Madonna with Child

Just for your viewing pleasure!

Best Mother in the World, Part 5,435,378 (and counting!)

Cindy created the following little amphibians for Cameron to take to school to celebrate his birthday.



Yes, she has quite the reputation, and she is always able to outdo herself every time!

Scout's Honor

Well, tonight it is official--Cameron is a true Cub Scout! And his first den meeting consisted of a hike around the lake at Carriage Hill Farm.



(Notice the missing front tooth!)

As an aside, he ate 3 helpings of Cindy's chicken enchiladas, so he is well on his way to showing by example that a Scout is always hungry!

A restful (?) 3-day weekend

Overall, it was a great Memorial Day weekend.

In no particular order....
1. On Friday afternoon we learned that church (and thus our talks) was cancelled, removing a lot of stress from our lives.
2. On Friday night, I bought Erin a bike, then helped a ward member move. The members there were in awe of my talk-avoidance powers!
3. On Saturday I helped the guy from work who is fixing up the house 2 houses up from ours use a jack-hammer on some concrete. (I am still kinda sore three days later!) I also borrowed his jet washer and cleaned up the driveway and sidewalks--they are now about 5 shades lighter!
4. Between Friday and Monday night I made 4 batches of really tasty beef jerky.
5. Cindy's parents arrived Sunday evening.
6. We got some long-needed rain on Saturday and Sunday.
7. On Monday Cameron and I went on a 4-mile bike ride--a little b-day present for him.
8. On Monday the kids went to their first semi-pro baseball game ever!
9. Cameron enjoyed a great birthday. I enjoyed the ribeyes fresh off the grill!
10. And now (Tuesday night), Cameron's left front tooth finally got loose enough for me to pull it out!

Cameron's B-Day

Cameron celebrated his 8th birthday in style!

Grilled steaks, a bug cake, homemade ice cream, and 'Heelie' shoes and lots of other presents.

Game Day!

My company had 70 tickets for the 'party deck' at a Dayton Dragons game (a Cincinnati Reds feeder team), and so the entire family and Gpa and Gma Bowcut were able to take in a double-header, with lunch and free drinks provided! (Erin was in heaven!)



I figured the kids would be bored after the first 15 minutes, but Erin and Cameron stuck thru the first game and we had to pull them away after 3 innings into the second game--and that was only because I enticed them with birthday cake and homemade ice cream!

They got to see it all--stolen bases, home runs, broken bats, two bats that slipped out of hands and went into the stands, fly balls, walks, strikeouts, and even an inside-the-park homerun!



The highlight of the first game was when Ally was one of three toddlers chosen to go out onto the field for a little race. Ally was all ready to get down and get racin', but once they put a helmet on her she just wanted it off! (She's in red.) In the end, instead of heading for Cindy she headed for one of the helpers who was calling her by name as she cheered her on.



A great day!

Wheel-less

Today Cameron was banned from bikes, skateboards, skates, and most any other wheeled plaything (though we allowed him to ride the tiny trike he was desperate enough to try out).

It was gratifying to find a punishment that really chafed him!

Peeping Toms

As we went on a family walk around the neighborhood, the kids were enthralled by the scintillating family conversations and togetherness.

No wait. That would be some other family.

In OUR family the kids stopped at every storm drain along the route to peep into the holes, looking for animal life. (There was a cute black cat in the one nearest our house--the kids swore it was a raccoon or owl because of its big yellow eyes, but I was able to correctly identify it. Yes, I had to get on my knees and peep too!)

Everything else was usual--Cameron was trying to find sticks to skewer his sisters, Erin offered to push Allyson's stroller and then 2 minutes later got bored and handed her off, Makenna was pleasant, and Allyson was happy as can be.

The inevitable....

Well, after putting it off for a good 2 years, I finally took Erin and bought her a new bike.

I had managed to put this off by equipping her with an $8 bike from a yardsale across the street, but the gears aren't working well, and it is getting small.

She is now the proud owner of a purple 26" 7-speed, with easy-shifting gears. She especially likes the cushy seat!

Eerie Similarities--Slick Nick, the Revenge!

It has become a nightly ritual.

