My Caterpillar to Butterfly - Week of Sept. 12th

When one of our neighbors stopped by with a caterpillar on a leaf branch for Cam less than two weeks ago, we weren't sure what the outcome would be. Every day, we made certain that Cameron saw the caterpillar and each day, the leaves kept disappearing as the caterpillar ate. One morning, we noticed the cocoon, which was quite small. The cocoon was green and then on Wednesday, turned black. Thursday afternoon, a beautiful monarch butterfly pushed its way out and the remnant of the cocoon could still be seen. Cam was quite fascinated!

Katherine, Cameron's wonderful new nanny, helped him release the butterfly in the backyard. The monarch was quite content and actually stayed on the back porch until the next morning.

Since Saturday was such a sunny day, the family headed up north to the cottage. Grandma's favorite flower nursery was hosting wagon rides for the day. Jane, cousin Coco, and Grandma all rode on the tractor/wagon with Cameron and listened to the history of the farm.

After an afternoon rest, Chris decided to "pour" blocks on Cam and then proceeded to build many towers. Playtime with Coco, Grandma, and Grandpa, Annie, Aunt Joyce and Uncle Joe rounded out the weekend.
A perfect Lake Michigan sunset topped off the evening.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." Richard Buckminster Fuller, An American engineer who authored over thirty books and became the second president of Mensa International, a society of people with high IQs.

First Day of School! - Week of Sept. 5th

The warm fall weather provided the perfect excuse for a park outing! Cameron's Dad introduced him to the "swing chain twist"- twisting the chain so that it releases and twirls you around and around.

Cam went down the slide solo and then wanted to wait at the bottom for any other kids to go! Such a sweet boy...

Before Cameron attended his first day of school this fall in a new pre-school classroom with a new teacher, he had to have a haircut. Chris took Cam over to Snip-Its and the school-bound boy sat in the chair by himself and had a great experience.
When Jane arrived home from the gym, there was her handsome son proudly showing off his new do.

Thursday was Cameron's first day of school and he anxiously awaited outside for the big yellow bus. He decided that Elmo should wait with him, even though Elmo doesn't travel on the bus ride to his class. He was excited about riding the bus again and since he's a "seasoned" student now, it didn't phase him at all.

Cousin Coco couldn't wait to see her buddy after his first day back at school!
And Cam was definitely happy to see her and show off his first day of school smile!

Last Days of Summer - Week of Aug. 29th

It seems impossible that we welcomed in September this week. An appropriate quote to sum up our last few months ..."Summer should get a speeding ticket!"

An end of August task was handled by Cameron and his dad this week. It was time for the drainage and re-fill of the hot tub. Cam was an eager helper, helping Chris hold the hose.
Other chores included getting the backyard ready for the annual neighborhood picnic, which Cam and his parents hosted this year.

On Saturday, it was off to buddy Will's 3rd birthday party where Cameron met some new friends. Auntie Jo and Will made delicious cupcakes, complete with sprinkles. Cam went for a ride in Will's car in the playroom and he made sure to look both ways before crossing.

After celebrating with Will, it was off to see Grandma and Grandpa at the lake. Chris, Jane and cousin Coco decided to take Cam and Coco's puppies on an extra long walk. They ventured all the way to Meinert Park (4 miles round trip) and Cameron thought the puppies provided the best entertainment!
Although one of the pups was a little tuckered out and wanted to hop on the Cam Mobile for a free ride.
The family watched some kiteboarding, played at the park, and had a most relaxing weekend...goodbye summer...you will be missed!
From Sarah Jewett: "This was one of those perfect days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders."

Wings and Water - Week of Aug. 22nd

This week, on a beautiful Saturday morning, Cam could almost touch the sky, literally!
Cameron successfully completed his first prop plane flight and was given a certificate and his first set of wings.
Through a program called "Dreams and Wings, Inc." each child and family reaches a cruising altitude of 1500 ft. for a 20-minute flight above Grand Rapids.

The program encourages kids to learn about aviation, challenge themselves and reach for new horizons. When Cameron is old enough, he'll be able to take the controls and fly the plane as co-pilot for a few minutes!

As if that wasn't enough fun for one day....the family ventured to the cottage on Lake Michigan where the Raisch family met them for an afternoon and evening of swimming and sun. Playtime in the water, digging out underground tunnels, and walking the beach made for a busy afternoon.

After dinner, the girls built towers with Cam. He has just as much fun building as he does knocking them down.

