Proud as punch :)

Blake received a 'Justice' award at school last week :)  Cal attended the assembly on Friday morning.  After receiving the award (a certificate), Blake and the other award recipients got to go to the teachers lounge with the principal and vice principal to decorate cupcakes!  The Justice award is based around the phrase, "Knowing when to talk and knowing when to listen."  Justice is defined as, just behavior and treatment of others and also the quality of being fair and reasonable.  Blake was very excited for this award and when I asked him why he was getting the award, he told me, "For being nice to others and helping out my friends and teacher."  So cute!!  He was also very excited that Maxx and Gavin were getting an award too and remarked, "That's so neat!  They are two of my best friends!"  We're so proud of him and the glowing reviews and feedback we hear from his teacher.  Way to go Blake!!

Emerson had her entire preschool class (teachers and classmates) believing that she was going to Disney World this week.  Seriously, this girl has an imagination and can tell a story like you wouldn't believe!!  After preschool on Tuesday, Mrs. Chong asked me when we were leaving for Disney World.  I told her we weren't.  She looked at me with a confused look on her face and said, "Oh?  Emerson told us she was going to Disney World this week."  I said, "No, we're not!!"  We had a good laugh, Mrs. Chong told me that the whole class was so excited and Emerson was just vibrating she was so excited ... OMG!!!!  I wonder if now the teachers will believe me when I say, she tells stories?!  What a gal!!!  

Reese has changed so much in the last month!  It is amazing how much she has 'grown up', unbelievable.  Her vocabulary, her behaviour, everything!  She is obsessed with her teddy that she sleeps with!  She calls it her baby and Baby has to do everything and be everywhere - eating at the table, having its clothes changed, its diaper changed, Baby is often hungry or thirsty or cold or sleeping.  It is really cute!!!  She takes very good care of Baby and what tugs at my heart strings the most is when I see her giving Baby a kiss and hug :)  Sweet, sweet, SWEET!!!  Almost makes me want to make Reese a big sister ;)  Almost ... but NOPE!!!  lol!  Reese is still very cuddly and lovey dovey, more so then Blake and Em.  She randomly says, "I love you Mommy.  And I love Daddy and Blakey and Emmy (this is what she calls Emerson!)."  I ADORE it!!!  Blake and Em are not so free with the "I love you's!"  I do feel sorry for Emerson at times, though.  Reese loves her sooooo much, she wants to be by her side and playing with her alllll the time!!  I've never seen it bother Emerson, she goes along with whatever Reese requests (ahem ... yells at her!) but I cant' help but think Reese is a pain in Em's side some days!!  She literally yells at Emerson, "EMMMMY!  Come upstairs Emmy!  In the bedroom Emmy!  Come play Emmy!"  LOL!!  And Emerson goes along with it!  She is so good with Reese, it is amazing!  I suppose she enjoys it, I don't know?!  I just know that sometimes when I'm observing these interactions, I can't help but wonder why Emerson hasn't told her off!  I'm sure it will come one day!  lol!!  And such is life with a sister ;)

We've been busy around here, getting ready for Christmas and getting in the spirit!  We hosted our Mom's group Christmas party this past weekend.  We had 11 kids and 9 adults over.  We had fun, making Reindeer food for Christmas Eve, opening gifts, enjoying a yummy dinner and playing and visiting!  Today, my Mom babysat the kids while Cal and I went Christmas shopping.  We are pretty much done, I think I have 1 more gift to pick up!  Tomorrow morning is Emerson's preschool Christmas concert and tomorrow evening is Blake's Christmas concert!  We're really looking forward to both concerts!!  Friday evening we are taking our annual Candy Cane Lane sleigh ride!  Can't wait for that!  The kids are very excited to see the horses and all the lights!  And then Saturday morning before Blake's hockey practice, we have a hockey Christmas party!  So many fun events happening!!  Love this time of year :)

Have a great weekend!

xo
Tracy 

Marvelous Monday!

