Just Two More Days

We're getting ready to kick off "Day 4" of vacation bible school. Tomorrow is the last day-yaaaay! I'm glad that I decided to volunteer to help with the Preschooler's (including Einstein)but, like I said before, kids just suck the life out of me. They drain me mentally because you always have to be one step ahead of them. I've decided that next year I'll be dropping off and picking up. Check back tomorrow for some photos highlighting our week of VBS.

Foreign Objects in My Washer

I'm concluding that some men need to use some sort of bag to hold all the junk treasures they carry in their pockets. Either that or empty their pockets before putting their pants in the laundry basket. This morning I heard a "thud" after throwing a pair of jeans in the washer. I found some sort of long metal drill bit adapter in Sparky's pocket. In the past I've found stray drill bits, coins – which I put in MY pocket --, rubber snakes, wire covers, etc. All these foreign objects must be detrimental to the life of our washer and dryer. Guys please empty your pockets… or use a bag. Save the sanity of "Mom" and extend the life of your washer.

Day at the Zoo

On Saturday Grandma Jan treated the boys and me to a day at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. I didn't know what to expect since I hadn't been there for over seven years. I was pleasantly surprised at the new exhibits and renovations they did over the years. If we lived a little closer to the zoo it would be worth it to get an annual membership. They have a great "Kids' Zone" with playground equipment, jumping fountain area for warmer days, and a sand box.

As we were leaving the "Arctic Tundra" who should we see? None other than Claudia and Nico! Claudia was right about us not being able to plan it any better. She sees my mom at work every week day and neither one of them ever mentioned going to the zoo on Saturday.

Tommy's favorite animal was the sharks, and Tyler's was the penguins. We all had a good time at the zoo while getting a little exercise too.

Lack of Sleep Is Taking It's Toll

If you've been reading my regular posts then you know I've been reading the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and that it's my latest obsession. This is the first time since reading Harry Potter that I've been reading at night until the words start running into each other and I get incoherent of what I'm reading. I want to go on reading but can't keep my eyes open. I re-read the same lines about 3 times before finally giving up, closing the book until the next day. I've been going to bed after 11 p.m., which isn't really that late unless I do it for a straight week, which I have been. Add spending three hours helping with preschoolers at Vacation Bible School and I've got a disaster in the making. I can barely keep my eyes open while I'm typing this post. So I'm going to do the unthinkable and take a power nap before I fall over. I should be able to get to bed at a decent hour tonight since I finished reading Book 2 and, sadly, I don't have Book 3 in the ready.

Tackle It Tuesday

Yes, it's been awhile since I've had a "Tackle It Tuesday" post. That's because I haven't been tackling anything of significance lately. But, this task simply had to be done. A bird - or maybe two - left a gift for us on the windows and other places of our Durango. Since it was a warm, sunny day yesterday I decided to haul out the bucket and soap and wash the whole thing. I couldn't just clean off the poop and have one clean spot. So here are my before and after shots of my hard work. Just a little side note...when all I had left to clean were the wheels, Picasso and Einstein blessed me with their presence wanting to help. Perfect timing guys, as usual.

Happy Birthday, Aunty Peelan

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Aunty Peelan. She's celebrating her birthday today. Aunty Peelan, don't forget to get yourself a nice bottle of Merlot and take a few sips for me. But I'll probably be sipping my own glass anyway. Have a happy, happy birthday - and stay away from those unmarked police cars. Love you!

Saturday Photo Hunt #14: "Hanging"

Welcome to this weeks edition of Saturday Photo Hunt where the theme is "Hanging." I wasn't sure where I was going to go with this one, I had a few options. I decided to go with these strawberries hanging from their stems. This was the first time that the boys went to the Spooner's Farm to pick fresh strawberries. This trek lasted all of 15 minutes.

To see more photo hunt posts just click on the link at the top.

Aloha Friday #2

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

"Who is your favorite author?"

I recently started listening to the audiobook versions of "Kingdom Keepers" and the "Peter & the Starcatchers" series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. These are great young adult novels.

