Ouch

Having a hard time moving today. My karate muscles are sore! I felt great this morning, just a teensy bit tight. By this afternoon, my entire core body was aching with every move. Ouch. Was it worth it? You bet! The whole karate experience is just so darn empowering, motivating, plain fun! It's truly awesome to watch yourself in the giant mirrors kicking and punching, bowing and jumping. Wow. Ouch :)

Curt took Camden to karate tonight where he was in top form, it sounds like. Because of his "black belt attitude" he got to lead the class at the end. He's really loving this, as you can imagine.

Food for Faith at church tonight - another major WOW moment. We had the best soup - homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. The boys' all-time favorite meal. And instead of the movies that we used to see, Bill, our youth minister, is interviewing folks about their faith stories. This week he talked to this magnificent man who cuts trees. He met this man shortly after he moved here last summer. Immediately they bonded through their faith and love of Jesus. Amazing is all I can say of this man's testimony! Wow. Wow. Wow. Motivates me to live a more spiritual life, to live it both inside and out. To make Jesus my priority. Everything else will just fall into place if I believe, truly have faith, and put the Lord first.

Thanks be to God.

karate

I had my first karate class today. Wow, what an empowering experience. Yes, I felt a little weird shouting out, but the kicks, punches, jumps - even the push-ups, felt so darn great! My body was actually DOING the forms and one-steps. I was not quite fluid, but I was DOING it! Wow. What an awesome experience. It was a bit of a workout, too. Gotta love combining my exercise with something so uplifting.

the return of Sunday Haiku

Today was perfect
church, walking, playing, my boys...
start the week off right.

PS - check out the free ficus bush we snagged today when we were driving home from church. It was tossed out in the alley behind Christ Episcopal, apparently a reject from a nearby office. I double dog dared Curt to snatch it. (Hey, garbage is for ANYBODY), and he did! We're pruning it and preparing to put it on the back porch this spring. What a great gift today!

HAIRCUT

Fumbling for something interesting to say.
Here's an acrostic of my day:

H - Haircut this morning, trading the weight line for choppy layers
A - Awake at 5 a.m., found myself in the guest room. Have no recollection of going there, but Curt tells me I kicked him for snoring last night and stormed out. Must have been in a pretty good sleep to have done that without even recalling it. Hope I sleep as well tonight!
I - Intent on spring...so I headed to TJ Maxx where I found some linen pants striped in springy colors and a pair of yellow cropped jeans - only 10 bucks a pop!

R - Raking this afternoon - all the dead leaves, vines, stems, etc. from the wildflower garden out front. Ah, decluttering in the yard. Feels so good. Found this beauty during our "excavation".
C - Catching up with best friend Jodie. So good to talk to her, always. She makes me laugh, makes me happy. Love ya, girlfriend!
U - Umbrella - it rained on our beautiful day. But it was more like a spring rain than a cold wintery one. It was OK. We had finished the yard work, and the boys were ready for a bath judging from the sounds of their arguements. Nothing like a warm bath to make everybody friends again. :)

T - Together - Benjy and Camden, best of friends much of the time, playing Star Wars, digging in the dirt, rolling around on the floor, chasing each other and screaming at the tops of their little lungs. At least they love each other....

TGIF

I just don't know why I can't get it together with this blog anymore. I used to be so excited to record our daily travails. Now I just feel too beat to care. In a small attempt to catch up, here's some snippets from our week.

Our caterpillars from Jodie are growing! It shouldn't be long before they cacoon themselves in their chrysales and we can remove them from the jar and house them in their butterfly house!

Camden got his new white belt with the black stripe at karate tonight to show that he's joined the Tiny Tigers black belt program. One day he'll be there!

Curt and I also joined the local ATA karate club. Soooo excited to learn this new skill, indeed a discipline. It's out of my box, as Curt said. But, hey, I never thought I'd be a lifeguard either till I actually went and did it. I don't know if I'll ever be breaking boards, but I'm starting, and I'm excited for the journey.

Benjy's feeling well - at last! He's been so pleasant, so kissy, so adorable, so FUN! He's been talking a lot, too. The other night Camden and I were trying hard to listen to Sponge Bob and Benjy would not be quiet. I actually found myself saying - "OK, Benjy, OK. Now be quiet!!!!!!" I shouldn't be surprised. You get what you ask for, I suppose.

