The Thompson's

Summer 2011

2011-08-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

After looking up our blog yesterday, I realize I have left our blog in the dust this summer. The Thompson clan has been busy and have had a great time while doing so! H made the 10U All Star Baseball team this spring. So proud! Anyway, we had 4 tournaments we traveled to during the month of July, mostly. We were also able to go to the pool as much as possible, pick huckleberries, go camping, spend time with friends, watch K play TBall just to name a few things we've accomplished! Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. It's been wonderfully busy and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Grandpa Dave comes to visit!

2011-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Most of you know, my dad lives in Colorado. So truly, our visits are few and far between. It never really dawns on me how far away we live from each other until he comes and goes in one weekend. Our kiddos love Grandpa Dave and always look forward to his visits. We just wish he lived closer than Colorado..... He flew in this weekend on K's 6th birthday. We had ONE BUSY weekend! Dinner at Casa for K's birthday on Friday.... Saturday consisted of Cal Ripken Opening Ceremonies for H at 10, Easter Egg hunt for K at 11, H's first baseball game of the season at 12:30, then wrapped it all up with K's friend birthday at 3:00! It was a fun filled weekend, one that we will always cherish. We just wish the miles between us weren't as big in numbers.....

Hayden getting in some BP at practice......

Grandpa Dave and Kennedy.....

Dinner at Casa to celebrate K's birthday!

Opening ceremonies!

Kennedy at her party!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 was a successful one. Is it bad to admit I still have a few winter decorations outside?!?! Need. To. Take. Those. Down. Pronto. I always love this time of year. Always overbuy for the kids (maybe that's because I start in January?!?!) and I loved that we decided to stay in our Christmas Jammies all day. It was a wonderful day. Everyone liked what they received and Santa magically came and went again.

Turkey Trot! Turkey Trot!

2011-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

K and her friend pre race......

Ready to start the race! On your mark, get set... GO!

Ok, seriously. Where did she get her running skills?!

Look, she regained and is still beating a bunch of those kiddos! (not that it's about winning!)

After the Trot.... she fell down. But I really think it could have been because she didn't come in 1st.

The annual McDonald Elementary Turkey Trot came and went. Although, not without some surprises... Kennedy was seriously leading the pack most of the race.... and if you look at the pictures, by more than just a couple of steps. What happened, you may ask? She hit a patch of ice and had to do some stutter steps.... regained herself and came in fifth! I couldn't believe it! She did a fantastic job and I am sure if she didn't go off the track and hit that ice she would have led those little kindergarteners all the way. She's such a good little runner! The running conditions were so bad out there, I made her wear her softball/soccer cleats! :-) I was so proud of her. She's really turning out to be quite a little athlete!

Father Daughter Princess Ball 2011

2011-02-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Her Silly Pose....

Dad got her a corsage!

And They're Off!!!!

I can't wait to hear all about it and hopefully see pics that Bry took. (If you know Bryan, you'll know he hates to take his picture taken, or take pictures unless it's with a fish or with something he's hunted). So, fingers crossed, I'll get to see a few snapshots of the evening. Bryan asked Kennedy to go tothe First annual Father Daughter Princess Ball. Little Missy was so so so excited, she could hardly stand it. She kept asking Bryan how many days left til the ball. It was precious. We dolled her hair up, even put some glitter spray in there for a little extra jazz. What a wonderful moment for just daddy and daughter!

Valentine's Day Photo Shoot

2011-02-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

Weird, I know. But I found someone on Etsy.com (love that site) to do our Valentine's cards. Well, I got the big idea to put in the quote: "May your Valentine's Day be sprinkled with sweetness" as my kids were gobbling down some ice cream cones.... hence, the somewhat crazy snapshots. (The original pic I took for the card was at B and R with my phone, so it was a low resolution and the ice cream really did have sprinkles.... but these will have to do. Seriously, why does time go by so quickly? Weren't these two just born? H will be 9 next month and K will be 6. Sigh.

Winter.....

2011-01-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

I truly do love it. I mean what's not to like with the gentle snow falling, the hot cocoa, sledding......and I write this as it's pouring down rain. This. Is. Not. April. People! Just get cold and snow.... is that too much to ask? I hope it snows... a lot. I love a good 6-10 inches of the snowfall. We have done some fun stuff though, including sledding. Here's a little glimpse of what we've done.... Happy 2011!

Big weekend of being social....

2010-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

Even if you aren't a Vandal fan, you have to admit, this is cool.

Two of my best college friends came into town and stayed with us this last weekend for the UI/BSU game. Fun was had by all! My gut was hurting from us laughing so hard and the memories we shared. LOL! After they left, Bryan and I attend the Bear Booster Auction and Dinner. This too, was a great event and we had a wonderful evening with our friends! Now, on to Thanksgiving!

Fall 2010.... So far.

2010-11-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T05:42:00.001-07:00

Halloween was a success this year! Rained in the morning, cleared by noon and was a perfect evening for those ghosts and ghouls! Our good friends the Jacobus Family came over for dinner and trick or treating. I made Grandma Kellogg's spaghetti sauce, Emily brought bread and a salad. It was perfect! Emily and I took the kids out trick or treating while the men stayed at home, watched the series and passed out to the visitors that came by! We had three Star Wars characters and a pink princess kitty. The kids were troopers and lasted til about 8! On to Thanksgiving.....

Soccer - Lava and Electric Eels!

2010-10-20T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well, our last game of soccer season is tonight. We have snack duty. Rice krispie treats, string cheese and a juice pack are coming to both teams. The kids did really well this year! K held out til game 6 to ask if she was done playing soccer (I swear I don't sign her up just because, she actually asks to play!) H is doing a good job playing and scored his share of goals. He particularly liked playing goalie and did a great job at it! It was fun to watch and enjoy! We savor these moments as I know it will go by so quickly. Team Lava is K's team and Team Electric Eels is H's team. They've had a ball!

Uncle Clay and Sarah come to visit!

2010-10-20T04:58:00.000-07:00

We got a special treat and Clay and Sarah came in September to visit. It was so nice for them to be here and we finally got to meet Sarah, whom Kennedy adores! We were busy golfing, hitting the Farmer's Market, and bowling! We topped it off by fixing Grandma Kellogg's spaghetti sauce! Yum!

A Day at Greenbluff...

2010-10-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

A day at Greenbluff is always a treat. We usually are able to squeeze in Red Robin for an early dinner/late lunch and Target. (one of my favorite places) Anyway, it's so much fun to go up to this place. The kids enjoy it, we gather our pumpkins for the year and picked fresh apples from the trees. Always a hit! Unfortunately, it's probably H's last ride on the ponies.... 70 lb weight limit! It's hard growing up!

Silverwood trip with Gram and Grandpa Gary

2010-10-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

Summer whisked away too quickly and before you knew it, the time was almost up to use H's free ticket he earned to Silverwood. He earned it because of the amount of hours he read, I would have felt like I earned the "bad mommy award" if we didn't use it. SO, up we went on Labor Day weekend. Luckily, my mom and Bry's dad were able to go so I could get some help riding the rides as my stomach doesn't do well on those things! Bry was hunting, it was opening weekend... so we trekked up and had a fantastic day!

Fall 2010

2010-10-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

H and K outside their school on the first day!

We are all ready for our first day!

K and her teacher at the open house! We love Mrs. B!

