Happy Holidays!

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but here is something I wanted to share.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I hope you have a wonderful 2009.

I forgot to mention one small thing.

I passed my exam!

I don't ever have to go back and take it again!

Dear Hen House grocery store people,

I've been shopping at your store for 10 years. I could find all my groceries with a blindfold on. If you are going to take the time to remodel your store and move EVERYTHING to new aisles, you could at least hand out a map. I knew things were changing, but was it necessary to move my Whole Grain Melba Toast (restrain yourself from making fun of Melba Toast) to the far back corner of Aisle 8? I used to find it easily in the middle of aisle 5 but with your new layout, tracking down the melba toast was like finding the freaking Ark of the Covenant!

Julie Andrews makes everything better.

I'm not gonna lie. I am struggling with my post-grad school transition. I feel like part of me is still stuck in stay at home mom mode and part of me is in this new, weird role of wannabe working mom, and part of me wishes I were still in school with my friends who know me so well.

These feelings came up a lot this week because Lauren has been sick and I've been home with her. One part of me is thrilled that I get to be flexible enough to care for her in her illness, and the other part of me is FREAKING out because I still have no clients. I started to feel really awful and stressed out this afternoon, and I needed a remedy.

We watched "The Sound of Music." This movie inspires me - probably because I've watched it since I was a little kid and it means so much to me. It helps me believe that I can do anything. It helps me believe that SOMEDAY everything I've been through (and everything my family has been through) will make sense.

I give you... Julie at her finest!



I am kicking my heels and carrying my bag to the gate to see what awaits me!

I almost forgot - the highlight of my month!

The absolute best night in October was the night we FINALLY saw Ben Folds. We have loved Ben Folds since 1995, and every time he has been in town we have either...

a) had a family event we couldn't get out of

b) had a baby due so close to his concert date we knew it wouldn't be safe for me to be around crowds of people because humid heat + standing, pregnant kara + crowds = Misery.

c) had to take Kara home because of that stupid timeframe in her life where she was having anaphylactic reactions to everything she ate.

So on October 21, we finally saw Ben. Our friend Jodi and her son Ethan were kind enough to let us sit with them. I'm normally not a great concert person anymore because I like to be at home in my pajamas at a fairly decent hour, but I didn't want it to end!

If you have not ever seen or heard Ben, please check him out. He is the muse of my life aside from my husband and children.

We are family...

I know I haven't posted in awhile. We've had a month that has been frustrating and scary... mixed with a lot of fun. In the midst of all the stuff we've had going on, I'd like to take this moment of my blogging habit reawakening to point out one very small, very important point, if only to remind myself:

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

NO MATTER WHAT WE DO IN LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO US, WE ARE GOOD PARENTS WITH GREAT KIDS WHO ARE HAPPY AND HAVE WHAT THEY NEED!

The kids had a great Halloween. Joe and I decorated the house beyond the expectations of a normal Johnson County household. But then, we're not normal Johnson Countians! Forgive me for not having any pictures, I think I accidentally erased them. Dylan was Spiderman (with built in muscles) and Lauren was a Panther. If I can find them, I will post.

The morning after Halloween, Dylan tested for his next Taekwondo belt. He is loving the sport and doing incredibly well. Lauren is getting back into horseback riding and is SO excited about that!

This past weekend, we traveled to Cape Girardeau for Joe's cousin's wedding. We had fun seeing Joe's parents and family. For those of you who haven't had an update in awhile, Joe's dad is doing GREAT - he is using crutches now and hopes to be walking by Christmas. We never dreamed he'd have a recovery this long and this difficult, but we always knew he'd beat whatever odds they gave him.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, although Lauren is upset that I do not own any Thanksgiving decorations. I encouraged her to draw some pilgrims and turkeys and tape them to the front door to satisfy herself.

Joe's job is going great. The next few months should be vedddddddyyyyy interesting for him.

I finally got moved into my office and got my website up and running (http://www.karathompson.com/). The website is a basic informational one until I can afford something bigger.

I feel so lucky that I found a building with such nice people. There are several other therapists, a wonderful lawyer who represents the needs of children (http://www.yourchild1st.com/), and a non-profit that advocates for kids. I am blessed beyond belief to be in the company of such amazing people! I am hoping to find out about my exam any day now, and as soon as I know I've passed, I'm on my way. It is a strange experience to do something I love to do...so many steps in my life have been on the path of least resistance!

