When Family Comes to Town - Week of Jan. 25th

"Friends are family we choose for ourselves" ...a well-known quote with such poignant reference for us.

Cam made use of his growing baking skills this week.  He and 'Auntie' Roe took time on a half day of school to make a big batch of their famous banana bread with chocolate chips.  These two always end up with some of the ingredients on their faces.

Friday was end of semester break for Cam and with a day off of school, we were fortunate to have Oma and Opa come and spend the entire afternoon and over night with us!  The hours went by quickly as Cam's grandma showed him how to mend some holes in clothes and the two made homemade applesauce together.  That evening, we had special plans to celebrate Opa's birthday at Outback Steakhouse- yum!  On the way home, we told Cam's grandpa we wanted to treat him to some ice cream.  After a short discussion, he sided with his grandson's first dessert choice of Culver's frozen custard.  Of course, everyone had to have a little sundae.

As an added treat, 'Auntie' Karen drove from Chicago on Saturday to spend the day and night with us.  She was excited to see the new pool and to go in the warm water with Cam.  We all spent the late afternoon splashing and swimming over at the YMCA.  We sure worked up an appetite and back at home, we cooked a delicious steak dinner.  'Auntie' Karen surprised Cam with an early Valentine's gift- a stuffed animal dog that flaps his ears while "Best Day of My Life" plays.  It was a hit!

Upon 'Auntie' Karen's departure on Sunday, spontaneous plans were made and Patti and Emma took Jane and Cam to see the Peanuts movie.  The awesome gift was actually Cam's birthday present that just hadn't worked out yet due to schedules and waiting for the right show.  The movie was great, the company even better and the large popcorn was devoured.

A big thanks to Oma and Opa and our extended family members, Auntie Roe, Auntie Karen, Patti and Emma for giving us the gift of your time and special treats.

On a fitting side note, when Jane stepped outside after a delivery truck had dropped a package off, she noticed that the tire tracks made a lovely picture in the frosty driveway.



Cam-ology Quotes:
Dad took Cam to the dentist this week.  When the dentist asked Chris how many times Cam brushes his teeth, Chris indicated that he always uses his toothbrush twice a day, morning and bedtime.  To which Cam piped in...
"Not in the morning every time, Dad!"

It has been noted that Cam tells his parents his deal every night.  This week, when it was time for deal, Cam was silent.  "What are you waiting for Cam?"
"I was waiting for you to say please!"

Sledding...Finally! - Week of Jan. 18th

Sometimes, there are so many things you want to accomplish one must have a list!  Cam had a lot of ideas to fill his weekend and decided that Dad should be certain none of them were left out.

You hear many folks complain about the long Michigan winters and some definitely take their place in the record book.  This year, though, winter has been slow to arrive in full force.  For the first time during this milder cold season, we took Cam sledding.  And as a bonus, it was a beautiful, sunny day!  Both our front and back yards have their own merits in the form of activities.  We opted for the front yard to test out a new tube.

Jane really wanted to try it out so she and Cam took the first run!
Not much steering control, so after careening down the hill, barely missing the neighbor's driveway and up onto some snow covered rocks, Cam and his mom landed at the bottom of their own driveway- whew!  After a few runs, we were able to check sledding off the list.

The next day, we kept our choices moving forward with swimming at the Y.  As a family investment, we joined the new Mary Free Bed YMCA back in December.  However, even though the facility opened last month, we have been anxiously awaiting the use of the family pool.  Cam insisted on showing his dad where everything was since he had a quick tour a few days before.  The cool chair shown in the background of the picture is found at both ends of the pool and works great to easily bring Cam into and out of the pool itself.  In addition, it's a pretty cool ride!

Both Chris and Jane took turns swimming with Cam as he kicked his legs and floated on his back.  The complimentary use of the pool noodles and life jackets were a plus.  After an hour of pruning our skin, it was time to head out onto other adventures and cross a few more things off the list :)

Cam-ology Quotes:
Cam was home for a sick day and tried out his parents heated mattress pad while relaxing on their bed...

"Mom, I think this would be a good idea for my bed." 

Chris and Cam drove over to Moe's to pick up dinner after Cam was home with Mom for his sick day...

"Thanks guys for picking up dinner for all of us."
"It was our pleasure, Mom!"

