The other day I got a text from your Mom saying you wanted to “Face Time” with me.

I’m game for anything, but I had never actually conducted a two-way live video conversation driven by @ home WiFi.  That’s Face Time.

After some initial confusion, a few false starts and some help from your Dad, we were connected.

You were looking at my ugly old face and I was looking at your eager, smiling face.  As is typical for Camden Beaupre, this wasn’t some impromptu thing… you had a plan, a vision, an agenda for this call.  I love that about you. Camden the Achiever.

The objective? Giving me a personal tour of your new upstairs which was being transformed from a box-filled attic storage area to a new playroom. And a new bedroom for you.  Exciting!

Away we went on your virtual tour – you looking at me from time to time and me seeing a sometimes blurry world in motion as you walked up the stairs.  You went left first, revealing the hallway being built in your parents’ bedroom.  As you moved the phone around, you narrated:

now we’re going up the stairs into the attic… here’s where my bedroom is going to be… and here’s my closet

 

What I enjoyed most was the pure naturalness and spontaneity of our conversation. It felt like we were in the same place together, live and in-person… very low key.  And I guess that’s exactly what it was, minus the in-person part.  Very cool.

We talked about the color of your bedroom walls – bright red.  Can’t wait to see that!

Next you showed the family room – your new bachelor’s quarters.  You’re going to have a sweet setup Mr. Camden – a private penthouse suite upstairs all to yourself, and a spacious adjoining room to play video games, table hockey and build Legos.

You took a sharp U-turn, the camera going every which way ( as you did I was saying to myself  ‘Whoa!! What’s happening, where are we, I can’t see!”)  and bounded down the stairs back to the second floor.  I wasn’t sure where you were but it sort of looked like your parents’ bathroom.  Seconds later I heard a female voice saying:

Camden, are you Face Timing in the bathroom?  I’m in the shower!

It was your Mom!  She was understandably freaking out a bit knowing a live cam was in her vicinity during a very private moment. The voice returned:

Please don’t Face Time in here!

Well, that pretty much put an end to your little virtual tour, despite the fact it didn’t seem to faze you in the least. You are too funny!

Next time we Face Time, I guess you better skip the bathrooms.

Helping others is something I care about.  It’s one of the philosophies I want to leave behind to all my grandkids… an understanding of – and appreciation for – ‘giving back.’  Making the world a little better, being compassionate and thougthful as we journey through our lives.

You are kind and thoughtful, so this has already been implanted in your makeup.  I love this about you.

In this spirit – never more appreciated or relevant than at Christmas – you joined me for the second year in a row as we visited St. Charles Children’s Home in Rochester, New Hampshire.  Ainsley came too – it was her first time.

I had called in advance to find out what “the kids” might appreciate and need.  Talk about coincidences… the woman I deal with every year who works there is named Pat Beaupre.  No relation…  a very nice lady.  I always call her “sis” when I see her.

We had a variety of presents for the kids… an infant car seat, activity books, DVDs and restaurant gift certificates. Our gifts were colorfully wrapped and looked great.

I wasn’t sure we would be able to visit this year – it had been a very stormy day with crazy, monsoon rain and high winds.  The Clickman kids were going to join us, but at the time of pickup it was the peak of weather wildness, so they had to pass.

When I arrived at your house, you were just getting off the bus.  Your Mom explained what I was doing there (I had set it up ahead of time with her) and you started to cry.  I told her “Camden doesn’t have to come if he doesn’t want to.”  I thought you wanted to stay home and play with your friends.

At first your Mom said you were upset because you thought I was there to play with you.  Then she said you remembered being upset last year when we visited.  Interesting.  You never seemed upset at the time, but you did talk a lot about the little kids who didn’t have any parents. I blogged about your first visit there one year ago by the way, so you can read about it.

Your sister was eager to go and she quickly climbed into the Youk and I buckled her in.  Raring to go!  Soon after you decided to come and climbed inside.  And you were fine.

The weather had miraculously settled down and the sky was beginning to lighten as the storm clouds parted.  It was a minor miracle as we began our journey to Rochester.

Along the way you somehow got to talking about the first people who ever lived.  I asked where they came from, how they got here, and you said:

I think it was God.

A very profound thought, so I probed a little bit, asking if your Mom and Dad had talked to you about that. You said

no, that’s just what I think

Through the windshield I noticed a beautiful rainbow in the sky. I pulled over and we got out to observe one of those rare fully formed rainbows that graced the entire sky. I held Ainsley in my arms and you stood beside me as we looked at the wonder.  We counted the number of different colors that make up a rainbow and said the colors out loud.

We talked about the kids again…  you explained how they didn’t have any parents and “are orphans.”  I could tell this was a complicated topic for you to think about. We discussed how lucky we are and how it’s important to help others.  I said, “if you have any questions once we get in the Children’s home, feel free to ask them.”  You said:

don’t worry, I will, I’m not shy.

