Our First Contest

Grandma Betty has thrown down. She's initiated the first-ever Thompson Madness competition and she's calling it "Guess Who."

It's pretty simple. She'll give us a picture of one of her grandchildren and we'll all try to guess who it is. The winner will receive a lifetime's supply of their favorite Grandma dessert, delivered weekly in the mail from Grandma. (My prize choice would be no-bakes, but sadly I have to exclude myself from the competition.) Also, she says that her children are excluded, so I guess this is only open to my cousins and their genius children.

Easy enough? Okay, whoever guesses right first wins. GO!

There are Actually More Bulldogs...

Stephen continues the bulldog parade:

LOLA

Lola might get jealous of the attention Otis and Elmo received so here's a picture of her doing what she does best. I am not sure if she learned it from me or I learned it from her--but it's her perfect couch potato pose. For those who don't know, Lola is the matriarch of the family and is pack leader, second only to Karen. She and I fight for second place. But when it comes to the other dogs she is definitely the queen. Nothing is done without her blessing and if one of the other dogs gets out of control she's after them to calm them down. She does not like chaos. But she's a good girl. She has free reign of the house (unlike the others) because she never does anything destructive that we know of. Then again she may be responsible for all the missing hair equipment Karen blames Kristen for. Lola is a bit stubborn though and does only what she wants to do when she wants to do it. I'm not sure if she learned that from Karen or if Karen learned that from her. When not lounging on her throne, Lola likes apple treats, ice, carrots, and her swimming pool. She would like long walks in the park but she's not exactly friendly to other dogs so we never take her. At last notice Lola remains single but is open to relationships with tall dark handsome Labs.

Just Say No

Claire's hooked on DVDs of The Littles. Do you remember The Littles? I remember The Littles. It was one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid, the irresistible saga of a race of six-inch-tall humanoids with mouse-like features living in the ducts of suburban homes. They were tiny but they had huge hearts, as this soundbite with a subtle message will attest. In it, they're watching with concern the plight of big-person Angela, whose mother's pill popping has spiraled dangerously out of control. Claire and I were riveted.

The Littles

Cole's Good Taste

This is Cole listening to his uncle Daniel's music, and then Titus crashing the party and wanting to get in on those hot jams.

Nathan Sighting (Almost) Verified

From Stephen, who's reporting from the field:

He's about as social (at home) as Bigfoot is in the forest. We see him occasionally foraging for food in the cupboards but he is otherwise mostly invisible. He leaves early, comes home late, and mumbles a word or two in passing when he needs something. He's anxious to get back to school where he can mess his room up without consequence and stay up all night without me asking him what he's doing. The last time I saw him he was getting ready for work and threatening me with a good towel snap. So, obviously, I pretty much leave him alone. But how I long for the days he'd sit around with me and act interested in my stories, or the days I'd listen to his--acting as interested. And I miss the days when he was little and actually sort of worshiped the ground I walked on. Those were the days. So if you spot him somewhere, tell him his Mom and Dad would love to see him for more than the passing in the halls that we get now. Who knows, we might even take him to dinner if he'll pay.

Old School/New School

Got these in the email from Grandma. This first shot made me think of a conversation I had with Scott when Gabe was a baby. I said, "Yeah, it looks like he's got that big Thompson head." Scott said, "I prefer the word 'prominent.'"



I'm not sure which is cooler on my part. The wet look hair or the tucked in sweater. It really is a toss-up.

Steve and Karen's Anniversary

Is today. Happy Anniversary lovebirds.

Today is Titus's Birthday

Titus turns one today.

Stephen Looks Back on the Past Five Months

Today marks an exact 5 months since my insides were rearranged in a 6 hour game of operation. It's been a long haul but I can safely say I have made amazing progress, given the doctors' predictions that it would take 6 months to even feel normal again. I started felling 'good' at four months and since then have done some camping, ridden bikes, wrestled with the dogs, pushed Nathan around, and eaten a brat. Oh, and I've gotten a great tan to complement my slimmer body. Karen tells me I look downright hot.

