Camden is FIVE

Is it just me, or does this birthday seem like such a huge, huge milestone?  Maybe it's because my boy has been literally talking about turning five since the day he turned four.  He has grown up so much this past year, figuratively and physically - it has been the most bittersweet thing to watch.  I know I am incredibly biased, but he is one cool kid.

Weight: 34 pounds 6 ounces (9th percentile)

Height: 40 1/2 inches (11th percentile)

- Has become quite the sensitive little soul.  He gets scared and his feelings hurt easily yet is also very tough physically.  It's a weird combo

- Terrified of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.  I'm thankful I can tell him that we don't have hurricanes or tornadoes in our part of the country because he's constantly confirming those facts with me just to be sure

- I assure him there are no hurricanes and then he says, "But there is a hurricane in the Little Mermaid!" and so I assure him that the Little Mermaid is just a story and then the conversation goes off into this tangent about whether or not the Little Mermaid takes place in "our world" (aka the planet Earth)

- He's super particular about his socks being on super straight and not having "bumps."  His shoes also need to be really snug on his feet.  That said, he loves wearing his rain boots which are as lose as could be so this boggles my mind a bit

- Loves hot wheel cars and his Cars diecast cars, especially ones with spoilers

- Obsessed with seeing spoilers on actual cars and is always asking if we can buy an actual car with a spoiler on it

- Loves soccer, t-ball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling, and swimming

- Wears 4T/5T tops and 4T bottoms

- Speaking of bottoms, he really hates that his 4T bottoms are too big in the waist and too long in length and DOES NOT want his pant legs to touch his feet or shoes

- Is a seriously great big brother.  He is always asking to tuck Zoey into bed all by himself and is always asking if he can go wake her up

- Favorite thing to eat is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

- We are having an on-going debate on who is faster - a cheetah or The Flash

- Is quite the spiritual little fellow, which is interesting to me because it's not something we discuss much at home.  He says his prayers every night without prompt or question and is quick to say that Jesus will keep him brave and safe if he's scared of the aforementioned natural disasters

- Went to Santa Cruz, California for the first time and I'm pretty sure he would have stayed there forever if we had let him.  While there I forced him to ride a log ride and I may have scarred him for life

- Favorite shows are PJ Masks, Paw Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Lion Guard, and Team Umizoomi

- Favorite movies are Cars 1, 2, and 3, Annie, How to Train Your Dragon, Peter Pan, Toy Story 1, 2, and 3, and The Little Mermaid

- Played his second season of YMCA t-ball with Mommy and Daddy and The Great Bambinos

- Played his second season of Tracyton Soccer with Mommy and Daddy and The Dragons



- Is perfecting his swimming and swims without a life jacket

- Seems to have a really good memory.  He can recall adventures, events, places we've visited, and conversations we've had with eerie accuracy

- Is very protective of his little sister

- He is the snuggliest of the snuggle bugs

- Tries to come up with any excuse in the world to not have to sleep in his bed and sleep in our bed.  He really hits me in the feelers when he says "but Mommy, I just want to snuggle with you" or "but Mommy, I just love you."  Other excuses are that he is afraid of bears or that moss is going to take over the city

- Obsessed with bath bombs and asking me to ask Siri how to say various words or phrases in Spanish and French

- Can count to 100

Now for an interview update:

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Movie: Tarzan

Favorite TV Show: PJ Masks

Favorite Animal: Elephant, giraffe, and zebra

Favorite Book: Pout Pout Fish 

What do you want to be when you grow up?: Superman

Who is your best friend?: "Everyone is my best friend!" 

Favorite thing to learn about at school: Jaguars

Favorite food: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Favorite Drink: Water and juice

Favorite Activity: Going to eat and play at McDonald's

Favorite Song: Jingle Bell Rock

Favorite thing about yourself: "I'm good at bowling"

Camden James.  There really are no words to adequately describe how much I love you and how proud I am to be your Mommy.  Of course, I'm biased, but you are one super cool little guy.  You are smart, funny, outgoing, and very silly.  People that don't even know you are always commenting on your energy and your happy demeanor.  You asked me this morning if I could believe you are 5, and I honestly can't.  Being your mom is such a joy and privilege.  It truly is an honor.  I love you, my Super Cam.

