It's time again to celebrate...

My favorite boy in the middle of a Cameron sandwich turned

10

in January!

It was great fun with a Minute It, to Win It party at the school gym with 10 boys.  The best line of the night, when we were seriously losing control of the party, was by a friend who is in Fifth grade.  He said, "Mrs. Shook, this is what happens when you get together a bunch of Fourth graders."  Mike and I still laugh about that line.  It was classic!

Mike and I are so blessed to have Cameron as our son.  He has a passion for many things but mostly he loves Mindcraft, always his Legos, books and his sisters.  He is an all-around great kid who never gives us a minute of trouble.  In the off chance that he is a little bit obstinate he almost always ends up telling us before we could ever find out.  He wouldn't be a great criminal.

God gave us Cameron to break us in gently as parents.  And it worked, because who else would try it two more times??!!  We are blessed to have Cameron in our lives.

I haven't felt the need to blog in a while, actually quite a while.  I had felt like the ability to be myself had been damaged by some who didn't know me or appreciate me as myself.  You know what I say to that?  If it was appropriate to type I would do so, but let's just say I'm thinking it in my head.  Never ever let people make you question who you are.   It's OK for people to not like you.  But, it's not OK for people to belittle who you are.  Who you are is between you and God.  Period.

So, I'm going to try and be back!

Cameron #9...

 Our first family picture 2004

 Cameron's first birthday

 Cameron's 3rd birthday

 Turning 6

Yesterday my first baby turned 9.

For the first half of the day I was a blubbering mess.

I cried taking him to school.

I cried thinking about this same day 9 years ago.

I called Mr. Shook at work crying.  (Note to self, I don't think he's a fan of that.)  Not that he cared I called crying, I think I made him feel a little teary as well.  Not very global finance-ish.  Mr. Shook talked me off of the ledge.

The thing I couldn't get over for most of the morning was...

HE IS HALFWAY TO 18!!!

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??

These first 9 years have flown by and I know the next 9 will too.

Mr. Shook and I were so very blessed 9 years ago + 40 weeks when we were given the wonderful gift of our first child.  Cameron was the easiest baby ever.  EVER.  He was a joy from his first breath.  He is turning out to be a great kid, who loves his sisters, knows just how to get on their last nerve but is the best of friends with them as well.  Cameron does well in school, tries his best and is learning responsibility.  

Happy, happy #9, Cameron Michael Shook!!

America's Favorite Pastime...

We have finished another year of baseball and we have finished our first year of softball.  

But, I sadly am a horrible softball Mom and forgot my camera for EVERY SINGLE GAME and have zero softball pictures.  I feel awful because Molly really loved it and did pretty well, if I may say so.  Imagine a really cute girl in an obnoxious orange Morton Rotary shirt with a batting helmet that was WAY too big, and bobbled back and forth when she ran the bases.  Yep, that was my girl.

Here are some pics from Cameron's last game where it was no less than 95 degrees at 9 AM.  We were ALL hot.  That's what you've gotta love about baseball.  You start in April in sweatshirts and end in July in the thinnest possible clothing you own.

Here's my Cleveland Indian...appropriate I know :)

Here's our favorite coach...

Here's the sister cheering section...

Thank you to my guy for stepping up and being Cameron's coach.  It takes a lot of time and dedication but we are so blessed that you want to spend this time with our kids.  We can now close the chapter on coach pitch ball. 

Kid's Muddy Madness!

Today we (the kids) participated in the coolest event.  It was called Kid's Muddy Madness for St. Jude's.  It was held in a local park and the pictures will not do it justice.  

But before I share about it I want to say what a great community we get to live in and what great friends we have.  The kids wanted to raise money to turn in as part of the race donation that would go to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.  We decided to sell popsicles and water at our friend's house.  They live on a busier street then we do.  I advertised it on Facebook, texted some friends and the kids held up signs as cars passed.  What an awesome response!  In a little over 2 hours they raised $90!!  We donated it all today to St. Jude's!  It was a great learning experience for the kids.

At the actual race kids were assigned to different waves to run.  Ages 4-6 (Amanda's age group) did a 100 yard dash and Cameron and Molly's age groups did a one mile run.  The one mile run went through some woods which had obstacles in it like going over mounds of dirt, running through tires, jumping over logs and climbing over a large stack of hay bails.

  

But, the best part was the end!!

The kids got to run through a mud pit!!!