A few minutes later we had arrived and unloaded the presents. Ainsley wanted to go play on the playground across the street, but I told her we were there to visit the kids plus everything was soaking wet!

Pat Beaupre greeted us…I gave her a friendly hug. She ushered us into the living room where the Christmas tree presided. We chatted for awhile and I explained how I had secretly marked each wrapped present with a special code so they could figure out who should get each one.

They were very kind and appreciative.  We told them we were happy we could help.  We gathered for a photo by the tree – just the two of you, me and a nun from Saint Charles.  We never saw any of the kids. They probably do this on purpose; after all we are complete strangers to them aren’t we?

Soon we said our goodbyes, wishing everyone a hearty…

Merry Christmas!!

I thought we’d go straight home, but Ainsley insisted on getting some food.  She was very insistent, not giving up on her quest.  Knowing Ainsley the way I did, I figured she probably hadn’t eaten much of anything all day and was starving.  We drove through the drive-in at McDonald’s.  Ainsley devoured her happy meal, eating every single bite of everything, which is very unlike her!  You had a McFlurry with M&M’s.

As we drove home, I asked you guys what you thought of the day.  Ainsley quickly piped up, saying:

next year when I come, I want to see some kids!

We sang Carols as we made our way home. The crowd favorite was “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” I love that song too.

Seeing your tired but happy little faces in my rear view mirror, I thought of how incredibly lucky I am to have you in my life.  I hope you enjoyed our little journey of giving back and weren’t upset.  Let’s remember how lucky we are, all the days of our life.  I love you Camden.

I’ve always been a fan of board games.

I remember playing – and loving – Candy Land and Chutes & Ladder when I was a real little kid.  Later on – still pre-teen – my favorites were Stratego, Twister, Monopoly, Life and chess.   Stratego was the best … I still play it via a phone app called “the General.”

When I was in my late teens and early 20′s, I became a big fan of Risk.  I really liked the battles, strategy and premise:  conquer the world!  I’d play this with my friends for hours which is literally how long it takes to finish it.  Grammy HATES this game!

When your Dad was a little boy, he loved video games, but we’d also play a wide range of board games including the classics like Monopoly, Mouse Trap, Clue and Battleship.  Your Aunt Nicole’s favorite was Mall Madness, a game I’ve since introduced you & Ainsley to:

“There’s a sale at the Fashion boutique and a clearance at the Department store and a sale at the record shop.”

Be the first player to buy something at six different stores and return to the parking lot and you win Mall Madness!

In 1981, a unique board game was launched called Dark Tower.  I bought it and couldn’t get enough.  It’s a battle game, but unlike traditional board games, it featured an electronic Tower that automatically kept track of each player’s assets (food, warriors, weapons, gold) and managed ongoing battles and supply purchases at the Bazzaar.

The object is to move your warrior around the board through four kindgdoms and return back to your original home location, while winning battles (sometimes losing) and accumulating three keys.  Along the way there are dragons, warriors get lost, sometimes get the plague and they can even starve. 

Once back in your home kindgdom, having accumulated a big enough but well-fed army, you launch a final attack against the Dark Tower brigands having first solved “the riddle of the keys.”  If your warriors defeat the brigands, you win the game.

Around Thanksgiving, I taught you and Ben the basics and we played awhile.  But you had to leave before we finished and you guys were NOT happy about it.  I promised to play with you again soon and finish an entire game.

A week or so later, Grammy and I stayed with you, Ainsley and Madigan for a couple days while your parents went to a wedding in Connecticut. I brought two board games over: Dark Tower and Mall Madness.  We ended up playing them 2-3 times apiece.

You loved Dark Tower and caught on quickly – it’s a fairly complicated game with 40+ pages of instructions – and we moved our warriors steadily around the board.  You really enjoyed the battles (which is the only way to win gold and keys), the ongoing sound effects and strategy. We were both disappointed every time the Dark Tower randomly “cursed” us, giving some of our warriors and gold to the other player!

Nearly two hours later you had assembled a large enough army to attack the Dark Tower and fight the brigands.   Luckily, you had enough Warriors to battle successfully, and as the countdown continued (“27 brigands, 27 warriors… 25 warriors, 24 brigands… 24 brigands, 23 warriors… 23 warriors, 20 brigands…23 warriors, 15 brigands… and so on) you finally were announced the Dark tower winner as the monitor displayed a warrior proudly holding a sword above his head.

Here’s a photo of you after you had won – you were very excited.  I hope we get to do it again soon.

You had a big game at “The Whit” today in Durham. 

It’s amazing to see you play… you’ve come so far in just a year. 

You’re very confident, want to be in the thick of things and always try your hardest.  You’re naturally competitive, getting yourself “up” for games.

 You did something funny at this particular game when you sat down on your butt by yourself – while the game was “live” and being played – to take off your gloves and fix your socks! Here’s a photo.  Then you got up and resumed the game and scored a goal!

