It's a crazy life

... but it's our crazy life. Then again, who's isn't? I can't believe August is over. Time is FLYING! Crazy busy stuff happenin' here at the Peterson's. Thus, the lack of online communication. Cam has had a great start to his school year. Very busy with all of his work, but it is manageable and appears to be holding his interest which is a bonus. Science has been a favorite - they get to blow something up next week, and last week they experimented with sunscreen ... and hot dogs. Whatever gets 'em through the day. History - it's all about Arizona. I remember studying the Oregon Trail in 4th grade and loved it. He's come home with some of the craziest facts about the state. How many of you know who the State Historian is? Yeah. I didn't think so. We met with his teacher last week during Curriculum night and learned about what we can expect this year as far as homework, projects, expectations, etc. His teacher informed us that the reading level at which his class tested the first week of school is phenomenal - beginning of 7th grade. Uh ... excuse me? My son isn't even 9 yet ... Math will be around 6th/7th grade by the end of the year. Thank goodness they're still reviewing ... I'm not ready to revisit algebra yet. It was hard enough the first time. Definitely not my subject, so I have to be very good about following long with him in each lesson so that I can help if asked. Which thankfully ... isn't very often. :) We've had skate practices and lessons, birthday parties every weekend, squeezing in organization and storage building in our closet, re-grouting some tile work in the house, adding some cupboards to the laundry room, yard work when the temp finally falls below triple digits, visits with grandma and papa, work, work, work, and then a last-minute trip planned to Vegas for this weekend. More business than pleasure, but we'll get to that shortly. Believe it or not, I've had every Friday off this last month to burn up some vacation time, and it has kind of sucked. In a couple of ways ... One, I'm crazy busy all week trying to get my stuff done ahead of time, and then crazy busy the following Monday catching up. And two, I am now back to working a full 5 days a week, and it's hard. I know. Poor baby. Honestly, with the exception of one "fun" Friday, all the rest were packed with errands and chores, so I haven't decided if it was worth it yet or not. :) Weekends have almost been busier than weekdays, which just isn't right!!!! But I'm looking forward to it cooling off a bit, hitting the lake, and football starting. Go Beavs ... Go Cards! I'm seeing a few get-togethers in the near future for this purpose! And it is much needed - we've had a hard time getting together with friends and making plans because of practices, birthday parties, etc. (You know who you are!!! Soon though!) And of course, we've got Master Cam's birthday just around the corner - turning 9 on 9-9-09. Think the plans are to have some of his friends coming over to swim, skate, play basketball, you know - the good stuff. :)

Okay ... so ... Vegas. We're headed over there for the weekend to see mom and dad, of course, but also to meet with some people about a business venture. A new one. One that doesn't involve bread. In fact, far from it. Very scary thought to be opening a new business right now, but we've been doing our homework and are pretty confident that it would work. Have looked at some building space and met with the owner and broker, as well as neighboring business owners, drawn up some business plans, figured out rent and start up costs, equipment, staffing, etc. We're working on it. Not gonna say anything more about what it is ... yet. A lot has happened in the last few months, and while starting a business is risky, sometimes you have to take a risk. Oh, did I mention I'm not quitting my day job? :) I think it's time Bryan gets out of his business, for more reasons than I can count. And I really think the timing has just kind of been right where it needs to be. So I guess keep your fingers crossed ... even though you have no idea what for. :)

A child of one

... can be taught not to do certain things such as tough a hot stove,
turn on the gas,
pull lamps off their tables by their cords,
or wake mommy before noon. ~Joan Rivers

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to a "true classic"!

"When I was little,

I thought good luck meant

picking a four-leaf clover or

finding a penny heads up or

seeing a shooting star.

Now I know

it was having you for a dad!"

Just want you to know

that we're thinking about you today

and hoping it's a great one!

Love,

Us

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Playing catch up

It's been almost a week since I posted last. Sorry about that! Things have been a bit hectic around here with school starting again and getting back to a routine (even though it has been a welcome sort of "hectic"!) Cam seems to be adjusting fairly well to 4th grade. I suppose he's as excited as he can be about school - he gripes aobut the usual: homework, book reports, language homework, but seems to be a bit more enthusiastic about others: science experiments, the book he's reading for his book report, a new friend, soccer at recess, and math, which apparently he much rather do than go to music class. Interesting. Sooooo not his mother's son in that department. At any rate, he's doing pretty good. He also let us know that he's the only 8 year old in class. Well, we kinda knew that. Technically, because of his age and the requirements, he should only be in 3rd grade. But because he started at a private school, and moved to charter, he's just progressed to the 4th grade. So he's a young 4th grader. I have to constantly remind myself that he is still just my baby- especially when it comes to his class curriculum. His school works one grade ahead, so he's working on 5th grade level work. Probably a couple of grades higher than most kids his age. But he's adjusted well - even if some of the stuff is soooo boring.

