My Four Shadows

How Did I Forget Halloween?

2012-01-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

When we left Hawaii I was torn as to whether I should pack my camera or have my camera packed. Normally this would be a no brainer but seeing as we had 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 kennels, 3 car seats and more than 10 suitcases, somehow there was just no way I could also manage a camera bag. In retrospect I wish I had tried harder or grown an extra arm or something. I have nothing documenting our trans-pacific move except one lengthy bill that is hard to look at and my semi functioning memory. I managed to find my camera a few days before Halloween - we went to our first pick your own pumpkin patch (in Hawaii they pick the pumpkins for you and you walk through the patch and "choose" them). Here you actually trudge threw a viney mess and have to dig for ones that are actually ripe (orange not green). I was re-thinking those perfect looking ones up by the cash. Needless to say, the kids found some they wanted and fun was had by all. Costumes were exciting for us this year since the kids could finally wear something suited for the cold weather. Saige was a ballerina (costume from her ballet recital), Dayton was a skeleton and Addley was a witch. For the first time the kids got to "trick or treat" door to door! We only went to about 10 houses because we all got a little cold! The kids were more than satisfed - one neighbor actually handed out full sized chocolate bars! In case you are wondering...yes I confiscated and consumed those. For those of you that know me, my kids donʻt get much candy and I am sometimes referred to as the candy nazi, but they were more than satisfied with their loot. End of ramble - my point is that somehow I forgot to take pictures of the kids in their costumes on Halloween. Iʻll blame it on the fact that Halloween fell on a school night and with homework and dinner to squeeze in before dusk, I just plain ole forgot. But here are some of our pictures from the pumpkin patch. There are also a few snapshots of the kids playing out in the backyard. Our new house came with a wooden playset - the kids have wanted one FOREVER and Hawaii living just couldnʻt accommodate. They love playing on it, even in the 40 degree weather (which I am NOT a fan of).

More Road Trip Memories from Thanksgiving

2012-01-07T18:21:00.000-05:00

We also had a chance to spend a little bit of time (though not as much as we would have liked) with YaYa, Sir, Auntie Jess Jess, Great Aunt Diane and even Great Grammie. Sir got a new hip so our rowdy family had to let him get better. Saige was a little bit upset with her beloved Sir because she couldnʻt sit with him but he still managed to aggravate her enough that now, over a month later, she is holding a grudge. Any of you that know Saige, know that her favorite baby is "baby boy" and Sir decided to take baby boy and not give him back. This resulted in tears. Thatʻs okay though, she had plenty of fun with Auntie Jess Jess, as did Dayton and Addley. In fact, Addley learned a new cheer and lately has been walking around singing it "rah rah rie, kick him in the knee". They all got to spend an entire day together at the New Orleans Zoo on Black Friday so I had the whole day to shop!

Addley is quite fond of Great Grammie and likes to follow her around. I think itʻs because she likes to give her the things she wants. Iʻve decided that Addley has inherited Great Grammieʻs eyes.

I was hoping to get a picture of the kids with their beautiful Auntie Jess Jess but Addley was refusing to go near her. I think Addley might have been scared of how tall Jess Jess was in her boots. At least I managed to get a cute picture of the older two. I wished she lived closer, sheʻs the best Aunt ever (you are too Aunt Sannie, but you live even further!)

Hereʻs YaYa, Dayton, Saige and new hip Sir starting to decorate the fabulous Novosel fiber optic tree!

Auntie Jess Jess and Saige making it look beautiful.

Oh, and I did manage to get a picture of new hip Sir admiring his most fabulous tree. Donʻt you think he should have decorated his walker?

Giving Thanks for Family Time

2012-01-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

For Thanksgiving last year (it seems so strange to say that) we took our first road trip with the kids and drove back "home" to Louisiana. Having lived in Hawaii since the kids were babies, they grew up without family road trips. The closest thing to a road trip was driving around the island which really only took a few hours depending on traffic. Not even worth putting a DVD on in the car! So, needless to say, the kids were super excited about our road trip. It took us 8 hours with one potty/gas (as in fill up the car) stop and one Waffle House stop. I was pretty impressed that they all behaved fairly well having never been strapped down for such a long time. We spent our week at Grandpa and Mom Moms house and it was a jam packed week full of fun activities. One of the most memorable was our fishing day. Each of the kids had a turn to ride in the boat (sort of). Dayton got to actually go out fishing in the boat, Saige got to do a circle in the water in the boat, and Addley got to sit in the boat pulled up on shore (poor third child). Then they all went fishing off the banks and had a turn learning how to use a rod. Surprisingly, Saige was the one that enjoyed it the most and actually caught 2 fish!! Dayton didnʻt have the patience to stand there and watch the bobber. He was more interested in seeing how far he could sink into the mud on the banks (what a typical boy). The highlight for him was when he had a turn driving the golf cart. I think Grandpa had fun too, though he claims it was a very quiet day for the fish. It was probably me that had the most fun because I just love to document special moments with family. Here are some of my snapshots.

End Of Year Update

2012-01-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

It has been brought to my attention that my children are still asleep on my blog. So I thought I had better give an update since not only is 2011 over, but we also woke up in Nashville Tennessee. Life is a bit of a blur from August 2011 onwards. The Cliff Notes version is this (the full length version is highly entertaining): Dayton started first grade on August 1st in Hawaii, our house was packed and sent to sea on August 10th, we arrived in Nashville on August 12th, we stayed in a hotel with both dogs for a week, moved to a one bedroom apartment for a week, moved to a 2 bedroom apartment for a few months, Dayton restarted first grade the end of August, Saige started PreK the end of August, we house hunted for 2 months and finally found and bought a house, moved into that house on October 16th, our belongings arrived from Hawaii on October 18th and my baby boy turned 6 on October 18th. I unpacked my camera on the same day. (Let me take a breath) We spent the remainder of October trying to get settled and went back to Louisiana to visit family for Thanksgiving. From Thanksgiving onward was preparation for Christmas and now it is 2012. Ta-da! You are all caught up in case youʻve been wondering....Happy New Year and hope to see you all soon!

To Sleep or Not To Sleep

2011-04-03T02:44:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but I love that moment in the day when all the kids are in bed and I can climb into my bed, pull the covers over my head and go to sleep. Granted it's sometimes hard to tune out the noise of the TV, the crackling baby monitor and my 3 year old whom doesn't require much sleep. I need a drink of water. I need to go potty. I'm scared, I heard a noise. I saw a moth - come get it. I didn't give you a kiss or hug. Call it what you will, but this child hit the age of "throwing oneself out of the crib", was moved into a big girl bed, and hasn't really slept much since. Did I mention that she was 18 months at the time? I tried gating her in her room and she climbed that too! It was then that I lost my ability as a parent to enforce nap. If I tried to get her to nap it usually resulted in a 3hr battle - ending in no nap. If I avoided the whole nap battle, it usually resulted in a little girl nodding off while eating dinner. I'm pretty sure we thought she was narcoleptic at one point. In fact, she goes from awake and active to passed out. She doesnt seem to have an "about to fall asleep" phase. The best part is this: when she DID nap it usually resulted in a delayed bedtime! She would get her second wind and stay up for hours past us adults! Seriously, the kid "needs" her sleep, but doesn't seem to require it. Now she is 3.5 and will nap on occasion, but that typically means the whole house will be kept up way too late. Here are some rare napping moments. Notice that NONE are in her bed!

Dayton has always been a pretty good napper. If we skipped nap, it usually meant he would fall asleep somewhere.

This was after nap - he came out of his room and fell asleep a bit longer. Too cute.

And a human sized Dora always helped him sleep.

Perhaps Dora was magic. This is actually Saige passed out.

I remember this nap battle. She is just outside her doorway. It appears as though I won.

These chairs do recline.

I got pushed out of my own bed.

Refusing to sleep in her bed. Obviously waiting for an important call.

A back rub from brother helped with this nap - even though he used his feet.

A cold travertine floor instead of the sofa beside her and pillow behind her. Seriously.

Kicked out of my bed again. I bet this was a Saturday morning at 6am.

Who falls asleep on the way TO the beach? Saige.

Again in the chair that reclines. But chooses to sleep on the arm.

Notice adult bed with no adults. Probably a Sunday morning at 5am.

Sweet brother holding her hand.

Not reclined recliner again.

Apparently a very tough day at preschool.

Is she crying? Hiding? Counting? Nope - she's sleeping in the middle of the cold travertine floor again.
Thank goodness for preschool - they are able to get her to nap every single day. I just have to deal with her staying up 2 hours past bedtime.

Raising A Princess

2011-03-28T02:35:00.001-04:00

This could also be titled "Raising A Middle Child", "A Diva", "A Spirited Child"....you get the picture. I don't claim to know much about raising a girl even though I am one myself. I have come to realize that raising girls is MUCH different than raising boys. While neither one is easy, girls are most definitely more difficult. Of course one needs to factor in personality and temperament and I'm sure some mothers of girls reading this may disagree, but I digress. (I've wanted to use that in a sentence for a long time) That poem comes to mind....sugar and spice and all things nice, that's what girls are made of. That's the fairytale version. This is how I see it:

More often than not, girls are dirtier than boys.

Girls can wear clothing that says princess and yet act the exact opposite. Hands on hips and rubber boots automatically add sass.

Girls develop strange eating habits at a young age. Snacks taste better when eaten in roasting pans.

Cake pans work well too.

A girl's creativity has it's own set of rules.

Girls are always pretty in pink.

Girls are born to nurture. Babies are their best friends.

A girl has MANY moods. This is Saige's angry face.

Sunglasses often hide these many moods. The bigger the better.

Girls like to do things their own way. Saige wore this garden glove for a week. She even slept in it.

The middle child often likes to pretend she is the youngest child. Who says you can't be swaddled at 3?

Girls love chocolate.

They like to style their own hair.

Girls love babies of all types. These babies were given cookies for being good.

Girls sometimes have double standards. Babies must have naps but not big girls?

Girls can be fiercely independent.

Girls love presents of all sizes. The more presents the bigger the smile. This does not change as a girl ages.

Girls are not always so graceful or coordinated.

Every girl must own a pettiskirt and tutu. It is a wardrobe essential.

Girls also love jewelry.

A girl is never too young to have a spa day.

Accessories are also an important component of a girls wardrobe.

Girls are natural multitaskers.

Girls love flowers. This also does not change as a girl ages.

When a girl has confidence, she can pull off any look.

When given the option to dress oneself, a girl will always choose princess garb.

The more sparkles the better.

Ballerina garb is also loved.

It is important to a girl to look stylish at all times, even sunbathing.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Raising A Boy

2011-03-22T15:03:00.001-04:00

Plenty of my friends are moms to all boys, my sister included. I have 1 boy and 2 girls and thus have the unique perspective that raising different genders is.... well, different. There is much to be said for that famous phrase "boys will be boys". Here are a few of my old iPhone photo "boy moments".

They like to experiment.

They think little sisters are bugs for catching.

They like to climb and flip and roll and have no regard for consequences like hard cabinets.

They learn differently.

They are good at finding alternate uses for sisters' belongings.

They are clowns.

They learn how to be cool at a young age.

They see things differently.

They idolize their daddy's.

Bad hair days don't bother them.

They like to be pampered.

Competitive by nature and never to young to take pride in ones accomplishments!

And just to be fair of course, a post will follow about raising a princess.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Old iPhone Memories

2011-03-21T20:02:00.001-04:00

Here are a couple pictures from when we first moved here. Dayton was a few months shy of 2 and Saige was 10 weeks old. Hard to believe Dayton will be starting 1st grade in August and Saige will be turning 4 this summer!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Keeping Up With The Times

2011-03-21T01:49:00.001-04:00

I decided that it might be worthwhile to learn the ins and outs of blogging from my iPhone. You see, I have thousands of photos on my iPhone and no way to document them. I mean, what is the point of having all these pictures stored on my phone if I never use them? My blog is meant to document our lives so that one day the children will be able to have a book of memories from their childhood. Call it a modern day baby book of sorts. While my photos usually make it to Facebook for people to look at and comment on, that doesn't do my children any good. Besides, I have tons of photos on my phone that predate my Facebook account activation. I often sift through them when I need a good laugh. Since my phone is always with me, I am more frequently able to document those moments that the children one day will hate me for. Stay tuned....I'm going on a hunt.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Where Did My Baby Go?

2011-03-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

Addley is 20 months, soon to be 21 months, but really going on 2. Today she woke up saying "eat [pause] now" (I need to add the pause because that is how she speaks...with giant pauses between words). When we got downstairs she proceeded to get out the box of cereal, reach on her tippy toes to get a spoon out of the drawer, open the box of cereal (actually a rubbermaid container), get a bowl out and use her cute little fists to fill her bowl! Then she said "milk [pause] pease". Seriously, when did my little baby grow up? And why donʻt I have any recent pictures of her? A project I must add to next weeks spring break list!

