Yesterday was Cameron's 15th birthday. In the middle of the day I received this text from my sister...
"I love Cameron! I texted him happy birthday and he texted me back to tell me he was in school and can't text. **** Just ignore me then, kid!!! ****"
Funny stuff...
Last night I overheard Christopher and Cameron discussing Cameron's texting hobby.
Pher: So, you had a couple thousand texts last month?
Cameron: More like over 8,000 (sounding rather proud)
Pher: Why do you need to text so much?
Cameron: It's how I communicate (still proud)
Pher: What do you possibly have to say that would take over 8,000 texts?
Me (from a different room): L.O.L.!!!!!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Senior Prom
So, Pher blew off his Junior Prom. He also blew off his Senior Prom. I was told by our neighbors (who had two boys go to the prom this year) to be thankful that he didn't want to go. It cost them a small fortune!
Regardless, just another Mommy moment that came and went. Another photo opportunity missed. Instead of attending the prom, Christopher and the band he belongs to (Mungen) played at O'Sullivan's Italian Bar. I know, I know... he's only 19. In the state of Indiana, at the age of 18 a performer may be in a bar as long as they are providing entertainment to patrons. This goes for musicians and dancers. Thank God he did not choose the latter.
So, on the night of what would have been our firstborn's Senior Prom, he was performing with his band at O's. Anyone that knows us well knows that this was our hangout when we turned 21. The bar does not draw the crowd it did 'back in the day' but it does draw some. Those that were in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves. We did tell our friends (the ones we hung out with at O's) about the performance. A few of our closest friends came down to visit the bar for old time's sake and to see Pher.
This is not exactly how I intended to spend the night of his Senior Prom, but it worked, and we ALL had a great time. Thanks to all who came out. We love you all.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Head on the rock
So, I left work exhausted one evening last week. It was one of those busy, hectic, chaotic kind of days. A day that makes your head spin and drains your brain. I left work and drove home on 'auto-pilot.' All I could think of was that I wanted to get home.
I was 1/4 in our driveway when I looked up and saw the head on the rock. It startled me. I actually blinked to clear my eyes and double-check what I was seeing. Yup a head on a rock in the garden.
And then...
I was 1/4 in our driveway when I looked up and saw the head on the rock. It startled me. I actually blinked to clear my eyes and double-check what I was seeing. Yup a head on a rock in the garden.
Christopher, a little warning would have been nice! I'm getting old and these kinds of surprises could give me a heart attack.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Texting Plan
I wonder how many parents have opened their wireless bill to find it being in the thousands of dollars. I know of one family right off the bat. Our good friends received a $4,000 phone bill shortly after their 15-year-old son got his cell phone.
Fast forward 3 years to our family. If it weren't for the "unlimited text" plan we would have received a similar bill. Between March 29 and April 29 Cameron Adam sent and received 8,441 texts. I had to call Verizon to make sure this was accurate. The representative assured me that the information is not only correct, but he also walked me through navigating the Verizon website. He took me straight to the page that shows me exactly when texts were sent and received and also who they were to and from. The kind representative also showed me where the tools are for setting phone controls. He was such a nice young man. Customer service phone etiquette dictates that when a customer and the Customer Service Representative are ending their call, the CSR is to say, "Is there anything else I can do to assist you?" "Oh no young man, you have been very helpful to me and I truly appreciate the time you took to teach me how to navigate your website and the useful information you taught me." Click.
Cameron and I had a talk this evening. He tried to convince me not to be alarmed since it is all under the unlimited plan and did not cost any additional money. I didn't buy it. As a matter of fact I told him that I had FIFTY some-odd pages of data that itemizes every single transaction on his phone... including all of the free messages sent and received during the school day.
I then told him that I will continue to monitor his activity, and if it continues he is going to get a surprise one day when his phone will not work Monday through Friday between 7am & 4pm. He tried to dispute this, but I yelled "SURPRISE!" at him. He tried to say something else and I yelled, "SURPRISE!" and walked away.
Oh, and when I was walking away I was thinking to myself, "I am so grateful that this technology was not available when I was a teenager!"
Fast forward 3 years to our family. If it weren't for the "unlimited text" plan we would have received a similar bill. Between March 29 and April 29 Cameron Adam sent and received 8,441 texts. I had to call Verizon to make sure this was accurate. The representative assured me that the information is not only correct, but he also walked me through navigating the Verizon website. He took me straight to the page that shows me exactly when texts were sent and received and also who they were to and from. The kind representative also showed me where the tools are for setting phone controls. He was such a nice young man. Customer service phone etiquette dictates that when a customer and the Customer Service Representative are ending their call, the CSR is to say, "Is there anything else I can do to assist you?" "Oh no young man, you have been very helpful to me and I truly appreciate the time you took to teach me how to navigate your website and the useful information you taught me." Click.
