It's Campbell Time!

Hi there, I’m Cam. (Although.. you may know me as Campbell.) I’m nonbinary now (not male or female) and I go to a different school. Well, for now, that’s it, but be on the lookout for future updates. Bye! 😉

The kid is 13. And has their own voice. And wanted to take over. So from here on out, Cam will be posting their own updates. I hope you can appreciate someday why I did all this. Until such time, take it away kid…

Antietam Camping Weekend

Do you like camping at a battlefield? In April, I went camping for the first time with Cub Scout pack 914 at Antietam Battlefield. I loved it! Let me tell you what it was all about!

On Friday afternoon, we packed clothes, food, and our gear. Before we left, I was drinking my Starbucks and was getting the cat feeder ready. Mom got the Igloo cooler ready. We said goodbye to our cats, and we all got in the car. I was missing the cats immediately after we left.

When we got to the Rohrbach Campground, we unpacked from the parking lot and trekked to the campsite. It was very plain. There was a campfire pit and picnic tables to eat at.  Mom set up the tent and inflated the air mattresses. We played Brain Quest with the pack and went to sleep.

Tweet! Tweet! That is the sound of Saturday morning waking up confused in a tent. I smelled “pour le chat” pancakes which means that they are so bad people can’t eat them. I missed being able to play Wheel of Fortune. Also, I had to not play device games except Stardew Valley. After breakfast, we hiked to Burnside Bridge where the Confederate fought the Union. Next, we had lunch. Then, I went to Antietam Creek where I debarked a tree and hung out with my friends. I peed in the latrines, and it was not pleasant because they were dark and there was absolutely no toilet paper. Later, we went to the Visitor Center and watched a video.

We also did “FlipSide: The Worst Bouncy house Ever.” It was the destroyed tent Mr. Brad had. I liked it. Later that evening, we built a campfire, and made s’mores and heard ghost stories. I heard one about MiMi which spooked me COMPLETELY.

On Sunday morning it was raining. So we went to McDonald’s and I had bad pancakes until the rain stopped. I hated it. After the rain ended, we returned to Rohrbach to deflate the air mattress and pack up our car.

I had an amazing time with my friends. We learned a lot about the Civil War. Even though the weather was bad, We still had a lot of fun. It was a 5-star trip.

Well, times have certainly changed and for our readers here, we have a big announcement. No longer will this blog be in the voice of dad to Cam, but it will be…

(drumroll please)

FROM CAM TO THE WORLD! Campbell is taking over the blog and it’s going to be his “journal” of things he does during the weeks and years ahead. We may not be posting as many pictures, but you’re going to be reading things in his unique voice.

Speaking of voice, your ability to say “r” has gotten MUCH better. Just in the past few weeks. And all based on the viewing of a SINGLE YouTube video (thanks, humanity. You got it right this time).

BEFORE we turn over the reins though, there are a few images dad would like to present covering the last few months.
You completed your third (fourth?) piano recital with great success:

You also did a great Christopher Robin impression while we were at Barnes & Noble.

We enjoyed a bit of splashy fun in the yard… at dad’s expense:

As well as FREE video gaming at the SweetSide Cafe in Hamden (when Maureen visited).

There was meeting a new friend (well, sort of) at Gritty Goblin Games…

Acting as dad’s “Assistant Dungeon Master”

And of course, this… your school picture in which you look moderately terrified.

There were a couple of new hats you rocked. (Cappy, your new favorite of course)

There was some skill sharpening on the (new) bike and (old) scooter…

And singing the “favorite food song” with mom in the kitchen. (Hunan Manor sure can rock some veggie ribs)

So the blog is all yours now, little guy. Have fun, stay classy and don’t grow up too fast!

Love,

Dad

As you well know, Mr. Campbell, our days go very fast now with all the activity school can bring. And your dad is writing this personal apology for losing track of your blog.

This past Fall and Winter were a challenge since Dad got laid off from work (as you read from the last post). We spent the majority of our energy in keeping things together and getting a new job. Thankfully, that job came at the start of the year so we can get back to posting Campbelltime updates!

Your year in school has been a good one. As everything in life, there have been ups and downs, but your grades have been good and you’re still having fun being a Jeffers Hill Jaguar. We all got into the school spirit this past October in the Trunk-or-Treat event, where we let our pirate pride show strong! But before that, we continued our annual tradition of apple picking.