The TsuMommy

2011-03-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

Who knew that before falling asleep last night we would be under a tsunami warning? Who knew that there would be so much devastation in so many places following that horrific earthquake in Japan? The sirens started sounding off at 10pm last night and the news said to expect a significant tsunami about 3am. While I knew that we would be under no immediate threat (we live about a mile in from the coast but we are WAY up high) I still was unable to sleep last night. After seeing some of the aftermath footage in Japan, sleep was the last thing on my mind. They said that from the time of the quake until the 23+ foot tsunami hit Japanʻs shores, the people only had about 15 minutes. How scary. Hawaii had plenty of warning. On an island, you cannot help but be close to the ocean....unless you live in the middle. I couldnʻt imagine being out somewhere with the children and experiencing an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude nevermind a tsunami 15 minutes later. As much as I LOVE the beach and love the ocean, I am almost always on edge when there (if I have the kids with me). Perhaps it is the pessimist in me, or the worry wart or perhaps it is just that "mama gene". I am always wondering what my escape route would be if I had the 3 kids with me. 15 minutes given the right circumstances, can seem like an eternity...during a natural disaster that is nothing.

Fortunately, the kids slept through the hourly sirens. Well, not Addley, but she doesnʻt sleep much anyhow. Unfortunately for Scott and I, the sirens and the constant cell phone vibrations from worried friends and family kept us up. It reminded me of hurricane Katrina days. Statewide, schools were closed today. Most kids would be excited, mine were disappointed. They were supposed to be participating in Jump For Heart Day. Dayton was asking a bunch of questions about the tsumommy. He watched some of the news, and for a 5 year old, he was pretty stunned by the damage the ocean caused. He kept saying "wow, that wave took over the whole town." For any of our friends that may have friends or family affected by this disaster, our thoughts are with you and for any of our friends and family thinking of us, we thank you.

Making Time and Taking Time

2011-03-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

We say it all the time, "I need to make time for this or for that..." How does one actually do that though? It is impossible to make time, to have more hours in a day...it seems like a nice concept, a luxury even. I am always behind in my blogging, in my picture uploading, in my picture taking even and I cannot figure out why. We live in a day and age with so much technology that is supposed to help us stay organized and "make time" (so to speak) and yet somehow it complicates things. For instance, back in the day (actually not all that long ago) we used film in cameras and took them in to get developed and voila, a stack of pictures to put in a photo album. Now we can take literally hundreds of photos and save them on this tiny piece of plastic. Am I the only one that is literally years behind in having pictures printed? Like right now for instance, I have a huge list of things to do and yet Iʻve decided to "take time" for myself to blog. It is a beautiful sunny day outside and I can think of a million better things to do than sit in front of a computer, but the only way to get one thing accomplished is to let other things slide. If any of you out there have found some method to keep your life balanced, please share...I have yet to figure it out. I wanted to share some pictures that need sharing. Some special ones from Christmas that have not yet found their way into a photo album (but one day will).

This is a picture of Grammie, YaYa, Dayton & Saige. The kids LOVED their time with Great-Grammie and I know she equally loved her time spent with them.

My beach babies are getting too big!

This is a good example of why I am literally years behind in printing pictures - I take too many! I LOVE sibling pictures; especially when they donʻt know Iʻm taking their picture.

Great Grammie taking it all in! This was her first trip to Hawaii.

Childrenʻs Christmas Program

2011-01-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

This year both Dayton and Saige were involved in their school Christmas program at the church. And while it was a miserable rainy day, it was a heartwarming performance. It was Daytonʻs first year to play the part of the first wiseman and as his mother, I was so proud of his speech in front of the whole church; albeit a short one. It was Saigeʻs first year to perform in front of a large crowd - she was excited leading up to the performance but I think she got a little shy and nervous when it was time to sing. She kind of went through the motions but didnʻt really look like she was having fun. She is such an outgoing and loud personality at home, I am always amazed at how quiet and reserved she is in public. Scott was away on a trip this year so he missed it, but in his place was cousin Ryan and his (awesome I might add) girlfriend Carly. Of course Addley was also present and she throughly enjoyed emptying my purse, sneaking snacks in church and lying on the floor to peer around the pew to see what was going on.

Thanksgiving 2010 - much to be thankful for.

2010-12-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

My blog photo uploader appears to be magically working again - I had pretty much given up on it if you couldnʻt tell from my lack of posts for the past 3 months! One day I will get to all that youʻve missed, but for today...Thanksgiving 2010. We did our annual family trip to Maui and stayed at The Four Seasons. It was everything it always is...indulgent, impressive, relaxing, fun, beautiful weather, and most importantly, some great family time. Grandpa and MomMom were able to join us. The kids were so excited to see them. This year Dayton attended the kids camp and loved every minute of it. It was sort of sad that he didnʻt want to spend much time with us but I completely understood. Each day was a different themed day full of both indoor and outdoor activities. He was exhausted by the end of each day but full of smiles. And that is what vacation is all about. The girls spent their mornings in the pool and their afternoons napping. The adults had time to do a bit of everything...pool time, shopping time, spa time, and the guys even snuck in a little bit of football time. I decided to try our annual family photo again and for once the kids were somewhat agreeable. Of course I did have to bribe them a little bit.

This was a test picture I took of MomMom with Saige. It actually turned out really cute. Wish Iʻd thought to tell Saige to take off her purple flipflops though.

This picture was taken on our way out to dinner one night. Not the best picture by any means, but at least all the kids are looking in the correct direction.

A sweet shot of the grandparents and grandkids.

Iʻm not going to nitpick this photo (although I could) - everyone is smiling AND looking!

My beautiful Saige. Age 3.

I pat myself on the back for this one! If you recall last year, all attempts resulted in tears and fussing and nobody would look at the camera. I still managed a beautiful shot last year, but only because I made it a black and white. Everything looks better in black and white. Well, this year I am proud to show off my 3 beautiful babies in color! Dayton (5), Saige (3), & Addley (16 months)

Iʻm very thankful this year. For many things.

One Last Addley Update

2010-09-10T13:10:00.000-04:00

We had our follow up neurology appointment this week with Addley to review all the tests and figure out where to go next. The Dr. was pleased to know that everything came back normal, though she wasn't too surprised and actually gave us some positive news. She prefaced it by saying "your child has NOT followed the typical pattern of breath holding" but typically children grow out of it by the age of 2. She said it is possible that it last as long as age 5 or 6, but typically (again that word) between 18 months and age 2 you will see a remarkable difference. I'm hesitant to type it or even say it, but we haven't had a spell since that bad one that caused the 3 minute seizure in early July. We've certainly had LOTS of bumps and bruises and tears since then, but none have provoked an episode. This is the longest she has gone without having one. I am hoping, praying and keeping every finger and toe crossed that perhaps she IS outgrowing it and just maybe I can rest a little easier. The more time that passes without incident is a GREAT sign. Our next follow up isn't until 4 months from now. In the mean time, she goes about her crazy business without a care in the world and certainly no concept of fear. Her newest thing is to try and jump off the two steps in the office - she watches her siblings compete to see who can jump the furthest. Of course, she cannot jump yet, so instead just sort of trips and falls down the steps and lands in a heap of giggles.

Addleyʻs Update

2010-08-25T20:25:00.000-04:00

Today I took Addley to her cardiology appointment to have the EKG and echo performed that "should" have been done during her hospital admission. She was of course traumatized by it all and the doctor was upfront in saying that typically children that age cannot undergo an echo without sedation. I explained to him the miscommunication that happened and said I wanted to try, since I did not (and do not) want to undergo another sedation unless absolutely necessary. Turns out the EKG was more difficult than the echo as she kept pulling all the wires off of her. Once I held her arms tight enough she started using her feet to remove them...what a stinker. For the echo I just held her and he scanned her easily. She cried the whole time but I think she was sufficiently worn out and just wanted the whole thing to be over. Poor thing whimpered and whimpered. The good news is that everything looks great. A perfectly healthy heart! Relief. So that leaves us with a follow up appointment Sept 8th with the neurologist who will likely say to monitor episodes and that this is just something she'll grow out of. As YaYa recently told me (and yaya's know quite a bit of stuff)...."she's just another drama queen".

I Don't Want To Grow Up

2010-08-18T18:54:00.000-04:00

What do you say when your 4 year old says "Mommy, I don't want to grow up"? I suppose this is where I should add that it was said with a quiver in his lip and a tear in his eye! Seriously. 7:30 this morning and that is what I am dealing with. I asked him why and he got more tears in his eyes and said, "I don't want to get bigger, I just want to be who I am and be me." I tried to laugh it off and say "I don't want to grow up either" but he was having no part of that. This was obviously something very important to him and he wanted to have a serious conversation about it. I told him that everything grows. Trees, flowers, babies, grandparents....and no matter who or how big he grew up to be, he would always be my little boy and I would always love him. He asked me if God decided how big he would be. He told me he didn't want to be different and that grown ups don't have fun. I told him growing up meant lots of fun things like: sleepovers, staying up later, playing sports, going on special trips, making lots of friends, learning how things work in the world....truthfully, I was having a hard time having this conversation. I wanted to say, "I don't want you to grow up either", "I don't want you to change", "There are lots of things about growing up that are scary and difficult." My little 4 year old IS growing up, and he IS changing and while I am super excited to share this journey with him, I am so sad at how fast it is going. Fortunately by the end of our conversation (just as I was putting breakfast on the table), he turned back into my sweet and smart little 4 year old and said, "Mom, I'm just not going to eat my breakfast so I won't grow." Ahhhh....if only it were that simple.

You Be The Judge

2010-08-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

Every so often I like to dig up pictures of the kids around the same age just to compare - I am always hearing mixed reviews about who looks like who. These three pictures were taken at the 1 year mark. Iʻve certainly improved with my picture taking - poor Dayton doesnʻt have any good baby pictures.

So Sweet I Just Had To Share

2010-08-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

So I bought Dayton some new socks for school (he starts Kindergarten Aug 24th) and I was second guessing his size because they just looked a little big. I get really bothered when I see kids with their socks all munched up in their shoes for some reason. This morning I was taking the tags off to put them in the laundry basket and I asked him to try one on to see if they fit. He wanted to know why, so I told him they just looked a little big for him and I wasnʻt sure if I bought the right size....cause you know 4 year olds require an explanation for EVERYTHING. He put one on and sure enough it fit...I said something like this: "Wow, youʻre getting so big and it makes me so sad." He said, "Thatʻs okay mom, Iʻll always be your little boy." Talk about make my heart melt and bring tears to my eyes. Kids just say the funniest and sweetest things sometimes.

Hanalei Bay, Kauai

2010-08-08T17:37:00.000-04:00

It seems I am finally getting around to adding more pictures to the blog from our trip to Kauai. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it. Such a pristine and slow paced island. When I moved from Canada to Southern Louisiana, it took me some time to adjust to the slower pace of life and relaxed attitude of the locals. Weather dictates some of that Iʻm sure. In Canada it is so darn cold all the time it is no wonder most are in a rush to get somewhere. Quite the opposite in the south - the heat and humidity cause you to sweat before you even go outside and once out there you are overcome by this hot blanket that causes one to feel and move slower. (at least that is one of my theories) In Hawaii, life is just...well, different. Hawaii is on its own time. The locals have no concept of deadlines. If someone here says they will be at your house at 9am, they really mean 10:30. While most would say traffic is to blame (and while that is likely), I say it is just the way of life here. When I say here, I mean on the island of Oahu (where we live). Well, Kauai is even slower paced. Even the wild chickens and roosters havenʻt a care in the world. It was very easy to feel as though you were on vacation right away rather than need a day to "unwind". You wonʻt see a lot of people in any of my pictures (even though our resort was at maximum capacity).

An early morning picture of Hanalei Bay.

A zoomed shot of the coast on the far side of Hanalei Bay.

Low tide at the resort beach. We always love hunting for shells and sea life during low tide. We saw quite a few sting rays (babies) but I never managed to get a picture of one.

A shot from the beach during low tide.

The same shot with the tide coming in. Very cool.

Rainbows Of Kauai

2010-08-08T01:36:00.000-04:00

I never really get tired of photographing rainbows. Hawaii IS the rainbow state and it certainly lives up to its name. While we were in Kauai, we must have seen at least one rainbow every single day - right outside our window. My favorite picture is the last one. I think it is remarkable how beautiful and sunny it is on one side of the rainbow and how stormy it is on the other. Somehow, the camera just never does a rainbow justice.

