doing his impression of a lizard...you'll understand the lizard thing a little better when you watch the video...

In this video, we're at home and Camden's reading one of his favorite books. It's the touch and feel Baby Animals book he got for Christmas from Great Uncle Wayne and Great Aunt Betty. He loves the gorilla on the last page - he thinks it's a hilarious animal. While we were at the zoo we saw all kinds of animals, but Camden seemed to be most intrigued by the lizards and quickly learned to do his impression of one...

The last video was taken just before bedtime when Camden discovered that his mommy has ears too. He's been pointing out his own eyes, ears, mouth, etc...but would never point at mine or Ryan's when we asked him about ours. The other night we tried again and he finally "found mommy's ears" - perhaps he thought I didn't have any since I seem to not hear him when he's whining. :o)

World's Greatest Dad!

2009-06-21T16:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day, Ryan!!!

Hawaii...at last

2009-06-18T14:17:00.003-05:00

I know I am getting close to being a month overdue on posting about our Hawaii trip...but it's taken about that long for us to recover from it so cut me some slack. :o) You'd think being gone on our first actual vacation...a trip that doesn't involve Ryan attending conference sessions or the pinball movements that come with a trip to North Carolina...we'd come back rested and ready to tackle everything on our "to do" lists. But the trip seemed to have the opposite effect for me. I came back so laid back and relaxed that I just haven't yet been able to get back into the groove of everyday life. Now that things are starting to get back on track, I am finally posting the pictures from our trip...another thing on my to do list can officially be checked off.

We had a wonderful time - it was great to get away from the normalcy of everyday life and to reconnect with each other...to remember what life was like back in the B.C. (before Camden). It only took me about two days into the trip to stop telling the hostess "two and a highchair" when we went out for a meal. I did almost cut Ryan's food up for him once...but I caught myself just in time. :o)

We had such a great time that we're already planning our next trip. And I promise the pictures from that one will not be a month old before they're posted.

Click here to view our photos!

Making it Easy

2009-05-21T22:05:00.005-05:00

My child loves me...and he wants me to be happy. He knows the anxiety I've been feeling about leaving him next week and he's taken it upon himself to make it easier for me to go...

Today I put Camden in the Mother's Day Out program at our church from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. He normally naps early in the morning (around 10:30ish) and then again around 2 or so. Since he was at MDO, he got off his typical schedule by having just one nap around 12:30. Knowing that he'd be rotten this evening without another nap, I gave him a banana and some chocolate milk around 4:30 and decided to put him down for a late afternoon snooze. Since he'd managed to get banana everywhere but in his mouth, I left his sticky banana covered shorts off after his diaper change and I stuck him in the crib with just his t-shirt and diaper on.

About 10 til 6 I hear him stirring and when I open the door to his room I am met with the foulest of smells. Today is trash day which means the diapers in the DiaperGenie have been there for several days so I didn't think much of it. I continue into his room, turn on the lamp, and there stands my sweet little angel...naked from the waist down. I walk over to the crib where I find an enormous steamy pile of poop right in the middle of his bed. To make matters worse, as I go over to lift him out of the crib to keep the poop from getting anywhere it isn't already, I promise you, he looked straight into my eyes, smiled, and then peed through the slats on the crib rail all over the carpet below.

Once it's all contained and we've moved on to another snack, I call Ryan - who I actually been on the phone with when I discovered the pile of poo and immediately hung up on - to tell him that everything's okay and that I was sorry to drop his call like that. I proceed to tell him all that's just transpired...complete with a change of diaper, clothes, changing pad, sheets, blankets and all...and I get no sympathy - I can barely get the story told from having to wait for him to stop laughing so he can hear the next part. All Ryan had to say was that this one is even better than the one from June 2nd of last year - if you haven't read it, it's pretty good too. And I have to agree...today's events were pretty funny.

I am just so thankful to have a child that is willing to go the extra mile in order to make it easier for me to leave him here with his Granna for a week. I'm pretty sure I'm ready for a vacation!

One small step for man...

2009-05-20T20:42:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that Ryan and I are heading to Hawaii this Saturday on our first "child-free" vacation since Camden's arrival almost 14 months ago. Many of you also know the immense anxiety I am trying to fight off with leaving Camden here. Now, before you jump to the conclusion that I don't have faith my mother-in-law's child care abilities, let me remind you that I know what a fine job she can do taking care of little boys...I am married to her first attempt at child rearing and I'm pretty satisfied with the finished product. I did leave her a seven page (single spaced) document outlining every piece of information I could possibly think that she might need to know. Don't give me any grief, most of that is about how to program the coffee maker, use our gas range and activate the alarm system. It's not Camden or my MIL that I am worried about...it's me...

Along with all of the "normal" fears (that something will happen to Camden that would require a visit to the hospital for stitches or a cast...or a stomach pumping after all of the junk food he'll probably get while I'm gone) I also just had a fear of being disappointed... Meaning, I was afraid he'd accomplish some developmental milestone while we're away and I would miss it. I know, it's a selfish fear...but we've been working hard on certain words (ball, dog, bath, love you, etc.) and trying to take more than one step before face planting in the floor...and I was afraid that I would miss the fruits of all my labor.

Yesterday as I gave Millie a haircut and a bath Camden kept repeating "dog, bath...dog, bath" so I am pretty sure I can check those two words off my list. And (drum roll please) we've made the transition from the "one step-face plant move" to several steps with even a little balancing act in between. I wouldn't say he's "up and running" just yet - he's still much faster when he crawls so he'll opt to do that if he has to cover a long distance and sometimes his upper body is moving faster than his legs can go, but we've definitely hit a milestone in the fact that he'll even let go and take the 5-7 steps that allow me to comfortably get on the plane and take off.

Once he put his mind to this, he caught on really quick and went from the one step-face plant to the 5-7 steps in just a day and a half. I'm sure that as quick as he caught on to this, he'll be running circles around the house by the time we get back on the 31st...that is, if my MIL will put him down long enough to give it a try! :o)

One small step for man... from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle

2009-04-26T16:41:00.007-05:00

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like
-- Queen

This weekend marked another monumental occasion in the life of Camden Foster - his first bike ride!

