Big and Little Moments

Getting older?!

2008-07-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

No, becoming a Big Sister does not make one go gray, but it looks that way, doesn’t it? Cayden and I have been together for almost one and a half years, and we have both changed a lot in that time! This photo was taken at the 3rd birthday party of one of the little girls from China.

Go Fly a Kite

2008-07-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

I bought Cayden a kite from the Oregon Coast for his 8th birthday (in June). Today, after we went and saw the movie Wall-E, we went to Simplot’s Hill to take advantage of the perfect breeze. He got the kite out as far as it would go, and had a huge smile on his face the whole time.

Wet and Wild at Roaring Springs

2008-06-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today, fellow Big Sis, JJ, and I took Cayden and his siblings to Roaring Springs water park. All the boys had free passes since they read so many books during the year! A friend let me borrow her waterproof camera which was fun. One shot is of Anthony and JJ underwater, and the other is Cayden and Dylan in the wave pool.

Macaroni and Cheesehead

2008-06-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

Cayden and I headed out for a bike ride on the Boise Greenbelt today. What a pleasant spring day it was! We stopped at Red Robin Restaurant for dinner. According to Cayden, their macaroni and cheese is the BEST. He asked the waitress for seconds and he quickly devoured that bowl too! Yum!

Edward’s Greenhouse is beautiful

2008-05-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

After spending the night with me last night, we played in my yard a bit and then headed over to Edward’s Greenhouse in Boise. Again, I let Cayden take control of the camera, and he lit up when he knew he had captured some of the beautiful colors on display in the greenhouse. We also bought a package of ladybugs to release in the evening.

Skiing with friends is fun!

2008-04-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

We met up with some friends today and their daughter, Linnea- age 8, wanted to ski with Cayden and me. It was a very foggy day on the mountain, but the kids had fun together. It’s always more fun when there’s someone your own age! We explored the whole mountain and hope to ski with Linnea some more next season!

Ski Lessons at Bogus Basin

2008-02-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

Well, we survived ski lessons together! Cayden was a perfect student. Never got cold, never complained, followed instructions well, helped me keep the other kids in line, etc, etc. Our group consisted of 5 kids; Cayden, Hunter, Reghan, Skye and Ella-Sophia, ranging from age 6-9. We had a great time with the kids, but we now look forward to plenty of "free ski" days.

Cayden is now a level 5 skier, which means he's just one step away from making awesome parallel turns. His Mom and I were amazed at his stamina. After a full day of lessons (including skiing during our lunch break), he still begged to go out for more runs. It was fun to share his excitement of conquering a steeper hill, or mastering how to ski backwards. Oh, and then there's the "one-footed" turns he started making! He's amazing!

He's a Natural!

2008-01-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Bogus Basin had a late opening (Dec. 20) but Cayden and I were able to go up and enjoy two beautiful Friday nights up there before his lessons started in January. On our first day, he was up on the chairlift in just over an hour. He did awesome and check out the smile on that face!!

In January, we have to be up on the hill by 8:30 AM for my instructor's meeting. That means waking up very early for a boy who is used to sleeping in on Saturdays. To accomodate that, he gets to have a sleep-over at my house every Friday in January. We watch a movie, and get to bed early...and he's raring to go in the morning. Cayden owns the soundtrack to the movie "Hairspray" which we play on our drive up. Believe me, there is not much more in this world that can make one smile other than listening to a 7 year old's voice coming from the back seat, belting out (in perfect tune I might add)...."GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE...!!".

Getting Ready to Ski!

2007-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Cayden was the proud recipient of a Bogus Basin scholarship which will give him the opportunity to experience the wonderful sport of skiing this winter. The scholarship includes season lease equipment, a season pass, and 4 half-day session lessons! Shortly after receiving the letter confirming the scholarship, we headed down to the Bogus Basin office to select his gear. Mike at Black Diamond Sports picked out some primo-quality skis, boots and poles for Cayden, as well as a shiny, good-as-new helmet. Then we came back to my house and he tried it all on. He is so excited! I will spend some time with Cayden in December teaching him and introducing him to skiing. Then he'll join a class with other students in January.
Thank you to Bogus Basin and to all the donors to the organization for making a dream come true for this little boy.