As much as I love to be on the computer, I find that I have a hard time keeping up my blog. Things have gotten off to a wonderful start. H and K both love school. They are really enjoying being back and seeing their friends. K is having a hard time adjusting to being away from some of her buddies from preschool. Aaah, growing pains. We try to see those friends as much as we can. They are both in soccer and really liking it! K waited til game 6 to ask when the season was over, compared to game 3 last year. :-) H really gets after it and even "headed" the ball last game. It's been a wonderful start to fall, but busy. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

More pics of Little Tikes

2010-08-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

Gold Treasure Cheetahs

2010-08-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's another season cashed for the year with Little Tikes TBall. Kennedy wanted me to coach her team again, and with her begging skills, I couldn't resist. So, Coach Amber and I teamed up yet again for another fine season of some serious baseball skills. :-) (I coaxed her to do it again this year with a night of margaritas...she's easily persuaded!) :-) Needless to say, we had a great bunch of little ones.... only a few melt downs (thankfully the parents handled those) and the kids had a fantastic time! Next year, I'll leave it to the Parks and Recreation coaches to coach... I can just help where needed. :-)

Summer....

2010-07-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's going by way too quickly. As much as I have enjoyed being a baseball parent, it's unfortunately coming to a close this weekend. I will post pics when we return. It's going to be in the temps from 99-101 each day. Sigh. Seriously, I am throwing on a sundress and struttin' it in Orofino. I want to be as cool as possible this weekend with the hot weather - and NO, I'm not complaining!

Hayden has really had fun during his first year of Cal Ripken. Kennedy has been a trooper of a sister going to every one of his games. We don't stop being busy as we start up with swim lessons on Monday! I heart summer!

Seattle a hit!

2010-07-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful mini family vacation! We went to Seattle for about 4 nights and it was just the right length of time. We were able to go to two Seattle Mariner's games and we all just have THE BEST time there. The first game we went to was a double bobblehead night with Ichiro and Griffey Jr. Needless to say, it was super busy that evening. But we got the VIP treatment. One of my best friend's cousin works for the M's and gave us the grand tour. We got to go down to the field while the M's were doing batting practice. (SO FUN!) Chone Figgins (the 2nd baseman) noticed H and K and rolled them each a ball. (Mommy was super excited!) We also were given 2 M's beach towels, 4 of those bobbleheads they were giving away that night, 2 Felix Hernandez bobbleheads, 2 Hernandez jerseys, 2 M's baseball hats and a few baseballs that were used in games! WOW!. To top it all off, we hit Trader Joes on the way home and Gap outlet. :-)I could do it all over again. If you ever need a place to stay while seeing the M's....Seattle's Silver Cloud Stadium is the way to go. SO NICE!

Aaaaah, Summer!

2010-06-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and we've started it off nicely. Unfortunately, the rain still keeps coming around. I swear we should have summer vacation during July, August and September! :-) The end of the school year is always bittersweet for me. I truly enjoyed teaching my class this year. They were so fun, sweet and really put the TEAM into Team Thompson. They were a great bunch. If I could have looped to 4th grade this year, I would have just to teach these guys again. (Not sure how the parents would feel about that, but I would have done it!) I held back my tears as I said my goodbyes to them. And now I'm realizing that I'll have a third grader. Where has the time gone? Then little Miss K starts Kindergarten. What?!?! That will be a tearful first day of school!

But, we need to enjoy the NOW and that is what we have been doing. H is playing on the Moscow Mavericks this summer, which is a tournament team. Bryan is coaching and it's a great group of boys! Both Thompson boys are excited to do this. K and I are being the supportive mom/wife/sister/daughter during all of this. K keeps asking me when she gets to play her Little Tikes T-Ball and I keep telling her she gets to in a couple of months (which I will coach again!)

We've hit the first night of the library series at East City Park. The Performing Pigs. Yes, I said pigs. They were cute and handled the audience well. Too bad the black clouds made for a downpour at the end of the show. It was a fun time and the kids enjoyed it. I'm hoping when we get back from Seattle the rain will be gone and we can go to the POOL! Here's to a wonderful weekend in the Pacific Northwest. We'll be going to TWO Mariner's games....I'll post pics when we return! Cheers!

Miss K turns 5!

2010-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Kennedy wanted a princess party and it was a huge hit! We had her friend party at the local gymanstics place. Good times! It's so great to go there and have the staff totally take care of the party, minus the presents and cake and ice cream! She wanted it to be a princess theme this year, and I have to admit, I went all out. Everyone had a fantastic time and then the following weekend, we had her family birthday party, which continued on with the princess theme. She loved every minute of it! Happy 5th Birthday, Miss K! I love you!

Cal Ripken Baseball - Go Red Sox!

2010-04-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

Ready at first base....
First at bat.
Yes, he's posing.
Opening ceremonies.....

Opening day for Cal Ripken was cold and wonderful. We had our chairs, brought Gatorade for the team and had a bag full of coloring books for Kennedy to be entertained for 2 hours. Hayden did a great job playing his first real baseball game. He was walked and he struck out once... but at least he struck out swinging. They ended up winning, 17-0! Woo hoo! Go Sox! Hayden's loving it, as is Bryan! It was his (and still is) his favorite sport! I think our little guy is following in daddy's footsteps.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

The University of Idaho always puts on a good Easter Egg hunt. I love it! First of all, it's heading up to my alma mater and let the kids run around on the Administration lawn. Bry pairs up with Hayden and I go with Miss Kennedy. This year both kids moved up in their age brackets... more competition! LOL! I told Kennedy we'll run out to where the eggs are and pick up as much as she can! Lo and behold, Kennedy got the golden egg!!!!! WOO HOO!!!! She turned it in and got to pick two gifts of whatever she wanted. She scored two Webkinz - one for her and one for Hayden. It was perfect. We then celebrated Easter dinner at home after we went to church....it was a nice relaxing weekend had by all.

Hayden's 8.

2010-04-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hayden's 8th birthday was a true hit. We had his friend party on a Friday night and his family party the following Sunday. It was perfect. He was all smiles and as you can see, he chose to do Star Wars Legos as his theme. That's a tough one to come by when finding party favors, so we made our own and they were FANTASTIC if I do say so myself. I can't believe my little boy is 8. His favorites include: Wii, baseball, Star Wars Legos, Mariners, UI Vandals, Green Bay Packers, Popcorn and thankfully he still loves cuddling up with me in the morning or whenever I ask him to. I love him and so thankful he's mine. Happy Birthday, Buddy.

Laser Penguins

2010-03-15T10:18:00.001-07:00

Pass me the ball, I'm open!
More ball handling skills than his mama!

Laser Penguins!

Going in for the lay in.....

H played basketball again this year. It was so fun to see his improvement from last year! He was the team's "defensive specialist" as their coach would call him and was often placed to guard the tough kids from the opposite team. The coaches for this year were phenomenal. We really enjoyed having them coach H. H liked them too! Here are a few pics from the season. Go Laser Penguins! They finished 6-4. Not bad for not winning one game last year! :-)

First try at ice skating....

2010-03-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

All Smiles!

Go Miss K!!!!!

Watch out! I can't stop!!!!!

K was invited to a classmates' birthday party this last weekend. It was held at the local ice skating rink. I've realized that we've started into the realm of getting invited to birthday parties to children I don't even know. For instance, I told the wrong girl Happy Birthday at this party... I had no idea who the kid was! Ooops. So much for me trying to be on top of it. The mom of the little girl was kind enough to invite H as well.... it didn't cost a thing to her as she rented the whole facility for the party.

H and K did a fantastic job for their first time on skates! I was really proud of them! They kept getting up when they would fall and ask for more! I love it!

Happy Hearts Day

2010-02-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

The kiddos and I on Hearts Day!

H and K with their gifts from mommy and daddy!

Gram brought over some goodies!

H's Valentine's Day bag from school.....

K's box from school....

Gary (my Father in Law) sent K and I flowers... he's done that every year for the last few years! So sweet!!!

