Memorable Memorial Day

What a beautiful day. We went for a walk at the river and then visited my grandma's grave. It was a GREAT evening.We were definitely tired, but happy.

My Saturday

Camping out in the backyard was okay. I will NEVER sleep in the same sleeping bag as Jake again. The kid MOVES all night long....and I didn't get much sleep at all.

Otherwise, camping in the backyard was okay. I did miss the lake and the SMELL of the mountains, but I'll get that later in the summer.

BUT, we didn't have an UNEVENTFUL day.

While taking the tent and bedding down we learned that my brother was going to be arrested. I called around and finally talked TO my brother (who I haven't heard from in a LONG time...) He stole things from his work and sold them to make money. He owed almost $500. It was NOT a good thing. Then he wanted us to help him pay them back. UH, NO! I told him that mom and dad had JUST left on a 2 week vacation (they left at 6:00 am), I had no money, and neither of my other brothers could help him...he'd just have to go to jail. I told him I was sorry and that I loved him and told him I'd pass the message onto mom and dad.

When I told my mom, she said, "Well, I hope he learns his lesson." He's old enough now (28) that he SHOULD be responsible for his own mistakes and should have to deal with the consequences. I do feel bad, but at the same time, I hope he learns and does NOT do something this stupid again.

The worst part of his mistake is that Cameron, who LOVES his uncle and really looked up to him, was traumatized by the whole thing. He was scared for his uncle and cried for him. I don't know what this will do to my sweet boy, but I think he'll be a little more thoughtful when he plays police man. Eventually he got over Uncle Shad being in jail, but it did take a good crying session.

Jake learned where Grandma keeps her sucker stash, and learned he can help himself...to peeling it open and eating it. He was a sticky mess.

Then for dinner tonight we had a fun time with Jake. It was his first time eating lasagna, and he LOVED it. All over his face, in his hair, all over his arms and chair....

I'm glad we're home and ready for bed. It's been QUITE a day!

Camping Out

Usually we've had our annual Memorial Day Weekend camping trip planned for a LONG time before we go. This year we decided a week ago that we would go camping, but in a FAR different location.

Usually we head to the hills (mountains) and enjoy a weekend by the lake, watching movies, riding 4-wheelers, and enjoying a campfire. Not so much this time.

This year my parents have decided to take an extended vacation with my grandparents. They're headed East. The trip will last about 2 weeks, in which time they will miss our Memorial Day Weekend camping trip, Steve's birthday, and Jake's birthday. (We will be missing my mom's birthday.) If I had the chance to take this trip with them, I would. But since we aren't going, I'm not sure that we could have gone camping by ourselves (I mean, we COULD have, but we would have missed the fun stuff that we do with my parents and siblings.)

SO our camping trip this year will be in my parents' backyard. Yes, still in town, and not real FANCY, but should be fun. We've got things set up for a wiener roast and s'mores. I think it will be fun. A lot of work for just sleeping in my parents' backyard, but will be fun. :)

Can't Keep Up....

This kid is going to keep me moving, even if it KILLS me!!

Yes, he climbed up on this box BY HIMSELF!!!

And his new favorite room in the house is the kitchen, with pots, pans and dishes or cans of food spread out for him to play with. Good thing I mopped earlier this week.

But I'm loving EVERY minute of it. (Despite my grumbles....)

*Giggle* Do I Forward This??

Feeling Manly

Today Steve noticed we had a flat tire. (Thankfully we were parked somewhere and not ON the road.) He sighed and pointed it out to me. Because it's Sunday, I was wearing a dress, but I got over that one, and went over to help him.

He'd emptied the trunk (which was FULL of stuff) and found our donut and jack. He couldn't quite figure things out, so I started playing. I twisted the knob and found out that if I lifted it enough, the little side fell off, and that was our wrench.

Long story short, I helped Steve change the tire, and I feel REALLY good about myself. I've NEVER changed my own flat tires before, and now I'm more educated.

YAY for accomplishing new things!

Busy??

I feel like I'm talking to myself, but maybe I am. *shrug*

I guess I'll do a quick update of what's going on with my little family, and HOPE that I get some feedback.