It was a riot and the kids loved it (except for Amanda)!

Here's what everyone looked like at the end...

And then you got sprayed off by the fire department!

I read on Facebook that the kids run today raised $26,000.  How awesome is that!!!

We loved it and can't wait to do it again next year!

And, I feel so blessed today that we were a small part of such a good cause.  Especially when you have 3 healthy children.  Our prayers are with those who we helped today!

Lucky Day...

How lucky am I?

I got to go on two field trips this week with both of my elementary kiddos.  They were both nature related and had outdoor things to do.  Cameron REALLY wanted me to go on his field trip, Molly not so much.  In fact, I wasn't going to go on Molly's but her sweet teacher put out not one, but two requests for one more parent to come along and I couldn't say no.  Grandma and Grandpa Choo were more than happy to hang with Miss Amanda so it was all good.

Here's a couple of pictures I snapped with my camera phone.

My group in the second grade...Matt, Bradley, Jaxon and Mr. Cameron.  

They were a great group and very well behaved!

More second graders!

Molly and her BFF :)

Some gals from the first grade!

Molly's first grade class!

I am so blessed to have a chance to get to go on the field trips and also get to know my kiddos friends.  Although summer is quickly approaching and I'm ready for a break it has been a great school year!

A new look...

It came to our attention that our boy was in need of a new look...

Yep, following in the footsteps of his Mother...glasses. I also got my first pair in second grade at around the same time of the year. Look how handsome my boy looks!

Dear Cameron...

Dear Cameron,

It is so hard for me to believe that today you are now 8 years old. My eyes well up with tears, happy ones, when I think about what you mean to me in my life. Daddy and I wished upon every star in the sky, prayed many prayers, and crossed fingers and toes so that we could have you come into our lives. And let me tell you, Mister, it was a lot of work to get you! But what a joy you have always been.

My wish for you will always be to try your hardest in everything you do, never let anyone crush the creative and imaginative spirit you have, and to always be a friend to everyone.

And remember what we heard on Sunday at church.

When we don't put God first, the rest is destined to fail.

Very smart words to remember, buddy.

Never, ever be afraid to share your faith with anyone.

Because..."I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Happy Birthday, Cameron! We love you very, very much!

Love, Mom

For all that's good in sports...

We often hear about all the bad in the world. Places like the evening news dramatize it and make it bigger than it really is. The same thing happens in the sports world. We hear about the abuses of drugs, performance enhancing drugs, alcohol, cheating, scamming, lying. The talk radio, the news, the ESPN's of the world eat this kind of story up.

But, I have to admit. There is nothing like a feel good sports story. I am a sucker for ALL of them. I love a golfer walking down the 18th green with the possibility of winning his first major. I love the Cinderella story of a small division one school winning in the NCAA basketball tournament. I love the stories of the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears that athletes have put in to one moment every four years in the Olympics. I love it all!

Even better is seeing moments like this in person. I still remember seeing Mark McGuire hit one of his 70 home runs in 1998 and the Cleveland fans going crazy in awe. I remember the feeling in 1995 of sitting at Jacobs Field for the start of an American League Championship Series game and Oral Hershiser walking to the pitchers mound from the bullpen. It was so cool. The stadium was electric.

You don't get to experience those feelings very often. They are very rare. It's really neat when something very special happens at a sporting event. Even when it's on a small scale. This past Saturday, my son, Cameron, scored his first soccer goal. Ever. It was very, very special. I tried to be laid back about it, like it happens all the time. But, on the inside I was beaming. And it isn't so much that he scored the goal. Yes, that made me very happy. But it was how proud I am of him really, really trying to score a goal and then succeeding. His drive to improve at soccer has really come a long way and we couldn't be prouder. I don't expect the next Pele here but trying his best is awesome. And, the parents around us were very excited for Cameron, too. It was really nice of them to be supportive for us.

It made the soccer field feel electric if only for a second.
And that is why I love sports.

Ready or not, here we are....

First and Second grade!!!

We had a fun summer but now it's time to hit the books!

Happy School Year!!!

First grade is over!!!...

Here's a picture from the first day of First Grade for Cameron...

And here's a picture from today, the last day of First Grade!!!

Cameron had an awesome first grade year and he learned SO much. He is looking forward to starting summer reading at the library, building some Lego's on rainy days and playing outside. We are sooooo proud of how well he did in school.