Valentine's Day is always one of those holidays that are fun to celebrate, but I truly feel like it's Valentine's Day every day with my family. All of those hugs, kisses and "I love yous" through out the year makes this holiday just seem like another day. True, it is fun making the kids' valentines cards with them. They are so giddy getting them, especially Kennedy this year. They must not have opened them at school. We opened them at home and after each one, "(Gasp - big sigh) I always wanted one of these!" It was the cutest thing. Here are some pics of our Valentine's Day. It ended with a nice family dinner (Bry's side) to celebrate our neice's 10th birthday at Gambinos!

Catching up....

2010-01-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Animoto.com

2009-12-13T20:50:00.001-08:00

Halloween 09

2009-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

I bring to you a butterfly and a Bumblebee (Transformer, that is!) Halloween was a kick! Weather was great, the kids got a bunch of loot that mommy and daddy dug into. It was a fun weekend!

A day at Greenbluff....

2009-12-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

The kids are ready for lunch....
They LOVE this wiggle worm!

Our perfect pumpkins!

Mom, the kids and I headed up to Greenbluff for a day in October. (Bry was hunting!) We hit it at the PERFECT time! It wasn't busy yet, the sun was shining and we did it all!

Fun at the Fair.....

2009-10-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

As I'm patiently waiting for Kennedy to fall asleep today, my dad emails me reminding me to update my blog (Thanks, dad!) So, I'm posting a few posts today, trying to get caught up! We conquered the fair on a Sunday this year. It was perfect. The weather was sunny and bright. There wasn't a lot of people... and the rides were filthy. I had my handi-wipes and hand sanitizer in tow!!!

I think this is the last year Hayden can go on the kiddy rides. He's too dang tall! Luckily, he and daddy like to ride the big scary rides. I can't handle them anymore!

Fall Soccer 2009

2009-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Black Spitter Snakes

Pink socks and all....

Get it, Hayden!!!

Soccer came in slowly (it always gets off to a late start.) And both Kennedy and Hayden are playing. Of course, little Miss K had to play because big brother is! Now, at the end of the season, I'm hearing from her, "I don't want to play soccer." Sorry chica, you signed up, you finish. One more game for her - whew!

H is loving the game. Averaging about a goal a game. It's so neat to see he and a teammate call for the ball from one another, pass the ball and get assists and/or a goal. We'll see what he chooses to play next fall....soccer or football????

First Day of School

2009-09-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

Hayden's a 2nd grader!!!

We LOVE Teacher Starla!

Kennedy and her best buddy, Nico.

All decked out in her pink.... ready for PRE SCHOOL!!!!

This is always such a bittersweet day for me. One I look forward to as my kids love getting dressed up in their new duds, but it means the end of summer for me and the time I get to spend on a daily basis with H and K. H started 2nd grade this year..... and he was so excited. There are only 20 kids in his class and he has a wonderful teacher who teaches a bunch of Science and Art! Kennedy started her first day of pre school the day before my actual day so that I could actually hang out and take pictures of she and her teacher! Once I snag Bryan's memory card, I'll upload a few more he took of H at Lena!

The finished product.....

2009-08-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Our new dining room chandelier

The kitchen appliances and flooring

Another angle

The dining room table

Another angle......

Well, it's 99.5% done. The .5% that needs to be finished is a couple of transition strips need to be placed and I need to finish a tad more painting. (I probably should try to get the painting done before school starts!) For those of you who don't know, we tore up our carpet, put down pergo in the living room, kitchen, dining room, hallway, stairs, and downstairs. It was a lot! I also painted a Pottery Barn sage green in all of those rooms minus the downstairs. It's been a chore!

We updated our appliances, updated our chandeliers in our dining room and entry way (OK, entry way needs to still be hung, but we have it, at least!) and got a new dining room table. I gotta admit, it's starting to look sharp. But, now, I want new living room furniture and new carpets in the bedrooms. Is that so wrong? Enjoy the pictures!

GO MARINERS!

2009-07-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

And now batting for the Mariners..... GRIFFEY JR!!!

Well, it was all about the hype and we loved it! Unfortunately they lost to the rangers 6-4, but it was a great game! We're planning on going back next year for a long weekend with Bry's brother and his family... taking in 2 games and staying at the same hotel which is right across the street. So EXCITED!

2009-07-29T08:59:00.001-07:00

A wonderful family vacation...

2009-07-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been this long since I've last posted. One would think I'd have a lot more time on my hands with it being summer and all. We took a nice family vacation to the Oregon Coast and Seattle. Our first stop was in Hood River for the 4th of July. We then jaunted over to Lincoln City to meet Dad, Meredith and Clay. It was such a nice break from reality and the ocean and beach were just perfect. From going out during low tide and finding starfish and anemones, to flying kites and playing in the sand, Lincoln City was a fantastic time.

We then headed up to Portland for an evening and made it into the zoo.... but kept going the next day to Seattle and took in our first Mariners game. It was definitely exciting for us all! Hayden had such a great time!!!! Kennedy was just more interested with the nice family sitting behind us!!! Enjoy the pics.....

2009-06-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

Let the remodeling begin! Here are some shots of the remodel - prefinished. Yes, that is the pic of the new microwave/stove - and the fridge comes today!!!!!!!!!!!

A visit to Colorado (surprise style)

2009-06-14T09:39:00.001-07:00

The Hall of Fame inductees....

Meredith and Clay at the dinner.....

Dad and I at the dinner....

Clay and I tooled around and went to Garden of The Gods

Air Force Academy

I realize now that I haven't blogged about my trip to Colorado. Back in January/February, my stepmom threw the idea to me to come down to surprise dad during his Hall of Fame induction weekend. There was no second thought, the planning begun! I fortunately bought a ticket and got an arrival time around the same time my little brother was flying in (which dad knew he was coming.) Clay waited til I got off the plane and we both traveled up the escalators to the waiting dad. Dad - "There's Clay...........and.........Wendy?!" Needless to say, the surprise was a success and the four of us had a fantastic weekend......Dad's induction dinner was a success (Good job, dad!) and it was nice to see them all. GOTCHA, Dad!

The renovation begins....

2009-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I stripped her down so she didn't get paint on her clothes....

And I realize I hate to prime. Hence, I'm putting up the sage green color on all the spots I've primed so I can see a "final product" and can come back and finish priming in a bit. Kennedy has really enjoyed helping me prime. She wants to do the green, I just can't get myself to let her help with the main color! Flooring/appliances are next!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

hanging with grandpa gary

Kennedy's first fish!!!!

We spent this last weekend up at Freeman Creek, USA. It's located by Dworshak Reservoir and is truly beautiful. The reservoir isn't all that pretty, but the land surrounding it is fantastic. We had s'mores, fished on Grandpa Gary's boat and enjoyed some time with family and friends. The kids didn't want the weekend to end. Mommy, on the otherhand, wanted to get home and shower. I think it's time for us to invest in a camper. :-)

Soccer and sunshine...

2009-05-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Fast Cheetah Monsters" they went 9-1!!!

Hayden - loves soccer!

K and H - this will be a good blackmail pic in the future....

...don't seem to go hand in hand. I swear, at the beginning of this season, we were all bundled up in our winter jackets. Yesterday, the last game, we had on capris and short sleeves! It was so great! Hayden truly enjoyed playing this season. He probably averaged 2 goals a game. It was a hoot! The "Fast Cheetah Monsters" went 9-1 and I'm hoping this is a sport Hayden wants to continue with. He enjoys it, is pretty good at it and I'd be OK being a soccer mom! :-)

Happy Birthday Miss K!

2009-04-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Check out the new wheels!

Ok, truth be told, I think this is my best one yet....

Me and the birthday girl.....

