Yankee Doodle!!

Every time Grandma drops by, Kara runs and gets a STACK (and I mean STACK) of books and runs to her and asks her to read them to her!! So of course, Grandma does!! She read Yankee Doodle to her yesterday and ever since, Kara has been reciting that book--it is funny to listen to her!!
This morning Brandon took it from the bookshelf and went over and read it to Brooke. He thought it was really cool because Brooke sat there very quietly and looked very closely at the pictures. Brandon was very impressed she was such a great listener!! Emily even came over and joined in!! It was VERY CUTE!!

Kara being goofy--she would sit for hours and look at books if everyone (mostly Emily) would leave her alone!

Cute kids loving every minute of life!!

Brooke, the perfect little audience!!

FUNNY, FUNNY Kids!! I love it when they play like this!!

I love this one--must be a pretty good book!! :)

Just Because...

I was having fun shooting some photos of Brooke yesterday--nothing super fancy--just a DARN CUTE BABY!! :) She is 4 1/2 months old!! (She advanced to size TWO diapers yesterday!! She is trying ever so hard to roll over!! She scoots all over the room on her back---hence the lovely bald spot on the back of her head!! YIKES---where has the time gone?!

I told you she was CUTE!!

Big Pretty Eyes!!

Just LOVIN life!!

I love this girl!!!

True Thompson baby, with that 'pouter' lip!!

Gettin a little R & R!! I LOVE how she fell asleep holding onto her toy!!

Funny little girl!!!

She's cute and knows it!!

Cute girl with a cute personality!!

THIS ONE IS EMILY at FIVE MONTHS!!! Thought it would be fun!! SAME dress---DIFFERENT BABY----SAME look!!

THIS ONE IS KARA--FOUR and A HALF months---can you say CHUB!! You couldn't tell she was a preemie here!!

We are back to BROOKE now---Chubby little hands and arms!

Just LOVE her to PIECES!!!

Mr. Smarty Pants....

Tyler LOVES LOVES LOVES school. He came home with an award he was VERY proud of!! He received it for learning how to 'sound out words.' He really is into looking at words and sounding them out or saying a word out loud and trying to spell it!! It is fun to listen to him and watch him learn and grow!!

He is into sounding words out and writing little notes to me---I LOVE IT!! The other day, he wrote me a note that said, "Don't Forget"--it was very funny!! He spelled it 'Dot Forgt'!! I love to see how excited he is to learn!!! I went to his Parent Teacher Conference last week and he is doing GRRRREAT in school. He also thinks it is pretty cool to write his numbers out as well. He has a great LOVE for LEARNING and I am so thankful for that!! What a good kid we have!!! I love him VERY MUCH!!

He also had a fun art project he brought home. The little guy he created is named Tacky--he was in a story Mrs. Terrell read to his class. He thought it was pretty cool, after she read it to them, they were able to create the character!!

He also can be quite goofy at times. He was putting on his shirt the day and he was being very SILLY!! We all had a good laugh over it!!

Emily couldn't quite figure out what he did. She was a little nervous, but she finally figured it was funny and OK to laugh!!!

Enjoying the Journey of EVERYDAY!!!

I was reading and came across these great words from our Wonderful Prophet. I have heard them before, but I guess it just hit me hard because I needed the reminder!! I love our dear Prophet!!!

“This is our one and only chance at mortal life - here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey - NOW.” Thomas S. Monson

Class Pictures Today

Tyler has his Kindergarten Class Picture today!! He wanted to wear this particular shirt. He LOVES to wear collared shirts to school--what a cute boy!! I mentioned to him that he should maybe wear a sweatshirt over it because it is still pretty chilly outside. Then when it was time to get his picture taken, he could take the sweatshirt off. He looked at me as serious as he could be and said, "Mom, if put the sweatshirt on, it will mess up and my collar and that will just look dumb in the picture!! I do NOT want to wear the sweatshirt!!" Oh my word!! This kid is HILARIOUS!!! I then told him he could ask his teacher to straighten his collar before the pictures and he looked at me, once again, with a VERY serious look on his face and said, "It will just be easier if I do not wear the sweatshirt--I do not want my collar all messed up!" He went back to his room and hung his sweatshirt up and the discussion was over!! We have a very opinionated and particular boy on our hands!! :)

Isn't he so darn CUTE?!?!

He did this goofy smile and then said, "I promise I won't do that in my class picture!!" Oh my--we will see how they turn out!!

I so need this today........

If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.

-Theodore Roosevelt

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.

—Will Rogers

I have so many projects and things to do---it just seems like I have so much to do, I just don't know where to start!! I need to just START them---that is the only way to ever FINISH!!! :)

Just like DAD!!!

Brandon just came and found me with this smirk on his face and said, "Mom, look, I am just like my Dad!" Funny kid!! He looks up to Troy---how cute!! Troy does always have his phone with him and he puts his keys in is belt like Brandon did!! Troy's keys and phone are not these particular colors---but they work perfect for a kid trying to be like his DAD!! :) What a lucky kid to have such an AWESOME DAD to look up to!!

Brandon always has the CUTEST smile!!

He was so proud of himself he put it all on all by himself!!!

THANK YOU Heidi......

Brooke received a package in the mail yesterday---Her Aunt Heidi knitted her this adorable sweater!! Each one of our children has one of these amazing sweaters---THANK YOU HEIDI!!! We LOVE them---they are so stinkin cute!!!

She has lots of room to grow into!!

Cute girl in a CUTE sweater!!

A little Young?

My kids are usually pretty good about taking naps!! Today, Kara obviously had other plans!! She takes a nap on my floor because if I put her and Emily in the same room--they seem to goof around and take FOREVER to go to sleep!!

