Holiday Break, Week Two

Week Two of the Holiday Break included Kyle coming home which was a huge relief to his sisters. They are always a little off kilter when their brother is away....always asking how many days until he comes home, wondering what is going on when he is gone (is he going to miss something? Are we?). It's very disquieting to them. So we started week two with a sense of relief in at least he was here, even if that meant things weren't always peaceful anymore (but they are used that).

Abbie got a bike for Christmas so we spent a good portion of the first part of the week (before it got really, really cold) outside working on riding a bike. She still has the training wheels but loves being on a big girl bike. And Daisy is in heaven now that she gets the tricycle. She loves hand-me-downs. The trike is like a dream for her.

We met Paul and his family Wednesday for bowling. There was a lot of playing and even some bowling going on. But tons of fun. Kyle spent the night Tuesday with them then they all met us at the bowling alley on Wednesday around lunchtime. After bowling, we went to Wendy's across the street to use our free frosty coupons (they expired 12/31 so we were happy they were willing to help us eat up!).





On Thursday night, we met everyone at Metro Pizza to celebrate Grandma & Papa's birthdays. They gave the kids pizza dough to play with before all the salad, wings and pizza arrived.



Of course, we had to make a trip to Build-A-Bear to use the gift cards that Santa left in the girls stockings....
We also spent some time at the pottery painting studio during Tripp's second trip to the Mac store during the week. We got a new computer so Tripp spent a lot of time over the week at the store, talking to the store, working on the computer, etc. Then Kyle spent the rest of the time playing on the computer. Luckily, the girls and I had other interests.
On NYE, Lindsay, Wes, Sam and Sam's friend Stephanie came over and we played "The Great Dalmudie?" for a few hours. Kyle eventually joined us as well when he discovered that there is more to life than computer games. It's a funny game. Can't wait to play again.

On Saturday, we took down the Christmas decorations (Abbie was an amazing helper) and took the kids to see "Gulliver's Travels". Not my first choice but the only movie we could take everyone to see. Today we started church at 1 p.m....yuck. But it's only for one year and you can do anything for a year. Daisy is officially a Sunbeam now and she is THRILLED. Her teachers are darling (I didn't think you could get cuter than Abbie's Sunbeam teacher but Daisy has this young couple that are giving Sister Anderson a run for her money) and she had a great time and even made a new friend.

2011 is upon us and we are looking forward to what it brings. 2010 stunk for our family and we are all pretty happy to bid it farewell. I know this next year, though it may not be the best ever, could be at the very least a good one for us. Cheers to 2011!

Christmas Day & Post Christmas Day

Christmas morning Abbie woke up at 6:45 and climbed into bed with us to watch TV and wait for her little sister to wake up. Daisy must have been worn out from the day prior as she didn't come into our room until just before 9 a.m. She is usually the early bird in our family (sometimes coming in as early as 5:30), but she needed her beauty rest to meet the fun of the day. Once awake, we all went downstairs to see what Santa left us....

I can't find the photo but Santa thought Tripp had been a good boy this year as well and left him an iPad underneath his stocking.

With Kyle spending the holiday with his mom, we only opened Santa gifts this year and left everything else under the tree. However, the girls had a great time opening their gifts and checking out everything in their stockings. Daisy got her "Baby with a Passie" that she has been wanting for a long time and Abbie got her Barbie and even a Rapunzel princess tower. Unfortunately, the tower fell out of Santa's sleigh and broke so he asked us to return it once Christmas was over and was certain a store would have a new one to give us or send us. He gave us the name of a kind Elf who works at Walmart to check with for help after Christmas.