The table before everyone arrived.... not too bad!

Cousins.....

Well, another year down. This year it was was more of the "where are more presents?" as she whizzed through her presents. It was too funny! She wouldn't even look at the gifts at times, just kept flinging them out of the bags! It was a fun, laid back party... 3 of her friends were able to come and did they have fun! The overall theme this year seemed to be ponies. She received a lot of them! It was a great day and fun was had by all! Happy Birthday Miss K! I love you!

Easter Weekend 2009

2009-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Kennedy before she went down like a clown... poor thing got that high fever bug going around - and on Easter weekend!!!

Hayden ready to chow down....

After the Easter egg hunt.... can you tell which one doesn't feel well and is cold?

Hayden - bundled up and ready to search for eggs!

Kennedy found a lot!!!

What a weekend! Yesterday's egg hunt at the University of Idaho's Administration Building was a huge success. IF only it didn't downpour on us all. By the time K and H had gathered up all of their eggs, K was cold and wet and definitely complaining about it! Although, she's also fighting some bug - am I a bad mommy for taking her? She wanted to go....;-)

Then came the Easter Bunny last night. He placed eggs all around the house - a few on our deck (I think he wasn't sure if it was going to rain or not last night or this morning). The kids surely enjoyed their baskets filled with a stuffed animal in each, books and many other items. After breaking out the baskets and eggs, we got ready for church - I know - shocker - and then went to brunch at the University Inn. It was a yummy brunch, and what was even better - none of us had to cook! K's still fighting something. I gave her some children's tylenol and she seems to be bouncing back. We'll see how the afternoon progresses.....

Happy Easter to all!

Happy Birthday, Hayden!

2009-03-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Cousins.

Hayden at his Family Party... He threw me when he asked for me to write "Happy Birthday" on the cake... I did the best I could!

Hayden and his friends at his Friend Party

The Ball Pit! You can barely see H right below K!

K and Kermit

Giving me the thumbs up and we are on our way to the Friend Party!

It came, it went, we conquered! I know some people think I over do it for birthdays... but let me explain. Bry's side of the family is big. Period. So, last year I conjured up the idea of having 2 separate birthdays. One for the family, and one for H's friends. Well, I jam packed them both into one weekend... and it worked well, but mommy is tired tonight! LOL! So, on top of the cupcakes I made and took in to Hayden's classroom (adorned with Star Wars rings) and a dinner to his choice of restaurant (McDonald's with the playland - where else?) He said that today's family party was round number 4! Whew! Just saying that outloud made me tired. It's worth it, believe me. He had a wonderful time yesterday at The Palouse Mall's "Bumpers." The kids played games with their tokens, jumped in the ball pit, ate pizza, and played a friendly game of pin the football on the football field. Let's not forget the cupcakes and ice cream cups (this time, they had football rings on them!) Oh, one last thing. Hayden wanted an Idaho Vandal Football theme this year. Aaah, could it be? How much would I LOVE if he went to UI?! (Can I think of that even though it's 11 years away?!) 11?! That's not that long. Ok, we won't talk of that... too sad.

Here's some pictures, enjoy!

Spokane during Spreak Break

2009-03-20T10:55:00.001-07:00

Our first trip to Chuck E Cheese's was a huge hit - Chuck himself made an appearance.....

Kennedy enjoyed the music video thing... she was busting a move for a few songs!

The timeless carousel.

Say Cheese!

Feeding the ducks and geese....

What a wonderful day in Spokane we had! We hit Riverfront Park, fed the ducks/geese and rode the carousel. After going to the Valley mall for a bit, we took in Red Robin for a yummy lunch and finished up our day at Chuck E. Cheese! (Ok, we went to Target at the end). We loved it and the kids were wonderful! Picked up a few birthday gifts for the kids.... it was so relaxing!

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

2009-03-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

The kids were decked in green (K's was in her tights and on her shirt) and we had a fantastic day. It begun with a plate of green scrambled eggs and ended with Hayden's last bball game. :-)
Happy St. Pat's Day.....

The Moscow Grizzly Bears - no wait! The Idaho Vandals....

2009-02-21T06:57:00.001-08:00

Yeah, that's a second grader who is getting ready to guard him... how fair is that!?

Um, Hayden, you are on the same team. Oh, this is during warm ups. Check out the smile!

Hayden "AKA - the Center" Thompson. Who knew he was going to do the jump ball on Game 1!? I certainly didn't.

I realize I haven't posted for awhile. January and February have been crazy, to say the least. One piece of normalcy was that Hayden started to play basketball. Boy, is this guy excited about it! As of today, they've played three games and have three losses! LOL! Parks and Recreation have put first graders and second graders playing together. Truth be told, I don't agree with this mix up only because I'm experiencing first hand how these second graders have more knowledge and more skills regarding the game... and, I'll be honest. It's frustrating. For instance, our last game, we lost 6-21. Hayden - what a guy - scored 2 of the 6. BUT, one second grader on the other team scored 16 of their 21 points? Ok, take that kid out of the equation and we'd have won. :-) But seriously - 16 points? Pass the ball every once in a while, buddy. Hopefully this kid will still be playing and around here when they are in HS, because MHS Bears could be pretty good!

Hayden is one of the tallest kids on the team, and even as a first grader, is one of the better players. Maybe this will be his sport? Who knows? Hayden hustles down to and from each side of the court... at first he wanted to just guard whoever had the ball - and did a good job at it! But, coach crushed that and told everyone to guard just one guy, regardless if they have the ball or not. Hayden starts inching in on the ball handler every once in a while, only to cause a jump ball or actually steal it - woo hoo!!! They've come together as a team and are improving with each step of the way. Let's hope this week's games we play teams that are a little even with our team.... (AKA - the Idaho Vandals).

2009-02-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my friend Amber, and thought it'd be fun to try... here goes!

Here are the rules: Once you are tagged, your task is to go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures. Go to the 6th Folder, and pick the 6th picture in that folder. Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.Tag 6 other people that you know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.

Ok, I was truly hoping there would be a picture of one of the kids... and what do I find as my 6th picture? One of me. The story behind this pic is one of my best friends, Jamie and I flew down to Boise to visit college girlfriends. This picture was taken at another friend's business (Kurly's sportsbar) and we were enjoying the afternoon with cold beverages - laughing about old times. The funny thing is, they even packed "roadies" for us to enjoy from the airport! Pretty funny and it was always good to reconnect with old friends. It was perfect.

A Trip to the Hospital

2009-02-03T09:38:00.001-08:00

Gearing up to go HOME!
Sleeping in her bed. The pink bear, "Ollie" was with her the whole time.

Our favorite nurse, Michelle! She was so great!!!!!!! We loved her!

Enjoying a hospital meal - mommy looks a bit on the greasy side.

Just settling in to the hospital....

Expect the unexpected... isn't that a slogan for something? Anyhow, it's been a week. First off, we had to put our male lab, Bubba down on early Wednesday morning due to a twisted abdomen and possible cancer. It was a sad, sad day for us at the Thompson household and dealing with questions on death and heaven are hard to answer when your little ones question you about it....it gets better, hold on.

Long story short, Kennedy was admitted to the hospital on Saturday morning due to asthma related stuff that normal meds wouldn't take care of. The kicker of it was, Bryan was gone on a fishing trip down in Orofino and didn't have cell service. Mom was taking care of Hayden and here I am at the hospital with my 3 year old little girl. Boy, was she brave! She was so strong and happy. I am so proud of her. She was hooked up to oxygen and we had to undo her before she had to go to the bathroom! She is one little trooper. All of the staff enjoyed her because she was such a joy. Someone would walk into her room and she'd say, "Hi, I'm Kennedy!"

