Where's Sissy?

Maddie has been at her dads for a little over a week. We are missing her very much.

The door to her bedroom is open with a safety gate on it to keep James from going in. This is standard procedure, but on most days she comes home at 3pm and fills the house with fun and laughter. James has been walking by and peeking in but hasn't really said anything about Maddie being missing.

Today I walked into the office and James and Owen were sitting at the computer looking at our home videos. I sat down on the sofa and joined in on the fun. We were laughing at how funny James looked in some of his baby videos and how we thought he was the cutest thing ever. We enjoyed watching Matthew laying down and giggling, because that's all he's really done on video. Then came some Maddie videos. We watched one back from 2003 and were amazed at how fast the time goes.

As we watched Maddie on video James began saying "Sissy." Then it sounded like he may have been asking "Where's Sissy?" It's the first time since she's gone to visit her dad that he's verbally acknowledged that she's missing. I think he get's it a litte bit, but it may not be until next year that he'll really notice.


Maddie dancing in 2003


Maddie dancing in 2007

An Hour Alone

This afternoon I had to drop Buddy off at the groomers for a bath. He had gotten into something stinky and our at-home baths haven't been able to remove the odor.

Anyhow, Owen was home with the boys and I asked if he'd mind if I spent a little time out before coming home. He agreed, so off Buddy and I went.

I dropped Buddy at the grooming salon and walked back out to the car. Once inside I felt overjoyed. I was almost giddy--kind of giggling to myself. I immediately phoned Owen to share this wonderful feeling I was experienceing. We decided it had been a very long time since I had been without at least one of the children and had no plans for my time out of the house. I didn't know what to do with myself. Should I call my step-mom and her sisters to see if they needed help moving or should I go to Home Goods and shop---both sounded like fun, but sorry Sue, Home Goods won out.

As I was driving to the store I passed a nail shop that my sister-in-law had taken Maddie and I to several months back. I heard it calling to me, "Debbie, Debbie, come on in and we paint you toes and rub you feet. We make you feel real good." I was sold. My minivan and I flipped a u-e and walked right in.

Thankfully they had time for a pedicure. The girl even encouraged me to close my eyes and take a nap, promising to wake me up when she was finished. I heeded her advice and closed my eyes, thoroughly enjoying being pampered. Sadly, it all came to an end too quickly and it was time to head back to the house.

As I drove up all three of my precious men were sitting on the lawn playing. It warmed my heart to see them and I remembered why it had been so long since I had spent time alone. An hour away was just right--I don't like to be away from my guys for too long!

Check out my favorite Nail Salon Comedy bit.

Matthew Rolls Over!

As you may have previously read, Matthew has been working very hard at learning to roll over from his back to his tummy. Today was the big day that he succeeded. Sadly, since he kept mommy up a lot last night she was dozing on the sofa during his big moment. I heard him giggling and making some other funny sounds, so I took a look at the floor and there he was laying on his tummy. Pictures to be posted soon.


Yesterday was also a big day for Matthew, but mommy was too tired to blog last night--do I see a theme here?? His big accomplishment was eating his first food. I mixed up a small bowl of rice cereal with formula and let him try a few bites. As can be expected, about as much came out as went in. Too cute!

Matthew's 4 month Dr. Appt.

Matthew is growing up quickly. He had his 4 month appointment with his pediatrician today. We're glad to report he's a healty little boy. He is 25 3/4 inches tall and 15 lbs. 13 oz., both of which put him in the 75th percentile.

He has been starting to occasionally take a bottle with formula. It took us awhile, but we finally found a bottle and nipple that he likes. The Playtex Drop In nurser. Now it's time to start with rice cereal.

One interesting thing I learned is that you're not supposed to give children under 1 year old honey. The reason is because it has something in it that can cause infant botcholism. You also have to avoid nuts, seafood and eggs. It seems allergies are a big thing these days. I don't remember all of this with Maddie. Maybe it's just been too long.