I bought a new camera with my Christmas money, a 7 megapixal camera. I'm in love with its crispness, its new-fangledness, its amazing ability to focus when even my eyes don't! I got a batch of pix back from Kodak the other day and they were beautiful. It's all in the camera. Well, and in the cute kids. :)

I went to Gabriel Brothers yesterday - Mom, you would absolutely FLIP for this place! They get tons of clothing, shoes, household stuff from outlets, stores, and sellers - some of it's crap, but some of it's good stuff that never sold for whatever reason. I got a pair of Lands End blue jeans for $6.99 - in petites, nonetheless! I also got some tee shirts for the boys - Virginia Tech and UVa for Benjamin, and Lands End beachy looking Ts for Camden. Curt got nothing - sniff sniff - 'cause I ran out of time to search through his department. (You don't just run in and out...this store take some time for browsing.) I also got some awesome Dept. 56 Just Ducky stuff - a shower curtain, ceramic duck feet for the boys' toothbrushes, and even a duck lamp. Too cute and cheap, too! All in all, it was a good day to drop a few bucks for a bunch of cute stuff. I felt happy. :)

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Hope your day's been good, Dad. You said you had a relaxing birthday when I spoke with you tonight. Ours wasn't exactly relaxing, but it was a fun day full of adventure for your grandboys. (Benjamin, by the way, is saying "Nana and Dad-daddy" when he talks about you two now!)

We finally made it to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh today. Soooo fun! We checked out the dinosaur exhibit, which is actually under construction now, so what we saw is only a piece of what will be installed in a few months. We also toured the Pennsylvania barns exhibit, the ancient architecture exhibit, and the ancient Egyptian exhibit in the Carnegie Museum of Art which is under the same roof as the Natural History place.

To see these places through the eyes of my boys is amazing, to say the least. When we saw the model of the Green Parthenon, we told the boys that the Greeks believed the Gods lived there. "You mean God lived there once!" Camden exclaimed. How do you answer that in a millisecond?! When we saw the mummy of an Egyptian child, Camden wondered, "How come the child died?" When we found the dinosaur excavation area, where kids are given goggles, brushes, and a chisel to dig for a casting of a real dino skeleton, Camden shouted, "SWEEEEET!" He and Benjy took off, strapped on their goggles and began digging away. They were there for a good 15 minutes, which is a lifetime in this place where every turn offers a new feast for your eyes.

I'm so glad we finally made it back here, where we last visited in May. We had come for a weekend then to scope out the area, knowing that Curt's job was about to move us from Ohio to here. We fell in love with the museum and downtown Pittsburgh immediately and vowed to make it back to the city at least once a month after the move. And we've made good on that vow. Granted, we've not done the museum thing each month (ahem, we've done Ikea two or three times!) But we do love driving into the city, seeing the Monongalhela and Alleghany rivers meet to form the Ohio River and all the fun places along the water fronts. Sometimes I even wish we lived IN the city, on one of those cool loft apartments above the department stores and such. But, once we get back home to the outer suburbs, I'm happy with my new little town. Out of the limelight. Out of the hubbub. Out of the way. Yes, we are in the best place of all. Close enough. Far enough away. Home.

Saying goodbye to a career...

My dad's retiring at the end of March after 30 years as the town manager of a small town in southwest Virginia. I'm so proud of him, and I'm so happy he is anticipating his well-deserved retirement. The Kingsport Times newspaper ran a wonderful article on him on their front page the other day. (Read it here.) Here's to you, Dad. The top 10 memories I have of Coeburn during your 3-decade stint as their town manager.
1. Playing in the council chambers in the old office across the creek. Michelle and I used to love crawling under the giant series of desks at the front.
2. Riding with Uncle Mitchell to see the Christmas lights, HIS Christmas lights.
3. Resting on the brown fake leather chair and propping my feet up on the brown fake leather foot stool (remember, the one with the silver metal frame!) when visiting your old office.
4. Driving on the old road - the one through Ramsey - before then-Gov. Baliles helped dedicate the new road that seems old-hat now.
5. The Lonesome Pine INTERNATIONAL Raceway
6. That awesome playground where Candi once got loose when we were playing. My favorite playground climbers of all time are the giant flowers that once stood there blooming along Main Street.
7. The caboose in the park
8. I was so proud of what the town had become when you took Camden and me on a tour a couple of years ago, showing us the old stores that had been refurbished and indeed revitalized. So proud of your vision, Dad. And your ability to get it done.
9. Fourth of July parades and fireworks down at the stage area.
10. Playing "office" in Dad's office, pretending to talk on the phone, take notes in legal pads, thumb through loose papers on his big desk. I felt so big, so important, knowing my dad was running an entire city.
I'm so happy for you, Dad.
Love,
me

Sooooo long since my last entry

I cannot believe I've forgotten about my BLOG! No good excuses. :(

The family is strong, however. In spite of a recent bout of stomach flu, ear infections, and general winter boredom. It's just too cold to play outside, and there's no snow to make it interesting.

