Cam escorted his little "girlfriend" in their PeeWee Homecoming during halftime of his game a couple weeks ago.

It was the first time Cam had ever been asked to escort someone. He was a little bit nervous. But a lot excited....because it was her! He won't be 10 until December, yet the boy is starry eyed over this full of personality, curly haired, athletic, adorable, spitfire on his arm!! We'll have our hands full in a few years with this boy!

This is Cam's first "girlfriend". They have liked each other since last school year. And this year they got in the same class! I was a little worried about that. Cam tends to have his head in the clouds when she is around!!

But so far, so good!

And how cute are they??
I know. Very!

She got 1st Alternate. They were all excited!

This little girl is soooo full of personality! Can't you tell? She cracks us up!! It's always been funny to me that Cam likes her. She is so very much like his little sister! ha!

She is holding the half dozen orange roses Cam gave her for homecoming. Some of the customs at their school are a little bit crazy. Girls are expected to give their escorts a candy bag, or similar. Escorts give the girls flowers, not corsages. And sometimes a small gift. We gave her the roses and an orange picture frame we found at Target that I painted cub paws and wrote "Homecoming 2009" on. We put a picture of her and Cam in the frame. It was very cute! And very inexpensive!!

She gave him the customary "candy bag". Not some rinky dink goodie bag from a birthday party...but a GINORMOUS gift bag full of Snickers, Kit Kats, Milky Ways, Twix, and a few other things. He LOVED it!! And he'll be eating candy out of it until Christmas!

It was a really fun experience for him. And made for lots of cute pictures!! Unfortunately, his team lost their first game of the season. For some of the boys it was their first loss EVER! They've been playing for 3 and 4 years and have NEVER lost! This group has won the State Championship every year starting when they were 6 and 7 years old!
But I guess too many of them had their heads in the clouds on Homecoming Night!
Hopefully they'll be back on track and can beat that team in the playoffs in November!
Go Cubs!

The Squeaky Wheel

You know that saying? "The squeaky wheel gets the grease (or oil)." I've heard it said both ways. Well, that is true in a number of ways! I have noticed that there seems to be a lack of posts about Cam on my lovely little blog. It's not because I don't like him! (ha!) I love my children equally. Differently. But equally. When they ask "Mama, do you love me more than Cam/Carlie?" I always say yes.....to both of them. One day they will figure it out.
Strangely....and I think you have to be a parent to understand.....but you really do love each child more than anything in the world. It is amazing, the love that you can have for your own child. It makes you wonder just how God feels about us. He loves me, as messed up as I am, so much that he sacrificed His son for me. Now, I love y'all, but I ain't about to allow Cam to die on a cross for you! I don't care who you are! Especially for some fallen creation that has turned their backs on me! God's love is AMAZING! But that is a whole 'nother post......
I've decided that this post is all about Cam. You see, he is not my "squeaky wheel" (If you keep up with this blog even a little, I'm sure you've caught on to that.) Because he isn't the one getting the "grease" around here I am going to take the time to brag a little (just a disclaimer, he IS my child, I AM biased).
Cam is an all A student. He rarely studies hard, he's just really smart. He catches on to most things in the classroom with ease. So schoolwork is a breeze with him.

being "king of the hill"

Cam is one of the kindest children. He takes time to play with younger kids. When all the neighborhood kids are out playing he will go play with Logan (who just turned 6). He loves to play with his cousin Samuel, who is 4. He LOVES LOVES LOVES my friend Lindsey's son, Braxton, who is 5 and has Down's Syndrome. Cameron always asks if we can see him. He loves Devon, a little boy at our school in 4th grade, who also has Down's. I tell people that I think Cam will have a job working with special needs children. He is WONDERFUL with them.

with Gracie his "girlfriend"

Cameron loves playing baseball. He has been playing for 2 teams lately. The Sonic Blasts, his travel team. And Howell Body Shop, his Alexandria league team. He plays in the outfield on the Blast team. He catches for HBS. This is his first year playing "kid pitch" baseball. He loves catching. I wasn't really thrilled, to be honest, when he started catching. But he loves it. Because he enjoys it so much, he WANTS to be better at it. He practices all the time. It is amazing how much he has improved in just 7 games. (His team is 6-1 btw). And Cam struck out on Saturday for only the 2nd time ALL season!

catching

at bat

watching a high pitch go by

trying NOT to look at me

heading to first after drawing a walk

On 3rd base. He's the "go ahead" run!

Now don't get me wrong. Sometimes I want to jerk a knot in this child. Sometimes I do! And not nearly enough. He can be like any other kids. Mouthy. Lazy. Grouchy. But for the most part, he's a really good little boy. And he is quickly growing up into a young man...too quickly! I'd keep him 9 years old, FOREVER!
I love that little peanut with all my heart! I'm so grateful that God has loaned him to me. And I hope I get to keep him for a long, long, long time!
I'm grateful that I don't have two "squeaky wheels". And I don't ever want Cam to become one. I want him to know that I am proud of him. And he has my attention and love just as much as his "squeaky" little sister!