Sick Day

James began feeling a little under the weather on Sunday. He had a low grade fever, was a little weezy, his nose was running and his gums were bleeding a little from a new tooth emerging. The poor little guy just wasn't doing well. He didn't go down well last evening and he woke up at 6am this morning.

When Owen, my wonderful, helpful, outstanding, supportive husband, went to get him he found a pool of vomit in the bed. Rather than coming and getting me he got James out of bed, cleaned him up, and put the sheets and blankies into the washer. Next, as Owen sat rocking the little guy he received a special little gift of vomit down his shirt. Still he didn't come and wake me up. What did I do to deserve this husband? Nothing. A completely undeserved gift from God!

Anyhow, I came out around 7 and James just ran up and hugged me. He then proceeded to lay on my tummy on the couch for an extended period of time. Anyone who has spent any ammount of time with James knows that it is VERY rare for him to slow down, yet alone stop all activity. We decided to take him to the doctor's walk in appointments at 8am.

He has now been diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and needed an immediate breathing treatment. Sadly, James wanted nothing to do with the little mask on his face and the hot steam coming up toward his mouth and nose, but I tried valiantly to hold him down and keep it on his face. He was stronger than me so I asked for help from a nurse. Between the two of us we got him held down and the mask up to his mouth and nose. He fought so hard that from the hallway it must have sounded like the exam room was a midevil torture chamber. Eventually we wore him out and he fell asleep and stopped fighting.

We left the doctors office with 2 prescriptions for inhalers. One 2x a day and one 4x a day. He takes the treatment better at home because the mask has a little ducky face on it. We let him play with it for awhile and then try to sneak it up on his nose. Some times it works and sometimes it doesn't. It should be an interesting week.

Peach Harvesting Day

We've been noticing lately that birds have been hanging out in our peach tree. Translated, this is bird language for "These peaches are ripe so you better get your behind up here and harvest before we eat all of them." During naptime I ventured up to have a look and saw that they have gotten large and are turning a beautiful orange reddish color. A few had been damaged by the birds, but about 2 dozen were ready for harvesting. We trimmed them off the tree and are now busy thinking of what to do with them. If you have any great recipe's please send them along.

Soccer and Swimming

Today was James' first day at parent/tot soccer class. We have a little local soccer park which offers a 9 week summer program for kids 18 months and up. Because James is always on the go and he loves balls, we figured this would be a great class for him.

Owen and James hit the field while Matthew and I watched from the sidelines. It started with circle time and introductions. They asked to share the names and the child's favorite color. Do 18 month olds have a favorite color? Anyhow, James had chosen to sit on an orange pad, rather than a purple one that Owen had chosen, so we've decided orange is is favorite color. Plus he can say orange. After introductions they did a red light/green light activity running accross the field. Then they made little ball clowns out of pylons and had the kids practice kicking the ball.

I stopped paying attention at this point because it was quickly approaching 100 degrees (at 9am--YIKES!) and Matthew and I decided to move to a shaded area with the misters turned on.

The next thing I noticed was a big colorful parachute and all of the kids sitting on it as the parents were spinning them around. Next the kids ran under it while the parents held it up. Actually, James was the only one running underneath and all of the other kids were clinging to their parents pant legs. This is where we realized that the last year we've spent doing our weekly My Little Gym class has paid off. James really is learning skills because every few weeks they pull out the parachute and he obviously knew exactly what to do. All in all it was a typical toddler class and James and Owen had a good time. If this heat keeps up Owen and I will probably take turns on the field, so neither of us gets too burned out---or more likely too sunburned!

Ultimately, the temperature got up to 109 today, so around 6pm when it "cooled down" to a mere 90 degrees, we took the boys into the pool. This was Matthew's first time. He went in very easily and seemed to enjoy cooling off. I swooshed him around a bit and even dipped his head into the water like the teachers at James' swim class do with the little ones. He didn't seem to mind at all. It looks like we'll have 3 kids who love swimming!