Dead Ant, Dead Ant, Dead Ant

We chose "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" for our Friday night movie. If you remember correctly, Rick Moranis' crazy shrinking invention accidentally shrunk his kids and his neighbor's kids. During this movie, the children adopt an ant. The ant, like a loyal dog, defends the shrunken children when they are being attacked by a scorpion and dies in battle. Dylan was just devastated at the thought of this brave bug dying. In between sobs, he said, "It's just so hard seeing a bug die."

The therapist in me did not want to ignore or turn away from Dylan's unique grieving process, yet it's really hard to comfort a child grieving over an animatronic ant with a straight face. But I did it, and no one will ever be able to say I'm not a good actress EVER again.

I haven't posted in awhile. I spent the last month studying for the National MFT Licensure exam. I took the test on Monday and have absolutely no idea if I did well or not. If I don't pass, you can bet I'll be crying harder than Dylan did over that ant.

I know what you're thinking.

"That cut doesn't look that bad."

"That looks like a broken fingernail, she's exaggerating."

"Surely she can hit the space bar with her left hand and pull her pants up with another finger."

No, she can't, and don't call me Shirley.

I'd cut off my thumb to spite my hand. WARNING - DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT!

I hosted some of my grad school friends at my house today for brunch. I knew for sure that I would be serving "The Bacon Experiment," which is a new style of bacon I've been working on. I had tested it at home with Joe several times but had never served it to anyone else. It was yummy. If you'd like to participate in the "The Bacon Experiment," please contact me and we'll get you all set up. Someday I'd like to have a bed and breakfast where I could do "The Bacon Experiment" every day.

But bacon is beside the point right now. The other dish I decided to serve was an Asparagus Mushroom Strata (named the Eric Estrata by my friend Amanda), one of my favorite brunchy dishes. The Eric Estrata calls for french bread cubes, so I bought a big loaf and brought it home to cut up into cute little cubes last night. In the process of cutting, I sliced off part of the tip of my thumb. It hurt.

But my thumb hurting is beside the point right now. This injury has made me realize how much we need our thumbs! Here are things you will have trouble with if you ever slice off part of your thumb:

1) Putting on a bandaid by yourself.

2) Opening a package of bacon (this did not hinder the execution of "The Bacon Experiment" - I used a knife to open the package, which could have resulted in more pieces of my fingers being cut off, but "The Bacon Experiment" is worth the risk).

3) Pulling down your pants to go to the bathroom. If you haven't noticed, the thumb acts as a hook. The other fingers are not quite as comfortable playing the "hook" role.

4) Getting toilet paper off the roll. Sorry, it's the truth. I roll with reality here.

5) Rummaging through a drawer. Yes, rummaging hurts.

6) Taking comparison pictures of your uninjured thumb and your injured thumb.

Good Thumb.

Bad Thumb.

7) Pulling a debit card out of your wallet. OH MY, I was so unaware of what my thumb was doing all those times I pulled that card out!

8) Washing your hair. I'd never been aware until today that this is really a two-handed job. I wonder what other unknown two handed jobs are out there for me to discover?

9) Typing. Especially the space bar, which before today, I never knew I used my left hand for. Yes, I'm suffering for my art today.

10) Washing your hands. There is no rubbing or scrubbing. Only a delicate touch to make sure you don't hit it. This is sort of interesting, because I know my hands need to be clean, but I'm a little concerned that my light hand washing may not be enough. I guess we'll know in a few days if an infection breaks out.

Thanks for joining me on this very special edition of

"Opposable Thumbs: They Really DO Make A Difference."

Awww, Moses and the Tablets!

I had the extreme pleasure of seeing one of the most inappropriate women on the planet tonight. One of my dearest, most generous friends shared one of her last-minute-acquired Kathy Griffin tickets with me. We had a great girls' night out, a couple of super-stiff frozen margaritas (KJ had Strawberry Daquiris) and lots of laughs.

Kathy Griffin, I know you will never read this blog, but you inspire me to be myself in spite of the judgments of others.