Steve is set for his concert on Monday. He's got the tux, and in fact, since we know someone who is in the tux industry (well, she RENTS tuxes and gowns) she gave us a FABULOUS deal on a cummerbund and a tux shirt. She also, since she is SO wonderfully helpful and AMAZING, gave us a handful of button clips and cuff links. SHE IS AWESOME! Thanks to her, he's going to look spiffy! I'm pretty excited!

Cameron is continuing to do well. He's anxious about going to any more doctor appointments (he has to see his regular pediatrician for a physical since he's taking Ritalin and we need to set up an orthodontist appointment). He's doing well with his therapies, and thanks to one of his therapists (his new OT....the one we LOVE) he's tying his shoes by himself. He's not QUITE proficient with it YET, but he's getting there. Thanks to her little tool, he can feel proud to do it BY HIMSELF! I wish I knew the name of the tying tool, but it holds the "bunny ears" in place so he can work on tying instead of holding AND tying. He has an IEP meeting coming up next week, and his excitement is for a field trip to the zoo and a hike he says they're going on for scouts.

Jake is into EVERYTHING. He pulls everything out of our little hamper that we have full of toys, and then he'll pull the pillows off the couches and chair. Who knew that pillows were SUCH fun toys! He's also babbling more and is using his own type of sign language to communicate with us. When he wants food, he'll bang his hand against his mouth or smack his lips together. If he wants to nurse (which, YES, I'm still doing...) he'll come over to me and LIFT up my shirt. Thanks, son! ;)

And me? I'm just cleaning house, doing laundry, chasing a baby, and running errands. Nothing spectacular, but hey, I'm NOT complaining! I am SO blessed that my family is healthy, my kids are safe and happy, and we have a job.

I've Been Thinking....

...a little about high school. Not that I'd EVER want to go back, but I'm having some good times remembering myself when I was in high school.

I ran around with a small group of friends, and I'd like to think that we were close. (Not that I REALLY remember ANY big blow-ups, but that we were pretty good friends.) We were by no means popular, but I don't really think we were UNpopular either. Maybe you'd consider us the religious crowd, or maybe even the smart kids. Most of us were in at least ONE AP or honors class, and we were even in the honor society. We had some who were in choir, some who played in band, and some who just studied their little eyes out. For the most part, we were VERY good kids.

The thing that made us different was the fact that we called ourselves Neptunians. Honestly, I don't remember exactly how the whole concept came together, I just know that each of us were from Neptune and that we were here to help take over the world. We each had a nickname, and we used our imaginations often.

We made lots of movies starring ourselves and our little mascot, the Super Wonder Whooper. The Super Wonder Whooper was a cow. He wore a cape, and he was cute. In our movies we'd act out random things: a dating show, the killing of Julius Caesar (aka Super Wonder Whooper), and other things that popped into our heads. We were happy, weird, but happy.

Sometimes when we got together we'd sit around and just talk about whatever was on our mind, and I know of a few times that we'd have a spontaneous testimony meeting/singing time.

I don't miss high school, but I do miss the close group of girls that I hung out with. For the most part, I have kept in contact with them all, but not nearly as much as I would have thought.

You may know some of my friends. Carrie (aka Loogie), Joanie (aka Psycho), Kathrine (aka Aids), Ellen (aka Slither), Lynette, Kim (aka Beaker), Tamara (aka Wierdo).

Love you guys, please forgive me for posting these pictures, but I had to keep them in my journal.

Love,
Dweeb

Mothers' Day

I had a wonderful Mothers' Day. Steve gave me a fun card (that sings Rascal Flatt's song Melt), a book about mother's of prophets and a beautiful set of earrings. I was happy to get the earrings because I was going to wear them to church with a necklace that Cameron had made for me at scouts. (With my mom's ward, not ours.) Then came Cam's present to me.

He had been with my mom on Saturday and was sneaking around to keep me from seeing his "present" for me. He really didn't need to worry, I've gotten to the point that I don't really care if someone says, "Oh, I've got a surprise/gift for you, and you REALLY want to know what it is, right??" Usually I'm pretty content to just wait until I get it.

