@frogtown_hollow & @albright_c nailed our xmas gift this year ❤🌲😙👌

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Starting School, for Realsies

Dear Babes,
(I am writing this months after the fact, I will not relinquish this diary for you both to the busy minutia of life.  I sware!) 

Big events in the Thompsons.  You are both at the same school this year!  Excitement built days before the big launch to two Thompsons in all day school.  You created your first days signs, cultivated your look for the first day and cleaned out book bags readying lunch boxes. For Henry this was an old hat, but admittedly with new hair.  This summer we allowed you to try dying your hair various colors.  First it was cyan, then purple for the first day of school.  Hazel patiently waited through a small bleach and reddened strip after your pro haircut.  I feel mama did a pretty great job for a first time. 

Daddy and I shared in the first day send off and brought you into school.  You two hugged and went to your respective rooms.  Hazel you couldn't really wait for us to leave and you were already gathering friends around you.  You were gung ho for about three days and then excited exhaustion bore down and you begged to just stay home with mama.  I had to vow each morning to snuggle time immediately after returning home from pick up.  I don't mind that one bit.

Teachers told me that you, Henry would check in on Hazel during the day that first week.  About three weeks in Hazel, you told me that, "during the day you go to Henry's cubby and smell the stuff in it because you miss Henry so much.  Though your classrooms are next door to each other you don't get the opportunity to be with each other frequently.  When it came time for passions class, though, the second and third cycles you were in the same classroom.  That was exciting for your both for a short time.

As far as mama, I have been working the photography game as much as possible.  I have had a lot of work!  I have almost been too busy to notices the difference but I do notice.  I miss the cuddle time in the after noon with your sweet lil arms wrapped around me.  On the days I don't have any work, I don't have any appointments, I don't have a project I feel a little lost without my two buddies.  I look forward to picking you up each day and sometimes it is hard to just wait until 3:20. 

I have taken up volunteering in your kindergarten classroom, Hazel.  I help and work with mostly other students but I feel my little magnet pulling me in all day.  I have made lots of little friends but when it is cool down time after play time it is my little buddy I sprawl on the floor with for a quick cuddle. 

I can't believe we are here.  All the basic firsts checked off  the long list.  Now, we just wait as you get older and older and forge your own life and relationships.  It is all good, but, admittedly, if I ruminate too long I might feel a little tear slip down my face. 
I love you both so much.  I love seeing your successes this year at school. 
Love, Mommy

Don't worry, the people at the polls said that the voting machines know to make the kids votes only worth 1/2 a vote

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Henry T wanted to wear this today, and I wondered whether the words "Pushead" and "Hand-me-down" had ever been used in the same sentence #Pushead #Zorlac #ScottStanton

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I had a good run 💀

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Hair Cuts

Dear Hazelita, 
It was time.  School was starting. Kindergarten.  Your long hair, though beautiful and your favorite toy to flip around to express yourself was easily a tangled snarl of sticky food crusted vines, on a good day.  Washing, conditioning and combing was a task of will and yelling... so about 6 inches or more, had to go.  I was sad to depart with what was essentially your baby hairs you entered into the world with, soft and delicate.  You are no longer a soft and delicate baby though and a big girl cut was the plan.  

We went to Parlor Royale.  You love the fancy shop and all the women there with unique do's of every color.  You sat up in the big chair and shewed me away as I tired to take photos of the important moment.  You had chit chat to do.  

You were excited as she swung the chair around and the mirror revealed a swingy below the shoulder hair cut. Still long, but shorter, manageable and super cool.  

You shouted out with the upmost glee, "I love it!" and you obliged the stylist with a picture or two as you spent the next 5 minutes flipping it around.  I think it looks fresh and full of life, and other than pictures to the contrary you hardly notice it isn't down to your butt. 

