The Thompson Five

Update of 2008

2009-01-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

OK, OK! I've finally done some updating to our blog... and I realized it's a bummer that I haven't kept up on it because there are so many pictures that I would like to post of all the fun stuff we've been up to in the past 6 months but that would just be TOO MUCH! So, here's a brief synapsis of the end of 2008...

Tom & Mick going to Tom's work Christmas party. Mick even got to wear Daddy's cologne!!!

Christmas Eve, all of us in our new Christmas Jammies

We only use Mrs. Butterworth's syrup, and we all talk to her as we eat (she talks back, ya know!) So this day, Mick saw the 2 bottles on the counter and he exclaimed, "Mrs Butterworth! There's another Mrs. Butterworth next to you and SHE'S STANDING ON HER HEAD!!!" He was totally serious and quite concerned about it. It was so hilarious, I made Mick go stand next to it so I could take a picture and never forget that funny moment. Just thought I'd share it with you..

Kaneohe Christmas Parade with some of our favorite friends...

The Seegers & The Tumilowicz's

It was POURING rain and Mick wanted to go play in the puddles

Our lawn area had turned into Thompson Lake!!

Halloween 2008

Mick the Pirate, Melissa the Princess, Mommy the Queen!

Mick's PE class - his first time playing kickball.

Check out the view of the mountains - Beautiful!

Melissa riding Banjo the horse

(Melissa's favorite thing to do is ride horses and she dreams about them every night)

Making Froot Loop Necklaces and Eating them!

Melissa on her bike

Mick's Pirate Party...AAARGH!!!

2008-07-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

For Mick's 4th Birthday party, we had his party on the Glass Bottom Boat. The boat goes out on Kaneohe Bay, has glass windows on the bottom that you can look through and see all the fish on the reef, and then they take you out to feed the fish and turtles. While we were out there a Big'ol Honkin' Hammerhead shark swam by! I was glad we were on the boat!

Mama & Papa Pirate

Pirate Melissa!Maile & Makayla & MickThe Swabees! Melissa is such a serious pirate... Daddy's looking at the fish through the window...Mick is just happy to be here!! Me & my pirates!"LOOK! OVER THERE! It's a HAMMERHEAD SHARK!!"My Pirate Men!Love the singing but I'm ready to blow out the candles and eat the cake! My Happy Boy...The Thompson Family of Pirates!

Mick's 4th Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese!

2008-07-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

On June 27, Mick turned 4! Daddy had been away for the previous 9 days on a business trip, and returned on Mick's birthday! Mick was so excited! So we picked up Daddy at the airport and met the Seeger family at Chuck E. Cheese! It was pretty fun - when we first got there it was pretty empty so the kids had the run of the place. When it came time for the birthday cupcakes, Chuck E. came out and sang to Mick with a group of people. He was pretty excited about that! We had a great time, and Daddy survived the evening - after flying 8 1/2 hours PLUS the 6 hour time difference!Mick riding the Wave RunnerPlaying in the ballsDriving the trolleyTrying to reach the pedals to play the car game! Funny!

Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens

2008-07-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

We went on a summer field trip with our school to the local botanical gardens. It was really cool - we got to go fishing in their lake! We didn't catch anything, but this lady did and was nice enough to let us hold the fish and feel it.
After fishing, I got this cool picture of the kids with the Ko'olaus behind them. It was a beautiful place!

Swimming with the Seegers!

2008-07-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

We went to our good friend's house, the Seeger's, for a nice day of fun in the sun! We had a great time swimming in their pool and playing on their waterslide-as you can tell by the smiles! After, we had a nice picnic lunch
We had a great time with our great friends Ashley, Makayla, & Maile!

Just Hangin Out

2008-07-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

One day when we were on our way to Safeway, and we all got our shoes on and stuff ready, I turned to look at Melissa and this was what she looked like...

Here's Mick sitting on top of our fence in front of our house

This was Mick's first time in a hot tub - he liked it!

Vacation Bible School

2008-07-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

This year we got to Vacation Bible School. We had so much fun! Mick got to go with the preschoolers and hang out with them , sing songs, do crafts, play, etc. And Melissa and I stayed in the child care room. We had lots of fun in there too! When Mick's group went to the sanctuary to sing, I would grab Melissa and we'd go sing with them. The songs have become the most requested CD around here lately, it's great to hear the kids singing about Jesus - I love it!