But my latest obsession is the "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer. OMG! I just can't get enough of these books! Yesterday I finished reading "Twilight" then went straight to the next book in the series, "New Moon" - after my eyes unfogged, that is. I'm going to have to look for the 3rd book, "Eclipse", because I know I'll be done with my current book in a couple of days. Then I can get the 4th and final book of the series, "Breaking Dawn", when it's released on August 2nd. I just love the creative minds of these authors. What makes them tick?

Two Lefts Nearly Kill Us

We're on our way to the libraray waiting so patiently at the red light to turn left. The cars coming from my right are turning left in front of me. I get the green arrow to turn left. Like any intelligent person with a driver's license knows, that means you turn left. Luckily I have fast reflexes and wasn't gung ho to shoot into my turn right away because another driver - that's NOT so intelligent - either ran through a very fast yellow or an obviously red light and turned left in front of me nearly causing an accident. I wish I had faster reflexes to sit on my horn and scare the *beeeep* out of her. But, I merely avoided crashing into her and went on my not so merry way.

I safely negotiated the turn and prepared to make another left turn onto the street the library is located on. I narrowly escape ANOTHER collision with the car that is sitting at the stop sign waiting to go straight across in front of me. Geez, Louise! Are they out to get me? I hope I can make it home safely without getting hit. Maybe I just need to avoid making left turns.

Phone Call Annoyances

Here I am trying to get some work done on the computer - no joke, I'm really working and not playing - and I get a phone call from the same stinkin' number that calls us every day! Every single day the phone rings and the same number - (480) 999-1234 - shows up on the caller I.D. When we pick up the phone there's nobody there. Nobody on the other end that I can yell at to tell them to quit calling us, and maybe use a few expletives if necessary. After about the fifth day of this - I know you probably wouldn't have waited that long, but I'm a patient person *smirk* - I tried calling the number back to tell them I had enough of them calling. Surprise, surprise, the call couldn't be completed. Agh!

I called Qwest to see if they could block the number - and got frustrated with THEM because it takes forever just to get through to a human being. They signed us up for some service called "Call Rejection." As soon as I got off the phone with them I dialed the code to restrict the number...Agh! again!...It didn't work! I have a love - hate relationship with technology. I love it when it works, and hate it when it doesn't.

Twilight - 1st Book in the Series

Whew! I just got done reading Twilight, the first book in Stephanie Meyer's series, and I can't wait to get started on the next one! Talk about romanticizing vampireism (I think I just made that word up). I am so looking forward to seeing the movie when it's released on December 12. If you're looking for a good fiction book to read you should check it out. Light reading it's not. It's one of those books that you just can't put down. Since the boys weren't home and I didn't have any responsibilities I kept on reading until I couldn't see straight anymore. Once my eyes are back in focus I'm getting started on book two.

The Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly: Costa Rica

The title of this book is "The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly." When you look at the cover you can't help but notice the wonderful, vivid colors that continue throughout the entire book. The CD included with the book is filled with music as well as a narration of the entire story. My two boys and I listened to the CD while looking at the illustrations in the book. Wow! Not only does Debbie Glade do a wonderful job writing and illustrating the book, but she does a great job bringing the characters to life with her talent of creating so many different voices.

As we took this journey with Lilly (a musical and avid reading millipede) and her grandparents (wig wearing Grandma Nellie and flatulent Grandpa Willie) we traveled from a teeny tiny whole in the wall of the Miami International Airport to San Jose, Costa Rica. We transition from the "despised" darkness of a small briefcase to the vast tropical rain forest. We learned about some of the plant and animal life that live there. We also learned about cooperation as Lilly devises a plan using her musical talent and wit to save her family and new friends from being the next meal of a mean spider. All the while, our ears were treated with diverse music and authentic rain forest sounds.

Although the book was a teeny bit lengthy (64 pages) for young readers, the accompaniment of a CD was a great tool to keep my 5 year old son's attention. In fact, I've been catching him listening to the CD over and over.