Keep up the good work next year, dude!!

And a growth spurt or two this summer wouldn't hurt either.

A face only his mother could love!!!

I love this boy!

Earning $$...

We had a really fun weekend doing some birthday celebrating...Molly and Mike...pictures to come soon as Molly really is having a week long birthday celebration. I'll tell you, she really knows how to do it at 6!!

Wednesday ends our school year here. Both Cameron and Molly have expressed a desire to have a few chores in order to earn some allowance. I think it is a great idea I'm just not sure how to execute it. What have you done for your kids in order for them to earn an allowance? Some of the jobs that I am picturing are things like making their beds, emptying the dishwasher, wiping down their bathroom. Things that are pretty easy but also things that will take more than just 5 minutes. How have you established how much you give your child for an allowance and what do you allow them to spend it on? I struggle with what they should be allowed to buy and what Mike and I should be providing them. They really don't want for much but I don't allow them to get things every time we go to the store. No can do.

Please share with me your ideas and practices...a little hard labor goes a long way, right?

Funny facts...

Is it just me, or do many of us have difficulty sometimes channeling our children's inner interests? Of course, Mr. Shook wants young son to love sports, excel at sports, be a potential major leaguer or NBA super star. Young son has several things against him to achieve in these areas but we won't dwell on that. After all, he is 7.





But, finding one's niche in life can be challenging. It is a well known fact that young son loves, I mean LOVES, his Legos. He can build them into the picture with the directions or he can create a whole new ship/plane/attack fighter, you name it.





But young son seems to have a new interest. I swear it began with the introduction this year to not only money, but coins, who's on them and more importantly who's on the green stuff. So Cameron has taken his interest a bit farther and is fascinated with our United States President's. Lucky us, we found a fun facts book about the US President's at the Book Fair last week. Lucky us, Cameron has a Grandfather who majored in history in college and a Mother who minored in history in college. Score! (Although I can admit that I am a bit rusty on some of the facts. Thank god for Wikipedia. I feel like Michael Scott.)





Soooooo, Oh my.





We have taken the ball and ran with it.





There might be some memorizing going on, too.





After all, it seems very important to know that Charles Fairbanks was Vice President for Theodore Roosevelt.





Or that George Washington's dentures were made out of ivory and animal teeth. But, there is a debate that they were actually wooden. Did you know that??





What ever Cameron's interest lie in we hope to be able to foster them and help him to learn as much as he would like. In the mean time we will probably have all of the President's memorized in order very soon.





And, I was informed by young son that all he needs to complete his money collection is an Andrew Jackson.

Prince of the Pond...

Well, it was my Prince's Prince of the Pond week. One might ask, what is that?? You might call it Star of the Week in your neck of the woods but here in our first grade class you are...

Prince of the Pond!

Or Princess if you are a chick.

Here are a few photos from it...

Mr. Tree Frog needed to go some where with you and you needed to take a picture or two of your trip. Cameron was more concerned that everyone see in the one picture that he got to be the CATCHER!! rather than anything about the frog...

Thank you to Baked Blessings for the super cool frog cookies. They were the biggest hit! And tasted delicious as well.

Today was the school picnic and it was fun to get to eat outside on a beautiful (finally!) day. Thank you to our cool Dad for picking up Subway (Mr. Prince's request) and getting there in a timely manner. Impressive, Mr. Shook!

The funny things kids say...

Last night Mr. Shook went to the library with Cameron. Mike owed a fine and Cameron found a 25 cent Knock, Knock Joke book he couldn't live without. So, 95 cents later (after the fine) we have had non-stop knock, knock jokes. Yikes. We might have to work on his delivery before we go public with them...

But, Cameron can say the darnedest things. Here are two things he said at dinner tonight...

We have had an on going battle with our kindergartner about putting foreign (bodily) objects in our mouth. Nose picking and now eye gunk. It makes me want to throw up in my mouth. Yuck. It's beyond gross and we know it. Anyway, we were explaining to her that not only is it yucky and germy, but also socially not acceptable. We really don't want her to get made fun of, although it might be very effective if she did. Mr. Shook concocted a story about a girl who picked her nose in kindergarten and then got made fun of and eventually had to move because of it. This girl had a name, Sue Williams, and the kids wanted to know details about her. I felt the hole getting bigger and bigger. Mr. Shook said that we wouldn't want to have to move because someone we know can't stop picking her nose. And then her thoughtful brother pipes in and says, "well only Molly would have to move." Nice.