K. J., I am so grateful for your friendship and your non-girly presence! I will always prevent you from wearing your big pants even if I don't have the fashion sense to improve your wardrobe. xoxoxo

Okay, FINE! I'M OLD!

I'm 38 today. I remember when I was a little girl and the adults in my life would try to blow off their birthdays.

I get it now.

First Day!

We began with a bang, so we must end with a bang.

You probably remember Dylan's high dive fall and ER visit on May 30, the beginning of summer vacation. Tonight is the end of summer vacation, and we bookended the break in true Thompson fashion.

After a day at the pool, we headed over to the school for the Ice Cream Social. They had a fire engine spraying water, moonwalks, ice cream (obviously), games and hair painting. Lauren decided to take her shoes off after playing in the water and subsequently stepped on a nail. Granted, it was a nail that came off a Pinewood Derby wheel, but it hurt and she was really upset.

We decided to take her to Urgent Care because she hadn't had a tetanus shot that I was aware of. The doctor examines her and says, "I'm most concerned about foreign body contamination." I'm thinking, "WHAT? WHAT IS THAT?" Then I stop myself and translate from doctor language to human language... he was worried that part of the nail had broken off in her foot. Ok, fine, off to the x-ray we go.

After ruling out foreign body contamination, the doctor said we could check out. I asked him, "Well, doesn't she need a tetanus shot?" He said, "She's had all her vaccinations, so no. The tetanus vaccination came when she had her D-TAP." D-TAP? Hmm. That sounds familiar.

The DIP TET. How many freaking times have I seen "Raising Arizona" and joked about my kids getting their DIP TETS at the doctor???? "They've gotta have their dip-tets, honey!"

I'm glad Lauren's okay. It's just so incredibly poetic that we started the summer vacation with an injury and ended with another.

We were like six little Fonzies.

We all stayed cool, even though Dylan's spectacular birthday plans had to change. We had planned to go to the local waterpark (Oceans of Fun) today. Dylan was going to take his friend Adam and Lauren was going to take Will. We woke up this morning to cloudy skies and a rainy forecast, so we decided to change our plans and go to POWERPLAY. You have to type it in all caps, because that's what POWERPLAY does to you. It's loud. It's overstimulating. It's frantic. It's POWERPLAY. The people who work at POWERPLAY give you cards to swipe at each game instead of using money (kind of like Vegas, when you have credits on the slots and you forget you're spending money).

POWERPLAY makes you, and everyone around you STARTTALKINGLIKETHISANDSWIPINGYOURLITTLEPOWERPLAYCARD
OVERANDOVERANDOVER,INFACTYOUSWIPEDANDRECHARGEDYOUR
POWERPLAYCARDSOMANYTIMESYOUQUICKLYFORGOTHOWMUCH
MONEYYOUWERESPENDING.NOTTOMENTIONALLTHEFOODYOUATE
ATTHEUNLIMITEDPIZZA,TACOANDMASHEDPOTATOBUFFET.

I'm going to have nightmares tonight of little kids reaching for my pocket saying, "SWIPE THE CARD, MAMA! SWIPE THE CARD!"

At the end of the day, we had the following:

1) Four happy, overstimulated kids
2) Two overstimulated adults in dire need of a drink
3) Two whoopie cushions (one broke in the car on the way home, awww shucks)
4) Two sets of yucky "hilbilly teeth" (no offense to my hilbilly readers, it's just what the teeth were called)
5) Four matching bracelets
6) One magic popping eyeball
7) One whistle (thankfully this went to Will's house... sorry Lisa and Pete!)
8) Six rubber bouncy balls (none of them can be located at this time.... the dog may have eaten them... I'll get back to you)
9) Two plastic frogs that seem to have no purpose or function
10) Two pieces of candy
11) One female adult whose competitive side came out while shooting little boys and girls in lazer tag
12) Two adults who realized they really need to improve their long-lost "Galaga" skills

Overall, the day was a success. I can't believe our son is almost NINE years old.

Restaurants are making me mad

Everywhere you go, restaurants have a large TV in every corner. Why is this? What happened to days when there was MAYBE one, small 19 inch TV behind the bar?

I tried to take Dylan to lunch at a local pizza place today. I thought it could be a great time for us to catch up and talk, just the 2 of us. I'm already fighting the talking battle uphill because he's a boy and "Great" and "I don't know" are usually the extent of his conversations with me.