If you'd like to learn more about Lilly P. Badilly, or would like to get a copy of this book to add to your library, please visit them at www.lillybadilly.com.

Mommy Gets Pampered

Since the boys are spending the night at their cousins house, I decided to use the gift certificate that I've been carrying around in my purse since my birthday in November (mahalo Claudia). I got myself pampered at the nail salon. I don't know if it was an omen, but my finger got stabbed by a piece of glass that was left over from a dropped glass bowl. Somehow it ended up on the side of the chair I was sitting in. Then the lady drops the nail clippers on my finger, knicking my cuticle. Was I not supposed to be there today? I don't care, it was very relaxing to have my feet and shoulders massaged, as well as get a little color on my nails. Then again, sitting in a torture chamber, kid free, would have been relaxing too.

McChord Air Expo

One of the highlights of our weekend was going to the preview of the McChord Air Expo on Friday. It was a special event not open to the public. We were invited since Sparky is a civilian employee at McChord.

Sparky gave us a mini tour of the VAQ-138 Prowler, the aircraft that he worked on while he was in the Navy. It's not a subject that I was all that interested in, but at least it was a good photo op.

Then we boarded the C-17 Globemaster. It was pretty interesting to see what the inside of this aircraft looked like. Up until this point I had only seen them ascending or descending while in the vicinity of the base. It was different to see it up close and personal. We didn't wait in line to see the cockpit though.

As we exited from the back and started walking away I turned around to look at the aircraft and snapped a shot from that angle because it reminded me of a whale.

We watched the Thunder Birds' rehearsal performance for the most part. We walked around while the show was going on. They had some upbeat and very appropriate music playing in sync with their maneuvers. While Sparky wasn't all that impressed with the performance (he says, "They don't hold a candle to the Blue Angels.") I enjoyed the show. I was just wishing that I had thought to bring ear plugs because the roaring of the engines got pretty loud. Here are a couple of shots that I managed to get with my little pink cam. I had the ultimate opportunity to get some awesome shots of the jets if I only had a better camera.

All in all we enjoyed spending the day there. We didn't stick around for the food and entertainment they had planned because they were still setting up and the kids were getting antsy.

The next day (when the air show was opened to the public) as I drove by the exit that leads to McChord AFB, I was glad that we were able to see the show a day early. The cars were lined up for what seemed like over a mile to get on base. And they didn't seem to be moving.

Sneaky Chef Success

This morning was my first attempt at fooling the boys into eating healthier. I used a recipe from the Sneaky Chef as my tool. I tasted the "Chocolate Chip Pancake" batter and thought it tasted pretty good. Then I took a bite of the cooked pancake and, again, thought it tasted pretty good. But was it good enough to fool the kids? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!". I was a little skeptical at first because the pancake just looked healthier with it's wheat color instead of it's lighter colored, less healthier, counter part.

Nobody could have been more pleasantly surprised than me when both Darien AND little Einstein had seconds! Thanks "Sneaky Chef", this recipe is a keeper! Let's see what else I can fool the kids with.

Saturday PhotoHunt #13: "What IS That?"

It sort of looks like a mini lighthouse, but it's actually an antique gas pump. With the price of gas going the way it is it's too bad this pump isn't operational with an unlimited supply of gas.

The Race for Water

Since I got out of bed this morning I felt like I've been racing with the City of Lacey. They had to choose today, the one day out of the week that we'd be home for most of the day, to shut off the water in the neighborhood to do some sort of work. I raced to empty my bladder, and wash my hands then brush my teeth. Then, being the germ-a-phobe that I am, I thought I'd better fill as many containers that I could with water so that we could wash our hands throughout the day. The hand sanitizer stuff is okay in case of emergency, but I wasn't about to use it to wash my hands all day long. Water, just another thing we take for granted in our daily lives.