November was a blur but we still found time to do a little Dave & Busters visit for your birthday. Our friends Joanne, Colin and Beth joined us, while you yucked it up with Leah (Jo’s daughter). We came back to the house for an appropriately themed cake…

Christmas even snuck up on us, but Santa didn’t leave you empty-handed. Instead, your passion for video gaming and programming got even more fuel for the fire.

Speaking of video games, you’re really deep into your enjoyment of Mario, Pac Man and all things 8-bit. Your Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune obsessions have been sidetracked by the world of Nintendo. In fact, you often tell us of your desire to travel to Japan to see where Nintendo was born. Your favorite food is Japanese and you’ve embraced all things Japan (because of the video gaming culture, no doubt).

Other things that have kept your interest lately are the Winter Olympics, learning to code, piano, Legos and reading (Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter). And as you reminded me while I was typing this, “OH! And MATH, DAD!”

As everyone will see in these new pics, you are getting BIG. You’ve grown a solid 2 inches since the summer update. You’re still a skinny little guy, but growing up, up, up!

Summer has almost ended and we stuck by some old standards this year; trips to the O’s games, gaming with friends, some birthday parties, summer camps, piano recitals. But you also hung out with Wolverine, played around with Winnie the Pooh and we got a cat. Yes. That has been the highlight of this summer. Our new pal Scallywag has come to live with us (not long after your graduation from Montessori). He’s been a real source of joy, mischief, and fun.

Two other things you discovered this summer; Pac Man and Harry Potter. You discovered 8-bit video games and play a lot of them, but Pac Man is your favorite. As you’ve told Dad, “I’m a real GAMER!” (much to your mother’s chagrin). But your Mom is responsible for your Harry Potter introduction. You also asked to go to your first Comic Convention (a very small one here in Columbia) and you had a blast.

And speaking of firsts, this is your first year at Jeffers Hill and it got your glowing approval so far.

So let’s take a look at some of the shots from this summer:

So one other sad event happened at the end of summer; Daddy got laid off from his job. You were a little upset, mostly because you liked all of Dad’s work friends. When you realized we couldn’t spend any extra money or travel for the rest of the summer, you proudly brought us your piggy bank and said, “Hey! It’s okay. I have LOTS of money in here!”

You’re a good GREAT kid, Campbell Heird.

Spring was a blur, celebrating old traditions and creating some new ones.

It began with our annual Easter pictures; you and the good old Easter Bunny chatting it up at the Columbia Mall. This year, as we waited our turn to see Mr. B, you found the perfect hat to wear. It was quite dapper, so how could we resist?

The ACTUAL Easter weekend was spent in one of our old favorites… DISNEYWORLD. Highlighting the trip was our visit to the Crystal Palace where you got to chum it up with Winnie the Pooh and friends.

While it wasn’t your first time there, it was the first time you could ride nearly every ride. And ride you did…

We also had some star sightings at Hollywood Studios including a new, hairy friend from Dad’s past.

Animal Kingdom was great this year and had many new shows. We enjoyed the Rivers of Light and you had a blast on the Safari ride (even after it broke down on the plains causing us about a half hour delay). The highlight though, was when you found out you got to touch giraffe poop at the Rafiki Station (and you did).

Later, after we WASHED OUR HANDS, we ate at Tusker House again, which was fantastic as usual. Though you probably had your biggest fear moment on the Dinosaur ride.

In Epcot you made a couple of new friends too.  As well as experienced the ride of a lifetime on Test Track. But for some reason the “excitement” of the Frozen ride didn’t really cut it for you.

And as far as fun goes, you had a blast everywhere we went… Evidenced in your many faces.

A few weeks after we came home, there were a couple of important protests in Washington, DC. First there was the March for Science on a rainy Saturday afternoon. After, you were rewarded with a trip to one of our favorite restaurants, Busboys and Poets. Then the following weekend, we participated in the Climate March. You’re activism and enthusiasm made us very proud.

Another important rite of passage was the “Take Your Kid to Work Day”. You visited Dad at Merkle and showed him a thing or two.

And then, our first baseball game of this year. Five more to go!

And finally, the most important rite of passage… the SCOOTER.  We had a hard time convincing you that you just needed a scooter, but with the purchase of a cool helmet you were ready to roll.

With no fear, you braved the sidewalk and made your parents proud.

As Crush might say, “KEEP ROLLING ON, LITTLE DUDE!”