You may have noticed that I didn't post yesterday. It was our saddest day of the year. The day Maddie leaves for her 5 week visit to her dad's house each summer. Owen, Maddie and I all find it very difficult to be apart, but by the grace of God we get through it each year. Many of our friends at home and down here are praying regularly for this situation and each year God has been faithful to answer those prayers by bringing our little girl home safely. We are trusting in Him as always.

James "The Flying Squirrel"

It's a hot week down here in San Diego. We have been in the pool almost every day trying to keep cool.

James gets a lot of time to practice everything he's learned in swim lessons. He can put his head under water, kick his arms and legs and jump in from the side. Today he walked up to the high ledge of our pool (about two feet up from the water line), squatted down with a deep look of concentation on his face, held this position for what seemed like an eternity, and then suddenly flew off the ledge with his arms and legs fully extended. Maddie immediately labeled it the "flying squirrel."

James is always keeping us on the edge of our seats. Sometimes in fear because he's trying to do things no kid his age should be doing, sometimes in laughter becauase he'll do something so amazing for someone his age that you just have to laugh.

Maddie's promotion day

Today was Maddie's promotion day from 5th grade. She will be an official middle schooler next year. (pictured on the right with her teacher Mr. Navarette and principal Mrs. Malanga)

By having her repeat 5th grade we really got to keep her our "little girl" for one extra year. It kind of felt like a bonus year was added to her life.

Now begin the changes into pre-adolescence. Will she get a little more moody? Will we have mother daughter issues? Will she start to notice boys? Will she want to wear make up or more fashionable clothes?

Whatever happens, I feel confident that Maddie is a self-assured, strong minded young lady who will make many wise decisions. My prayer is that she has absorbed all we've been teaching her during these elementary years, that our values have been planted in her soul like little seeds that have taken root and will grow as she begins to spread her wings and make some of her own decisions, and that she knows that she can always come to us for guidance. I pray that she has a teachable attitude so we can continue training her up to be a follower of Christ and that she sees that following His ways will guide her to the life He has planned for her. Lastly, I pray that she is protected from all of the ungodliness that the world is throwing at our children each day and realizes that what the world has to offer is temporary and fleeting and what God has to offer will last for eternity.

Ok--so I'm being a little dramatic tonight--I guess every mother is allowed. The next dramatic post will come after 8th grade graduation... stay tuned.

Matthew's smile

Matthew keeps all of us laughing and smiling throughout the day. For being only 3 months old he has quite a hold on anyone who looks at him. He begins with an adorable little laugh and as he's laughing his mouth opens wide into the most amazing smile you've ever seen. He smiles and giggles and smiles and giggles until you just can't look away and you start smiling and giggling yourself. He's such a blessing to our family!

James' swim lessons

Every Monday and Friday at 12:30 James goes to swim lessons. We have signed up for 12 lessons and just finished lesson 9 today. The first 7 were difficult because James fought going under the water, sometimes kicking and screaming. Last week he stopped fighting as much and had a good lesson. This week he was amazing! He dropped off the edge of the pool, dunked under and swam with his head under the water for several feet. When he reached the teacher he put his head up and his arms around her neck, did a "zerbert", and smiled. It is amazing how much he's learned in 9 lessons, especially seeing how he was still absorbing so much of what he was being taught even when it looked like he was totally annoyed with the whole idea of swim lessons. It really came together today. FYI: a "zerbert" is when he puts his two lips together and blows making a funny sound and getting rid of the water in and around his mouth.

Video taken by Madison. James is in light blue shorts.

Our Father's Day

Today was Father's Day. It was a very special one for Owen because it was the first year that Maddie has been with us to celebrate. At our old school district Father's Day always fell on Maddie's first weekend with her dad for summer vacation. Our new school gets out a week later, so she was still home---Yea! It was also very special because we have our new little addition, Matthew, this year.