Cameron and I had a talk this evening. He tried to convince me not to be alarmed since it is all under the unlimited plan and did not cost any additional money. I didn't buy it. As a matter of fact I told him that I had FIFTY some-odd pages of data that itemizes every single transaction on his phone... including all of the free messages sent and received during the school day.
I then told him that I will continue to monitor his activity, and if it continues he is going to get a surprise one day when his phone will not work Monday through Friday between 7am & 4pm. He tried to dispute this, but I yelled "SURPRISE!" at him. He tried to say something else and I yelled, "SURPRISE!" and walked away.
Oh, and when I was walking away I was thinking to myself, "I am so grateful that this technology was not available when I was a teenager!"
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Confiscation
Cameron does not talk on his cell phone. He texts on it, and texts, and texts, and texts some more. He sends texts. He receives texts. This is the new way for kids to communicate.
Friday when I came home from work, Cameron looked down trodden. I asked if he had a good day. His reply was an abrupt, “No, I did not have a good day. I got my phone taken away today.” I smiled inside because I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened. I asked him what happened. Turns out that he “received” a text and he was reading it when the teacher came up and took his phone.
The phone was taken to the office. School policy states that a parent must come in to the school office to request the phone. I agree completely with this policy. Too bad for Cameron that his phone was confiscated on a Friday. I told him to suck it up and learn a lesson from the mistake.
Sunday in church I wanted to tell Todd something (it was during the collection so don’t think I wasn’t paying attention to the pastor). I had received the information I wanted to tell Todd via text from a friend. I reached in my purse, grabbed my phone, opened it, and I proceeded to scroll through texts.
Cameron leaned over to me, pointed to my phone, and politely said “No texting in church, Mom.”
Duly noted Cameron, and thanks for not confiscating my phone.
Friday when I came home from work, Cameron looked down trodden. I asked if he had a good day. His reply was an abrupt, “No, I did not have a good day. I got my phone taken away today.” I smiled inside because I knew it was only a matter of time before it happened. I asked him what happened. Turns out that he “received” a text and he was reading it when the teacher came up and took his phone.
The phone was taken to the office. School policy states that a parent must come in to the school office to request the phone. I agree completely with this policy. Too bad for Cameron that his phone was confiscated on a Friday. I told him to suck it up and learn a lesson from the mistake.
Sunday in church I wanted to tell Todd something (it was during the collection so don’t think I wasn’t paying attention to the pastor). I had received the information I wanted to tell Todd via text from a friend. I reached in my purse, grabbed my phone, opened it, and I proceeded to scroll through texts.
Cameron leaned over to me, pointed to my phone, and politely said “No texting in church, Mom.”
Duly noted Cameron, and thanks for not confiscating my phone.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Academic Superbowl
Maple Creek Middle School participated in the Academic Superbowl this morning at Northrop High School. The kids are selected by teachers to participate on the ASB team. Practice started in January. The kids have met Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Every year there is a different academic theme. Last year's theme was the Vikings. This year's theme was the 60's & 70's. The team consists of four squads (Social Studies, English, Science, and Math). Each squad has a captain. Cameron was Captain of the Science squad. He didn't really have a choice. Last Tuesday he said they picked captains and everyone on the Science squad pointed at him. He shrugged and accepted the position with the typical Cameron humbleness... "I'm clearly brilliant!" (Insert Cameron smile!) After the four squads had their respective rounds of 25 questions, all four squad captains participated in an interdisciplinary round. This round consists of 25 questions from all 4 subjects.
MCMS finished first in Social Studies, English, Science, and Math. They finished second in interdisciplinary. This just goes to show that those four squad captains are smart and respected by their respective squads, but they need their teammates to succeed.
I'll post pictures later.
MCMS finished first in Social Studies, English, Science, and Math. They finished second in interdisciplinary. This just goes to show that those four squad captains are smart and respected by their respective squads, but they need their teammates to succeed.
I'll post pictures later.
Friday, April 30, 2010
When did that happen?
Cameron will be 15 next month. He reminded me of that the other day. He wants to take driver's education this summer. Laws are changing, and he has to have his permit by July 1 (which means he needs to be enrolled in a class) or he must wait an additional 6 months. Now I'm looking into driver's education for our second son as our first son will be leaving home.Oh yeah, and Emma asked me yesterday how she, Christopher, and Cameron got into my belly.
They grow up so fast.
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