We were originally in a room by the nurses station... so that they could keep an eye on her... they called it the "safe room" or a room that they bring people who basically need to be watched. - and I'm thinking the looney tunes, here people. Not Kennedy so much, but that was the closest they could put us. Well, Saturday night, they needed that safe room and Kennedy and I were being wheeled into our new room at midnight!!! It was quite the ride on the bed!

Is it bad to admit I enjoyed not fixing meals for a couple of days? We had a Super Bowl Party in our room, with two tv's going. Hayden and Kennedy had a third tv that they could watch movies on if they chose to do so. We even ordered pizza!!!

Anyhow, it's been a week, and little miss K and I are staying at home today, and probably tomorrow just to be on the safe side. Here's to a better week!!!

A bunch of animals.....

2009-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

One night the kids decided to take all, and I mean ALL of their stuffed animals and put them on mommy and daddy's bed! They made it into a "surprise" and took Bryan and I into our bedroom to see! They had a "party" and enjoyed all of their animals while laying on mommy and daddy's bed! I personally think it reminded me of the old school movie, ET... they started to fade into the stuffed animals after awhile!

Now that's alotta snow!

2009-01-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

Daddy came home early - roads were terrible in town... he took us tubing!!! (H and K on the back.)

Kennedy wanted to be covered with snow....

Spunky attempting to cross our driveway.

In front of the big snow berm in front of our house....

This is some sort of record for snow fall, it has to be. It's also a personal record for me, posting 3 times in one day, but I couldn't resist. Take a look at the pics I took of the kiddos today. It finally stopped snowing around 11 or so this morning. The one of them in front of the big mound is right in front of our front yard, thanks to the snow plows!

A proud mommy moment....

2009-01-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

He's reading!!!!!! I went in to tuck him in again last night and found him reading, "Are You My Mother?" I caught him reading it again, he's proud of himself as well as his mommy! Wow... it's priceless to hear your child read. (Sorry it's sideways - I thought I could turn it around...)

It's a...... SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

The view from our porch, notice the garbage cans... What I just shoveled this morning...

This is our 6 foot fence....

My God, will it ever end?! I have to admit, I do love the snow fall, especially when it's coming down like this. I went out this morning to attempt to shovel, the snow went up to the top of my Sorel's!!!! NO SCHOOL TODAY!! Now, I love my class and teaching, but one more day at home with my own kiddos is a delightful little gift. I'll be making the kids go out to play in the snow if it ever lets up... Here's a recent pic of the snowfall from last night and what it's doing currently. We have at least 6 new inches of snow... can you hear me singing, "Oh, the weather outside is frightful...." WOO!!!

2009-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well, Happy New Year everyone! This is what we are getting her today as far as weather goes. It's probably snowed about 4 inches already, and doesn't look like it's letting up anytime soon.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

I had to get this shot of Devin, my nephew, who downed a whole bottle of sparkling apple cider. He wanted to break it open around 8, we told him he needed to wait closer to midnight....
Tones, trying her luck with the guitar...

Devin, belting out a few tunes.

Auntie Lisa helping Hayden with the drums....

Dan and Michelle rockin' out to Rock Band 2.

Kennedy scratched her nose and insisted she get a band-aid for it. (I need to go get more girly band-aids - that one is Spiderman!)

She's likin' the drums!

Kennedy and Sid, eating some Nerds (thanks for sharing, Sid!)

Last night for NYE, we had some friends and family over for som festivities. It was a huge hit to play Rock Band - I am totally uncoordinated at playing instruments. I even forewarned everyone to tell them so... and proved how terrible I was when I got ahold of the guitar. (I failed a few times!) K and H along with Dev and Sid made it til midnight to ring in the new year. It was a fun night and I'm glad we were able to share it with loved ones.

SNOW FIGHT!!!!

2008-12-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots of us outside today. Snowed another 5-6 inches, but then it was wet, so therefore, it was heavy! We really need to invest in a snow blower if these winters continue.....

This weather is like the Energizer Bunny...

2008-12-27T11:23:00.001-08:00

Um, this is what we get for NOT putting away our patio furniture.

I shoveled an area off for Spunky, so he can enjoy the snow.

it keeps going and going and going. I seriously can't believe how much snow we have gotten. We probably received a good 5-6 more inches the last 12 hours. It's amaing. Now, let's hope the snow continues and it doesn't start raining like our local weatherman predicts. Here are a couple of pictures of our deck. I'll take a couple pics of our front later....

More snow on the way...

2008-12-26T12:47:00.001-08:00

Maybe we should shovel the deck. Here are a few shots of our deck. Oh boy.

Another 364 days...

2008-12-26T12:32:00.001-08:00

til Christmas. So sad. I have to admit. I'm one of those over the top people who start their shopping in January. I just have to get it if I see a good deal! We all had a very Merry Christmas. It was so nice to just be home and enjoy. Santa even called Hayden and Kennedy on Christmas Eve to chat with them. Hayden was so surprised, it was delightful! Santa must have been asking Hayden if his room was clean, because while talking to the jolly guy, he was picking up the last odds and ends that remained from his cousins visiting.... pretty funny. Anyway, our Christmas was magical, and was spent with family and some friends who were snowed in from getting to California! It's about time for me to start shopping for Christmas '09!

A Purple Ballerina

2008-12-22T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, lo and behold, I think Kennedy inherited my ability/desire to dress up. (Remembering those Alpha Phi skits...) Anyhow, here I was sitting at the kitchen counter when Kennedy says, "Hey, look at me, I'm a purple ballerina!" Hence, mommy grabbed the camera and took this shot... oh, the memories!

Hayden's Concert

2008-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hayden's concert was last night - and it was magical. Lena Whitmore Elementary (aka - my alma mater!) puts on a wonderful show. Students in 1st through 6th grade performed a variety of songs and did a fantastic job! It was so neat to see and Hayden was definitely into singing - um, he must get that from me! Anyway, he's in the top row, you can't miss him! Happy Holidays!

"All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"

2008-12-17T21:11:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was at the mall, volunteering for the Hospice of the Palouse wrapping booth when I got a call from home. Now, usually when I'm off on my own, it's a call to clarify what the homework was that was supposed to be done, where something is, you know the routine. Well, this time it was Hayden....

"Mom, I've got something to tell you."

"What is it, buddy?"

"It's a surprise."

"What? Tell me."

"I LOST MY TOOTH!!!!!!!!!!"

"Oh my goodness, did you do it all by yourself?"

"Yep!"

As I sit there on the phone elating my surprise and happiness to my son, my face was a bit of sadness. How can this be?! My baby boy can't grow up just yet. The big space in his mouth proves me wrong... he's off to getting those bigger teeth, to (YIKES) puberty, and the list goes on. For now, I'm just enjoying the moments and enjoying his very sweet toothless grin. The tooth fairy sure likes to leave her fairy dust in Hayden's room this month!

Reflections....

2008-12-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

I saw Hayden yesterday sitting there with our cat Spunky, quietly looking out at the snowfall. It was priceless. I had to snap this shot and show it. He was sitting there and petting Spunky, watching the snow and just looked peaceful. What a mommy moment!

"I lost a tooth! I lost a tooth!"

2008-12-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

This morning, after finding the Tooth Fairy's dust and 2 whole dollars... (I swear we feed him, by the way!)
He and Dad - mission accomplished!

Gram (my mom) called at the perfect time... he told her the good news!

