Heat Wave...in February? - Week of Feb. 20th

"Grandchildren are often spoiled because no one will spank Grandma" ~ Anonymous (pretty sure the author is a grandparent)

Cam enjoying recess!

Our school district celebrates President's Day with a day off for students.  We celebrated President's Day by requesting a full day of Oma/Cam time.  Their day was filled with games, making cards, taking a stroll and helping with dinner.  Many thanks to Oma for the fun day!

Back at school, Cam's class made another recipe he asked to share with all of you.  We haven't made it at home yet, but it must be totally delicious since there weren't any samples that arrived home.

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Dip

• 8 oz pkg soft cream cheese
• 3/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c peanut butter
• (chocolate sauce if desired)
• graham crackers



Cam's parents recognize all of their childhood toys and games-
feeling a bit old seeing them encased in glass at a museum!

• apple slices

1. Cream cheese, sugar, vanilla- mixer
2. Add peanut butter/choclate- mixer
3. Dip graham cracker or apple slice into dip.
4. YUM!


Our weather has been unusually warm and it's hard to believe we were in short sleeves a few times.


Friday was a very exciting day for Cam- a field trip to our Grand Rapids Public Museum and Chris volunteered to go!  Having your dad on a school outing is very special, especially when it's a field trip lasting almost 5 hours.
They were able to ride the bus together to and from downtown, explore the museum, and have lunch right there.  Cam's favorite part was seeing the huge whale hanging from the ceiling when you enter.

Chris and Jane ventured out on Saturday evening while Cam and Amanda had some extra play time together.  Before leaving the house, Cam told his mom, "You smell nice and flowery."  Here's hoping those sweet comments will always be given because they will most certainly always be appreciated.

Camology Quotes:

Since Jane was up early on Saturday, Chris and Cam insisted she take a rest in the afternoon.  When she awoke, the following note was displayed on the tv...

Dearest Mother,
Cam and I have ventured off to distant lands to slay dragons and win gold for you.  We will return around 3:00 with your treasure.  If you need us we are available via our communicators.
Dad and son
(home depot and maybe starbucks)

Lots of Love - Week of Feb. 13th

Valentine's Breakfast

"They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything." ~ Bil Keane 

Valentine's Dinner

Jane and her son looked through multiple ideas online to determine what to make for his school Valentine's.  After much contemplation, Cam decided he wanted to create the bookmarks, for the third year.  He chose the colors and the quotes.
The two that made the final print?

"Today is good.  Today is fun.  Tomorrow is another one!"  ~Dr. Suess and
"All the colors I am inside haven't been invented yet." ~Shel Silverstein


At school, Cam gave his teacher some funny glasses and the day was filled with different activities celebrating friendship.  Our Valentine's day began with heart-shaped waffles and ended with heart-shaped pizza and breadsticks, compliments of Jet's Pizza.  Our family decided it would become our new tradition for Feb. 14th.  Jane surprised her boys with some musical cards and small gifts.  Chris and Cam presented Jane with a gorgeous bouquet of roses.  Of course, Cam's dad brought one rose in first and then proceeded to deliver the large arrangement.  Our loving boy also received V-day cards from Oma and Opa, Auntie Karen and Auntie Jo and Will.

An abundance of sunshine filled the weekend.  Our family fired up the grill with the Raisch fam Saturday evening and dined on hamburgers with all of the fixings!
Oma and Opa arrived Sunday afternoon to spend the night with us.  Due to the unusually warm temps, we decided it was a good idea for us all to partake in some delicious Culver's milkshakes.  Perfect timing since Cam and his dad were working outside building a new workshop bench for Chris. Look at that sawdust fly!

Being outdoors, soaking up that Vitamin D seemed to blanket smiles over the entire city.  We hope it continues...


Camology Quotes:

Jane often tells Cam he takes after his father in more ways than one.  Although we've never heard Chris talk about increasing the temp of his heart, it's nice to know his son shares his gift of injecting love into a simple  phrase.

"I like you, Mom"
"I like you too, Cam."
"Thank you, Mom...that warms my heart."