For those of you that may not know, Ryan and I love to ride our bikes. We've gone on many vacations solely for the purpose of riding our bikes...from the Virginia Creeper Trail to the Cowboy Trail to the Wabash Trail Taco Ride and several routes in between. We also ride our bikes in various "bike rallies" like the Corporate Cup in Omaha and (a first for us) our upcoming ride in the 6th annual WildRide! Against Cancer on May 16 where we'll be riding in memory of Appie, Papaw Jay and Papaw Foster and in honor of LaLa! This is a fundraiser benefiting Richardson Regional Cancer Center... the satellite clinic Ryan works in and home of the Lance Armstrong Shaped Beam Surgery program (which is a funny name to me, b/c it sounds like the beam is shaped like Lance Armstrong...). :o) We're pretty excited to get back on the bikes after a year+ hiatus because of me being preggo and then Camden not being "big enough" to ride...until now.

To get those bike legs warmed up, we went for a ride around the neighborhood this weekend. We were worried that Camden might have the same initial reaction he did to the swing in the backyard...sheer terror. But as soon as we strapped him in his seat, he was schooching back and forth like he was telling us, "c'mon, let's go!" so we did just that. Here are a couple of pics and a video of the first big ride...

CMF First Bike Ride from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Uh-oh...Spaghettios

2009-04-23T13:44:00.004-05:00

A little known fact about me...I am a seven year old trapped in a 31 year old's body. Let me explain thorough a couple of examples...

In the summer of '07, Ryan took a business trip to Minneapolis and I tagged along. Most 30-something wives tag along to visit another city's museums, art districts, fine dining establishments, etc. I tagged along because Ryan said we'd come back home trough DeSmet, South Dakota. What's in DeSmet, you ask? Why, the homestead of Laura Ingalls Wilder - the main character in my most treasured book collection ever! When I was a kid I used to get in trouble all the time for hiding under my covers and reading all about Laura and her adventures in the unsettled west. I loved to imagine that I was Laura - playing with my corncob babydoll, grinding my own flour, etc. (Even though I am certain I wouldn't last 1o minutes in house with no indoor plumbing and winters in South Dakota with no central heat would kill me for sure...but it's fun to imagine.)

So after a few days in Minneapolis (one of which we found out we were having Camden), I could finally stop imagning what it was like and actually experience it for real - me and all the other little 5-9 year old girls on the guided tour. It was awesome...I made my own corncob baby doll, I ground flour and I even got to drive the covered wagon! The couple of days we spent in DeSmet were some of the most fun days of my life - someday I hope to have a little girl who loves Laura as much as I do and I'll get to take her there too.

Fast forward to the delivery of our first child. I'm in the hospital and labor is beginning - I am trying to decide what to have for lunch...my last "non-mommy meal." UNMC actually had pretty good food so it wasn't that I dreaded "hospital food" it was just that nothing sounded good - not the chicken tenders, not the cheeseburger, none of the salads...untill I flip to the last page and there they are...Spaghettios. You need to understand...I have a pretty refined palate...I love a good sushi roll, I love a good aged steak, I love a glass of really good wine...but I also love Spaghettios. When I eat them, it's just a nostalgic moment for me. They are always served with a grilled cheese sandwich (cut on the diagonal, of course) and a glass of chocolate milk. As I ate my lunch that day, I told Ryan that while I was looking forward to raising our child, to staying home with him everyday and having so many opportunities to teach him about the things around him and about how much God loves him...I was also looking forward to the day when we could share our first bowl of Spaghettios together.

Today was the day...and he truly is my child - I think he ate more than I did. He at least wore more than I ate. I have lots and lots of things on my list that I can't wait to share with my child - but check this one off...we love Spaghettios!

Before and After

2009-04-21T08:14:00.003-05:00

I am not going to use this blog to post cutesy stories and chain letters. If you know anything at all about me, you know I am not a fan of most of those things anyway - I'm pretty certain God's blessings in my life are not dependent on whether or not I "forward this message to 10 people in the next 5 minutes". But my good friend Sarah, a mom of twins that are exactly one year to the day older than Camden, sent me this and I just had to post it here for you to read. Almost every one of them is already true for me...and the ones that aren't yet are just waiting to happen. Enjoy!

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful to have been born the USA, the most powerful free democracy in the world.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for Velcro tennis shoes. As well as saving valuable time, now I can hear the sound of my son taking off his shoes -- which gives me three extra seconds to activate the safety locks on the back seat windows right before he hurls them out of the car and onto the freeway.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the recycling program that will preserve our natural resources and prevent the overloading of landfills.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for swim diapers because every time my son wanders into water in plain disposables, he ends up wearing a blimp the size of, say, New Jersey, on his
bottom.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for fresh, organic vegetables.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for microwaveable macaroni and cheese -- without which my children would be surviving on about three bites of cereal and their own spit.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to obtain a college education and have a higher quality of life than my ancestors.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to finish a complete thought without being interrupted.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for holistic medicine and natural herbs.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for pediatric cough syrup guaranteed to "cause drowsiness" in young children.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for all of the teachers who had taught, encouraged, and nurtured me throughout my formative years.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for all of the people at Weight Watchers who let me strip down to pantyhose and a strategically placed scarf before getting on the scale each week.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to vacation in exotic foreign countries so I could experience a different way of life in a new culture.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to have time to make it all the way down the driveway to get the mail.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the Butterball turkey hotline.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for a warm, cozy home to share with my loved ones.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the lock on the bathroom door.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for such material objects as custom furniture, a nice car, and trendy clothes.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful when the baby spits up and misses my good shoes.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for my wonderful family.
AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for my wonderful family.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2009-04-17T15:32:00.009-05:00

It was high time Camden got to see the baseball team for whose stadium he is named. The Orioles came to Dallas to play the Rangers this week so he finally got the chance. We went to two of the three games in the series b/c of church on Wednesday night (but with the butt-whoopin' the O's got that night...I'm kinda glad we weren't there...) The two games we made it to were great - close down to the last out and the O's came out on top both of those nights.

Camden did great - despite the fact that he's usually in bed at 7:30 p.m. and the games didn't even start until 7:05. I finagled his naps to allow him a late afternoon siesta and that seemed to do the trick - and when that didn't work, cotton candy did. :o)

Here are some photos from the game - enjoy!!!
Daddy and Camden on their way in to the game.

Camden - just taking it all in...

Mmmmmm...cotton candy

Daddy and Camden at the game...go O's!!!

He'd have made it if the game hadn't gone into extra innings!!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:07:00.011-05:00

The Easter ham leftovers are in the fridge, the dyed eggs reconnaissance missions were all successful and the chocolate bunny has met his demise... Camden probably won't remember much of what we did today but I am glad he was here to help us celebrate. A few years ago Ryan and I would try to "get in the Easter spirit" by dyeing eggs just for the two of us - but putting all that effort into decorating only to have our finished works of art sit in the fridge until it was time to throw them away just wasn't as fun as Easter with a little one.