Can you hear Hayden singing, "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth?" Last night he lost his front tooth - finally! Yahoo! I got it all on video and it was hysterical. Funny to the point that I was shaking while video taping. While trying to wiggle it out with Daddy, he said, "Ooooh, this baby's gonna come out!" It was the funniest thing watching. He and daddy wiggled and jiggled it and Hayden finally popped out the little guy. As he was running down the hall to rinse out his mouth and take a look at his newly achieved hole in his smile, he was yelling, "I lost a tooth! I lost a tooth!" The tooth fairy left her mark last night leaving silver fairy dust all the way to Hayden's pillow!

Kennedy's Christmas Concert.....

2008-12-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

...was a big hit! She was absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself. She was so excited in her new little dress... I kept having to readjust her headband because she kept twirling and twirling and it kept slipping and slipping! Comedy.

They sang, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Three Little Monkies Swinging on a Tree." Kennedy's voice was heard by all as she was singing at the top of her lungs! She also waved to me a couple of times during the performance. It was quite the sight! We are very proud of this little one and are thankful for the joy both she and her brother bring to our family!

Looking Back.....

2008-11-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast the time flies. This picture was taken just 3 years ago - I believe it was on Thanksgiving. Little Miss K was just toddling around, and Mr. H was finishing up his potty training. This picture still reflects their relationship they have today, and for that, I am grateful. I'm also so thankful for my wonderful friends and family. This is a time to be thankful, and I am so grateful and appreciative to those who are always there for me.....

The season is over....

2008-11-16T10:54:00.001-08:00

Sadly enough, the Vandals are done with their home fb games for 2008. It's always such a fun day to go grab your vandal gear and head to the Dome with your spirit in tow. We gave it a good run the first half against our rival, BSU (who do we hate?!) with the score being 10-17. Well, it went downhill from there... but at least we scored the first touchdown! There's always next year...

Flag Football Finale

2008-11-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hayden - our little quarterback! He's on the far left ready to hand off.
The Race Cars

Well, the flag football season has finally come to a close - whew! It was fun to see them running after flags, chasing one another down. Fortunately, for all those involved, the weather got warmer through the season rather than cooler. Here are a couple of pictures that tops off the season. Go Race Cars!!!

A Haunted Halloween... :-)

2008-11-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

The two kitties - Kennedy and Maile (a good friend of ours)

Iron Man and the two cats.

Show 'em the muscles!

Trick or treating at Gram's house...

Whatever happened to people just going around their neighborhoods to do some good ol', down - to - earth trick-or-treating? Sure, it rained earlier in the day here in Moscow, but around 5:45 - it was beautiful! I wore a mere rain jacket out to take the kiddos trick-or-treating. Well, along with a pair of cozy socks and my slippers, I was good to go and stayed warm all evening! H and K had a great time going from door-to-door around the neighborhood. We saw many kids out, but not as much as there could have been. I've never been the person to take the kids to the mall - what fun is that - but I can understand had it been chilly and rainy outside. It wasn't. It was a nice evening on the Palouse and our Iron Man and kitty had a fantastic time!

Carving Pumpkins....

2008-10-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

Kennedy, taking a break from digging out the guts!

Hayden has figured it out that he can make funny faces in photos. Great.

T Ok, this one is a bit better... he looks like he's doing an Elvis impersonation!

Diggin out his pumpkin! (Should I admit that my son doesn't really enjoy getting his hands messy in that goop?!)

Kennedy enjoyed it MUCH better!

Well, we came, we saw, we conquered our HUGE pumpkins last night. The Thompson's managed to carve out 4 of the 7 pumpkins we have. Hayden, of course, wants all 7 to be carved, but I'm putting my foot down and telling him the other three are for decoration after Halloween! It took us forever to clean out those guts/seeds/ickies and then carve them. But, it was fun! Here are a few pictures of our carving chaos....

More shots of Homecoming 2008

2008-10-30T09:49:00.001-07:00

GO VANDALS!!!!

Hayden, Trevin and Sam - best buddies...

Little Miss Kennedy - new haircut and all!

Just now downloading some of my own shots from the Homecoming parade. Word on the street is that it was the biggest Homecoming parade in years on both the attendance side as well as the entries. (Not sure why as the Vandals are NOT doing well this year!) Anyway, like I said earlier, it was a huge win for the Vandals and a beautiful day to boot!

UI Homecoming 2008

2008-10-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Kennedy with her new haircut... why she's sticking her tongue out, I have no idea!
Hayden with his best buddies Sam and Trevin. GO VANDALS! (And, yes, they are all the same age - my son is just a giant!)

At the homecoming parade from l - r, Olivia (Sam's 4 year old sister) Sam's eyes, Kennedy, and Acacia (Trevin's 5 year old niece) Yep, a niece that is one year younger than he is, it's his older sister's daughter.

The whole crew waiting for the parade to start!

Well, UI HOMECOMING 2008 was a success with both the football team and volleyball team. It was a sweet victory in the Dome for those mighty vandals and it was quite a game! The Thompson kids were all decked out in their Vandal garb and ready to cheer on the silver and gold! It was a beautiful day on the palouse, so beautiful I'm not sure I'm ready for the white stuff just yet. Kennedy had just gotten her hair cut the day before, we cut about 3 inches off! Needless to say, the last two mornings I haven't had to take a brush to her hair - YIPPEEE!!! (Can you see me doing the happy dance?!)

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!

2008-10-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hayden, pay attention... I think you need to block!

At least he's listening to the coach...um, I'm pretty sure that's a second grader he is standing next to (Hayden is in the back with the black and white pants on with black sleeves)...So my child is going to be tall!!!

Hayden's in the grey hoodie...I think he's ready.

Fall is in the air as well as the coole crispness that at times makes you think you are in Alaska. Sitting out to watch your son play flag football, is pretty priceless. Now I have to admit, I had my doubts about him playing flag football. I mean, here I have been the past 6 years of his life telling him to be nice, don't push, keep your hands to yourself, yadda, yadda, yadda. Now, those rules don't apply for football and we're cheering him on to get the guys flags, block him, GET HIM!!! Oh boy, am I going to be one of those moms?!

It's pure comedy to watch as these kids are learning the game. Hayden comes out with a smile as he's bouncing on his tip toes. He imitiates the NFL and college games while watching them on TV. Last night, we had a practice and he couldn't quite get the running routine down. So maybe he won't be a running back? Oh well. He enjoys it and that's what matters. But, I've got to brag, once he got the running thing down, he caught the ball, first time - WOO HOO!!!!! That's my boy.

A pumpkin picking day at Greenbluff...

2008-10-12T07:16:00.001-07:00

Hayden's had to have weighed over 25 lbs - I think he switched to a different pumpkin!
Kennedy wanted a small one... go figure, she knew she had to carry it! :-)
At least I'm looking at the camera.
One final shot of the day, on our way to eat lunch at Red Robin!

For years I've heard about how great of a place Greenbluff Orchards is to go pick pumpkins, fresh fruit, whatever. Finally, yesterday, mom and I took the kids on the long jaunt to find those perfect pumpkins. First of all, we printed the map so that we wouldn't get lost. I had the bright idea of going through Rockford, which worked fine and dandy til I took the wrong turn and headed towards Sullivan rather than Argonne. (When will I finally know those streets in the Valley?) Anyhow, once we got on Argonne, it was smooth sailing and we finally hit Walter's. It was very busy and full of activities. Not only were there hundreds of pumpkins you could pick from, you could also go and pick your own apples if you wanted. We were going to, but after being there for a good couple of hours, we decided against it. From the pumpkin picking to the pony rides to the hay maze (I forgot I was allergic to hay until I started having a hard time breathing in there - lol!) and even the wiggle worm tractor ride, it was a great day! We bought over 50 lbs of pumpkins!!! The kids picked their perfect ones.

APHI 80th a success....

2008-10-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Off to the social at Prichard Art Gallery

A sign was made for us at the Club...