Wednesdayʻs Hospital Visit And Todayʻs Update

2010-08-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

An update for those of you I have not spoken to..Wednesday was Addleyʻs hospital admission for a sedated EEG and EKG. While she was not a happy baby, sleep deprived and food deprived, she tolerated the procedure well. She didnʻt particularly like having vitals hooked up to her nor the process of the oral sedation, but she doesnʻt know how lucky she was to NOT have to have an IV or general. I am thankful for that. I tolerated the procedure well and only shed a few tears - it really humbled me because there are so many parents that have to deal with medical procedures for their children on a daily basis. I am thankful for my childrenʻs health. Following the procedure we learned that the EKG had not been done and that apparently the neurologistʻs office did not feel it necessary. I was a little skeptical of this since the doctor had told me otherwise at our previous appointment. Following the EEG it took a little bit of time for her to "wake up" but she was able to stomach some apple juice and consequently they sent us home. I was surprised at how unstable she was the remainder of the day. It was like her brain was awake telling her to do all her normal activities but her body was non compliant. I suppose it was equivalent to being drunk. Funny to watch, but a little exhausting to care for. We monitored her for 24hrs and of course by Thursday morning she was back to her old self.
On Thursday our pediatrician phoned to give us some preliminary results of the testing. (Thank God because I wasnʻt prepared to wait for our follow up appointment with the neurologist September 8th). Everything looked normal on the EEG. Yay! This wasnʻt really a surprise since the neurologist had said she was pretty sure it would come back normal. And while this doesnʻt 100% rule out a seizure disorder, it makes it highly unlikely. Good news. I canʻt say I feel as though a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders because I still donʻt have any answers. The pediatricianʻs opinion was that the neurologist would likely tell us to continue to monitor her episodes to see if they changed in frequency or intensity. *sigh*
Thursday evening the neurologist called (I was shocked) to also tell me the preliminary results. I asked a few questions and we talked about what the next step would be. As suspected, the EKG was supposed to have been done and she has no idea who at the office would have indicated otherwise. She hinted that perhaps the hospital was just being lazy and nobody actually called to verify. I am aggravated at the communication mishap and wish that people would just do things right the first time. Anyhow, we are now being referred to a pediatric cardiologist so that they can perform the EKG and do an echo (ultrasound) of her heart. The reasoning behind this, is to rule out any possible cardiac arrhythmia's that may be predisposing Addley to having seizures when she breath holds. If her blood pressure suddenly drops due to a sensitive vagus response; this could trigger a seizure. Additionally, the neurologist mentioned that it is important to determine since it would be much more serious to overlook a heart problem than it is for a child to have continued seizures. It sounds as though the procedure is actually quite quick and non-invasive and can be done in their office but I am just so aggravated that this all could have been done at one time while she was sedated and oblivious. I mean, it isnʻt as though she is going to complacently lie on an exam table and allow them to ultrasound her heart! In the mean time, we just monitor. We have her 12 month shots in 2 weeks and I am pretty sure the unexpected pain from that will trigger her to breath hold and seize so I will keep you updated on that. In the mean time, I do my best to prevent injuries that most toddlers are prone to...a hard feat with my little daredevil. This morning I caught her standing on Dayton's back while he was lying on the floor. The travertine floor of course! Thank you for all of your calls, emails and texts. Your support and concern has been greatly appreciated.

Addleyʻs Update

2010-07-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

Addley is a year old now. She is the sweetest little thing, loves attention, hugging, playing, laughing and following around her siblings. Of the three children, she is the dare devil...the one with little to no fear to try anything she might see her brother or sister doing. She was the earliest to walk independently at 10 months and since then there has been no stopping her. With that independence and fearlessness comes plenty of opportunity for bumps and bruises. Since she was about 6 months old we discovered that when she gets hurt she holds her breath when she cries. At first we didnʻt know what was happening, but in retrospect I can see all the signs now. There are different types of breath holding spells and I am by no means an expert in any of them, but it appears that Addleyʻs are the most rare type (and the most severe). She experiences a combination of cyanotic and pallid spells that (unfortunately) trigger seizures. Scott and I refer to them as "episodes" because at this point we have not been given a medical diagnosis or term to apply to them. She experiences about 2 per month and all have resulted in varying degrees of seizures. (meaning how long they last or how long it takes for her to recover fully) We finally got a neurological evaluation and the dr. agrees that they are breath holding spells of a severe form due to the seizures that they trigger. They are not the common ones that people hear about in children who hold their breath during temper tantrums. These are entirely reflexive and she has no control over them. They do not happen every time she is hurt nor can we predict when a hurt happens if she will have a full blown episode. Consequently, we have been scheduled for an EEG (to rule out a seizure disorder, which the dr seems confident it is not) and an EKG to determine if there are any abnormal rhythms in her heart that might be triggering the seizures during these injuries. I have not blogged about this intentionally...mostly because I havenʻt had any answers to give to all the questions from friends and family, but also because Iʻve been in denial and hoping they would just go away. From what Iʻve been told and read, children grow out of these episodes as late as the age of 6! Her tests are scheduled for Wednesday August 4th. We both apologize if we have forgotten to give anyone updates regarding Addleyʻs episodes - at this point we have no answers. Unfortunately, the test results will not be reviewed with us until our next appointment with the neurologist on September 8th. I will try and keep you all updated as information is available.

Kauai Part 2 Of Many

2010-07-06T23:07:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why, but each time we go somewhere I like to take pictures of the hotel rooms....and I like to take them as soon as we enter the room because they never quite look the same again. We stayed in Princeville, which is on the northern side of the island. Here is a picture of our room:

This was the view from our room. The windows and screens slid all the way open. I was a little nervous of the kids being up on the window bench because there was nothing to prevent them from ending up in the cliffs below. I loved that you could lie in bed and feel like you were outside.

This was our bathroom. Most fascinating to me was the privacy switch which fogged the window up. How do those work?

Here is a shot from inside the resort bar. It had a huge outdoor space overlooking the Hanalei Bay.

This is the view from inside of the main dining area.

This is the bar/lounge.

One of the many secret little outdoor spaces around the resort.

This was taken from the outdoor dining area.

Kauai 2010 Part 1 Of Many

2010-06-19T22:12:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, we recently went on a 5 day trip to Kauai. It is the third island that I've seen now and is by far the most beautiful. I love how each of the islands has its own unique characteristics. Kauai was more laid back and peaceful. For those of you wondering, yes we had all 3 kids with us! I know....kids and peaceful don't really go together do they? Despite being surrounded by vacationers, it felt more low key and less busy than Maui or even home. We apparently missed out on seeing Jennifer Anniston and Adam Sandler. Oh, and someone from Survivor got married while we were there. Instead I spent a bit of time on a lounge chair and "talked story" (as the locals would say) with some folks from LA and another couple from NY. Both sets were in the filming industry - the one lady worked behind the camera and the other guy was a real live actor. Funny, the people you meet...turns out they had 2 girls the same age as Dayton and Saige. They left their kids at home, and while they commented several times on how cute and well behaved mine were, I'm quite sure they weren't missing their own. This trip we decided to take Miss Katie (our 2 day a week nanny - also known as my 2 day a week get your sanity in check to deal with the other 5 days). It was great to have the extra hands and the kids loved having her there - it meant more time in the pool and at the beach. I'm blessed to have her. She loves the kids as if they were her own and my kids love them as much as they love me...perhaps even more on some days! She has endless energy and patience and it was nice to be able to spend some alone time with Scott. We had a couples massage at the Spa, went out for dinner and drinks to watch the sun setting and even went on part of the Na Pali Coast hike. Okay, before I get too lost in my stories (which just might take me a year to complete!) let me get a few pictures posted. Stay tuned (but not too tuned) for more...

Conversations With A 4 Year Old

2010-06-17T14:38:00.000-04:00

Entertaining to say the least. Sometimes frustrating. Complex. Can I say scary too? Since sometimes they include questions I'm just not ready to answer. I really need to do a better job of writing these things down because one day I won't be able to remember all of them and I really want the kids to be able to laugh about it and share it with their own families.

It's only 8am here and this is how it went...

Dayton was sticking his hands in the back of my hair (I recently got almost 5 inches of hair cut off)... "Mom, I don't see your special eyes." "Oh they're there dear...they are magic so you can't see them." "But mom, I don't feel them either." "Do your special eyes only come out when I'm doing something bad?" I'm still laughing about it. I wonder how long I can get away with having these special eyes.

Dayton was making himself waffles this morning and offered to make some for me too. I had already poured a bowl of cereal so I told him if I was still hungry after finishing that I would let him know. He said, "Eat your cereal and if you're still hungry then remember in your mind I will make two waffles." "Don't freeget (forget) okay mom?" "Remember that in your mind." "If you don't know, your mind is in your forehead."

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-14T02:48:00.000-04:00

Some people think that Mother's Day is a day to celebrate family...spending time with those you love, honoring thy mother, making special trinkets to be saved for years yet to come, recognizing how special the role of "mama" is, a special meal or whatnot. I like to celebrate mine alone. Every day is "Mother's Day". To me, every normal day is a day to celebrate with loved ones. My children tell me they love me every single day...they also tell me why. That alone is plenty reason to make me feel special in my job...caretaker, nurturer, nurse, doctor, teacher and all other shoes I often find myself wearing. (some more comfortable than others) So, I like to celebrate by taking time to myself...not to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses as a mother, nor to think about my children....time to just do things for me to recharge my batteries. And that is exactly what I did this year. I started the day off with crepes on the beach....my toes in the sand, the morning sun on my back, the salt breeze against my face...pure bliss. I took my camera and spent 3 hours capturing the beauty around me. 4 hours of peace and quiet. Then I went home and "celebrated" with my loved ones. Scott had spent some time with the kids making me a card. Each of them put their footprint on paper and colored it in and then drew one special thing. Dayton drew a heart and printed the word "heart" under it. Saige drew a picture of me. It will be a card that I will treasure, that I will look at when I'm old and think "wow, where did all the years go?"

I recall making gifts and cards for my own mother when I was younger. I'm pretty sure she kept most things - I wonder what she thinks of when she looks at all those memories and years gone by. I hope that she always felt loved by her children the way I feel loved by mine. I'd like to think that she is proud of who I've become and where I've gone in my life yet also feel proud of herself for bringing me into this world, loving me, guiding me, teaching me..for I am today, a mother. And while I am learning as I go, I take all that great wisdom she shared with me to be the best mother that I can be. I am thankful for her role in my life and all that she has given me and taught me.

Time To Post But No Time To Title

2010-04-16T21:08:00.000-04:00

So, I was about to give a nice update since Addley is napping and Saige is busy eating lunch (a late lunch as it is already 2pm here) and here I am on the second line and I've already been interrupted twice. "Mom, look at my legs..they're shore." Short? "No, shore." Cold? "No, shore." Ah...shore. And now Saige is finished her pizza and strawberries. Didn't get much accomplished did I? Followed up by a conversation about not putting your teeth on cabinet handles so that they don't get chipped and whether or not her feet and legs will fall off when her teeth fall out. As I was saying....
Dayton is in tune with Spring right now and seems to be blossoming developmentally - his artwork has progressed from scribbles and potato people (circles with sticks for limbs and big features) to alphabet designs and houses with flowers. It is now more than one color as well! He finally has figured out all the uppercase and lowercase letters, how to write them and the sounds they make and is now starting to spell and sound out words when reading. It is all very impressive to me. Perhaps most 4 year olds can do this but I certainly don't recall being able to do this when I was 4. Regardless, I am so proud of him and at the same time, so sad that he is growing so fast. The big K next year...I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with homework and the seriousness of establishing good educational routines. Why can't they be little and innocent for just a little longer these days? He is also playing soccer now and he absolutely LOVES it! He is so cute in his little shin guards and cleats and out of nowhere has developed this running slide kick. I need to video it - looks as though he's done this before. It has been nice to spend our Friday evenings together as a family and supporting his talents/interests. Dad keeps him focused and warms up with him and us girls sit on the sidelines cheering him on. Okay, I'm the one cheering...Saige and Addley eat. It is the only way to keep Saige contained and prevent Addley from putting everything in her mouth (like grass, sticks, seeds, dirt, rocks bugs etc).
Saige is still Saige...fiercely independent, strong willed and challenging to raise! She is emerging as the dreamy, creative one - very interested in tea parties, picnics, school lessons and such. Lest I not forget her need to always tell others what to do and how to do it. She is so funny and I really must do a better job of writing down all her silliness. Last week after bedtime she apparently got out of bed and put in every single hair clip that she owns. Daddy found her sleeping on the floor with 20 clippies in her hair. Occasionally I will find her asleep on her belly on the floor wearing a backpack or wearing a second set of PJ's on top of the ones she already has on; including double sets of socks. One day she will read this and not believe it...fortunately I try and take pictures! She still refuses to fall asleep in her bed! She will be starting preschool (with her big brother; though he will be in a different class) at the end of August. I am tempted to keep her home, but she needs the structure, exposure to rules and the socialization. She needs someone else to boss her around a bit. My beautiful sassy diva.
Wow, I can't believe I've gotten this far in my post....and onto Addley...sweet little Addley. She is 9 months old now and I am starting to really see her personality. Quarky, loves attention, quick to learn and will let you know if she is upset! She's either talking or crying. She pulls up on anything and will push around anything that moves. Another mama's girl...always climbing my pant legs and cries if I walk by her without picking her up. She adores her big brother and is a little scared of her overbearing sister. She has 3 teeth now and is working on a fourth and FINALLY is eating some solid food...along with anything else she can shove in her mouth. I do the scoop and sweep routine several times a day. I vacuum daily, hoping to suck up anything her little fingers might find. A pointless and time consuming task since she still manages to find so much. A magnet, a clove of garlic, paper, dog hair, crumbs, sticks, bugs...you get the point? And now my update must come to a close...I know there is more to say, but duty calls. Dayton is home from school and is running around in his underwear, Saige is half naked running around scooping the air with my wooden spoons and Addley is emptying the DVD cabinet. Just enough time for a small update....