We began our morning with Owen's choice of pancakes for breakfast. Maddie slept in a little, she's starting to have some of the pre-teen characteristics like staying up late and sleeping in late. So when she woke up we gave Owen his gifts. The boys gave him a 3D Mag flashlight that he's been wanting, I got him a meat thermometer to help him become a "master" bbq'r, and Maddie got him wireless speakers for out in the backyard. We spend a lot of time out there and a little music will really set the mood.

In the afternoon we had my Dad, John and Erin over for swimming and dinner. We enjoyed the pool and John and Erin brought over a great "pool warming" gift. It's a giant floating basketball hoop. We had fun playing with it today. I made a yummy curry shrimp for an appetizer and for dinner we had steak, baked potato, beans and a chinese chicken salad. For dessert we enjoyed a claw-foo-tea (phonetic spelling---it's a french word that I can't spell) and some mini bundt cakes in a variety of flavors.

By the end of the day I must have been getting really tired. Erin and I were in the kitchen cleaning up and we hear Maddie calling from the outdoor table area that James has a very messy poopy diaper. It sounds like it's a serious problem, so Erin and I quickly finish what was in our hands and run outside. I see Maddie holding James up and out away from her body and as I look at him I can see poop running down his legs. I tell Maddie to run him down to our bedroom and I jog ahead to start up the bathtub. Erin and Maddie decided they had better take his pants and diaper off before brining him in the house. Boy did they have a surprise! Mommy had forgotten to put a diaper on him the last time she changed it! Am I losing it or what??

Matthew's working on his rolls

Little Matthew spends much of his time laying on the floor or sitting in his swing. Usually we find him exactly where we left him. Lately, things have changed a little. Matthew is "mixing it up." Last week we started finding him a few inches to the left, right, up or down from where we left him. Now he's not only moving position, but rolling from one side to another. It's cute to watch because when he's trying really hard his face gets a little red, his brow gets a little furrowed and he make little grunting sounds. He's soooo precious!

Check out the link below where I got my cool free template!

Doctor Day

Today was doctor day for Maddie and James. Maddie is really afraid of needles and was scheduled for two shots. This year has been a big year for shots because she had her 11 year old vaccinations, one of which is a series of 3. Today was the last in the series of 3. I also had her tetnus shot updated which makes us good until she's 21. The first set of shots this year I had to buy her a fish if she got through them without complaining or any major drama. She did well and after shots we went to Petco and bought her a fish. The shots went so well that she named it after her nurse that gave them to her, Bernie. We had Bernie again today, so everything went smoothly once again, and this time I didn't have to buy a fish.

James had his 18 month check up and vaccinations. He's had a few issues going on. First he seems to be allergic to milk. We've tried whole milk, fat free milk and soy milk with no luck. Today the doctor recommended goats milk. Since it's a different species than cows it has different amino acids and that may make a difference. Our second question was about James' legs which are slightly bow legged. It is actually normal development and evidently the next thing to keep an eye on is knock knees.....there's always something. Thirdly, James got a boil on his belly. We're not sure why, but the next time he gets one we need to come in when it has a white head and have it tested to find out what kind of infection it is. Lastly, James is super grumpy, which we think is related to food allergies, milk (as stated above), strawberries, loquats and grapes so far. As per our last appointment I've been giving him 1 tsp of Chidren's Claritin daily and this seems to keep him a bit happier. The doctor asked if I was going to stop giving it to him as summer approaches----I laughed---he asked if I was using it as a mood contoller----yes! He said to keep it up and even increase it a bit if needed. It helps his body fight the histimins in the air and food which is most likely what is making him grumpy.

Our Future Veterinarian

As James and I were playing in the front yard this morning we noticed our dog, Buddy, chasing something in the bushes. We went to take a closer look and discovered it was a black crow. It must have either fallen into our bushes or been on the ground looking for food when Buddy came across him. Anyhow, by the time I rounded up Buddy the bird was injured to some degree, but I wasn't sure how much. I kept the dog in the house for the remainder of the day, hoping the bird would recover and fly off.