He pulled out a red box with a black bow on it. It was a set of earrings and a HUGE necklace. The earrings were butterflies and the necklace was a flower. Now, anyone who knows me KNOWS I do NOT do necklaces. I like them, they're pretty, but I can never find one that's long enough to go around my neck, and is complimentary to my personality. I just KNEW that I could NOT disappoint my excited boy. He was really excited to see his mom wear the present he had picked out specifically for me. So I wore it. And surprisingly the necklace fit fine around my fat neck. And I think I looked pretty cute. (Gaudy jewelry and all!)

That evening I was at my own mom's house calling my youngest brother who's on his mission to the Philippines. He'd told me in a previous email that he was nervous about calling because he was afraid he'd be homesick. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. BUT we had a hard time communicating with him. His English was halting and he couldn't quite think of things to say. He's doing well, and is excited to be transferred from the office (he hopes!) And for some reason, in my weekly emails to him, I'd neglected to tell him about Cameron and the pretzel. I told him the story and he was laughing SO hard. I guess I really should remember the funny, quirky things that my kids do, so I can make him laugh like that at least once a week.

Overall it was a VERY nice day, and I'm glad to have such good kids and a WONDERFUL mother.

Random Movie Review: Fireproof

Tonight I watched a movie with my sweet husband. (I'm actually quite surprised he watched it with me, usually he avoids "chick flicks" like the plague.) I'd heard over and over that the movie had a good story, but the acting was a little cheesy.

I have to say, I didn't notice any cheesy acting. BUT I loved the movie. LOVED IT!!

It's not necessarily one I would have watched without the previous plugs from friends and family. BUT, again, it was VERY good.

Any movie that makes me suck air, and I don't realize it....has my heart.

This story of a struggling married couple and their road to self-awareness and happiness is MARVELOUS!!

If you haven't seen it, please do. You will come away with a great desire to be more involved and happier! I know that I hope to have a marriage that is fireproof. Not immune to fire, but will withstand when the fire comes.

This and That

We bought Steve a tuxedo this last month. He's in a choir that practices ONCE a week (unlike the plays he's been involved in in the past where they practice several times a week) and they have an upcoming concert soon. He has to have a tux for the performance, and since I approve of the choir, and hope that he'll continue to be involved in this, we decided a tux would be cheaper to buy than to rent. He looks good! ;)

We cut the baby's hair on Monday. I've been complaining about it's length for a while now, and my mom, who I'm sure was tired of hearing me complain, grabbed her scissors and she cut while I held the boy down. He was NOT impressed. :P

In the end it was pretty cute, but now instead of looking like a baby, he looks more like a little boy.

Before:

After:

Cameron and Jake are playing well. I'm SO glad. I do get annoyed with saying, "You're NOT in charge." or "Put him DOWN!" over and over, but at least they get along. There are MANY times I'll hear the two of them laughing and it makes me VERY happy!

And Jake's a pill. He's begun throwing more tantrums. And he's got two more teeth. He bites, HARD! But there are moments, usually at the end of the day, when he winds down and will cuddle. I like those times, but they're very few. Usually he's crawling away from me, turning around to get my attention, and when I say, "HEY, STOP!" He laughs his little giggle and turns and crawls away as fast as he can. What a little button pusher! :P

Spending the Day in a Room with No Windows

Today was Cam's dental surgery day. UGH!

Last night I had PLANNED to keep the kid awake for as long as possible, hoping that he'd sleep in this morning and wouldn't think about not being able to eat or drink until his appointment at NOON! We'd rented a movie at the RedBox (first time....) on free Monday. (Such a cool thing!) Then we set up an inflatable mattress in our bedroom (in case the boy woke up earlier than I did, so I could hear him.) Then we attempted to watch the movie. Our dumb DVD/VCR that's upstairs!! I was ready to shoot the dang thing! It took us a half hour to load the movie. Even cleaning the thing didn't quite work.