Here are some pics from our Easter holiday - and while the baskets, bunnies and jellybeans are great, I'd be remiss not to give thanks for the reason we celebrate - the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus!!! Happy Easter to you all!!!

Camden with all of his Easter loot!

Dyeing Easter eggs...okay, watching mom and dad do most of the work... but I did help a little!

That bunny is mine...all mine!!!

Our finished eggs... when Camden has a little brother or sister we'll have to make sure their name isn't more than six letters long or we'll have to buy more than one dozen eggs! :o)

Mom's Two-Cents

2009-03-28T15:01:00.006-05:00

The party is over, the "baby" is sleeping and now that I finally have a chance to catch my breath, I wanted to take a minute to write my birthday post.

I really want to write something sentimental - to tell you all about how my life has changed in the last year and how much I love being a mom. I want to jot down all that's going through my mind about this past year...but somehow the words just fail me. There just aren't words to describe how much I love my child - even on his (and my) worst days - and how I can't imagine life without him. I can't figure out how to explain how even though being a mom can sometimes be the most difficult job I've ever had, it is far and away the most rewarding. Words also fail me when it comes to expressing how grateful I am for my husband and how much I have enjoyed watching him grow as a father this year.

So before I get all water-head on you, let me just post a couple of pictures of Camden with his cake...laughter is the quickest remedy for tearing up...at least you can say you're laughing so hard you're crying...

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

2009-03-27T19:12:00.013-05:00

Hi everyone...Camden here. Mom and Dad are too busy reminiscing over the past year and mourning the loss of my "baby status" to post a blog, but I wanted to post a little something on my special day.

Today was very exciting. I woke up at my Granna Jane's house to Honey Nut Cheerios and not the old plain ones that I usually have. The Cheerio snack was followed by some good 'ol southern style sausage gravy and biscuits - yum-o!!! After breakfast I played a little and then I took a nap before I (along with my entourage - mom, dad, Oma, Papa, and Granna) went to get my very first haircut. Not that needed one or anything...here's my "before" shot...

"Aunt Sherrie" (my stylist) kept me entertained through most of the haircut with a lollipop. I was so excited about the sucker I hardly noticed she was coming at my face with scissors.

The haircut was a huge success. I got a little fussy b/c I knew they'd keep throwing treats at me. By the time it was all said and done, not only did I have a stylish new "do" but I had two lollipops, three cookies, and had played with three new toys and two combs.

After my haircut I went out for lunch with the same entourage and then home for a three hour nap - all that lollipop and cookie eating wears a boy out! Now I am just hanging out with the fam and gearing up for my birthday party tomorrow.

I'll leave you with a video my mom worked long and hard to put together to commemorate my first year... She'll debut it tomorrow at the party, but I thought a sneak peek on my actual birthday would be better...

Birthdays, Birthdays Everywhere!!!

2009-03-12T09:31:00.003-05:00

I used to think October was the big birthday month...me, Ryan, my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law...even my parent's dog all celebrate birthdays in that month. However, I am beginning to think that March is catching up. First we celebrated Jay on the 7th, then my brother-in-law on the 9th, today it's my sister's turn and Camden will round out the month of celebrations on the 27th.

But for today, we just wanted to wish Auntie M a happy 24th birthday. Again, doing it the best way we know how...

We love you, Maria and we can't wait to see you in a week. Camden is so excited about taking his Auntie M to see the cattle drive!!!

Love you - M, R, C and M-dog

A Shout Out to Cousin Jay

2009-03-07T20:14:00.006-06:00

So I intended to post this much earlier in the day, but our Internet was possessed by the devil or several of his angels...or possibly all of them. Ryan just spent an hour on the phone with AT&T Tech Support and now we're finally reconnected. So...

We just wanted to wish Camden's only cousin, Jay, a very happy first birthday!!! We had trouble deciding on what to send...a Facebook message...perhaps an e-card...but in the end we decided sending our love and our birthday wishes ourselves just made the most sense!

Happy First Birthday, Jay - we hope this is the first one of many, many, many more happy birthdays ahead! We love you and we can't wait to see you soon!!!

Love,

Aunt Mandy, Uncle Ryan and Cousin Camden...and Millie too!

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me...

2009-02-23T18:58:00.004-06:00

I always feel like somebody's watchin' me
And I have no privacy
I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me it can't be

Stealing from Aunt Jen's "theme song" blog title idea, I just thought this song sums up nicely how I feel about things going on here. My mom will not let me get into ANYTHING! She is constantly throwing toys in front of me, but doesn't she realize that if she gives me an object to play with, I immediately lose all interest in said object. For instance, I would much rather play with a remote control than any of my toys - and don't try to pull that whole "old remote with no batteries in it trick" - I fell for that when I was younger but I am much older and wiser now. She doesn't get that I would much rather figure out how to get that silly child proof plastic guard off the front of the DVD player than to figure out how to match up the animal shapes on my fridge magnet game. And I would much, much, much rather play in the water in Millie's bowl than ANYTHING else in the whole wide world.

For the most part, I try to be obedient, but since I've learned to crawl, I just want to explore all of the new things I'm finding around the house. Mom usually does a pretty good job keeping the child locks on the lower cabinet doors and keeping the doors to "non Camden proofed rooms" shut but I am always on the lookout for a slip up on her part. And since I am getting faster and faster everyday, if she ever does take her eyes off me for a second, I seize the opportunity to get into something I know I shouldn't. Like earlier today, she forgot to close the door to the little room in her bathroom where the "magic water-swirling machine" is - I love to pull up and stand next to the water and today I found out that my arms are long enough to reach the pretty blue water in the bottom. Oooh boy, she was not happy when she found me. First we had a "come to Jesus meeting" and then I got a bath. I didn't mind so much the meeting (mom laughed most of the way through it) and I love taking baths. With this stunt, I got to play in the water twice today!

Just know that I do this all for you, dear faithful blog readers. I figure the more stuff I get into, the more she'll have to blog about. And I'd love to write more now...to tell you all about the front page of the Sports Illustrated I ate yesterday or how much I love to pull the lint out of the lint catcher in the front of the dryer and eat it, but mom's busy in the kitchen so I need to get going... Now let's see, where did she lay that Sharpie?

Here's Your Sign

2009-02-11T09:48:00.006-06:00

So I've been using some sign language with Camden since he was about six months old. At first, he just kinda stared at me like I was crazy. When he was about nine months old he finally figured out the sign for "more" and trust me, when it comes to Cheerios, he has that one down like a champ.