Take Luck,

LP

Zoey at 2.5

Sweet Jesus, she's two and a half.  I seriously swear that she just turned two and cannot, cannot, cannot believe she's on her way to being three.  It's also crazy to me because this is how old Cam was when she was born, so I'm feeling lots of feelings right now.

Weight: 25 pounds 4 ounces (13th percentile)

Height: 35 inches (38th percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 inches (5th percentile)

Her 2.5 year well check up went something like this: she's tiny with above average speech and below average bowel movement frequency

- This tiny thing is fearless. 

- Seriously loves to sing.  Favorites include ABCs, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Tomorrow (from Annie), and Let it Go (from Frozen)

- Favorite shows are Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi, Mickey and the Roadster Racers (especially Minnie) and Puppy Dog Pals

- Favorite movies are The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Moana, Annie, and Finding Dory

- Loves playing with her baby dolls and calls them all "baby sister"

- Loves gymnastics and is perfecting her forward roll

- Sleeps in a big girl bed and does mostly very well.  At times I catch her out of bed - laying on the floor, covered in blankets, "reading books" to her "friends"

- Favorite people in the world include daddy, papa, bubba, Uncle Joshy, Uncle Ryan, and Chris

- Loves to say "Mommy guess what... I got a surprise for you" and then usually tells me it's an (invisible) cake pop

- Still a (mostly) good eater and far more willing to try things than Cam was (or is).  Also prefers to eat off other people's plates even if it's the exact same food on her plate

- Can out-eat me if we're having spaghetti for dinner

- Loves chocolate milk and popsicles

- Steals my La Croix

- Still puts all the things in her mouth.  I'm really waiting (impatiently) for her to grow out of this trait

- Wears almost all 2T clothing except for pants - 18/24 month bottoms fit her best.  Although, her little badonkadonk makes bottoms a challenge at times

- Has so much sass, attitude, and drama in her little body

- Flo is her soulmate

- Still has her Kiki (binky) but will be losing said friend at the end of December when I'm off of work for a whole week and can deal with her wrath and any potential sleep deprivation

- Learning more colors

- Loves to play dress-up

- Went to Santa Cruz, California for the first time and loved it

- Obsessed with "whipstick" (lipstick), juice, brushing her teeth, and "glubs" (gloves), gymnastics, and swimming at the YMCA

- Can tell you her name is Zoey Grace Peters

- Does not shy away from strangers and is always telling people, "I Zoey.  I fwee (three)."

- Best friends are Grady and Liberty

- Nicknames include Zo Zo, Beautiful, Little Bear or Baby Bear, Peaches, Little Peach, Drama Llama, and Sassy Pants

Zoey Grace, you rock our world.  I am so lucky to be your mommy... Even when you're yelling at me and telling me that I'm bad.  You have the sweetest heart that is sometimes full of sass.  I hope you are always a strong willed creature.  You bring us so much joy and laughter with your funny and dramatic personality.  There truly is no one like you.  Always remember that you are smart, kind, important, and beautiful.  I love you to the moon and stars, my little peach.

Take Luck,

LP 

Camden Says / 09

It's been way too long since I documented my smart and funny guy.  So, here goes:

- Anytime he toots: 

"Oh, that was a good one!"

- Protector of his baby sister from Max the ferocious daycare kitty cat:

Me: Did Max scratch Zoey?

Cam: (outraged) Yes!  Max tried to kill my baby!

Me: Oh, buddy.  I don't think he tried to do that.

Cam: I told her she's OK.  She is not dead.

- Not quite grasping the concept of his behavior/reward system:

Cam: Mommy, you're my hero!

Me: Awww, buddy that is so sweet!

Cam: Does that deserve a ticket?

- Getting coffee one morning:

Cam: I don't like coffee

Me: That's OK.  You'll probably drink it someday.

Cam: Some day when I'm a mommy?

- Learning respect:

Me: Please put your shoes on, bud.

Cam: Ay-yi Captain (with salute)

- Talking about church:

Cam: What's church?

