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We Thompson's try to keep a low profile, here in the fabulous Northwest, but our adoring public just won't leave us alone...

I could go back and give a recap of what a busy summer we've had so far. I could tell you all about our awesome trip down to San Diego, the great time we had at Legoland, Disneyland, and Balboa Park. Or Maybe some pictures of Mack and Henry out on the boat in the Bay. I could tell you about how Henry cried on the plane the entire flight down and slept the whole way back. Then I would probably mention how "nervous" (his word, not mine) Mack was and how he insisted the we keep the window closed the entire flight. I could even tell you how much Mack and Hank L.O.V.E.D. having their Granny all to themselves for a day at Legoland, and all the fun they had ridding the boat, plane, truck and train rides. I might even tell you how enamored Mack was with his Grandpa Kim and how he still talks about his truck, and other various modes of transportation, every single day and asks me every morning "Where's Grandpa Kim?"
But if I told you about all of that, then I'd need to go even further back and write about Mack's neat-O birthday at the Seattle Center. About how it rained and we had to move the party inside to the Center House, but nobody seemed to mind, especially not Mack when he got his new "Big Bike" (which is actually a tricycle). Then I'd be obligated to mention a little about Tyler's trips to Pittsburgh (where he saw my brother, Elder Porterfield) and Philadelphia (where he ate a lot of cheese steaks). And there is NO WAY I could give an update without mentioning my the end of my Tap Dance class I've been taking with my bud Amy and the AMAZING recital we had at the end. Then, last of all, I'd say something about Mother's Day and Father's Day and what a wonderful time Tyler and I each had watching the other one do all the work and change all the diapers for an entire day (of course I'm kidding). But I won't (Didn't see that one coming did you?).

BIRTHDAY BOY!

Happy Birthday to MACK! He's growing up so fast. I can't believe how much he's changed in the last couple months. Having Henry has really turned Mack into a great big brother and helper. His speaking abilities continue to blow us away on a daily basis. He repeats everything he hears, so be careful what you say. He's learning what friends are and can tell the difference between "2, 6, 9, 10!" and "ABC's". We couldn't have asked for a smarter two year old, and as for looks--well that goes without saying! :)

Mack at birth, six months and 1 yr old, and 1 1/2 yrs old. Even at birth he was too big for the hospital bassinet! He had his two yr check up this week and he's holding steady at 3ft tall and 31.5 lbs. Henry was all smiles for the doctor and weighed in at 15 lbs, 2ft "long". What a great pair!

Kids Just Love to Brush

Wii love it!

We've moved...again. But this time it was just south a couple of blocks and we're luckily still in our same ward. The new place feels twice as big has 1.5 baths, stairs and what I'm told are great views of the Cascades, but I've yet to see them with all the clouds. We were lucky enough to have fabulous weather both the weekend before and after and then a stinkin' blizzard the very weekend we decided to move. Needless to say it was character building. Thank goodness for Nathan and Amy's connections in the area or else I don't know how we would have gotten the couch over here (I do know and it would have cost $$). Mack and Henry seem to really like the new place. There's a little boy down the street Henry's age and two more really close in age to Mack. He loves his "new friends!" and "buddies" as he calls them. I think I'll call them all "The Puddle Brigade". Tyler's and my favorite perks have to include the several hundred dollars we're saving in a cheaper rent and enjoying much closer parking. Tyler would also point out here that we can see part of the movie theater from our back deck (maybe this is the great view everyone is talking about?).
Last week at work, Tyler won a Wii for being the top dog for X number of days. Way to go Tyler! We NEVER had any intention of buying a system. I would always say, "That's something our kids can do someday at a friends house. I don't want one." Well, I guess I can eat my own words now, because I can't help it...I love the darn thing. It's AMAZING! We put the little things on Mack the other day and had him box. Funny stuff, arms everywhere.
I think this post reads similar to a phone conversation where there isn't really anything left to talk about (probably because I wrote it while taking breaks to give out breakfast, help Mack on the toilet, nurse Henry and put him down for a nap). So I'll finish by telling you about the weather. It's raining again/still, and I like it.

I almost forgot about the Easter Pictures...

Henry and Mack find their Easter Baskets, then pose next to their trophies as the true hunters they are.