Nisqually National Wildlife Reserve

That's where we went yesterday for a little tour with the MOMS Club. Jan, our tour guide, took us for a short, one mile, walk on a loop trail. It was a beautiful walk because we had the feel of nature with all it's trees, greenery and wildlife, with the added benefit of a man-made wooden plank walkway. And because the walkway was railing I didn't have to worry about the boys straying off the path.


The boys were a little disappointed that they didn't see a lot more wildlife, but they enjoyed themselves just the same. We saw, and heard, bull frogs, bird's nests, and ducks.

An interesting fact that Jan told us while we were overlooking the Nisqually River is that during the fall when there are salmon in the river you can actually see seals and sea lions. They make their way up to the river all the way from Puget Sound. That's good incentive to come back during the Fall.

It's a Boy!

No, we didn't have another baby! Sparky's 15 year old nephew, Darien, is staying with us for the Summer. Einstein and Picasso have been so excited and anxious all day. They both love hanging out with their cousin. As I write they're playing video games. Sparky thinks that since the boys will be spending more time with Darien I'll have more energy because I won't have to be chasing after them every five minutes. The boys drain me mentally, not physically. "How so?", Sparky asks. My reply..."They just make me mental!"

This could be a nice change of pace. Just to have someone else around for the boys to pester will be a big help. But don't get me wrong...we'll still be on the go for the rest of the Summer. We'll just have an extra person along.

Mom Review In Progress

About a week ago Alyssa from Beauty By Design Ministries gave me the opportunity to review one of their products called "30 Day Journaling Guide". When I found out that they were seeking moms to review this product I jumped at the chance because I'm a big fan of journaling. I think the one thing that drew me in is the fact that I've always thought that my journaling needed a lot less rambling and a little more structure, and this guide seemed like the perfect tool to help me with that task. So now that my busy week is behind me I'll be jumping into this guide head first and starting my 30 day journaling adventure. Check back next month for my official review.

I Can Breathe Again

Now that the dust has settled after Einstein's 5th birthday party I can breathe easy again.
We had perfect weather for a backyard party. It was sunny and very warm. As the families arrived I had the kids decorate their goody bags before they got wet. The pool cover was still on at the time. Once the cover came off, some of the kids were magically done decorating. They wanted to get in the pool. When they cleared out, some of the adults took over the craft table.

(Aunty Pi'ilani getting crafty.)

The pool was very inviting to all the kids even though the water was cold. With the exception of Picasso, the kids would go in the pool and stay in for a little while then get out and wrap themselves in their towels to warm up, then they would jump right back in the cold water. It was funny.

(Einstein warming up.)

I'm so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed themselves. We had burgers, dogs, hot wings, and lots of other snack type foods. Then to simplify things I got a birthday cake arranged with cupcakes (half white cake and half chocolate), and ice cream cups. The kids had their choice of cake and choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. All that and I didn't even need a knife or ice cream scoop.

("Hot dog, or burger? That is the question.")

("Happy birthday dear Einstein.")

(Einstein goes for the vanilla/vanilla combo.)

Aunty Pi'ilani leaded the kids in a game of "Musical Present". I don't know if that's the official name of the game, but that's what I'm calling it. I was in control of the music part of the game even though I still didn't really have a full grasp of the game. But they were kids, who cares about the rules? The important thing is that they enjoyed playing the game.

("If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.")

The last game was the pinata (no stick involved). The kids just took turns pulling "one" ribbon until the pinata broke from the bottom. Unfortunately, not all the kids had a chance to pull a ribbon because the pinata broke after about 4 pulls. I must've had the pinata loaded too heavily with loot. Once they started stock piling their goody bags, nobody cared if they didn't have a chance.

(The kids charge for the goodies.)

The last thing on the agenda was opening presents. Einstein received a lot of very nice gifts. The highlight of the present opening was the comment he made about Aunty Tarona's gift. He looked into the Transformers gift bag then looked up with disappointment. After I asked him what was wrong he said, "It's only clothes". It was a very nice Ocean Pacific outfit that's perfect for the season. I'm sure he'll appreciate it when he's looking for a pair of swim shorts.


