THOMPSON TOWNE

6/26/2010

Camp 2010

It's that time of year again!

CAMP SUNSHINE!!!

First of all, my anticipatory bawl fests made for an easy transition to the car when I had to leave my Lily Bug that fateful Saturday afternoon. However, things went downhill on Monday as I'm sitting in yoga for first period and look through pictures on my camera while listening to some calmin Josh Groban music in the background.
Note to self: Not a good mix.

Once I got my you-know-what together, things were fine. That's until I called home and heard her sweet voice say, "Hi, Mama!" Now I understand why we don't let the campers call home. It can be pretty darn upsetting. By Friday I was ready to get home to my perfect little girl.

BUT!!! The days in between were as magical and fun and exciting as they always are.
I think it was the first or second day at lunch when I witnessed a group of senior boys (either 18 years old or high school graduates) invade a table of younger boys (probably 13-15 year olds) who were slouching in their chairs with their too-cool-for-school heads on the table. The seniors went over to them, pepped them up, got them to stand on their feet and SING & DANCE!!! Nobody asked them to do it. They did this completely on their own because they know what Camp is all about and they want to make sure all the other campers get the same experience they've had.

There were somewhere around 230 TEENAGERS at Camp this year ages 13-18.

230!

Every year on Sunday night is the opening ceremony. This year it was held at a gorgeous new location on the grounds called Turtle Cove where everyone gathered to "pass the flame." How many places have you been where 230 TEENAGERS sit so quietly you can hear a pin drop? It gives me goosebumps every year. They understand the significance of the week and it amazes me to no end.

Sometimes you see kids who might not have such a great homelife and this is literally the best place on earth for them to be. It breaks your heart to know what they have to return to but it definitely helps you focus on making the week the best it can possibly be.

And, of course, you have some funny moments like out at the archery range where a young man was retrieving his arrows and people were already lining up to shoot their respective targets (not necessarily him). The okay had not yet been given, but he blurted out, "DON'T SHOOT! I'm too young to die! I've already had a brain tumor." Classic.

This is why I do it every year.
Moments like this that touch your heart and stay with you through the years.

Dawn & I looking fresh (and rested) early in the week

So there's this thing called Prom on Friday night. The campers really get into it and dress amazingly. Counselors, on the other hand, typically get into the theme of Camp for that year or we'll wear old, gawdy prom dresses of our own. (For example, one year they had a circus theme. I dressed up like a clown and put my 1993 prom dress on over the clown outfit. I was hot.)

This year's theme was Decades.
My sweet Dawn went Madonna Mode:

And my darling Deb really went retro....back to the Austin Powers days of the 60s! It was freaking me out that she was taller than me but doesn't she look amazing???

One of the Camp songs is called Love Is. I don't know who wrote it or who originally brought it to Camp, but the words are below.

Like someone said on our last day of Camp, "Wouldn't the world be such an incredible place if it were like Camp Sunshine?"

Yes, it would.

There's nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

Everything is crystal clear.

No phony disguise, no faces to wear.

There is nothing we cannot share.

'Cause I am at ease when I am with you.

I know love is gonna see us through.

Love is higher than the mountains.

Love is deeper than the oceans.

Love is wider than the miles between you and me.

Love is stronger than a freight train.

Love is faster than a jet plane.

Love is bigger than the troubles that we'll ever see.

Long is the day and dark is the night.

I know love is gonna be our light.

The valley is low, the desert is dry.
But love will never die.

(repeat chorus)

Frat Parties Everywhere!

If only I could be this creative and on-the-spot hilarious....
My BFF (holla, Sa) sent me this link that she thought I would enjoy and it's just too good not to pass on to whomever might read this little bloggy blog. The link is at the bottom if you're interested in reading some of the funny comments, too.

Enjoy!

WHY HAVING A TODDLER IS LIKE BEING AT A FRAT PARTY

10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.

9. There's always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner.

8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.

7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.

6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.

4. There's definitely going to be a fight.

3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.

2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.

One of my favorite comments added by a reader says something along the lines of "you try all night to get someone into bed and then when you're successful all you want to do is sleep."
Check out this great blog at www.suburbansnapshots.com. I might have to add this one to my list on the left!