Our feble attempts to get a good Easter Sunday picture. We simply try to get the kids next to each other then take as many pictures as we can, hoping one of them will turn out "good".

My Baby Takes the Potty Train -or- My Boy Wants to Potty All the Time

A couple of weeks ago--almost a month now--we decided Mack was ready to potty train. More than a few people were surprised at our choice to undertake such a huge task at his young age (about 22 months), but thankfully Tyler and I, as Mack's parents, are the the ones responsible and most qualified to make that decision. Okay, now that I've gotten that off my chest...
The potty training has gone relatively smoothly for us. I credit most of that to Mack being such a laid back happy kid, but some people have still asked me "How'd you DO it?" so I'll tell you:
It all started with a big family night trip to the store to pick up a little toilet for Mack. We marched--yes, marched--around the store until we found just the right one and then Mack proudly carried up to the front. After that we headed over to Target and picked up some poster board, car stickers, Teddy Grahams, and training pants (aka: extra thick underwear, not pull-ups). That night we suggested Mack try sitting on his new toilet (right next to our toilet) and danced and marched around while singing about how great toilets are, and how much we L.O.V.E. going potty and poop on the toilet. HOORAY! I made Mack a sticker chart and gave him a sticker for every time he sat on the toilet. The next day, he started out the morning in a diaper and I continued to have him sit on the toilet, until he we got the timing just right and he happened to go potty in it, for which he received some teddy grahams in a bowl (he loves getting snacks in a bowl). Once he did that, I put him in underwear and we've never looked back. We moved all Mack's books into the bathroom and basically lived in the there for the rest of the week. Mack and I didn't leave the house once until Saturday. It was tough, but I really think that if I'd given in and taken him out, or put him in a diaper, it would have been back to square one. One crucial "turning point" in the potty training was when we ran out of clean underwear. I let Mack run around the apartment bottomless and that seemed to really help him realize how everything "works". On that Saturday, Tyler took Mack to get sushi (my reward) and Mack used the toilet at the grocery store nearby (stripped down, sitting backwards). He went to church that Sunday in underwear and had no accidents, but didn't use the restroom either. So....several weeks later I wouldn't hesitate to say that Mack is daytime potty trained. He still uses a diaper at nap time and nighttime, but wakes up and uses the toilet then goes straight into underwear. He has a little trouble telling us when he needs to go, but has NEVER (knock on wood) had an accident while out of the house and when he does have one at home, he always realizes it as it's happening, gets us and then finishes on the toilet. As an added bonus, Mack has NO problem going poop on the toilet, and isn't afraid of flushing etc. We're so proud of our little kid! Just yesterday he used the toilet at the Science Center. Way to go Mack!
*2 Potty Training Stories*
Mack was sitting on his little toilet when Henry started to cry. I told Mack to sit still and I'd be right back. While I was in the living room for-I swear!- half a second. Mack went potty (I could tell because I heard him yell "YEAH!" and clapping his hands. As I stepped back in to the restroom, Mack lifted up the insert that holds the potty and, while attempting to dump the potty in the toilet, instead dumped the potty all over the floor. I didn't know what to do, so I simply threw up my hands, said "oh NO!" and started laughing. I told Mack to "Stay STILL", but he decided to walk over to the sink and ended up slipping on his urine and falling flat on his back (in a puddle of urine-remember). Meanwhile, Henry had started to cry again. Tyler walks in the door to find a crying infant, a puddle of urine, Mack in the bathtub, and me attempting to get ready to mop up the floor. He had been gone less than 5 minutes to pick up the mail, which is sometimes all it takes for chaos to take over, and a good reason to never leave your kids home alone.
Last night, Mack was in the bathroom supposedly pooping. I was in the living room nursing Hank, and Ty was in and out of the bathroom folding laundry. In an instant we hear Mack yell "YEAH!" and flush the toilet. We're assuming he went poop, but with this kid it's hard to be sure. Tyler hurries in to check everything--the toilet is empty and seems to be working fine. A little while later, he realizes the toilet isn't quite flushing right. Tyler managed to unclog whatever was blocking it. So either Mack had quite the poop, or I'm going to find out later that he is missing a car. I'm not sure which option I prefer.

Sorry it took me so long to finally finish this post! I promise to have an Easter post up sometime this weekend...and I REALLY loved meeting Rick Steves!