After some time at home (not as much as we thought...with Daisy waking up late and Grandma calling in the morning to tell us our meeting time had been moved up) we set out for Grandma & Papa's house. There, we opened presents with Grandma, Papa, Lindsay, Wes, Nate, Ryan & Sam.
This photo is of the girls opening presents from Aunt Sam in the Cafe playhouse she made for them. Quite a treat! Aunt Sam had a little time off after nursing school and before she landed her job and made the girls and Nate & Ryan fun playhouses. They also got aprons to serve their guests and really darling skirts she picked up in Budapest. The skirts have been an enormous hit. Abbie wore hers all that day, to church the next day and couldn't wait for me to do the laundry so she could wear it again!
Having a little treat before we all went home for a rest (or to the movies - Grandma, Papa, Sam & Wes). We went home, the girls played with their new toys and Tripp had a nap. I didn't sleep but tried to rest a little before we hit the road for the Festival of Lights. Abbie can't wait to do it again. So many Christmas lights in one place is truly magical (ok, not Disneyland magical but pretty nice).
Kyle came home Sunday night and we opened the presents under the tree. Basically, the gifts to the kids from us, from Grandma Sandy & Aunt Susie and to Kyle from all the family he didn't get to see the day before. Abbie & Daisy had a great time wrapping their own things and putting them under the tree on Christmas Eve. This is Daisy unwrapping her Cookie Monster.
We give the kids a want, a need and a read. This is Daisy opening her need...a ballet bag. I sewed it for her. Let's hope it lasts or we could be tackling it again next Christmas.
Kyle had a few more to open than everyone else, catching up from the day before. He got a lot of books and bookstore gift cards but he also made out with UNLV Basketball tickets and Mystiere tickets.

Abbie and Daisy are pretty obsessed with Build a Bear (thanks again Nikki). Grandma Sandy and Aunt Susie were happy to oblige. They outfitted the girls with new clothes, bear beds and a bear closet. This is Daisy's bear (as Sam likes to say, her little sister hand me down) in the bear bed.
Christmas was good to us. Family and friends were good to us. We enjoyed celebrating the holiday and learning more about the Savior during our FHE sessions each week in December. We LOVED putting together our care package for Elder Clark. He probably won't get it anytime soon but it was fun putting something together for a missionary now that Trey is back home again. It was fun delivering gifts to our family friends (Abbie kept saying "I love doing this!"). She got a huge kick out of caroling at the Boyle's house and told me tonight that she wants to learn to sing like the other moms. I asked her what she meant and she said, "You know, like Sister Boyle." I'm not sad to see the craziness of the holiday go but I will be sad to see the sparkle of it leave, especially in the eyes of a little girl.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a busy day...last minute errands to run, the grocery store to visit before Christmas Day and Sunday. I thought we'd have some time to rest and watch Christmas movies together but no luck. The only movies we watched took place while mommy wrapped presents.

Christmas dinner at Grandma & Papa's house was Mexican themed again this year. No complaints from our family. The girls loved filling up with chips. Santa visited the house before we had to go home and had an early present for all the kids. Abbie sat on his lap but Daisy would only go up with Daddy. Even then she wasn't too sure. But after she opened her present she was happy to chat with him, just not sit on his lap. Abbie, however, hopped right back on his lap to sing carols and tell him more about what she wanted for Christmas and just have a chat.

We came home really tired from a really busy day. I hope we can avoid that next year. We only had a few errands but they really took a lot out of us. Better planning is in order for sure. We went to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads anyway.

Holiday Week One Activities

Our Christmas Holiday started with rain. It hampered some of our activities but we still got in dinner with Kristen and a little caroling to the Boyles (all Abbie's doing).

Tripp took the two holiday weeks off (although some folks at Aggreko didn't seem to get the memo...too many calls and partial work days for my liking) so we had some time to spend with daddy. We ran some errands and spent time at home having fun with our toys and Christmas movies. I even got to have lunch with Tara.

Kyle spent a couple of the days with us while his mom was at work. We grabbed the Butler kids and went to our favorite new spot (Thanks Uncle Paul!) for bowling and pizza. The big boys especially have such busy schedules now that we rarely all get together anymore. It was a lot of fun. Can't wait to add Nikki and Rich to the group and have a Thompson vs. Butler bowling night.
Tripp and I even got to spend one night out with our friends, the Boyles. We tried for dinner and a movie but between our scheduled church cleaning duties and their scheduled missionary feeding duties we could only fit in the movie. Rachel suggested True Grit and I'm so glad she did. I would have never picked it myself but I loved it. It was so nice to get out with Tripp and friends (haven't done that in well....forever) and see a movie that I didn't have to choose but absolutely adored. Perfect evening.