Here's the whole group. I told Tom it was like their first "Hume Lake" experience!

Melissa having fun with her friends under falling balloons!

Mick dancing with his group

Melissa playing in a laundry basket

Mick hangin (well, climbing!) with his friends

Mick & Melissa dancing togetherEvery day they missed eachother so much! They were so happy to see eachother, they gave eachother a big hug! What a blessing for a Mom's heart...

Sunset on Kaneohe Bay

2008-06-20T01:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most gorgeous things about Hawaii is the sunsets. Watching the sun go down over the Ko'olau mountains while on a boat on Kaneohe Bay brings a whole new dimension to the sunset! It's indescribable! And not easily captured on camera. I tried...and here's what I got.

We had a great time on the sandbar! (the day before there was a school of sharks in this very spot - I was a bit nervous but was assured that all would be OK - and it was)

Mick is all things pirate these days, and he had a great time climbing on & off the boat!!!

Another "Aaaaah" Moment in Beautiful Hawaii!

Mick's Pre-Birthday Celebration!

2008-06-20T01:20:00.000-07:00

Our friends Auntie Christine, Kawika & Kanoa threw Mick a pre-birthday celebration since they won't be here for his actual 4th BDay. We had such a great day!

Started out opening presents...they got Mick his first pair of Tabi's (water shoes) and a fishing net!
Then we all got in their canoe and paddled over to Secret Island. The water was perfect - all the kids could stand up and Auntie Christine caught some fish and crabs and put them in a bucket for viewing.

Here's Kanoa, Mick & Kawika on the surfboard
Mick pulling Melissa Mick was paddling himself around on the surfboard. It was his first time using a real paddle and he did very well! Kawika giving Melissa a ride
Mick giving Kanoa & Melissa a ride in the canoe. Check out the gorgeous backdrop! We got back in the canoe and paddled over to the beach part of the island. It was great for swimming and Mick got on a surfboard for the first time! WOW! After a walk around the island and having a blast at the beach, we headed back to their house. They had made a rice krispie cake for Mick - complete with candles and singing and everything! Mick was so excited! He got to help make ice cream, and for the finale, we all got to watch the Popcorn machine make popcorn!
It was a wonderful pre-birthday celebration, Thanks Auntie Christine, Kawika & Kanoa! We love you guys!

Kualoa Ranch

2008-06-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

We went horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch and had so much fun! Melissa was so excited, she is STILL talking about "horsies!"

The horse's name was Max. Now all horsies are Max!

The Zoo!

2008-06-20T00:23:00.001-07:00

We went to the Honolulu Zoo with our good friends Auntie Christine & Kawika & Kanoa. We had a great time!
I love the "behind" pictures!

Mick & KawikaKawika, Kanoa, & Mick in the fishbowl

Try and get 4 kids in a Lion's mouth to ALL SMILE! Melissa was NOT happy about this situation at all!

Since she couldn't ride the REAL elephants, she decided this one would do...

The kids had a great time climbing this really cool Banyan Tree.

We saw this sign as we were leaving...

Yeah, RIGHT!!!!

Keiki o Ka ' Aina

2008-06-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

This past year we have been able to attend a Hawaiian Immersion School called Keiki o Ka' Aina (Children of the Land) We had a great year - the kids loved going there! We met lots of very cool people who we've enjoyed getting to know. We've also learned a lot of Hawaiian - words, culture, etc. It's great for the kids - AND me!

Here's some pictures of us at school

Mick...climbing trees!

Time for our Oli!

This is our good friend, Auntie Christine holding Melissa and holding her son Kanoa's hand.

Kanoa & Mick playing blocks. "Wow, this is taller than us, Mom!"

Wanna knock it down?

Our graduation "ceremony" was held at Glow Putt - a glow in the dark mini golf place.

Mick is proud of his "diploma" AND his cool glow-in-the-dark bracelet!

Mick & Melissa had a great time golfing (or trying to!)

We did get a few hole-in-one's!

YAY!

This is our Kumu (teacher), Alveena

We're excited to be going back to Keiki o Ka 'Aina next year!

Hangin' with the Seeger Girls!

2008-06-11T00:50:00.001-07:00

We had dinner with the Seeger girls at California Pizza Kitchen and the kids had a great time playing on this fountain!