Light...End...Tunnel - Week of Feb. 6th

"Don't confuse your path with your destination.  Just because it's stormy now doesn't mean that you aren't headed for sunshine." ~Author unknown

After many weeks of wondering if Cam would ever be able to sleep through the night again, his track record was broken and our family was able to experience a completely peaceful night of slumber once again.  It is so easy to take a good night's sleep for granted.

With a rested body and mind, someone was in a great mood for his Wednesday evening work with the Grand Valley graduate students.  Kelcie and Katrina surprised Cam with an early Valentine's treat.  A billion dollar chocolate bar of solid deliciousness awaited the eager boy.  The trio conducted some police work, finding bad guys and arresting people.

At school, the kids had an extra treat at the end of the week in the form of monkey bread.  Cam wanted to share the recipe and told his teacher "it looks like a giant cinnamon roll!"
Monkey Bread Mountain
Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 T cinnamon
• 3 pkgs refrigerated biscuit dough
• ½ cup water 
• ½ cup brown sugar 
• Gallon size Ziploc bag 
• Cooking spray 
• Bundt cake pan  

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Put white sugar and cinnamon into bag. Shake to mix. 3. Tear each biscuit in half and place into bag. Shake to coat. 4. Spray cooking spray into cake pan. 5. Put biscuits into cake pan. 6. Put water and brown sugar in microwave safe bowl. Stir. 7. Microwave on high for 1 minute. 8. Pour mixture over biscuits. 9. Bake for 35 minutes. 10. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. 11. Turn over onto plate. 12. Eat!! It is delicious.

A full belly at Pizza Ranch!

The weekend brought our first outing to Pizza Ranch, a buffet-style restaurant filled with Cam's favorites: pizza, chicken, dessert pizza, ice cream as well as soup and salad.  We may be, just might, head back there again some time.

Cam and Emma enjoyed a home theater movie experience complete with popcorn made by Jane, movie tickets made by Emma and lots of commentary made by Cam.  Everyone had assigned seats, even the stuffed animals.  The audience gave "Finding Dory" the highest recommendation!

Camology Quotes:

Even though Cam is generally a very happy kid, he does have his moments of being somewhat crabby.  On one such occasion, he was told by his parents that he needed to change his attitude. 
He was repeating the following mantra to himself... 
"Cam, delete attitude!"
Apparently, he's picked up quite a bit of computer language...

SuperBowl 2017 - Week of Jan. 30th

Cam made it into his mini class paper as "Person in the News" and was interviewed by Ms. Kathy.
Here is the excerpt: "Cam Weatherford is in the spotlight today.  He likes ice cream, hot dogs, pizza and applesauce. (Chicken must not have been an option)  He likes comedy movies.  His favorite classes are reading, writing, math, science, gym, music and art. He likes to listen to music, watch tv, play outside, read, be with family, play inside, eat and do chores while at home."  
Teacher commentary: "Cam Weatherford is special because he is always happy.  He is a good reader.  He like to play games.  He likes to work hard.  He is always nice and kind to everyone."


To continue contributions to his college fund, Cam started his part time job at Grand Valley State University again.  On Wednesday evenings, he works with PT graduate students to help them learn the world of physical therapy with children.  Dr. Lisa says Cam is a great teacher and the students always try to make the time spent fun for everyone...with a bit of work rolled in.

To celebrate the big football game, we invited the Raisch family and Mr. Ken (a.k.a. Papa) over to watch the SuperBowl and partake in some delicious food.  Our assortment included chicken wings, sweet potato and regular fries, bbq smoky links, hummus, crackers, spinach pastry, carrots and celery, along with clementines.  Essentially, something for everyone.  The game seemed a bit one-sided during the first half, but it certainly turned out to be quite the nail biter towards the end when the Patriots won in overtime.  Cam somewhat predicted the potential ending when asked who would win and he said "it will be tie."

In all of the activity and restless sleep this week, we were late in our birthday greetings to Opa.  A big happy birthday, Opa!  We're excited to see him soon to give hugs in person.