He's recently added "dog" to his list since I do the sign for it every time I try to explain that he can't play in Millie's water bowl because that belongs to the "dog" (pat leg repeatedly). On rare occasion he'll say please and we're now working a little more diligently on thank you.

We've been using ASL signs but now we have a new one from the CMF sign language dictionary. This is the sign for "oh my gosh I love to eat food"... enjoy!

Excited About Eating from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

What's New With the Foster's???

2009-02-06T22:14:00.012-06:00

A million things... I am so overwhelmed with it all I don't even know where to start!!!

Let's see... I know I posted some info about Christmas a while back with the promise of some pictures. I'll do one better and give you a couple of videos to watch:

These are of our Christmas here in Dallas which we actually celebrated on January 1st.

Camden's First Christmas Gift from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Playing with Christmas Gift from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Camden really loves this zoo - and because he presses the button over and over and over again, the songs will forever be stuck in my head. I know the day is coming when Ryan arrives home after a long day at work to find me curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth singing "animals, animals, animals from places near and far...they make their home right in the zoo, where each one is a star!" I need to find out if they make medication specifically to alleviate the pain of Fisher Price jingles.

Things settled down after the holidays for about...oh, 2 hours...and then the packing, sorting, cleaning began for the move into our new house. We closed mid-January and then I spent a week or so painting almost every room in the new place (jmf, I needed you desperately!) I did have a lot of help - friends offering to watch Camden so I could work, guys from Sunday School that helped move box after box after box, and one super-friend who came over and helped with the painting for about 10 hours.

This is Jennifer - aka super painter - up in the niches in the foyer... Thank goodness she came over, I never really was a fan of heights.

Indulge me for a moment and let me say thanks to those that helped - I'd still be at it if it weren't for all of your help.

When it was time to take all the painter's tape off, it somehow attacked Camden and got stuck to his leg. A good mom would have run to his aid and helped him crawl away from it... I ran to get the camera and laughed my butt off instead...

Once I had most everything done, we "officially" moved in. That's when the cardboard boxes starting mating and multiplying. I swear...every time I got one emptied, I'd turn around and there'd be three more in its place!

Luckily, my mom had already planned a trip out here before we really knew any of this would be going on, and she was here for eight days of glorious unpacking bliss. Back in the day when family would visit we'd go to local attractions - the zoo, a baseball game, Mt. Rushmore, etc. - but now the entertainment lives at our house so we don't have to go anywhere! Mom was content to sit on the floor and listen to the Fisher Price jingles so I had lots and lots of time to unpack. I even decided to tackle painting the dining room red... which I am still working on everyday for 1-2 hours (i.e. during nap time). I figure it'll get done eventually, right? Besides...if I don't have it done by the end of the month, my mother-in-law is coming for a visit and she's even more into Fisher Price jingles than my mom is!

Here's a picture of the new place. When we get things done on the inside, I'll post a few more - no one wants to see my half painted dining room. :o)

So that's about all that's been going on with us. Ryan's busy with work but loving (just about) every minute of it, I'm staying busy keeping up with a kid that can crawl about 40 mph, and Millie's staying busy trying to avoid said kid getting ahold of her tail. All in all...life as usual. :o)

1000 Apologies

2009-01-27T15:19:00.002-06:00

I have soooo many things to tell you about - videos to post, pictures to share, stories to tell - the list goes on and on...

Unfortunately, we won't have Internet at our new house until February 5th so I can't write all that I have to share until then. I'm only able to send this quick message b/c my mom is in town and can keep Camden out of Millie's water bowl long enough for me to send this!

I promise, as soon as they connect me with the outside world, I will send all my updates on my crawling, Cheerio eating, pulling up and trying to walk adorable child...until then, 1000 apologies for the lack of info.

Just FYI

2009-01-05T19:01:00.004-06:00

Because the grandparents and other "extended family" are always curious, here are Camden's vitals from his 9 month check up today.

Length - 29 3/4 inches (90th percentile)
Weight - 22 pounds, 13 ounces (75th-90th percentile)
Head Circumference - 18 cm (50th percentile)

So despite thighs that feel like a "stress ball" when you squeeze them - thanks, Oma :o) - he really is right on for his weight. And the pediatrician has assured me that between now and 20-24 months, his height will shoot up and his weight will only increase slightly. That is, of course, unless I give in and give him "more" every time he grins and me and signs it. At some point, he's going to have to learn the sign for "all done" too!!! :o)

Ch-ch-changes

2009-01-02T20:25:00.004-06:00

Time to face the strain...ch-ch-changes. So much has happened and changed since my last post I don't even know where to begin. I guess Julie Andrews said it best...let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start...

Camden and I flew to NC on the 14th for an extra week of grandparent lovin' before Ryan joined us on the 21st and we got busy with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Camden's first Christmas was great - he loves ripping paper so he's a natural born pro at unwrapping gifts - and still far more interested in the paper once the gift is unwrapped. We sat him in the middle of the mountain of gift wrap after we were done opening presents at Oma and Papa's house and you'd have thought he was a kid in a candy store - he was soooo excited. Even though I suggested his grandparents just wrap empty boxes (yeah, right) we still had five boxes that had to be shipped back to TX after the festivities were over. From blocks to books to toys that will play various songs to get stuck in my head...it looked like Toys R Us had thrown up in the living room floor at Granna's house.

While we were home Camden watched his cousin Jay (who's 20 days older) very intently trying to figure out how he was getting those knees and arms to work in sync to get across the room on his own. He didn't quite get the hang of it until we got back to Texas, but he did figure out how to go from being on his belly to sitting up all by himself while we were enjoying our 4 hour layover in Chicago. The layover was scheduled so we knew what we were getting into on the journey home...in fact, all of our flights, luggage arrival, package shipping, etc. was on time and uneventful going and coming. Camden especially got into looking out the window on the flight back to Texas from Chicago. He sat like this for a good 15-20 minutes - relief was felt by Ryan and me both...along with every other person on the plane.

Since we've been back our days have been filled with more boxes...not for shipping gifts though. These boxes are for moving. Yep, that's right, we're moving...again. We have purchased a home here in Dallas and will be moving in just a week. We're excited to be in "our own space" again and Millie is ecstatic about having a backyard again.

Because of all this packing and moving, I just haven't had time to sort through and upload the Christmas photos or edit the amazingly cute video we took of Jay and Camden in the bath, but I promise I will get to that as soon as I can and have that on here for you to see.

For the time being, we hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we pray God's blessings for you in the year ahead.

I learned something today...

