Thomas's 3 year photo shoot!

Thomas turned 3!

Below are some pictures and little facts/things about Thomas and this last year. Enjoy!

This year Thomas completed his potty training @ 2 1/2 years old.

Thomas LOVES sticks. I think this entire photo-shoot was done with a stick in one hand!

In addition, he is extremely affectionate, and his mum is his favourite person in the world!

He has a monster voice that he talks in about 70% of the time, it is a low growl...none of the other kids do this regularly but Thomas has for as long as I can remember.

Thomas LOVE Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches....he averages at LEAST 3 a day

Thomas has a giant blue blanket (this size of a twin mattress) that he has slept with every night since he was 4 months old. It was borrowed from Granny Joanney's house when we came for Christmas in 2008 and he LOVES it.

Thomas had a lisp until 6 months ago. He still has a really cute baby talk- He constantly tells me how much he "wub's" me (loves me).

Thomas's favourite toy is Thomas the train and/or buzz light year. His favourite colour is green--He always selects the green, colours in green, paints in green...the kid likes green a lot!

I don't know where I would be without Mr. T--he is so different from the girls, he keeps me on my toes but I wouldn't have it any other way. Boys are hilarious, and in almost every play group, Thomas is the most extreme of all the boys--he is the king of the chaos!

The thing I love most about Thomas is his albino afro, his giant gap in his teeth, his giant blue eyes and his buzz light year personality! He is a riot! I just want to kiss him all the time!!

These are some pine cones he has pulled off a tree so he can throw them at a random persons fence. Thomas gets in trouble a lot. Every time he gets busted and put in time-out he always hugs me and tells me how much he wubs me--Stan thinks he has already learned how to milk the system (what can you say about the youngest child?) Love you Thomas --so happy you are three!

Happy Anniversary- 9 years

After landing in Sydney, I realized the next day was Stan & I's 9 year anniversary! Where has the time gone? To Celebrate, I had gotten Stan a giant Hershey Kiss from Hershey Park . . . he loves chocolate!

Unfortunately, the day didn't quite pan out as planned. First when I got off the plane Olivia had broken out in a rash all over her body. It was quite bad and since the same thing had happened to me when I had overdone it I assumed the hives were a result of little sleep and stress. She was itching all over and quite swollen and miserable. After getting her an antihistamine, shower and anti-itch cream, I tended to Thomas who had the flu or "Gastro" as they call it out here. Basically, diarrhea and vomiting. The baby-sitters had taken Thomas to the Dr's the day before. He was being tended in Oz for the extra days I was in DC with the girls. To top it off, Stan had an accident while at a company retreat. He slipped on some water by a pool, sprained his ankle and fell in....somehow his phone is still working. When he fell in the pool he hit his knee on something and got a small fracture. He waited 24 hours and once his knee was huge and he couldn't walk on it he went into the Emergency Room. They did X-rays and an MRI and said his ACL was torn. When he got home he was on crutches and a full leg brace.

Anyway, I was looking around at my three needy persons and all the suitcases that needed to be unpacked and all the laundry and then though how jet lagged I was and how our anniversary was on a Sunday (the next day) and I kind of just thought....lets skip it! I gave Stan the Chocolate Kiss and he said he would make the Anniversary up to me but whatever--10 years is the big one RIGHT? So I guess this wedding picture sums up our 9 year anniversary a little bit better....cake in your face right???

Good Bye Washington DC!

Aside from all our day trips we had plenty of time to hang out with extended family, visit old friends and just play. Below are some pictures

Here we are taking one last picture with the Brooks before they board the plane to Texas.

Jill treating me and the kids to lunch at Riverbend (a country club across the street).

We were the first ones here, about an hour later more people started coming in

Olivia & Jill --Best of Friends

All the cousins checking out the baby gardener snake Papa found in the garden, he saved it in a bucket for the kids to see.

Cori reading to Avery & Sterling...Jenna & Tyler's kids during a family BBQ!

Mary & Thatcher...they have a cousin crush on each other...sadly we had to explain the legal issues!

When I asked to take a picture of them, they ran to this butterfly chair and held up a rock....? What can I say? Great minds think alike :-)

Olivia & Christian (I think they are just a year apart).

Benjamin & Avery

Cousin time on the tramp! I was so happy that the kids spent most of their time outside in the backyard.

Oops....are those grandmas flowers?

Hershey Park, Pennsylvaian

The day before we flew back to Australia, Papa Swinton treated me and the kids to a day trip at Hershey Park. Basically it is a large Amusement park with the Hershey Chocolate factory across the street. You can you get a tour of the factory and then sample fresh chocolate and treats. While in England we went to Cadbury world and saw their factory. Although I like Cadbury chocolate better than Hershey's; Hershey park has a way better factory tour and amusement park...Cadbury world was about to cave in!

Lucky for us, Christian (one of the girls cousins) tagged along and so did Aunt Jenna and her kids. All in all we had 6 kids and 3 adults, which I thought worked out perfect. Below are some pictures of our day!

Riding the go carts into the park from the parking lot

riding some rides!

Getting lunch...Christian likes to pose, I can't tell you how many times I would have to re-take the picture so that Christian would look normal.

looking down on papa and Olivia

Olivia & Mary

We got all the kids in on this picture!

Miss Mary

I thought this was the weirdest thing ever....candy mascots?

getting on the ride for the chocolate tour...it was a lot like a Disney ride.

Papa & Sterling in the front

What we saw in the factory

The cafeteria after the tour!

hitting a few more rides in the evening...the park didn't close until 10:00pm...we left at 9:00, got home at midnight and got on a plane the next day.

Jenna & Avery

Olivia & Papa

Smithsonian

In addition to the monuments, Grandma & Grandpa Swinton took us to the Smithsonian. There were so many museums to choose from, but for the kids sake we chose the natural history museum. Below are some pictures of some of the things we saw.

First, the hope Diamond

And a selection of precious stones, minerals & crystals.

Walking down the stairs with Grandma & Papa

Mary and the elephant which is right in the entrance

Our favorite part of the museum was a new section in the nature section....the butterfly exhibit!

Fairy wings!

Thanks for taking us around DC Grandma & Papa Swinton--we had a great time!