More Photos by Cayden

2007-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Fall season this has been! Cayden and I took a bike ride on the greenbelt, to Kathryn Albertson Park. I have a little tripod I let him attach to my smaller camera. Again, he took some awesome photos. Here is the link again to Flickr where you can view his photos. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgmouser/

Cayden and the China Dolls

2007-09-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight Cayden joined me for dinner at the home of some friends for a 'reunion' of all the families I met in China in August 2006. Four families currently live in Southeast Boise, and they all were in China at the same time that I was there (helping other friends bring home their second daughter from China). Cayden does a great just joining in with all the kids. Isn't he handsome?

Big Brothers/Big Sisters BBQ

2007-08-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cayden and his whole family attended the Big Brothers/Big Sisters BBQ tonight at Municipal Park in Boise. What fun it was to see how much fun he has with all of his siblings, especially his brother Anthony. Look at the clever way they figured out how to win the three-legged race!

All the kids received backpacks filled with school supplies. The little boys were saying "eewwww" when they thought that the small yellow packages of kleenex were feminine hygeine products! How funny!

Butterfly Exhibit

2007-08-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

The wonderful Butterfly Exhibit comes to Zoo Boise each summer. Cayden and I got there mid-morning and not all the butterflies were awake yet. But it still was a lot of fun. The close-up of the butterflies was shot by Cayden.

Superhero Night at Hawk's Stadium

2007-07-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Idaho hosted a gathering at a Boise Hawk's game tonight. The theme was Superheros, and Cayden was a hero in my eyes, batting like a champ in the batting cage (with his Spiderman outfit on). He actually connected the ball with the bat more times than many of the other boys that were twice his size!

Thunder Mtn. Train

2007-07-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today Cayden and I joined some friends for a ride on the Thunder Mtn. Line in Cascade, Idaho. It was a VERY hot day, and finding shelter from the heat was difficult. But train rides are the BEST!

Cayden the Photographer

2007-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Cayden - Age 7

Read the story below, and then use this link to view some awesome photos... all taken by Cayden! (Cayden came up with the titles for each photo too!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgmouser/

Thanks for your support!

I'm Surrounded by Boys!!!

2007-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

My life has always been surrounded by boys. I have three older brothers, and my only child, a son, has grown up into a fine young man. No sisters, and no daughters for me. When I signed up to become a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, I envisioned myself being matched with a little girl - baking cookies, sewing, etc. And then I was told about Cayden - a sweet, considerate 6 year old boy, who needed a “Big”. I quickly agreed to the match, thinking that since I am so experienced at doing ‘boy’ activities, why stop now? Cayden and I have only been together since March of this year, but it’s like I’ve know him forever. At a recent BBBS event, someone asked me if he was my son or my “Little”. I took that as a compliment, since it meant that we appear to be very comfortable with each other.

I always take my camera along on our outings, and I quickly share the prints with Cayden. His Mom displays appreciation for this by putting the pictures in a scrapbook as soon as possible. Photography is a hobby of mine, and I don’t typically let young children handle my cameras. But, I knew Cayden could be trusted. So, during our recent visits, I handed the camera to him and told him to shoot whatever he wants. His eyes lit up as he started looking at his surroundings with a totally different perspective. That is what is so wonderful about photography, it truly helps makes you aware of, and appreciate, everything that’s around you. Cayden has quickly learned the functions of the camera, and when composing a photo, he announces to me that he is going to “zoom in” and “focus” on a certain subject, or he’ll tell me just how he positioned the subject in the frame. After reviewing his pictures, it appears that he has a natural eye for photography. His ability to place some objects in the foreground, his use of diagonal lines, and his natural tendency to follow the “Rule of Thirds” has amazed me. Okay, so some of the brilliant composition is accidental due to camera movement during the shutter release. But, I still think he’s a natural!

Ah…the world as seen through the eyes of a child. It’s a perspective that we all should step back and enjoy once in awhile. To me, these are award winning photos because they were shot by my “Little”. These are not images that we, as boring-old adults, would shoot (for example, shots taken from inside the car while we drive down Fairview Avenue). Instead, we worry too much about whether or not our subjects are still saying “cheese” by the time the darn digital flash goes off. Each of Cayden’s images reflects a moment in time that was frozen by a little boy’s ability to recognize the beauty of his surroundings. What fun it is to watch him as he positions the camera, carefully presses the button, and then lets out an exuberant shout of “I got it!”. These are moments in time that I shall treasure forever.