2008-12-05T15:13:00.005-06:00

I learn something new about being a mommy just about every day. Today I learned that if your child is on an antibiotic that makes him have diarrhea, no matter how much he wants to, the jumperoo is just not a good idea. Combine poop that is quick and abundant in its arrival with all of that jumping in the harness...it doesn't matter how quickly you react, that stuff is everywhere in a matter of seconds. Just thought I'd let you know what I did this afternoon. :o)

Family Traditions

2008-12-04T07:36:00.003-06:00

First, I have to say thanks to Ryan for that sweet post on 11/25. I am eternally grateful to have the opportunity to stay home with Camden and I so appreciate his willingness to work hard and to make those little sacrifices to give me the chance to do so. Having come from a job where I had formal observations on a semi-regular basis, it's been a change for me to be in a "job" where I may not know the results of my performance for many, many years. Hearing from him that I am "at or above expectations" was very gratifying...so thanks.

Thanks for indulging me...now, for my post.

Every family has their holiday traditions. You know, those things that you have to do during the holidays. For my family growing up, it was White Christmas. Every Christmas Eve we would all sit down and watch the movie together - reciting many of the lines as the movie played and of course, my parents would always sing the "Mandy" song to me and Maria and I would always sing the "Sister" song - it just wasn't Christmas until we had seen it.

When it comes to being sentimental, I am not a "things" person. Perhaps it comes from living in an apartment where space is a highly valued commodity, but I am not into tchotchkes, I don't really collect things, I read magazines and newspapers ASAP so I can get the clutter out of my house (that I come by honestly from my Granny Wagoner) and I don't need a trinket from every place I travel to remind me that I went there...that's just how I am.

In the last few months (i.e. since Camden's arrival) I have been slightly more sentimental...but only slightly. I still don't want Precious Moments figurines scattered all over the house, but I am keeping a few things to put in his scrapbook and I've decided that if it's sentimental and it can serve a purpose - not just sit around and help me earn my "professional dust collector" title - then it can stay.

Another thing I have learned about traditions is that when you have a baby, traditions have to be flexible because they have to change. Since Camden isn't really old enough to remember all of it this year, we've decided to go to NC one last time for the big day. Next year, we'll stay home and do Christmas morning and the whole Santa thing at our home and then head to NC after the holidays. While it's exciting to start thinking about what we'll do as our family traditions, it did just dawn on me that next Christmas will be the first one in my then 32 years on this earth that I have not seen White Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve. I know my parents will be flexible and that even though they'll still watch it on Christmas Eve, they'll watch it again with us when we get there. It is a little sad...but at the same time I am excited about what will be our family traditions.

One tradtition that has been ours for the last few years is Rudolph. I don't know why that choppy, clamation story has been so important to me, but if I don't see it...it's just not Christmas. And for some reason, even though I have it on DVD, I still have to see it on TV with all the commercials. Ryan found out when it was coming on a few weeks ago and it's been on the calendar as a night that he couldn't work late...he too knows the significance of this night.

So last night, we sat down as a family and started what will be one of our family traditions. We watched Rudolph together. Okay...I mostly watched Camden watch Rudolph...but still, you get the picture.

In the years ahead, I am looking forward to watching Camden perform in the children's program at church, waking up at the crack of dawn to see what Santa has brought and eating Christmas tree shaped pancakes on Christmas morning...but I don't want to hurry those things...right now, I just want to enjoy my baby's first Christmas - which can officially happen now that we've seen Rudolph. :o)

Merry Christmas to all of you and whatever it is that "makes it Christmas" for you, enjoy it. Enjoy also the time you'll have with friends and family as we celebrate what "makes it Christmas" for all of us...the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!!

A Tribute To A Wonderful Mother

2008-11-25T17:01:00.008-06:00

This being my first blog post, I thought I would devote it to a very important topic: what a great mother Mandy is to our son. You'll have to indulge me and let me brag about my wife a little. I had always thought she would be a great mom; she's funny and silly and very compassionate. She's also very patient. I've never seen her lose her cool, even when Camden is at his fussiest. She's flown by herself with him several times and she's had 3 hour layovers in Chicago and Denver. She's always well prepared for these trips, with toys and books packed to keep Camden occupied. She and Camden breeze through airport security better than most business travelers. She keeps this blog updated and uploads pictures to CVS, so that our parents in NC can pick them up at the store. She takes him to all of his doctor's appointments and has gotten him on a nap and eating schedule. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

Camden and I are both very fortunate to have such a wonderful woman as a wife and mother. Mandy, we both love you very much and are very proud of you.

Ryan and Camden

These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

2008-11-20T11:52:00.007-06:00

Camden and I just returned from a trip back to Omaha...and those changes in latitudes introduced Camden to cold weather and multiple layers of clothes. There really wasn't a change in attitude...I still don't like the cold. I was relieved when we landed in Dallas last night and it was 78 degrees! :o)

We went back to visit friends and to have Camden's pictures made by the same fabulous photographer that did his newborn shots. The church we used to attend was having their Thanksgiving dinner the night we arrived so we were able to see and reconnect with lots of people. I hardly saw Camden the entire evening. He kept getting passed from one person to another all night. Fortunately, he's just on this side of having "stranger anxiety" so he was okay with not being in my arms...but he made certain he could still see me no matter where he was in the room. I did manage to escape for a moment and go to the restroom...only to return and find him licking chocolate icing off the fingers of "Uncle Brian" - I would have been concerned except for the fact that "Uncle Brian" is the doctor that delivered him and was his doctor for the first few months of his life...so I guess if the doctor doesn't think it'll hurt him then it probably won't. Although, since Brian became a grandpa this summer, I am quite sure that he had slipped out of the "doctor" role and into his newly acquired "grandpa" role for a moment...

Camden and I had lunch with friends on Monday, stopped by my old school and see everyone and go out to lunch with a friend from there on Tuesday, swung by a friend's house and visit with her and two of her kids Tuesday afternoon and then I was able to go Jazzercise by myself (thanks Emma!) at my old - and greatly missed - class and then out with the gals from class for dinner. Between friends at church, lunches and working out, it was a great trip and it made me miss the friends I have there...but I still don't like the cold weather. :o)

While we were there, we stayed out on the hobby farm of our friends Roger and Denise Friesen. This is the family that always kept Millie when Ryan and I would have to travel. They also opened their home to us while we were in the transition stage and had closed on the sale of our home in Omaha but weren't yet able to head to Dallas. When we stayed with them back at the end of June, they had just had some baby chickens hatch and we took Camden's picture with one of the baby chicks. While we were there this weekend, Camden and the chicken were reunited and we took more pictures of them together...it's kinda cute...