We get to the restaurant, find our seats and, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... he's hypnotized by the TV. I could have moved him to another seat in the restaurant, but noooo. There was a TV everywhere you turned. I was so mad, I should have left.

I have no idea why restaurants insist on doing this, unless they are trying to reduce noise volume in their facilities by putting their patrons in a trance.

Last week of summer!

I'm always amazed at how quickly summer flies by. I always think, "Wow. What are we going to do for 10 weeks?" And then, SNAP! Summer is over. Between the baseball, karate, tennis, scouts, lake vacation and going to the pool, we were pretty busy and we had a lot of fun.

Last week we went to the Lake of the Ozarks for a much needed family vacation. We rented a great house, which was very relaxing. We hung out at our dock, swam, rode waverunners, toured a cave, rode bumper boats and ate a lot. Like a whole lot. Some highlights:


As a side note, I found an office. It is a very nice place right next to the kids' school. I am really excited to get started. I'm also terrified to get started. Here are some pics of the office:


My dear friend Kristin from Virginia showed up on my doorstep on Friday morning. Apparently, she and Joe had been planning a surprise visit for quite some time and they both managed to keep me completely in the dark. I was so surprised, and I realized that there are very few things in my life that surprise me anymore. I think I need more of that.

Finally, I met up with some of my classmates for a therapy book club last night. We didn't talk about the book at all, but it was so fun to see everyone and catch up. My friends Erica and LaShandra brought their beautiful babies, which was so fun.

It's hyyyyydromatic

Lauren and I had girls night last night. We decided to watch a movie that the boys don't like to watch, so she chose "Grease." It was so fun to watch her enjoy it and it was a relief that the dirty stuff went right over her head.

The boys are at Scout Camp until Tuesday evening. They are blessed with warm weather and super-low humidity - unheard of around here!

Such Great Heights, part 2.

After his spectacular fall off the high dive a month ago, Dylan finally slayed the high dive dragon. I'm proud of him. Here's how it went:

He had decided to do it on the drive over to the pool. I told him that they had created a new rule at the pool (this is true, by the way, not my attempt at manipulating him) that you can't climb back down the ladder once you've climbed up. You go up, you have to jump. We arrive, and Dylan heads over to the high dive with his 2 friends and his sister. He is the last one in the line.

His sister, knowing what is about to happen, decides that this will be HER first time off the high dive as well. She goes first, flinging herself off the high dive with reckless abandon.

Friend 1 jumps off. Friend 2 jumps off. Dylan begins his slow climb to the top of the ladder. He hesitates around the area he fell from before, but continues to climb the rest of the way.

Once on the board, he moves to the end of the railing. I'm thinking, "Wow, he really is going to do this!"

SCRRREECCH! He comes to a halt at the end of the railing and begins to cry. CRAP! So I started out empathizing with him, using all my best therapy techniques. Didn't work. 15 minutes have passed and there is a line of kids waiting for their turn. I tried making him feel guilty... didn't work.

At this point, all the kids are cheering for him and telling him he could do it. The lifeguards were cheering for him. He still wouldn't jump. I tried getting mad at him and telling him he couldn't play Rock Band if he didn't jump. Didn't work. He said, "I DON'T CARE!!!"

So I bribed him. I bribed him with $30 and 3 hours of Wii time.

He jumped.

We caved.

We bought "Rock Band" for the Wii. We are working on mastering "Wanted Dead or Alive" and "Roxanne."

Somehow, I have the feeling that we will never be the same.

I'm closer to fine

I finished school on Thursday. The past two years were amazing and amazingly difficult. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thank you, Cohort 32!

I got home around 11:00 on Thursday night, and the next morning we woke up at 4:30 to drive to Cape Girardeau for Joe's cousin Beth's wedding. Dylan and Lauren were the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl. They both looked gorgeous! Dylan was really excited about his tux. When he opened the bag and saw it he said, "I AM GOING TO LOOK STUNNING IN THIS!" He did.

In addition to school ending and the wedding, we have had a good summer. The kids are taking Karate and Dylan is taking tennis. We are also having fun going to the pool. Life is good.

But the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth...

Dylan got to see his first concert last week with Joe. Can you guess what it was?