We just had a great Monday!!  Love starting out the week with a great day :)

This morning we met my Mom at Servus Place, for a swim date (followed by Starbucks of course :))!  We haven't taken the kids swimming (other then swimming lessons) for such a long time, we were long over due!!  We had a great time, our kids are seriously little fish ... from Blake and Em swimming underwater (Em with her eyes WIDE open), back floating, front floating, splashing, jumping, Blake and Cal riding the waterslides, floating down the lazy river, Reese has no fear ... it's a lot of fun!  They could be in the water allllll day!  And we saw that this summer, especially at Eric and Christa's cabin.  They didn't want to get out of the lake ;)  Blake had a PD day, and I was wondering if we'd see anyone we knew and sure enough, we saw Evie from his class!!  They played together quite a bit, splashing around and having fun!  Blake also went to preschool with Evie, so he knows her quite well.  While we were swimming I kept thinking that I can't wait for camping trips this summer!  Our water babies will really appreciate a few more beach days this year :)

And speaking of camping ... we went to Coachworks R.V. after Reese's nap and saw our new trailer!!!!  EEK!  So exciting!  And so beautiful :)  It's very nice, we're super excited and very happy with our choice!  We did all our shopping on line so this is the first time we've actually seen it in person!  It's a great layout for us and we kept saying, "Wow!  Look at all this storage!"  Inside and out!  It's going to be so much nicer for our family of 5!  The kids thought the golf cart ride to and from the trailer was pretty cool and were especially interested in their bunk beds!  We're thinking we might just start Em and Reese off on the same bunk, first trip we take.  I'm sure Reese will goof around for awhile, maybe a few nights, but hopefully (fingers crossed!) she'll adjust quickly and sleep!!!  We are very excited we got to see the trailer, not so excited to sign the papers to pay, but hey, that's how it works ;)  lol!  We'll be bringing it home (actually to a storage lot!) in March or April.  Can't wait to get out camping!!!  We may have to go before May long weekend ...

Monday evening I had a consignment Christmas party at The Manor restaurant, downtown Edmonton.  It was a very nice restaurant, food was top notch, wine was the best I've had (thank goodness we shared a bottle, I would not have wanted that $50 charge!!) and the dessert was TO DIE FOR.  Best meal I've had in a long time, so delicious!  I highly recommend The Manor.  And fabulous company!!  Nice to see my consignment peers on a more social basis vs. FB chatting and crazy busy meet days!

This weekend was super, super busy with hockey practice an afternoon/evening with the Hrdlicka's, Church and a hockey game!  But again, a really great weekend.  We had an awesome visit with my bff and her family.  Our kids are so amazing together, they play so incredibly well it is the best!!  And Blake was extremely excited about Sunday school on Sunday morning because it was his turn to make a gingerbread house!  Last week the 3 yr old's made their houses and this week it was the 4 and 5 yr old's turn.  They love Sunday school, the teacher is AMAZING and so are all the helpers.  This Sunday concluded a 4 week lesson and so they performed their song in front of the congregation.  Actions and all!  It was adorable :)  This term's lesson was based on building your life and faith on a solid foundation.  It might take more time and it might take more work but you will weather the storm, was the essence of the message!  I'm not sure the young children totally got the message but Blake and Em definitely know that if they every build a house, they will be building it on solid land, possibly rock, but definitely not on sand!!!

We hope you had a great weekend and Monday :)

xo
The Cameron's

From Reese

~ For all of Reese's blog fans ;)

Hi everyone!

Today is my 2nd birthday! Mom thought I should write a little message to let everyone know what I'm up to these days!

A lot has changed since my last email 1 year ago. I've "grown up" so much over the past year! My memory is really good  and I have memorized a lot of songs. My favorite song to sing is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."  And I can even count up to 16!! I also know a lot of the ABC song :) Some of the other things I enjoy doing are reading books, coloring, doing arts and crafts (especially using glue sticks!!), dancing, watching Dora the Explorer and Super Why, playing with my baby dolls and ponies and playing with Blake and Emerson (and sometimes fighting over toys :s)!! 