They've both grown quite a bit in the last few months!!!

On a side note...I am flying alone with Camden in December because we've already laid those plans...but that may be my last solo trip with him. He's entering that stage between being a baby and being a toddler...I've heard it called "destructo-phase" and I am starting to agree. Luckily I had empty seats next to me on three of our four flights this time...but that last leg last night was rough. I exhausted every item in my "bag of tricks" and we tore through half a Sky Mall magazine and a banana but it still wasn't enough to keep the screaming at bay. I'm either going to need Ryan's help or pack a few doses of Benadryl in my bag of tricks next time. :o)

A new spin on an old fairy tale

2008-11-07T13:43:00.007-06:00

So you've all heard the story about Little Red Riding Hood and how she met up with the big bad wolf with his big ears, his big beady eyes, and his big sharp teeth. Well, this is our new version...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Once upon a time there was a "not so little 'cause she still needed to lose a good bit of that baby weight, red-headed (not hooded) princess" named Mommy for short. She lived in an enchanted apartment covered with a fine layer of dog hair with her handsome Prince Ryan. Every morning she would get up to spend her day caring for the really big, but not-so-bad, monkey (see pictures from Halloween post if you don't know why he's a monkey) that slept in the bedroom down the hall.

Each morning she would enter the room where the monkey was sleeping and as she would peer over the side of the crib, the monkey would greet her with the biggest smile you can ever imagine...what a great way to start each day.

And, every morning, Mommy would say to the monkey, "My, what big ears you have...you must have gotten those from the Wagoners." The monkey would just keep smiling back at her and think, "Better to hear you and obey you when you ask or tell me to do something every time, every day my entire life long, my dear". (Hey, this is my fairy tale...I can write it with a wishful heart...)

Then Mommy would say, "My, what big, beautiful blue eyes you have!" The monkey would smile again and think, "Better to bat at you when I don't do everything you ask or tell me to do so that I can get away with it, my dear." (Wishful, yes...but I am in touch with reality too...)

And that's usually where the story would end...with a diaper change, outfit for the day, and they'd be on their way...

But this morning, when Mommy looked at those smiles, she saw something she'd never seen before. This morning, Mommy said, "My, what big TEETH you have!" The Monkey just smiled back at Mommy and thought, "Great, bring on the sirloin...that runny baby food crap is disgusting, my dear!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yep, you read it right, Camden has teeth. He's been really cranky the last couple of days and whenever I'd touch his gums to check, he'd pitch a fit so I knew they were sore and that it would only be a matter of time... They are just barely through so, unfortunately for him, the sirloin is still a long time coming. And because they are just barely in and because he won't hold still long enough for me to get a good look, they are too hard to get a picture of. However, I can definitely feel them when he bites me. :o) And even with just a little bit through, it makes him look like a different baby.

For those of you family members that are reading this, I am sure by the time we get home for the holidays they'll be easy to see and will probably accompanied by a few more, but if they are in to the point that I can get a good picture between now and then, I'll make sure to post one (and if I can get said picture, I'll send one to each of the grandparents as soon as I have a chance ...no need to remind me).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
So Mommy spent her day giving the really big, but not-so-bad monkey frozen washcloths to chew on a little Orajel to sooth the pain...and they lived happily ever after.

Little Man

2008-11-02T13:55:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to share a couple of pics of the most adorable kid on the planet. I know, I know...all my mommy friends just took the defensive knowing that their kid is more adorable...but you have to check out these pics before you make your final decision. :o)

We joined a church here in Dallas today and since we knew that we'd be presented for membership to the church body, we made sure to dress in our Sunday finest this morning. I don't know why we even try anymore...Ryan and I could have been wearing potato sacks as we stood up there today...with a kid this cute, no one even noticed us. And I can guarantee everyone will be asking us our names again for weeks to come, but everyone knows Camden for sure. Wait, they won't need to know our names...we're just "Camden's mom and dad"...we don't have names anymore! :o)

Our Little Man...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T20:00:00.006-05:00

Trick or Treat!!!

We just wanted to share a few "treats" from Camden's 1st Halloween. He wasn't able to stay in his costume too long...the monkey suit wasn't really meant to be worn when it's 82 degrees outside! It hard to believe that Halloween was canceled a few years ago in Omaha because of all the snow...what a change being a few states south can make!

There are also a couple of pics from our pumpkin carving play date last weekend.

On a side note...Ryan and I were quite under the weather this week, but we think we've managed to get through it without Camden getting it too. Hopefully we won't wake up tonight with him being sick...that would take Halloween "tricks" to a whole new level!

Happy Halloween!

Ryan and Camden carving a "baby Jack"

Mandy and Camden carving pumpkins

What a cute little monkey!!!

Camden at our church's fall festival

Camden and his pal Zachary...two cute little monkeys!

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2008-10-20T21:38:00.006-05:00

Okay...so all my mommy friends cautioned me about introducing the fruits before the veggies for fear that Camden might not take to veggies if offered the sweet fruits first.

We've had peas, carrots, and green beans. Thinking that some sweeter veggies would be a great transition to the fruits, we've also had squash and sweet potatoes. How'd Camden do with those you ask? Take a look at my kid...he obviously has no trouble eating.

That all changed with the bananas. Not a big fan of those...

Bananas from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

I'm not complaining...I'd much rather face a future of trying to get my kid to eat his pears than to eat his peas.

Just because it's hilarious...

2008-10-20T21:12:00.003-05:00

This is what you get when you have a kid with three chins that doesn't mind if you use them to entertain yourself and others...

Three Chins from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Dorothy said it best...

2008-10-20T20:30:00.021-05:00

There's no place like home.

And that's where we've been for the past couple of weeks. Ryan, Camden and I left Dallas on October 3rd and headed for North Carolina.

Our trip began with a Saturday at our alma mater, Western Carolina University, for Ryan's 10 year college reunion Homecoming game. We went with Ryan's mom, my parents and my sister. We tailgated, we watched the Catamounts lose, we listened and watched the phenomenal band, and we burned in the fall sun. We celebrated Ryan's birthday there and then went out to dinner at my favorite restaurant from my college days...okay, my favorite one that wasn't delivering pizza at 3 a.m.

The day after the game, Ryan, his mom, Camden and I headed to Holden Beach, NC to spend a week with Ryan's brother Derek, his wife (my sister-in-law-in-law, or SILIL for short) Jen, their son Jay (who's only 20 days older than Camden) and Jen's family.

