Observing Your Thoughts

When observing my thoughts, i notice the observation is made after the thought has passed. Can you observe a thought while it arises? Or does the observation come in afterwards? At sence arises there is presence in the background, and thoughts arise in the foreground of your being. There is not a total identify ation with the arising thoughts. They arise ther may be, they may be quite powerful. But if presence remains, there is a remnant of awareness in the background.