6/05/2010

Beach Baby

Memorial Day Weekend - 2010!!!

What a blast it was!

Nana flew into Atlanta on Wednesday and we packed up the car and headed to Charleston on Thursday afternoon. Lily's first trip the beach, mom's first trip to Charleston and my first......I'm sure there was something......

My dear, sweet friend Erin and her hubby and baby boy are living in Folly Beach for the next three years and allowed us to come take advantage of the situation. We are so incredibly grateful for the wonderful opportunity and the excellent southern hospitality that Erin is famous for.

However, I need to make some notes for our next beach adventure:
1. Take more than one swim diaper. And if I only have one and it's been used but we decide to go back to the beach, perhaps I should consider taking it off when we actually get to the beach. Just in case so we can avoid the possibility of peeing on the bathroom rug because she thinks she's taking a bath. And so we can maybe not slip and slide on a pee puddle in the middle of our hosts' hardwood floors. I might also want to think about the chance of her peeing in the wagon on our way to the beach. (And I thought she was dehydrated! Phewy!)

2. Don't be pregnant so I can wear a suitable bathing suit, drink lavender martinis and take a shooter at Pearlz restaurant.

3. Go into the first night with low expectations on the sleeping situation for Lily. I'm not sure who was screaming louder....Charlie or Lily. Needless to say, we ended up bringing Lily into our room and she finally got the hang of the routine on our final night there.

4. Take John with us. "Mama." "Mama." "Mama!!!" "No, Nana." "Mama." "Mama." It was a little exhausting. (Guess I should be careful what I wish for.)

Lots of pictures to share! Enjoy!

Nana's first photo op in Charleston at the market

Festival downtown with lots of fun things to do.

Met up with Bobby and Emily for breakfast one morning.

John used to babysit Bobby when he was Lily's age!

(Mainly to pick up chicks, I think.)

Tractor Charlie

Could she be any sweeter?!?!

Yes, Lily's first bath with a boy. They did well together!

My sweet Erin

Erin getting her work-out

The Awesome Arnold Clan

She really couldn't get enough of the water or the waves.

LOVED IT!!!

Enjoying the waves together for the first time thanks to Erin allowing me to stretch out her bathing suit

Lily and Brett enjoying the waves

Thank you for such a fun weekend, Erin, Brett and Charlie!

We love you all and can't wait to visit again!

Catch up

Just some shots of what Lily's been up to since the summer weather has arrived. Playdates and pool time. Well....one of each, but still....they count!

Not exactly sure what her fixation is with water bottles.

I think she learned it from Bear.

Leaving home already

Lily: "Sidewalk chalk is cool!"
Mom: "Target's $1 section rocks!"

Free pool time in our neighborhood. (Too bad it's not free all summer.)

Yes, those are matching shoes.

I have matching hair things, too, but I've told you how that goes.

5/17/2010

Tennis Anyone?

Lily's first ponytail!!!!
Well, that's what I like to call it.
It's really just a little twig of hair wrap very tightly in a mini-rubberband, hidden by a pink bow.

She didn't dig it as much I did so I knew I had to grab the camera and take as many shots as I could.

Mark my words: Kennedy will come out WEARING A BOW.
She will have a bow in her hair, on her head, wrapped around her ear or neck E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y.
I so much as breathe on Lily's head and she thinks I've snuck a little barrett or clip into her hair.
You try to just smooth out her hair and she immediately reaches up there to pull out whatever it is that might be there.

This is supposed to be one of the fun parts of having girls......bows and clips and fuzzy things in their hair. (Although I hated bows and dresses as a kid, why am I trying to force it on my children?)

Anyhow....
Lily absolutely loves being out on the tennis court. She loves the racquet. She loves chasing the balls. She even loves trying to carry the basket of balls like a purse even though it's still taller than her.
Several months ago....and when I say "several," I mean A WHILE ago.....John asked the crazy question: "Do you think we should hang a tennis ball over her crib so she can start tracking the ball?"
My response: "Do you want to start her in therapy now or wait until she's 3?"
Needless to say, he was kidding (I hope) and we never made a mobile of tennis balls for her room.
But she loves being outside on the court with her daddy! It's very cute to watch!

Lily and her new friend, "Melmo."