I would like to say that I could not be where I am without the support of everyone in this family. From Trish flying up to set some medical folks straight, to Mom and Dad keeping me walking, Phyllis providing a calming influence through my worst days, and Scott visiting to provide some brotherly support--they all kept me going when I didn't know I could. In addition, thanks to Daniel and Kirsten for bringing me cupcakes. I couldn't eat them but Karen and the staff were thrilled with them. : )

And I'd be remiss if I didn't give some special credit to Mom for coming to our house when I came home, and when Karen was down from exhaustion. She fed us both and nursed us back to health. I remember the first day I came home I could barely walk. Same with Karen. In about three days Mom was driving us both to Walmart and around. She really got us back on our feet. So thanks Mom!

I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank my most immediate family--Karen and the kids. Karen wore herself out driving the 2 hours each way between hospital and home. An she spent many a night in the chair alongside my bed when I was being starved. Like the pistol she is, she really let the medical staff know she was in charge and had it not been for her most of the things that helped me the most would not have gotten done. She also kept me groomed--she made me learn to do it myself so I could be self sufficient. I could write chapters about all she did and how much she meant to me--but just suffice it to say she's my soul mate, best friend, and biggest supporter. Trust me--I would be nowhere in life without her, and now is no different.

Thanks too to Kristen for visiting often and keeping me laughing and positive. She is the one who drove Ollie and Otis out to see me while Karen and the nurse snuck me down to the entrance to see them. That was a morale booster! Kristen has a gentle soul along with her mom-inherited feistiness and she was a real caregiver throughout. And thanks to Nathan for driving up from school to see me whenever he could sneak away from his books.

Overall it was the toughest thing I've gone through in my life and I am forever grateful to all who visited, sent me notes, on and on. I love you all and am proud to be part of the Thompson madness.

One last thing. Monday marks 29 years of being married to Karen. Thanks to all of you, I am looking forward to at least 29 more.

Cheers,

Stephen

Gabe Gets High

Everybody remember that Titus turns one tomorrow... in fake robot baby years.

Scott takes us into the weekend with a high-flying post:

These pics are of Gabe flying. He has a friend who is a pilot and they go flying once in a while. The aerial photo is of our house from 1,000 feet up.

The Real Richard Scott

We finally captured Richard in his native habitat.

Stephen and Karen's New Kids: Meet Otis and Elmo

OTIS and ELMO
Stephen posts:

Otis is the brown one--his nickname is Eeyore. He has the personality of Eeyore most of the time. But he can also be a clown and sassy. He's by far the most complex bulldog we've ever had. His favorite pastime is snoring. Second to that is teasing the other dogs into a chase game. He loves to play tug of war. He loves going to the doggie park--he's a socialite when around other dogs. When he walks at the park, he hides in the deep grass until another dog comes by and then jumps them. At home, he's always in the thick of any mischief. But his softer side is loving to be cared for. Hold a nail file up anywhere near him and he's there for a manicure--little sissy boy. And he'll bug you to death for a massage of the paws. And he wants attention! He'll yap at you until you give him a pat. He will not be ignored. He's also the most patient beggar in the world. He could sit next to you for housrs when eating and just stare. He plays up his Eeyore persona to get special treatments--and treats. Overall he's the sweetest, yet most ornery, little guy. He and I have a special bond.

Elmo is the mainly white one. He's the sensitive one of the pack. And he's very Jeckyl and Hyde--meaning when inside he's passive, obedient, friendly, and cuddly. But when outside he's a clown, ornery, extremely athletic, and always bugging the others to play. He loves to be outside and hates being in the house. He's a half brother to the little Lily and is very protective of her. He will not let anyone mess with her. At the doggie park, he's the most submissive dog and loves to greet every dog there. Everyone loves him there--dogs and people alike. When home, he's the most gentle of all and likes to be next to you at all times. He and Karen have a special bond. He doesn't like anything sudden--if you try rolling him over he freaks out. Oddly, when outside he loves being on his back and having you give him a belly rub. Go figure. But overall he's the dog you most want to hug and cuddle with. He has a calming effect on everyone. If he had a nickname it'd be gentle Ben.