I'm so excited about the possibility of getting my Doctorate of Education. Indiana University of Pennsylvania has a DEd program that meets off-campus starting again in the fall of 2007. The program is specifically tailored toward teaching future teachers on the college level, and that's exactly what I want to do. I can be thinking and praying and putting my application together for the next year, and then we'll see. I believe this is what I want. We'll see what God thinks of this idea. :)

Benjy has had an explosion of speech! He's putting some ending sounds on some of his words: bus, house, please. I could cry thinking about how far he has come in just the past month. I couldn't be more proud of him. I can tell he's proud of himself. When I tell respond to his speech, he seems to stand six inches taller. He's proud, too. I can tell.

Camden is READING!!! This child, who a year ago couldn't care less about written language, is reading!!! There's nothing like watching your child learn to read, reading with him, and watching in amazement as he decodes tricky words. Amazing. Truly, the gift of reading is one of the greatest there is.

Tomorrow we're off to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to see the dinosaur exhibit. The kids are so excited. I'm going to take my new camera and HOPEFULLY get some great shots. The museum has this great dinosaur dig where kids put on safety goggles and chisel away at dino bones. The last time we went Benjy would have nothing to do with it (6 months ago). But now he says he's ready to wear the glasses and dig away. We'll see. Meanwhile, Camden would dig for hours if we'd let him. I just can't wait to see them so spellbound by the giant skeletons. Dinosaurs never lose their mystical hold on us. So huge, so alien, so REAL.

That Camden. This was shot at his birthday party. He wouldn't reveal his wish. I'm sure it had to do with Star Wars or something equally boyish.

Camden, my first-born. He looks so big. Sometimes I cannot believe he is mine. It seems like just yesterday I was watching my first ultrasound of him, a wiggling, squiggling little blob. He's still wiggling and squiggling, but he's no blob. He's a fully developed 6-year-old who is finding his place in the world. He can read, write, and solve the problem of world peace. ("No more bad guys!") He's my Camden. He has his father's chin/jaw and my temper. He kissed a girl goodbye tonight after karate. So young and yet so convinced he's going to marry her. He is so confident and proud of his accomplishments. A real schmoozer if ever there was one. My "baby Camden", as we used to call him. My "punkin head".

My Camden has grown before my eyes. He's interested in new things now, not the things of his younger brother. He's even managed to teach Benjy that Little People and Hot Wheels are for babies. No, he's into all things Darth Vader, space, and planets. Volcanoes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. Heaven, hell (yes, hell), and angels. Camden is curious beyond imagination. I answer more questions every day than Google.com, I feel. He demands answers. He expects feedback. And I'm happy to oblige, even when I'm tired, without the strength for thoughts or speech. I'll find a way to answer him. It is my goal to never deprive his thirst for more information. He deserves the time to ponder the things that interest him. To dwell on the big ideas of his life. To offer up solutions to our dilemmas. "A child shall lead them...." No, he's not Jesus. But he's important just because he belongs to Him. He's Camden. He's mine. And he's his own. He's Camden.

One for the Thumb!