To all our party guests who are reading this post, I just wanted to appologize for not being able to sit and socialize very much. I forgot how much work goes into hosting a party. I was on the go.go.go the entire time. Once everyone left, the kids, Sparky, Ken (family friend visiting from Florida) and I were able to sit out in the yard and relax for a while. Ken and I shared the bottle of wine that he brought. (Thanks Ken. I loved that bottle of Covey Run Merlot 2002 vintage. It's one of my favorites.)

(The engineers assembling Einstein's toy.)

(Finally, a chance to take a breather.)

Yesterday was the after party clean up and that's what I spent most of the day doing. I didn't mind though. Einstein's birthday party was a success and that's what counts.

Einstein's 5th Birthday

Scooby-Doo Birthday Blower

The past few days have been so crazy busy that I didn't even have a chance to post birthday wishes to my baby boy Kamakani. He turned 5 years old on July 9th. He was due on the 4th of July, but even in the womb he was stubborn. We had to force him out so that I wouldn't have to give birth to a 10 pound baby, although he was pretty darned close to it with his big head.

We celebrated his actual birthday at home with family. There was pizza, spinach salad, pasta salad, chicken salad (we were overwhelmed by salads but they were all good), followed by birthday cake and ice cream.

Mom making a plate of spinach salad

Birthday Cake

I also thought it was appropriate to celebrate with a wine from a good vintage year of 2003 (the year Kamakani was born). Even Aunty Peelan enjoyed a glass of the Covey Run Merlot. She usually prefers the Zinfendel variety.

A good year for wine

Aunty Peelan savors her glass of wine

So with Makani's actual birthday celebration down I only have his birthday party to finalize. Today I'll be cleaning, putting together the supplies and stuff for games, and doing last minute shopping for tomorrow's party. Oh yeah, I'll also be praying for sunshine since it's going to be a pool party. It looks promising, but in the state of Washington you just never know. Okay, I'm off to do my marathon cleaning.

Minty Fresh Smile

Today I went to the dentist and got back my minty fresh smile. It's been two years since my last dentist visit but you can hardly blame me. With the transition of moving from Hawaii to Washington then moving from Kristy's house to our new house I put finding a dentist for myself on the back burner.
The Dental Assistant took a full set of x-rays (my least favorite part) then cleaned my teeth for nearly an hour. That was the most thorough cleaning I've ever had. My teeth felt nice and smooth.

When the dentist came in to examine my teeth I was pleasantly shocked to hear that I had no cavities. It's not that I wanted any, but some of my teeth have been sensitive lately. He said my teeth are in excellent condition and wondered if I had ever had braces since my teeth are fairly straight. Nope, this is how my teeth grew.

I have to continue my diligence in flossing the boys' teeth and my teeth so that the boys can see how important good oral hygiene is. So far, so good.

Mom's Ruby Tuesday Birthday

Mom & Aunty Pi'ilani

Yesterday we celebrated my mom's birthday at Ruby Tuesday. Aunty Pi'ilani flew in all the way from Hawai'i on the 4th of July just for this special occasion. Nah, not really. It was just perfect timing. It was "Mojito Monday" so we started off with Mango Mojitos. Then I graduated to a nice glass of red wine that was served in a cute little mini carafe.

Me, Kristy, Mom, and Kamu

Kristy & Kamu

Aunty Pi'ilani, Mom, Scott, Kristy, Kamu, and Me..."Cheers!"

Aunty Pi'ilani was the entertainment while we enjoyed our cocktails and appetizers. She had me rolling. You can always count on her to pull a joke out of thin air. We had ice cream cake from Safeway complete with trick candles. I thought the smoke from the candles would set off the alarms. We didn't consider extinguishing them when we got the candles. Good thing Kamu was quick on his feet (even after consuming a couple of cranberry vodkas) and doused the candles in his glass of water. Oops, hope he wasn't still drinking that.

Karen, Aunty Pi'ilani, Mom, Scott, and Kristy

After Mom opened her gifts we went back to my house for the after party party. Uncle Kamu just came back from spending four months in Japan and promptly gave the boys each a 1000 Yen bill. Picasso still thinks he's rich.