It was Camden's first trip to the beach and I think it went well. He ate about 3 pounds of sand, but he doesn't seem to be any worse for the wear so I'm not worried about it.

We had a fabulous time. Jay and Camden were pretty much the source of entertainment for the entire week. When they weren't just playing on their mat and being cute, they were posing for pics on the beach being even cuter.

Between the book reading, the junk food munching, the cards and board game playing, and the walks on the beach, there's no way I can complain about a single moment of the entire week. Okay...one complaint, Ryan had to leave on Wednesday and go back to Dallas. We all wished he could have stayed longer. But...with Ryan gone, and the kiddos with the grandparents...Jen and I even managed to escape for a day to go shopping and out for lunch without babies in tow.

After the week at the beach, I headed to Elkin to spend a week with my family. It was a great week there too. I got to be with my entire family one day to celebrate my youngest brother's birthday and then the rest of the week was spent just hanging out - a day in the mountains with Mom, Dad and Maria - hiking near the viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway - a day shopping and eating out with Mom, a day with my grannies...sometimes the best times are just being with family...and not doing much of anything.

After a couple of weeks at my favorite place...home...I am reminded that the best things in life aren't things.

Busy...busy...busy...

2008-10-01T14:06:00.017-05:00

Oh my goodness...where does the time go? I just turned around today and it was OCTOBER! I can't believe that Camden is over 6 months old now. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital - so much has changed since then - where we live, where we work, the size of our kiddo...

At Camden's 6 month check up he weighed in at 18 pounds, 2 1/2 ounces with a length of 27 inches. Both of those are in the 60th percentile - a far cry from that less than 3rd percentile he was in at 2 months old! This past Saturday (9/27) marked this 6 month milestone and with it we added peas to the menu and he also rolled off the couch. He dislikes the peas way more than he disliked falling off the sofa! :o)

We've also done a lot of exciting things these past few weeks. Our previous post told you all about the Children's Museum in Boston but here are a few other shots from our Boston trip...

In Boston Commons reading
"Make Way for Ducklings"
with Aunt Doody

In line with the duckling
statues in the park -
Jack, Kack, Lack,
Mack, Nack, Ouack,
Pack, Quack...and Camden

Dinner...where everybody
knew our name...

We got back to Dallas late on Wednesday night so we rested up for a few days because on Sunday, Ryan got to use his first Father's Day gift from Camden...his tickets to the Cowboys vs. the Redskins game at Texas Stadium.

We had a great time. Our tickets weren't nearly as "nose bleed" as I had anticipated and the crowd around us was a nice mix of fans from both teams...so we didn't fear for our safety as the clock ticked away to a Redskins victory...

Camden in his Redskins romper.
A Cowboys fan behind us kept
yelling "child abuse" and calling
for Child Protective Services to
come take us away...
very funny :o)

Two of the cutest guys on the
planet enjoying a Sunday
afternoon of football

A happy family celebrating
the Redskins victory!

We're headed to North Carolina this Friday for a week at the beach with the Foster family and a a few days in the mountains with the Rogers family. We're anticipating lots of fun times that we'll look forward to sharing with you as soon as we get back!

Oh...I almost forgot...after posting Camden's 2 and 3 month "measurement pictures", several of you requested that I continue to post those monthly shots...here are the 6 month ones:

With Freckie...Ryan's old Pound Puppy from his childhood days

With his dog that Oma and Papa
gave him...we're still trying to
come up with a name for him...

You're never too young...or too old...

2008-09-22T15:01:00.011-05:00

Camden and I spent the morning at the Boston Children's Museum. Camden enjoyed it a lot more than I thought he would - I feared it would be a little too "old" for him, but the temperature is only 59 here today so we were looking for something to do indoors. I was pleasantly surprised with the museum. There were several "exhibits" that catered to the "younger crowd" and he really got into a few things. Besides, I loved playing in the bubble room just about as much as he enjoyed seeing all those bubbles. Here are a few pictures from our day...unfortunately, I am not talented enough to make the bubbles and take pictures at the same time, but there are shots from some other exhibits we enjoyed.

We're still in Boston, so the post with all the info about this exciting journey will come later. I just had a spare moment while Ryan's at a conference session and Camden naps to post these...

Enjoy!!!

On our way in to have some fun!!!

Camden enjoying a pinwheel at
the wind station.

Playing with a puzzle...he's really good at getting the pieces out of the puzzle, but he wanted to put them in his mouth, not back in the puzzle! :o)

Tummy time on the "city map"

Through the lips and over the tongue...watch out tummy, here it comes!!!

2008-09-13T13:11:00.005-05:00

Today marks a momentous occasion in Camden's otherwise short life...solid foods!!!

Camden really started showing signs this week that he was ready for foods...reaching for my fork while I was eating, wanting to hold his own bottle, watching my every move as I ate, etc. But I wanted to wait until we were back in Dallas so that Daddy could participate. After I returned from NC late last night, we began to prepare ourselves for the big event:

High chair...check
Cute little bowl...check
Ergonomically correct spoon...check
Box o' rice cereal...check
Warm formula to mix in...check
Video camera charged and ready...check
Millie on standby to clean up messes...check and double check...

By the time we got everything set up and ready, Camden was beyond waiting on us. As soon as I tried to start feeding him, he wanted to wrestle the spoon away from me and do it himself...Mr. Independent rears his little head!

I held on to the spoon for the most part and he actually did a pretty good job. Most of the food went in his mouth. What didn't make it there was mainly b/c I did give in and let him have the spoon every now and then - when I did, he would bang it on the high chair tray to notify me that he would like something more on that spoon, and what little cereal that remained on it would go flying...but, as you can see from the checklist, we did have Millie on standby and luckily she seems to like rice cereal almost as much as Camden does.

Here are a couple of videos to show how things went. The first gives you a taste of what we heard from Camden if I didn't get the spoon reloaded quick enough...

Yummy yum!!! from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

The second is a little clip of Millie getting in on the action. She was more than willing to clean up those hands for him - which he thoroughly enjoyed. I think she would have been thrilled if we let her clean up his face...but I should probably draw the line somewhere.

Millie gets in on the action from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

Since taking the video and getting it set up to post, we've now had lunch and Daddy did that feeding. He did a better job than I did of getting it all in Cam-man's mouth and Camden became a member of the "clean plate club" - although one look at our little chunk-a-muffin and you'll see why we didn't anticipate eating being a problem for him!

We are family...I've got all my COUSINS with me!

