That's my baby.....

A little late but let's celebrate the birth of middle child syndrome in the Thompson house.  He did get to enjoy being the youngest for 2 years before Emily arrived and killed all his dreams of remaining the youngest forever.  I can't believe he is FOURTEEN years old!!  It seems like just yesterday I was climbing into the playground at McDonald's to help him find his way out!  He is a thoughtful boy with a tender heart, who quotes movie lines, loves to tell jokes, and  yell at the TV to help his football teams out.  We call him the Great Debater.  He would argue with a fence post!  In that way, he reminds me so much of John's dad.  (It's like having a little bit of Tom with us still.)  He's an awesome kid!  So glad he's ours!  (Picture me tearing me up here and dabbing my eyes with a tissue!)  

The Nutcracker

Emily loves dance and theater.  We went to see the Nutcracker this year.  What a grand place.  It's such a beautiful place.  It's fun just wandering around admiring the building, the beautiful architecture, the grand staircase, all the pretty dresses.  We even had a driver!  Let us out right at the front door.  Who's the best daddy in the world?  Emily does!  We shared a BIG cookie during intermission.  Good memories.  And now Emily has her own Nutcracker so she can daydream about her prince charming.  Can't wait to go back again this year!

Hear ye hear ye.....

There will now be law and order in Thompson Snow Village.  Da dum.  Did you just do that noise in your head from the Law and Order show?  That is the first thing I did when I pulled this cute little Police Station out of it's box.  We have warned all the residents of Snow Village to keep their noses clean or else.  I LOVE getting these little houses every year.  Love setting them all up every year and looking at them when all the lights are out.  It puts me in a happy place.  I have had a hard time making myself put them away this year.

I have been so bad about posting the last couple of months.  Christmas was fantastic for us.  Everyone loved their presents and we had great family time.  We had sea food for Christmas dinner this year.  It was fun to try something different.  I have started my new job and that has been a bigger transition than I realized it would be.  Nothing too traumatizing....just no fun being new at something.  New Nurse Practitioner graduate, new computer system, blah, blah, blah....  But enough about me.  Let's talk about the kids.  I actually don't have too much new to report.  John is doing a fantastic job driving us around.  And an even better job tolerating me being in the car, having a panic attack over every little thing he does while he's driving.  If he wrecks the car, I'm certain it will be because I distracted him by panicking.  Ethan has started football practice already.  HOLY COW!  Already??  But it keeps him busy.  He has had an easy schedule at school this semester.  The next one will be more challenging.  Emily is busy dancing around and singing.  Her Christmas concert was fabulous!  Oh wait....did I post that Emily had joined the Honor's Chorus??  I'm not sure.  Well, if I didn't....she did.  And she sounds like a beautiful little bird.  She may be TOO busy.  John is doing a bang up job carting everyone to and fro since I have started working.  Making dinner, doing laundry....well, he did all that anyway....I am a lucky girl.

AND....AND......we are going to Texas this summer.  Hippy, Hippy!  (Emily used to say that instead of hip hip hooray and we have all said it ever since)  We are going to spend some time in Palestine and then head down to South Padre Island for some very VERY much needed beach time.  Looking forward to it, I am.

Emily and I just read the sequel to Oragami Yoda, so I have Yoda stuck in my head today.  It's called Darth Paper Strikes Back.  And, sadly, not as good as the first.  Still fun to read.

This.....

.....is how we start the week at the Thompson house.  Or I should say this is how Kathy starts the week at the Thompson house.  I should be ashamed.....