Picasso and his Yen

I hope you had a great birthday, Mom! It was nice to spend time with family and friends!

Saturday Photo Hunt #12 : "Pointed"

I have to say that this weeks theme was a challenge. This is the best I could come up with. Playground equipment made up to look like a ship. In this shot the "mast" is pointed to the sky, the preferable position I'm sure.

To see more photo hunt posts just click on the link above.

Aloha Friday #1

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

Today's question is: "What are you and your ohana (family) doing to celebrate Independence Day?"

I'll be working for a few hours before coming back home to relax with my ohana. Probably be cornered into playing a game of Battleship with Picasso, or supervising the boys roller skating outside.

This is what we did last night to celebrate the 4th of July one day early. It's a new tradition for us. We park in the middle of mass cars at the shopping center and hang out for 3 or 4 hours to wait until dusk (around 10 p.m.) to watch a 15 minute fireworks display. This year was better than the last because they had vendors selling kettle corn and elephant ears among other things. Since the construction was complete they also had a huge area roped off for "foot traffic only" which made it safer for the keiki. It was nice to catch up with friends and just have some down time for a change.



For more "Aloha Friday" posts just click on the photo link at the top.

Booming Weather

It was bound to happen. After 2 weeks of heat and sunshine here in sunny Washington (insert sarcasm here) it's back to the typical wet weather we've grown accustomed to. It's not all that bad because it's still warm, but what's up with the thunder? I guess it's better than having lightning, but the booming noise is creeping me out.

Surf's Up For a Dollar

Yesterday the boys and I went to see the movie Surf's Up at the Cinemark theater as part of their Summer Movie Clubhouse Series. The tickets were a dollar a piece and it was worth every penny. I could have done without the kid sitting behind me kicking my seat, but what did I expect for a dollar? Did I expect an enjoyable, relaxing theater experience? Well, heck yeah! The next time a group of preschoolers come into the theater I'll strategically seat the boys and myself in a different part of the theater.

I Won't Answer

If you call me while I'm driving I won't answer. Yesterday Washington state's "hands free" law went into effect. I have a blue tooth ear piece but I always forget to charge it. Besides, Sparky's been calling people who wear them "Spaceman Spiff" for so long that I'm starting to get a complex (not really). While I consider myself skilled at multitasking, I've never been a fan of talking on the phone while driving. I get very annoyed when I see people talking on their phone, clearly not paying attention to their driving. So, if you call me while my hands are on the wheel leave me a message and I'll call you back when I'm not so busy.

Skating Monkeys

I took the boys to Picasso's very first Cub Scout event on Sunday. They went skating. I didn't know what to expect because the boys had never had skates on their feet in their life. I figured they'd either love it and not want to stop, or they'd get frustrated and want to get out of dodge quick! Unfortunately for me they wanted to stay as long as possible. I say "unfortunately" because this place wasn't air conditioned and I didn't see a fan in sight. It was hot as h.e. double hockey sticks! The good news is that the boys persevered and stuck to it. Now they're skating bandits.
Yesterday we bought them roller skates to practice at home or the at the park. Picasso got right in there and skated around the park while Makani found it more difficult than skating on the carpet. If they stay on my good side today then I just might take them to Skateland for "Dollar Night".

Strawberry Freezer Jam

I wasn't able to find the "Freezer Jam Pectin" but after doing a little research (someone opened a box in the store so I peeked at the recipes inside) I found out that I could actually use the regular pectin. I mashed about 4 cups of strawberries to yield 2 cups of mashed strawberries, added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 4 cups...yes FOUR cups... of sugar to the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes while I boiled water and the pectin. Then I added the cooked pectin to the strawberry mixture and poured it into freezer containers. I made a sticky mess, but I hope the jam is worth it. I'll find out tomorrow after it sits in the refrigerator over night. If all goes well then I just may make freezer jam out of the next seasonal fruit.