1st Day of School!

If you're thinking the same thing I am -- that he looks SO BIG in this picture, especially with that watch -- I can assure you he agrees with you. As we pulled into the parking lot at school I noticed that no one was dropping their kids off, which is the standard procedure. Everyone was walking their kids in. Joshua begged me to PLEASE not do that to him! That's so embarassing for a second grader! Well I wasn't going to be the only mother who didn't care to walk her child in on his first day. I mean I might as well just kick him out of the car while its still moving, peel my tires out and head for the nearest Starbucks, right there in front of everyone. No. We walked in. I did maintain some of his dignity, however, by not actually stepping in to the class. Standing in the hall, watching him find his seat and talk to a few friends, I waited for eye contact - something to say "I'll miss you, Mom". He did finally look at me but it was with a hilarious "Would you please leave now?" glare.

Ah, we've come a long way from kindergarden.

His Favorite Girl

Moments before this, all three of us were snuggled up (still at BCL) watching the Olympics. Joshua grabbed my arm and told me I was his favorite girl. Oh, my heart! After lovin' on him a second I told him that I'll enjoy every minute of it while it lasts. He was confused and insisted that I would always be his favorite girl. I explained to him, reluctantly, that someday he'll meet his wife and that she would then become his favorite girl -- and I'll take a close second. Then he began to cry! "You mean I have to do this?"....sniff, sniff...."Is that what God wants me to do?" Oh my. How do you take it from there? Wouldn't I love to always be his favorite girl? My heart bursts with pride at the status I hold with him, but the reality is that I will have to pass my crown on to another sweet girl someday....

Further explanation only made things worse so I conceded, finally, to always be his favorite girl -- for now.

Medalist Faves

This is the devastating duo sweeping the medals at the satellite BCL site. Before they take the Presidential and VP ticket for 2040 and make their millions on the never-before-seen remote control car, they managed to accomplish gold and silver for the following 2 events:

Synchronized paddle boating. Why not? They have badmitton and trampolining in Beijiing, for goodness sake.

Men's 10 meter freestyle. Greg won by .000000001 of a second.

And, on his own, Joshua Banks took home the gold on a 6.5 level degree of difficulty on boys belly-flopping. It was beautiful. There were just no words.

Big Cedar Lodge

We just returned from our favorite getaway place in the whole wide world. Greg & I came here on our honeymoon and we've been drawn back every year since. It's especially fun now that Josh is the age he is. We walked everywhere we wanted to go (silly shuttle!) and, as always, found amazing little critters that you just don't find in your suburban neighborhood. For example, our list this time included a walking stick bug, a roly poly with her very small baby hitching a ride, a huge red and green spiky caterpillar (?), a snail actually out of its shell - moving, lots of turtles, fish, a chipmunk and TONS of butterflies! It helps that Joshua has eyes at the front of his toes. I almost stepped on everything I just mentioned.

More to come of our little trip in the next few days!

On To Shallower Things...

Cars. My older friends still laugh that I married a guy who's in to hot rods, and actually owns one. He's a classy guy though, who doesn't spin his tires out for a cute girl standing by (and claims that, even as a teenager, he never was that dumb). He just loves to keep it shiny. And having a bad-to-the-bone, 760 hp engine is kept under wrap by The Carpenters blaring out the window as we cruise to the ice cream shop together. It's his self-imposed way of keeping humble. This might explain a little more of just why I love that car guy.

Alright, now we're in a position where we might need to get another daily driver for us. Help me on this one because I think this fits in the 'I don't notice purses' category. I'm not in to luxury cars. If I found a brand new one for $2 I probably still wouldn't drive it. I know they are quality, hold their value, run nice and all that but I would hide from you if saw me in one. Why??? I think it's a sort of reverse pride. I can't explain it further than that. I'm sorry Morgan Freeman was just in a bad car accident but when I read that he was driving an older sedan I was endeared to him immensely more. He could drive anything he wanted but didn't need to, I suppose because he didn't need to. You know what I'm sayin'?

With reasonable cars now inflated to absurd prices thanks to fuel issues, its possible that a "luxury" car is now similarly priced to a 1982 Datsun (my first car) so you might catch me in an uncomfortable sight soon. I hope not. PLEASE, however, don't assume anything about me beyond the fact that I have four wheels just like you. To make up for it, be sure that I will have chipped toenail paint and grocery coupons in my 5-year-old purse. And if you listen carefully you just may hear blaring out my window, "Why do birds suddenly appear..."

Here She Is.....

What a joyful event it was welcoming Kierstin Marie Thompson into the world! There were many happy tears from the crowd of us catching our first site of her. I felt like we were the papparazzi with all our camera flashes! She is precious -- looks like her Daddy and has her Momma's personality! Once again, I give glory to God for such a perfect gift, a miracle for Becky and David. And her two older cousins were very proud to claim her too....