So I just finished writing the official letter of 2011, and now I can begin 2012.  Lots happened.  The end. Okay, fine.

2012 began quietly enough.  Our house was on the market, but hardly any looks and no bites.

But February came, and it is our custom to get violently sick in February.  Usually this happens in the comfort and privacy of our own home, but this year were in LegoLand with two sick kids throwing up every forty-five minutes, and in the van on the way back to Grandma's house another three began throwing up with the same eerie precision. My mother-in-law and I spent the time as the bucket brigade alternately dumping the bowls and laughing at how ridiculous it all was.

In March things began to pick up.  Our 2011 Redwall Feast was such a hit with the few boys who came that we decided to expand it a bit.  Our Spring Feast of 2012 was without a doubt the biggest event I've ever attempted. Thankfully I have a friend who went a little crazy for us... we used her real plates, mason jars for glasses, table cloths, and decorations. She spent hours working on everything, and it was nothing short of amazing.  Nearly 50 people, mountains of food, and a fabulous magician made it a memorable experience for the boys and fun for all who came.

Two days later my parents closed on what has been dubbed their Retirement Villa. 5,000 square feet of weirdness that had barely been touched for 15 years. That house is a story in itself, but I'll not share any more here except to say our home improvements this year began with 2 1/2 months of working on my parents' house, and they're still going strong--with a little help from the grandkids.

Our house sold in May, and we bought a quirky triple A-frame that was also much neglected and in need of repair. Between the parents' house and ours, the second half of the year has been filled with tearing out and building, comparing and sharing contractors, and figuring out which of the potential projects we want to tackle. There are enough to keep us busy for the rest of our lives, for that is how long we'll be working on them, I'm certain. Despite the fact there is not a level place in the entire house to play marbles, the kitchen is falling apart, it only has 2 bathrooms rather than 2 1/2, and we have to use flashlights to maneuver around it at night, we love it. I always felt out of place living in a subdivision, and living downtown Canton was just not in the plan for us right now. So here we are in the quasi-country, learning new country ways and loving our country neighbors.  If you haven't seen them, I've posted pictures of the house and kids periodically through the year on my day to day blog.

In August Mark began his 6th year at Hasty Elementary School, but instead of teaching 3rd or 4th grade, this year he is working as the ESOL teacher for 4-6 grades.  He loves the new position, and I love that his paperwork load is more manageable.

The kids began a home school co-op this year, too.  Last year trying to keep the house clean for potential buyers and adding the twins to those officially being taught was system overload for me, and we thought it would be good to have the support of the co-op.  We aren't doing as much as I would like to do, but we're doing better than last year, we've made new friends, and I am not as overwhelmed.


Above is our new cat. Ben, who loves all things German, came up with the name Lucky, which sounds like the German word for bobcat. This is our first mammalian pet, and we love him. He was dropped off on the playground of the co-op and found by a sweet girl.  When I heard there was a stray kitten available, I quickly claimed him as my own.  Patie had learned the letter "C" that day, so it made sense to bring home a Cat.  Well, maybe not, but our exterminator did say a cat would help with our mouse problem.  I'm not sure Lucky is so good at that, but he does attack bugs with gusto, and leaves are a favorite past time, and he makes going outside more fun, except when he gets stranded up a tree and I have to climb up at 11:00 at night in 40 degree weather (I'm not bitter) to rescue him.

We are still part of the home school band as well.  Bradford plays trombone, Ben and Nate play trumpet, Nate took up percussion this year, and I get to play my flute in the Symphony.  The girls stay with Grandma and practice their ballet, which they take on a couple days a week.

All in all, it's been a great year, and we are overwhelmed by God's mercies to us. May His love shine on you and bring you peace and joy.

Love,
The Thompsons
Mark, Jennifer, Bradford (14), Benjamin (12), Nathaniel (11), Grace (8), Sadie (6), Sophie (6), and Patience (4)

So this year I'm not relegating the task of The Christmas Letter to my son.  I'll leave it to my readers to decide if that's a good decision or not.

Bradford is still very much what he always has been.  Creative, quirky, and capable.  He received harmonicas for Christmas last year, and he's gotten quite a bit better in one year.  If you want to hear him, just ask him to play for you when you see him. He often keeps one in his pocket, along with a LEGO guy and some pistachios.  He'll pull it out to play while he's working on his math lesson, which is just another reminder that home school is the right decision for him.  We weren't planning to put up outside decorations this year, but while I was working inside, he got out all our lights and greenery and did it himself.  Hopefully he'll be as helpful putting them away.

Benjamin has also not changed much in the last year.  His favorite author, Brian Jacques, died, and that prompted Ben to begin writing his own Jacques-like book.  He's now at about 300 pages.  Of course, he formatted the pages to be the size of a paperback book, but still, 300 is a lot of pages to write.  It's also a lot of pages to edit,  so I am not looking forward to his finishing the book, which he tells me every week will be soon.  We also had a Redwall Feast in March.  Two other families with boys joined us for that, and it was delightful to hear all the boys toasting each other and laughing around the table.  He's still trumpeting, and he made it as far as the District Honor Band in his recent auditions for All-State.

Nathaniel is still my little artist.  He's always drawing things for the girls, and he fulfilled my desire for a Nativity by making one for me.  He is still young enough to enjoy playing with his sisters.  A few weeks ago I heard him teaching his fifth grade math to his 2nd grade sister.  He was having fun, and she was learning, so I just enjoyed listening in.

