She really did pick it out herself....

Ryan wanted to play tennis with Jeff and I so we had to go to the store to get new balls. Cameron found herself a tennis racket that she pushed around the store. Jeff was very excited to see her interest and helped her find a racket that was acceptable. She got a pink, child's Prince. Mommy also wanted to be supportive so she picked out some pink tennis balls.

Daddy gave Cameron a few tips on swinging the racket. They started by practicing serves and then showed daddy her how to swing a forehand and backhand. Once they finished the mini-lesson it was time to play.

She went right to the court to play doubles with Daddy. Ryan and I were no match for those two. Cameron had a lot of fun but finally needed a break on the hottest day of the year so far.

But Cameron isn't just daddy's girl, after tennis she went to the playground and did a little rock climbing....That's mommy's girl!!

You can see more tennis photos in the Picasa Web Album.

More animals at school....

Cameron returned back to school just in time for some more animal visitors. There was an owl, ferret, turtle, and gecko that the kids were able to meet, and greet. Cameron found them all very interesting, especially the gecko.

There were other interesting animals that Cameron got to meet but she didn't dare touch. One of those were a giant tarantula that she spent a lot of time watching through the glass. Mommy and Daddy were very glad that they weren't there that day...

Vegas Baby!!!!

We stayed at the Luxor and had a great view of the pyramid from our room. Cameron went to sleep watching all the lights travel up and down the corners, that is when she went to sleep. There is so much to do in Vegas, it was hard to know what to do first.

Of course the buffets were at the top of the list. Cameron enjoyed eating at the buffets. Each of them had all of her favorites. Chicken, Turkey, veggies, french fries, and she even had some cheese cake.

Although Vegas is a desert, there are lots of animals to see. She went to the Mirage and met all the dolphins. She watched them swim under the water and then watched them jump out of the water from the surface.

She explored the Secret garden where she saw llamas, alpacas, tigers, and leopards. It was really really hot so she headed back to the hotel to rest.

Although the Luxor had great room service, it would have been a shame to stay in the room and rest. So Cameron and Mommy headed to the pool to get our rest in the sun. Of course we smothered ourselves with sunscreen and tried hard to stay in the shade.

After resting we headed to MGM to see the lion cubs and saw the Bodies Exhibit at the Tropicana. We did some shopping at the M&Ms store where we got some goodies for the teachers.

Of course we couldn't pass up and opportunity to stop at the Coke store. We bought lots of coke gear and enjoyed exploring all the cool gear. Cameron really liked the giant polar bear and stuffed animals (none of which compare to dino who she made daddy carry along to all of these sites).

We would not have been able to leave the Coke store without tasting the coke. Daddy tried hard to get the lady to sell him a MesoMix from Germany but she wouldn't. That was okay because tradition Coke is always a good choice. Cameron didn't get to have any Coke but she did get a Coke hat that matches the hat daddy got last time he came to Vegas.

Even though this was a vacation, Cameron needed a lot of rest when it was all over.

Traveling is easy!!!

First you make sure you have all the important stuff.

Then you find your gate.


Make sure you check that your belongings are the right size.

And use the overhead bins.


Get out your reading materials.


And enjoy the view.

Meet Dino (Stanley) the Dinosaur

Cameron has lots of toys. She loves the balls and the toys that make music. She likes puzzles and cars. She likes toys that she can put other toys in, or those that she can put on her head, like buckets.
And she can find things that aren't actually toys and have a really good time with them, like pots, pans, bowls, spoons, and even a strainer, especially ones that she can put on her head. But she hasn't really cared for stuffed animals. I mean there is Pooh bear and she will give him a hug sometimes but really she doesn't want to hang out with him.

Well at least that used to be true. While at the mall this weekend Cameron met a little grey dinosaur. She walked right up to the shelf and took him down and gave him a big hug. She then proceeded to walk around the store carrying the dinosaur with her. When we were ready to check out we told her to say goodbye and she gave him a hug and a kiss. Well since Cameron still kisses with her mouth open, we had to get the dinosaur...

Daddy named him Dino and Mommy named him Stanley. Cameron didn't care what we called him, she was so happy to have her dinosaur. She kept him with her the rest of the night and even read him a story (or at least looked at the pictures) before bedtime. We think she has a new best friend.

A vistor!!!

Cameron's cousin Ryan came to visit this week. She was instantly friends with him. Cameron liked to hang out with him and Daddy while they played on the Xbox. Cameron would play with her toys while they played with theirs.


There were also some visitors at school this week. All week the teachers sang songs and read books about farm animals. Then as a surprise they brought in some animals the kids could interact with.
There were miniture ducks. rabiits and chickens. There were potbelly pigs and pigmy goats. Cameron, as usual spent some time just watching what they were doing. She was fascinated at the holes the pigs would dig up and how the ducks would jump in to get the bugs that were uncovered. When she was ready she pet each of the animals. The pigs and goats were not very soft, but the bunnies were very very soft.

But even the animals cannot take Cameron away from the sand box for very long. She digs and pats the sand down. She fills buckets and if you flip it over she will immediately knock down the castle. Mommy and Daddy are constanly amazed there there is any sand left after Cameron empties her stash at home. She fills her shoes, pockets, and of course the diaper so we are constantly cleaning it up. The teachers report she is in the sandbox about 90% of the time she is outside. The only way to get her out is to tell her its time to go home.

Lucky Head

Cameron had a great week in her new class. She has gained a roar or growl sound. She makes this great "rrraaaaarrrhhhh" sound when she greets you and also when she throws the ball. Daddy thinks this is a sign that she might be a tennis player (wishful thinking???).

The older kids really love Cameron. For some reason they like to greet her by rubbing her head. At first she was taking it, but by the end of the week, she began to assert herself and push their hands away. I'm not quite sure why they were rubbing her head, but its always brought me luck so I guess they've figured that out.

The week ended really great. Today at school she said two new words. While Ms Farah was blowing bubbles, Cameron said "bubble" and began to try and catch them. Then while on the daily buggy ride they passed the house with a little dog in the window who greets them as they pass. As the teachers pointed at the dog, Cameron responded by saying "doggie." Oh my gosh, she is so grown up!!!

The Big Transition

Cameron is moving out of the infant room at school, and is transitioning into the Toddler 2 class with Ms Darcy, Ms Farah, Ms Nina, and Ms Beryll. She is very observant of how things are done in this class and have been hanging with the older girls who are showing her the ropes. The new class has lots of different rules which include having to wash your hands after playtime and throwing away the towel. Cameron has caught on very quickly.

The very best part of this new classroom is that they have a sandbox in their play yard. Cameron has been spending about 90% of her time in the sand box. Its been interesting for us discovering sand in the most unexpected of places. Its been a real challenge to make sure we get all the sand out of all the crevices each night.

Of course it wasn't all smooth, she did have some trouble with being overly tired before naptime and she only naps about a third of the other kids. Cameron did find some comfort with her old pal in the mirror. Transitions are always difficult, but we are sure Cameron will begin to love her new class.