Goodness Sakes Alive, Our Cam is Five!

I have literally said this all day, but it is so hard for me to believe that Cam is five years old!  I mean, I can almost remember every detail of the day he was born just like it was a moment ago.  Better even than the actual moments ago on many days!  That sweet black-headed baby whose first tiny cry threw me into a whole new realm of myself...the realm of motherhood.  And as daunting as some of the tasks may seem at the time (from picking out just the right outfit that is not too handsome in any way to laying down beside him when he finally calls it a day), each one encompasses my heart.  I cannot separate who I am from who he is and who he is becoming.

We started the day with a "Happy Birthday" serenade from me.  Scratchy throat and all.  I'm sure he loved that!  We put 5 candles in his breakfast banana bread, and we all sang to him again, with Maeve singing the loudest.  At preschool, I joined him for lunch and came bearing Spongebob and Patrick cupcakes.  His class sang to him.  He came back to school with me so that he would not have to endure the dreaded resttime.  My class was thrilled to entertain him and insisted on singing for him (and writing him birthday cards).  We hurried away from there and stole an icecream date at Scoops.  He said he was going to get chocolate, but is just like his mama and always goes for his same thing...superman!  He watched his beloved T & J on the way home then a little SB while waiting on his supper entourage to arrive.  After feasting on baked spaghetti and cleaning his plate, he waited patiently for presents.  We sang one more "Happy Birthday," making that five rounds...perfect for the fifth birthday!  Now he is tucked in tight with his SuperMario pajamas on, enjoying his first night of five year old dreams!  As he put it several times today, "I'll never be four again!" 

Cam, you've heard me read these words over and over:  I love you for all that you are and all that you will ever be!

George

Cam's class has a new class pet, George the Monkey.  George got to spend the night with us this week.  He was such a nice guest!

George was, by far, the quietest one in the house.  He changed his clothes several times and made no messes at all.  They played baseketball and got his 100th Day hat ready.  George, you are welcome to our house anytime! 

Snippity, Snip

For a little girl who was born with a head full of golden hair, this first hair trim had been a longtime coming.  While it wasn't very noticeable, Nonna finally nipped the ends of it to give it a little shape.  Just as we were thinking, it gave more bounce to the untameable curls! 

Nonna was very patient with this little one who just had a very hard time staying still. 

There was a little girl who had a little curl....

Icecapades 2011

I cannot ever recall having five days off of school because of snow and ice.  (Maybe we did in the blizzard of 93, but I don't even think we had that many for it).  The news warned us all week that a big storm was brewing and heading straight for us.  We heeded the warning and prepared for the days ahead, fearing that we would have no electricity. 

Posing with their snowman



Maeve was convinced her wa real!



Well, the storm definitely hit us by the late hours of Sunday night.  Snow fell heavily at first, blanketing the ground with a thick layer of white.  Then as the daylight came, the temperture rose just enough to turn precipation into rain.  After that, we did not see any temperatures above freezing for the next 5 days.  Which meant our snow was encased in ice, never to melt (so it seemed)! 

There are so many uses for a clothes basket! 

A little sledding action

Our 4-Wheel Drive Friends

Snow day one turned in to snow day two, then three, four, and five!  It was just too treacherous to venture out on the ice.  Our steep driveway was a sheet of ice until the next Sunday. So, we had an impromptu winter break.  We enjoyed lots of family time and ate lots of comfort food.  We made lots of cold memories in the snow and ice.  And, best of all, the electricity stayed on through it all!

Snow Ice Cream!

I could really get used to being at home indefinitely.  There's "snow" place like it! 

Disney Days

Our trip to Disney World was long awaited.  Poor Cam had a countdown a month before Thanksgiving.  The rescheduled dates were kept a surprise until Christmas morning.  They opened a present that had a Mickey and Minnie inside with a note that said we were finally heading down to Disney on Monday!  We didn't quite get the same excitment that you see on the TV commercials when the kids learned they are going to WDW, but we were excited nonetheless!

Sunny Florida would not be the token description of our trip.  We evidently brought the cold with us as we rode Dumbo on our first morning at the Magic Kingdom with a layer of frost on him!  But the cold did not diminish the magic in the air.  No matter what time of year, it truly is a magical place.  Seeing it through the eyes of my children for the first time, I can see why families bring their children time and time again.  It's just that magical...seeing the things you've only read about or seen in the movies come to life.  Cam kept asking, "Is that the real Mickey Mouse?" whenever we would spot the famous black earred character. 

As we were there, we found out that we had picked the busiest week of the year.  Plus side of that is that the next time we go back, it won't be as crowded.  We took advantage of the Magic Hours and were generally a very patient family of four.  I think what Cam and Maeve enjoyed the most were the parades that we saw, especially the one at night.  They were cold, but awed!  Cam was also really in to seeing any of the characters.  He was ecstatic to stand beside Buzz!  When asked what his favorite ride was, he replied the bus from the resort to the park!  I guess we might need to get him out a little more!  Maeve also appreciated the simplier side of Disney.  She got excited over the play areas and the extra large popsicles!  She now completely understands what it is to be a princess and can be caught practicing her wave at random times.  

We will definitely try to do this trip on a regular basis, but will never forget the first time we journeyed with our children to the greatest place on earth. 

White Christmas

Christmas was fun and exctiting around here, just as we expected.  Our little ones make this time of year just incredible!  Their excitment over everything makes all of the little tiny details worth it.  Cam asked more than once this year if Santa was going to give Jesus a present.  That sent me into a conversation about how Jesus was the very first gift of Christmas, and He is the reason we celebrate on Christmas Day and everyday.  I cherish their innocence and hope they can always look back on Christmas as a time of great joy for our family. 

We always get a little giddy at the thought of it snowing on Christmas day around here.  Somehow, it always just misses us or the weather man is way off.  Not this time!  Just as Christmas Day festivities were coming to an end and we thought the predictions were wrong once again, God saw fit to send a finishing touch on the special day. 

The lyrics to "Winter Snow Song" are just perfect for a White Christmas Day:

You could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of Heaven in your flame

But you came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Great Joy

The theme of this Christmas season has been "Great Joy!"  This theme started when I read my class a book by that title.  I had never read the book before, but picked it up because it was written by the same author of the novel we were reading, so it had to be a good one.  The author did not let me down and allowed me the perfect lead in to a little testifying in the public school!  Since then, those words have been popping up in my thoughts, my conversations, and most recently in a sermon.  Lord, I thank you for showing me daily glimpses of the joy you have for us....GREAT JOY! 

Here are some pictures that capture the great joy I have experienced this season:

Cam writing his first letter to Santa

Maeve  - not a care in the world!

Matching Christmas Pajamas

Watching the Christmas parade on Daddy's shoulders



Cam full of innocence...



...and spontaneity!



Cutest elf ever!

 

Policeman Cam - He DID it! 

Santa + Granny + Cousins = Nothing but Great Joy!

Pure Preciousness!