I won't bore you with a run-down of all the kids this year, but just believe me when I say the girls are as cute as can be. (Mostly because I'm writing this part a whole YEAR late and can't remember what they were like last year)

We put our house up for sale.  I know, I know.  It's a beautiful house, but it doesn't really fit our lifestyle and family well. We don't really need more rooms, but I could go for fewer but bigger rooms.  Three boys in one room and four girls in another... they are cramped and just need more space.  Only God knows if it will sell or not, but if it doesn't, at least we have fresh paint and a new light in our dining room.

May Christ's love fill you with peace and joy this Christmas.

A Little About the Lot of Brats  (Cut it out, Ben!) Kids
very random musings about the Thompson brood
Written by Benjamin, chief family recorder
Parents, editors-in-chief and adders-of-all-comments-coherent-and-kind
Disclaimer: please keep in mind as you read , that Ben is 10, and adjust your expectations to that reality.

I'll start with Mom and Dad. Nothing personal, but they're adults, so of course their lives aren't very exciting. Dad spends way too much time at school and working on school stuff at home or helping around the house. Mom spends her time running--either running after us kids or running from them--and spending Dad's hard-earned money on groceries and clothes.

Bradford turned 12 this year, and for his birthday, he was given a surprise trip to Florida with Daddy and Grace.  He and Mr. Carlisle, a neighbor of Grandma and Grandpa Thompson for the last 40+ years, played a song together on their harmonicas, and then "Mr. C." gave him his vintage chromatic harmonica as a gift.  He has a gift for relating to older people. He is a favorite with the residents of the retirement home we visit a couple Sundays a month, the best friend of an elderly gentleman named George. Bradford continues to play trombone, and he has finally decided that reading may not be a complete waste of time. (Thank you, Guardians of Ga'hoole!) This is a huge deal to Mom and Dad. He LOVES Legos. He introduced them to Nate and me, now we LOVE them, too.

Benjamin, aka Ben, Benny, Benny-boy, Boy (that's what Patie calls me), Ben 10, and other various oddities--that's me.   I am VERY forgetful. Mom and dad say I continue to improve on the trumpet, and I even played a solo at the Joyful Noise Christmas Concert. I love weird words and phrases, such as "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis", "Internally Combustional" (compliments of Calvin and Hobbes), and "Debilitating Brain Aneurysm," all of which I can spell. I also went to Florida with Dad and Nate. In June I went to D.C. with Dad and brothers, and I was the "official" photographer of the trip.  If you want to see a photo of any gem in the Smithsonian, we probably have it on file. As "the son of my [Dad's] right hand," I faithfully stand at his  left hand, drying dishes and putting them away every night after dinner. (Editor: a huge and welcome help!) I spend my free time reading, playing Legos, and making whipped cream.

Nathaniel (9) took up trumpet this year, too. That's a lot of brass in our house! His short name is Nate or Nater. His favorite phrase is "never mind!"Like me, he loves to read and play with Legos. He also is the best at playing with the little girls because he actually treats them like real people--most of the time. He is the humorist of the family, or the "comedian" for all manner of odd things he does at weird times. He is also the budding family artist. He has dabbled in painting and pottery, but he seems to be settling mainly into drawing. He is a very good companion, willing, and a loyal assistant to me. (Editor: I think that's why Ben sometimes mistakes him for his golden retriever.)

Grace (6) is our resident nurse, and sometimes self-appointed mother. Anytime Dad is sick, he is sure to have a faithful companion and comforter. She also traveled a lot this year, and her favorite activity in Florida was walking down to see Mr. C. She is currently learning to read and do math and complains when mom doesn't give her any copy work to do. She is also happy to be one of the bike-riders among us (2 wheels). With Nate's able and patient assistance, she was able to shed her training wheels on her birthday. 

Sadie (4) got stitches this year. Nothing like waking up at 6:00 a.m. to a child crying because she fell off the bed and busted open her chin on the nightstand (which was about a foot away from the bed--how does that happen?).  The whole ordeal really showed off her toughness, though--not a peep out of her at the doctor's office. We don't call her "Motorcycle Mama" for nothing. OK, so she's earned a reputation for being whiny, especially when she has to take a nap, and she's been known to store food in her cheek for an hour if she didn't really want to eat it, but who's perfect?

Sophie's (4) year was uneventful--no trips to the hospital or Urgent Care this year for breathing issues, thankfully. She is following in Nate's artistic footsteps, because Nate used to draw abstract pictures of people and give them to mom. Now it's Sophie's turn to provide the endless pieces of paper with people drawn on them. Maybe she was trying to express her creativity when she and Sadie gave themselves one-sided mullets right before Christmas photos were taken. Fortunately our neighbor was able to turn their handiwork into a cute cut.

Patience (2) is certainly being used by God to work patience in our lives. You may have heard this nursery rhyme. It was actually a prophecy about Patience:


There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
When she was good, she was very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

She's ornery, she's independent, and she's smart. We've gotten more murals on our walls, more toothpaste on our carpet, and more baby powder sprinkled in our house from her than from all the rest of us combined. She uses various things for lipstick, too, like glue sticks, deodorant, and anything else that sticks.  But she's also cute. And helpful. And musical!  She's forever singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Her nicknames include Patie, Patie bug, Potato-bug, Potatowin, Patie bear, Potato chip, and Sweet Potato.

Merry Christmas, all. This letter and our Christmas cards are late due to the Great Patie Bug of 2010. If you are interested in the details of this as well as our Christmas Photo Follies, you can read about them at Jenn's blog.