Retro-blogging

2010-03-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Is there such a thing as retro-blogging? Several people have pointed out that I haven't posted anything since January. Really? I could swear I wrote something in February...hmmm, perhaps not. Well, now it's March...where to start, what to say? I'm not really sure what actually happened in the month of February. I know Valentines Day was in there. Most of the month was ridden with illness that got passed from child to child to parent to parent. It was a pretty sick month. Fortunately nothing serious...just back to back upper respiratory virus type stuff. You know, that stuff that makes both parents and children somewhat miserable...and most of you also know, that being a mommy means that you aren't allowed the luxury of getting sick...and if you do, you don't get to take time off from motherhood.
What else happened? Scott went away for a week. Actually, he just got back from another week away too. Those weeks are never fun. It always amazes me to think about how all those single parents survive. Or rather, how all those children of single parents survive. I mean, it's no wonder some species eat their young! Seriously. The highlight of my week came on my last night of flying solo. Dayton and Saige were watching a show before bedtime while I got Addley fed and ready for bed. I told them I was going to put her to sleep and that when I got back I would read them their bedtime story. I was gone less than 3 minutes; which is apparently A LOT of time for a 4 year old and 2.5 year old to be up to no good. During those 3 minutes, Dayton doused himself with Scott's cologne and Saige squirted hand sanitizer all over my bedside table (which is less than a year old I might add). They then wiped it around with a kleenex (to clean it up they say), spreading it over half the table and then decided they might experiment with cleaning the rest of it off with my nail file! The sanitizer nicely removed the finish off the wood and the nail file nicely damaged it with pretty scratchy designs. Well, I pointed to their bedroom and said nothing because I was more than a little mad. Saige said, "I guess no bedtime story?" A double point from me. On the way to their bedroom she asked me I still loved her (my head said no, but my heart said yes) and my finger kept pointing towards their bedroom. Dayton didn't say a word. He just climbed in his bed and pulled the covers up...I might have heard him say sorry, but I'm not certain. They both stayed in bed (a rarity) the whole night. I was thankful Scott was returning the following day. The morning of that day I discovered several presents in my closet...compliments of the dogs. Need I say more? And that folks, is what you all have been missing out on...
Perhaps my next post will focus a little more on the good and cute things my kids have been up to...

December 2009 - Birthdays, Christmas, Milestones And All That...

2010-01-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

I celebrated my 35th birthday with the greatest gifts: my children, my husband and some chocolate cake. Logical Dayton of course wanted to know why there were only 3 candles on my cake!

We went to a The Ching Family's yearly gingerbread house decorating party. This was Dayton's creation. Saige started eating the pieces of hers before it got built. Scott melted it and the tray in the oven a few days later.

Addley started to sit up. The girls were "playing" (Saige was trying to "make" Addley take a pacifer) together on a beautiful sunny day. Hard to see from this shot, but they are on Saige's new beautiful quilt made by a family friend. Tula, the guardian.

Addley tried rice cereal for the first time. She's never eaten it since. Or oatmeal, or carrots, or sweet potatoes, or peas, or apples, or apple juice.... She's just not the least bit interested in eating anything solid right now.

Dayton's first tap performance.

Dayton's first hip hop performance. I discovered that I have forgotten everything I learned in my sewing class in high school. I really did hem his pants...

Sitting with the girls waiting for his number.

Where's Dayton??!

Dayton's Christmas program at the church. He sang "Thula Thula". Apparently it is a traditional Zulu song. No wonder I never understood him when he was practicing singing it at home! It wasn't even in English!

My sweet boy...all grown up.

A picture of me with the kiddos after the Christmas program.

Addley learned how to get into the crawl position. She isn't crawling but she kind of gets around a little on her side.

Saige was the Christmas cookie helper this year. Dayton apparently had better things to do and only wanted to partake in eating them.

She obviously needs a little more practice!

Caught on film stealing bites of raw cookies. Gross! But she sure is beautiful.

This year Santa got "pieces" of cookies (I used too small of a cookie pan and the dozen cookies sort of became one cookie) and some chocolate milk. Dayton thought Santa might enjoy the one with the most sprinkles.

Our traditional Christmas Eve PJ picture! Addley's first Christmas. She isn't sure what to think about all the excitement.

The West side of the tree on Christmas morning.

The East side of the tree on Christmas morning.

My favorite part...stockings. Often the most played with gift is found in the stocking. This year umbrellas were a big hit. The kids always want to play with them and Dayton took his to school for show and tell! He was a little disappointed they wouldn't let him open it in class and demonstrate.

This year Santa left bags for the kids with their gift inside.

Santa brought Dayton a scooter and a sleeping bag. I'm still amazed that Santa was thinking of me when he brought the kids their own sleeping bags...now they can sleep in them on my floor rather than flip and kick me in my own bed!

No idea what Santa brought for Saige - she was more interested in playing with some coins she found.

The day after Christmas we all enjoyed some leftover turkey sandwiches at the beach. Addley enjoyed her hat strap.

After turkey sandwiches, the kids played in the water. It was a beautiful and relaxing day after Christmas.

Dayton enjoys torturing the dogs by ringing the doorbell and making them nutty. I thought the picture was cute because his crocs match the pointsetta.

Happy New Year - Welcome 2010

2010-01-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year that one reflects back on the year behind and looks forward to what is yet to come. I can't recall the last time I actually made some New Years Resolutions...but that's okay because I also can't recall the last time I actually stayed awake until the New Year. I'm not certain why people insist on making such a big deal out of the changing of the year...more intriguing was the "blue moon" last night. Truly beautiful. I hope you all took a moment to look at it. I've been told (by my mother...whose wisdom I don't question) that the next one isn't until 2028. 18 more years....I wonder if I'll still be blogging? If I sit and think about it, I'm sure I can conjure up quite a few resolutions, but seriously, why put extra pressure on myself? Instead I am enjoying those things that are meant to be enjoyed. Happy New Year all....Thought I'd give my doglets some airtime and offer some relief to those that may be tired of always seeing pictures of my angels!

I'm always impressed at how photogenic a dog becomes when you mention the word treat!

Not sure why Shey insists on drinking dirty plant water when she has a perfectly good bowl of nice fresh water.

Gotta wonder exactly what that expression means in words.

The Best Gift Of All

2009-12-30T14:58:00.000-05:00

I will be the first to admit that I am spoiled by my husband. I need nothing. I have everything..and more. Yet, despite this, he continues to spoil me and surprise me when I least expect it. Prior to my birthday he surprised me with a new camera. I didn't need one and truthfully, I wasn't even wanting one. He has been so supportive of my interest in photography. One of the many reasons I love him. I call this one of my greatest gifts because it allows me not only to practice something I love, but to document memories and moments with those I love. Here are some of my practice pictures.

Maui Wowie

2009-12-29T19:50:00.000-05:00

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with the Novosel family (YaYa, Sir & Auntie Jess Jess) by going on vacation to Maui together the week prior to Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful week spent together and came to an end far too quickly. Daddy and Sir went on a helicopter tour of the island. YaYa, Auntie Jess Jess and I spent some time at the spa. The children enjoyed their beach and pool time and for the most part were well behaved. It seemed meltdowns happened in the evening while out at dinner. I didn't really get to enjoy any dinners because Addley turns into a little Gremlin about 4pm every single day. While I was able to eat a few meals one handed, it was a challenge eating something like spaghetti and meatballs! Our sleeping situation was much to be desired as well, but how can you complain when you woke up to the shining sun each morning, someone else cooking all the meals and cleaning your room? We stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons Resort in Wailea, Maui...where you truly do get pampered. Facial spritzs and cool cucumbers by the pool for your tired eyes, fresh baked muffins and pineapple brought right to your chair...fresh ice water brought to your chair on the beach. Here are some of the pictures from our time spent together. Wonderful memories. Miss you all!

Beautiful Auntie Jess Jess - Dayton & Saige miss you!

Dayton & Saige playing on the beach.

Sir & Dayton looking for sea turtles. Lord only knows what kind of stories Sir is telling him, but you can tell he is passing along some type of wisdom.

Auntie Jess Jess, Sir & YaYa having a family picture before a nice evening stroll along the beach.

Dayton enjoying a sunset stroll.

One of the only opportunities we had for a family picture. Turned out great didn't it? Wait, who's missing? Ah yes, my non-compliant 4 year old. It seems even the nice lady who offered to take our picture couldn't convince him.

Auntie Jess Jess and Dayton doing some beach exploring.

Dayton & Saige building sand castles.

The Novosel & Szczekocki Families.

YaYa & Sir with the grandkids...or as YaYa refers to them, "her precious angels".

Auntie Jess Jess with Dayton, Saige & Addley.

Auntie Jess Jess & Dayton on a drifted in tree trunk.

One of many horrible attempts at a family picture. Dayton REFUSED to be in pictures and threw quite the fit about it all. The reason why you can't really tell is because I'm tickling him. Scott is just plain aggravated, Addley won't look up and Saige was plain ole tired.

Two beautiful sisters! Again, Dayton refusing to be in the picture. One day he'll wonder why he was never in any of the pictures!

Saige & Addley...sans Dayton. My two beautiful girls.

Saige enjoying pool time with Auntie Jess Jess.

Dayton enjoying pool time with Auntie Jess Jess.

Saige attempts the waterslide. No fear - what a big girl!

Dayton attempting to "stop" himself on the waterslide.

Sassy Saige

2009-11-09T18:14:00.000-05:00

Her first pedicure (compliments of Miss Katie). Don't mind the booboo on her toenail from dropping a toy on it. You'll have to click on the picture to see the polish designs. Oh, and lately she's been saying, "take pictures of me today mommy." Here is one of her "poses." She walks around wearing bracelets and says, "I'm so pretty." Seriously....she's only 2.

Addley As A 4 Month Old

2009-11-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

This little girl LOVES attention...from anyone. Leave her alone for one second and she cries and fusses. Look at her and she smiles. She laughs at her siblings but rarely at Scott or I. She likes to talk. She wakes up early. She rolls over, but prefers to stand up. She hasn't decided whether or not she wants to be a thumb sucker...any fingers do well for now. She's discovered her feet but hasn't figured out how to "get" them. She loves the bath and then transforms into this screaming monster from the end of bath until she falls asleep at 7:30. Some days she looks like Saige and others like Dayton. I love her and every time Dayton says, "How long is Baby Addwee staying with us?" I always say "I hope forever and ever." He says, "that's a long time mommy." Not long enough if you ask me.
Dayton at 5 months.
Saige at 6 months.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-08T16:14:00.000-05:00

I tortured myself trying to find costumes for the kids - it is always so hard here because the costumes are mostly designed for the cold weather. Halloween is anything but cold here. Dayton kept changing his mind...a robot, a clown, a prince...Saige would NOT change her mind: she wanted to be a vacuum. I know...she's strange. Needless to say, by the time I hit the stores everything was picked over...no sizes left, no costumes left. I resorted to looking online. I found the perfect costumes for both of them...turns out shipping them here was going to be more than the costumes. Forget it! I finally found this cheap and easy clown costume for Dayton and decided Saige could wear her tutu, some wings and a crown. Dayton was excited for the costume; until he put it on of course...it was itchy, he couldn't breathe with the clown nose on..."I'll just be Thomas the Train" he says. That's what he was last year. *sigh* If I only knew. We also did our yearly trip to the pumpkin patch. I had special Halloween shirts for them to wear and everything...they were long sleeve...the weather was 90 degrees. So much for that. Halfway there I realized I had forgotten to put the battery back in my camera. I had to resort to cell phone pictures this year. While it was a disastrous event for me, the kids didn't care - they just wanted to eat a piece of candy.
Saige's first time scooping goop out of the pumpkin.
Dayton's carved pumpkin. He chose the pattern, I did the carving (it was hard!!)
Our roasted seeds. Surprisingly, the kids liked them. They are apparently healthy for men to eat.
Dayton's final product.
Saige's final product.