A winter blizzard, some petty thievery, a tiny village, kisses for Mimi, extended hotel stays, feeding a giraffe, jellyfish handling, baseball swag and chocolatey sweets delivered by a furry little critter. This is our year so far…

In January we were pounded by snow. Over the course of just two days our car was buried and our yard disappeared under a freezing blanket of white. It gave the neighbors (and you) an awesome chance to practice sledding skills. Unfortunately, the weather was SO bad that you and mom couldn’t stay out long at all. Even worse, once it calmed down a bit, we left your bright orange sled on the porch and some terrible kid stole it in full view of our security cameras. He wasn’t caught and that pretty much ended the sledding.

Around the same time, Daddy received his (our?) long awaited order of Dwarven Forge “City Builder”. With the tiny pieces, we could build different versions of medieval villages and spent some time doing just that. We had a hard time deciding if it was a little funny or a little sad that you built a “Jail… for that guy that stole our sled” as your first building. In any case, we continue to enjoy it when it’s not being used for Daddy’s D&D games.

With the weather being poor, we stuck close to the house and didn’t do as much as we usually do. Your swim classes were ended by Mommy because you’d just sort of stopped paying attention. And school seemed to be less challenging this year academically, so you were prone to pay less attention there too. Mommy got you a desk, so you could study in the living room. And it was never that clean again…

One very exciting thing that happened in February: you got to see your FIRST concert. It was a children’s concert, so there was a pre-concert visit with the instruments. It was just short enough and active enough to keep your attention.

Since you were so interested in the music, Mommy decided that piano lessons might be something you enjoy. And wow, did you ever take to it! She bought you a keyboard and seat so you could practice at home. And practice you do! You can even play a couple of tunes (“The Tick Tock Song” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) with few errors. It’s pretty exciting.

We also started playing around with an app called “MSQRD” which lets you change your face. You’ve enjoyed that (and entertained Daddy) way more than we thought possible.

Even MORE exciting was our Spring Break trip to see Mimi in the Knoxville area. We had planned to stay with her, but only after two nights, she got strep throat and our little party moved to a nearby hotel. Not a problem for you; you LOVE hotels.

We didn’t let the illness spoil our visit. We went to a movie (“Zootopia”), visited the Knoxville Zoo. The zoo trip was PRETTY special since you got to ride a camel AND feed a giraffe!

Later, we spent a whole day making sure Mimi was okay (which meant, you pretty much played every game on her iPad, downloaded new things to her iPad and figured out a way to bump her iPad off the home network). She also loaded you up with toys and treats!

We saw some other relatives that you NEVER get to see. First it was dinner with Uncle Tim and Aunt Betsy (complete with an evening stroll through Market Square with ice cream). And just before we left, we got a quick visit from Uncle Todd (but Aunt Emily also fell prey to germs and couldn’t join us).

On the way home, we stopped for a couple of nights in the Hotel Roanoke. Roanoke, Virginia was a little smaller than we expected, but the highlight of the trip was the Pinball Museum. It was your first exposure to it and you REALLY thought it was fun. Another fun thing was a rest stop that allowed visitors to play a guitar while there. Mommy picked it up and strummed a view bars.

When we got home, just in time, the Easter Bunny left you treats in our basement! You’d visited his helper just before we left at a LifeTime gym event. (His helper also loaded you up with tiny eggs that had fun toy treats inside).

Since we’d had a long and crazy trip, the week following Easter we took it easy with yet another trip to the aquarium. It’s always a pretty calming and yet interesting experience. Rather than take notes or draw this time (which you’ve done previously) we just sort of wandered as Daddy took pictures.

Last, but not least, your “Dugout Club” membership came through. As a member of the Dugout Club, you get some fun Orioles swag and very affordable tickets for several Baltimore Oriole games. We know that Mommy and Daddy are White Sox fans first of all, but maybe we’ll root for the Orioles when the White Sox aren’t around.

Other fun things: You are going out of your way to write original jokes, you still absolutely love game shows and all things game show, and you’ve got a “girlfriend” in school named Safiya who you spend a lot of time talking about. Your other “pals” are the neighborhood dogs. Dean and Mandy’s corgis always get your affection and you just love our next door neighbor’s (Brenda) dog Tessie.

Oh yes. And you think it’s hilarious to call your Daddy a “dingus”… thanks, Mommy.