Climbing the Ladder!

2008-06-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, Tom was pruning the mango tree.

Mick couldn't WAIT to climb the ladder!

This gives a bit of perspective as to how high they were!

Of course, Melissa has to follow in her brother's footsteps - literally!

I made Daddy fold the ladder in 1/2 and make it only 6 feet tall!
Daddy is their HERO!

Back Home and Lovin' It!

2008-05-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

It's nice to go on vacation, but it's nice to be back home. While we were on vacation we worked on potty training Melissa. (The cottage has wood floors - much easier to clean than my carpets!) We got over most of the tough part and now that we're home she's doing very well. We've gone 3 days with no accidents, and SHE has been the one to tell ME that she has to go potty. That's pretty exciting not to have anyone in diapers anymore!

Mick is happy to be able to ride his tractor again - Daddy fixed it so it goes 4 MPH now (it used to only go 2MPH) and Mick ZOOMS all over the yard! Melissa can drive it pretty good too now, although I try to keep it in the 2MPH position for her - although she loves to go fast!

Here's Mick driving his tractor

Melissa's Turn!

On Thursday night, Daddy surprised us and took us to the 50th State Fair. It was opening night and everything was $1. We had a GREAT time - this was our favorite - the Tilt-a-Whirl. Since it was only $1. we rode it 3 times. All 4 of us were cracking up during the entire ride! Mick & Melissa got to ride the Merry-Go-Round, drive a helicopter, drive a boat, be in a Circus (Melissa got to be a ballerina), and Daddy & Mick went on the Ferris Wheel (Mommy's too scared). It was an awesome night, even if we didn't get home 'til 10! We love your spontaneity, Daddy!

Here's us on the Tilt-A-Whirl

Here's the kids driving the boat

The next morning, bright and early, I took the kids to Sea Life Park. We had a good time but we were tired and happy to come home and take naps!

Our Kauai Vacation...May 2008

2008-05-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Thompson Ohana at the Grand Canyon of Kauai

Tom's work holds conferences on the island of Kauai, so we make a family vacation out of it. We flew over on a Friday afternoon and came home the following Thursday afternoon. The flight is 22 minutes long. The kids were so excited to go on an airplane and be at the airport watching all the planes! After about 15 minutes of being on the plane, Melissa said, "I'm done! I'm done with the airplane now Mommy!" Luckily there was only a few minutes left! Could you imagine if we flew to the mainland?! That's a 5 hour flight! Guess we won't be doing THAT any time soon!

We stayed in a wonderful Plantation Cottage - a complete 2 bedroom house (cottage) surrounded by lots of trees and the ocean. We spent most of our time playing outside on the grass, climbing trees, swimming in the pool, swinging in the hammocks, taking walks, and the highlight of the trip for the kids was the Bathtub! Our bathtub has had a leak and we haven't used it in almost 2 years so the kids take showers every day. To have a big bath tub and be able to play with toys - WOW!!! What a Joy! (Daddy fixed our bathtub the first weekend we were home and now it is incorporated into our daily routine! The kids are thrilled to have their OWN BATHTUB!! Who could imagine?!)

In fact, most of my pictures of the trip are of them in the bath!

Here's Melissa at the airport...Ready To Go!

The best part of the vacation...the Bathtub!!!

My nephew Dan & his wife Chrisy informed me that they were coming to Hawaii - they'd be on Oahu one day and the rest of the time on Kauai. The timing was perfect...I picked them up at the airport, brought them to my house, showed them around real quick, we all packed into the car, Dan drove us back to the airport and dropped us off, and they were able to drive our car and sleep at our house. The next day they flew to Kauai - which we were already there. We got to see them a couple times and that was a real blessing - they are a real neat couple. It would have been nice if they had their kids with them (for us anyway!) so we could get to know them as well. Seeing them made me miss being in California closer to our family...but this is the way it is and we have a wonderful life here in Hawaii. God has truly blessed us!

This is Dan & Chrisy with Mick & Melissa

Mommy & her Babies!

Mick going swimming...OOPS! He forgot to take off his shirt!

Gramma & Auntie Maureen came to Visit!