The kids and I dressed up for a Halloween party at The Ching's house. I'm a ladybug, though it is hard to see my costume. Good thing we got a picture when we first arrived cause the costumes only lasted 5 minutes.
Apparently Halloween is a huge holiday for all Hawaii resident dogs.
Was trying to capture the HUGE Great Dane and instead captured a friendly little hello. Oops.
Scary monster dog we saw while trick or treating.Thomas...again.
My princess, butterfly, fairy Saige.

Dayton's Fourth Birthday

2009-11-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

October 18th was Dayton's fourth birthday! I can hardly believe it. It is so sad to see the years go by so fast and yet it is so special to see them develop and grow into little beings. In previous years I've taken a ton of pictures and no video. This year I hardly took any pictures and instead videoed most of the party. We rented a "jumping castle" (as Dayton refers to them) and had a little gathering at our house for BBQ and cake. It was a fun party. Dayton stayed in the bounce house for 3 hours straight. He's also requested one for next year as well as one for my birthday (and Saige's and Addley's). For any readers that attended the party, thanks for coming...we all had a great time celebrating.
Dayton is 4. Still wears party hats.
And is big enough to jump in a bounce house. A big hit!Dayton turns 3. He "had" to wear a party hat, and refused to wear clothes.Dayton turns 2!A whole year old!My 6lb little peanut.

Snapshots From Maui

2009-10-11T20:21:00.000-04:00

I try and make a habit of carrying my camera everywhere I go just in case I see something kind of cool and photo worthy. Here are a couple of pictures from when we were out and about (said in my best Canadian accent) during our recent Maui trip.

Maui August 2009

2009-10-10T15:19:00.000-04:00

Finally getting around to posting some pictures from our recent trip to Maui. Get ready, my previous post was long in speech and this one is a lot of pictures! It was a short trip and work related for Scott, but nice to get away. We will be heading there again for the week of Thanksgiving with Scott's family. We are all soooo excited about it. Our hotel suite was awesome and so huge that when we walked in for the first time, Dayton said, "wow this is a really nice kind of place" and then proceeded to check it out. I guess this was considered Addley's "first" vacation. Pretty spoiled at 7 weeks if you ask me! We stayed on a different side of the island this time at the Westin Resort. It was really beautiful but for some reason didn't have a "kiddie" pool. The pools were called kids pools at only 4 feet deep but there were no wading pools for toddlers. That kind of stunk because the kids weren't comfortable in the deep pool unless they were clinging to daddy. Weeks before the vacation Dayton talked about going down the water slide and when we got there we discovered that there was a "big kids" slide and a "little kids" slide. Daddy took Dayton down the slide once and that was the end of that. Apparently at the bottom, Scott's feet slid out from under him and dunked both himself and Dayton. Needless to say, it was not a hit. He also wanted to go under the "waterfall" in the pool so Scott had one on each hip and took them under. Dayton freaked out and did not want to come back out. Sadly, I missed out on all this fun because I was busy taking pictures and watching Addley. The flights went well, navigating the airport was horrible, and transportation to/from the airport was a nightmare. Then again, what kind of travel is ever easy with little kids? At least we are well practiced for our next trip there in November.
Addley (7 weeks) hanging out on vacation
Our "suite" living, dining, office area with wrap around balcony and oceanfront view. Very nice!
The fancy master bathroom.
View of grounds and pool with waterslides. Big slide (white on left), small slide (green on right).
View of ocean from balcony.
Scott taking the kids under the waterfall.
Dayton & Saige playing at the beach.
Mommy & Addley at the beach.
Dayton refusing to have a "nice" picture taken while out at dinner.
Saige asleep on Daddy right before dinner is served. That's what happens when she refuses to nap.
Dayton, Saige & Daddy having their picture taken with a giant sperm whale. Dayton said it was a dinosaur.
The kids checking out a map of Maui.
Taking an afternoon walk and Dayton discovers an anchor.
Then he discovers a frog and needs to have a ride.
The kids agree to have a picture taken together...sort of.
Saige insists on having a turn riding the frog.
Horrible composition but such a cute picture of Saige.
Saige looking like such a big girl out at dinner.

Beauty From The Backyard

2009-10-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

Every once in awhile you come across something so beautiful in life it takes your breath away. I captured these pictures one recent evening before the sun went down. In fact, it was Dayton that pointed it out..."mommy, come look at the cool clouds and the moon."

Long Time No Blog

2009-10-09T18:19:00.000-04:00

I've certainly thought about blogging lately, but somehow just never seem to get around to it. Granted I don't have a ton of time, but at some point I just started to procrastinate - where does one start after a whole month has passed? I suppose with the kids. I have 3 to talk about now, so this might be a long one...you may want to have a potty break and perhaps grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine depending on what time of the day it is where you are. Dayton is into his second month at preschool. The first few weeks were...well...not so great. Several tantrums in the morning, talk of kids being mean to him, talk of having no friends and not liking his teacher. I kept telling myself to give it time. He just loved it so much last year. Granted his best (and probably only) friend from school moved to Thailand, and his old teacher retired, and his teaching assistant left, and he was in a totally different classroom....I don't know why I thought it would be easy for him to go back. With a little time and a lot of encouragement and a few teacher parent discussions, he has settled in and is back to "loving" it. This year he has come home talking about cubes and hexagons, is singing all kinds of songs I don't recognize and has developed a strong sense of imaginative play. He is still having some difficulty with some of the ethnic names of kids in his class so I only tend to hear about kids with "easy to say" names. We've also enrolled him in a hip hop class (I need to figure out how to post a video) once a week after school. He is starting to like it a little but keeps saying how "hard" it is. I think he expected to be able to "freestyle" in his dance class instead of learning steps of a routine. I love my little man and I couldn't be more proud of him. I can hardly believe he will be 4 years old in just a few short days. Breaks my heart yet warms it at the same time.
Saige...oh geez...where to start...well, she is by far the true epitome of a sassy diva. Strong willed, spirited, sensitive, determined, persistent, bossy, imaginative. Did I add any bad adjectives in there? Like manipulative, obnoxious and....hmmm...what's a nice word?...moody. She rarely wears clothes, still refuses to sleep more than 8 hours, in incredibly obsessive about her baby sister and constantly has to touch her, hug her and give her "wittle tiny baby Addwee sister tisses". Put it this way...I am currently reading "How to behave so your preschooler will too" as well as "How to solve your child's sleep problems." Obviously I'm not finished either one. I've enrolled her at MyGym in a playgroup once a week and she's been my stroller partner in my Stroller Strides exercise class.
Addley is 13 weeks old now. Yes I know, it seems like she was just born. She is at times a spitting image of Saige and at times one of Dayton. It depends what old picture I pull out. Another project...post some so you all can be the judge. She is a happy, active baby. She is hitting her milestones early (a little too fast in my opinion) and is incredibly amused by her brother. He is the one person that can easily make her burst out in uncontrollable laughter. She's about 15lbs now. Her next appointment isn't for another week or so, so I'll find out then. It appears as though she is large for her age but not quite as large as Saige was.
As for me, I have been busy and getting out a lot more. I've decided that a tidy and clean house is near impossible with 3 kids and two dogs so I've developed a unique ability to ignore those things that would otherwise normally bother me. I don't vaccuum every single day anymore...it's kind of nice. On Mondays I've been trying to get out and do a hike with friends. On Tuesdays I take the girls and push the double jogger up the lighthouse hike. Wednesdays is my Baby Hui group with Addley - I've met some nice people and Addley is making some friends. Thursdays I try and do the lighthouse hike a second time and on Fridays Ive been taking the girls in the double jogger and doing a Stroller Strides class. It's basically a circuit training/running group for moms who have young kids. For me, the running is the easy part...the circuit training is hard. The instructor really pushes you to push yourself. Most muscle groups are targets through the use of resistance bands and added to that are cardio drills to keep your heart rate up. I really just thought it would be a social type class where moms speedwalk and talk about their kids. Um..no. No time for talk until the class is over. No ability to talk because I'm out of breath. It's hard, but I love it.
Lest we not forget the man of the house...Scott...he's doing well. It's football season...what else is there to say? He gets about 500 channels of football in high definition. He does a lot of yelling and refereeing depending on who is playing/winning/losing. The kids wonder what's wrong with him. Dayton doesn't like to watch football. Saige calls it baseball. He is hoping Addley grows up to be his football watching partner. I've been informed that if the Saints ever make it to the superbowl that he will be attending that game no matter where it might take place and no matter how much it might cost. I figure by the time that happens, Addley will be old enough to go with him!
Okay, this is getting a little long...let me post some pictures....tomorrow.

Summer Wrap Up

2009-08-24T20:41:00.000-04:00

So it is the end of summer...where did it go? I have no idea. Well, summer never "really" ends in Hawaii, but I guess I associate the end of summer with the start of school. Dayton starts back tomorrow. We are hoping for less illness this year. He is super excited to meet new friends and see who his new teacher is. Unfortunately, the only two friends he made have moved and his teacher from last year retired. I'm sure he will adjust, but it makes me sad because I'm not sure if he completely understands that his "old" friends won't be there anymore, and he keeps talking about his teacher Miss Maria. Hopefully he is at least in the same classroom and has the same teacher assistant so something will seem familiar to him. I am excited for him...ok, I am more excited for myself, but he doesn't need to know that. With the excitement is a bit of dread because I know that Saige will become 100 times more clingy and whiny than she already is. I am looking to maybe get her signed up in some sort of class. It is hard to find things that will allow you to bring a younger sibling because they want you to participate "with" your child. It is the same problem I faced finding things for Dayton to do when Saige was a baby. Oh well, we will find something. Today the kids are at the zoo with Miss Katie so I am trying to get caught up on things I don't get much time to do...like blog. I've been using up my free time finishing thank you notes and designing and finishing Addley's birth announcement. I hope you all enjoy it - I am getting a little bit better at designing but not necessarily any faster. We went on two mini vacations this summer, had a baby, had a stream of visitors and just got home from our second vacation. We went to Maui for 4 days. If you all recall, this is the same trip we made last year via the Super Puker Ferry. This year we flew. The ferry isn't running anymore (the tree huggers were more worried about the whales than the economy), not that we would have taken it again anyhow. Scott always things going anywhere with any number of kids is a big production, I personally thought it wasn't so bad...but maybe I had the easy job of looking after the baby. I suppose the hard part is going through security - do you really think I have something hidden in the bottom of my toddler's size 7 flip flop? They also don't allow you to walk through the "scanner" with your kids - they make them walk through alone. Of course both just sort of wander through and head off in their own directions...Saige especially. She'd be on a flight to Kazakhistan before she'd realize she wasn't with her parents. She is so off in her own little world. It's really kind of funny to watch but aggravating to deal with. I suppose I should stop talking about our recent vacation because I don't have pictures ready to upload...so I'll save details for when I get around to doing that. Instead I'll post pictures of some random "fun-ness" from our summer together.Saige's new thing is to wear her brother's big boy undies. My little T-Rex.
And of course giving the camera her biggest smile.
Saige's version of playing baseball is to run off with Dayton's balls.
Saige has been practicing her Miss Hawaii pose.
Oh and her movie star beach look.Dayton can finally reach the pedals on his trike so he's been practicing riding to the end of the driveway and speeding down the slope back to the house. It completely freaks me out so I can't even watch. A total accident waiting to happen. He apparently got this trait from his daddy.Dayton practicing his "Better Batter Baseball". He's actually really good!
Dayton picking my flowers as he always does and has done since he was old enough to walk. No wonder my plants always die.
A parade we went to in honor of King Kamalikakamakaiki...or something like that.
The view of Waikiki beach from our staycation before the baby was born.
Another view of Waikiki beach.
A beautiful rainbow in our backyard.
Addley's first trip to the beach.
Mommy's first trip to the beach with Addley.
At the beach with all 3 kids.
Daddy and the kids looking for crabs and fish.
Dayton's first time slip and sliding. It was painful to watch but he finally got the hang of it.

Photo Shoot #2

2009-08-01T19:35:00.000-04:00

Addley is 1 month old now (I can hardly believe it and am not really sure how it just slipped on by) so I decided to attempt another photo shoot with her. This time both Dayton & Saige were in attendance and decided they wanted to be part of it too. I thought it might be kind of nice to get some pictures of the 3 of them. Let me tell you...photographers that specialize in shooting children have a hard job! I mean, how hard can it be to point and shoot right? Well, try pointing and shooting at subjects that a) don't listen and b) don't sit still! Surprisingly, Saige was the most cooperative. Dayton just wanted to be silly and strike ridiculous poses with his tongue hanging out (typical boy) and Addley was busy pooping, peeing and spitting up. Dayton was fussing b/c Addley spit up near him and at one point I was wiping poop off of Saige's feet. Ugh. No wonder photographers often have assistants! Remind me to get one. All in all, I was happy with a few of the shots and despite all the laundry it created, I'm happy that I took the time to do it. Addley has already grown out of her newborn clothes and I'm finding the 0-3 month size is tight length wise. How heartbreaking and sad it is to see them grow up so fast. She is awake a lot more (unfortunately) and is holding her head up really well. She sleeps one 4hr stretch and then a 3hr stretch following that one at night...so not too bad. But bad if you look at the overall picture of 3 kids not sleeping through the night! But hey, it is all worth the joy they bring into our lives. At least that is what I tell myself as I stumble out of bed in the morning in search of a strong cup of coffee.