Weather has been a tad bit cooler - the humidity is down, so that has helped immensely. We've been able to tackle some of the outdoor projects that have overtaken the "honey-do-list" and this weekend was certainly busy. I think we spent about 2 hours in Lowe's on Sunday, mostly because Bryan was oohing and aahhing over power tools. Whatever. But ... I did get a few good ideas for birthday/Christmas presents, so I suppose that was an advantage. We replaced our patio set - Yay! It was due time - and the new set is fabulous! So much more comfortable to sit and lounge in! The bold colors really brightened up the area by the pool too.

Other than the usual stuff like work and school, there is NOTHING going on. This is a very good thing. I've got some vacation time to burn before September 1st, so I've got every Friday during this month off. Kind of nice to know that I only have a four day work week, and a three day weekend! It was nice to use the day to get things done - like a pedicure and lunch with a girlfriend. :)

Out of the Mouth of ... Cameron

Mom called the night of Cam's first day to see how it was. Here's a portion of the conversation:"Grandma wants to know if you have a girlfriend yet ..."

"Whatever."

"Grandma wants to know if there are any cute girls in your class..."

"NO!"

"Grandma says that's okay, and that you should go for the younger ones ... the 3rd graders ..."

"Why, 'cuz they're easier to trick?"

Whoa. Where'd he get this idea? Who's he been talking to? Probably Bryan. Or his Papa. Either one for that matter. :) He also had quite the smart response for me last Monday when I told him this was the last time he'll EVER have a first day of fourth grade. He informed me that wasn't necessarily true .. he might not pass fourth grade and he'd have to do it all over again. So, it WOULDN'T be the last time. Well okay Mr. Glass Is Half Empty! I'm pretty sure we don't have to worry about that

Wednesday Funny

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?"

"Eight," the boy replied.

The man continued, "Do you know what these are used for?"

The boy replied, "Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either."

Psycho Donuts: Tasteless

I wanted to post a newsletter I received from NAMI this month. For those of you who aren't familiar, NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. According to their website, NAMI is "the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness." Each month, NAMI StigmaBusters publishes a newsletter. StigmaBusters is a network designed to fight inaccurate portrayals of mental illness. The purpose of the group is to educate society regarding mental illness, the reality surrounding the disease, and the numerous struggles consumers and family members face as a result. StigmaBusters essentially works to fight ignorance and discrimination. The August newsletter contained the following ... thought it would be good "food for thought" ... no pun intended! I especially thought the comparison to cancer, heart disease, diabetes or burn victims was an excellent point.

Psycho Donuts: Tasteless

Join the national on-line food fight. Help turn lemon donuts into lemonade.

Since early spring, NAMI Santa Clara County and other mental health groups have been fighting an impressive, valiant battle against stigmatizing elements of a "Psycho Donuts" store that opened outside San Francisco.

The store's worst features include a straitjacket, padded cell decorations and tasteless donut names-such as "Massive Head Trauma," which has especially enraged war veterans.

Concern has existed that the company's business plan may envision franchise expansion to other states or communities-but victory may be near. The store owner has promised an "evolution" and some changes are starting to be made. Nonetheless, the story "went national" this week.

• Fox News ran a "debate" between the business owner-a Silicon Valley entrepreneur-and the head of United Advocates for Children and Families.


• AOL ran a story with a reader survey-60 percent of respondents supported the store. Last time we checked, there were more than a thousand reader comments posted. Add your own!


• An ABC News story also produced strong reader comments. Please review them and add your own.

Protests raise awareness and begin a process of education-and dialogue-even if they don't immediately change minds. Here are points to consider in posting your own comments on-line. The basic points can be used in almost any situation-and any ongoing reports of this controversy.

• The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that stigma surrounding mental illness-including mockery-is a major barrier to people getting help when they need it.


• Would a business ever seriously consider a humorous theme involving cancer, heart disease, diabetes or burn victims?


• Mental health advocates work every day to help individuals and families who need help. Does Psycho Donuts support that need? For people who want to learn more about mental illness and education and support programs please visit the NAMI Web site.


• We respect freedom of speech-which includes our right to protest. We also have a sense of humor (Food fight? Lemon donuts?). But there is such a thing as business social responsibility. Psycho Donuts should not be contributing to a public health crisis by reinforcing stigma. They should be supporting education and recovery.