Camology Quotes:

The common cold has been hanging around for Cam and there have been many kids absent from school.  One day upon arrival home, Cam indicated 3 of his friends had stayed home due to illness, which led to this question:

"What if came to school and I was the only one at school?"

Also due to the cold, Cam has revised his 'request to help' mantra:
"I would like to do some helping...but not too much helping."

My Better Bathroom - Week of Jan. 23rd

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Mr. Mandela was most certainly not referring to a bathroom remodeling project, but his words ring true when it comes to surviving renovation.

With everything completed, thanks to Chris providing finishing touches, Cam has settled into the new environment.  Major improvements include easier access with a wider door and being able to drive right up under his sink.  Having a shower instead of a bathtub is the biggest change in routine and one that has greatly decreased the time needed for nightly activities.

Meadow Brook Elementary, where Cam attends school, celebrates the Chinese New Year every January as part of its Chinese immersion program teaching Chinese alongside English.  They had an assembly with a live dancing dragon and lion.  Cam got up close and personal with the lion during the Lion Dance.  Ms. Kathy told us he laughed so hard.


Also at school, Cam has been testing out some new equipment with his physical therapist.  Tall standing- way to go!  And, this week our scientific boy made butter at school.  The experiment was to show how liquid becomes a solid.  And the overall benefit - Cam brought some home for us all to taste.  It was delicious!

Back at home, buddy Emma was testing out her lego skills working on assembling a police car with Cam.  They both agreed there were lots and lots of parts.  Even with the tedious process, these two always find a way to have lots and lots of laughs in the process.

Camology Quotes:

With interrupted sleep becoming a nightly routine, Cam's pediatrician recommended his blood be tested for vitamin D deficiency and other common queries.  Jane explained to Cam that they would go to a lab where some of his blood would be taken and tested to see if he had enough vitamins.

Cam was a bit nervous about the routine and when his arm was being swabbed, he was explaining to the lab tech why he was there because his doctor had sent us to test his blood.
When the needle pierced his vein, he didn't even seem to flinch.  When Cam saw the blood flowing through the tube, he looked straight at the lab technician and said "Do I have enough vitamins?"

Sing - Week of Jan. 16th

“Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.” ~ E.Y. Harburg 
“If everyone started off the day singing, just think how happy they'd be.” 
~ Lauren Myracle

Cam loves music.  Every evening he requests to listen to songs during his nightly routine.

A recent release of the movie "Sing" came up in discussions during Cam's classroom time at school.

Somehow, everything aligned with a half day for Cam, a surprise visit from Auntie Roe, no class for Miss Amanda and some rescheduled meetings for Jane.  All of this led to four buddies happily catching a flick in the afternoon.  "Sing" was a great movie filled with many of Cam's favorites songs and a cast of hilarious animals that kept us all smiling. And popcorn, of course, there was delicious popcorn!

We are fortunate that Miss Amanda willingly gives up an evening most every weekend to hang out with her buddy, allowing Cam's parents an evening out.  A extra treat for Chris and Jane was a text from Amanda with a picture of their son and his chocolaty face along with this quote, "we are having so much fun!"

Camology Quotes:

Oma and Opa stayed longer than expected on Tuesday when we received a two-hour school delay due to icy roads.  We were so thankful for their extended stay!

Cam kept saying to his dad "maybe they will cancel school today."  Chris told Cam, "that will never happen."

Shortly after 8am, the phone rang.  Chris quietly told Jane that in fact, school had now been cancelled for the day.  Cam couldn't believe it!  After telling the excited 3rd grader, he kept exclaiming "that is a new thing.  This has never happened before!"  
When Cam's mom told him that his dad had called to tell us, his response was..."he had to call to tell me he was wrong about them not cancelling school today!"

Don't Give Up - Week of Jan. 9th

"Never, never, never give up." ~ Winston Churchill

In our home recently, whenever Chris or Jane seem to be struggling with a project or task, Cam will say "don't give up!"  It's such a powerful statement in three little words.  Somehow they mean the world coming from a boy who sometimes seems to have wisdom far beyond his years.