March Madness

Dear college basketball teams playing in the NCAA tourney,
I just wanted to take a moment out of my day to say thank you. Because of you all I have drastically adjusted my schedule for the past two days. Firstly, I spent all day Thursday driving to and from Birmingham. All the while glued to either the radio or watching the "auto-refresh" at espn.com on my BlackBerry (hazardous I know).
Then, I stayed up entirely too late on Thursday night to make sure my bracket didn't go too far down the toilet. Which was really a waste considering how badly Ohio State, Florida State and Wake Forest choked yesterday.
Speaking of yesterday, I had a hard time cleaning up my house for the showing because the tournament was on and I do not have the will power not to watch....or atleast listen, which is equally impairing. Considering, when I hear something exciting happen and rush out to the den in a perilous, sock feet dash to catch the instant replay! And it's not like I can run and do a few things during timeouts! CBS is kind enough to patch in another game during breaks!!
Ah, and then there was last night. I was forced to tell my husband that I appreciated his offer to take me to the nicest restaurant in town and on to the new Julia Roberts movie, but instead I would be picking up bad Mexican food and watching the tournament in my pjs at home. He, of course, was welcome to join me. My decision to forgo dinner and a movie turned out to be an excellent choice. Last night's games were incredibly exciting! A special shout-out to Siena and Wisconsin for bringing your A-game and providing simultaneous OTs for our viewing pleasure. I would also like to express my sheer disbelief in you, Coach Matta (head coach of OHST). If you could just clarify for me why, WHY, in the world would your team take a shot with 17.4 seconds left in OT when there were 17 seconds left on the shot clock and you were winning by 1???? Did you NOT know that half the free world was picking you to win? Did you have money on Siena? Or are you just trying to give Louisville the easiest road possible to the Final 4? You handed Siena that game tied up in a pretty little bow...using my bracket as wrapping paper....thanks to you that is about all it is good for anyway.
I've been camped out in this den, eating Sour Patch Kids and drinking Diet Cokes for the last several hours. I am currently watching North Carolina and LSU. My bracket desperately needs UNC to win. But the die hard Duke fan that lives inside me is jumping for joy that UNC is struggling. (Update: I typed too long. UNC won. A bittersweet moment for me.) My daughter has gone to her Nanny's for the night. She has had enough of this basketball business. My son, God love him, has been consumed by this disease that is March Madness. It is highly contagious! He has recently given up on playing outside with the neighbors and is now screaming at the tv. I need to pause to soak up this glorious moment.............................I'm back. That boy makes me proud. His bracket needs Purdue to win. There is only 13. 5 seconds to play and they are winning by 2. Make that 3. Now 4. The future looks bleak for my bracket. Washington, you are now dead to me. Along with Wake Forest. Well maybe not as dead as Wake Forest, I had you losing in the next round. I had Wake Forest in the Sweet Sixteen. I cannot continue to talk about that. My blood pressure is rising to an unsafe level.
In closing I just want to say that I appreciate your neglect of academics, and your blood, sweat and tears throughout the season, just so we can have these wonderfully ineffective, lazy couple of weeks that are a drain on production in an already struggling economy. We salute you, collegiate basketball players.
Fortunately for me, my family shares my love for March Madness. They understand that I will miraculously convert back into my normal fashion loving, home cooking, homework checking self as soon as the Championship Game is over. Until then, we will scream at the television together, while eating take out in our pajamas.
I have to let you go now. Duke and Texas are about to come on. Duke needs my help if we are gonna pull this one out........Go Blue Devils!

Hang on.......I'm coming Coach K..........

Cam's First Buck Deer

Britt and Cam went hunting at their camp in Selma last weekend. They drove down on Sunday morning and hunted that afternoon. According to Cam....Right before it got dark a spike and a six point buck walked out into a clearing. Cam thinks the spike smelled them because he threw up his tail and took off into the woods. The 6 pt was going to run too. But he took two steps and BANG! (Cam's description).The deer dropped right there. Cam says he shot him "just right".

Cam called to tell me about his deer. He was so excited that it was hard to understand what he was saying! I could hear Britt laughing at him in the background. I was getting tickled too. But I don't know who was more excited Britt or Cam!! Cameron said that when he shot that Britt jumped up and nearly knocked him out of the tree stand! The were both cracking me up!

Cam spent most of the summer shooting at birds and squirrels in the yard. Obviously, all that practice has paid off! Last year he shot at a doe about 4 times before finally hitting it! He was thrilled to have killed this one with one shot! My baby has become quite the marksman!

Britt and Cam took the head to be mounted and the rest to be processed. Cam can't wait to get the mount back. He said he is going to hang it in his bedroom. (ugh)
We have always had a "one deer head at a time" rule in our house. Now that I have two hunters I guess we will have to have a "two at a time" rule!!! Lovely.