Sweet sharing these style mile stones with you, the next step was to bleach out part of it and make it vibrant red.  Those photos to come. 
I love you, 

Mama

In 1988 at the NSA Vert Regionals in Dayton I was waiting outside the back of Hara Arena to watch the pros coming out, and this guy had been standing next to me for about 5 minutes... when I turned my head and looked at him it was The Gonz, and he looked at me for a second, put his finger up to his lips and goes "Shhhhh" and walked away ✌✌

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First In, First Out

Dear Hazittle, 
Finally!  About three weeks ago you discovered you had a lil wiggler down in front.  Not being keen on putting a finger in your mouth and wiggling it, fear keeping you from allowing me to check it out during the day, we had to designated 5 wiggles three times a day to keep tabs on that lil dangler.  So, three weeks...that sucker was nearly sticking straight forward and in the end it was the all encompassing Hoosier desire for buttery sweet corn in the month of July that swayed you to rip it out on your own.  Sitting at the lunch table you begged for me to cut the corn off the cob, seeing an opportunity, I said to just get that tooth out already.  I asked if you'd like me to help.  You screamed, "NO!"  I gave you a napkin and you grabbed at it, whining that you were scared.  We told you to do what you wanted, but if you closed your eyes and grabbed it you would have it out in no time.  We acted as if we were ignoring you for a minute to give you space.  The three of us watched from the corner of our eyes...  You took a deep breath, squinched your eyes up all tight and secure and took that napkin and pulled, pulled and pulled.  BAM! You declared, "I GOT IT! It is out!"  You were very excited! but had a sort of mixed expression of freak out and happiness.  To cheer or to cry.  

The celebratory ice cream cone settled you into cheering!  We all cheered for you.  You ran to get your tooth pillow Aunt Linda made you.  The next morning La Toothy Dienta, your tooth fairy, left you two dollars and a nice note commending you on your bravery.  

You were particularly excited that she left the letter covered in fairy dust, which I caught you later picking off and sprinkling over your head in some sort of ritual spell you would not tell me of the details.  Exiting times ahead as #2 is not far behind.  You make everything so sweet and special.  What a way to get ready to start school.
Love, Mama

Gleaming the Cube

Dear Hen, 
Super development in the life of Henry.  You have enrolled in summer skate camp!  Step one, after signing up, was taking you to get a stunt wood of your very own choosing, a helmet and some shoes (those boats of yours just keep growing, currently you wear the same size as mommy and have been wearing my tennis shoes for a couple of months now).  We are fortunate to have such a patient, helpful and accommodating skate shop owner as Johnathan at Rhett.  Johnathan is also the skate camp instructor.  He was super at helping you find the right size deck, Almost, and choosing your artwork, trucks and Spitfire Slash Pro-classic wheels at a 99 hardness, same brand daddy first used. 

He took the time to explain each step of how the wheels and bearings slide onto the trucks, how the grip tape smooths on to the deck and the trucks attach and tighten and loosen on the deck.  

In a situation where some kids would feel apprehensive or self-conscious about ones lack of knowledge in the face of an expert he helped you to feel relaxed and comfortable to ask any question with encouragement.  A week or so later we found some awesome Vans and you were ready to go.  

The week before camp you wanted to practice in the driveway each evening, learning to push and gain balance on the board, "dropping in" off the concrete downspout drain, and asking important questions like, "How do I pop up the board and get it?  How do I carry the deck?" before jumping in at the skate park.  The first week you were super stoked, and sweaty!  Already you can roll into the ramps and are starting to pump and fakie on the ramps.  A respectable fall and bonk on the head humbled your boldness a bit but you are getting back up, sweaty and resolved to keep on learning.  You are getting better each day and most of all, you freaking LOVE IT.  It is funny that Mommy and Daddy have a hard time not coaching you along, like a soccer parent or football parent. We have to remind ourselves it is supposed to be FUN! Duh! So we back off, drive you to the skate park and cheer you on when you do what you are going for and leaving the rest up to learning on your own.
Here are a couple of links to your first efforts. I have to figure out a way to load them directly.  Until then...  
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.f.thompson.98/videos/10160584297520484/
https://www.facebook.com/lisa.f.thompson.98/videos/10160571725385484/

We love you and are excited about this new hobby.  I can't wait to see where you go with it.
Love, Mama