Cam- a.k.a. "The Helper" - Week of Jan. 11th

“Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” ~Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Most Saturday mornings in the Weatherford household, you will hear a conversation that goes something like this..."I am ready to help Mom and Dad...for the whole day.  What do you need help with?"
"Well, let's have some breakfast first, and then we'll figure it out, Cam."

Due to some bitter cold temps and Cam not feeling quite up to par, we opted for some indoor helping.  Practicing the piano in Jane's office, and choosing different keyboard sounds of course, was a big help to Jane as she worked while listening to some quality music performed by Cam.

Emma stopped over and became a helper herself as she and Cam worked on some iPad activities.

Chris announced he had to drive over to his office and wondered if there might be any helpers wanting to accompany him.  Of course, his son jumped at the chance.
His dad's office is pretty impressive with multiple monitors and lots of gadgets for Cam to test out.  Chris has been pretty impressed lately with his boy's grasp of troubleshooting and programming.
For some reason, wearing the big headphones really cracked Cam up.
And if you didn't notice, it was an all-day pajama day over the weekend.

Back at the house, Jane and Cam decided to keep one string of lights going in the sunroom/art room and placed them along the window.

After all of the hard work and helping, Cam and his mom played foot wars on the floor and spent a little time being silly.

Even when Cam is fighting off a cold, there's no stopping his awesome sense of humor and repeated requests to help us!

Cam-ology Quotes:
Cam and Chris having a conversation about Amazon...

"That's weird.  My Amazon ordered hasn't arrived yet."
"Why Dad?" 
"I don't know.  I'll have to check."
"Did the UPS guy take a holiday?"

Make a Deal - Week of Jan. 4th

For some, routine is monotonous.  Cam likes a routine because there is a purpose, a time frame, a plan.  Even though routine makes him happy, it's still tough to get back into the mode of waking up early and heading to school.  It was a week of earlier bedtimes with sleepy eyes at the end of the day.

With the weekend finally upon us, we were happy to be invited to Anna's birthday celebration with her family.  While meal preparation continued, Cam thoroughly delighted in his first official game of charades.  Emma did a great job acting out clues and Cam guessed almost every single one by himself!  There were a few times when the laughter had to subside before the guess could be made.

The two buddies also played forts over the weekend, one of their favorites.  With the chilly temps, indoor fun was on the agenda.

Of course, snack time inside of the forts is always a requirement.

Part of Cam's evening routine is to "make a deal" with his parents.  His deal always includes the following parameters...
"Sleep all night"
"Use your manners- please, thank you and excuse me"
"Be kind"
"Be nice"
"Be awesome"

Try making a deal with yourself tonight.  Cam won't mind if you use his list!

Cam-ology Quotes:
On a day of football playoffs...

"Mom, should I watch football?" 
"Do you want to watch football?"
"It will make Dad happy." 
"Dad is happy without you watching football.  You don't have to watch it."
"O.k.  I will watch my kid show.  It is better for me."

Welcome 2016! - Week of Dec. 28th

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

To ring in the New Year, we headed over to Outback Steakhouse to dine with Ms. Ann, Molly and Gordy.  Cam thoroughly enjoyed the french fries covered with cojack cheese and bacon, dipped in ranch.  They were actually a bigger hit than the chicken fingers.  Because Cam's milk was brought late in the meal, he also scored some free ice cream.  It was a fun evening with our extended family.  Ms. Ann ventured over after dinner to hang out a bit longer, which always makes Cam extra happy!

When we woke up on Saturday, the sun was shining and we decided to take advantage of the final days of Cam's winter break by heading up north to visit Oma and Opa.

It is always surprising to see how much the beach changes in such a short period of time.  Over the summer months, there was barely enough sand to sit on before the water came up on shore.


Now the shoreline has transformed and although some of the high banks have dissipated, the path to reach Lake Michigan is much easier to traverse, especially for the Cam-mobile.

Oma and Opa cooked a delicious Sunday dinner and we were able to see their holiday decorations before everything was put away. We stopped to see our cousins, too, before heading home.  Cam really enjoyed seeing his younger cousins, Gavin and Ella.

Cam-ology Quotes:
Chris preparing to install a new kitchen light with Jane standing nearby.
"Mom, Dad is going to put two holes in our wall.  Is that ok?"
Cam is known as the "informer" and "translator" making certain that both of his parents know exactly what the plan is!

Happy New Year and....keep on smiling!