Cameron and I stayed up watching "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium." (Cute movie, very kid-friendly!) We were awake until 12:30! I turned off the light and we were asleep.

I woke up around 6:30 to call the school and transportation to let them know that Cam was not going to need to be picked up, then I attempted to go back to sleep....did NOT happen.

Cameron woke up shortly after 7:00 (his usual waking time) and was UP! I told him that because he'd been up late the night before he REALLY could sleep in, but he said he was fine.

I did our usual morning things, and even snuck in my watching of Dancing With the Stars from Monday night. Then it was time to get ready to leave. I bathed the boys, and noticed Cam was SEVERELY pale. His eyes even got a slight pink tint around them. I worried that he may throw up, but he was just REALLY tired and pretty hungry. I let him lay in my bed while I got myself cleaned up.

When I was ready, I dragged Cam, who at this point was INSISTING he needed a nap, to the car and we were off.

Thankfully, my angel of a mother said she'd watch Jake for us, so we didn't have to try and entertain the baby as well as keeping Cameron calm. So Steve dropped Cam and I off at the facility and went to drop off the baby. (As well as pick up my book I was going to bring. I had set it out with Cam's DS, but the ONLY thing he was interested in bringing was his OWN stuff!)

We signed in, filled out papers and waited. Thankfully, this facility has little individual waiting rooms for the patients and family members. So Steve and I spent the majority of the day from around 11:00 until 3:30 in a little room with no windows.

Cam started getting anxious when the nurse came to get his vitals, which is his typical thing. I'd discussed with the nurse and anesthesiologist Cam's typical reaction to the anesthesia (nausea and vomiting...) and they assured me that they'd make sure he got the extra dose of the anti-nausea medication. Then came the time for him to go to surgery.

He cried....he whined....and finally he BEGGED for us to walk back with him. The sweet nurses made sure he was taken care of, and *tried* to alleviate his fears, but as the doors closed I could hear his cries. Poor kid!

I went back to the little room and snoozed on and off while Steve flipped through channels trying to keep entertained.

Several hours later the dentist came in telling us everything went well. Cam had come out of anesthesia fairly well, and was in recovery. Then he told us that he had to pull one of the boy's molars (no big surprise...the kid's ALWAYS having issues with his teeth...) I asked if the tooth had been loose, and the dentist said it hadn't, but according to the x-rays there was an abscess underneath and he treated the infection. He had even put in a little stitch, but didn't have to numb his mouth, so whenever he was ready to eat, he could. (Which was nice, because we'd bribed him with a trip to Wendy's if he was good.)

A while later, probably at LEAST a half hour, they wheeled my grump back into the room. We tried and tried to get the boy to drink something, but the apple juice they'd provided did NOT taste good. (Both Cam and Steve agreed on THAT point.) So we asked for some soda. He took that a little better. Eventually, the nurse said he could change back into his clothes, and she'd check back in on us. He sat up and said, "Whoa, I'm dizzy..." then he laid back and threatened to puke. I hurried to grab the emesis basin, and then ran out to get a washcloth. After calming him down, and placing a cool washcloth on his head, he seemed to settle back down.

Soon enough, we'd decided it was time to leave and try to nap somewhere else. He wasn't too terribly wobbly, and we were off to veg at Grandma's house.

Thankfully, Jake LOVES Grandma, and I was allowed a nice nap. (THANKS MOM!)

We also took the boy to Wendy's and he ate like he usually does.

I'm glad that's over. I hate it when he's put under with anesthesia, but I'm getting used to it.

Next: take the kid back in to see the dentist for an additional cleaning. *sigh*

Mother's Curse?

When I was growing up, it wasn't uncommon to hear my mom say, "Someday, I hope you have a kid that treats you EXACTLY the way you treat me!" (Usually, it was after I'd said something HORRIBLE to her, like, "I HAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEE YOU!!!!!!!" Yeah, I was a HUGE brat!!)

I always figured the mother's curse was just something to say to kids like a scare-tactic. Never would REALLY happen.

HA HA!

Cameron has covered MY mother's curse (He has said "I hate you" to me MANY times, and thankfully, I'm not as soft as my sweet mom was. I know he doesn't mean it....just as I'm sure SHE knew I never hated her...)