Cindy and I get the kids tucked neatly in bed, and then about 5 minutes later Erin comes moseying out, carrying a couple books.

Her destination?

The bathroom.

Her mission?

To log some time on the throne. (Or would it be 'time some log?'[would that be a 'log time sum'???], or, if it were especially spectacular, would it perhaps be 'Some log time!!'?])

I probably need to make a small bookcase for her that neatly sits on top of the tank!

The Curse of Louis Strikes Again!

Two weeks ago Cindy and I got a call asking us to give talks at church on May 27th. We accepted, but before I hung the phone up I explained to the counselor that in the last 4 times I have been asked to speak, I have only actually given a talk on the specified day once—an ice storm, a snow storm, and a long-winded missionary speaker had previously led to a postponement (usually of several months). I added that he should expect some very inclement weather or some other phenomena that would lead to either church being cancelled, or, that the speakers would go long and I wouldn’t have time to speak.

He just chuckled.

Today we were informed that church would be cancelled this Sunday (i.e., May 27th)—they are refinishing the gym and the smell is overpowering.

Now it is my turn to chuckle!

And chuckle.

And chuckle some more.

Not to mention the cartwheels of joy that Cindy is doing at home!

A pit by any other name smells just as ......

Erin and Cindy attended a ward 'Classical Recital' on Friday night. Cindy was a bit late because I got stuck in a meeting at work, so they ended up sitting on the back row. This ended up being very fortunate.

As Cindy tells it, during a singing number Cindy had her arm around Erin, and Erin turned towards her, sniffed a couple times, and then commented, "Are you wearing deodorant?! I knew you were! Gross! It stinks!"

Cindy sang back, "It'd smell a lot worse if I wasn't wearing it. I'll bet mine smell better than yours!"

Erin, ever an exemplar of decorum, then raised her own arm high and took a long sniff.

One of the duetists noticed this while looking out on the audience, and cracked a grin. Cindy hissed, 'Erin, put your arm down--Sis. _____ sees you!'

And out of further decorum on my part, I won't mention the fact that Erin's feet usually smell like a skunk factory.

Cameron: The Interview

No, this does not refer to an exclusive interview with Cameron Diaz (though SHREK3 did open up this weekend).
Rather, it was Cameron's baptismal interview with the bishop.

After some small-talk, where the bishop actually got Cameron to tell him his birthday, the bishop asked Cameron if he would say a prayer.

Cameron did his usual look-at-the-floor-and-squirm routine, and the bishop asked him if he wanted his dad to say it instead. He got a small smile, and then, instead of replying, he pointed at me and spontaneously combusted into chortles of glee (I guess he enjoyed this form of 'turnabout is fair play').

Cameron passed his interview, and the big date is June 2.

An exclusive follow-up

This evening Allyson was a bit clingy to Cindy as she was fixing her dinner, so I went in to take Allyson off her hands.

As you might expect, Allyson had her two fingers in her mouth and the other hand inside Cindy's shirt (see the post below). When I extended my arms to offer a loving embrace, she turned around and shied away.

Thinking quickly, I undid two button on my white shirt and showed my hairy chest and thus a place inside my shirt for her hand to rest.

She came right over!

Should I be pleased, or worried?
(Should Cindy be pleased, or worried?)

Hickory-smoked

Our ward had a Father and Son campout on Friday, and it was one of the best ever--I didn't have to go looking for Cameron and could instead focus on some dutch oven cooking (pizza and then peach/pear cobbler).
Here is the approximate time line:
Friday:
5:30 PM: Cameron takes some matches and gets a fire going in the big pit.
6:30 PM: Cameron is still feeding the fire and lighting sticks.
7:30 PM~11:15 PM: See above.



Saturday:
7:00 AM: See above.
8:00 AM: Tried a hand at fishing. No action, so back to camp.
8:45 AM: Ate a quick breakfast, then back to the fire.
9:15 AM: Full of vigor and vim as he helps put out the fire.
9:30 AM: Went home.


I've made jerky that wasn't as smokey as he was!