Me and Pilch---Love this girl!

Pledge Class of '92 at the dinner...

The 80th Anniversary celebration of Beta Zeta was a hit. Thankfully, it mostly went off without a hitch. I'm not exactly sure if the Vandal Trolley showed up, but other than that, it was pretty good. From the social, to the dinner and everything in between, APHI's from Idaho had a blast. I had too much of a blast and was a bit under the weather on Saturday, but other than that, all went well! Here are a few pictures from the memorable event!

Tap dance begins....

2008-10-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Big brother Hayden took this picture.

Her TAP SHOES!
Dancing with the ribbon sticks...

Kennedy started to actually "tap" last week. She LOVES it! This class is made of 3-4 year old girls. There are only 3 girls enrolled in the class (two girls actually listen while one other random is off doing her own thing and not getting disciplined by her mother.) Thankfully, this last class, the instructor finally said something to the mom, to basically take her home since she's distracting from the class - woo hoo!!! The girl was driving me nuts!

Anyway, Kennedy loves her tap shoes and enjoys dancing with her instuctor, Shelley. It's so great to watch her get creative!

Gearing Up....

2008-09-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, the week is upon me and I've got to admit, I'm excited to see my girlfriends this weekend at the Alpha Phi Beta Zeta 80th Anniversary Celebration. I've been planning it with another alum for over a year now and it's finally here! It's going to be so much fun getting together because every time we reunite, it's like we saw each other yesterday!

Now, I've got to also admit, my liver is nervous. I'm sure numerous tubs will be had at the local bar, the Corner Club... as well as a lot of laughs and good times! Let's see how well I bounce back after two nights/days back to back of this chaos and laughter. I can't wait to see everyone... some of these college friends are ones that will be in my life forever!

Our Little Tiger Scout...

2008-09-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Hayden - off to Tiger Scouts!
Is this a pose or what?!

....And we're off! Boy, what a start to the work week. Kennedy's dance lessons go from 4-4:45 and then Hayden has begun Tiger Scouts which are from 6:30-7:30 - on a school night! Ugh! But, here are a couple of pictures of him in his uniform. He was so excited to get his shirt and hat! I bought it big - no laughing - I didn't want to keep buying a new one year after year and figured that this one should last him til about 3rd grade at least! We'll see how we do when we have both of these things and then flag football as well next week!

I can completely see Hayden getting into this stuff... it's so fun to see your child light up with excitement because they actually enjoy something. Well, I get that a lot with Hayden, but what a moment....Tiger Scouts and it was HIS DECISION to do it! :-)

Miss K starts Dance Lessons!

2008-09-17T11:41:00.001-07:00

Well, last Monday we decided to try out dance lessons for K. She had her tap shoes ready, her leotard on and she was all set to start tapping! Well, little did I know that this class is also creative dance. She played with ribbon batons, body movements and danced to the beat. She loved it! We'll try it again this Monday and see how she likes it. This is the only person who teaches 3 year olds here in Moscow, and it's a hoot!

I-D-A-H-O!!!!

2008-09-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Kennedy wants NO part of Joe Vandal...

Kennedy and another future Vandal, Avery Barnes, Ryan's daughter.

You know it's football season when your kids start belting out the Idaho fight song! We'll go by the Kibbie Dome or the "I" tower and all of a sudden I'll hear K belting it out, "I-D-A-H-O, Idaho, Idaho, GO GO GO!!!" It's the funniest thing ever, and it's so great to hear! Yesterday mom and I took the kids to Vandalville (a prefunc gathering that is family friendly put on by the UI), then the football game - they won - yahoo! and then last, but not least, the VB game. It was a fun Vandal day. We didn't last long at the VB match, only due to the kids basically hitting their wall and they were pooped! Here are a couple of pics from the big day yesterday...

K's First day of Preschool!

2008-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Little Miss K all ready with her Hello Kitty lunch box!

Many people say she looks like me... I don't see it! LOL!

K in her classroom...

I honestly didn't think I'd be saying this when K was at the age of 3, but she had her first day of pre school yesterday and I think it was successful! She is excited to have teachers just like her big brother Hayden, and she has 3 of her friends in there from our former daycare. The only set back is that she had her first cold and therefore caused a pretty nice cough. But, thankfully, it seems as though she's getting better and her first day as a preschooler was a successful one!

Her Dora backpack is one of her favorites, and loves taking just bologna pieces for lunch. How crazy is that?! Mornings are busy at the Thompson house, but thankfully both kids like school and know the routine!

First Day of First Grade!

2008-08-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

H, K, and Me... ready to start the day!

His Football Backpack!

Love this pic!

Off to First Grade!

Day one of school and I managed to keep it together! H was so excited to go to school and daddy got to take him to his first day. I can't wait to hear all about how he did! We managed to be ready by 7:15 this morning... now if we could do that every morning, we'll be golden! Kennedy starts preschool next Tuesday... the schooling begins!

Swim Lessons

2008-08-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

The kids had swim lessons this summer during session 3 at the Hamilton Lowe Aquatic Center. I scheduled them for 7:15 in order for Bryan to be able to go after work and watch them swim. (Next year, I'm trying the 11:00 am sessions... 7:15 was way too close to bedtime!) Anyway, the lessons went well and H's instructors were quite surprised that he was only going into 1st grade. He passed with flying colors onto Frogs while Kennedy did a good job, she was the youngest in her Tadpole class and will do that for at least one more summer! Her male instructor frightened the bejesus out of her!!!! She only wanted to work with the "girl teachers!"

School Haircuts Photo Shoot....

2008-08-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Take one....

Take two....

Kennedy said something to Hayden that ticked him off....

Therefore, brother wants to wring sister's neck! LOL!

It's been long overdue since I've posted here. I took the kids downtown to our hair stylist so she can give them an updated "do" for school. Kennedy had at least 2 inches taken off, and Hayden just needed a trim around the ears. (And she still charged me full price, I was kind of irritated.) Anyway, they are ready for school! Aside from getting H's school supplies and getting mentally ready for both to start this fall, we'll rarin' and ready to go.

Lemonade 4 Sale!

2008-08-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

K and H waiting for their first customer! It was a hot day - luckily we found

this camper to give us some shade on the corner!

Frustrated that not everyone was stopping to buy some!

Last Thursday Hayden had his very first lemonade sale! It was quite a sight to see him get all geared up for this. He made the lemonade sign, had the idea for it and wanted to even charge for water! (Is this a future entrepreneur?) Anyhow, daddy and I helped him make his lemonade and take his stand down to the neighborhood corner. He made over $4.00!!! It was very sweet and something we will probably do in the near future before school starts. Makes me realize that I need to stop at every lemonade or kool aid stand I see! (On a side note - we sold completely out of lemonade) Although, Kennedy helped herself to a glass and poured out a good 1/4 of the pitcher on the table before anyone even showed up! LOL!

My Lil' Cook

2008-07-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Flour, everywhere - that nose just must have gotten in the way of her putting the flour in the bowl!

Today was a day to bake some chocolate chip cookies. Kennedy is always wanting to help. When I looked over, she basically had flour everywhere. Luckily, the cookies turned out delish!

Geese!!!

2008-07-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Notice how close K was standing to mom! There was a gosling we were feeding, right side of the pic.
They followed us up on the road...

Yesterday mom took us down to Lewiston to finally pick up the kids' pictures that were taken last month. (Our car is on the fritz). So, we picked the pictures up which turned out great, hit Zany's for lunch and then walked through Ross to shop a bit. After all of that, we grabbed our loaves of bread and headed to feed the ducks and geese. Boy, were they ready! I can't believe how close they came to us... Kennedy and Hayden were both a bit nervous. I was even a bit on the nervous side. One goose took a piece of bread out of Hayden's hand, even! The ducks are fine, but when geese come up to me, it freaks me out a bit. I took the kids finally up above where the trail is and they followed us there. Here are a couple of pictures of yesterday's goose adventure!