BTW--Otis is a Green Bay Packers fan and Elmo loves the Bears. And they both love playing full-on tackle outside. Matter of fact, this picture was taken during a breather--they had been going at each other for half an hour. They're best buddies.

Lastly, they're chick magnets. We should rent them out to single guys. Wherever we take them they end up with a crowd of girls and women circling them. Not sure why but they get loads of attention.

Tyrus Design

Chris posts:

As everyone knows, I recently got married to Jessica. If some of you don't already know, Jessica has Cystic Fibrosis (lung disease), diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and scoliosis. Because of all of these, she is considered physically disabled and cannot work. Pretty much her job in life is to fight to stay alive. We are a one income family home and this causes me to work a ton of hours. I wouldn't have it any other way. However, the long hours cause me to be away from home a lot and I miss spending time with my family.

Because of this, I have decided to take a big step forward and start the process of starting my own web design business. I taught myself to build websites about 7 years ago, but took breaks from it here and there. I had to build a website for my current job, and decided then that this is what i love to do and want to make a career our of it. Going back to school would be way too expensive and time consuming, so I started to do tutorials online and read any book I could get my hands on. My company is called Tyrus Design. I am currently building my website now, but hope to have my business up and running by the end of August. Here are a couple of pictures of what it is going to look like. If any of you have any suggestions on what I should do or don't do, let me know. I am teaching myself the whole aspect of design so I know I am no Steve Thompson yet.....but I am working on it.

Fair Bear

Meet Ollie, Lovable Spawn of Satan

OLLIE

Ollie is just the most adorable little thing. Rambunctious? Sure. Evil to the core? Possibly. But flat-out adorable? There's no denying it.

There are many devilish but adorable things that Ollie does. For instance, he loves tinkling on Karen's flowers and anything else she tries growing, and buries his little sulfur turds throughout the yard. He can do tricks, like jumping through hula hoops, dancing for treats, taking on Lilly in a good tug of war, and barking backwards messages. It's very adorable.

He can leap from a standing position to your lap before you know what's happening, snores louder than Stephen and hovers in his sleep. He drinks water in gulps and then soaks everyone within ten feet in a mucusy film by shaking his slobber (adorable!).

He rarely stops running, as if the hounds of hell are nipping at his feet. Being that he actually is a hound of hell, we think that's just adorable!

He will do a back flip to get out of your arms. He likes women way more than men and grunts inappropriately at every gorgeous lady that passes by him (It's gotten to the point we can't take him into public for fear of offending someone. Isn't that adorable?)

Kristen says he's the perfect pet. Stephen says, "He makes me tired just looking at him."

He's got black fur and a dog collar that's as red as fiery hot coals. He's a pug. He's Ollie, Lovable Spawn of Satan. And he makes Kristen very happy.

Titus Revealed!

Wrapping up what has been a very high profile couple of weeks for Matt's boys here on Thompson Madness , we sat down with everybody's favorite aspiring toddler, Titus, at a local baby pub. He ordered a pint of breastmilk and answered the Thompson Questionnaire with refreshing frankness while constantly looking around to see what Cole was up to.

TITUS


Describe your hairstyle in two words or less.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

What is your favorite song?

Mom wrote a song for me and my brudda that is just our names. I love it.

What is the last thing that totally blew your mind.

Food.

How's your love life?

I'm in love with my mom. She's perfect. Anyone else would be settling.

If there's one dessert you could eat until it hurts, what would it be?