2008-05-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Gramma Joan and Auntie Maureen came to visit at the end of April. The kids loved having them here. Every day when they would come over, Mick would tell them, "I have a surprise for you!" and it would be one of his toys, or a book, or something of his. One day, the surprise was Daddy! :-) We did a few touristy things and spent time at home so they could get to know the kids better. We had a great time! Here's a few highlights...

Gramma & Melissa hanging out at our BBQWe went on a really cool tour of the Mac.Nut farm. It starts out with a bus ride, then a Polynesian show with a fire dance, etc.,then a boat ride, and back on the bus.

We had a great time!

Melissa decided she would be the Bus Driver that day.

The passengers weren't all that thrilled at the idea!Mick and Gramma at the back of the busMick getting a handful of fresh coconut. Our friend Kanoa and Melissa waiting for their turns

Mick thought it would be nice to share with all the Japanese-speaking tourists. They got a KICK out of him! He went to all of them and offered them coconut - unless they already had some, then he would tell them no. The Japanese people loved him, quite a few of them were taking his picture, and he would just smile at them and offer them coconut!

What a sweetie!

Mick loves hula dancers! Here he got to pose with one - she's a CUTIE!

We went swimming in the ocean at Turtle Bay and had a wonderful time! Here's Auntie Maureen and Melissa

Mommy & Melissa's Birthdays!

2008-05-24T18:39:00.001-07:00

My birthday is 3 days before Melissa's and the same day as Melissa's best friend, Maile's. So on my birthday I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese with the Seeger Girls. Melissa had been battling some kind of stomach virus, and threw up in the car on the way there. We pulled over in front of very nice people's house and they let me borrow their hose, gave me a garbage bag, and even had an extra outfit for Melissa! We DID go to Chuck E. Cheese but Melissa didn't have as much fun as she could have. Poor Girl!

Here's our family...

But thank goodness she was all better by HER birthday - 3 days later. We had a small BBQ at the house just with a few friends. Melissa was SO excited the whole day!

She absolutely LOVED having her friends sing to her, and blowing out her candles!

Proud Mommy & Daddy!

I LOVE this picture, Melissa is CRACKING UP and I think you can tell! She is such a goofy girl, she is always laughing and she talks like crazy! She had an ow-ie, and I put antibiotic ointment on it. She asked me what that was and I told her, so she repeated, "anibioc oinmen? " and I said Yes. She also is very musical - she is always singing. She loves to sit at the piano and sing as she plays it. She wanted an ukulele for her birthday and she plays it all the time. She is a very sweet, loving little girl (most of the time!) and is very friendly.

She brings Lots of Joy into our lives!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Baby! We Love You, Melissa!

The Thompsons in Action

2008-05-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

In February, Tom's Dad had surgery so Tom went to Carson City for 2 weeks. It was wonderful that he was able to go there and be with his family at that time. Meanwhile, I was home and it was quite a challenging time for me - I got an eye infection, Mick had a cough/bad cold, Melissa had the cold as well as something that made her throw up 5 nights in the middle of the night AND in the carseat, all over the car! I had my first migraine and was in the emergency room for it, Mick accidentally "dropped" one of his crocs out of the window on the highway, and let's see.....those were the main highlights along with the bad attitudes, defiance, and all of us grumpy and missing Daddy.... But the day that Daddy left, we went to the Dole Plantation and had a wonderful adventure. This is us on the Pineapple ExpressAfter Daddy got home, life returned to normal. In fact, better than normal. I always knew that I loved and appreciated my husband, but now I Love and Appreciate him MORE!

I Love You Tom!

So then one day we went on a field trip to the Zoo.Of course, there's a tree - there's Mick climbing!

This is a Big-Ol-Honkin Banyan Tree!Melissa loves animals, almost as much as Gramma Joan!This picture cracks me up - the Little Princess! She reminds me of my Gramma Irene quite frequently, and I caught it on camera here!Here's Melissa in our swimming pool. She now wears Mick's old swim vest, and she is able to swim all over the pool, it's great! Mick can totally swim all on his own, he and I swim laps together (well, like 2 laps) and now that Melissa wears the swim vest, she can swim right with us! Now Mommy can get exercise AND have fun!My son LOVES to dress up! If his dress up clothes are clean, he is wearing them. On any given day, he is either Capt. Jack Sparrow (a pirate) or a train conductor, or a fire fighter, or Buzz Lightyear. Mostly he loves to be a pirate though. We went to a birthday party and they had face painting there, so he had his face painted as a pirate! He fell asleep on the way home but as soon as he woke up from his nap he put the whole outfit on.