Out on the courts with Dad

So incredibly cute!

Helping Dad with his lesson

5/11/2010

Mother's Day and More

Okay.
So I've been getting grief for not putting any pictures of my pregnant self up this time around. The day this picture was taken, someone saw me and said, "Holy cow!"
I wasn't quite sure how to take that.

John and Lily headed back up to Nashville for Grandma's 75th birthday party while I got to stay home, rest and get rid of my persistently nasty hacky cough.

Thank you, Aunt Libby, for always giving us a place to stay.

Isn't Grandma pretty???

Happy Birthday!!!

Uncle Robby came for a quick visit before having to travel again

The two loves of my life...

Mother's Day was special!

Despite having to get up early and receiving some losing lottery tickets as a "gift," it was a fun day to be "mama." We got to go out to breakfast because I was craving IHOP pancakes....don't ask how many I ordered.

John and Lily gave me the world's sweetest cards and those are what really made the entire day wonderful. You wouldn't know it, but he's pretty good with words.

Later on in the day, I treated myself to a pedicure and wished it had lasted longer.

My squirmy wormy isn't much for being photographed these days so this is all I got....

Attempt #2

Feeling pretty good about myself after Mother's Day and because of the fact that Lily has finally started saying "mama" and running to me at the babysitter's and seemingly loving me, I pushed my luck to far:

After an attitude adjustment and perhaps a bit of coaching:

Some other fun things to report on the Lilster at 16 months:

Various new words...mama, no, mine, dada (of course), si (yes), tunk you (thank you), no, mine, peas (please), outside, go bye bye, no, mine, gracias, no, phone.

She's putting things together as well and follows commands extremely well. She definitely has her morning routine with her father and throws a fit if that bagel isn't quite ready for her when she's in her chair.

She loves saying "hi" to my belly and giving it kisses! I'm not pretending she has a clue of what's about to happen to her world but it's still sweet and cute. Besides, she lifts up her own shirt to show her belly and says, "Baby!" Let's wait a few more years for that, please.

She likes phones and remote controls. Sometimes the remote becomes a phone which I never knew you could do.

She's able to identify her mouth, head, ears, eyes, nose and belly. She likes showing you your nose and mouth as well.

She makes a silly face, happy face and fishy face.

She goes to sleep extremely well and wakes up happy almost everyday.

She's the best thing since sliced bread, if you ask me!

4/23/2010

Babies, Nashville and....Vampires?

Meet our new little one....
Kennedy Taylor Thompson
(This ultrasound picture is actually the least scary one.) It sort of looks like maybe she's waving to us.
We're past the halfway point....22 weeks today and it's going by a lot faster than Lily's pregnancy. SLOW DOWN!!!

And here's the other star of the blog.....Lily Grace being her typical silly self opening and closing the laundry room door saying, "HI!" "Bye bye." "HI!" "Bye bye."
It never gets old!

My droopy face that makes everyone ask, "Oh...did you just wake up?"

"No, I look like my father."

Lily and I packed up the car last weekend and drove up to see John's family outside of Nashville for Laura's (Lily's cousin) baby shower.

Apparently I'm old enough to have a niece who is having a baby. Where does the time go?

I digress.

We had grand old time.....closing all the open doors, meeting cats and playing the piano with Uncle Ahyah.

Grandma time!

Vampires.

I love 'em.

I'm hooked on the Twilight series.
I'm hooked on the True Blood HBO series.

And I'm hooked on The Vampire Diaries.

I received a call at work a couple of weeks ago from my friend at the Sunshine Kids (in Houston) asking if I might be able to get a group of teenagers together to go on the set of The Vampire Diaries. (It just happens to be filmed 15 minutes from the hospital.)

HELL-TO-THE-YOU-BETCHYA, I said.

I called on my fellow 30-something friend who got me addicted to the show to go with us because we "definitely need" two nurses on this outing, right? Right.

What a fun-tastically wonderful day it was! We, I mean the kids, got to meet all the main actors and watch how things were done and tour the different sets, etc. Fabulous!

I feel a little weird posting all the pictures on here for patient confidentiality but there's one good one I got of "Damon."

Hubba-hubba-hubba.

Mr. Ian Somerhalder