It's A....... Drumroll Please!

BOY! I wish I had some pictures to post, but my scanner is out of commission for the time being. Yesterday August 26, 2009 Mike and I took the kids to Womb With A View to meet our little one on the way. Right away we were told it was a boy. Brenden jumped up and did a little "victory dance." Sophia joined in with the cabbage patch singing : "go mommy, go mommy!" It was a fun experience. The woman doing the ultrasound told us: "This baby has really big lips!" We just laughed. (Yeah, that runs in this family) It's hard to say for sure, but from what I saw, this little fella looks a lot like his older brother; and you know, I'm okay with that...

Back to School!

August 20, 2009 It's time for the Thompson kids to head back to school. This year Paris is a 3rd grader, Brenden is a 2nd grader, and little Sophie is a Kinder! They woke up early, scarfed down breakfast and headed for the door as fast as they could. They were in anxious anticipation to see their friends and classrooms that they'd been missing all summer long. Sophia has been hanging around Knights Ferry with her big brother and sister since she was two years old; so her first day was not intimidating to say the least. She already has tons of friends that she knows and was ready to play with. She was even selected to take the lunch count to the office since she was such a "pro" at knowing the layout of the school!

Sophie the Big Girl

August 19, 2009: Sophia Jade officially turns 5 years old! As is tradition on fifth birthdays in our little family, she received her very own "big kid" bike. Her favorite color is purple, so she was very happy to have a pink and purple bike that is all her own. I baked her a cake exactly as she directed. She requested triple chocolate chunk with homemade chocolate frosting in the shape of a donut. She asked for "pan-a-tates" for dinner, so we went to Denny's and shared a grand slam. After dinner we went to the local theater to watch G-force. The kids loved it. Can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore.

The Twin Cousins Turn 5!

August 15th, 2009: Layla and Sophia celebrate their 5th birthdays. The theme was unique and the girls came up with it all on their own. Layla wanted a mermaid party and Sophia has been asking for months for a Hawaiian Luau party. So, Brookie and I combined the themes and the outcome was beautiful! Brookie and Layla worked together to make adorable mermaid napkin holders, and Sophia and I made Hawaiian themed gift bags. We served "beachy" treats from sand toys and decorated the table with palm trees, glitter, and shells. Brooke (as always) came up with some cute cupcake ideas. There were mermaid cupcakes, shark cupcakes, and sand cupcakes. As if all of that was not enough, Brookie and Rachel made "kool aid" margaritas for the kids too! (kool aid and crushed ice in cute little cups with straws and umbrellas.) The kids took turns splashing in the pool and jumping on the trampoline. There was plenty of fun to be had. We went home tired from a day full of fun, sun, and sugar!

Thompson Family Reunion 2009

This year's reunion kicked off with a BBQ and swim party at Kori and Eddie's house. It was a bit cold and breezy, but that didn't stop the kids from jumping in the water! Eddie worked his magic on the BBQ and we all went home with full happy bellies. Thanks guys, it was a lot of fun!

Friday night we all gathered at Noah and Heather's house. We pitched our tents on their lawn and settled in for a weekend of fun. We set up an outside theater with a projector and screen. Rachel brought an old fashioned movie theater popcorn popper and we served fresh popcorn and licorice while watching a movie under the stars.

Saturday was a day of sun and water. Some of us went to the lake and played on jet skis, and some of us floated down the Merced river. At the end of the day we gathered again at Noah and Heather's house for dinner. After dinner we performed skits and then settled in for another movie under the stars. This time we watched old home movies from when we were little. It was a great evening.

Sunday marked the last day of our reunion. We ate breakfast together, cleaned up our messes, and headed over to the lake for the day. It was a hot day so the water was a welcomed relief. All weekend long the cousins played together and enjoyed each other's company.

Sweet, Simple, Summer...

This has been the simplest of summers. The kids and I have spent most days at home, cleaning, playing, working. Today, I wanted to do things a little differently. I set up paint and paper outside and told them to be creative. The paint kept them busy for a couple of hours, and by the end, they had painted each other's faces. Then, following lunch I took them down to the community pool for a dip. The weather has been pretty nice lately, so they got cold pretty quick. Since the pool had lost it's luster, we walked over to the adjacent park and played awhile. Yes, it was a simple day, but sometimes, those are the best.