Here is my son....Capt.Jack Sparrow!!!!!!Tom has been doing quite a bit of work to our yard outside our unit. The coolest thing he did was he chopped down 3 palm trees and turned them into tiki torches. They are SO cool! There are still 4 more trees that he wants to chop down, move and put tiki torches in those ones also. No longer are regular tiki torches good enough for us - we have to have Palm Tree ones! :-) In this picture, Tom & Mick had just gone and filled Tom's truck with mulch for the lawn. They decided to eat their burgers on the top of Daddy's truck. What Fun!We went on a field trip to the State Capitol. We found a very cool banyan tree and these particular roots made a great swing! Mick is swinging, Melissa is watching, and our good friend Kanoa is trying to get on the other roots.On Saturdays, Mommy takes Melissa to music class and Daddy and Mick get to go on "Adventures." Often times, they go to the Tire Park with Makayla, and other times they just hang out and do Daddy/Mick stuff.

On this particular Saturday, Daddy decided it would be nice to get Mick a fishing pole and teach him how to cast and reel. I came home and saw this - what a precious moment between father and son. The camera can't quite capture it but I tried.....

Updates

2008-05-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

OK, it's Saturday afternoon, I'm ready for a nap - Melissa is sleeping and Mick and Daddy are out on an adventure (Daddy, it's past naptime already!) :-) And I decide to check email....and I look at my niece Sarah's blog where she feels guilty for going like 10 DAYS not updating! I've gone like almost 3 MONTHS!!! So, thanks Sarah, I will forego my nap and update my blog. You've made me guilty without even knowing it! So here goes...

We like to go to Chinaman's Hat and play soccer on their big grassy area. Here we are playing, Melissa is still trying to "get" that she can't pick up the ball!

Mick is a great soccer player!

Chinaman's Hat also has great climing trees! If there's a tree, Mick will climb.

Here's Mick riding the little Merry-Go-Round at the mall. He only stays on the horse for the first 5 seconds of the ride, then he's off and climbing. He'd climb all the way to the top if I'd let him! He likes to hang and swing from the poles!Here's Melissa in the parachute at her music class

We like to go on bike rides around our complex. Mick rides on his own and I push Melissa on this tricycle with a handle. She's learning how to pedal but the handle definitely comes in handy!

Here's the kids at the dentist. They had a GREAT time! It was Melissa's first time so I wasn't sure how she would do. She was very happy to in the chair with her brother, and she kept saying, "My Turn! My Turn!" So it turned out to be a very good experience!

What's UP in January 2008?

2008-02-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

Aloha! OK, it's harder to keep up on the blog than I thought. I figure if I update it once a month that's doing good! So here's what's been going on in our lives in January...

At our Hawaiian school our theme for January was transportation. That meant some COOL field trips! First,we got to go to the Kaneohe Fire Station

Mick had a wonderful time. He was pretty excited to talk with the firefighters, and now he tells people that if their clothes catch on fire, they need to STOP, DROP AND ROLL!!!!! So it was not only fun but educational too!

Melissa loved it also; however, she did not want to get out of the fire truck, she wanted to DRIVE!

A couple weeks later we got to go on the Glass Bottom Boat. I was a bit nervous with only me and the kids but a friend helped out with Mick, and someone let me borrow one of those leashes that I put on Melissa (never saw that one coming before I was a mom!) We had a great time, Mick absolutely LOVES boats, and he was so excited when he got to steer! We got to feed the fish and turtles out in Kaneohe Bay. It's gorgeous out there!

It's been quite rainy and cold here lately (well, it's been like 68 degrees, but hey, that's COLD for Hawaii!) so we haven't been able to do much outside. On some rainy days we go play at the mall. Here Mick & Melissa are driving a firetruck...together!

We also have fun playing at home. Melissa is so funny, in this photo she is cooking for her Baby. If you look at the baby in the highchair, she's got food on her tray.

Of course, Melissa feeds herself too (and makes quite a mess!) My children are very messy eaters, but then I have to remind myself...so was I! (Poor Daddy!)

