I’m just now catching up on birthday questions for April, July, and September. The kids have had a good year. Thankfully life goes on for them and they get to be oblivious to distractions and reminders that seem to jump out at me all the time. Here’s what’s on their minds…starting with the one I’m most behind on.
Christopher (April)
My favorite food isā¦pasta
When I grow up I want to be aā¦scientist
My favorite restaurant isā¦Noodles
My favorite possession isā¦hamster (Fluffy)
My favorite color isā¦teal
My favorite song isā¦I Have a Feeling
My favorite book isā¦Ranger’s Apprentice (currently on book 7)
My favorite movie isā¦no clear favorite…a lot are tied…Gilligan’s Island is a favorite series
My favorite holiday isā¦Christmas (because I get lots of presents)
My favorite season isā¦winter (sledding!)
My favorite thing to do isā¦watch movies
If I could do anything tomorrow I wouldā¦sell $2500 worth of popcorn for Boy Scouts (to help my pack and to get prizes!)
It would be a really good year this year ifā¦I get Skylander Giants for Christmas
Megan (July)
My favorite food isā¦mac & cheese
When I grow up I want to be aā¦fire fighter (because I like helping people)
My favorite restaurant isā¦Punch Pizza
My favorite possession isā¦My dog Orca
My favorite color isā¦blue
My favorite song isā¦I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad
My favorite book isā¦Junie B. Jones
My favorite movie isā¦Shark Boy and Lava Girl
My favorite holiday isā¦Halloween (because I get candy)
My favorite season isā¦summer (because my birthday is in the summer)
My favorite thing to do isā¦swim in my pool
If I could do anything tomorrow I wouldā¦watch Shark Boy and Lava Girl
It would be a really good year this year ifā¦I didn’t have school
Colleen (September)
My favorite food isā¦spaghetti
When I grow up I want to be aā¦dancer
My favorite restaurant isā¦Punch Pizza
My favorite possession isā¦phone
My favorite color isā¦yellow
My favorite song isā¦Good Time (by Carly Rae Jepsen, Owl City)
My favorite book isā¦Hunger Games (Susan Collins)
My favorite movie isā¦Hunger Games
My favorite holiday isā¦Christmas (presents)
My favorite season isā¦fall (because thatās the season of her birthday)
My favorite thing to do isā¦dance
If I could do anything tomorrow I wouldā¦go to dance class
It would be a really good year this year ifā¦I got an iPhone 5
Colleen surfed the Internet and found a rainbow cake. They gooped everything in the pan (see crazy picture with Megan that looked like a clown puked in a cake pan) and then decorated it like a normal chocolate cake. The girls at Colleen’s birthday party screamed and loved it when we sliced into it and it was all crazy and colorful inside. Cool idea! Great implementation! We survived another sleep over with eight 12-year-olds. They had fun inside and out. And were playing ghosts in the graveyard and screaming like crazy at 10:00 p.m. along with a campfire. No tie dye this year so my hands are still normal color for a change following a birthday party š
Christopher got to play football at half-time at a Vikings game. That was pretty cool seeing him run out onto the field at the Metrodome. I think they ended in a tie but it was a cool experience. The other fun part was waiting to see how he would react when the cheerleaders tried to give him a high-five. Oh, how he’ll wish he could be in that spot again in a few years š Christopher’s #70 in the picture, in the red team, and is about the only one whose number you can read. You can see that some Vikings players are already out on the field getting warmed up.
The kids also had fun building a cool fort in the woods. I took pictures of it from two different sides. I trimmed a tree and they were quick to gather up all my branches to hide their fort. I remember in Ohio when I would bring the Army shovel out into the cornfield to dig holes and make forts and paths. I’m sure they are loving that as much as I used to – fun times.
There’s also a picture of when I let Christopher & JT build the campfire. They did an awesome job and told me how high the flames were going to be. They sure were right! Wow – I think that’s the biggest fire we’ve ever had. And they haven’t even discovered gasoline yet š
Beth took the kids to a really cool science day at “the U” (University of MN). They all had fun stories to tell when they got home. They got to play with cool bubbles and spinning platforms & wheels and hold giant hissing cockroaches (only the girls would hold those – Christopher, JT and Gabriel wouldn’t do it!!!).