After school I told Maddie about what had happened. She immediately went over the where I had left the bird in the morning and assessed the situation. The bird was still injured on the ground and having such a tender heart toward animals she asked if we could call an animal rescue operation to come pick the bird up. I found the Poway paper, which I recalled had a few wildlife rescue phone numbers in it. The first one we called didn't answer, but said we could drop it off at their little hospital in Escondido. I told Maddie that it probably wouldn't work out and we'd see how the bird was in the morning. My future veterinarian was upset and took matters into her own hands by calling the other numbers in the paper. She finally found a place that was open, but we'd have to drive to Ramona to drop the bird off. We couldn't do anything right away because Owen was still working and I was busy with both boys, but I told her we'd see what we could do if she could be patient for a bit. She was, and when I finished feeding Matthew, Owen agreed to watch him so I could take Maddie and James to the wildlife refuge. Maddie gathered a box and towels and went out and scooped up the bird all by herself as Owen supervised. I was very proud of her calm demeanor with the injured animal. She held the box on her lap and calmly talked to the bird when he got nervous during our drive. Some very nice women met us out front and visited a bit before taking the bird into the hospital. They are going to work on him for about a week and then they will deliver him back to our yard and set him free. This made Maddie very happy and we will enjoy seeing him back soon.

On a side note....the wildlife animal refuge was very cool. They specialize in predators and had coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and birds of prey on their property. I wanted to ask for a tour, but didn't think it was appropriate at the time. I'd love to go back and check it out.

Borders and Ballet

Today James, Matthew and I tried a new activity. We went to our local Borders bookstore for a toddler reading time. We entered the children's area and were greeted by about 50 parents and 50+ toddlers spread about on the floor. We squeezed in and found a spot. James was walking on his own and Matthew was in the Baby Bjourn carrier. As I sat down, Matthew almost tumbled right out of it. We got setttled in and the lady doing the reading was just about ready to start. She was a tall, blond, animated story teller and kept the kids fairly engaged. At least more so than I thought was possible in a room full of toddlers. She alternated sinigng songs and reading short books. She also used sign language as she sang, so the kids were entertained trying to do the hand movements. James tried to wander a little, but as she changed activities so quickly he would get interested in the new thing and come back to me. This was good, since I couldn't move much with Matthew attached to my stomach. All in all it was fun and I think I'll try it again.

Maddie had her ballet recital after school today. She has been taking a class at the Maranatha after school care program during this spring semester. It was a great opportunity because it was only Maddie and one other girl, her friend Savannah. The teacher is a former ballerina with the Sacramento Ballet Company, so the quality of teaching was excellent. Maddie and Savannah did a wonderful job performing a short dance from the Nutcracker Ballet. They were adorable.

Owen, the boys and I also tried a new walk today. We went up behind our house into the foothills and found a new shortcut to Lake Poway Park. It was a fairly steep walk and had beautiful views. We are so blessed to live so close to beautiful walking trails, a lovely lake and picturesque mountainsides. God is good!

Maddie's School Project

After reading the book "Chronicals of Narnia" Maddie was asked to create a make-believe castle in a foreign land of her own. She needed to build the actual building, come up with a government structure, a way to protect and defend the city, a religion, a currency, etc. Madison asked Owen to help her with the design and construction and they have had a wonderful time working together over the past week. As much as Owen wanted to complete all construction of the castle, he only guided Maddie through the process and let her complete the work on her own.

Each night this week when we found the house unusually quiet we would find her out in the garage working on her project. It was so nice to see Maddie get deeply involved and enthusiastic about a school project. When she came home from school today she reported that she received an A++ on the project. WAY TO GO MADDDIE!

