We're alive and well

My sister called me this morning to check on me to make sure I was ok. She was concerned about me because I haven't blogged in two weeks. I guess I'd better post something in case the rest of you have been worried too! Truth is, January is always a pretty mundane month for our family and we are thoroughly enjoying it! I've been wanting to do an update on the kids anyways and have had these pictures I never posted from our Christmas card photo shoot.

Cameron continues to be our sweetest boy. He is very helpful and tries hard to make us proud. He likes to cook and he got a cool kids cookbook for Christmas that he has used to make dinner a couple of times. He is really enjoying taking piano lessons and will be participating in the school talent show next month playing part of the Star Wars theme. He is very excited and nervous. Cameron is also loving Cub Scouts and passed off two more belt loops this month. I think scouts is his favorite activity of all, a place where he can be all boy and learn some really cool "boy" stuff. Cameron is doing great in school. He got his first report card with actual letter grades a few months ago and he got straight A's. He gets his next one at the end of this week and we expect it will be just as awesome. He really enjoys math, but detests reading and writing. We have been working on some reward systems at home to help him have a desire to read more than what is required and I'm trying to get him exciting, age appropriate books. He seems to like the Magic Treehouse series, does anyone have any other suggestions?

As sweet as our darling first born is, he has started to have a bit of an attitude that must be part of this growing up thing. There has been some stomping and slammed doors, but so far that has always been followed up with genuine tears and apologies. He really cares about people and has a tender heart. A while back I told him a story about a baby bunny that someone had brought into work that they found in their yard on a very rainy day. It seems the nest had been flooded and all the other babies drowned but this one was saved just in time. The next day at breakfast he had tears streaming down his face and when I asked him what was wrong, he told me that he just couldn't stop thinking about that baby bunny, all alone without any family. He continued to bring it up for days and weeks later. Recently we watched this little movie a few weeks ago as a family and I was shocked that by the end Cameron was wiping away a tear. I am so thankful that he has such compassion, what an incredible gift to have.

Cameron has never been a real big talker. I have always had to dig to find out details about his day at school and about his friends there. For a while I worried he didn't have many friends until I came into school for his birthday and was able to observe him in that environment. I was surprised to find out that he is actually incredibly social and seemed to be everyone's friend. His teacher informed me that he is really quite a ham in class and often makes everybody laugh and is well liked.

Cameron is still very much into Legos, and that is what he does when he first wakes up in the morning before he is allowed out of his room (7:30 am). He loves to build all kinds of different structures and hates to take them apart to build new things. He has also gotten into Pokemon cards along with some other boys in his class and trades them all the time. I still have yet to understand the fascination or the "game" associated with them. Most of all, like most boys his age, Cameron enjoys video games. Now that he has an ipod we have had to keep a close eye on how much screen time he is getting. Luckily we have been able to find several educational games that he actually enjoys playing and we don't feel so guilty letting him play. We've learned that we have to keep that thing under lock and key though because having it in his room is too much of a temptation- especially during his reading time :) It really is great motivation though for getting him to do what we'd like him to.

I really couldn't be prouder of this kid who is growing into such a great young man. I know we can be awfully hard on him because he is our oldest, but luckily he is very forgiving of our mistakes. I know we only have a few more years before he thinks he knows it all and we know nothing, so we are enjoying every moment and wishing this age would last forever. He makes this such a happy journey.