We took the kids iceskating. It was quite an adventure, I don't think we'll do it again for a LONG time! Melissa actually did really well, but Mick was trying too hard so he had a more difficult time. This is the only picture we got because as soon as we took it we were informed that cameras were not allowed. WHY NOT??

Makayla is one of Mick's best friends, and she just celebrated her 4th Birthday. We took her to Farrell's, and as you can see, they had a great time!

What do you think they're talking about?

Daddy and Melissa wait in anticipation for their ice cream!

And...we closed out the month with Mick and Mommy being sick with a cold. So we had lots of "slumber parties" in the living room and watched more TV than is ever allowed in our house but what's a Mom to do when she's sick??

Actually, I can update my BLOG!!! :-)

Other than Mick & I being sick, we're doing great! Tom's job is doing well, he has a new station manager and it's working out good. The kids and I are busy (as you can see) and I feel so blessed! What a Dream Come True for me...to be a Stay At Home Mom in Hawaii!

Aloha!

Melissa's a Big Girl Now!

2008-01-03T18:10:00.001-08:00

Melissa has now graduated to a Toddler Bed! She tells me on a daily basis, "Mommy, I like dis bed!" This was her first night sleeping in it. She loves having Baby sleep right next to her!

Since she is now sleeping in a big girl bed, she is helping out with the household chores. This is her new vacuum that she got for Christmas. (it really works!)

Mele Kalikimaka!

2008-01-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Daddy....We Love You, you're the Best! Thank you for all you do for us. We appreciate you!

M&M Chefs!

2008-01-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Mick & Melissa love to "help" Mommy cook. So on rainy days (and we've had a lot of them lately!) we bring out kid friendly food to make. These pictures show how much joy cooking brings them!

Riding a Tractor!

2008-01-03T17:23:00.001-08:00

Mick & Melissa love to go to Daddy's work. One of their favorite things to do is to ride the tractors. Before, Mick would go off with Daddy on the tractor and Melissa was perfectly happy to stay with Mommy. Not Any More!!! Melissa is right up there with Mick, and she has to have her turn to drive with Daddy also! They both love it and the whole family has a great time when we get to visit Daddy at work!

Holiday Cheer!

2008-01-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

There are so many wonderful events for the kids to enjoy during the holiday season. We sure had tons of fun, we'd like to share some of our joy with you...

Mick & Melissa were pleasantly surprised to ride the "Kaneohe Express" with Santa!!

We got to go bowling with Mick's good friend Taryn. It was Melissa's first time and she loved it. She would pick up the ball and carry it all the way to the stand, put it up there and push it off!

And after a good day of bowling, she had fun re-decorating the "Christmas snow"display at the bowling alley!

At school, we got to make Gingerbread Houses. Mick was so excited.... he actually got to eat candy and Mommy wasn't taking it away!

We went to a Boat Parade with Auntie Maureen & Uncle Toad (Lisa's fam) that was very cool! As you can see by their expressions, the kids had a great time!

Then it got quite cold so we all had to bundle up!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-29T23:40:00.000-08:00

I found out the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that Tom had to work from 12-6pm. I was BUMMED... until we discussed "thinking outside the box". I woke up at 3:30 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I got up, got the turkey all ready and in the oven by 4:30, and went back to bed. When I woke up at 6:30, I made the stuffing, mashed potatoes, fresh cranberry sauce, cream corn dish, gravy (from the turkey droppings!), and pumpkin crunch. We had our Turkey Feast at 10:00am with time for Tom to relax and digest before he went to work. The kids and I had our naps and then went to Daddy's work, where he was busy chasing birds from the freshly planted corn fields with his BeeBee gun. I thought that was quite appropriate for Thanksgiving Day!

All in all, It was a very nice Thanksgiving!

PS.....I'm pretty proud of myself for cooking that whole meal all by myself...

and it was YUMMIE, WOW!!!!!

Christmas Preparations

2007-11-29T23:09:00.000-08:00

How do you buy your 3 year old their Christmas presents when they're always with you????!!!

Mick has been eyeing a Pirate Ship at Costco for quite some time. Last week while I was there I noticed their supply is dwindling, and Tom hasn't had a chance to stop by to see it yet. I figured I'd better get it while they still had some. I managed to get it on the bottom of the cart without him noticing and all was well, until I was in the prescription line - and he spotted the ship through the holes on the bottom of the cart!!! He was so excited!!! "WOW MOMMY!!! You got me the Pirate Ship!" with a smile that filled the whole store! I told him that I was so bummed that he saw it, that now I'd have to put it back.So he said, "it's OK Mommy, you can just hide it in your closet until Christmas!" (He sure knows his Mommy...that's EXACTLY what I was going to do!)