I love having Mom home with us every day and doing lots of activities with Mom and Dad! We have a ton of fun!! I enjoy my swimming lessons (I love the water and have fun doing bobs!!) and "Come Play With Me" class, but I also like to play at home.  I like to play with Blake and Em but sometimes get mad when they play with toy.  Mom often hears me saying, "MINE!"  I'm learning to share!  But it is hard because Blake and Em do usually give me whatever I want!!  Sometimes when Blake and Em are busy, I enjoy going to the playroom and playing all by myself, usually with my babies and/or our play kitchen!  Mom says she might register me in a gymnastics class in the New Year.  I love to run and jump!!  One of my favorite games is running around the house or outside and having someone chase me!  I run as fast as I can and say, "Can't catch me!"  It is a lot of fun!  I love playing outside, even in this snowy, cold season ;)  I am a great eater, Mom and Dad think I eat more then Blake and Em quite often!!  

On November 21st I had my 2 yr pediatrician appointment and I weighed 29 lbs (75 %tile) and my height was in the 45th %tile!

Well, I hope everyone is doing great. It was good talking to ya' and hopefully I'll see you soon!

Hugs and Kisses,

Reese

Happy 2nd Birthday, Reese :)

Today is Reese's 2nd birthday, although i you ask her how old she is she will tell you 3!!  We had such a great day!!  When we awoke this morning, Reese opened our gifts to her.  Then it was off to drop Blake off at Kindergarten!  After we dropped Blake off, Cal, Em, Reese and I made our usual stop at Timmies ;)  We all had breakfast and enjoyed chatting with some neighbouring Timmies customers!  We love visiting Tim Horton's in the mornings, everyone is so friendly and we're usually the youngest people in there!!  After breakfast, I took the girls to Come Play With Me.  We all had a great time, the girls absolutely love this program and Miss Christine :)  It's so much fun to see them singing and dancing and loving craft time!

After Reese's nap we all headed out side to play in the snow and sled down the 'hill' in our front yard!  Our neighbour used his quad and blade and enlisted the help of a city operated bobcat to create a huge snow pile in our front yard.  It's awesome and the kids love sledding down the hill!  Of course, playtime outside is often followed by hot chocolate and being Reese's birthday we added marshmallows to that hot chocolate ;)

Reese had a great day, enjoying a favorite dinner (chicken nuggets and yam fries) and enjoyed another round of "Happy Birthday" and cake!

It is hard to believe our Reesey is 2.  She is a smart little cookie and has learned soooo much from her big brother and sister.  It is amazing how a little person can pick so much up, just from being around a 3 and 5 year old!!  She has an extensive vocabulary and puts long sentences together!  Her words are not always easy to understand but she sure has a lot to say!!  Reese is very independent ... she does not want help with anything!  Dressing, taking off her diaper, feeding herself, climbing up and down stairs (no matter how steep), when we attempt to help her, we get a stern, "ME DO IT!"  We can not imagine our family with out her, it would feel incomplete.  She has brought so much joy to our family and has really brought out Emerson's kind, loving, motherly nature, which often amazes me!  She is so, so, so good with Reese, it is heartwarming.  Blake is also great with Reese and such a fantastic big bro!!  

Reese, we love you beyond words.  Your spunky personality, your goofiness (love your dance moves, I really need to capture them on video!), your love for your family, your infectious laugh, your gorgeous blue eyes and pinchable cheeks, from your head to your toes you are a perfect little package :)  You are such a cuddly little girl and I love how you gently pat my back sometimes when I hug you.  You are becoming more and more of a Daddies girl, 2 seems to be the age this happens in our house!  Thank you for being you Reese, letting your individuality shine through, keeping every moment interesting and fun and bringing much love and joy to our family!  We love you more then you will ever know and can't wait to enjoy this next year with you :)

xoxo Mom and Dad

It's a Paw-ty!!