All of the families had a sunset walk strolling along in the warm Lake Michigan water. Cameron had lots of helpers ready to push Cam-mobile!

As a special treat, Cam's buddy, Emma, rode home in his car Saturday night. They listened to kids music, shared a few snacks, and to the surprise of Chris and Jane, stayed awake!

Big thanks to the Raisch family and to Cam's Grandma & Grandpa for a memorable day!!

Who Turned 4 ?!?! - Week of Aug. 15th

We remember hearing the popular phrase "when you have kids, they grow up so fast- you won't believe how quickly time passes!" and didn't realize just how true it would be...

Wednesday, Aug. 17th marked Cameron's 4th birthday!! Multiple celebrations with family and friends made our 4-year-old one very happy boy.
At the cottage, Cam's birthday cake featured a picture of Cam riding on the one and only "Cam-Mobile" which has definitely become his favorite summer activity. Cousin Coco made Cam a special birthday dinner, her famous pasta, which he loves. Aunts, Uncles, cousins and friends gathered to see presents opened and taste a piece of that delicious Ryke's cake!

After removing wrapping paper from books, cars, a kid golf set, and nerf gun, it was difficult to know who was having more fun with the new toys- father or son!

Another birthday celebration for Cam during the week included a very cute Elmo cake specially handmade by Cam's buddy, Lisa. The cake was transported to a family favorite dining spot, Fricano's in Grand Haven. Pizza and cake for dinner- what could be better?
As a bonus, cousin James joined the family as well and his birthday is just 1 day after Cam's!

Grandma and Grandpa stayed with Cam for the weekend while Jane & Chris celebrated "Auntie" Amanda's wedding to Mark in Ann Arbor!
Luckily, Cameron enjoyed playing with Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Jo and Will. Such a special visit!

We cannot thank everyone enough for helping make this birthday such a memorable one! A special thanks to Auntie Jo for the Cam-Mobile license plate and all of the extra help!! Grandma & Grandpa- you're the best for taking over on the weekend!!!!

Cam sends hugs, kisses, and thanks to all:)

Parking with the Parents - Week of Aug. 8th

A field trip to Cascade Library started off Cameron's week right. Brooke, Cam and Jane all ventured over to participate in activities with some of Cam's classmates. The morning included a scavenger hunt, reading and acting out stories, and even making a newspaper hat, modeled proudly by Cam.

Chris and Jane decided that a nice summer evening was the perfect time to take their boy over to Ada Park. Cameron wanted to test out everything!

After swinging for awhile it was time to explore the rest of the equipment. The animal rocker was a big hit. Chris and Cam found the old antique car where Cam turned the wheel and Chris made the car sounds.

There were quite a few slides to choose from ranging from curving to fairly high up. It's pretty evident to Cam's parents that he doesn't have much fear when it comes to trying out new things.

Cameron played fair and picked a parent for each slide ride. Jane and Cam slid down the curved slide and Chris took Cam on the highest slide.

You can never go wrong with an outing to the park, especially when you have such a happy boy!

A whirlwind weekend was spent with our special Stony Lake family, reconnecting with old friends and meeting some new babies. Cam had lots of buddies to play with and even tried out a hammock for the first time...

We did have to say goodbye to our summer nanny, Brooke, and know she will have a great year at CMU! We can't thank her enough for helping us out and doing such a great job with the big boy.

Cam's advice to all college students is echoed in his first hammock outing pic...relax when you can, but don't forget to hang on tight and above all else, enjoy the ride!

Great Grandma & Great Friends - Week of Aug. 1st

Most kids are lucky enough to have a Grandma & Grandpa, but it seems there are few that can claim a Great Grandma! This week, Cameron had a special visit from his Great Grandma Mary, all the way from Arizona. Mary and her friend, Henry, drove across country and spent the afternoon, evening and following morning with Cam and his parents. They all met up with Jane's parents for dinner at the Twisted Rooster. It was a short visit, but lots of fun for Cam, and Chris & Jane!

The weekend found our family at the lake once again sharing a day with our great friends, the Cronk family (from Florida) and the Lobdell family (from North Carolina). Both families have spent quite a bit of time at our Lake Michigan spot and the consensus was - no matter where one travels throughout the country, there's no better water retreat than our big lake!

Lots of swimming, playing, and eating rounded out a perfect day on the beach! Cam and his Dad even had a race in Cam-Mobile and confirmed that it's just as good as any water ride out there.

To finish out the week, Cam with good friend and neighbor, Emma, prove that playtime should always be followed by some quality relaxation....hope everyone found some time to relax this week!!