I had a heck of a time putting it back on the shelf, then back on the cart...and bought it without a hitch. As I was putting it in the car I asked another Mom to help me, and he SAW IT IN THE TRUNK!!! The other Mom told him that she was hiding the ship from HER son. ANYWAY, at this point, Mick thinks the other Mom took the ship for her son. The ship is safely hiding at my neighbor's house. I'll let you know if he was surprised!

The Pearlridge Express

One of our local malls has a nice train ride that Mick absolutely loves. This year Melissa gets to enjoy it too, and she sure loved it!

They both had a fabulous time!!

The Pond

2007-11-29T22:52:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite things to do is take a walk to the pond right by our house and feed the fish our old bread. There are lots of talapia fish, quite a few turtles, and if we're lucky we might even see the (one!) duck!!

Popcorn

2007-11-29T22:43:00.000-08:00

We Love Popcorn... It's an event here at the Thompson House, the kids pull up a chair and watch it pop!

School

2007-11-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Since Mick is now 3, we wanted to get him involved in some kind of pre-school. We decided on 2 programs.

On Tuesdays & Thursdays we go to Keiki o' ka Aina, which is a Hawaiian parent participation preschool. We are learning all kinds of things in Hawaiian -numbers, alphabet, colors, body parts, and much more. We do circle time in Hawaiian and sing songs in Hawaiian - like the Hokey Pokey, Twinkle Twinkle, Where is Thumbkin?, etc. The best part about it is they have a huge facility that has very cool toy stations and lots of dress up clothes -which both kids love!

Mick enjoys going fishing for magnets, playing blocks, (we had fun building a log cabin with Lincoln Logs), doing puzzles, and all sorts of the science projects - like making tornados with 2-liter bottles filled with colored water. Mick has an incredible memory. He often is heard singing the Hawaiian songs - he remembers most of the words!!

Melissa has a wonderful time at Keiki o' ka Aina also. There is a huge play kitchen, complete with washer, dryer, ironing board, etc. with lots of babies, strollers, high chairs, etc. She loves playing with babies, she carries one around with her as she "cooks", does laundry, and vacuums. She also loves the art station. She has full access to crayons, markers, glue, paper, stamps, etc. which she does NOT have access to at home! There is a little table with little chairs so she entertains herself very well.

We are also enrolled in a Homeschool Preschool program. We go to group meetings every other Wednesday, and the other week a home visitor comes to the house and goes over that week's curriculum with me. It's been fun, getting a taste of homeschooling, which we are considering. Every morning we do our "school", starting off with Calendar Time. It's great how quickly both kids now know the days of the week, and what month it is. BONUS: Now Mommy always know what the date is!!

Mick enjoys painting

Melissa's first time painting - she thought she'd do a little tasting as well!

My First Blog

2007-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Welcome to the Thompson Ohana Blog!

I was extremely impressed with Sarah's blog, and felt like I got to know Wills a little, even though we've never met. Since most of you have never met Melissa and haven't seen Mick in almost 2 years (yes, that's how long it's been since I was there!) this will be a good way for you to "see" them grow up. The first question everyone asks is if we have any plans to go to the mainland anytime soon, and the answer, unfortunately, is "no."

I will try to keep up to date on this blog, so you can get a glimpse of what's going on in our lives...

This is Mick's tractor. We spend lots of time outside on our lawn, and the kids love to drive the tractor. Melissa's just perfect to fit in the wagon, although now she prefers to drive!

Mick just completed Swimming Lessons! He is a very good swimmer - he swims all on his own and he even dives! His teachers couldn't believe he is only 3...

they were ready to put him in the 5 year old class!

Some Favorite Photos...

For Halloween, Mick was a Train Conductor, and Melissa was a Poodle Girl. Their picture was on the front page of the Windward Islander's Newspaper!

And here in Hawaii, after a good Halloween Party, you go to the Beach!

Hope you enjoy our First Blog! We'll write again soon!

With Lots of Love & Aloha,

The Thompson Ohana