We hosted Reese's 2nd birthday party on Saturday the 17th.  It was hard to pick a date/time that worked around Blake's hockey schedule but we figured it out!

Her party was a puppy theme and I had a great time planning!  Thank you to Pinterest for all the fabulous ideas and Etsy for the decor ;)  Reese had a cold and wasn't in the best of moods but by the time the party got into full swing she was her happy self and had fun!!  We made puppy party headbands (I had to call them hats around Blake because there was no way he was wearing a headband!!) and the kids enjoyed adopting a puppy at Reese's puppy shop!  They chose a puppy stuffie, filled out an adoption certificate, and filled their loot bags with puppy supplies (kibble, puppy vitamins and fetch sticks!)!

Thank you to everyone who came to the party and helped us celebrate our baby girls 2nd birthday!!  We hope you had a dog-gone good time!!  Reese is having lots of fun, discovering all her new gifts and Blake and Em are also enjoying them ;)


xo
Tracy

Fundraiser's, Dentist's and Parties!!

Lago Lindo preschool's big fundraiser is coming up on November 17th and I volunteered to be on the Fundraising Committee.  I'm asking myself why?!  lol!  Like I have all the extra time in the world ... but if I don't volunteer, I'm just like the rest - "Someone is taking care of it."  "I'm sure they have enough volunteers."  "I'm too busy!" etc etc etc.  Volunteers are hard to come by!  And truthfully, I am enjoying our committee meetings and meeting some of the other Mom's!  The lady who is the head of the fundraising committee is extremely organized and has ran many similar events, so knows what she is doing!  We're having a pub night and silent auction, along with a few different raffles.  Our goal is to raise $8000.00, which will cover the field trip expenses for the year (including busing), the Christmas party and year end party and a yearbook for each child.  Anything over and above $8000.00 will go into a savings account, which is for the building of a new preschool.  We're working hard, hoping to beat last year's $10,000.00 raised!!

Emerson is getting an appliance, called a crib, in her mouth to help her stop sucking her thumb.  Our dentist recommended this appliance when she was 3 years old but I've found it hard to come to this decision.  I really feel for her, it is a huge help in comforting herself and falling asleep and to take that away seems cruel :s  But on the other hand, we will be thankful in a few years when she doesn't have jaw and teeth alignment problems from thumb sucking!  And she will thank us, I'm sure!  Our dentist applied the same appliance in her daughter's mouth when her daughter was 3 and said that she noticed a huge difference in just 6 months.  If you look closely, Em's teeth are starting to form a peak in the front, which is from sucking her thumb.  Her first appointment was on the 7th.  She did well, but it was tough having the metal rings fitted to her teeth and the impressions made.  I've never had impressions made, but my Mom, Cal and Lindsay have all told me it is not fun.  Em seemed to have a hard time remembering to breathe through her nose, so we just kept reminding her and she got through it!  The appliance gets cemented in on the 15th.  Wish us luck :)

This morning there was a nice Remembrance Day service at Church.  Sunday school was cancelled due to the special day but they ran some kids activities at the back of the Church, which our kids enjoyed!  One of the Sunday school teachers let us know that next weekend the kids will be building ginger bread houses.  This has sparked a lot of excitement in Blake and Em!!!  They're very excited for next Sunday ;)  This afternoon we attended Danica's 2nd birthday party!  Danica is just 1 day younger then Reese!!  We had a great time!  Jodi hired "Lady Dolphin" to face paint and entertain and she was an absolute hoot!!  Quite the character ;)  I'm not sure if she was in 'character' or if that is her personality?!  It was hard to tell!!  But regardless, she was a lot of fun and the kids loved her!  Emerson had her face painted as a heart princess, Blake was Captain America and Reese allowed Lady Dolphin to paint some pretty designs on her cheeks and forehead!  It took a little convincing, in the form of Daddy getting some painting done of his own ;)  Cal is such a good sport!!  Jodi told me her Mom said to her, "Tracy's husband is so good with kids!  He's just letting them paint his arms, his cheeks!  What a good guy!"  That he is :)  Unfortunately, on the way to the van Cal stepped down onto the road and rolled his ankle.  It was quite painful and hard to walk on but we think it is just a sprain.  He'll be resting it for a week or so and we'll be keeping an eye on it.

