Happy Father's Day!

Camden acting like he is surprised to see the camera...
I have no idea why because the paparazzi follows him wherever he goes...

It has been another exciting week for the McDonald family. Last Wednesday we all headed down to OKC because Aaron and I had tickets to Wicked! We got to the city just in enough time to drop Camden off with his Grandma Terre and Aunt Leah and head over to the civic center. Wicked was amazing, and it didn't hurt that we had fourth row seats on the orchestra level. A few of us somehow got locked out on our way to the bathroom during intermission and ended up in the make-up room underneath the stage, but one of the ladies from the ensemble cast was nice enough to take us back up to the orchestra level, which was nice of her because I had these Phantom of the Opera images in my mind of never finding my way out of the pits of the civic center. Anyway the musical exceeded all of my expectations, and Aaron and I both love it and are still walking around singing the songs under our breath. We laughed when Elphaba sang "I"m Not That Girl" because we have heard it least a thousand times on my Ipod; it being the magic song that will put Camden to sleep in the car. Aaron drove back that night, but Amie and Addison were coming to visit Bville on Friday, so Camden and I decided to stay in OKC and ride back with them. Amie and I were a little concerned about driving two hours with two bébés, but they amazingly slept through the whole ride! Amie and Addi stayed until Saturday, and we had a lot of fun! Amie and I both agreed though that having two babies is WAY crazier than just having one.

Sunday was Aaron's first Father's Day! Camden decided to get up at 6:30am to wish Aaron a Happy Father's Day, but I convinced him to wait a couple of hours, so Dad could sleep a little longer. Camden helped me make cinnamon rolls for breakfast (I fixed them while he patiently sat in his exersaucer.) We went to church, and then later on we all went to the driving range to watch Dad hit some golf balls. Little man sat under the umbrella and ate grass most of the time, but he still seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. On our way home, we stopped by Jared's Frozen Custard, and treated Dad to a very large Brownie Fudge Concrete. We even let Dad watch the US Open on TV the rest of the day... and we all know how boring it is to watch golf on TV.

Last night was Camden's first Aqua Tots swim lesson! I was a little concerned because sometimes he's not a huge fan of mild water temperatures. We got into the pool, and he whimpered for a minute, but as soon as he saw his friend Sam happily splashing around, he joined in and started to kick and squeal. His cute little chin chattered for a second, and it was adorable. Of course his dad had the video camera out recording. Camden loved his lesson. We sang songs and practiced blowing bubbles in the water... although Camden tended to swallow the water and choke for a second... he still took it like a man and didn't cry over it. We have lessons the next two weeks, and I'm confident that he'll be an expert on the back stroke by then... or at least conquer going under water without coughing and crying afterwards. I'll be updating you on the progress.

In other news, Gracie has made a new friend. We have named her Lola the Deer. Last week I was about to give Camden his lunch when Gracie started barking outside. I looked out the window, and there was Lola the deer. She seemed amused by Gracie and didn't mind that Gracie was going crazy, trying to get through the fence. I went outside with the camera and took this picture. I sent the picture to Aaron with the headline "Gracie wants to know if we can keep her." I was just kidding, but it seems the deer agrees because she has been coming around and hanging out with Gracie a few hours every day since then. The other morning Lola was already outside waiting for Gracie when I let her out. I don't get it... but they seem to enjoy themselves.

Gracie and her new friend

Today Lola and Gracie are lying down on either sides of the fence and enjoying the shade. Gracie only barks at her every now and then, but Lola doesn't seem to mind. For those of you wondering how there is a deer in our yard... we live in a heavily-wooded, park-like area (hence the tree limb falling on our roof) where most people don't have fences. We didn't have a fence either until Miss Grace joined the family two years ago. Anyway it is common to see deer at night or on the path that surrounds our neighborhood, but it is a little odd for a deer to be hanging out mid-day in the middle of the neighborhood. I haven't broken the news to Gracie and Camden that evil men actually go out with guns and shoot Lola and her friends for sport. Shame on them! It's a good reminder of how much I love our neighborhood, which I need every now and then because of the falling tree limbs and impassable icy hills that sometimes come with the gorgeous setting and roaming wildlife.