Rush. What else? Dylan, Joe, Uncle Rob and Uncle Bill all went together to see the show. It was Dylan's first Rush show and Joe's TWELFTH. Yes, Joe has gone twelve times to see the little tiny man they call Geddy Lee. Dylan loved it and, like anyone would do after they saw an awesome concert, wore his concert t-shirt to summer camp the next day.

We are having a good summer. Dylan and Lauren are taking Tae Kwon Do, Dylan is playing tennis and baseball and Lauren is considering gymnastics. This week the kids got to go to St. Louis to visit their grandparents, which is always a treat. For everyone involved.

Joe and I barely saw each other this week, because we're both working hard. We did manage to go see "The Happening" last night and went to dinner.

Which brings me to my next topic. We went to this restaurant by our house that has been around since 1978. It's in a charming, little old house with a great stone patio out back. It's small and rustic and it reminds me of being in Vermont. We moved here in 1978, right around the time it opened, and we've been going there ever since. It was always the place we took my grandfather when he visited us. They have always been a bit of a hole in the wall, but it's still good. Anyway, we get there last night and there must be some new management. The service was bad, the food was bad, the wait staff was fighting in front of everyone, and to my horror, they had removed the Filet Mignon and baked potato from the menu along with several other items that had been on there forever. Even though things had drastically changed, everyone was wearing shirts that said the name of the restaurant and "Since 1978."

I was irritated, and Joe stopped me from having a talk with the manager, which I imagine would have gone something like this, probably with even more profanity than I used in this example.

ME: Yes, manager person, I see that your shirt is now advertising that this restaurant has been here since 1978. Were you even BORN in 1978? Do you know that I have been taking my family here since 1978, and we usually order the filet mignon and baked potato????? If you are going to SAY you have been around since 1978, which you clearly haven't, you might want to carry that g*dd*mn filet mignon and baked potato!!!! Do you know that my grandfather ordered the filet mignon and baked potato when we brought him here in 1978? Do you know that almost every time I've been here in the last THIRTY years I have ordered the filet mignon and baked potato?

MANAGER: Well, I suppose we could consider adding it to the menu. We had no idea people would be so emotional about it.

ME: DON'T EVEN BOTHER!!! YOU PROBABLY COULDN'T COOK IT RIGHT ANYWAY!! THANKS FOR TAKING A GREAT RESTAURANT AND PUTTING IT IN THE SH*TTER!

I'm a little worked up about this. Joe has told me that when the restaurant goes belly up I am not allowed to buy it. Would someone out there please buy it with me? I could only contribute about $25.oo, so you'd have to come up with most of the money. We could advertise it as a "totally local" restaurant with only local meats and produce. I think it's brilliant and I'll do therapy in the kitchen.

Just make sure to put a filet mignon and baked potato on the menu.

Such great heights.

Dylan fell off the ladder for the high diving board today. It was scary, we called 911, went in the ambulance, the whole shebang. He is FINE - he will be sore and have a headache tomorrow, but it was still scary. Some highlights for you:

* He asked the EMT to tell him all about Tasers while strapped to the backboard.

* On the drive to the hospital, he and the EMT spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to spell "consciousness." If Dylan, strapped to the board with a possible head injury, had figured it out before the EMT, I would have been frightened.

* Our ambulance got honked at by someone who was irritated that we cut in front of them. WHO DOES THAT??? Our EMT simply remarked, "People are stupid." Sadly, I agree.

* The ER doctor who initially examined him said, "He must have a really hard head." I said, "You have no idea."

* Dylan told the nurse when she asked him if she could cut off his hospital wrist band, "No, I'd rather just rip it off." 2 hours later, he ripped that sucker right off.

* Dylan was very careful to point out which injuries came from his diving board fall and which injuries came from a run-in with the tree in our front yard.

* Dylan wanted to make SURE that he got to choose the movie for movie night. He chose "Transformers." MMMM, I needed some Shia tonight!

* We got to witness true positive sibling attachment tonight. When we got home and we were eating our pizza, Lauren said, "Dylan, maybe you should get up on the couch." He said, "Why?" She replied, "Because you were at the hospital."

* He was mad at me that I didn't remember to bring his shirt and shoes with us in the ambulance. Sorry honey, I thought your brain was going to swell and make you a vegetable, so making sure you had your clothing with you was not a priority!!!