Monday is a STAT holiday and we were hoping to go public skating but with Cal's injured ankle he is not going to be able to go.  Instead, we'll still all go to the rink but I'll just go on the ice with the kids.  And because Monday is Cal's day off (due to working 4 10's) he gets Tuesday off too!!  I don't know why I feel like I have to defend Cal's work schedule but I do ... some days ... especially when it results in a 4 day long weekend!!  He works very hard and earns every minute!  He not only does a fantastic job in is current role but is also helping cover a management position (one he turned down ;) ) and works a lot of O.T. in the evenings, covering work in his previous position!  So while he may not have a 'traditional' work schedule, he puts in more then his fair share of hours ;)

Tuesday morning we're going to do some errands for Reese's 2nd birthday party, which is on Saturday!!  Coming up quickly!  We're having a puppy themed party, and we're all looking forward to it :)  I can NOT believe Reese is turning two.  Oh, and we are going to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday evening!!  Chinese food and cake ... yum yum ;)

Take care everyone, talk to you soon!

xo

Tracy

You Are Unique

Today I had the pleasure of volunteering in Blake's classroom during an in school field trip!!  It has been a volunteering kind of two weeks for Cal and I!!  And we love it :)  We're very thankful for the opportunity to volunteer in the kids classrooms.

This in school field trip was all about being unique and different.  It was fantastic!  Such a great lesson for the kids.  The leader was wonderful, she travels from school to school running this presentation in kindergarten classes.  The students identified how they are unique from their classmates and did some fun exercises, forming trains based on hair color, eye color, activity preferences, etc.  The blue eyed train would walk around the classroom and pick up the green eyed cars, etc. etc. until one long train was formed!  They also did a craft where they chose activities they like to do and objects they like and put together a small model of themselves, choosing their hair color, eye color, clothing, socks and a hat.  I asked Blake what he learned from the field trip and he said, "Everyone is unique and special!"  Objective met :)

After the field trip, Blake and I went shopping for some new long sleeve t's!  His classroom seems a bit chilly to me!  Then we went to Cora's for brunch.  It was delicious, I'd never been before!  It was a great 'date' with Blake!  We find he's so quiet, doesn't say much so we're trying to spend some more 1 on 1 time with him, hoping he'll open up a bit more :)  And while he was definitely not a chatterbox (like his sisters!) we enjoyed ourselves and had some good chats!!  It's nice to focus all your attention on 1 child once in awhile!  When we're by ourselves with Emerson she talks our ear off!!  But as you know, she is quite the story teller and we find ourselves wondering, "Hmmmmm ... do Mrs. York and Mrs. Chong really live together?!"  "Did Emerson really go to see Cinderella last night while we were sleeping?!"  LOL!!  The stories she weaves are something else ;)  But we enjoy hearing them and spending time with Em, as she keeps us entertained and tells us allll about everything!!!  Reese is a bit quieter, being almost 2, but I can see in the future she will be as chatty as Em!

I'm hoping we can squeeze in time to get our flu shots this week.  We never got the flu shot last year and I think it was our 'sickest' winter.  I've heard there is a nasal mist available for the kids but it is a live culture?!  I think we'll just stick to the same old needle, as I've heard more kids who are getting the nasal mist are getting the flu before building an immunity because it's a live culture.  I don't know but I do know we've gotten the needle before, so we'll stick with that for this year!!  And hopefully the kids will cooperate.  I've never had problems with them before but as they get older, they get a bit more scared!

Talk to you soon,

Tracy