Day Lily....

2008-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day but I couldn't resist. Bry and I just redid a little landscaping project - and it was mini - but we finished it. Well, mostly I did. But, day lily's were planted and I'm so excited about the color that I picked... it's beautiful and it's finally blooming!

An outing to Red Barn Farms...

2008-07-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

This afternoon after playing in the pool all morning long, mom and I took the kids to Red Barn Farms. I've talked of this place before. It's a beautiful farm out by Colton, Washington. I love to take the kids there to pick their pumpkins for the fall. Anyway, they had a bunch of great antique vendors there and stuff for the kids to do. A jumping castle, Kids Korner (which gave me a grand idea to make something for the kids - hopefully more to follow) and then of course, music. The musician was a friend of mine from high school. The one and only, Douglas Cameron. He was touched that we made it and his music sounded great! We had a great time while enjoying a hay ride that took us around the farm and we even fed their fish in their pond. Perfect.

Let's Swim!

2008-07-22T08:06:00.001-07:00

H and K gearing up for the good picture....

H and K - the good picture! Happy Swimming!

Yesterday started the beginning of H and K's two week swim lesson session. We signed up for the 7:15 pm slot so that Bry could attend and help out. Luckily, their classes are close by each other so I can walk on the catwalk there and see both kids learn from their teachers! I honestly think K is the youngest one in her class, but one of her teachers told me she's just fine. She even did a back float all by herself! YEAH!

Hayden is so much more comfortable in the water this year. He's also doing a good job and it's so fun to watch them learn from another individual. We just need to get H to straighten his legs a bit more when he kicks. Right now he looks like a flopping dolphin! LOL! Here are a couple of pictures before we headed off to the pool last night!

Girls Weekend '08!

2008-07-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

Barb and I on the boat....

At the Boathouse.....

Each year a group of us girlfriends from high school get together for a weekend filled with good times, many laughs and a lot of fun! We had our weekend up at Hayden Lake at Jamie's cabin. What a beautiful place! We had so much fun getting together and laughing at one another's antics! It's always so great to be able to pick up where we left off. This weekend we rode "Maebelle" and the "Red Shark," had drinks at The Boathouse and enjoyed a good time. It definitely went by too quickly but it is so good to have such great friends in my life!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T09:21:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Dave, Hayden and Kennedy before the Sole Survivor.

The Thompson Family attempting the 3-legged race. Kennedy and mommy came in last.

The golf cart Grandpa Dave rented - Hayden drove.....

Hayden, Kennedy and Gram!

Hayden and Kennedy before Sole Survivor @ the Elks!

Our July 4th was a fantastic one. We celebrated by going out to the Elks golf course and partook (is that a word?) in the kids games before the actual golf tournament started at 2. Dad ended up renting a golf cart which was one brilliant idea. We managed to keep the kids quiet til about the 3rd hole when Kennedy decided she didn't want to whisper anymore and pulled her "independent card" on me. About the fourth hole, we decided to pack up and get ready for our bbq. It was such a good time from the relay races to mommy entering the longest drive competition. What was I thinking? I haven't hit a golf club in over a year... a few swings and misses.... and some public humiliation, but at least I kept it on the green.

Mom came over for a bbq and we hung out on our deck while enjoying one another's company. It was a fantastic holiday and one that we're sure to never forget. Happy 4th!

Grandpa Dave and Meredith come to town.....

2008-07-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

Dad and Meredith at Patty's Kitchen

Kennedy... peek a boo!
Hayden - say cheese!

The hot weather hits Moscow as Dad and Meredith pull into town. They arrived Sunday (early, I might add - the kids and I were still at the pool). It's been fun and relaxing having them here. We went to a local favorite last night, Patty's Kitchen. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed the nice weather in their outside patio/dining area. I love that the kids can walk around and hang out while waiting for their meal to arrive.

We managed to take in the pool yesterday and dad had so much fun, he wants to go back for more today. Although, a side note, Hayden is now tall enough for the "big" slides which puts this mom at a bit of an uncomfort level. For instance, yesterday, he wasn't in sight, I started to wander around looking for him, only to see his hawaiian blue shorts up on top with the other big kids waiting his turn for the slides. Great. I've created a slide monster. I had to remind him to let me know when he decides to go up to the slides....

Dad even went down the tube slide with Hayden and he swears he won't do it again today, saying he's too sore. We'll see what the day brings!

Farmer's Market

2008-06-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Kennedy on the play structure....

Daddy and Kennedy!

Hayden, waiting his turn on the bar.

Yeah! The weather finally cooperated for us to hit the farmer's market. It was such a beautiful day, the four of us decided to take full advantage of it. Actually, it's a habit of mine to visit Cottonwood Creek flowers to get a fresh bouquet to put in the house - and THEN we can hit the play structure. :-) Now it's become tradition to hit up Hodgins toy store after the market... and Hayden wants to get a new train every time! Sorry, honey. Not a chance. Anyway, I'm hoping the weather will stay this way for the rest of the summer. I'm ready to get that tan I have lost from our Arizona trip!

A trip to Boise

2008-06-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Jamie and I flew down to Boise to see the girls from college, and to attend a wedding while we were there. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs! We laughed so hard til our stomachs hurt! It was great to see everyone but we were ready to get back home to be "mom" again on Sunday. Here are a few pics from the trip!

Toenails and Nail polish....

2008-05-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well, this is what I get. This is what I get for thinking that my daughter was doing what she was supposed to be doing. It was awfully quiet in the house and I was busy putting clothes away. Hayden was playing, when it dawned on me, I hadn't heard Kennedy's voice for a while. Well, out I walk into the living room, only to see Kennedy busy painting her toes. Oh boy, did she do a good job! Thankfully, it didn't land on the carpet, only her feet and her face. Here are two pictures of her first experience painting her nails. One of her beautiful foot, the other of her "sad face" that she made when she got into trouble. (She's making this on her own. I took a pic of her foot and then she said, "take one of my sad face mommy sicne I was in trouble.) Oh boy, just wait til she's a teenager!

My Goddaughter, Isabella

2008-05-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Recently we went to Arizona and got to see one of my best friends from college, Char. She recently had a baby girl on February 9 (One month from my birthday!) and I finally got to meet this little one. I've seen picture after picture but never got to hold her in person. After dinner, Isabella gave me a gift. I was snuggling with this little one and trying to take in every moment while I could. Of course, I had no idea what it was, but started to open it and saw it was a picture of her on each card she gave me. In each picture she was holding a sign, "Will, You, Be, My, Godmother?!" I, of course, starting crying after about the word YOU.

I was touched, and very honored to be asked to be this little one's godmother. What an honor! She's so precious and little miss Kennedy adored her and wanted to hold her at all times!!! She even sang songs to her!

Bloomsday - it came and went....

2008-05-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

(I'm sure I'm in this picture somewhere!!!)

Well, we did it! We beat our time by 7 minutes from last year (we weren't trying and were TOTALLY out of shape!) but it was a definite good time! Bloomsday is such a fun event, I believe this is our 7th or 8th year... maybe 9th? I took a couple of years off after having Hayden and Kennedy - go figure. But, overall, we've always had a good time and a lot of laughs!

This year we stayed downtown at the Doubletree. What a treat! It was so nice to be right there downtown among the action and not have to worry about finding a parking spot and then walking at least a mile before the big race! Maybe next year I'll actually start training for it....oh, that's what I say every year! LOL!