On Thursday morning we decorated our Christmas cookies.

And finally, after three nights of rain we made it to the Springs Preserve Christmas Celebration. The girls had their lists ready and visiting Santa was the first stop of the night. They weren't super interested in the "Big Slide" or "Reindeer Rides" so it was a shorter night than usual but we had a nice dinner upstairs in the restaurant (Daisy's choice) and enjoyed the evening gazing at the lights. Daisy was so pooped by all the Christmas fun that she fell asleep on the drive there. She was wide awake on the drive home.

Some of the most fun we had this Christmas season, and perhaps any season ever, was the 12 Days of Christmas that was gifted to us by an extremely generous and loving mystery family. Our doorbell rang for 12 nights straight with wonderful gifts and notes. Abbie knows the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and was particularly excited each night to see what would be left to go along with the corresponding day. We had a really rotten year. 2010 won't be missed by anyone in the Tripp Thompson family so ending it with such a wonderful surprise was more than we could hope for and definitely more than we deserve. Thanks mystery family for bringing us so much joy this holiday season! Two little girls, in particular, will never, ever forget it.

Moses

Grandma & Papa Marz got a puppy, Moses, a few weeks ago. The girls have been playing with him at their house but we got the opportunity to babysit him Friday while Barbara was out of town and my Dad was at work. He was fun to have around for the day but I definitely enjoy having a full grown, easy to care for and love dog and not a puppy around the house. It was raining and he didn't like going outside to go to the bathroom in the rain. We had one accident but it was rain related.

He wanted to be friends with Kramer but didn't quite know how. Instead, he just followed Kramer around barking and biting him. It finally drove Kramer insane and Kramer started barking back...and Kramer NEVER barks. So we let Kramer hang out upstairs alone while the girls played with Moses downstairs. I think once Moses gets a little bigger they will be friends. Moses just needs to learn how.

My favorite picture is of Abbie reading to Moses. We finally wore him out by the end of the day and he found a spot next to Abbie to rest. She is thrilled with anyone who will read to her or listen to her read to them so they made a perfect match. He then moved over to Daisy. They rested on pillows next to each other near the couch.

We hope he will visit us again soon.

Holiday Dance Recitals

Abbie and Daisy were involved in their holiday dance recitals this past week. Their dance studio? (do you call it that when they dance out of a rec center? group? I don't know...) was invited to participate in a city holiday festival of sorts so they got to head out on a proper stage and perform their Christmas numbers for a large crowd. Both girls went out without a problem and had a great time.
Monday night was the traditional holiday recital in the rec center gym. Daisy's class danced in the 5 p.m. show and Abbie's in the 6 p.m. show. The girls had a great cheering section: Daddy, Kyle, Aunt Tara, Aunt Sam, Aunt Lindsay, Nate, Grandma Marz, Papa, even Uncle Wes and Ryan made a cameo. Unfortunately, this recital didn't move along as quickly as Saturday and that is the undoing of my girls. Daisy got nervous during the wait and cried. She didn't participate in her first number. With the comfort of her blankie and passie, she was able to join her class for the tap dance of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" (her favorite).

Abbie was a star. She had such a hard time at the performances last year...so nervous and not able to get out on stage. 180 degree turn this year. She prayed that Heavenly Father would dance next to her and it worked. She danced her little heart out (or buns off in some instances). Her cute bud Ruby got over her nerves and joined her for the second number with the tappers and the candy canes (so much fun). A huge "Thanks" to everyone who came to watch. Two hours of dance show is a big commitment. We love you A LOT.

After the show, we were invited to dine with the Butler Family and headed to Cafe Rio. Rich and George updated us on the latest You Tube videos (we wouldn't know what to watch without them) and we generally laughed our buns off as usual. Thank goodness for good friends after two + hours of dance shows. A bigger thank goodness the next one isn't until the late spring....