* Advice: Make sure you always carry your wallet with you, no matter how short the trip. I do not recommend going in an ambulance or to the hospital without a wallet. Forget the clean underpants, bring the wallet. Thankfully Joe met us at the hospital so I ended up getting what we needed.

Let me repeat... forget the underpants, bring the wallet.

Always look eye.....

We have pizza and a movie every Friday night at our house. It's become a great ritual and we all look forward to it. Sometimes the kids pick the movie, which can result in "Zoom," starring Tim Allen. Yeah. No need to follow through on that one.

But then there are the nights when WE get to pick. Tonight, we chose "The Karate Kid." For those of you who remember the magic, you KNOW you cried when DanielSan threw The Crane. In honor of tonight's Thompson Movie Night, please allow me to give you the gift of the best movie music montage EVER.



Dylan is totally mesmerized by this movie and we could not be happier!

GET HIM A BODY BAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The humans are dead...but I may have a future.

We have "Flight of the Conchords" fever here. The only song that has the least amount of dirty words in it is "Robots - The Humans are Dead." Here it is for your viewing pleasure. There are a few times where I cough at *just* the right moment.

Lauren lost her first tooth 2 weeks ago and then lost her second tooth two days later. It was so exciting!

Dylan received his Bear Badge at a Scout Ceremony. He worked hard for it and was very proud of himself.

Gran and Poppy came to see the big event!

They also came to see my big event - I graduated from my Master's program. Don't be too excited. They had us graduate but we still had 2 months left. I had a great time, but driving in to work on Monday morning as if nothing had happened was SUCH a downer! Amongst a group of incredible people in my cohort, I was fortunate enough to win the "Sheldon Louthan Outstanding Graduate Student" Award of my class, and I am graduating with a 4.0 in the program. Those of you who know me from my early academic days, please feel free to roll on the floor with laughter. I sure am!

I have 5 classes left. I can't believe it! Here is a pic of me and Joe celebrating. I'm not sure who is more excited. I think he's more excited. I'm more scared!

So much has changed over the past 2 years. I'm learning how to live by this quote by Carl Jung,

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being."

Thanks for helping me with my light.

Speaking of light, here is beautiful daughter volunteering to help peel cucumbers.

Smiley face on a police car.

If you ever get the chance to tour your local police station, make sure you take along a 6 year old girl. We toured the Lenexa Police Station for Boy Scouts on Tuesday, and Lauren took it upon herself to draw a smiley face on the dusty police car. We LOVED the irony. The kids had a great time and we were amused by the fact that everything in this police station could be hosed down "in case the perps vomited."

Joe took it upon himself to do some research on the gangs of Lenexa and Johnson County. If you are familiar with Lenexa and Johnson County, feel free to make the same stereotyped jokes we did about the types of gangs that might be found here. For instance, one gang wears RED POLO SHIRTS, another gang wears BLUE POLO SHIRTS. Initiation involves buying an item from each store in Oak Park Mall in one hour.

Dylan got to attend Take Your Child to Work Day on Thursday with Joe. He reported the experience as being "grrrreat." The boys enjoyed a long lunch hour, Dylan took notes at a meeting and drew on the white board. It was a fun day for both of them!

On Tuesday, Joe served as the WATCH DOG for the kids' school for the day. This is a program to encourage dads to get involved with their children's schools. He helped with the morning drop off (the scariest assignment of all in my opinion), made ice packs for the nurse, volunteered in the kids' classrooms, volunteered for the entire 2 hour lunch shift and helped the cranky art teacher. The kids were SOOOOOOOOOO proud to have their dad there. I will post a pic when I get it from the school.

Big, slithery snakes and rockin' cats.

I try to find interesting things for the kids and I to do when Joe is working on Sunday afternoons at the bike shop. Today, we went to the Kansas City Pet Expo. Ironically, there are no PETS allowed at the PET Expo, so Katy stayed home. We saw this:


The snake looks big, doesn't it? The picture does NOT do this thing justice. It's HUGE. I knew I was safe but I was seriously wigged out by looking at it so closely. The presenter dude, David Nieves, is one of Dylan's heroes. He works with reptiles, writes books and does shows everywhere. We got his autograph and took a picture with him. If I can figure out how to get the picture out of my phone, I'm posting it.