At school, Cam was designated as an extra helper for the week with turning on and off lights and shutting doors.  He takes these tasks very seriously.  Of course, his teacher, Ms. Kathy, injects fun into education and a recess outing found Cam and friends in the snowbank!

The weekend brought an outing to meet up with Auntie Jo and Will to celebrate a very belated Christmas.  We dined at Buffalo Wild Wings and exchanged sweet gifts.  Cam's favorite- his own personal edition of Uno.  A teaching game of colors, numbers, rules, win and loss but also just great entertainment!

Oma and Opa arrived Sunday afternoon to hang out with us.  As with most Sunday evenings, we shared a delicious meal with the Raisch fam.  This week's offering- homemade personalized pizza crafted by Patti and Cam and supervised by Oma.  Breadsticks and salad accompanied the meal along with fresh pineapple.  Cam is quite convinced that a pizza meal isn't complete unless cheesy bread is sitting alongside of it.

Spending quality time with Oma and Opa is a high priority for their grandson.  Baking tasty banana bread and playing multiple games, including Uno were the highlights.  Much of the banana bread was sectioned off for the construction crew, per a very thankful Cam.

As the workers finished up this week, our helper boy continued to supervise his dad handling the finishing touches as the bathroom remodel project heads toward the finish line.

Camology Quotes:

Two snow days in one week- quite unusual and unexpected.  With a scramble to reschedule work meetings and call in the cavalry, Cam and his mom had some extra time together.

Every time our home phone rings, Cam implores for it to be answered.  We have explained the art of telemarketing to him and the reasoning behind his parents not picking up every phone call.
When the caller id appeared on a snow day and a local number was shown, Jane answered on speaker phone so Cam could hear too.  A recorded voice said "Someone from your home called about a knee brace or knee pain.  To hear more, please press 1."  Jane promptly hung up and explained to her puzzled son that it was a telemarketing call.  As they moved along to something else,
Cam suddenly exclaimed, "Mom, it wasn't me!  I do not even use the phone."

In With The New - Week of Jan. 2nd

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision. ~Helen Keller 
"It could be worse"...became our motto for this week.
On Tuesday, Jane headed to the dentist after discovering a minor chip in a crown over the holidays.  She was told she needed a root canal and then a new crown.  Wednesday afternoon, Amanda and Cam took a spill together on the floor and Cam chipped out some pieces of his front teeth and Amanda endured a nasty bruised arm.  Both of the troopers survived and Cam, the brave boy, didn't shed one tear.  An emergency dental appointment the next morning provided good news for our son. No nerve damage and some temporary bonding with a permanent fix set up for the following week.
Aside from our family keeping the dental community employed, Cam's bathroom renovation began!  The task list: widen bathroom and Cam's bedroom doors, modify existing cabinetry for Cam's powerchair to fit under sink, remove existing bathtub and replace with walk-in shower, remove wallpaper, new paint and light fixtures.
Within our "could be worse" motto, ants were found under the floor joists when the tub was removed on Monday, so an exterminator came to visit on Tuesday.  With a complete dousing, the insects were eliminated and work could commence the following day.
Of course, Cam was more than happy to partake in a portion of the work effort.  He helped to remove wallpaper, supervised the mirror removal and sanded down the cabinet trim for painting.

A favorite Christmas present included a game called Pizza Math.  Patti enjoyed learning about this card play while Cam delighted in winning multiple sessions.

We had a nice visit from Auntie Jo on Sunday afternoon.
Good distractions and good friends are always high on our list after a long week!

Camology Quotes:

We are so thankful Cam's teacher, Ms. Kathy, sends funny emails like the one below.  After Cam's emergency dental appointment, he insisted on going right to school.  The following happened that same day....

Cam was being obstinate in the bathroom this afternoon and refused to turn the water on to wash his hands. He double dog dared me to email you about it...of course I always accept a challenge.  I am sure you will discipline him appropriately.

He evidently found his energy again.  His word for the day is "obstinate" and he wanted to know if it meant to be naughty.  :-)  Love this kid!