One of my favorite memories of you & me is the time I read your favorite book to your first grade class at Moharimet elementary school.

Each of your classmates was given the chance to bring in a guest reader… and out of all the possibilities, you picked me!  I was touched by this, and excited.  I felt very special and of course jumped at the chance.

It was a sunny Fall morning when the big day came.  On the walk toward your classroom, I saw your principal, Mr. Harrington.  I hadn’t seen him in years!  He was the principal at the elementary school your Dad attended when he was a kid. We talked for awhile and I reminded him of the classes I used to teach – voluntarily – on President John F. Kennedy (JFK).  Principal Harrington has always been a big fan of his.  He joined me one year as we drove down to and visited the JFK library in South Boston along with your Dad and the kids in the JFK class.  I remember buying Mr. Harrington a small bust of JFK for his desk.

As I entered your classroom, you came running over.  I met your teacher and the woman who heads up the PTO.  They explained everything and then you showed me around.

When it came time to read, you sat right next to me.  I was glad my butt fit on the teeeny-tiny chair – ha!

Your favorite book was one I hadn’t ever read. Amazing because I thought I had read most of the Dr. Seuss books!  It’s called “The Sneetches,” and it was written in 1961 when I was eight years old.

The story is about plain belly sneetches and star belly sneetches.  The Star belly sneetches think they’re special, and better, than everyone else.  They don’t talk to each other and don’t get along.  But by the end of the book, everything reverses and the sneetches realize it’s a silly thing and not the right way to act, or be.   They learn to get along and all become friends.

Later on when I did my research, I learned Dr. Seuss wrote the book to make a statement about prejudice and the disconnect between various races and cultures.

What a great lesson to teach! What a cool book to select as your favorite.

The next day I asked you if I had done an okay job reading and you told me:

yes, but most people don’t show the book as they read it like you did.  They just read it and look at the pictures.

That’s a great observation!  I wanted to take your classmates with us on the Sneetches journey to get them involved.  It definitely made it harder reading it that way!

Thanks for inviting me to your class Camden – that was such a fun thing to do.  It’s a moment I’ll always remember!

How can you possibly be seven years old?  Where did the time go?   I know those are often-expressed sentiments, but it’s so true.

The little baby that graced our world on September 28, 2005 has transformed into a confident, competitive young man who does very well in school, in sports and has an incredible ability to strive and accomplish.

You remind Grammy and me of your Dad, who was much the same way.  Always focused, always pushing himself to succeed.  Your Mom, also a first born child, certainly isn’t a stranger to achievement either.

One of the things I always think of when I think of you (which is often) is how you burst into a room with “an agenda.”

You’ve created something for us to look at.  Or you’ve got a new game.  Or you built something. Or you urgently have to tell us something.  Or you need Emma and Ben to do something with you.

You never casually stroll into a room – you absorb it, transcend it, attack it, and make the moment very much your own.

I love that about you.

I bet you build the Lego Millenium Falcon we gave you in record time, even though the targeted age group is 9-14 years old. You’ll be a little man on a mission.

Happy birthday Camden, I love you lots and am so proud of who you are.

Today was a special day for a bunch of reasons:

• It brought welcome relief.  My Mom died September 7 and we buried her September 12 (on Emma’s birthday).   So having a FUN, HAPPY thing to do 11days later was fantastic news. I couldn’t wait.
• It brought us together, all 13 of us, which is always so much fun.  We had crackers and dip, fruit and drinks and a grand old time.
• It was the first time we’ve ever taken a boat ride from our dock after 11 years of living at 44 Waterloo Circle. Grammy and I don’t own a boat, so we were excited about actually leaving our house from the water.
•  It gave us a cool new view.  We’ve been looking at the beautiful Piscataqua River from one perspective, but today we went East, up the river, and had a chance to see the beautiful inland waterways of Dover and Durham waterfront.  We went under three bridges over Little Bay, the one they’re using now, the new bridge they’re building and the rusty old one.   You loved walking (sometimes running) up and down and around the boat and crawling along the seating area.  Everyone visited the inside area where they sold candy which I, of course, bought for you guys!
• It gave us an awesome boat.  “The Heritage” is a famous and frequent sight in Portsmouth Harbor.  It brings tourists up and down the river all summer long, into the Fall.  People also use it to visit the Isles of Shoals.  It’s a beautiful wooden boat, a “Deltaville Deadrise” built in 1963.  It was used in Chesapeake Bay (around Washington, D.C.) for oystering and crabbing.
• It gave you souvenirs. Grammy and I bought you comfy sweatshirts and t-shirts that say “Portsmouth Harbor Cruises.” You love ’em.
•  It gave me an awesome ‘total family’ photo which will become my 2012 Christmas card! (see first photo below).
• It gave us great memories.  All of us will remember it – except for Madigan and Jack. Maybe we’ll do it again!