OurStoneHaven

Amy July 16th, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, after being  cooped up in the car most of the day, the boys and I played outside for a while.  Cam’s choice of activities?  Playing knights.  He handed out swords to me, Jax, and kept one for himself.  He then dubbed us, Mommy the Bravest, Jackson the Littlest Bravest, and Camden the Bravest.  And then he would point out the bad guys and we would all Charge! and attack them.  The ones further down the driveway I was content to let the boys kill, but I would dutifully do my part by the garage.  And I have to say that running and “killing” the bad guys was a great stress reliever.  I think I’ll suggest this activity more often.

Well, on one of his sojourns down the driveway, Cam found something pretty for Mommy.  So he stopped going after the bad guys to bring me a surprise.  Once he got up to me, he bowed down in front of me and held up a flower and said, “This is for you, Mommy the bravest”.  My hero!  I love this age!!!!!

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Amy June 17th, 2010

Today the kids and I embarked upon a new adventure… fingerpainting!  Camden has painted with watercolors before, but this is the first time we have really gotten into our art.  Literally.  First I stripped them down and then we began.  This started out as an art project with a purpose- hmmm, wonder what that could be – and then became just a fun way to get creative.

Camden was really into it.  The project started out with a lot of hand prints and then became one large smeared purplish blob, but he had fun. 

Jax mostly sat there for a long while wondering why he had paint on his hand and then he decided he did like painting, mostly himself, but some on the poster board as well.

We had fun and the washable paint was, thankfully, washable.

PS  More posts to come…. trip to Helen, GA,  Mike’s big 4-5, etc.

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Amy May 10th, 2010

Yesterday while we were eating a delicious Mother’s Day lunch that Michael had cooked, I asked Mom if she wanted another roll.  All of a sudden from the high chair we hear, “Roll Tide!”  I guess we have Jax conditioned… 

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Amy April 29th, 2010

Jackson is learning new words every day and he is starting to communicate in more ways than just shrieks and grunts.  But most importantly he can now say “Roll Tide!”  Who says our priorities aren’t in order. 

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Amy April 29th, 2010

Our humble homestead has been invaded or rather our yard/woods have been invaded… by caterpillars.  The first sign of these invaders was the sound.  For the past couple of weeks it has sounded like light rain on the leaves of the trees.  We couldn’t figure out what was making the sound.  I thought maybe something was falling from the trees – pollen being my first guess.  But no.  The sound was thousands of little critters eating leaves and probably pooping.

These critters are teeny tiny green caterpillars that hang around by thin translucent strings and are growing and growing and growing bigger everyday.  At first we noticed a few inchworms around.  Then we begin noticing more.  Now you cannot go outside without dodging the caterpillar obstacle course and picking small worms off of your clothes.  The other day as I drove the boys to town I reached up to scratch my head and as I looked in the rearview mirror I saw a caterpillar crawling down my forehead.  And our poor leaves on all of our trees are now more fillagree than full leaves.  Thus the growing bigger and bigger part.

Jax tried to help out the problem by eating some of the worms, but I tend to discourage this snacktime meal.  But thanks go to him for trying to help.

So for now we have the invasion of the caterpillars.  I can’t wait for the next phase….  the invasion of the moths.  It will be like Hitchcock’s The Birds.  Yea!

The joys of living in the middle of the wilderness.  You never know what Mother Nature is going to send your way.  The first year we lived here we had acorns the size of golf balls that dented the cars when they fell.  And another year we had a random pumpkin grow in the middle of our front yard.  So now it is caterpillars.  What’s next?

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Amy April 25th, 2010

This past Friday Michael took a day off from work and he, Camden, and I ventured forth to Chattanooga and a day out with Thomas.  We didn’t tell Cam where we were going instead opting for the surprise factor.  We told him that it was going to be a trip with just Mommy and Daddy and that Jackson was staying with Gigi.

About halfway there, when he finally took a breath and stopped talking, he pondered that he had been in the car about 30 minutes and mentioned that his surprise was a long way off.  We said Yes, but that he would enjoy it, and then he asked to watch videos until we got there.  GLADLY…  a small moment of quiet.  This child can talk!