We also saw the Acro-cats. I'm just not sure cats can really be "trained." The Acro-cats are kind of cool, but you had to feel sorry for the trainers because, let's face it, cats will make you work a LOT harder than dogs will. Dogs like to please. Dogs forget that there is a treat in your hand. Cats could give, well, a rat's ass (no pun intended) what you want - they just want that treat. Half the time, the cats would not do what the trainers wanted, and the trainers literally had to drag the treats along to get the cat to perform. They could get away with this poor performance because the trainers would just shrug their shoulders, hug the cats and smile. And this is like, apparently, the PREMIER cat performance act in the midwest. IN THE MIDWEST! We all felt a little embarrassed for the trainers, so we clapped. Which probably just perpetuates the whole wicked cycle. The highlight of the Acro-cats was the Rock-cats (what a pun-filled day!). Here is a fantastic video of the Rock-cats. I am sure you will enjoy the song.



Yes, I know. They don't really rock. But "Electric Avenue" still rocks big time! All I can think is that if these were dogs, they would actually be playing music, singing, and possibly destroying a guitar a la Pete Townshend. But because they're cats, and they could really care less about what they are being asked to do, they can get away with minimal music skills. Just sayin'.

It's business...it's business time!

I have 13 weeks left of school and it is like being inside an avalanche. From here on out, I'm just riding the wave. I wish I'd had more time to post. I should say something like, "I can't believe it's been this long since I posted to the blog! So much has happened, I don't know where to start!!"

SO,

I can't believe it's been this long since I posted to the blog. So much has happened, I don't know where to start.

When we last left the Thompsons, they were getting ready for March. We celebrated Lauren's birthday, and her whole Kindergarten class came over. Joe's mom came in town and we were SO grateful to have her there. Having a lot of 5-6 year olds in one house is not the easiest thing to do. Let's just say that character was built that day.

Then Dylan kicked off our Spring Break by inventing his newest game - Underpants War. He even has a bag at his side for extra ammo.

Sadly, Katy was drafted.

We had a good spring break. For the first few days we just hung out, but then we took the kids to visit our friends who live in Springfield. Another friend and her kids met us down there, and we had to laugh because within an hour of being in town, we had everyone lined up at the bar.

The adults were also figuring out how we could pool our money and buy this PARTY BARGE. We'd like to think we've grown up, but we haven't.

We also went to Branson and went to "Splash Country." It was very fun.

To finish the blog, Dylan would like me to show you that he has reached his personal best in climbing the tree in our front yard.

Behold the glory.

Thanks to my friend Cyndy for turning me on to Flight of the Conchords. I don't have HBO so I hadn't seen them until a few weeks ago, so I'd like to leave you with this (not really safe for kids but super great for adults):

Mr. Potatohead! Mr. Potatohead! Back doors are NOT secrets!

The title has no real relevance to the content of this blog. I just like saying it a lot lately.

We have been busy bees around here.

I had the pleasure of volunteering at Lauren's Valentine party last week. I thought it would be fun to have the kids spell the words "Valentine's Day!" by giving them each a letter and having them arrange themselves in the order of the words. Well, I was hurrying because we were running out of time and arranged the kids so it was backwards. It looked like "SENITENLAV YAD." I realized this and quickly rearranged them so it would not look backwards. In my haste, all I did was rearrange them the same way, just facing a different direction. So Happy SENITENLAV YAD it was. My brain just does not work well under pressure!

I also got to go with Dylan and his class to the Negro Leagues Museum and the Jazz Museum. We had a great time and the kids enjoyed looking at all the exhibits. I forgot my camera.

Joe and Dylan have been really busy with Boy Scouts lately. Last Friday, we all went to the Blue and Gold banquet. Joe got up on stage and presented awards to his boy scouts. He looks so handsome in his uniform, and it makes me laugh because Mr. Anti-Establishment is that much closer to becoming The Man.


We kept the kids up a little late on Wednesday so they could see the Lunar Eclipse. Dylan was very prepared by pulling his baseball socks up as far as they could go on his legs so they would not get cold. Eclipses are cool, but I have to admit seeing that red moon was eerie. I kept hearing devily-Omen-type music in my head.