Grandparents

2009-07-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

I've often wondered where the term grandparents came from but I've never looked into it. I can only assume they are similar to parents, only more grand maybe? Less responsibilities in the parenting department and more of a focus on being grand? Regardless, this title somehow gives them entitlement to spoil their grandkids. Some of my most fond memories are of my grandparents. Their cooking, magic tricks, vacations, gifts and let us not forget the sweets and staying up late. Perhaps I'll have more of an understanding one day when I am a grandparent. Grandpa and Mom Mom came for a week long visit after Addley was born to help out and visit with Dayton & Saige. I'm pretty sure my kids were thoroughly spoiled by the time they left. But that's okay, it's part of their duty as grandparents. We managed to get a bunch of nice photos with the kids. Thank you Mom Mom and Grandpa for all your wonderful presents (the kids play with their crayon sets almost every single day) and for helping out Mommy. We miss you and hope to see you again really soon!

Addley's First Photo Shoot

2009-07-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

I managed to capture a few good shots of Addley without any spit ups, pees or poops. Note to self..next time attempt it without Saige around. Mommy's little helper kept putting her hand in front of the lens, adjusting Addley, standing in the light and casting shadows and in general fussing for no good reason despite my offer to take some pictures of her. Take two tomorrow.

Saige's 2nd Birthday

2009-07-21T19:30:00.000-04:00

Usually we are in the middle of a move during birthdays or have already moved...this year we were fortunate enough to be able to celebrate Saige's 2nd birthday with family. In fact, we celebrated it twice. Celebration #1 was a bit sad - it was the same day the kids had to part with their beloved yaya, 4 teeth were complicating matters and a 3 year old brother stole her day. Dayton was very excited to help bake the cake but wasn't so good at letting Saige help. He blew out her candles before the cake was even in front of her. Then when it was present time he would hand her the presents and then proceed to open them for her before she even had a chance. "Open this one Saige...do it like this." The dogs were eating tissue paper and giving plenty of unwanted but excited kisses. All of it was captured on video. I'm quite sure Saige won't particularly care for her brother when she watches it one day. Celebration #2 was spent with a few friends and Grandpa & Mom Mom. The kids enjoyed playing with their friends upstairs and UNSUPERVISED. A bright idea on our part. Imagine a 2 year old, two 3 year olds and one 6 year old having run of the house! You think with baby gates and a baby proofed house they couldn't get into too much trouble right? Hmmm Many thank you hugs and kisses to family and friends for all the presents.
At least she is using a fork!
Dayton enjoying his ice cream cupcake in a chocolate shell. Yes it was a pink cupcake!
A yummy ice cream cake from coldstone. Not quite Zoe's, but still delicious.
Saige checking out the adults outside.
A true princess pose.
What happened to my baby girl?
Saige's princess party hat.
Saige opening her presents...well, more like Dayton opening Saige's presents.
Wearing the party hat and not so happy about it.
Watering plants.
The birthday cake that Mommy, Dayton and Saige made. Note that Dayton is removing the candles that "he" blew out and Tula's nose is about to get a taste of cake.

Who's Who?

2009-07-14T19:05:00.000-04:00

When you're pregnant you always dream about what your unborn baby will look like...or "who" rather. Then as they grow and change people say they look like someone different. Now, as I compare how similar Saige and Addley look, I wonder if Addley will still look like Saige as she gets older. Maybe it is just me, but they look pretty darn identical. Do you know who is who?

Two Years Ago Today

2009-07-09T19:15:00.000-04:00

I can hardly believe my baby girl is 2 today...I know most parents probably say that each year a birthday rolls around, but seriously - do they have to grow up so fast? I'm trying to think of it as a happy occasion, but I'm having a hard time. Given the recent addition of Addley to our family, Saige seems more grown up than ever and while I've never been apart from Saige except for the birth of Addley, I feel a bit like I've missed something. I love everything about her and I hope she always knows that. She brings our family great joy with her quirky personality and sweet nature. Of course, added to that, is a sprinkle of gremlin (as YaYa would say). She demands her brothers attention, and if ignored, will push his buttons until she gets what she wants. She loves yogurt and hates tuna. Oatmeal is O-P-meal. Dayton and the dogs are her best friends. She loves books, wiping things, dressing up in others clothes and belly rubs. Just when I'm about ready to lose all patience she'll say something sweet like "I love you mommy." Her pouty lip, clumsy run and great big hugs melt my heart and I try to take it all in so as not to forget the little things about her that make her unique. Happy Birthday my sweet Saige. I love you endlessly.

Happy Birthday Addley Preston

2009-07-08T18:57:00.000-04:00

Welcomed by big brother Dayton, big sister Saige, mommy & daddy, Shey & Tula (the dogs), Addley Preston arrived via c-section on Monday June 29th at 7:58am. She weighed 8lbs 10oz and stretched in at 20 3/4 inches. After 4 days recovering in hospital we made our way home to an excited and chaotic house. We are slowly settling into a routine and adjusting to our new roles. Our sweet blessing is happy, healthy and doing well. Many have been asking me what I will re-name my blog and after much thinking I've decided that it will remain unchanged right now. Baby Addley isn't much of a shadow just yet, so I've got some time to think about it.
Getting weighed.
Getting cleaned off.
Having vitals checked.
Swaddled & asleep.
Sisters and best of friends already.
Asleep in the swing.
Dayton & Saige made Addley Birthday cupcakes.
Going home.
Dayton meets Addley.
Saige meets sister Addley.
3 days old.
2 days old.
1 day old.

YaYas Are The Greatest Gift

2009-06-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

Ya-Ya...the name given to my mother in law when she became a "grandparent"....loved by both Dayton & Saige and treasured by me. She is such a help and a huge blessing to our family. Many people I know roll their eyes when in laws are mentioned - not me. She arrived on Wednesday to help out during these final days of swollen fatness and will be staying through the birth of the baby. Always willing and ready to cook, clean, run errands or occupy the kids. This time (as with all other times) she came packed with goodies for the children. She is handing out surprises each day...on the condition that the kids listen and are good. (Yeah right!...that's what she says, but we all know that even if bad they would still get a surprise the next day) So far we've acquired a large bouncy ball, some new princess jewelry, sidewalk chalk, a magnifying glass and a magic princess wand. Dayton says that if she runs out of surprises then "we can go to my mall and buy some more." Spoiled? Nah.... Yesterday she and Dayton went to the grocery and they came home with a box of Trix. He asked if he could eat it for lunch...I said no. He asked his YaYa, she said maybe if he took a nap he could have some after nap. He asked me if "that be alright." I said yes. He napped for 2 hours! I was able to nap for over an hour....after that I was agreeable to just about anything. She might not have a chance to read this while she's here (right now she is outside hunting for bugs and it isn't even 9am) but eventually she will and I certainly hope she knows how much I appreciate her help. One of the many blessings in my life.

The Hidden Meaning Behind A Broken Toe

2009-06-24T16:08:00.000-04:00

So, I broke my baby toe yesterday. I jammed it really hard on a doorframe. How do I know it is broken? Well, I don't, I can only assume it is since it is twice it's normal size, mostly purple/black and the popping crunch sound it made when it happened dropped me to my knees. Ok, I'm exaggerating a little bit...given the big belly, I couldn't drop to my knees...so instead, I just sat down and moaned for awhile. Saige said, "what just happened mommy?". How sweet of her to notice. So I spent the better part of yesterday going about my neurotic nesting, limping and complaining. I'm wondering if it is a sign that I should slow down a little and maybe put my feet up and relax? Easier said than done. Someone needs to do some studies on nesting. It's quite fascinating to step outside oneself and watch one clean/organize ridiculous things like coupon drawers as if they have no control over their actions. I mean really, why does a coupon drawer need wiping out? I really should be sleeping or have my feet up and eat moon pies. 5 days left...ouchie...bad contraction...what else can I clean today? Hmmm...endless possibilities.

Awaiting Baby

2009-06-23T17:55:00.000-04:00

At what point do you look at your kids and get grossed out by them? They go from these sweet, baby smelling newborns that make kitty cat noises to these larger, sassy beings that are just sometimes gross. Of course you always love your kids and they say you never see the "bad" stuff, but to be completely honest, today I was confronted by how gross kids can be...regardless of whether they are your own or belong to someone else. In most cases, it involves someone else's child. This morning Dayton started laughing at Saige and saying "gross Saige, what is in your hair?" I could immediately tell that it was something he had put there. I asked him what he did and he said, "my just picked my nose and wiped it in Saige's hair". I wanted to vomit. How disgusting. I usually reserve time outs for things like hitting and pushing but "boogie wiping" got a time out today. Later, he was playing with a tin frog (it is actually a garden ornament that you put a tea light candle in) and shoving a snake (a rubber one) in it's mouth. How do boys come up with these things? In all fairness though, I cannot say today's acts of grossness were limited to my sweet angel boy...Saige did something pretty gross too. She was using the potty (in case you all didn't know, she's potty trained now and in big girl princess undies) and decided that she wanted to stick her hands in her pee stream. I asked what in the world she was doing and she said, "washing my hands mama." That's when I realized how much I was looking forward to that sweet smelling newborn stage again.

9 Months Is All Of A Sudden 9 Days

2009-06-21T00:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, only 9 days to go until my scheduled surgery date and our little baby girl will be celebrating her birthday. Not to be confused with my current little baby girl that will also be celebrating her birthday...her 2nd birthday on July 9th! So much has gone on the past few weeks and so much is yet to come. Dayton has finished preschool for the summer and won't be returning until the end of August. He has adjusted to "summer vacation" quite well, but I have not. I've done a great job of keeping him busy with little outings and projects, but now that I'm at the very end I am having a hard time finding the energy to get him out of his pj's each day. I've spent quite a few days in my pj's myself! Shhh don't tell anyone!

We've hunted crabs at the beach, gotten craft projects from the store, done some baking/cooking, a few playdates, some swimming, painting rocks, flying kites, a trip to the aquarium and somehow managed to fit in a small vacation as a family. Now I am in high nesting gear. I'm cleaning out closets that haven't been opened since we've moved in here, throwing out things I haven't used, giving away clothes, packing up old bedding and sealing it, organizing under sinks and in cabinets. Why you ask? I don't know the answer to that. Surely, I could find something more useful to do...like put the infant car seat back together, dust the baby's room, or maybe put my feet up and take a nap? I'm not sure what the purpose of nesting is, but it sort of reminds me of college days when you wait until the last night to start a 10 page paper. Your best work is often accomplished under such deadlines.

Saige is approaching "two-hood" and all that comes with it. I can't say I'm expecting a terrible two phase once she blows her candles out, but I am expecting some serious sibling rivalry and adjustment difficulties with the baby. She is most certainly a mommy's girl (I was always under the impression that little girls were somehow automatically daddy's girls) and frequently fights with Dayton over who sits beside me at any given moment. (or should I say EVERY given moment?) She talks and sings constantly and I am always impressed with her expressive language skills and clarity. She is almost potty trained and has undertaken that task all by herself. No rewards necessary. My only complaint is that I feel like I spend most of my day in the bathroom with her because she hasn't figured out that her little bladder does have SOME capacity. She is so darn cute waddling around in her big girl princess undies. She continues to show left hand dominance despite my efforts to always place things in her right hand. Lately she has made up "nicknames" for everyone and it is so funny because I have no idea where they came from. She calls her daddy "daddy paddio", Dayton "buddy", "Dayton Eero A-koski" or "Dayton bear" and I am "mommy bear" or "mommy lemonade". She continues to fight sleep and cause us all grief, but remains joyful despite getting only 8-9 hours of sleep each day. The other day I was ignoring her and she finally raised her voice and said "mama, I'm talking for you" in an exasperated tone! She's very into drama and crossing her arms while saying "no way"!

I probably have some new pictures to upload, but that is low on my nesting priority list right now...so you will all have to be patient. Will keep you all posted on any possible developments before June 29th! So, 9 days or less to go...