What a great year to be living near Pittsburgh! The Steelers won the Super Bowl last night, and I admit it's the first time in my LIFE I've watched it for the football and not merely the commercials. (Although I thought the Hummer ad was just freakin' funny, and the Budweiser magic fridge was a hoot. Apparently the best was the streaking sheep, but I miss that. Drat.) When the game ended, you could here car horns, fireworks, and just general shrieking all around. Yes, we picked a good year to move here. :)
What have I learned from my brief but intense flirtation with Steeler football?
1- Jerome Bettis is "The Bus." That makes Benjamin my minibus.
2- People think Ben Roethlisberger is one hot man. I think he's fine, but I don't care for the beard. Wonder if he'll shave it off now that they've won??????
3- Pittsburgh loves their Steelers so much that they opened the Pittsburgh Public Schools 2 hours late today in honor of the win. Now this is a city that knows how to have a bit of fun.
4- If you want a Steelers Champions shirt, you'd best go buy it RIGHT AFTER THE SUPER BOWL. Stores opened after the game last night and the shirts were sold out by morning here.
5- Troy Polamalu has a cool name, cool hair, and a catchy tune about how to pronounce his name.
6- Terrible Towels are all the rage. Now I want one of these gold numbers to wave around.
7- It is possible to reclaim our living room TV on game day. Camden even runs around in anticipation. Then, when the game starts, he disappears upstairs to play Star Wars. If only Darth Vader were a player. He'd watch it for sure then.
8- Apparently the Steelers are more than a winning team. They're full of character. Really. (Joey Parker's trash talk aside) I heard so many comments from news heads referring to the players' strength of character. From what I've seen in interviews with Bettis and Polamalu, among others here and there, it's true. Many of these men love God, play for each other, and recognize that their strength is in their numbers, not just in themselves. I just love that.
9- For some reason, you are not allowed to push off of another player as you pursue a pass. I don't get this. It seems to me that if you're allowed to knock the hell out of each other, you should be allowed to use that force to help you out a bit. But I don't write the rules of football. I barely know them.
10- Inspired by the game, Benjy now runs around the living room and hurls himself onto the ground, Steeler style. That's my minibus! He also shouts, "kick ball!" Amazing how this game has gripped us, turned us into Steeler fans, and helped my little boy pick up a few new words. :)

Here we go, Steelers! Here we go!

There's no way in the world you can live here, an hour east of Pittsburgh, and not be PSYCHED about the Steelers playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow. For a solid week I've worn the black and gold to work with jeans. Only during Super Bowl week would we be granted the privilege of wearing jeans to work all week long. Only during the Super Bowl would I see hundreds and hundreds of people around town proudly wearing their black and gold necklaces, hats, shirts, jackets, HAIR. Only during the Super Bowl would I hear the beat of Steelers tunes on the regional radio stations. One of my favorite songs is this little number from Mr. Devious: Polamalu Song. Be sure you click on the Polamalu (spelled Pohlamahlu on this site) tune to hear it. It's so freakin' funny!

OK, so it's obvious what we'll be up to tomorrow night. The boys, Curt, and I will all be decked out in favorite Steelers Tees, sipping our favorite beverages (Carnation Instant Breakfast chocolate milk for the boys...gotta sneak those nutrients in where you can!), and tuned into the Big Game. This will be the very first time I've watched the super bowl for something other than the commercials. I cannot tell you how excited I am! Win or lose, it's been a wild ride here in the Pittsburgh region. What a place to be!

Blessings

A few things God has blessed my life with:
* Benjy's first drawing of a fact (that I've seen before he destroyed, anyway!)
* Camden's sweet bedtime prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. MY angels watch me through the night and wake me with the morning light. Dear God thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Benjy, me, Ellie and Emma. And please help the bad guys be good."

* A loving Dad for my boys. Curt is the most patient man I've ever known. He sits with Camden as he counts out 100 lollipops to take to kindergarten for 100s Day. He can play chase with both Benjy and Camden for a good bit of a Saturday afternoon. He can listen to the two of them carry on and never raise his voice. And he can even put up with my sometimes extreme mood swings. This man is a saint!
* Ellie, my lovely and loyal black lab/mutt. She's mostly deaf, not too bright, suffers from arthritis, incontinence, and just plain old age, and could use a bath. But she's been mine for longer than Curt! She's my Ellie Belly, beautiful and sweet.
* Creative time: God has blessed me with a creative gift. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I know it's there! I'm studying just how I can grow it and use it best in my new creativity journal. I'm forcing myself to carve out time to play with this in hopes of learning more about myself.
* A family I can count on: Even though I don't get to see my folks or sister often, I know they're out there, thinking of me and each other. I know we share a love and respect for each other, and I'm blessed to come from such a bonded and strong family.

fefe bi du

"Fefe bi du!"

So Benjy tells me every day. I have no trouble understanding this one. He started saying it one night as he, Camden and I were watching Madagascar. There's this one part where the alligator gobbles up the duck. Well, that was a shocking sight for Benjy. He immediately started talking about it. "Fefe" he would say. That means "alligator". "Bi" that means "bit". "Du". Well, that's obvious. "Fefe bi du!" He said this over and over and over and with an excitement that I've rarely seen in him when talking. I think that excitement was all about the amazing feeling of communicating. He was talking to me, and I understood him. And he KNEW it! Man, that's just so freakin' cool. You could tell it was a huge aha moment in his little life.