Me: Where people go to worship Jesus or whoever they believe in.

Cam: Where's Jesus?

Me: Where do you think he is?

Cam: Chuck E. Cheese?

- Learning to read through the lines:

Cam: When we get home can I watch red commercial (YouTube Kids) on Daddy's iPad?

Me: We'll talk about it when we get home

Cam: (long pause) Does that mean yes?

- Started a story with "... when I was a little girl on Christmas Eve..."

- Protecting baby sister from small objects:

Cam: (takes toy from Zoey) Zoey!  Do not put this in your mouth!  Because it is called a choking hazard!

- Calls our neighborhood "neighbor's hood."

- Calls bandits "bandaids."

- Learning to use words to express feelings.

Me: (seeing that he is emotional and not feeling well) What's wrong, buddy?

Cam: I just want some privacy

- Told me how tow trucks use "hookers" to help cars out of the ditch.

- Learning the joys of having a little sister:

Cam: Mommy...

Zoey: Mommy!

Cam: Um, mommy...

Zoey: Mommy!

Cam: Zoey!  Stop erupting me!

- Still needs help wiping his bottom after #2:

Cam: Mommy, I'm done!

Me: (enters bathroom) woah, stinky!

Cam: It was me

- Getting in touch with his Christian roots and spelling out the letters in our last name:

Cam: P-E-the cross of Jesus-E-R-S

- Talking about bodily functions:

Cam: When you drink all of your water or milk then you have to pee pee from your peanut

- Defining an emergency:

Cam: What's an emergency?

Me: When something happens and you need help right away!

Cam: Like if you're on fire?

- Tooting etiquette:

Cam: (toots)

Me: Excuse you!

Cam: I didn't toot, Mommy!  It was just air coming out of my bottom

- Learning that we don't have time for Zoey tantrums:

Zoey: (throws herself on the floor in a fit)

Cam: That's OK, Zoey.  You go ahead and do that.

Take Luck,

LP

Cam at 4.5

Seriously, I swear he just turned 4 and now six months have passed.  He's officially closer to 5 than 4!  Just ask him because he will proudly tell you that his birthday is "really soon."  Why does 5 seem so much older than 4?  I feel like I'm constantly telling him to stop growing and that I want him to stay my little buddy forever.  He laughs at me (literally) and just keeps on growing and becoming more awesome.

- Favorite shows are Blaze, Paw Patrol, Wild Kratts, PJ Masks, and Bubble Guppies

- Favorite movies are How to Train Your Dragon, Wreck it Ralph, Trolls, Moana, and Incredibles

- Loves to "bake cookies" with me but is mostly only interested in measuring and stirring ingredients

- Loves to read out address numbers on houses and buildings

- Tells me everyday after naps and bedtime, "Look how big I am!"  As if I didn't notice.

- Can tell you his full name, birthdate, and address

- Knows what continent, country, state, and city we live in

- Can count to 100

- Is mildly obsessed with volcanoes and hot lava, going on hikes, bowling, hitting in the front yard, and saying the word "butt"

- Calls his penis a "peanut"

- Becomes a philosophical pooper every night at bedtime.  Anything to delay to inevitable bedtime - including "needing to check the weather"

- Asks for chocolate milk and blueberry muffins everyday for breakfast

- Played his first season of YMCA basketball for Coach Aaron and the Purple Monsters

- Played his second season of YMCA soccer for Mommy and Daddy and the Blue Dragons

- Loves to go swimming and to gymnastics when we can squeeze it in

- Loves to ride his "bike with training wheels" and his "scooter with no training wheels"

- Will complete his second year of preschool next week.  One more year and then he'll be off to Kindergarten

- Is the cuddliest cuddle bug.  He loves to climb in our bed

- Hasn't slept past 6am in I don't even know how long.  Every morning he comes in and says "Mommy is it time to wake up yet?" and when I say "no," he responds with "but I'm ready to be awake."

- Now has two dogs - Coco (because we said he couldn't name her "Hot Chocolate") and Raph (because his love for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles runs deep)

- Went to Disneyland and Michigan for the second time

- His favorite people in the world are Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, Papa, Ray Ray, Chris, and Uncle Joshy.

