Big Girl Bed

After months and months of searching and changing my mind countless times and even returning a toddler bed, I finally decided on Victoria's Big Girl furniture. I LOVE IT! It is just so pretty. It looks perfect in her room next to her girly purple walls and all her girly little things.

Big Girl Bed - My Grandmother bought me this quilt about
20 years ago. I love that it looks perfect in her room.
So far we have not had any escapes from the bed in the evening.
Now naptime ... that is a different story.

Storytime with Daddy before bed.

Ready for bed her first night. We didn't have the rails up yet,

so we covered the ground with MANY pillows. She did great!

I love her bedroom so much, that I wish it was MY bedroom.

Keepin' Cool

For those of you who do not have the privilege of living in this great state of ours, I will inform you that it is, well ... JUST SO STINKIN' HOT HERE!! So, the only way that our little family makes it outside is if there is water involved.

We put baby oil on it it make it more slippery. It worked!
Carey slid from one end to the other ... no problem.

I love Riley in the background!!

Then Victoria's turn. She would run beside it and then go sit in the
splash down area. Hilarious!!!

Summer Fun

So here is a glimpse of our summer so far ...

Swimming lessons at the Aquatic Center.

He is working SO hard.

Learning to mow with Daddy.

VBS

Riley singing to Jesus.

Riley with his school and church buds.

Lazy afternoon playing the Wii (Victoria isn't really playing).

Laying on the steps ... seemed fun at the time.

Ready for bed ... complete with goggles.

Riley: "Mom ... I need a pencil, paper and tape."
Shortly after, I discovered this sign posted on his door.
"Don't Come in Here. Stop"
I do believe that Riley had enough of little sis messing up his room.

At the Frank Buck Zoo. Really great zoo if you don't mind the drive to Gainesville.

Playing at the park with friends from church.

Swimmin' at Pops and Gigis.

I believe that this is Riley frozen in carbonite (think Han Solo, Empire Strikes Back).

After a long day swimmin', she fell asleep ... with her fingers in her ears.

Progress on our summer reading chart. We started off slow, but are finally picking up momentum.

And then there are the two teeth that Riley pulled himself within 24 hours of each other. So brave. He's just growing up so fast. Victoria pretty much just follows Riley around the house all day. They get along fairly well. I break-up at least a half dozen arguments/fights/tiffs/disagreements a day. BUT, they bounce back so quickly and are all hugs and kisses and each other's best friend the next second.

And I have had some fun too. A Girls Night Out, Pampered Chef Party, Purse Party and we finally bought some new flooring! YAY! Hoping to install flooring on July 4th weekend. It is amazing what the Thompson family can do to brand-new carpet in the course of just one year. It's actually pretty gross.

Kindergarten Graduation and the Last Day of School

Well, it was actually a "Kindergarten Completion Ceremony." It is against school district policy to have a graduation. Ridiculous.

Getting his certificate from the principal.

So proud. Ditched the tie and jacket already.

With his teacher Mrs. Bush. Isn't she just adorable?

We were so proud of ourselves for getting there early to get a good seat. But then they marched the kiddos in and Mrs. Bush's class was on the back row. Alright. Can't see Riley at all. That's ok. I will just take the camcorder and go up front and record the little program they have prepared. So, there I am recording the first song. Oh it is just so cute. Clap, clap, clap. The song is over. Then I press pause on the camcorder. Sigh. Nope, I just pressed record. Yep, didn't get a single second of the song. Just the applause at the end. I did get the second song, but it just wasn't quite as cute as the first. I went back to my seat and told the family that I forgot to press record. Right then and there I do believe that my parents contemplated disowning me. I managed to talk Mrs. Bush into doing an encore performance during the party on the last day of school. Phew.

But can I just say, he looked so handsome in his shirt, coat and tie. He was so excited to wear it. He told me the day before that he wanted to wear a tie to school everyday (so cute, he loves to get all dressed up). Not a good idea Little Man. Let's try to do what we can to avoid the bully bulls eye. We will just stick with a shirt and tie to church for now.

Riley eating breakfast on his last day of school.

The Last Day of School.

The First Day of School.

He did change a bit during the year. Less teeth, a bit taller, bigger feet, more confident of himself. And Victoria looks SO different. And our bushes in the front really grew!

The last day of school has mixed emotions for me. I was totally against this whole going to kindergarten thing from the beginning. And when I say from the beginning, I mean since January 27th, 2003 beginning. Seriously, I vividly remember sitting in that there hospital bed holding him and thinking and being totally against him going to kindergarten. But, I let him go anyway.

So glad I did. He LOVES school. Totally loves it! He gets so excited about being able to read. He is proud everyday that he comes home with a green star. He is just totally disappointed in himself when he has changed his card and there is no green star in his folder. We had one time there that he had to change his card three days in a row. That was a hard time for him. However, one of those times, he was sticking up for a friend that was getting picked on, so that doesn't count. So proud of him that day. In fact, we told him to never be afraid of breaking the rules to stick up for a friend.