And so, he says it daily now. "Fefe bi du." He says it with the same excitment and expression that he had on that night as we watched the movie. "Fefe bi du." Amazing.

In the news...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Amid tight security and a sea of green and yellow flags, Palestinians cast ballots in their first parliamentary election in a decade Wednesday — a historic vote that could shape the future of the peace process with Israel. I think this photo is so telling, so powerful, so remindful of our own precious right to vote here in the US.


A false-color composite shows the Cartwheel galaxy. A new planet-hunting technique has detected the most Earth-like planet yet around a star other than our sun, raising hopes of finding a space rock that might support life, astronomers reported on Wednesday. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Reuters) How can you look at our universe and NOT wonder what the plan is? What the origin was? WHO put it all in motion? I can think of only one who could imagine it and then make it so. God.


Is it possible to live without it?




TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Bill Cowher's news conference had nothing to do with the Seattle Seahawks' devastating offensive line or the running of league MVP Shaun Alexander or the tactics of Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren.
No, the theme Tuesday centered on fabrics and hues, as in "What color jerseys will your team wear for Super Bowl XL, Coach?"
This is what happens when the big game is 11 days away and storylines are coming from every angle.
For the record, the Steelers will wear white for Super Bowl XL in Detroit, even though they are the home team and always wear black at Heinz Field.
GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been tagged

Kristen sent me this, and I answered her questions and sent it back to her along with a few others. Here's what I had to say today.

1. What is your full name?
Wendi Leighann Gibson Richert
2. What color pants are you wearing?
red PJs from Target with cute little black dogs and a sprinkling of polka dots on them
3. What are you listening to right now?
Sponge Bob's Christmas movie - Benjy's favorite
4. What was the last thing you ate?
salad and stuffed shells
5. Do you wish on stars?
Nope, but I have to recite the little rhyme for Camden so he can.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
yellow or periwinkle
7. How is the weather right now?
dark and cold, somewhere in the 30s, I suspect, but I'm too lazy to check on it.
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My sister last night. Unless you count answering the phone a couple of times at work today.
9. Do you like the person who sent you this?
Yes - she ROCKS! And she's just so darn sweet. :)
10. How old are you today?
37
11. Favorite drink?
black coffee and cosmopolitans (not together)
12. Favorite sport?
Huh????
13. Hair Color?
brown with a few streaks of Sun-In brassy tones
14. Do you wear contacts?
yup
15. Siblings?
A younger sister
16. Favorite Month?
September - my birth month and the weather starts to change
17. Favorite Food ?
Eat & Park's smiley cookies. This week, anyhow.
18. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
19. Favorite Day of the Year -
Christmas morning with my kids.
20. What do you do to vent anger?
Take a nap, cry, sit in the dark. Then get over it.
21. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Barbies - my barbies were always better than my sister's.
22. Summer or winter?
Winter!!!!!!!!!
23. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs
24. Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla
25. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Sure!
26. Who is most likely to respond?
Kristin better!!!!!!
27. Who is least likely to respond?
My sister. She never responds to any of my emails. (What's she trying to tell me, anyway???)
28. When was the last time you cried?
Last week.
29. What is under your bed?
Emma and some suitcases
30. Who is the friend you've had the longest?
Jodie in Roanoke
31. What did you do last night?
Watch the Steelers win the playoffs for the super bowl!!Wooohooooo - go Steelers!
32. What are you afraid of?
People I know dying
33. Plain, buttered or salted popcorn?
oooo, yuck. chocolate covered raisins for me
34. Favorite car?
don't care
35. Favorite flower?
Daisies
36. Number of keys on your key ring?
2
37. Type of job?
preschool specialist at KinderCare
38. Favorite day of the week ?
Friday, or sometimes Thursdays because you ahve teh entire weekend to look forward to
39. What did you do for your last birthday?
Opened presents from my boys, ate a lot of cake, and uploaded some tunes on my new iPod Shuffle
40. How many states have you lived in?
three!
41. How many cities have you lived in?
5
42. What do you collect?
Ws - the letter W, that is. And Willow Tree angels
43. Who do you LOVE most in life?
God, Family, Friends

This is the tree

The tree that Camden loves. He climbs it nearly to the top. He shakes the whole thing while up there, the branches swaying wildly as he climbs higher and higher. It's as if he thinks he can reach the sky. Today he brought me a "flower" from a branch of his tree. It was dead, dead like the winter, but it was a flower from Camden, nonetheless. He even put it in a glass of water and brought it up to me in my bathroom. He was so proud. I hugged him, wrapped my arms around him and told him how thankful I was. Now, isn't that just the sweetest thing? My son climbed a tree on a drizzly cool January day to pick a flower just for me? He's so freakin' cool. :)

The Dark Side

It's everywhere.