Cameron loves updating us on the absences from his class at school. Today he told us about a boy that has been out since last Friday. Today they wrote him cards. I asked him if something happened to him. He said yes - I think he had his testicles removed. Ummmm...do you mean tonsils??

I think I would make a great president...

OK, this isn't the kind of post you might be thinking it is. I, personally, don't think that I would make a great president...OK, maybe I would (ha ha!) but this is a post by my boy who wrote this in his first grade class today. They have been studying about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln since they both have birthday's in February.

Here is Cameron's writing essay...again understand his spelling errors...

I think I would make a great President.

I am a good leader.

I would make the laws like no fighting and being bad.

I will save the corunry from bad guys.

Being president would be fun!

The other night Mike was helping Cameron do a puzzle of national monuments and buildings. Cameron pointed to the White House and said, "Is that where President Obama lives?"

Wow.

He really is learning!

Food war...

Eek. What happened to me? Not that I think many of you were concerned, but I am still here. I just was uninspired/too busy/running around with like a chicken with my head cut off to blog. All kinds of ideas have swirled around in this "pretty little head of mine" (direct Mr. Shook quote) but I haven't taken the time to listen to them.

Yes. We had the holidays.
No. They didn't go as planned. What does, really?

But tonight we had a food war. I will preface the story by saying this RARELY happens here. So when it does maybe I'm thrown for more of a loop than I expect.

Today I made crock pot macaroni and cheese. I will also step in and say that it was not one of my 5 star meals. I'll even say it wasn't 4 stars. 3 stars might still be a stretch. But, it was a meal. I will also say that I knew in it's anticipation that it might not be good. I will consider myself pre-warned. But, I still had to try it. It was a meal that tasted better than it looked. Have you ever had one of those? Unless your Martha Stewart, I really hope you can go along with me here. Can you relate??

Needless to say I was anticipating a few turned up noses here. I thought maybe we should have a plan B but Mr. Shook said No. Everyone will try it.

Ok I said...and waited for the groans. I might even say that there has been a time or two where our youngest will say something looks yucky. Yucky??!! What could one possibly mean?? Ha ha.

We have been instilling the courtesy bite idea for a while. It usually works and then they realize, hey that isn't so bad (i.e. meatloaf). But, our dearest, oldest child wasn't falling for the courtesy bite tonight. No can do. Without giving the nitty gritty details, because after all, you've all been there, right?, we held our ground and made him try it. I think he was even more upset after his 2 sisters stabbed him in the back and said that it was good. After all aren't siblings suppose to stick together??!! The food war has begun and it wasn't pretty. There may or may not have been a tear or two, there may or may not have been a threat or two, there may or may not have been a bite the side of my cheek so I don't burst out laughing at how ridiculous you are acting Mr. almost 7 year old moment. Ugh. Maybe not our best parenting moment but then again was is our best parenting moment I ask you.

Unless your name is Carter Jones and you eat EVERYTHING!! I hope you can related in just a tiny way to our food war. These are the moments that will give us really good family memories, right?

And because I'm completely JEALOUS of the Jones' and their stellar eating boy is the only reason I can use him as an example. xoxo

God is my fiernd...

Some days one might wonder how good of a job that they might be doing on this whole parenting thing. Highs, lows, good days, bad days...we experience them all. Today in the car I noticed this on a notebook of Cameron's. Excuse his spelling errors.

God is my fiernd.
I love daddy.
I love mommy
I love God.
I love Jeues.

I am thankful for a partner who wants to raise our children learning to fall in love with Jesus. I am thankful for a caring church community who is helping us to raise our children to learn about God. I am thankful for a son who feels confident about his beliefs to write them in notebooks. I hope he always puts God and Jesus first.

How lucky am I.

Simplicity...

Now a days we are all about the games that light up, make sounds, have awesome graphics and are portable. We can take them anywhere. We have some of those and they are really quite handy. Great, superb for long car rides.

But, lately we have found that the simplest of games are once again really fun.



One of Cameron's math games a few weeks ago was an old-fashioned game of War where you had to add together the two cards to see who won the war. It was great addition practice and also a way to learn a new game. It's something simple like War that has had Cameron and Molly playing for hours. They even got Papa Choo in on the fun. A 3 way War.




Back to the basics...and fun learning!