My own "LITTLE CHEF"

Tonight Ewan and I cooked up something special in the kitchen!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies on a skillet pan
Topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce....mmmm

OUR LAST DAY

Now, I warned you all that I had TONS to say about our amazing trip to California...I'm sure I have bored you all with my 2,500 posts about it, but I promise this is the last one!

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK DAY 2

Our whole family got two days passes to the Disney Theme Parks, but my brother Ben and his wife Holly didn't use their Calif. Adv. passes, so on our last day in California, Cameron and I had a special day just him and I in the park. We had a blast...what ever HE wanted to do, mom all to himself...basically every oldest child's dream! Turned out the hit of the day was the Grizzly River Run Ride. You strap into a circular raft and ride the "river" down some waterfalls, rapids, through geysers...and get really, REALY WET!

Still dry...

That's my arm waving and Cameron's little head to the right of me...can you recognize us...

After once on the River Run, we did a couple of other rides...and then he wanted to go again...and then again...and again...I think we did four strait rides in a row until the park closed...and by the end we were DRENCHED.

So ends my endless gushing about our trip...I AM SO GLAD WE DID THIS TOGETHER! In a few short months, I'll have a nursing baby and such adventures will be on hold for a while. I LOVE being a mom to these amazing little children.

DISNEYLAND!!!!

What fun it is to be at Disneyland on a weekday/school-day when the weather is so-so. We walked on almost everything! We did about 10 rides in the first 2 hours we were there!

The last time we went to Disneyland, it POURED ALL DAY. It was miserable. We were soaked. This trip, the weather forecast was good, but about 15 min. into our drive from my Mom and Dad's, it started to rain. I was like "NOOOOOO! It CAN'T Be!" It only rains in LA about twice a year...or in other words...every time we go to Disneyland! My dad went and bought us ponchos right away so we stayed dry. It only drizzled the first two hours, not enough to slow us down! And it kept a lot of people out of the park, so there were almost no lines for anything.

That's my Mom with Heather and my Dad with Cameron on the Flying Dumbo ride.

Ewan about to get the scare of his life on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!

Cameron loved it...of course!Every time we asked Heather what she was going to see at Disneyland, she said "A pwincess."

Here she is Dancing with the princesses at the Princess Fair.
My boys LOVE Star Wars, so it's not a trip to Disneyland with out doing Star Tours.

We got handed these "Year of a Million Dreams" Mikey Mouse hats as we got off of Splash Mountain...not sure why but Cameron never took his off.

Cameron and Ewan just about to get on the new Finding Nemo Submarine.

Heather and I watching for Nemo.Heather was a crack up on Autopia. She would not let me TOUCH the steering wheel. "I DO IT MYSELF!"-she kept telling me. So we were like "bump, bump, bump"...the entire ride!
Cameron driving with Papa.Uncle Ben and Ewan have a cuddle on the Jungle cruise.
Nanny and Papa do too!
Uncle Ben, Aunt Holly, mom and I took Cameron on Indiana Jones.

The further and further down into the cave we got, the more nervous he got. He kept saying "I have a bad feeling about this...."
Ewan fell asleep as he was standing on the back of the stroller and just about cracked his head open if Papa hadn't caught him. He was so exhausted. He ended up sleeping through the entire parade.
We had such a great time. It's so fun to take the kids to a place that I have so many happy memories of as a kid. It was the first time that they were all old enough to really get it and it truly is a magical place...

LIKE MOTHER LIKE SON

Day 4.

Me, Kindergarten 1980

Cameron, Kindergarten 2008

When I was six years old, my family went to a park for a BB

Q. I had my first loose tooth and spent much of my time wiggling that little sucker more and more loose. Then I ate my hamburger and wondered how on earth a ROCK had ended up in it. "Well, we're out here in nature", I thought. "Anything is possible." So I spit it out in the grass, only to discover a few min. later that my tooth was gone. I literally lost my first tooth.

By the time we got to California, Cameron had told every passerby between Portland and LA, "I have my first loose tooth!"

Of course, Uncle Ben could not resist trying to pull it out, but it just wasn't ready.

Then on day four at my mom and dads, we finally went to Disneyland. I noticed Cameron wiggling that tooth throughout the day. When we were done with all of the rides, We parked ourselves by the entrance to watch the parade before the park closed. Papa bought us all churros to eat while we waited.

Suddenly Cameron screamed..."MY TOOTH!" I replied "Where is it?" He said "I wondered why there was a nut in my churro so I threw it in the grass!"

Let me tell you. It's the cruelest kind of irony that I never got to see my own first lost tooth. I had searched and searched through the grass at the park, but it was not to be. I am one sentimental kind of chick and there was NO WAY I was going to miss getting to see my first baby's first lost tooth. I sifted through the grass for about 20 min. I even had Disney "cast members" with flashlights helping me look. I was frantic. But alas. It was not to be. He too, lost his first tooth. We told him that it's actually kind of cool, that for the rest of his life, when ever he goes back to Disneyland, as he comes into the park, he can point out the patch of grass where lies his first lost tooth.