BUT...

We have another curse coming into play here: STEVE'S mother's curse.

Thankfully, I've had two children, which means that my kids will each fulfill their destiny with our curses. Jake has inherited his father's curse. He throws tantrums.

WHY do I get to deal with HIS curse??

Let's ask the man himself, "Steve, why do I have to put up with YOUR curse?? What did I ever do to your mother??"

His response: "You married me."

Thanks, love! *eye roll*

Tantrums are a constant thing now. If I put the boy down, he squawks and bends his body backward. If I pick him up when he's getting into something he shouldn't be, he bends his body backward yelling. If he's put in a play pen or crib or car seat against his will....a complete 180 degree turn.

I'm sure he'll grow out of these tantrums SOMEDAY, but for now, I'm cursing the mother's curse.....and PROMISING my future daughters-in-law, I WILL NOT curse my sons. I don't want YOU to suffer...just them! ;)

If You Give a Baby a Cookie...

.....this is what happens! ;)

I've Got My Hands Full

My little boys are SUCH a joy!! They're also SUCH a handful!

Lately Cameron has been staying awake later at night. DRIVING ME CRAZY! Last night he didn't sleep until 9:30ish...usually he's snoring by 8:15 at the latest! His late nights have been making his afternoons pretty hard. He's whiny, grouchy and VERY defiant. I don't know if it's his medication that's doing it, or whether it's the fact that the sun is STILL up at 8:00 at night, and he thinks he needs to be awake, but it's driving me bonkers!! (Yes, I realize this isn't a picture of my ornery Cam, but I needed to put HIM on here too....just have too many pics of Mr. Jake...)

Jake is just getting into EVERYTHING! UGH! Here's a few pictures....

We also find it funny to take the socks that he took off his feet (BY HIMSELF) and stick them on his hands. He loves the texture, and waves with them on his hands, SUPER cute!

Jake's also gotten whiny, but I think HIS problem is the fact that he doesn't always get his naps because he's got to do errands with mommy and I just can't stop because he's napping...Life goes on!

It's SUCH a busy life, but I love it more than words can say! :)

Stubborn? Me??

Lately the weather here has been GORGEOUS!! Last week it was SO beautiful I was even throwing open the windows at night to bring in some cool air to cool the house. It was LOVELY!! Pretty much THE perfect weather conditions.

Then came the weekend.

Saturday wasn't too bad, it was a little chilly, but nothing we couldn't deal with. We just threw on jackets and had a good day.

Sunday morning I woke up, walked down my stairs and peeked out my window at the bottom of my stairs. From the stairs I can see the grass turning green and the light from the sun. (It's a frosted window, so I just see colors and LARGE shapes.) But when I looked out Sunday morning all I saw was WHITE!

WHITE!?

It had snowed over-night. I was sad...it's the end of APRIL!! May is coming later this week! Snow should NOT be in the forecast!! It just shouldn't!!

Thankfully, by the end of the day the snow had melted away, but it was still MUCH cooler than it has been all week.

Last week when the warm weather came I took all of my blankets covering the bottom of my doors and put them away. They're STILL gone today. I haven't had the heat on ALL month long. I refuse to turn it on when the weather is bound to change to warm soon.

So I'm sitting in my living room right now, no blankets covering doors, no heat turned on....with freezing toes. But it will be worth it, right?!

Birthdays and Sadness....

Today was my 30th birthday. It was VERY enjoyable, and I had a great day, despite the fact that I was beginning to FEEL old. :P

My brothers think it's funny to glob the candles together so the flame is HUGE.

Steve gave me some earrings and Rascal Flatts new CD. Cameron wished me a happy birthday as SOON as he woke up. And my parents gave me some clothes and a dinner out. It was a GREAT day!

Then tonight I learned a good friend died this morning after battling brain cancer for MANY years. He just became a daddy a few months ago, and the last time I saw him he gave me a HUGE smile, dispite his many pains.

Love you, Jenn!! My prayers are with you and your daughter tonight!