Yes, donuts can be funny. But not tasteless ones that are hazardous to public health.
We congratulate NAMI Santa Clara County and all the other groups and individuals who have been leading the fight in the local community-and seeking a constructive outcome. We welcome the business owner's promise to "evolve." Let's hope it happens quickly.

1st day of 4th grade

Well I was able to snag ONE picture before we left this morning ... thank goodness he was smiling! There were quite a few moms taking pictures of their kids (which CLEARLY did not make them happy) in front of the classrooms today, so I told him it could've been a lot worse. :) Here's to the start of a great school year!

Psssst!

School starts tomorrow. :) Clothes are set out, backpack is loaded up, and the fresh blueberry pancakes that mom made today are ready to go for breakfast. If I can get away with it ('cuz you know ... he is in fourth grade now ...) I'll post a pic of my baby's first day. :)

Okay - so in the previous post, we mentioned some of Cam's old skateboards were going to be repurposed. We saw the idea on one of the episodes of "Built to Shred", a TV show that shows a team of skaters that travel around building skate ramps, parks, etc., with materials they find lying around or in junkyards. With the amount of used boards lying around, we figured this would be perfect. And now the reveal ... a skateboard chair!

3 more days ...

until school starts. Yes, Cam's first day of school is Monday. I will have a 4th grader. 

A FOURTH GRADER! 

Seriously? A fourth grader? Wow. Okay, anyway, today was Meet the Teacher. We already hit the school on Tuesday to put money on his lunch account, pay our Parent Council fees, signed up for our volunteer hours (I'll be working in the library ... :) I'm so excited! And yes, I did clear it with Cam before I signed up ...) and met the new principal. All of this had to be completed before we could get his teacher assignment. So he knew who he had on Tuesday, but didn't get to meet her until today. I decided to take the day off  so Cam and I could have one more day of summer vacation together! Mrs. Vincent is his teacher this year, and she seems like she is definitely on top of things, sweet as pie, but won't take you-know-what from anyone. I liked her. After meeting the teacher, we headed out to Chili's for some lunch. Shopping was next on our list ... which produced some new shoes - for both Cam and mom!  :)  And since we got his supply list from his teacher, we finished up the outing with school supplies and grocery shopping. By the time we got home, it was pretty close to his skate lesson, so we headed out to that. Grabbed a pizza on the way home, and finished up the night with a roarin' game of Sorry. I won them both.  So needless to say ... he is ready for Monday. Oh ... yeah ... I'm kinda ready too.  :)

Overhaulin' ~ AZ style

I remember the fall/winter/spring days in Oregon when it was raining so much and for so long, that we were stuck in the house. No playing outside. Forget riding our bikes. For a while, it was okay. But holy crap do I NOW know what mom and dad went through! "I'm bored ... there's nothing to do ... she's bugging me ... blah, blah, blah." The same goes for the weather right now. It is so hot outside, hence the severe weather alerts/excessive heat warnings, that we are literally forced to stay in the house. Forget any outdoor activities right now. The weeds? Rapidly taking over the yard. And they are staying put for right now. Mowing the lawn? Well it's done at about 9:00 pm and involves a jump in the pool upon completion. And that spiffy new ramp in the back? Think it's been used three times, for a total of 20 minutes. You look outside and see a bright, clear blue sky, but that's where the pleasantries end. It's just gross. But that's okay. We know in a couple of weeks or so that we'll be back to beautiful weather and temps, for a LONG while! So ... with that said, we were somewhat forced into an Overhaulin' - Arizona style. We've been able to knock out some projects off our "indoor" to-do list. One of which was redecorating Cam's room. Previously, it was motorcycle themed. Wallpaper border, accessories and signs on the wall, etc. The new theme? Do you need to ask? Do I need to tell you? Skateboarding. Duh. For Christmas he got new bedding, and that's about as far as we got. Well this weekend, we took down the wallpaper border, put up some chair rail, and painted it white - very clean looking - repainted his walls, and hung up the new accessories. It also gave me the chance to get rid of more "crap" as I call it, "important stuff" as Cam calls it, that was just taking up space. I think we may have just single-handedly supported the Child Crisis Center with our donations these past few months. :)

Just a side note: Cameron was very meticulous in picking out the "items" that were to be displayed on his bookshelf ... the Harry Potter collection, the first bible he used in Mrs. Lorts class, a locomotive radio that belonged to Great-Grandpa Lasky, one of Great-Grandpa Kenny's fishing trophies, a set of Hardy Boys books that belonged to Bryan's brother, his first baseball glove, some of his model cars, license plates, and knick knacks that he picked up in various souvenir shops (one of his favorite past times). :)