MOTHERS DAY

Day 3.
While in California I celebrated my seventh official Mother's Day. In honor of the big day, here are seven things I LOVE about being a mother.
1. When my children call for me. When we were struggling with infertility, I ached to hear someone call me mama. Each of my children has their own unique way to address me or call for me. When Cameron was a brand new baby, his cry went just like this "MAAAAAAAAAM! MAAAAAAAM!" Now he just says "MOM!" Ewan will often say (in a pathetically sweet voice) "Mommy, I want you." When we were at my mom and dad's, no matter where I went in the house, I could often here Heather calling "Mooommmy! Where are you?" It is a privilege to be called mother.

2. Smoochies. In all varieties. You know when they are infants and they do that slobbery open mouth kiss? Love it. Ewan likes to give me a rapid succession of pucker lipped kisses. Cameron likes to blow me a kiss from the top bunk at bed time. Heather's smoochies are always accompanied by the sound "Mmmwa!" Not all families are kissing families, but I am definitely a smoochy kind of mom and I want all I can get before they are too big to want to give them to me.
3. Discovering who they are. Anyone who really knows me, knows I LOVE to analyze people/situations. When I was acting a lot, it was my favorite part...analyzing my character. Discovering my children's needs, challenges, loves, and unique personalities is fascinating for me. I love them each so much and knowing them as the individuals that they are gives me great joy.

4.Being my own boss. There is not an OUNCE of me that would rather be getting up every morning, dropping them off somewhere, and punching in to a time clock to work for someone else. I love being in charge. I plan the day. I set the schedule. I make the goals. I stay in my pajamas all day if I need to. Motherhood is a dream for control freaks like me :) Seriously. I set the tone for our home, and it is a responsibility I take very seriously. I love my job.
5. Dressing my kids in matching clothes. I like to think of it as my little "sickness." I just love to see them all in coordinating outfits, or color coordinated shirts...It relaxes me. I know it's neurotic, but it's me! Sometimes even on days when we don't leave the house, the kids will be all matchy-matchy. My friends and family love to tease me. My friend Heather has even called when she was planning on going out with us somewhere to see what color we are wearing so she can match! So funny. (Did you notice in the pictures above that Heather and I had matching outfits for Mother's Day this year?)

6. Starting over. When Cameron was born I thought my heart would literally explode I loved him so much. I didn't know that depth of love could begin in a single moment. I was surprised to feel that same sweet feeling in the hospital when I delivered our little Connor when I was only 17 weeks pregnant. Of course Ewan stole my heart in the same way. Heather came along, and of course so did the love. This new baby was not planned, but oh, how exciting it is to be starting over again! Putting up the crib...washing tiny little socks...those itty bitty new born diapers...I just can't wait! I am so thankful that God had a different plan for us than we had for ourselves.

7. Evan is the Father. How could I have known six years ago when they put that tiny baby in his arms and he looked like he was going to pass out, what a father he would turn out to be. He has grown more confident with each addition to our family and the same gentle kindness that made me fall in love with him makes for such a great Daddy. I have heard that so many father's of kids with Autism just shut down and never do accept or deal with the news. Evan has read everything he can get his hands on. He wants to know every detail of Cameron's therapy sessions. He is so aware of the kids needs and will often notice that one of them needs some extra attention and take them on an outing just the two of them. He has sacrificed so much to make it through school to provide for us and allow me to stay at home and be the mom I want to be. I am so grateful to be the mom, with him as the dad.

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE!

Day 1.
The fun began right away! Our first morning in LA, we headed for California Adventure Park.

Partly in preparation for the new baby, partly because we needed an upgrade, I splurged on a new stroller for the trip. A Baby Trend Sit and Stand. LOVE IT! It was perfect for a day of in and out, on and off...

Nanny and Cameron on the Tram to the park...

The first ride we had to do. Soarin' over California. Papa with the boys.

Cameron LOVED this ride. Ewan (true to form) was "stared of dat wide."

My kids love the movie "Bugs Life" so they loved the "Bugs Land" at California Adventure park.

Heather on the Lady bug ride.
I have sooo many pictures of my mom and I taking pictures of each other. We're both camera happy, I guess.
Ewan was so FUNNY on these bumper beetles! He busted a gut every time he crashed into someone. This is him about to crash into his mom.

"I stared of dis wide!"
Another favorite video at our house (we have lots since we turned our cable off). As Ewan calls it... "Monsters Ank."

"I totally love you, Mom." -he whispered in my ear. It doesn't get any better than that!
My little adventurers. What fun we had!