An interview update:

Favorite color: Teal

Favorite movie: The Incredibles

Favorite TV show: Blaze

Favorite animal: Elephant

Favorite book: Volcanoes

What do you want to be when you grow up?: Astronaut and a baseball player

Who is your best friend?: Matthew and Sebastian

What's your favorite thing to learn about in school?: Airplanes

Favorite food: Mac & cheese

Favoriate drink: Chocolate milk and juice

Favorite activity: Hitting outside

Favorite song: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song

Favorite thing about yourself: I'm a good dancer

This boy has no idea how special he is to us.  He is loved beyond measure.

Take Luck,

LP

Zoey is TWO

Zoey Grace is two and I can hardly believe it.  Time is flying by and I am way more emotional about her turning two than I was about Cam.  Probably because when he turned two I was newly-pregnant and so I knew we'd get to do this again.  Now, I'm almost fairly certain that this is our last go-round and so I'm a blubbering mess of feelings.

Weight: 24 pounds 1 ounce (35th percentile)

Height: 32 1/2 inches (30th percentile)

Head Circumference: 17 3/4 inches (6th percentile)

- This tiny girl is like a switch.  She has one speed - on or off.  She is fearless, has so much energy, into everything, and constantly pushing the boundaries and limits

- Talks very well for her age, which is nice because she can tell us what she wants but is also not nice because she can tell us what she wants

- Wears mostly 18-24 month clothing and 2T tops.  She's like her brother and longer on the top half than she is the bottom half

- Sassy doesn't even begin to describe the attitude that's packed into this little body

- Flo is still her soulmate and she grows more and more attached to Kiki (her elephant binky) every single day

- Gets immense joy from breaking crayons with her teeth and chewing up the tidbits

- Favorite movies are Moana, Trolls, and Frozen

- Dances and sings like nobody's business.  Her favorite songs to sing are "Let it Go," "Twinkle, Twinkle," "ABCs," and pretty much any song from Moana

- Can count to 14 or 15 - depends on the day and her mood

- Can identify the colors blue, orange, and pink

- Loves to put on clothes that aren't hers and loves to accessorize with necklaces and bracelets

- Is a much better eater than Cam ever was (or is).  She'd eat an entire container of berries if I let her

- Has a flair for the dramatic and has become quite the sympathy crier

- Is still a little snuggle bug and loves to give hugs and kisses

- Has become quite possessive over Mommy and Miss Bree (a daycare provider and babysitter)

- Went to Disneyland and Michigan for the first time

- Is obsessed with "shnapstick" (chapstick), juice, sticking out her tongue, brushing her teeth, wearing "glubs" (gloves), and going swimming at the YMCA

- Hates the moment in between a shirt or sweatshirt going over her head and after her head pops through the hole

- Had her first major injury when she fell out of the shopping cart at Home Depot and hit her head on the concrete floor.  She very briefly lost conciousness and we took an ambulance right to the Emergency Room where a CT showed that she had a concussion and fracture in her skull 

- Favorite people in the world include Mommy, Daddy, Bubba, Grammy, Papa, Ray Ray, Chris, Miss Bree, and Uncle Joshy

- Best friends are Grady and Liberty

- Nicknames include Zo Zo, Beautiful, Little Bear, Peaches, and Little Peach.  Sometimes I call her "little asshole" or "little shit" under my breath but I wouldn't count those as official nicknames

Zoey Grace.  Words cannot describe how happy it makes me and how grateful I am to be your mommy.  I have loved seeing you grow into the sassy and sweet little bug that you've become.  You truly are a joy to be around (at least most of the time) and your daddy, bubba, and I simply adore you.  My greatest hope is that you grow up to be a strong woman, who believes that her worth is not determined by what is on the outside - but on the inside.  Watching you grow is incredibly bittersweet and I can't wait to see what you have to offer this world.  You are a force to be reckoned with.  Always remember that you are smart, kind, important, and beautiful.  I love you to the moon and stars, my little bear.

Take Luck,

LP