Are you kidding...God designed the best dessert ever...it's called nursing.

When is your bedtime?

That's kind of relative...at my age, I sleep and wake up all the time. I like to get up and hang out with my mom during the night because it's the only time I get her alone.

Einstein said: "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin. What else
does a man need to be happy?" Customize this quote to fit yourself.

A mom, a brudda, nursing and kisses. What else does a man need to be happy?

What is your most under appreciated attribute?

My body. I am shaped like a greek statue.

What is your pet's name?

Froggy

How much can you bench press?

I usually only push myself up...so I'd say 150.

Quick, how old are Betty and Leroy Thompson?

Who's Leroy? It's Samuel. That's who I am named after. Titus Samuel Johnson.

And what are they really doing with all that free time?

Grandma is baking and Grandpa is getting his leg in shape to do "Ride a little horsey..."

Will you announce your candidacy this year?

I'm Cole's running mate. Bruddas have to have each other's backs.

Grandma Phyllis Represents

Grandma Phyllis shares some pictures and thoughts:


In case you have not met "Raffy"...this is a picture of Cole and his best friend. Obviously Raffy has just told him something funny, based upon the fact this is a rare picture of Cole at age three, smiling a natural smile.



A more pensive photo of the two. Raffy is able to mirror Cole's feelings......



A true Johnson boy....all boundaries must be tested.



Guess who he was reaching for.....



I love those eyes...and those cheeks...and those little chubby hands....and his rolls of thighs... When you kiss his neck, he laughs so heartily!



The secret to Titus strength is supplementing his diet with paper...especially magazines. This is a phote he slipped out of a photo book - in the time it took me to get my camera turned on. He is fast!



Chocolate eyes and blueberry eyes....what a gift God gave me in these little girls.

Our smiling Titus! He has the sweetest personality. He just smiles his way through the day. When he gets tired...it is the best, because he will cuddle and let me rock him to sleep.

My favorite moment is when I get to witness them seeing each other for the first time, since the last time. They always squeel and embrace...always.



How do girls this age know how to do the "Paris Hilton" pose automatically. All I said was, "Look at Grandma."

If you have a conversation with Cole....be prepared for questions. And don't give him silly answers. He can totally bust you if you aren't engaged in the conversation. You can see in this picture how intense he is when he converses.

He was at my house one day, and I was busy fixing his dinner. He wanted to know why his daddy's motorcycle was in my garage. For some stupid reason I said it was sleeping in there for the winter. He said, "It's not sleeping. It is parked."

The oldest Thompson kid with the youngest Thompson.

Thompson Cribs

Thompson Madness gets a peek at Betty and Leroy's blinged-out garden.

Betty writes: I'm attaching some pictures that will tell everyone what Betty is doing with all her spare time - my flowers. I love flowers.








One picture is corn stalks and corn cobs that washed up in our yard when we had the downpour of rain and it flooded our yard.

The pink rose bush Aunt Trish gave it to me years ago.

Guest Post From Kirsten

From Kirsten's blog last night:

I had a great sleepover with my nephews, Anthony and Lucas, last night.

After taking a nap to recover this afternoon, we ate a dinner and then Claire went into her room and shut the door. After a few minutes, she emerged, announcing she was heading to "the ball." (At first I thought she said "the bar" and had a mild heart attack.)



The the three of us headed out for bike riding practice. Having accidentally skipped the tricycle and big wheel stages, she's still trying to get the hang of riding a bike, which she got last year from Santa. Thanks to her big noggin, the helmet she got doesn't fit and we still need to go shopping for another -- thus, Dan's close hand.

We took Claire and her pink and purple girly bike over to the park, so she could have a wide open space to practice pedaling and steering (the real challenge).





The original plan was thwarted, though, when we got to the park and all that fun nearby was too much. Claire opted for slides and swings instead of spending too much time on the bike.





Despite the wind, the weather today was near perfect. I wish summer could last forever.