Christmas Piano Recital

Abbie's first piano recital was Wednesday night. She has been so nervous about getting up in front of everyone and playing her songs and then the clapping...Abbie isn't a fan of people clapping for her. After the last two dance recitals ending in tears before she really even hit the stage, I was a little nervous about what the night would bring. I warned her teacher that my hopes for Abbie included just participating, even if that meant I had to sit in a chair next to her while she played. Her teacher is fantastic and understood.

Abbie offered the prayer at dinner that night and asked her Heavenly Father to sit next to her during her recital so she wouldn't feel so scared. Her prayer was answered. She sat next to her two friends, Scottee and Joel during the recital and got up to introduce her pieces and played each one (Jolly Old St. Nicholas & Deck the Halls) flawlessly. I was so proud of her. She was so brave and played so well.

Grandma, Papa & Aunt Sam all came to hear her play. Thanks for joining us. She was so excited to have her family come to watch her. She really likes playing the piano so hopefully we will have many recitals to come.

I'm Three!

Daisy woke up three today. I'm not sure where the time has gone but we don't have a baby in the house anymore. She came padding into my room bright and early with her blankie and passie but was still a little tired and not quite ready to greet her birthday morning. That didn't last too long as Kyle's alarm went off not too long after and we went downstairs to start on breakfast.

She was greeted by a huge Mickey Mouse balloon and her presents. She wanted to open them right away but I made her wait for Kyle and Abs to come downstairs. Abbie yelled "Happy Birthday Daisy!" from upstairs then Daisy started running around trying to find Abbie. It was pretty comical. She was way more excited about finding her sister than the presents or balloons. Getting birthday loves from Abbie was pretty high on the list for Daisy.

Daisy wasn't as eager for photos as Abbie on her birthday but I got a couple of her with the gifts. She really wanted a video game like her sister but we decided she was still too little and got her a Leapster reading set instead. She loved it in the morning but has started to cool down this afternoon. It's hard being little with two older siblings and all their "Big Kid" stuff that mom and dad think you are too little for.

She spent a little time with Grandma and their new puppy Moses then had a playdate with Abbie & Ruby at the house. Her friend Hadley even came to play for a short while this afternoon. All the fun really wore her out. But she still enjoyed her calls from Grandma Sandy, MamaThom and Daddy.

Daisy chose Cafe Rio for dinner and insisted we invite her "Best Friend" Nate. So we invited the whole family and everyone met us for dinner. The three kids sat underneath the custard sandwich board waiting for Grandma & Papa to arrive. Lindsay went to take a photo and Kyle insisted on taking it. I thought, "Ok, what's the worst that could happen. I'll be nice and let him give it a try." Well, he's generally angry at me for something anyway so mental note, let Lindsay take the photo next time unless you want it to turn out like this.

After dinner we went next door for custard. All the kids got one except for Ryan (poor guy) who was dying to have some. Abbie had been trying to talk to Papa all night about a few things and he would listen for a minute or two then just walk away. She finally got her audience with him and Grandma. Nate, Daisy and Kyle amused themselves on the twirling chairs (that always give me a heart attack).

A few things about Daisy, just turning 3:

.She is trying to be big...wants a video game like her sister and a bike like her sister, etc. But she won't give that passie up for anything. It has been much harder with her than with Abbie.

.She likes her rest time. She isn't one that feels like she is missing out on something. When afternoon rolls around, she wants to hit the bed and watch TV.

.She LOVES her baby dolls. She has a bunch of them and wants Santa to bring two more (with passies). I'm trying to get rid of a few when she isn't looking but she really is a tough customer. Babies and the kitchen set are very important to her.

.Her cousin Nate is her very best friend. And she tells me at least four times a day. She loves that he is in nursery with her. I think she will love having him in preschool with her and kindergarten, etc. She has started making friends with boys (Jonah) just because she loves Nate so much.

.She likes big hair. She doesn't want me to tame hers. She wants it big and free.

.She is definitely more of our free spirit. She likes to wear stranger outfits and have big hair and is the love child of our family.

.She sits in the back of the car and tries to sing the songs Abbie sings (whether Primary songs or Radio Disney). She doesn't know the words but she just sings and sings. Her favorite CD is some old Primary compilation that Cami or Rachel put together a million years ago for Kyle to learn that year's primary program songs.