We have also had a very big rite of passage in our home. Last week, I came home from work late and discovered this on Dylan's door:

It had to happen sooner or later! Dylan has also been posting other types of signs. He is apparently running for "House President" and displaying his campaign materials all over the place. He was also kind enough to leave me a note on my computer that read "Bossy Mom."

How sweet.

Go home and take a snow day, Mrs. Braintree!

It seems as though snow days come quite easily to the children in the Shawnee Mission School District. In the olden days, there had to be a foot of snow on the ground before they would cancel school! Whoever the superintendent is now must be freakishly afraid of snow.

Anywhoo, we had fun! We watched TV, ate pizza and went sledding. Katy is becoming quite the sledding dog. She is finally getting comfortable sledding down the hill with us. Dylan got into a snowball fight with some high school girls and was quite proud of himself. It was a good day.

Karatology

This challenge was inspired by Cyndy. I'm copying her.

ARCHAEOLOGY: the study of material remains

What's the oldest article of clothing you still wear? I have a long sweater that I bought in 1992.

What's the oldest article of clothing you won't get rid of? Probably that sweater.

When was the house/building you live in built? 1984

What in your fridge needs to be thrown out? Nothing! I threw out everything that needed to be disposed of at 3:00 today!

BIBLIOLOGY: the study of publication

What are you reading? TEXTBOOKS.

Do you have a favorite quote? "Up from a past that's rooted in pain, I rise." - Maya Angelou

What's the most recent music you purchased? I just bought some Allman Brothers that I swore I had but didn't have.

What book could you read again without being bored? The Secret Garden, The Rainmaker, Jitterbug Perfume, Alive, The Stand, Pride and Prejudice.

CARDIOLOGY: the study of the heart

How old were you the first time you fell in love? I thought it was 16, then I thought it was 19, but it was more like 23 and it was for GOOD.

What charities do you have a heart for? Too many to name. Top of the list? Safehome and MOCSA.

What's the best way someone can show their love for you? Follow through, give me patience and let me sleep in.

Name five things you "love": My husband, my kids, going to the movies by myself, mashed potatoes with a good gravy, and furry pets.

PHYSIOLOGY: the study of physical function

Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right handed

Do you like your smile? Only if it's totally a candid smile. Photo smile, GROSS.

What's your best feature? I've been told I have nice nail beds.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body? 2 babies, although now that I think about it, I did that pretty much on my own. OOOH!! My wisdom teeth!!

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? THE SIXTH ONE.

OMNOLOGY: the study of everything

What color do you think looks best on you? Turquoise

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? No!

Where's the first place you went today? Target

Do you stand or sit in the shower? Well, I stand because there is nowhere to sit and I'm able to stand, so why not stand?

AXIOLOGY: the study of the nature of values and value judgments

Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? HELL YES! I could cover a 1/2 mile in 5 or 6 minutes. That's roughly 16,666.66 a minute - I did the math! Hey, is that the devil's challenge????

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Sure! Do I have to get into it, or can I just phone it in?

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? I have huge student loans, OF COURSE!!! Although I might get sued for emotional damages from the people who saw it or wanted refunds.
What value is of utmost importance to you in a friend? Loyalty

Would you accept an indecent proposal for $1,000,000? OMG have you seen that movie??? It was a big ol' mess, and I can't imagine it would work out any better for me.

TECHNOLOGY: usage and knowledge of tools

What's the last movie you saw? E. T.

What's the first website you visit when you log on? Perezhilton.com

Would you quit blogging for $25,000? I'm sure many people wish I would, so sure.

What piece of equipment do you wish you owned? One of those pretty, large, flat TV's.

GENEALOGY: the study of relationships within families

Is there a specific family member you're really missing right now? BRANDON!!!

Are you named after anyone? I was told once that my parents liked the name Kara because of Kara Kennedy. I didn't quite have the cool last name to go with it!

Is there anyone really famous in your family tree? I am related to the dude who started Dickinson Theaters. Does that qualify as really famous?

Reunited, and it feels so good.

Will is back. The kids got to have a friend over last night and she chose Will. Dylan had Mitchell spend the night. Mitchell was seeking refuge from his little sister's slumber party. They had quite a good time, and as you can see, there was a lot of giggling. We ate pizza and watched "ET."