Welcome to School Served with a Face Shield - Week of Aug. 31st

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." ~Albert Einstein

Monday, August 31st marked the first day of school for Cam as he eagerly anticipated the beginning of 7th grade.  Even though it was much different from any other introduction, excitement was apparent.  Cam's bus pickup at 6:45am was very dark, so our pic was snapped on Monday at his 2:45pm dropoff.

Masks are a mandatory accessory and our middle-schooler wore one on the way to school.  His teacher asked if he wanted to test out a face shield since his mask was wet from talking.  The approved face shield is a far better option for Cam.  We are grateful for his in-person learning 4 days/week as everyone is learning to navigate safely with face coverings.

Labor Day weekend has always marked the end of summer in Michigan.  Saturday was our beach day and we all realized it may be the last one.  The sunshine was beautiful and the lake was incredibly calm.  Jane and her son ventured out in their inflatable kayak.  Cam leaned over to feel water and said "Mom, the water is like ice cubes!"  It was definitely a bit chilly.
We chose to head back to Grand Rapids that night, but dined on the deck so we could watch the calm waters.  Oma made a delicious homemade apple pie.  As we headed out, we were able to catch the scenic sunset.

On Sunday, Chris and his son designed a cup holder for Cam's powerchair since it wasn't an accessory option.  The 3D printer created multiple layers of plastic filament which took a total of 30 hours to complete!  The finished product, though, was well worth the wait.

There are always moments when we are blown away by others' kindness.
We were completely surprised by a box that arrived with a styrofoam cooler filled with dry ice and ice cream.  Ms. Cyndi, one of Jane's coworkers, sent 6 cartons of ice cream to aid in Cam's recovery.  Talk about a sweet treat!
When we visited our favorite local farmstand Heidi's Bakery this week, Ms. Pat, who's known Cam since he was 2 years old had another surprise.  She knitted him his very own cozy blanket.  His super excited response made her cry tears of joy.
It reminds us that these words ring very true:
“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” 
~Theodore Isaac Rubin 
“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” ~Henry James

Camology Quotes:

A sense of humor isn't really something you teach, but Cam seems to have mastered a very healthy witty banter.  Due to the upcoming holiday weekend, school was closed on Friday.  
As Cam entered the house on Thursday after school, Chris immediately began teasing him....

"So, tomorrow you'll wake up early again and then you have school all day..."
"Think again, Dad!"