His favorite this is free choice centers. He gets to play LEGOs with his buds and I guess that is just the best thing ever! He loves computer, music, art, library ... all of it. Well, except for PE. He tells me that they run in PE. I am with you on that one bud. I used to say that you will only see me running if someone is chasing me. I now go with my brother's line. Actually, I would just lay down and play dead instead. Kim don't run. It hurts.

He did so well academically this year too. He was able to complete all the goals except knowing his home address. He is reading at a 1st grade level. I am super proud of that considering that it took awhile for it all to click with him. Hoping to keep that up this summer. They journaled during the year, so he brought home his spiral journal with pages and pages filled with pictures and captions. It is just the most precious thing I have ever seen. I have cube filled to the brim with all his papers he brought home. I may just throw all those out and just keep the journal.

Mrs. Bush also made a memory book that is just the cutest with pictures from the first week of school and the last week. She also made a slide-show of the kids and we each got a copy. She is just the BEST. Went so way and beyond for the kids and parents. I could go on and on about her. The Lord definitely answered my prayer for Riley's first teacher and then some. She has been such a blessing to Riley and me. This was my first year to have a child in school and be a room mom. She made it an enjoyable year. I love her sincerity, integrity and love for each one of those kids. We will miss her. Hopefully Victoria will get her in 3 years. Wow, just 3 years. Oh man. My heart is breaking all over again.

And now he is moving on to 1st grade soon ... the big time, big stuff, the real deal. No cutesy, woutsy kindergarten stuff. Sigh.

What time is it? Summertime!!

(So that is the opening song from HSM2 ... for those of you who do not know)

Anyway, can I just say that I cannot remember being this excited about summer since I was like 10. As Riley would say "I am so exciting!" I think a big part of it is that Riley will be home ... YAY! I miss that Little Man during the day and cannot wait to have him back all to myself. He is our constant source of entertainment. Just so full of joy and nonsense. We love love having him around.

What else about summertime do we love? The absence of dragging two babies out of bed every morning, getting them dressed while half asleep, stuffing breakfast down one of their throats and then rushing off to school. I guess that is the one drawback of having children that love to sleep in as much as their mommy and daddy do ... the mornings can be a bit difficult in the get up and go department.

But, that is what is so great about summer ... not alot of get up and go. The Texan Thompsons have been known to sleep in as late as 9AM on summer days. I do believe that I am getting back some of missed sleeping hours from 2003. Not a good year for Kim as far as sleep goes. Averaged about 4-5 hours a night, courtesy of Mr. Riley. No lie. Ask Carey. He was there too. He was asleep, but he was there. Heard all about it the next day. I will give him credit. It was his master touch that got Riley to FINALLY sleep through the night at 12 months of age. Thank you hon ... I am forever grateful.

Anyway, what else? Swimming with our new cousins at Pops and Gigis, tank tops and flip flops (or flop flops as Victoria calls them), VBS, ice cream truck, playdates with our buds, staying up late, cookouts, a trip to Six Flags (oh boy), going to the movies, our two week vaca to Colorado and Michigan, zoo days, and maybe hit a couple of water parks (again, oh boy).

And then there are the days of just lounging around the house. Those are the days I look forward to. Carey went out and bought one of those inflatable $20 pools from Walmart last weekend. Well, you would have thought we put down $40,000 for a brand-new pool. The kids love that thing!! This past week, they spent a total of about 12 hours in it. I kid you not ... the first words out of Victoria's mouth every morning last week "simsue, golls?" Translation "swimsuit and goggles?" Mommy likes it too. I can sit on our covered back deck and just watch the kids fight ... I mean play in the pool, while I sip on my Diet DP and enjoy doing ... nothing. Quite nice. So I am sure most of our days will be spent in the backyard a'swimmin in the Thompson Pond.


I am also going to try my best to work with Riley on his reading this summer. He is doing so very well and I would like to keep up the momentum. So, the plan is to read with him during the first 30-45 minutes of Victoria's nap everyday. I am really going to stick to my guns on this one. We are making a chart to hang on the wall with rewards for reading a certain number of books. Riley wants Carey and me to participate too. Not a bad idea. As Riley would say "I just have so many good ideas in this brain."

I also want him to work on his handwriting and spelling. He will be writing letters to family and friends. So don't be surprised if you get a letter from Riley in which all the words are spelled phonetically and there is a drawing of a guy with some sort of weapon with a rainbow over his head (those a his favorite things to draw right now).