My Prima Ballerina

Carlie had dance class yesterday. Cam had come home from school with a fever (101.4). So Carlie-bug rode to dance with her friend Presley. When she got home she left her leotard and tights on for a little while. I talked her into letting me take a few pictures. She put on a show of things she learned in ballet. I took the pictures as quickly as I could...she couldn't hold the positions very long. :-) AND...she had a mouth full of bubble gum!!How cute is that?

Almost as cute as that!

On her tippy toes!

Another little talent of hers....stretching bubble gum!!

Carlie is loving dance class. She takes ballet and tap in Oxford. She loves showing off her ballet moves. But she really loves showing us how to tap. Sometimes you'd think she was stomping out a fire! And when she practices in her bathroom (because of the tile) it sounds like she is going to stomp a hole right through the floor!! We're just glad she loves it! Because let's face it, she is pretty precious in that tutu!

Home Again...Home Again....

We made it! Britt and I made it home from Orlando this afternoon. The kids had bought us a cake and balloons. Isn't that sweet?
We had a good trip. It was tiring though. Lots of early mornings and late nights. I slept in a good bit while Britt went to early classes though! :-) We got a little shopping done yesterday afternoon. I could have spent DAYS shopping down there! It's a good thing that we didn't have any more time...
We made it home in time to watch the last of the Florida game. WooHoo! I hate Tennessee!! Any day that they get beat is a good day! And ROLL TIDE! This morning ESPN was talking about Alabama might be on "upset alert". I hardly think so! Now we are watching the 'Barn and LSU game. I personally don't think Auburn has a prayer. Their OC is TERRIBLE! And Chris Todd is even worse! If they are going to run this spread offense they need a quarterback! Ok. Rant over.
Anyway. Praise the Lord we made it home safely. Oh, and we found out that next year's convention is in LAS VEGAS! Any of you who know about our last convention in Vegas knows that I REFUSE to go back! Britt is already begging to go back. It will take a MIGHTY WORK for me to make that trip!
Hope yall had a good week!
Oh....and Auburn just scored a TD. Just thought I'd throw that in...might be the only one. Britt just said if the 'Barn wins he is driving down there to help roll Toomers! ha ha

Cam and Justin

Cam and his best friend Justin Shaw had their last travel ball game yesterday (we think). We played a double header against Oxford. Oxford won the first game 7-6. We won the second game 16-3. Isn't it funny how that happens? The boys had a lot of fun playing on this team. They learned a whole lot about "real" baseball. Last night after we got home (Justin spent the night) I took a picture of them in their uniforms. I had forgotten to take one at the field. I downloaded that one to my computer, then started looking at the old ones of Cam and Justin. Just thought I'd share....2005

2006

For some reason I can't find the one from 2007...but I know I have it! I'll keep looking....2008

Don't they grow up so fast?? It breaks my heart!!

Auburn Game

Well....we went to Auburn on Saturday. We all had a great time! We went down early Saturday morning and met up with Rhonda, Sean, McKenzie, Maddox, Nanny and Granny. We were quite a crew! We have all been so busy lately. It was great to see everyone and finally catch up!

Maddox, Carlie, McKenzie and Cam

Rhonda (Britt's sister), Britt, Phyllis (Britt's mom)
Doesn't he look just like his mom???

Me, Britt, and the kids outside Jordan-Hare

Auburn won...of course...they were only playing Louisiana Monroe. We ended up leaving the game in the 3rd quarter. It was a rout. We went to eat and watched the second half of Bama and Clemson game. Britt and I were the only people in the restaurant who were cheering for Alabama!! :-) After we ate we took the kids to roll Toomer's Corner. That is the highlight of any trip to The Plains!

Cam and Carlie rolling Toomer's

Of course Britt and I had to get involved!

A weekend of baseball....

We just got home from a weekend of baseball in Cullman. Cam has been playing on a 9 and under team called the "Sonic Blasts". How cute is that?? This is his first time playing kid pitch baseball. They are still learning....but they did pretty well.
We played two games Saturday. We lost the first game by 1 run. (a game we should've won) Then won the second game by 2.
We were the 3 seed going into today. Our first game we were playing the same team we had beaten Saturday. We were winning 9-1 in the second inning. THEN....a series of mental mistakes and rookie errors opened the flood gates. It was quickly 9-7. We couldn't do anything our next at bat. Next thing you know it was 10-9...them. We had last bat. We ended up stranding runners on 2nd and 3rd and lost 10-9. So we only had one more game to play. We played a team from Tennessee and won 9-7.
We were all so proud of them going 2-2. They played so hard and had so much fun playing "real" baseball. All the kids had a good time swimming and playing together at the hotel.
Carlie had a good time too. She made friends with a little boy named Tommy whose brother plays with Cam. They spent hours at the field climbing under the bleachers and running around.
I forgot my camera!!! Can you believe that? I can't! I didn't remember until we got to the field Saturday and it was too late. I did manage to take a picture of Cam and his friend Justin with my phone before we left though....