Trip To The Sandbar

2009-06-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

We finally found some time and an opportunity to go boating to the sandbar. Everyone has been telling us about it since we've moved here. Fortunately, our nanny (Miss Katie) and her husband go fairly often and have access to the boats on the military base for cheap. When the Paiva family visited we decided to take the kids and check it out. It was a beautiful day and really amazing to be in the middle of the ocean on a sandbar and then to watch the tide come in and cover it all up. You would expect it to be exactly what it is called "a sandbar" but it really wasn't sandy like I thought it would be. There were all kinds of reef type things and coral and rocks and things that looked like ant piles everywhere. By the time the tide had come in and it was too deep for the kids, there were a ton of boats anchored. Quite a few of the boats had large tables set up with buffet style lunches and others grill. There were dogs running all over, kids playing and people socializing. We've been told that sometimes on holiday weekends bands even set up and play music. Who knew? Hopefully we'll have another chance to visit.
Saige enjoying a float on her back.
The beauty of the sandbar as the tide started to come in.
Miss Katie (the nanny) taking Dayton on a hunt for things.
This is a piece of coral that Katie found. Apparently you let it dry and bleach it and then it turns white like how you buy it in the store.
Daddy and Saige at the sandbar.
Dayton at the sandbar.
View back towards the mainland.
View when we first arrived at the sandbar that morning.
View of the other boats anchored at the sandbar.
The Paiva family exploring the sandbar.
Anchoring at the sandbar.
Dayton enjoying the boat ride to the sandbar. His first "small" boat ride. It went MUCH better than our ferry ride.

Trip To The Zoo With Abby & Saige

2009-05-24T01:35:00.000-04:00

We've been to the zoo several times, but each time it is always new to the kids..especially Saige. Sometimes she's interested in the animals, sometimes she just wants to walk, and sometimes she is most interested in things found at ground level. Regardless, I always take some pictures of the animals so she can have something to look at. On this particular day, Dayton was in school and although both girls were a little sick they weren't sick enough to keep them home.
Seeing the cheetahs is rare. Capturing such a beautiful picture is something to treasure.
Saige was tired of the stroller. Daddy was tired of Saige stopping to look at every speck on the ground.
Abby throwing herself on the ground in dramatic girl fashion. Can't recall what the fuss was about but it was a common sight that day! Poor Abby - it is so tough being two.
Saige walking through all the dried up muddy puddles she could find despite being told not to.
A cute picture of Daddy & Saige. I don't have too many of those.
As Saige would say "the Waffs"
Manny the nanny (well really it is Shannon's husband, but many times throughout the trip he occupied all the kids with fun and games) with both girls.
Trying to capture a cute picture of Saige but she's looking way too serious.
The "wizards" sitting in a row. There is actually a third one but there were too many kids in the way to capture it and someone was in the display feeding them.
Abby riding a fake turtle bench. She was more interested in the bench than in the actual giant turtles. Perhaps she thought it was real?
I love this shot because for a brief moment it almost looks like a mirror image.
The monkey section wasn't too active that day. It was hot. Not enough people to perform.
Saige looking way cool in her sunglasses but really she is sound asleep.
Abby and her daddy checking something out. I can't recall what, but it was a cute shot of the two of them. Daddy's and their girls always make for some cute shots.

Outside Play

2009-05-18T14:29:00.000-04:00

Even if we didn't have something fun planned for the kids, they always had fun just playing outside in the driveway. It was so neat to see them all play together and it was especially sweet to me since soon Dayton and Saige will have a sibling and I know one day in the not too distant future I will have pictures of the 3 of them in the wagon together. Or better yet, a picture of Dayton pulling his two sisters around.
Saige relaxing and enjoying her ride in the wagon.
Dayton, Abby & Saige enjoying a wagon ride. Thank goodness Abby was always a ham for the camera.
Another adorable picture of them, but it took forever for the 3 of them to look at the same time!
How cute is Abby? She was so photogenic!
The girls removing all the chalk from the container. Neither was actually interested in using it for what it was intended.
Saige pretending to read the instructions.

My Little Hiker

2009-05-16T14:19:00.001-04:00

Saige and I went on a short hike with some friends recently and here are a few of the pictures I took of her. We didn't get to the shoreline; which is where the hike ends, but she was quite happy to be independent. She stopped to touch every burr she saw and to pick up every rock that caught her attention.

Some Pool Time Fun

2009-05-16T13:54:00.000-04:00

Scott and I broke down and bought one of those large blow up pools for the kids to play with this summer. They've outgrown their little plastic pool and we figured that despite the work involved in filling it, emptying it and storing it, that it might be easier than trying to pack 3 kids up for some time at the beach this summer. We also thought it might be fun for Abby while she was visiting. We managed to have one fun morning in the pool before all 3 kids came down with fever and spent the next couple of days on the "sick" sofa watching TV. I suppose I should have taken a picture of the pool itself...next time.
Saige in her little lobster bikini. Daddy says she isn't allowed to wear this one anymore. =( Personally, I thought she looked cute.
Dayton grinning from ear to ear on the slide in the pool.
Dayton checking out how bouncy the sides are.
Abby excited by the slide as well.

There Is Nothing Better Than A Friend

2009-05-15T19:02:00.001-04:00

My sweet husband surprised me recently by flying an old friend out here to visit me. I haven't seen her since my wedding and since then I've had 2 kids, she's had 1 and she's gotten married. Somehow we've managed to keep in touch since we were 10 years old despite living apart most of those years. I was able to spend some wonderful quality time with her, meet and play with her beautiful little girl Abigail and meet her loving husband. Throughout the 2 week visit, all of the kids were sick as well as us moms, but we managed to have a great visit and do some wonderful things. One of the first things we did was have a girls day beach trip.
Shannon & Abby admiring the view.
Shannon & Abby taking a walk together.
Saige playing in the sand.
Saige finds a seashell.
My beautiful friend Shannon.
Saige & Abby playing at the beach.

An Attempt To Catch Up

2009-05-15T17:55:00.000-04:00

In an effort to catch up on old news and pictures I have to go all the way back to my visit with family. Our day visiting the Byodo-In Temple in the Valley of Temples. The Temple was established in 1968 and was built entirely without nails. Very cool if you look at all the details close up. It contains a very large carved figure of a Buddah and is an active Temple. Visit if you ever have a chance because it is a neat place. A Buddhist kitty?
The Byodo-In Temple
Brandon feeding the birds and fish.
The Bell House containing the bon-sho (sacred bell). It is customary to ring it before entering the Temple to spread the eternal teachings of Buddah.
A beautiful plant/flower. I have no idea what it is.
Another view of the Temple.

Growing...

2009-04-17T15:40:00.000-04:00

Just for something different, I thought I'd post some pictures of the growing baby rather than my quickly growing children. It is amazing how fast your body grows..and even more so, how LARGE it grows. Just a short 10 weeks to go! My surgery date is scheduled for July 1st but I really don't think I'll make it that long since that is my actual due date and I was early with the other two. I'm still thinking the end of June our second sassy little girl will make her arrival.20 weeks
24 weeks
29 weeks
29 weeks
29 weeks
29 weeks

Just To Clarify

2009-04-09T19:13:00.000-04:00

I should probably have titled this "Conversing with a 3 year old." The setting: lunchtime at home. The meal: noodles with butter and cheese. "Mom, I hab a question to ask you." What now? "Why you hab so many noodles on your fork"? "Because I'm a big girl and can eat a lot of noodles in one bite." In Dayton's terms: "You're not a big girl, or a big boy, or a big dog." "You're a big mama." Amen. From Saige's perspective: "skooze me burp" (she says this when she burps or passes gas) My thoughts on it all? How would I survive motherhood without moments of clarity like these?

Family Beach Day Part Two

2009-04-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you're not at all wondering about the sudden blogging holiday again...wiping noses, doctors appointments, antibiotics, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, sleepless nights. Yes we have sick kids again...or should I say "still"? I'm not really sure anymore. We are looking forward to the end of preschool on May 29th. Yes you'll hear frequent complaints then as well because I have no idea how I'm going to occupy a now preschooled busy 3.5 year old, but I'll survive. We all need to rest our immune systems before the baby arrives and preschool starts up again in August. Until then, we have a busy schedule of visitors coming the end of this month, part of next month and then June into July. Lots to look forward to. Here are the remainder of the beach pictures from our visit with family.
Saige loving her new sunhat.
A cute picture of Saige looking thoughtful.
Dayton practicing his surfing pose.
Aunt Sannie trying to prevent Dayton from getting washed away by the waves.
Cousins (Brandon & Dayton)
Dayton pretending to be fishing with something he found on the beach.
Dayton looking for boy things to do.
I saved the best for last. (Sorry mom) My mother mowing down on a much needed lunch after getting eaten by the waves. Feeling a little exhausted. Sitting on a boogie board...yes, seniors like to boogie board too.

Family Beach Day Part One

2009-04-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

We didn't have very many beach days while my family was visiting so this one particular day we decided to risk it even though it was mostly cloudy and the weather outlook didn't sound promising. It turned out to be a little windy which made it chilly, but it was beautiful while the sun was out. Every so often the sun disappeared and you could see rain moving in across the ocean, but we all had a great time anyhow. I sat up under the umbrella with the kids and we ate our picnic lunch and I tried to capture some pictures of my mom, sister and nephew braving the big waves. Unfortunately you can't really tell from the pictures, but the waves were quite large. Well, large by a Canadian's standards since they don't ever get to experience the ocean.
Here's a picture of mom getting pounded by the waves. I think my sister was a little nervous.
The same wave knocked her into my sister, who fortunately caught her. What I didn't catch on film was what happened next. The two of them were knocked over and I saw 4 legs up in the air and then they were dragged back out into the water. I soooo wish I had caught that on film!
Dayton giving me his best surfer boy smile.
Saige inspecting the lunch cooler.
Dayton eating his lunch and looking all grown up in his beach chair.
Saige inspecting snacks in someone else's bag.

The Makapuu Lighthouse Hike

2009-03-31T18:43:00.000-04:00

I hadn't been on this particular hike in a long time and thought it was a good one to start with for my out of shape pregnant state and to ease my mom into the steepness of the hills around here. It's also stroller friendly and since I had Saige with me, it was a good choice. Turns out, being pregnant, pushing a 20lb stroller with a 25lb child in it was much more difficult and tiresome than I had thought it would be. And here I was worried about my mother...A rare upclose photo of the actual lighthouse since it is closed off to hikers.
My sister demonstrating her illegal tendencies. We'll add this to the aloe plant situation.
My nephews checking out the bunkers at the very top of the hike.
My nephews on their way up to the check out the bunkers. Fortunately not stroller accessible.
A rare picture of my mom since she always hides from the camera.
A picture of my sister with my mom. Also known as a resting opportunity for me.
I always like to take pictures of things that are out of the ordinary and for some reason I am still surprised by the amount of cactus that grows here on the island. I always think of cactus as only growing in the desert. So this picture of a cactus growing off the mountain side with the ocean in the background is kind of cool. (At least I think so)

More Adventures From Our Visit With Family

2009-03-28T18:02:00.000-04:00

We also managed to fit in a trip to the Botanical Gardens again (since both Mom and nephew Ryan hadn't been) and we checked out The Spitting Cave Of Portlock...something I had never seen. It was actually a VERY steep hike down to the cliffs and cave and we all sort of held on to one another and tried not to slip. Probably not the safest thing for a pregnant person to be doing but oh well..all in hindsight right? Once down there, the view was stunning. The cliffs were amazing and pictures certainly don't do the actual beauty of it any justice. The boys (nephews - Scott was at work) actually climbed down the cliffs, a scary looking metal ladder and right to the mouth of the cave. My mom and I couldn't even watch...we were certain one of them would plummet down the rocks into the ocean. The Koko Crater Botanical Gardens this year were a wasted trip. Hardly anything was blooming and much of what was alive looked barely alive and infested with disease. Second to that, we sort of got lost on the trails and it took much longer to walk it than we had anticipated. My shoe was pierced by two thorns. My mom had a bad blister on the bottom of her foot and the boys were burnt to a crisp from not listening to me when I told them they should wear sunscreen. I won't even mention the Aloe section. Fun times anyhow.
Mom having her picture taken with a plumeria behind her ear. When worn on the left side it signifies "single" and on the right, "taken". Actually, it might be the other way around...I'm not sure. Regardless, it's a good thing you don't have internet in the bush Mom cause you'd probably fuss at me for posting your picture! Love you!

Some of the very few plumeria blooms to be seen in the gardens. They always make for a beautiful picture.
A cool picture of the cliffs at the Spitting Cave. The specks for people at the top of the cliff are my mom and I. We weren't into climbing down them and instead sat and watched for whales at the top. Didn't see any whales but did spot a giant sea turtle.
A closer picture of Mom and I sitting at the top and a shot of the huge house built right into the cliff. How cool is that? Not sure I'd want my house on a cliff being worn away by the ocean though!
The boys having their picture taken on the cliffs. You can kind of see the cave in the background. What was really neat was the sound you heard each time the waves pounded into the cave. You could almost feel the vibration under your feet.