As far as Victoria, well ... we will just be working on getting through the day without a spanking or a time-out. Those only seem to occur in the presence of Riley. So, I am preparing myself now for the "Mooooommmmeeeee, Victoria just __________ (fill in the blank with any number of catastrophes that could possibly happen to the older mild manner sweet hearted complacent brother of a strong-willed in your face outright defiant little sister). Poor guy just doesn't stand a chance.

There's the plan. Only 4 more days. Super fun. Summertime.

Memorial Day Weekend

Wow ... what a weekend. Our little family had a super great time together. Got a glimpse of summer. Did some shopping, fishing, roof-building, gardening, landscaping, swinging, swimming, movie watching, coloring, grilling, and organizing (the mound of Legos on Riley's bedroom floor is no more, YAY!).

It was a full weekend and I am dog tired. We all are. We are going to have to take things a bit slower this summer or none of us will survive.

Season Finales

Some were good.

Some were very awesome.

Some were lame.

Some were very confusing ... the ones with the time travel ... that gets me every time.

Lost - That would pretty much explain it for me. Totally and completely lost. I have no idea what is going on. So, John Locke is still dead? And Jacob is a real person, not the Doc's dead dad come back to life on the island? And why didn't Sun go back in time with her buds? And I totally agree with the guy who hears dead people talk ... how do we know that the nuke explosion didn't cause the radiation leak that led to the button not getting pushed which led to the crash of the airplane way back in episode one?? So so so many questions and we have to wait until 2010 for the premiere. And let me just say, if you have no earthly idea what I am talking about, get it on netflicks or blockbuster or downloads or whatever and watch it this summer. Believe me, it is some real good TV watchin' time. That is how we got hooked last Fall. We watched like 4 seasons in two weeks. Good stuff.

Chuck - "I know kung fu." So completely and totally awesome was that! Lovin' that show. And I am a huge, huge fan of Scott Bakula. Love that Quantum Leap. Could watch those reruns all day!

The Unit - I say good riddins Molly Blaine. I am usually for marriages staying together, but I'm sorry lady, your character is so utterly annoying. And the whole thing with the new guy going rogue on purpose. Wow, so did not see that coming. Still, I will never trust him again.

NCIS - So Ziva has been kidnapped by some terrorists in Egypt. Fine by me. Never trusted her. Let's get some new blood. But seriously CBS, don't ever take Gibbs or Denozoe off the show. I will be forced to cut you off just like I did to NBC when they took Carter off of ER. I am not joking.

Sarah Connor Chronicles - Ok, I was really upset when you killed off Brian Austin Green. It was so random and unexpected. I mean, there he was one moment ya know, doing his thing and then all of a sudden, he had a bullet in his head. What?! BUT, now he is alive in the future where John Connor is, but John Connor doesn't exists? And judgment day happened anyway? What? And will Riley be there? What about Cameron? And will she be a machine or a real live person? Another show that I am utterly ... lost.

Smallville - (No laughing. I know we are not the target audience, but we are vested at this point and have to watch it to the end) Well, you finally gained some momentum there at the end, but seriously, did you have to kill Jimmy? And what is it with EVERYONE knowing Clark's secret? Not much of a secret now is it. And Lois is in the future? And Clark, where is he going? You didn't make that clear. And has Davis come back to life as ZOD? Again, another show that I am ... lost.

House - It was all just a hallucination brought on by his medication? So cool! I mean, that totally caught me off guard. Just like killing off Kutner ... and that other girl. Which, for the record, I really liked them. If we must toast people (that is what we call it at the Thompson house), let's get rid of the old characters that have no depth. I mean they are barely on the show anyway. Or that chick that is dying of some sort of disease. I am not that attached to her either.

Castle - What about her mom's death? What is it? C'mon. Does every single show have to end with a cliffhanger? We like the show. That is why we watch it. Cliffhangers are not needed to keep us watching. We will stay loyal.

Battlestar Gallactica - Series Finale = LAME. Totally and completely lame. Did we have to wrap it all up and put a pretty bow on top? I didn't expect such cheesiness out of a cutting edge show like this one. Lame and cheesy - it is something that, well, I would have written. That's me, lame and cheesy. That is not BSG. I will overlook it. I mean the series was total awesomeness up to that point.

Phew ... I know that sounds like a lot of TV watchin' for the Texan Thompsons, but with the DVR and all, it goes by lickity-split. I mean, we are only talking like 6 hours a week. Is that bad? There is only so much Dora and Diego and Sesame Street a person can handle. We do require some entertainment that goes a little deeper than colors, shapes and our next rescue mission.

So, this summer there are just a few that the Texan Thompsons will be awatchin': Eureka, Burn Notice, The Next Food Network Star, Leverage, Psych, Monk and more of Law and Order: Criminal Intent (so lovin' that Jeff Goldblum - he is just so weird).

And of course Star Wars: The Clone Wars on cartoon network. Well, only two of us will be watching that. And I am not one of them.