2008-09-13T11:45:00.015-05:00

Since this one is about Jay too, I thought it would be appropriate to use Jen's "song lyrics as post title" idea for the post - with a little necessary adaptation, of course... =)

Camden and I (Mandy) left Dallas on the 3rd for a 10 day trip to NC. On Sunday of last week, Camden was able to celebrate his first Grandparent's Day with his Oma and Papa and his Granna Jane.

We also wanted to see Uncle Derek, Aunt Jen and Cousin Jay but the trip from Elkin to Raleigh was just a little too far... Lucky for us, Uncle Matt and Auntie Anne live halfway between in Greensboro and we were able to meet there - along with Cousin Jay's other grandma, LaLa (Laura). It was a wonderful afternoon spent by most playing a fun game called "pass the baby" while Jen and I were able to get some rest for our aching arms and have some meaningful, uninterrupted, adult and way overdue SILIL (sister-in-law-in-law) conversation.

As time to leave neared, we decided to get the boys together for a little impromptu photo shoot. I just wanted to share a couple of those with you...

Jay isn't usually interested in his own pacifier...but he sure was into in Camden's! Lucky for us, Camden doesn't mind sharing. Let's just hope it stays that way when it's time to share toys!!!

Quite possibly the most adorable picture of cousins ever! I just keep hearing that song from Toy Story, "You've Got a Friend in Me" over and over in my head when I look at this picture!

I'm pretty certain that just before I snapped this picture, they were just scheming about all they plan to get into during our beach trip coming up next month!!! We can't wait!!!

My first...

2008-08-29T22:18:00.009-05:00

So I think my mom started this blog so that she could share things about me with our friends and family - especially those in NC and NE that aren't around all the time. I think her intentions were and are to share a lot of my firsts...you know, first words, first steps, first day of school, etc.

Well tonight I had a first that I felt like you all should know about...my first trip to Krispy Kreme!!! It really was torture being there and smelling those wonderful doughnuts being made and not being able to eat one. I tried persuading mom by telling her that since the "hot now" sign was on they would melt in my mouth and I didn't really need teeth to eat them, but she wasn't buying it. I think she just didn't want to share her doughnut with me...

I did manage to wear the famous hat and I must say, I make it look good...

I really tried for that doughnut...it was just out of reach. Mom kept dangling it in my face but I just don't have that hand eye coordination thing down to a science quite yet...

I did manage to get my hands on those wonderful toys mom always brings when we go out...I think she calls them feet...they are great fun!!!

I did manage to get my hands on daddy's coffee though, and it was fabulous...if I'd only been washing down that doughnut!!!

Look at me!!!

2008-08-19T21:19:00.005-05:00

Since I am well on my way to becoming a big boy and it won't be but another couple of weeks or so until I get my first taste of something other than milk, mom and dad decided to give my big boy chair a test run.

Mommy's constantly reading all of these "advice" books, websites, magazine articles, etc. to get ideas for what to expect in my ever changing stages of life. Most of the good advice she's gotten though has come from her friends that are mommies and have been there, done that. She's in a mommies group here in Dallas and one of her new friends recommended that she not wait to introduce the high chair and the new food all at the same time - it might be over load to my otherwise not very exposed to lots of things self. Which is a good idea - I tend to have sensory overload on regular occasion. So we're going to do at least one meal a day in the big boy chair between now and my 6 month birthday when I get to start eating rice cereal (which my cousin Jay says is fabulous!).

I wanted to share with you how well I did with the experience. Really though, take one look at me, I don't really care where I am eating, as long as I am eating. She could probably stand me on my head and as long as that bottle is in my mouth I am good to go.

I also like to kick my legs - a lot - all the time - even when I am eating. I figure...why wait until the pounds are packed on to start working out. I say, work it off as it's going in...stay ahead of the game, that's my motto!

Check it out!

I'm a Big Boy! from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

I am sure that there will be lots of things to post in the next few weeks, but definitely check back toward the end of September so you'll get to see how I well I've learned to handle the solid food - and to see how well mom and dad have learned to feed it to me!

At the Zoo

2008-08-17T09:40:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. My Granna Jane is in town for a visit so we've decided now would be a great time to see the sites of DFW.

Since I spent most of the day in my carrier seat locked into my stroller...all I really got to see were all the different tree tops and an occasional ceiling or two when we toured an indoor exhibit.

I did get to see the bears and I loved them. Mom took a video of me and the bears but unfortunately, we can't figure out how to turn it so it's right side up. So if you'd like to see the video of me and the bears, tilt your head to the left and hit the play button below...

Brown Bear, Brown Bear from Mandy Jo on Vimeo.

2008-08-11T19:00:00.004-05:00

We were just hanging out on the sofa today after a long day yesterday in the ER. Mommy was feeling a little out of sorts but after a good night's sleep (thank you modern medicine) and a few smiles from me this morning, she's feeling much better.

She keeps taking videos of me with her phone when she thinks I'm not aware. She tries with the video camera but evidently I like being videoed and having my picture made even less than she does. She did manage to get this one of me today and, even more remarkably, actually got around to sharing it with you. It's not the best quality b/c she got it with her phone...but I just wanted to say hi!

And I know it's not polite to talk with your mouth full...but those fingers just taste so darn good!!!

Just a quick hello from Mandy Foster on Vimeo.

Am I cute or what?

You have to see this...

2008-08-04T13:33:00.004-05:00

Last night I was going through some pictures on my camera so I could send some to NC for Oma and Granna and I thought I would share these two with all of you...

Since Camden's arrival, we've been taking his picture each month next to Ryan's old Pound Puppy, Freckie. I thought it would be nice to have a "sentimental measuring stick" next to him in each of the pictures. I've planned to take a picture each month until at least his one year mark (but maybe until he's two) and then catalog them all in his scrapbook. I thought it would be neat to go back and see the monthly progression of his growth and development.

Little did I know that the growth between months 2 and 3 would be quite so dramatic. Take a look...

Camden at 2 Months:

Camden at 3 months:

My friend Judy didn't see him very much between these two shots because of all of the moving to TX and traveling to NC so when she saw him at three months, she thought I had picked up the wrong baby sometime while I was in NC and brought a completely different kid back to Dallas.

But I'm sure he's mine...he's already sporting an attitude like the one I know I had when I was a kid...I've heard the stories over and over. Most of the time he's a perfect angel - sweet like I'm sure his daddy was when he was a kid - but he has his moments and I can't even get upset with him because I know he comes by it honest. =)

I just thought I'd share the pictures from when he was 2 months old and he was below the 3rd percentile for his weight and height. Now he's over 14 pounds and all the way up to the 30th for weight and 50th for height - it's true...things really are bigger in Texas!!!