I heard some noise from my room and she had been in 'bed' for about 15 minutes---well, she was not even close to dozing off. I sneak in there to check on her and she was NOT even laying down--she was in my bathroom, with me make up bag out and here is what I found.....

I love the 'worried' smile---she knows she was into something she shouldn't have been!!!

Trouble or not--she was VERY proud of herself!!

She's Gotta STOP!!!

Brooke is trying to roll over!! Oh my, I can't have this--it is too handy for me to put her up on the counter while I am making dinner and doing other stuff, so Emily won't attack her!! I lay her on the floor and Emily either sits on her or pulls her by her feet--they both love it, but I don't know how 'proper' that is!! I guess maybe Emily remembers it being done to her! :) Brooke will not stay in one spot anymore--not only is she trying to roll over---she lays on her back and braces herself with her feet and scoots along on her back!! She scoots herself out of her bouncy chair and her swing!!! She can move!!! YIKES!!
She hasn't gotten it totally figured out yet--that darn arm gets in her way and she get VERY IRRITATED when she can't do it!!

She is really really trying here---excuse her stained onesie---didn't realize that til the picture was already taken!! That what ya get when you are the 'third' girl!!

Trying to work her way out of her swing---she gave up and took a little nap. Guess I should start buckling her in!!

She is also trying to sit up--when I put her in her bouncy--she tries as hard as she can to sit up!! She thinks she is a BIG girl!!

I just LOVED her smirk here---sorry her eyes closed!!

She finally gave up and is going to sleep--I love her little hands here. When she goes to sleep, she needs to be holding on to something!!

She really is growing up too FAST!! Little Stinkpot!!

When she GROWS UP......

Kara just came up to me and said, "Mom, when I grow up, I am going to be Tinkerbell!" She ran off and gave Brooke a kiss and then came straight back me and said, "What does it even mean to 'grow up?'"

Tyler is always talking about 'when I grow up, I want to...'--so she hears that phrase a lot but has no idea what it means obviously. Kids are soooo funny--they just can't wait to be ALL grown up---then you hear adults always say, "Oh to be a kid again!" I just think that is pretty funny!!

Guess that is a good lesson for us---to just be happy in the moment and not always wish things are different!!

Oh HAPPY day!!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE warm weather!! I soooo have SPRING FEVER and so do my children!!! Troy is on call this weekend :( so we are on our own. I had to go get some groceries and on way home--we stopped off at the school and the kids played for about an hour--they had a BLAST and the weather was PERFECT---FIFTY degrees!!!

Tyler, Brandon, and Kara ran wild--all over. They loved it ALL. Emily, on the other hand, was terrified of climbing on anything---yes, I said Emily---the child who CLIMBS on anything and everything at home--ya the one who will fall of the kitchen table and get right back up and do it again!!!! Who knows what her deal was, but she was terrified of climbing on anything at the playground. She would head up to go down the slide, and then she would just freak!! I finally got her to go down a slide-but she wasn't too happy about it!! Tyler even tried helping her and she still wasn't interested!! She was content to play down on the ground. She didn't even like the swings!! She wanted to stay ON THE GROUND! She will definitely change--because we play at playgrounds quite a bit and summer is coming!!! :) Brooke was content in her car seat--I did get her out for awhile and she of course liked to be held.

The few poses I tried with everyone--are quite entertaining!! The sun was bright and in their eyes!! Brandon was hilarious---he was smiling hard, but couldn't open his eyes because of the sun!! I just laughed!!

After the playground escapade---we went to Pizza Hut and got the kids personal pan pizzas. Tyler has gotten them from reading each night. The kids thought that was pretty cool. Then we came home and played outside for a couple of hours (my kids would LIVE outside).

As they were playing outside--the neighbors' puppy came over!! They had a blast playing with it!! Who needs a dog, when the neighbors' comes over and plays with the kids?! Perfect, because I don't really do dogs!! The kids were freaked out at first, but eventually warmed up to it!! It was quite entertaining!!

Tyler ran right up to it--Kara warmed up to it eventually!!

Didn't take Kara long to play!!

I LOVE Kara's expression here!!

Brandon stayed back and watch at first!!

Then, he happily joined in once he realized the puppy would not hurt him! Funny kid!

Emily even joined in on the FUN!!

We definitely do NOT need a dog of our own---our neighbor has PLENTY!!!

We really had a fun day---we were bummed Troy had to work ALL day--ya TEN calls just today!! Poor guy!! We missed him and hope tomorrow is NOT as busy for him!!!

Wonderful Idea......

"Stand where you are and lift where you stand"
- Dieter F. Uchthdorf

BEEEAUTIFUL SUNSHINE!!!

Today was a GORGEOUS day!! My kids were sooooo excited to be able to play outside and not FREEZE!! I have to be honest--I was just as excited to have them play outside. I am sooooo ready for SPRING!!!! We got all of our outside toys and and they all played out there for HOURS!! It was WONDERFUL!!! I LOVE SUNSHINE!!!

Brooke enjoyed the peace and quiet inside!! Funny expression!!!

Emily was THRILLED to be out with the BIG kids!!

Tyler, 'jumping' back onto the concrete from the grass!! The steps get in the way from being able to go all the way around the house on the cement--the boys love the little 'jump' though!!

Brandon was soooo EXCITED to ride his bike!!

Kara LOVES riding her PINK bike!!

Isn't she just stinkin CUTE!!

HAPPIEST kids ever!!!

COOL Tyler!!

Oh HAPPY day!!

I love this one....she was giggling!!!

Kara, riding with the boys!!!

This girl LOVES being OUTSIDE!!!

Little stinkpot, would not look at the camera!! 4 Months old and already has the 'Thompson attitude!!' YIKES!!!

Watch Out--here he comes!!

This boy LOVES his bike!!!

Goofy Grin!!!