365 Days of Cam

I'll repeat the mantra of every parent (or anyone, really, enjoying life): 'I can't believe how fast it's gone!' Tomorrow we will celebrate 365 days of Cam. 365 days ago tonight, I was sitting on this very same green couch, but much less comfortable. More than ready to meet this new little combination of Jamey + Lisa.

I try not to make broad comparisons between Cam and Willa, but often it's just so blatant that I have to acknowledge. Cam seems so violent with his toys - beating them together or throwing them on the ground. Willa clopped toys together, but it seemed more in the spirit of making music than destruction. On the other hand, at this age, Willa went until she crashed, while Cam finds moments of calmness. I turned around last night from cleaning up dinner dishes, and he'd drug a blanket into the dining room and was just laying there quietly resting. Frequently he walks up to me, and just rests his head on me - anywhere, as long as we're touching.

Living in this house is like constantly being in the middle of some type of psychology experiment. I'm looking for the two-way mirrors or discrete video cameras. I am waiting for the psychologist to come out and explain that Cam's behavior is normal for a one-year-old male, that Willa is going through a phase clinically labeled the "seven-year bipolaritis syndrome' and she will soon grow out of radically shifting moods and easily bruised feelings. The professional will also tell us that we are model parents and he/she would like to feature us in a book about his/her research. Yes, that's what my fantasy's are now featuring!

On day 354 I will dream about my babbling, wobbling, beautiful boy. Tomorrow we will put a chunk of sugary cake on his high chair tray. He will either smash it into his face, savoring, finally what has been withheld. Or he will simply throw it, just like everything else.

Having Our Cake

Things don't always turn out like I plan. Actually, things rarely turn out just as I plan them, but almost always things seem to turn out OK or better.

Cam and Willa both have January birthdays. Considering we live in the midwest, I should count it lucky that this is the first time we've had weather-related issues surrounding a birthday.

Our original plans involved meeting up with Gramma and Grampa, Uncle Steve and Aunt Kelly and the boys, at a water park near Minneapolis for a weekend. We'd celebrate three birthdays: Mom, Willa and Cam are all within seven days.

Instead, Mother Nature intervened. SD had warnings for freezing rain and ice. We had rain, rain, rain. Despite my disappointment, I couldn't blame them for not wanting to drive in those conditions.

I think I was more disappointed than Willa. She was awesome. Cam didn't seem to mind one way or another. We went to "Plan B" & met some friends at a new local aquatic center, went out for pizza, then back to their house for cake. I'd ordered this cake from Jules Bakery last week, and was so looking forward to her delicious cake. Even though I knew we'd be eating it all week, I couldn't bring myself to cancel the order. It continues to be DELICIOUS!

Of course the birthday celebrations continue...Willa has a party with school friends at a local gymnastics center on Saturday. And we'll have to let Cam smash cake into his face on Thursday. Mmmmm....more cake.

Old Things

My parents got a new crock pot. It has three different sizes of removable heating bowls. I admit to a small touch of crock pot envy.

The crock pot the stews our chili and soups is circa somewhere 1993. At some point during the first autumn in Skylight Apartments #3, my roommates and I determined we must have a crock pot (I bet it was Robyn). We went to the local WalMart and probably paid about $10 for this one. I don't know how I lucked out, but it stayed with me.

I realize I have several other things that fit into the category of the crock pot. It's old and outdated, and there are newer & better models...but it's still functional...so it's still getting used in my house.

I have a sweatshirt that I know I got on a trip to North Carolina just after my former roommate Ali moved out there after college graduation. I got it at an outlet mall (my first outlet experience!). I wear it to bed now. The ribbing on the sleeves is almost completely worn off, but it's still a very functional sleeping sweatshirt. I am not sentimental about clothes. This really is a great sleeping garment.

Plates: hosting a half-dozen friends for Thanksgiving made me realize the mish-mash of plates we have dates back post Jamey. Several of the plates were purchased upon moving into Southland Lane apartments during my senior year of college; and two or three were from a shopping trip with my mom a few years after. You can bet Shirley dumped those old dishes WAY before I will! Many times I've thought we need a regular set of dishes...but I just haven't gotten around to picking some out and replacing the very-functional dishes in the cupboard.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that Jamey and I never got around to replacing ALL of the college furniture. Our bedroom still boasts two dressers that have followed me since my college days. One of them is a cast off from an aunt; I refinished it and am quite proud of the work that went it to restoring this old treasure. The other has been painted at least 4 different colors over the years and probably needs to find a home with another college student looking for bedroom creativity.