Weaners and tots

Two days ago Cindy finally put the kibosh on Ally's free milk supply. It appears that Ally used her 8 front teeth to practice an 'Ally-gator' clamp-down and refused to de-clamp.
Cindy was not amused.
However, Allyson still has other things to pacify her in her insecure moments. Aside from the inevitable two fingers in her mouth, she also now likes to put her hand in Cindy's shirt.
And just like for her two fingers, this latest movement is now a completely unconscious act.
The following is a rather half-hearted effort on Ally's part....

Teething Pains

This afternoon I told Cindy about how I had been feeding Allyson a cracker at church and how she had clamped down HARD on my finger. 'Yep,' I went on, 'It really hurt!'

Surprisingly, she was less than empathetic.

'At least she only bit your finger!'

She then returned her focus to breastfeeding sweet Allyson.

Of course, you would think that it would be kinda hard to focus on something when you have one eye screwed shut and the other a mere slit, with your face turned half-away in a snarl-like grimace in anticipation[?] of Allyson again forgetting that she was getting liquid refreshment rather than a rib-eye!

How soon they forget.....

Last night Erin went to bed with a sore throat. She kinda blamed me, because I had been laid pretty low Thursday night with that and the chills.

Early this morning, Erin walked into the kitchen as I was lovingly making crepes for my sweet, dear, wonderful children (at no small sacrifice to myself, I might add--having dragged myself out of bed early, having had to trudge uphill while making my way downstairs, having had to first fashion a serviceable bowl out of wet leaves, (and please don't ask me about how I obtained the eggs!) etc., etc.)

She looked straight into my eyes, and in a quite matter-of-fact tone intoned, 'You know, I really hate you!' Obviously her throat was still hurting her, and she still blamed me. (Of course, there was a twinkle in her eye as she said this.) And actually, I think she was quite giddy inside, as this meant she would likely miss church--and she did!

So anyway, after church her friend showed up and Erin begged Cindy to let her friend stay. I believe the exchange went something like this.

'Mom, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!'

'Erin, you've been sick and you're still not feeling too good!'

'Do you think that what I have is contagious?'

'Hmmm....let's think about this.....'
'

Needless to say, Cindy's stiletto-sharp logic quickly silenced our little lamb. (At least it made her just whine, instead of whining and pleading.)

At least I find solace in the fact that, after the above, Erin hated Cindy too!

Who was helping whom?

That is the burning question we all want to know.

Today was a gorgeous Saturday, and the kids were outside playing most of the day.

From early in the morning the kids (especially Cameron) were spending a lot of time hanging out in front of the house 2 houses above ours, watching all the activity. (A guy from my work bought the run-down house and is now turning it into a real showcase home!)

Today the menu was laying brick, so as time went on Cameron became more and more involved, helping to move some bricks (Erin helped too), then assisting in keeping the mortar fresh, and other odd jobs. He was working,and yet he was still having the time of his life!

Still the question remains.....

Was he helping them, or were they helping us by keeping Cameron away and occupied?

We'll have to think on this a bit more!

Lateral Thinking.....

(Lateral thinking, as I understand it, is about using something other that traditional logic to find solutions to problems.)

Confucius say, "Never cut head off lamb cake with samurai sword (even fake sword) with impressionable kids watching."

Based on the above [Easter 2004], I guess it really is my fault, but........

....anyway, tonight we were all outside at twilight, and we noticed that the neighbor kids across the street were trying to catch the big gray rabbit of the neighbor kids on our side of the street. [Is this clear? We sometimes get confused too!]

The mom of the kids came over and though she almost got within reaching distance a number of times, it finally scampered away again.

As this wound down and I went inside with Makenna to put a BandAid on her knee (see the posts below about her klutz 'issues' (in this case, she had tried to jump over a big flower pot)], she came up with her idea.

'Dad! Get your Japanese sword out and cut the rabbit!'

As I was wondering why this seemed like such a good idea to her, she went on, 'I want the lucky feet! I want the lucky feet!'

Heaven knows she needs more luck....and I do feel sorry for her, as she is still on Month 6 waiting for the goldfish to die so that she can have her turn to flush one down the toilet!

And yes, to reiterate, it is my fault that she thinks like this!