And Now the AFTER Picture

With all the craziness that's been going on here lately (just see yesterday's posts if you don't know what "craziness" I'm talking about...) I didn't ever show you the AFTER picture of our apartment.
For about a week, they've been working on bringing in more topsoil and planting some permanent plants to cover the icky hard water marks on the building. Overall I think it's CUTE!! (And I'm SO glad those icky bushes are gone!)

AFTER

And just for fun, I'm going to share some funny baby pics. While I'm on the computer playing, Jake has found some interesting ways to entertain himself. Pulling things out of the diaper bag is one. He found the medicine cup and pretended to drink from it. I laughed and went to take the picture. When I got by him, he'd stopped. But I told him to do it again, because it was funny, and he obliged. Funny boy!! <3

Pretzels are for Mouths...

....not noses.

Cameron cried to me that something was up his nose, when I asked what it was he said, "A pretzel."

*shock* *laughing*

When I asked him WHY he did it, his exact words were, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Thankfully, Community Care is a good place to take kids with things up their noses. The doctor pulled out a very LONG pair of tweezers and pulled out a very mangled pretzel stick.

The nurse asked if I wanted to save it for the scrapbook....

Um, no thanks, I'll just keep the story! ;)

Guilt by Dental Hygienist

Today was Cam's dentist appointment, and BOY did that hygienist lay the guilt on.

I admit that I don't always ENFORCE teeth brushing, I'm bad...I should.

Poor Cam has MULTIPLE cavities, and because of his severe dentist anxiety he is going to be getting them filled in a hospital setting. (Which is WAY better than trying to hold the boy DOWN....but still, it's a LOT of work.)

We had to go to a new dentist's office and the receptionists were AMAZINGLY friendly. LOVED them!! The billing secretary was amazingly nice too. The dental assistant who took the boy back was VERY friendly and nice, but the hygienist who cleaned the kid's teeth?? Man!

I got SEVERAL lectures.

I feel horrible. It's MY fault the boy is having dental issues. In fact, his issues are SO bad that he may get full-blown periodontal disease before he graduates from high school.

I will do better, but sheesh, can't you be NICE to the struggling mama? I had to TRY to keep the baby entertained while keeping Cameron calm. Thankfully, this office caters to kids, and Cameron was SO good!! Like SOOOOOOOOOO good! I was very proud of him!

On another side-note, the boy's also going to have to see an orthodontist soon. He doesn't have enough room in his mouth for all of his teeth. He's got some teeth that have taken over space where he's supposed to have some OTHER teeth. *sigh* And to think I just thought we were going in for a simple cleaning.

Here's a sleeping baby AFTER an early morning dental apointment...complete with balloon FROM the dentist's office! :D

Wordless Wednesday or Progression of a Tantrum

Updates

Jake is still cruising around furniture, walls, doors, whatever is sturdy and he can pull himself up to. He's standing by himself for a few seconds at a time, but is too chicken to stand for any longer on his own.

He's also fast. Did you ever see the Tom and Jerry cartoon with the baby? How fast that baby crawls?? That's Jake, only he's a lot bigger, and wears more clothes. He thinks its funny to get our attention and then turn and crawl away as fast as he can. I feel like I chase this little boy EVERYWHERE! I let him down for a minute at church yesterday and he got stomped on 3 times....by the same guy! *giggle* It was kinda funny, but the poor man felt bad. It really wasn't HIS fault, it was Jake getting under-foot.

Jake's also saying funny things that kind of sound like words. Yesterday Cameron and Steve were trying to fly a kite. The wind would pick it up and it would START to fly, and Jake just got SO excited. He waved his arms and kicked his legs...and made a noise that sounded like "GO! GO! GO!!!" Then the wind blew it toward us (sitting on the porch) and he made a noise that sounded like "CRAP!" My mom, who was holding him at the time, laughed SO hard.

He now has 9 teeth. His molar FINALLY popped out last week. He's been cutting those for several MONTHS. YAY! But he's still getting some more teeth, and is constantly drooling.