I'm not sure if it's a mental block or some practical thread weaving its way into my life regarding these old relics. I think I'm going to make it my post-holiday task, though, to finally get a big-girl set of dishes. The rest of the stuff can keep on functioning for a few more years.

Twelve

It was twelve years ago tonight that I married Jamey. While I can honestly say it hasn't been ALL roses (he's not the roses sort of guy), I can say it's been a GREAT ride, and I'm looking forward to the next twelve just as much as I've enjoyed the past twelve.

Twelve things I might not have experienced/learned about/did if not for Jamey (in no particular order....)

1. "plan the work, then work the plan"
2. 'My Morning Jacket', 'The Hold Steady', 'Jack Johnson' etc. And I wouldn't have the joy of hearing my six-year-old singing 'Kings of Leon' and 'World Party' songs regularly.
3. Hiking the Napoli Coast of Kauai. Dangerous but so thrilling.
4. Guitar lessons and my own guitar
5. Hiking with the buffalo in Yellowstone
6. Swimming with manatees in Wekiva Springs
7. Sweet Willa: Jamey's logical mind and endless need to know more
8. Wildman Cam: eyes like swimming pools (Willa's words)...just like Jamey's eyes
9. Rebuilding this house ourselves - one room at a time
10. Sushi
11. Biodiesel
12. Mountain biking (morphed to road biking after 12 years!)

Beginnings

Yesterday the first year students moved in on campus. It's thrilling to see the excited faces of the students moving in TVs, bean bags, computers, etc. and I now notice the faces of parents, too. Excited, worried, anxious.

Until recently, on move-in day each August, I'd be flooded with memories of my own move-in day. Matthews Hall was an unair-conditioned, 4-story, double-winged co-ed dorm and I moved into Room 214 in August of 1989 - perhaps the hottest day of that summer. My roommate was a sophomore and was bringing the lofts, mini-fridge and carpeting two days later, so really, I just had clothes, books, my bedding, some posters and a red foam chair. My mom held back tears, my 15-year old brother was more emotionally demonstrative than he'd been with me for several years, and my dad checked the oil in my car at least twice before they left town. I felt like I was starting a REALLY long camp.

Then last year, on Coe move-in day, in the midst of thinking about Matthews Hall, a new thought popped into my head. I thought 'this will be us in the future.' I starting thinking about Jamey and I as the anxious parents and Willa as the excited student embarking on new adventure. Yesterday I pictured Cam as the 12-year pesty brother, making potentially embarrassing comments in front of Willa's roommates. I thought about Jamey with his tools making certain the lofts or bunks are sturdy. I thought about how I'll linger and not want to leave. I'll ask Willa if she needs anything at Target enough times to annoy her.

Of course all of this is moot, though. We've already established that we're all going with Willa when she goes to college. Jamey and I will get more degrees, Cam can go to a local middle school. Willa has gleefully consented to this (and I've videotaped to remind her when the time comes). She's made slight alteration in the plan already, though. Last year, the plan was that we'd all share a dorm room. Last night, when we were talking about college, Willa suggested that now she and Cam will share a dorm room, and Jamey and I can either live next door, or maybe even down the hall. Perhaps by next year she'll have us living on a different floor entirely.

A Long Windy Day

Just a short post today: the good things: no rain, apple-cinnamon-pecan french toast, Dutch Lettters pastries. The bad things: WIND, WIND, WIND. We just couldn't catch a break with the head winds today from Ottumwa to Mt. Pleasant.

Tomorrow is our last day. We're scheduled to leave Burlington around 1pm, arrive at CR by 3pm, and then Jamey and I will drive to Clear Lake to pick up Willa & Cam. Can't wait!

Indianola to Chariton: SUNSHINE!

Finally...after two miserable, long, cold, hilly days we finally get some fun. Woke up to a very dense fog cover this morning, but now we're having fun. We've got sunshine and some tail winds, so we can get a nice pace going. Every one seems almost giddy about the ride. In addition to the fabulous weather, it's a short day. Much needed after two 70+ mile days.

We're in Lacona at the moment, 14 miles from the end of our day.

The most interesting things we saw today:
1) two guys on unicycles
2) guy rollerblading the whole route
3) banana guy - we've seen him every day. He's a guy riding a three-wheel 'bent with big banana peel covering, plus he's wearing a banana costume. Yesterday he had Chiqita girls riding with him. Funny.