Ode to Cameron

Today is Cameron's 9th birthday. He was born at 9:46 am on July 26, 2001. He was born 2 days before his due date. My water broke the evening before he was born, and I was induced the next morning. After a quick, but psychotic labor, he was here. I was the first to see that he was a boy, and I remember being incredibly surprised. Everyone thought we were having a girl. We did not find out if he was a boy or girl, but I had girl vibes through the whole pregnancy. I remember looking at him, and thinking that he was so beautiful (as every mom does), but I was struck by his appearance...he looked nothing like I would have expected. It seems as though many people have kids that look kind of similar to one another as infants, but Cameron could not have looked more different than Alex. He had this inquisitive look about him, and he curiously looked around the room just minutes after he was born. I was immediately in love with this boy!

As a baby, he was just the nicest, sweetest baby. Jess and I will still say that about him..."he was just the NICEST baby!!!" He was pleasant and smiley, and very laid-back. He was a happy baby, but his demeanor was very even...so no lows, but no highs, either. At night, I would rock him, and lightly stroke from his forehead down to the tip of his nose. He was a mommy's baby, and I loved it!

As a toddler, he was, again, very laid-back, very curious, and could be a stinker! He barely babbled at all, and I was getting a bit concerned about his speech development when all of a sudden, the boy was talking, and talking, and talking-in a monotone voice. Ed and I say that the first day Cameron spoke he said "Daddy", on the second day he said "Mommy", and on the third day he said "E=MC2".

He has since developed into such a great kid. He has his moments, as they all do, but I think all in all, I am pretty fortunate. He is the middle child, with all that comes with being the middle child. He can be a bit egocentric, as many kids are, but in the next moment, he is playing dolls with Lilly, just to make her happy. He doesn't like when anyone has hurt feelings, or is left out. He has a lot of friends, but isn't incredibly outgoing. He doesn't like to see anyone hurting or suffering, either. He wanted me to pull over to let a fly out of the back of the car because he didn't want to see it suffer :). He can also be argumentative, and I have said for years that if he does not become a lawyer, he will not have made full use of the gifts he was given... He can out-argue me already, and he is only nine, Lord only knows what I am in for!!!

He is tough, but tender. He loves himself and other people. He loves Alex and Lilly so very much, although he does enjoy picking fights with them too (the middle-kid thing). He loves little kids, animals, and anyone who he can care for. He refuses to be affectionate with me in public, but gives the tightest hugs at bedtime. He makes sure that Ed and I know that we are "the best parents in the world". He hates change (yep, that one came from me), and he clings to routine (uh, yeah, me again). He is sentimental, articulate, and quite intelligent. He is curious and easy to talk to. He is a good kid who is a hard worker. He approaches his interests with absolute passion.

I just love that kid!

Someone make it STOP!!!!!

I simply cannot believe how busy this summer has been! Generally, at least for me, once we hit the fourth of July, it is as if someone puts the brakes on, the remainder of the summer seems to just DRAG. I remember posting last August, just how much I hate August because it just seems to go on and on forever, with no end in sight. Now, granted, my past few Augusts have been very stressful, with lots of work stress. Also, there is a fair amount of $$ stress as the summer daycare bills begin catching up with me, as well as putting out a chunk of cash for back to school clothes and supplies.

But, I must say, I am kind of excited for August this year, because I could use a month where things just slow down a bit. We haven't been as busy as we were in June with weddings, grad parties, etc., but it seems as though the days just run by so quickly, nevertheless. The boys will be done with baseball this coming week, so that will provide a much-needed reprieve in the evenings. Cameron's last game will be on Wednesday, and Alex has his baseball tournament on Saturday the 24th, signifying the end of another fun and successful baseball season.

Ed has been helping to coordinate Cold Spring Little League this summer, so he is busy with lots and lots of details on baseball nights. It will be nice for him to not have that. He can settle into a somewhat low-paced next four months or so, before end-of-the-year accounting fun at Simonson, and of course, next tax year.

I have been busy at work, as always. It seems as though the job is just always busy. I have had a few students who have been job-shadowing with me, and I tell them that this job is, quite honestly, the perfect job for me. It changes every 30 to 45 minutes, and I don't see two patients who are alike. I can see a 3-year old with cerebral palsy, then switch to a 55-year old with social functioning difficulties, then switch to a 8 year old with sensory processing difficulties. It is never the same, never boring. There are some elements of my job that are less than perfect, but that has to do with ownership/management issues, not practice issues. I have to remember in the midst of all of this craziness, just how lucky I am to have a job where I do not wake up in the morning and wish I didn't have to go. I have always "had" to work to sustain our finances, but I think I would "have" to work somewhat just to have balance in my life. Of course, if I could choose, I probably wouldn't work as much as I do, but all in all, it isn't a bad gig.

Alex has been having a very good summer. He has enjoyed baseball, and overall, has done a little better than we expected considering he moved up to a more competitive league. He was doing super-great at the beginning of the year, but has hit a bit of a slump in the past few games. This has been very frustrating for him, but provided a great opportunity for discussing the value of practice and hard work. He just expects that he should be able to step up to the plate and get a hit each time. It doesn't work that way. He thinks the boys who are "really good" on his team were just born that way, but a lot of those boys play on multiple leagues and practice daily. So, we were able to have a nice discussion about the value of practice and diligence, and he has been working so hard ever since!

He is also blowing me away with his piano abilities. I started teaching all three kids this summer for 30 minutes each week, and Alex is over half-way done with the first book. We generally get through 6-10 pages each week (Cameron gets through about four, Lilly gets through 1 or 2). I have believed all along that Alex has strong musical talents, and he is certainly proving that now.

Cameron has been also enjoying baseball, especially the fact that he gets to play with his two best buddies. He is anxiously awaiting the start of football season, and he has informed us that he will be the first famous Holen, because he is going to be a pro football player. Again, a great opportunity to discuss hard work and practice. However, this is a topic Cameron already has down-pat, as he has created a one -hour daily exercise routine to both build muscle and increase his endurance. He is such a motivated kid and a hard worker, I hope it works out for him :)

Lilly has been pretty status-quo. She just got her second haircut ever in her life, and I was pretty scared that her beautiful curls would be gone. Her first haircut was when she was just 3, and it was to mainly even out her baby hairdo, since her hair didn't come in until she was three. She only cut an inch or two off yesterday, and it looks pretty much the same. The top pieces look a bit straighter, but we will have to see.

Well, this is probably enough Holen information for now. Enjoy the rest of July!!!