all fall down

This one I had on FB a while ago.  You get knocked down, but you get up again!

More snow is coming our way, yeah!
 

Kid Rooms Continue

Guys, you haven't seen some cute updates to the kids rooms in a while.

 

In January, Lena made this model of the Solar System.  Also, her hibernating/dead (we're not yet sure) wooly bear caterpillar is living in the butterfly net house. 

The planets glow in the dark!

She is really loving the IKEA dishes she got for Christmas.  You can see the overhead projector on the shelf, too.

The boys' rooms have super great matching quilts which are this day loaded under other blankets.  But they LOVE their shelves for display.  PJ is itching for a lamp like Jack has.  I have it in the closet, but I think not yet.

I love their Pinterest inspired string art initials behind each bed. 

 

I did it on two panels of wood rather than on the wall.

I hung some photos of the boys and Paul along with the bow that Jack & Paul made at LWBC's father son weekend.  Also, PJ's alphabet poster from Christmas 2011.

 

Come & see for yourself!

takes four

Takes at least four shots to get a good one of this kid sometimes! 
 

Round and Round Again...

This guy is with his Dad-i-o this weekend for Father/Son Retreat at camp.  You wouldn't believe how the dishes and garbage pile up when this kid isn't around!!!!  Ha ha, but that's not the only reason I miss him being gone! 

A few weekends ago he took a day and a half to put together this Ferris wheel.  Besides being quality control, I didn't help at all.  I know all my kids are bright, but Jack is extremely well read.  Though he doesn't always have proper pronunciation, his vocabulary is scary big. 

Watching him do this project, though, is a good example of even a bright kid needing training in patience, diligence and persistence.  Diligence, in particular is a character quality I pray often for Jack. 

But a good kid, a really good kid....

 

 

keep 'em laughing

The library breathes a sigh of relief as soon as we walk in the door.  Or is it when we walk out?


What do you want on your tombstone?

You can see this little table I pull out for PJ while we're doing school work.  He has his own "desk" and works right by us (but not on top of us!).  This day he was playing with a felt pizza making kit.  Lena and I spent a bit of time last summer making some fun baggies of felt fun like this.  PJ's desk is a new addition to our school room since Christmas and it is working really well.

Also working well...I packed away 5 different toy backpacks and bins.  We pull one out each day for PJ to play with while I read to the kids.  That way he is right by us and included, but not interrupting.  So far...working great!

We have been over fevers for 48 hours from Influenza A and I'm so grateful for restored health.  We had a family movie night tonight and it was snuggly and fun.  Now Jack is curled up with a new Rick Riordan book and I'm catching up on down time where I sit on the couch and try to stay awake until a decent hour to go to bed!

Thanks for all the prayers and support sent our way during illness!

the goose that laid the golden egg

Poor girl.  When parents take photos like this, I always think "That kid is going to love that one on the poster board at their high school graduation!"  They are usually naked pics of toddlers in the bath tub, though.  Is this any better!!

 

Winners like these...

Happy Thanksgiving....from our turkeys to yours!

 

bubble

Saturday night bath night, yeah!
 

in her own world

Lena is doing so much growing lately...in all ways.  She's making progress daily with her education and on a constant path to maturity in many emotional and personal areas.  I've been meaning to write pages and pages on the way she's doing so great.  But for now, I only have the time to say "Wow"!  What an awesome privilege to be her Mom and have a front row seat for a fun ride!!
 

Playing the Games!

 

 

The kids and I spent an hour hanging out at camp before lunch recently.  While the kids played, I drug everything out of the game cabinet and went to reorganize.  It's my gift, really...organization.  It's a DNA thing...the need to dump out something and put it back. (tongue in cheek...)

When the kids tired of their games, they came over and helped me stack stuff back in and throw away garbage.

I'm sure it lasted, like, 24 hours before it was a jumble again.  It is a well loved and oft used place at camp to hang out.  Not just for camp kids, but guests as well!

 

 It's good, though, to pass on these obsessive compulsive, I mean, awesome abilities to the next generation!!!

 

riddle me this...

:: GUESS ::

 

 

:: WHO ::

 

Nintendo 3D

 

 

Imagination Station

 

It tickles my funny bone no end to watch this kid play by himself. 

 

Is it tether ball or a maypole?

 

 



two

 

Someday life will be all WORDS and no KID PICTURES, but for now, you have to be grateful for what you get!

This photo was a few weeks ago.  It reflected a really great week for Lena & PJ adventuring outside.  They were playing so great together!  It takes an exact combination of PJ's willingness to follow and Lena's gentle leading.  This week...well, it was a rainy week, I think they had less room to spread out!

He is lucky to have her as a big sister, though, because she is a sister with BIG ideas!!!  And she can now graciously laugh when she tells a joke or story and he repeats or requests the same thing as her.  I say quietly so only she can hear "Here comes Monkey Do" (as in, monkey see monkey do)!

Two monkeys in these pictures, anyway!



 

books outside

 

books r us

 

So many books, so little time!

 

Jackson and I have been busting through our stash of chapter books for the year.  I read from one of them to him each night.  He reads a bit from several each day (then usually insists that I MUST read this one...it is SO good!)  Because he is studying the Eastern Hemisphere this year, they are focused on Asian people groups thus far.

 

This is not to say that he's given up Garfield completely...just focusing more efforts on enjoyable and valuable reading rather than just reading for the sake of enjoyment!

 

Jackson was recently heard saying to a friend "The author of that one is on the New York Time's bestseller list." 

 

This from the same kid who recently declared "We're having a revolution...The Thompson kids are revolting!" (Clearly, he was not thinking of ALL the definitions for the word.)

 

 

Beginner's Luck

 

 

 

Are we too cool for school?  Eh, let's go mini golfing.

No, really, though.  School has gotten off to such an amazing start this year!  I'd say we always enjoy the "back to school in the fall" phase, but this year we just hit our groove so easily.

Our pre-set curriculum has helped in that regard.  Also, because we started slowly back to work in August, we have been able to add one thing on more each week until we hit the full pull of academics.

I have had some tired kids at the end of the days, too.  After a rigorous school schedule and then just enjoying the mostly warm days, they are done by nightfall!

As always, I feel like now, no matter what curve balls we might encounter through the year, having a good start keeps us feeling positive and confident to make it through to the end!  But we're not even looking toward the end of this year, we're having too much fun in the now!

 

 

 

Not Living Water

Do not drink the water!!!

This week I've spent some time tearing down the garden.  I've taken down the cuke and zuke vines, as well as the beans.  I dug up my first potatoes yesterday.  It's the first time I've ever grown them and it has been a really cool thing to dig up and find little treasures.  I feel Irish or something...relying heavily on the potato harvest this winter!

PJ was helping, well, sort of!