A typical Sunday

Today was a typical Sunday at the Thomas house. We had waffles for breakfast, went to church, came home for naps, made a trip to the park and had Italian take-out for dinner.

Mother Daughter Day

Owen thought it would be a good idea for Maddie and I to spend a day together while he watched the boys. What a thoughtful Dad and Husband. We're so blessed.

The day began at Home Depot where Maddie created a kids project. She made a little boat with a sail. We also found some nice plants to go out by the pool.

Next, Maddie wanted to go the the Poway Library. She chose a Nancy Drew mystery and a book about dog care.

We dropped by home to feed the baby and to put our new plants in the backyard. Owen was doing great with the boys. James was down for his nap and Matthew was sitting adorably in Owen's lap, smiling and making little cooing sounds.

After visiting awhile we headed out to one of the larger malls in the area. This is a mall that I don't tend to visit because of difficult parking. As I had troll the aisles I always notice that they have valet parking available, but figure it's too expensive. I decided to splurge and whatever the cost, today I was going to pay. After all, it was ladies day out and ladies shouldn't have to hike through parking lots with all of their shopping bags should they?

Our first stop on our mall adventure was the cafe at Nordstoms where we enjoyed lunch. Then we spent the next couple of hours strolling through the stores. We bought Maddie a cute pair of capris and got some father's day shopping done too. When it was time to go, we headed to the nice shady bench in the valet area and our car was brought right to us with the AC on full blast. It was great and only cost $10 including tip!

Maddie asked to end the day with a fun family swim. Everyone enjoyed the pool and hot tub and little Matthew sat in his rocker watching all the fun.

James sees a truck

James, Matthew and I went to Lake Poway Park today to play at the playground and burn off some energy. As we began to play James heard a loud noise coming from a fenced off area nearby. He stopped what he was doing and ran over to get a closer look at what was making all of the racket. It was a Bobcat (a small dirt mover). James proceeded for the next 30 minutes to cease all activity except to sit on my lap and watch this machine move dirt around. I really saw the boy in him.



Matthew slept peacefully through the whole thing. All he needs is a full tummy, a clean diaper and a snuggly blanket.

Field Trips, Baths and Portraits

Owen and Maddie spent the day at Legoland with Maddie's 5th grade class and their 1st grade "buddy" class today. It was the first time Owen had chaperoned a class trip--after all it's LEGOLAND! Owen ended up being responsible for 2 5th grade girls and 2 1st grade girls. Can you imagine that? Maddie reports back that he handled it like a champ. The highlight of Owens day was seeing Lego Las Vegas and for Maddie it was posing for a picture in the same spot that she took one on our last trip 7 years ago. All in all it was a memorable father-daughter event.



While Maddie and Owen were enjoying the day at Legoland, I took on the challenge of taking the boys to JC Penny's for their 3 month and 18 month portraits. Before leaving home James and I gave Matthew a bath in the sink. James likes to pull up our step ladder and "help" with the bathing. After Matthew was dried and dressed James stood on the floor pulling up his pajama shirt and saying, "uppie, uppie." I figured out that this meant that he wanted a bath in the sink too. We had some time and Matthew was snuggly in his swing, so I bravely filled the sink with warm water and put James in. Soon, I found myself searching for any absorbant item in the kitchen to soak up the water covering our counters and floor. After all, what's a bath in the sink without splashing. It was a lot of fun and I think he enjoyed it.


Sue came over shortly thereafter and we loaded the boys up in the car and headed to the portrait studio. We started with Matthew who adorably posed in a couple different postions.
They tried to get him to sit up, but he's not quite ready for that yet. Next we did a few of both boys. Matthew just held his position patiently while James crawled around him and kept slipping off the back of the blocks that they had him sitting on. We finished with James. He had a big smile as the photographer's helper threw a ball with him. We ended up with the adults having a good workout and several good shots. I ordered a bunch and will be sending them via mail by the end of June. I'll also send family a link so you can look at the photos on-line.