Jake is also NO longer using a binkie...at all. He has naptime anxiety, but for the most part doesn't miss the thing at all. YAY!

He's a fun boy, and I'm definitely getting my exercise chasing this little boy around.

Cameron is doing VERY well on his medications. We've got him on Ritalin LA (a long lasting kind that he only has to take in the morning...) and a regular Ritalin. He's still a little grumpy, but not anywhere NEAR as ornery as he was when we had him on Vyvanse. I hope that we've found his correct dosage, and that he will continue to blossom.

I went through his school papers today, and he did TWO spelling tests last week...he only misspelled ONE word!! A year ago, he could barely read 20 words, and now he's spelling words! I'm SO happy, and pleased that he's starting to "get it!"

Cameron is also carrying on full conversations with us now. Before he was on his meds he would say little phrases here and there, and usually they were pretty disjointed and made you wonder what he was trying to say. But now, he'll talk to me, and if he gets off topic, he can find a way BACK to the original topic. :)

Cameron is also eating SO much more. Before the meds he would pick at food, unless it was some of his favorites, and would only eat if he was FORCED to. I never thought anyone could be so ANTI-food. But he was. Now he will sit down to dinner, and eat a full meal (of course he DOES have days when he doesn't want to, but we all do...) and he's so proud of himself.

Yesterday we were playing with my younger brother's Nintendo DSI (the new version of a DS, with a camera attachment...) and there was a program where you could compare two faces to see if there was any resemblance. I got a picture with Cam, and it said there was NO way we were related. (I KNOW he's mine though, I DID carry the boy, miserably sick, for nine months.) We tried to see if Jake and I were related, but the camera couldn't pick up our faces. BUT it said that Steve and Cameron are definitely related. Guess what we've always suspected is true, Cam is ALL his daddy's boy!

Both boys love to make each other laugh, which is SO much fun for me to hear. But they also love to push the other's buttons. Jake knows that Cam doesn't like to share his trucks, but he thinks it's funny to pull them out, make sure Cam sees him playing and then crawl away with the toy as fast as he can...all the while Cameron is yelling or crying. Cam likes to throw blankets, washcloths or whatever over Jake's face until he cries. For the first few times Jake will laugh, but then it gets old, and Cam just won't stop.

I am so happy that my boys are doing well, and that for the most part, we're happy and healthy!

Lessons Learned Tonight

DO NOT spend good money to see the Knowing. SERIOUSLY, it's STUPID!!
Do NOT get scared by stupid movie, only to realize later that it was NOT going anywhere!
Do NOT grill ANY food on a barbecue IN your freakin' garage. (This is for my STUPID neighbors!!)
When you see smoke there is NOT always a fire. (It could have been out for HOURS!)
When confronting stupid neighbors, make sure they speak English, and understand that you're UPSET! (MORONS!)
Make sure that your Land Lord can do something about it.
Smoke will last for hours and hours....making breathing difficult.
Sometimes venting to neighbors helps, but sometimes it just fuels your anger.
One more lesson, I should get a colonoscopy before I turn 30...but my week is filled! :P

Can't Turn My Back for Even 5 Minutes...

While I was getting dressed and doing some laundry, I stuck Jake in his crib. (Knowing that he would be safest there, well, the house would be safest if he was put there, anyway!)

I notice that he's not crying when I walk by his bedroom door. Hmmmm....curious.

When I get back, I notice he's QUITE content. Sitting in his bed EATING M&Ms!!

When he was only a few weeks old, the Relief Society Presidency brought over a few gifts. A blanket with his name on it and a little bundle of socks, filled with M&Ms. I've had to use special socks for this boy, the kind that stay up around his pudgy ankles, so I've just left the socks alone. Today, they were used for the first time...to fill a whiny 10-month-old's tummy.

I asked him what he was doing, and he looked up at me with his HUGE grin, boogers everywhere, and drooling M&Ms and chocolate ALL OVER his fresh clothes!!

*sigh*

He's cute, but SUCH a little terrorist!! ;)

So as I'm on the computer, I notice he's yanked his socks OFF his feet. *sigh* He's definitely one who LOVES to be nude....