.She is a darling tap dancer and is so anxious to play soccer.

I'm not sure what we would do without our Daisy Doodle Bob. She is much feistier than Abbie...probably going to be more like Kyle (heaven help me) but is the snuggler of the family as well. Her laugh is pretty hilarious and her smile is definitely going to need braces but is absolutely contagious. She loves to stick her feet up your nose to make you smell her stinky toes and that is something I'm not certain we could never live without.

On a quick, separate note....my sister Sam just got a job today. Congrats Sam! Entry level nursing jobs are slim pickings in Vegas right now and the competition is fierce. One hospital finally opened up a few positions (of course everyone went for them) and Sam got one. Yay Sam! She just graduated so having a job before the end of the year must feel pretty darn good.

Abbie & Daisy's Big Day

Abbie & Daisy have been looking forward to this weekend for a long, long time. With their birthdays so close together, we try have joint celebrations. They've been wanting a party at the Carousel at the District all year so I when I called a couple of months ago to book a date they told me that they absolutely wouldn't do one in November or December because "The free movies are over (yep, that is their reasoning...really?)" I had to come up with plan B. I had two really disappointed daughters. I guess the District discriminates against those born in November and December. Luckily the girls LOVE to play games and play at the park so when I suggest we have a party at the park and play a bunch of games they wiped away their big, fat tears (did you read that District?) and jumped on board.

We played at the park next to our house until the majority of the kids arrived then started the games.
The first game was a balloon race. I had no idea that grass popped balloons. My little neighbor Julianna did and mentioned something offhand to me but we didn't realize the full weight of the problem until all the kids started running through the course with balloons popping every few seconds. I blew up a ton of balloons that morning and we went through them in a matter of minutes. Oops. It also sent Daisy into her first set of tears. It isn't a Thompson birthday party without one of my girls in tears the entire time. But some of the kids made it through without popping and several wanted to try again and again so I guess it wasn't a total loss. After the party Nate and Travis played balloon for a good long while.

After the balloon mishap, we had a spoon and marshmallow game then a knock-over-the-bottle game.

We played a cake walk style game on Peanuts cards. My favorite thing about this picture collage is all the big sister-little sister teams. Abbie & Daisy, Scottee & Hadley and Lulu & Ruby. Clay and Lacey are pretty great too. Clay seemed to remember where all the pictures where so every time the music stopped and we called out a name he would try to tell me where to find it. Too bad he doesn't know the Peanuts characters very well...

We broke open a pinata then sat down for cupcakes. The girls have been excited for awhile now that everyone would sing "Happy Birthday to Abbie & Daisy" - both girls names in one song. So when we actually sang it, Abbie got so excited her smile was huge and she pulled Daisy in tight. One of my favorite photos from the party.

The girls had so much fun. I hope the guests did too. It definitely wasn't anything fancy...but it turned out to be exactly what the girls wanted.

Thanks for coming Nate, Ryan, Travis, Talmedge, Johah, Ruby, Lulu, Abby L, Scottee, Hadley, Leila, Alessia, Joel, Phoebe & Lacey.

Thanks for helping Grandma Sandy (keeping an eye on kids at the park), Grandpa & Grandma Marz (loading up car), Lindsay (photos), Sam (games -general kid organization). I couldn't pull this off without my family.

We had two other parties that day (ugh) and per usual, Tripp was injured in some way for the girls' party. He took out his shoulder playing kickball at Kyle's soccer party just prior to the birthday party. Luckily, it is turning out to be just some sort of sprain/dislocation but lots of pain and only partial movement in his shoulder Saturday (good thing the Orthopedic Surgeon lives close by) and Sunday were a part of our weekend.

Grandma Sandy left Sunday night which was accompanied by the usual set of Abbie tears. She is really attached to Grandma. This morning she was really sad. She said, "Playing school and Barbies just isn't the same. I can't play them as well without Grandma." She really, really loves her Grandma. We can't wait to see her again soon.

I love this photo of Aunt Sam and baby Ryan....