A Somewhat Subdued Chelsea

A week ago today, Chelsea broke her left collarbone. She has been a little more subdued than her normal crazy self. For the first two days, I felt like Chelsea's spirit had left her. She was in so much pain that she didn't feel like doing anything except to lay on the couch and rest. She was on pain medicine most of the time and seemed pretty lifeless. It was hard to see her like that. She seems to be doing much better now, although it's still hard for her to do simple things like getting dressed, taking a shower, etc. She is coping very well and, hopefully, in a couple of weeks will be "sling-free."

Our dog, Dash

Okay, so Cameron told me that I need to post a blog about our dog, Dash. So, here it is. I don't quite know what to say about him. So, here are the stats on him: Dash is a golden labrador and weighs about 65 pounds. He will be two the end of September.

He really is a great dog and is wonderful with the kids. He is very friendly with most other dogs, although he seems to get very protective around some dogs. When we went camping, he acted like he was the some kind of "police dog" and seemed very jealous of another male dog when the dog showed attention to Dash's "girlfriend" (a black lab named Onyx). However, he is a very atypical dog in that he doesn't like to go to the bathroom on walks, he hates getting wet, he seldom will go to the bathroom anywhere but home and, unlike other labs, doesn't always fetch a ball when it's thrown. He is one-of-a-kind, and we love him.

My Little Fireball

Madison is such a lovable little girl, yet can be so hard to please. She is VERY stubborn and determined to do things only on her terms. She doesn't put up with very much, which is good and bad, having 2 older siblings. She doesn't hesitate to let you know exactly how she's feeling at any given time. Madison does give me a run for my money, but she also never fails to make me feel loved. She is a wonderful, inquisitive little girl who comes up with the most amazing things to say. I never know what's going to come out of her mouth. With an older brother and sister, she says things sometimes that I would rather not hear come out of here mouth. :-)

I love this little 3 year old and I'm looking forward to her starting preschool this fall. A group of eight women, that I met through MOPS, are starting a kind of co-op preschool. The preschool will be held at 4 different homes, every Thursday morning for a couple of hours. A pair of moms will teach every week, so this means I only have to teach once a month! We will also do a field trip once a month that will be related to our themes. I think it will be a great experience for her. Even if she doesn't learn her whole entire alphabet backward and forward, or doesn't learn to write her name, she will learn how to interact with kids her own age and will make memories that will last a lifetime.

My Chelsea Girl......

Chelsea has really grown and blossomed in the past year. She has gone from bring a shy kindergartner, to a beautiful first grade little girl. She has done many things this past year. She took her first school bus ride to school, she met some new friends (at school, at MOPS and in Daisy Scouts), she learned how to read, and developed a real love and passion for all animals.

Chelsea can be a real fireball. She is always full of emotional. She can go from hot to cold instantly (I wonder where she gets that from!?). I love her spirit, though, and how she can turn a simple moment into an everlasting memory. She shows a real love of life. Chelsea never wants to spend time alone and she cherishes one-on-one time more than any kid I know. I'm very proud of the young girl Chelsea is becoming and look forward to seeing her accomplish many, many things.

My Favorite Cub Scout

I've been so proud of my son, Cameron, and all that he has accomplished in the year that he's been a cub scout. He actually didn't join scouting until last September and has already earned 12 pins, 24 belt loops and numerous patches! It hasn't been all about the awards, but about the new things he has learned and the many adventures he has had. Cameron has tried things that I never even imagined him trying and he's putting his heart into it. It's been an amazing thing for me to watch. He's really grown in the past year and I think scouts has a lot to do with it.

He has been fishing, canoeing, paint-balling, learned archery, how to tie knots, how to make fire, set up tents, and the list goes on and on. Scouting has not only taught him many, many skills, but it has also taught him how to be a good friend, a loyal citizen and a trustworthy young man. The experiences he has had in the past year will last him a lifetime and this is only the beginning of the scouting adventure. He will continue on to Boy Scouts in February and then it's up to Cameron to decide what he wants to do with scouting. Hopefully he will stick it out to become an Eagle Scout, but even if he doesn't, I'm very proud of the things I've seen him accomplish and the young man he is becoming.

Blogging and our Trip to Lake Itasca

Well, I've decided to start blogging since my husband, Tony (see www.tonycloyd.com) doesn't feel like he needs to post anything about the family anymore. So, I'm going to use this to post happenings in our family and anything I feel like blogging about.

This picture is from our trip up to Lake Itasca where we got to walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi. We went with my mom and stepdad, Bob, and my nephews, Anthony and Zachary. We had a good time (although we should have stayed longer!). What a beautiful place!

Well, I will be posting more later. I just wanted to get something started!