Just as we pulled into the station and were getting ready to park, Thomas comes chugging into the station as well.  Cam gets so excited and tells me that “Thomas is his BEST friend!”  So we, along with about a hundred other preschoolers and their parents or grandparents, line up and get ready to board.  Since we told Camden that Jackson was too little to come, he starts to point out all the other babies that weren’t supposed to come, but their parents brought them anyway – maybe they didn’t know they weren’t supposed to come, he states.

We have a great ride in which the conductor tells us that they judge the quality of the trip by the number of nose prints on the windows and he tells Cam to turn his hat around so that he can really get up close and see out. 

Once back at the station Cam plays on the Bounce House, pets the baby animals, and even gets in a round of golf.  He’s much better at mini golf than his mom. 

We then tell Thomas bye bye and head out the gate, but not before stopping and buying a huge Thomas balloon.  Lesson learned – Never leave a balloon in a hot car while your family goes inside to eat lunch.  Heat = expansion = boom.  Thomas died.  Cam repeated and repeated and repeated that it was Mommy’s fault that Thomas exploded.  I take responsibility.  We stop at Wal-mart on the way home to buy a new balloon.  No Thomas, but a Lightning McQueen stand-in.

The next day as Cam and I head straight into the tempest (glad we didn’t choose today for our Thomas excursion) on our way to Wal-Mart for last minute supplies, he is ready to visit Thomas again. 

Me – “We’re not going to visit Thomas again.  He has gone home.” 

Cam – “But when Jackson gets up we can go see Thomas.  This time Jackson can go.” 

Me – “no, Thomas has gone home.”

Cam – “But he’ll be back after his nap and then we can go.”

Me – I give up.

All in all, successful, fun day.  Next year we will also bring Jackson who absolutely LOVES trains.  He doesn’t know what he missed, but he’ll really enjoy it when it is his turn.

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Amy April 23rd, 2010

The other day Cam and I were looking at pictures of when he was a baby and there was one of Paw Paw in an Alabama hat that he has since given to Camden.  Camden looked at me and said, “Paw Paw gave me that hat.  That’s what Paw Paws are for.  They give you hats when they don’t need them anymore.”

Here are some more things that Paw Paws are for…

They take big boys fishing, but not their little brothers.  Little brothers stay with Maw Maw.

Caught his first fish with Paw Paw

Paw Paws collect coins for you to put into your BIG piggy bank that he gave you.

Paw Paws teach you the correct stance for golfing.  (Cam still spreads his legs in this awkward pose trying to get it right everytime he hits a golf ball)

Paw Paws get you Tootsie Roll pops just because you asked for one the last time you visited.

Thank you Paw Paw, and Maw Maw, for all you do for the boys.  Keeping them this past weekend was above and beyond and greatly appreciated!

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Amy April 23rd, 2010

Here are a few of Camden’s remarks that I felt were blog worthy.  He’s said more, but I’m tired and my brain isn’t working as well as it used to.  Hopefully I will remember them and add  them later, but if not, I am sure he will come up with some new ones himself.

Dog Tree = Dogwood tree

Tennis Racquet Shoes = Tennis Shoes

Why Birds poop on cars and deck – B/c they don’t have bathrooms to fly into and poop

Describing seats in the van – there is one driving seat and lots of sitting seats

Who is Camden’s best friend? – MOMMY! (and his monkey and dog and other dog and bunny and Daddy and Jackson and Thomas, but those don’t count)

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Amy April 14th, 2010

Here you go Paw Paw.  Updates!  Also for any other loyal viewers and readers, I am sorry that it has been 3 months.  I don’t know what happened.  I will try harder, I promise! 

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Amy April 14th, 2010

I feel like we are all holding our breath as we wait on our house to sell.  We are located in the middle of nowhere, so it is going to take a certain buyer and we haven’t had much interest so far.  I am still confident that it will sell soon (I hope my definition of soon and not some galatic definition of soon) and we just have to be positive.  I am not an overly peppy positive person, but I am trying!

Mike is definitely feeling the wear of commuting 3 hours a day and we are ready to sell!  I guess this is the good thing about it taking a while is that the nostalgia of our current home is starting to wear and I just want to move.  We have found a nice new neighborhood if we decide to build and we are excited about being closer to Daddy and his work.  Cam keeps asking me why no one has bought our house yet.  Soon, son….

…and then we can breathe

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