We got all dressed up and had our church pictures taken for the directory. Our time slot was something like 7:30 p.m. but they were running late so we didn’t get out of there until 9:00 p.m. and had promised the kids ice cream. So there we were at 9:30 p.m. eating ice cream in our Sunday best. Fun. Parents of the Year award nominations are due soon – get going on that. There was only one employee – an Asian gentleman a bit older than us and he started asking us questions – yelling from behind his counter to our booth (and of course we sat as far as we could from our kids since the place was empty). It turned out that he lived near us in Eden Prairie so he asked our kids where they went to school – they did a good job answering him despite his accent. Turns out his son also went to the Spanish school, and I asked his son’s name. He said “Noman”. Seemed like a cool Asian-ish name to me so I think I said to him “Noman?”. He nodded and then I yelled to the kids to see if they new a Noman (Colleen told us later that his son looks exactly like him so she knew him right away). The kids kind of agreed that they new Noman but Christopher came walking over to our booth. He whispered to Beth that he didn’t know any Noman’s but he did know a Norman. Ok, so I’m getting older. Ok, maybe I was channeling mom, or channeling Katherine at the time…but apparently I was the only one in our family who thought maybe Noman was a cool Asian name. Beth started giggling and could barely contain herself since I had been yelling Noman across the place. Ice cream dude heard me perfectly – we both were speaking the same language – we bonded. All the other giggling Thompson’s should grow up and find some culture so they can communicate better. Who ever heard of an Asian ice cream parlor guy with a son named Norman anyway – how boring.
Orca chased a squirrel right into our fence a few days ago. Bad way to start your day if you’re a squirrel. Lucky for him he was just outside of Orca’s electric fence boundary so all she could do was bark and bark. He was mad and squealing and trying to get his head out but was completely stuck between two overlapping fences. I clipped some wires and our animal loving neighbor stopped by to help free him too. Stinks when you’re put in the situation of rescuing animals that can be so annoying. But we did the right thing. Hopefully he tells all his friends not to mess with Orca and to find another yard to roam!
So what would you do if you saw a huge wasp nest hanging from a branch in your yard? Stay away from it? Tell your dad about it? Or stand under it and throw rocks at it? Of course you would choose the option with the rocks – duh! Lucky for Christopher and Megan it turns out the nest is empty. Crazy kids. They were at the top of the hill too so they would have had a long way to run from anything angry coming out of that nest. Live and learn I guess.
Soccer ended yesterday for Megan. Christopher’s football playoffs start tomorrow. We also went to the Eden Prairie high school football game Friday night. Eden Prairie was ranked #13 in the nation so we were expecting to see a good show. They got beat – blah. Colleen really wanted to go the game and hang out with friends so she had a good time and I think saw some of the game. The rest of us sat on blankets and snacked on fries and hot cocoa to stay warm. It was close enough to walk so Beth left a bit early with Megan in the car and and then I walked Christopher, Colleen and two of her friends home at 10:00 p.m. Late night – too bad it didn’t end with better results. Supposedly news crews had been in town following the team around this week because they would have been a top 10 team in the nation had they won. Cracked under pressure! Hopefully this won’t turn into one of those blah sports weekends – already Eden Prairie lost, Purdue lost, and notre dame won which isn’t good. Gophers lost which helps (otherwise I have to hear about that on Monday). The Vikings are playing now – hopefully their winning ways continue. And tonight we are going to sit in a suite to watch the Lynx play in their first finals game this year. They won it all last year so it would be cool to see that happen again. I co-coached soccer with the marketing director of the Timberwolves and he happened to have room in the suite tonight so that will be fun. It’s unfortunate that the Lynx don’t get more good press given their winning ways but I guess it’s a tough draw getting more interest in women’s sports. The kids will have fun regardless and the price is right š
Yesterday was also the Eden Prairie fire department’s open house. It was good to go back and see everyone. I got a lot of really nice comments and it was good to catch up with people. It’s tough being away but the right decision as I’ve said before. Christopher’s football practice went long so we missed the first car fire. Every year they light two cars on fire and then call in the engine to pull up and put them out. We get there and people keep asking me if we saw the first car fire. It turns out (and I haven’t been able to find it on YouTube yet – but it will be there I’m sure) that they lit the first car on fire, called the engine in to service, and then the car started rolling. Yes, the wheels should be chocked. But they weren’t. The car apparently rolled towards parked fire apparatus (including the safety chief’s vehicle), missed them, missed a light post, and came to stop (still on fire) about 60′ away. In the photo of the car on fire you can see off to the left in the distance where the first car stopped (it’s still there and started where the other one is on fire in the picture). I can’t wait to see the video. They were lucky. Crazy things happen all the time on the fire ground, and sometimes drills are harder than the real thing even though they shouldn’t be. It must have been crazy to be on the department, have a crowd watchnig you, and see a fully engulfed car rolling away towards your fire truck. Yikes! We saw the 2nd car fire – not near as much excitement. This could be the last year they do this which would be unfortunate. A few years ago the no fun patrol canceled the fire engine rides because of child seats, etc – no fun given the controlled environment. Live a little, have some fun, let those flaming cars roll!!!
