Our first-born son Cameron has the privilege of coming last in this particular series. I teased the rest of the family that I saved the best for last, and then I had to listen to the predictable chorus of protests. I do think it is to his advantage, however, as I have practiced on the first few and learned a thing or two. I also ended up spending longer thinking about him and choosing appropriate photos than I did for anyone else in the series.
I begin with the above picture because I love Cameron's expression in it, and also because it was taken in his very favorite place in the state of Victoria, Hanging Rock Reserve. Cameron approaches life with exuberance and gusto. His sunny nature attracts others to him, and has served him well in this adventure of ours. It is unfathomable to me how he can be so enthusiastic the moment he awakes, often well before 7am, but cheerful he is, often to the dismay of his mother and older sister.
Cameron in August 2010:
Cameron was not at all convinced that going to school would be a good thing in Australia, but Ross and I eventually persuaded him to give it a go. While he will still tell you today that he prefers learning at home, he heads off with a smile every morning and enjoys most aspects of his day. Since he is in Year 6 this year, he and his classmates all have leadership positions at school. This is something Cameron has enjoyed. The little kids look up to him and often run flying toward him when he arrives.
We have given Cameron extra responsibility at home as well. While I drive the girls to school each morning, Cameron is in charge of getting James ready for school. He oversees James eating breakfast, packs both of their lunches, and then has him waiting for me with helmet and bike at the ready so I can walk them to school as soon as I pull back in the driveway. This is a huge help to me, as I have discovered this week when he has been too sick to do it.
En route to school recently:
Sport is the next thing that comes to mind when I think of Cameron. Although he is taking a break from team sports at the moment, he has participated in both cricket and basketball during the past two years. One of his favorite things has been playing backyard cricket with his friend Gus. Cameron chose the following photo to include in this post, which by the way is the first time he has shown any interest in this blog. He told me the other day when I suggested that he read what I wrote about his dad that he had now idea how to find my blog, nor had he ever really wanted to read any of my posts. I nearly threatened to send him to bed without dinner, but then recalled that he is a child that lives for the moment. Reflecting on the past is not nearly so interesting to him.
The next photo shows Cameron just after losing the grand final in the last ten seconds of the game at the end of his first basketball season. I tried to coax a smile out of him but failed. At least his team made it to the grand final, I reminded him to no avail. During his next season, I don't believe his team won a single game.
The sting of losing all his games in both cricket and basketball last summer was somewhat lessened when he received a coach's award for both sports. We were of course proud of him and the fact that he persevered under sometimes discouraging circumstances.
Swimming has been another theme of Cameron's life in Australia. He has participated in squad training at our local swim center since August 2010, and has been rewarded for his efforts by winning events at both his school and interschool swim carnivals. The past two years he has made it into the district level. The other day as I dropped him off and sent him shivering to the outdoor pool when it was not even 10 degrees C (less than 50 F), I considered how he was having a true Melbourne experience. Fanatic does not really begin to describe the attitude toward swimming here. It is done year round outdoors, often in terrible conditions, and also in freezing cold water. Better him than me I thought. I went home to make hot chocolate for when he finished.
Reading and playing the wii also loom large in Cameron's life. I much prefer the former to the latter, but here are photos of both.
To close I have photos of Cameron exploring nature. Since our second trip to the Great Barrier Reef his new aspiration is to become a marine biologist. He would love to work as a diver, he thinks, but would also enjoy the opportunity to teach others about the wonders of the sea. The final picture depicts Cameron showing James tiny fish at Cowe's Beach on Phillip Island. I love how the two brothers are absorbed together in discovery mode.
Cameron is the family member that most enjoys photography other than myself. He wanted to make sure I gave him credit for taking the following photo.
Well that is it for the profiles series. In the event that you feel I have painted a too sugary portrait of the children, all you need do is apply to any one of my kids for a list of their siblings' faults. I have no doubt that they will be only to happy to enlighten you. Like everyone else, we are all of us still works in progress, but it has been an enjoyable exercise to focus on the positive in the past few posts.
Great post! We enjoyed the whole series..thank you for sharing!
Posted by: Aunt Marion | 05/19/2012 at 10:52 AM