In everything from my kids' undies to their dinner plates. It's ubiquitous, entrancing, and all over my living room. The Dark Side and I live a not-so-quiet co-existence as my children have fallen prey to its force. I trip over light sabers, hang up Darth Vader capes, and gather chess pieces and tri fighters and action figures more often than daily, if that's possible. I hear the sounds of Star Wars theme music in the car as Benjy and Camden hum it, from my study as Camden and Curt struggle to win against the Playstation, and from Benjy's little mouth as he teams up R2D2 against Darth Vader and General Grievous. I don't even want to know who wins that one.

Such is life with boys. For years we got away without hearing the slightest gun noise from Camden. Then, suddenly, Star Wars entered our home and the BOY in my husband and two children was awakened. PACHOOO PACHOOO PACHOOO. It's the sound of boys. Of the force. I hope I've taught them that the force is not to be used on real people. It's a pretend thing. Yes, Camden tries hard to use the force to move a straw across then kitchen table. And he blames "the force" on his difficulty with listening to directions. But, overall, I think The Dark Side lives in their active and vibrant imaginations. I don't see it when Camden hugs his "babies" - stuffed animals. I don't see it when Benjy runs up to me and plants a big ol' kiss on my cheek. I don't see it when they both snuggle in bed with Curt and me first thing in the morning. Truly, that's when the Dark Side has been overcome by my good Jedi masters. I guess I really don't need to worry. Deep down inside, the power of the good force is there, ready to shoot out of their Yoda light sabers and save the day.

Beautiful Things

These are a few things that I have found beautiful lately:
* The pinkish white Christmas cactus that has recently bloomed in my bathroom
* Benjamin's cheeks - they are so kissable
* The sunshine today - temp in the mid-50s, perfect spring-like weather. Driving with the windows down, feeling the cool breeze that wasn't hot but wasn't cold either. The blue skies with streaky white clouds. Beautiful.
* Camden on his birthday perched on the porch rail out back. (Yesterdays' blog picture) He is a beautiful being.
* Krystal fried apple pies Curt brought me from the Atlanta airport - the best! (Who needs to be healthy when these are in the house?!)
* Ellie. This old dog is the most loyal, beautiful black lab. I love her.
* The sounds of kids playing outdoors - at KinderCare today, at home with the neighborhood kids running about. Ah, almost like spring.
* Snowfall. Nope, none yet, but an inch or two on the way. I'll take what I can get.
* The smell of ground coffee in the coffee maker waiting for tomorrow morning when we hit the ON button.

Happy Birthday, Camden!

All day I've thought about the wonderful delivery of Camden 6 years ago in Virginia. Epidural - check. Husband by my side - check. Mom there, too - check. A perfect birth - check. Camden came into this world without a hitch. The perfect birth. The perfect baby. Just too sweet. Yes, he's had his moments of The Dark Side, but he's still my Baby Camden. He still loves to snuggle, listen to stories, share raspberries, and sneak sweets. He's still my first one. He's still a slight little fellow, my bean pole who's shooting up like a weed. He's still loud and silly and a drama king. He's still my sweet, sweet Camden Neil. I love you, Camden, to the moon and back and then back again to infinity and beyond.

Six years ago

It really does seem like just last week that I gave birth to Camden. And yet tomorrow he'll turn six at nearly 1:30 in the afternoon. I cannot believe my little punkin head is growing up so fast - reading, combing his hair "like a man!", asking for privacy when he uses the bathroom. Geez, where has the time gone?! In these pictures, he's eagerly chopping away at a "rock" that housed a tiny dinosaur. He was so excited to chisel away at it, just like a scientist. I did squash a bit of his excitement, though, by asking him not to spread rock bits all over the kitchen. "You mean scientists don't get rocks and dirt in their houses?" he asked. "No, scientists don't get rock and dirt in their mommys' kitchens," I replied. Something makes me wonder if he'll be a scientist when he grows up: so curious, eager to learn and explore, and find the answers out for himself. How cool is that?!