The Infamous (or is that famous?) Sandy Beach

2009-03-24T18:44:00.000-04:00

We've lived here long enough to know and be warned by locals and lifeguards that Sandy Beach is NOT a beach for children or inexperienced swimmers/surfers or boogie boarders. And yet, anytime we have visitors they insist on visiting Sandy Beach. To the locals, this beach is often referred to as break-neck beach. There are warning signs everywhere about the strong currents, the shorebreak and the rocks. It is a popular spot for "experienced" locals because it often has great waves. During my family's recent visit we of course made a trip there and while the weather wasn't great, the waves were; although pictures really don't do it justice (at least mine don't). My nephews insisted that they wanted to try boogie boarding. I warned them, but you know boys...they do their own thing. The lifeguard immediately honed in on them and gave them all the same warnings but in a more blunt manner, "you will get hurt." The is the same beach where Scott's aunt broke her knee getting hit the wrong way by a wave. Me being the pregnant one, sat back and took pictures.
Brandon & Sandy watching Ryan get eaten up by the waves.
My nephews attempting to look like experienced boogie boarders.
Ryan sitting taking pictures of the locals ride and/or wipe out on the waves.
Everyone wanting to put their feet in the water and getting a little more wet than they bargained for.Ryan's first attempt at boogie boarding on the highest surf possible resulted in a nice bloody nose. I really did try and warn him. He says boogie boarding is harder than it looks.

A Day In Waikiki

2009-03-23T20:01:00.000-04:00

Some pretty wild orchids I came across.
My sister Sandy and her babies posing like tourists in front of the Banyan tree at the International Market Place.
They wanted to visit the International Market Place (like all visitors) to see what all the hype was about. It's really just a tourist trap selling unique but cheap items and the vendors just kind of repeat products as you walk through it. (More of the same...)
A view of the Banyan Tree. I don't know a lot about the tree, but they're pretty cool because the roots are above ground and grow from the branches down to the ground.
I couldn't resist taking this picture because where in the world do you ever see a public payphone ON a beach? Only in Hawaii!
Sandy and her boys pose in front of one of the same spots they visited during their trip last year. Only this year, the sun was barely shining and there was no beautiful blue sky or pretty flowers.
Mom and Sandy posing in front of the famous Duke!
A stop at the fabulous and yummy Duke's restaurant to top the day off. Seems to be something we do anytime someone visits and seems to be yummy and enjoyable every single time. If you ever have the chance to come to Hawaii you need to eat there at least once. The food isn't anything really special, just yummy, great service and sitting right on the beach is kind of cool.

Our Hike Along The Lower Shoreline

2009-03-23T19:25:00.000-04:00

Ryan jumping at the water hole during our hike. It is hard to tell from this picture, but the waves were enormous out beyond the rocks.
Ryan debating on jumping and Brandon doing the "smart" thing. It was so windy that day it made it hard to balance on the man-made pole sticking way out into the water for people to jump off of.
The brothers having a brotherly moment and posing for auntie, mom and grandma!
My first nephew (whose diapers I changed) all grown up.
The brothers hiking ahead of us old and pregnant folk.
A picture of my mom, sister and two nephews prior to our hike on the lower shoreline of Makapu'u.

Where To Begin...

2009-03-23T18:36:00.000-04:00

It seems I've been on a blogging hiatus...and now I am so behind on news and pictures I'm not even sure where to begin. Back to the beginning I suppose is the logical point, but I'm not even sure that I know where that is. Scott has been sick for a long time now it seems...he went on a trip and came back with bronchitis, pneumonia and ear troubles. During the time he was gone, my mother, sister, two nephews and a friend came to visit for two weeks. Dayton came down sick with 105 fever the day after they arrived. Another virus compliments of preschool. He was sick for about a week. Around the time he got better, Saige got sick with the same virus. Around the time she was getting better, my mom got sick and I got sick again. Presumably the same virus. Despite all the illness, we somehow managed to have a nice time, see some of the sites, take some pretty pictures and enjoy some family time. The weather was horrible (by Hawaii standards) much of their visit. They left on Friday the 13th. Since then, Dayton picked up another virus and a double eye infection. Scott is still sick but marginally better. Dayton is better after a week of oral antibiotics and eye antibiotics. I never recovered from the virus from when my family was here and now it has turned into a bad cough and possible sinus infection. Saige is sick again. So, while it seems you've all missed out on a lot, it really hasn't been "good news".
If I dig deep enough into my exhausted memory stores, I could probably find some "good" things and if not "good" things in my book, then likely humorous things in yours...Dayton has learned how to hop on one foot, he has started asking me about outer space and the big dipper (oh, and where I keep my spaceship), his eating has become more picky (who knew that was possible) and he likes to dip odd foods into odd mixtures like pasta into applesauce, he has become a pretty independent dresser, has mastered the art of manipulating his sister and has transitioned from his toddler bed into a twin sized bed. Saige copies absolutely everything her brother says and does, she talks up a storm, throws things when she doesn't get her way, scratches, makes the silliest faces, follows her dogs obsessively, likes to wipe things, has discovered how to take her diaper off even with clothes on, refuses to sleep, discovered how to throw herself out of her crib and has consequently transitioned into a twin sized bed in Dayton's room (another story for another day), she is very independent and yet demands complete equality - if Dayton wants to stand on a chair at the counter, Saige will get a chair so that she can stand there too...if Dayton wants to eat a certain food, so does Saige; even if she doesn't know what it is.
Now lets see if I can get some pictures posted...

Girls Day At The Beach

2009-02-21T01:00:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post these pictures from our most recent visit with family. YaYa and Saige and I spent a nice sunny morning relaxing at the beach. Saige was so funny dipping her toes in slowly and eventually stomping and splashing in the water. There isn't much that beats the warm sun, salt air and the smell of sunscreen...except maybe chocolate. We miss you YaYa and hope you're feeling better!

Haircuts, Moons & Daddy's Socks

2009-02-19T17:34:00.000-05:00

It was inevitable that the day would arrive...Dayton is fully immersed in the "why" phase. Not too long ago, as parents, Scott and I were wondering when that stage was coming and thought maybe he was a little behind with his "questioning". Well, today as parents, I'm quite sure we'd have been happy to prolong the phase from starting just a little bit longer. Now don't get me wrong, the why questions that are actually meaningful are a pleasure to answer and talk about. Like the other day Dayton got this smile and said, "Can I ask you a question mama?" (It was the cutest thing and frankly I was quite scared about what might come out of his mouth) "Why do dogs eat bugs?" Scott and I burst out laughing! Those are the questions I enjoy. I don't enjoy: "Dayton, it's time to eat." "But why?" he asks. "Because it is dinner time." "But why is it dinner time?" Now I know all you parents out there know exactly what I'm talking about...it's those endless why questions that are preceded by a "but". What are the parenting rules with this? Do you just keep on answering until they stop asking? Do you answer with a "because I said so?" Do you ignore their constant questions? Seriously, how do you manage to cultivate learning or instill patience during this developmental phase when all you want to do is say "I love you, but please shut up child." Thought I would share a true Dayton photo: way overdue on a haircut, missing shorts and sporting daddy's socks. Somehow, it is moments like this one that make all the "why's" less aggravating.

A Memorable Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:12:00.000-05:00

I had decided a long time ago that I wanted to surprise Scott with the sex of the baby and play along that I didn't want to know. Originally I had wanted to present it as a birthday gift for him, but that isn't until March and I wasn't sure if I could wait that long knowing that I was holding the answer in my purse the whole time! So Valentine's Day seemed the next best option. We opened the envelope together this morning. He kept saying, "are you sure you want know?" Dayton was with us to open it and who knows how much he "really" understands about it, but he started acting really silly, so I think he was excited. My intuition from the very beginning was that it was a boy and the only thing that had me second guessing myself was the baby's high heart rate. Dayton's was always below 150 and Saige's was always above 150. This baby has always been above 150. Needless to say, there must be more to the heartrate than all the other wives tales out there. Dayton has been right about the baby all along. We're expecting our second baby GIRL! Saige is going to have a little sister and Dayton is going to be aggravated by two younger sisters! Here I am at 20 weeks...excited to meet our baby girl.

My Sweet Valentine

2009-02-13T19:09:00.000-05:00

Well, my blogging holiday is over. I'm still sick, but not so sick that I can't type and post pictures. I've had plenty of pampering over the past week and feel it is time to resume my duties in motherhood. My foggy brain will likely forget some things that have happened over the past week, but let me see what I CAN recall. Oh yes (how could I forget this one), a bill (or rather a statement) from the insurance company came in the mail from Dayton's trip to the ER for 3 stitches. Anyone want to wager a guess on what 3 stitches might have cost had we not had insurance? 2000$ Are you kidding me? I shouldn't complain too much, we did get a new pair of PJ's out of the process AND we didn't have to pay that out of pocket. What else? Dayton has learned some new songs at school that he has been singing at home and he has also picked up this 3 year old attitude that I've never seen before too! I like how he has started to say to Saige, "that's not funny Saige." Oh and he has been referring to the baby in my belly as "his baby" and always asks, "is my baby doing okay mama?" Cute huh? He and Saige made cute little picture frames with our one day a week nanny (Miss Katie) for us for Valentine's Day. I need to take a picture of them. The three of them also baked some Valentine's Day cookies. Ah..a day of love tomorrow. Everyday in my life is Valentine's Day! Snicker Snicker, but it's true! I am undoubtedly, madly in love with my husband and children (and my dogs), and am surrounded by love from my family and friends. Regardless, we are going to spend some alone time together tomorrow afternoon/evening in Waikiki. I imagine we'll walk the beach for a bit and find some new place to eat a special meal.

A Sick Mommy

2009-02-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

After a month of being surrounded by my sick kids and sick husband, I have finally succumbed to the germs. Therefore, I am taking a blogging holiday. Lets see if I can stretch out the pampering until after Valentine's Day. Soaking in a nice bubble bath, dinner cooked for me, no cleaning, no night duty with the kids, stay in my PJ's all day....surely there must be some benefit to being sick? Send me well wishes, but not too fast. I'm going to curl up in bed and let Saige do whatever she wants today.

An Update Of Sorts

2009-02-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

Dayton seems to be back to normal - thank goodness! And hopefully he stays that way. Saige is still sick, but seems to be on the mend now that she has started some antibiotics. I am doing my best to ignore my increasingly sore throat. I had my 19 week ultrasound today and all looks well with the baby, which is currently hanging out in the breech position and growing nicely. I still have my hunch that it is a boy, but I guess we will all have to wait to find out! He or she was perfect looking and nearly sucking on his/her feet. I am always amazed by the thought of growing life and the ability of technology to demonstrate its process. Hope you are all well and as always miss each and every one of you.

Dayton's First Day Of Preschool

2009-01-30T18:12:00.001-05:00

I still haven't had a chance to download the pictures I took of Dayton on his first day of preschool in January, but fortunately YaYa took a few when we picked him up on his first day! Thanks for emailing them to me! He loves wearing his little "uniform" that Daddy thinks is the ugliest thing ever! Here he is proudly showing off some things in his classroom and where his "cubby" is that he keeps his change of clothes/blanket and other things in. He has grown up so much in the past few weeks that he has been going to school. I'm so proud of him though and my heart melts when I pick him up each day and he runs into my arms saying, "mommy, I missed you today." It is the first thing he says and he has never not said it. On the days I might not feel like the best mom in the world, his words always lift me up and remind me that I must be doing something right.

Playing Catchup

2009-01-29T20:30:00.000-05:00

Finally, a few rare moments to sit and upload some more pictures from the holidays! Sorry it has taken so long but hope you enjoy nonetheless. I'm pretty sure they are all from our wonderful visit with YaYa, Sir, Auntie Jess & Auntie Judy.

A fabulous picture of Saige with YaYa. I wish I knew what was causing their expressions!
I missed this one by a moment! Sir and Dayton crossing the street hand in hand! But of course I caught the part where Dayton decided he could cross like a big boy and not hold any hands. Oh well, a cute picture of the two of them anyhow.
We went downtown to Waikiki Beach and walked around. In order to fit 6 adults and 2 kids in my car, we had to leave the stroller behind, so Saige had to walk like a big girl. The pace was much slower than normal, but she enjoyed her freedom so long as she was holding onto someone's finger.
This was taken on the only day we had available to try and do some family pictures on the beach. Of course, it was rainy and very windy that day and neither child was in the mood to co-operate! I captured this cute picture of Dayton with his movie star Auntie Jess.
And this is our best attempt at the family picture. YaYa isn't really choking Dayton to keep him in place, it just looks that way. I on the other hand, probably wanted to choke him because he was being so bad. Saige wouldn't look at the camera in any of the pictures. Dayton either tried to climb off someone's lap, close his eyes or hold a stick in front of his face. A miserable experience but at the same time, made for a memorable moment.

Saige Visits The Doctor

2009-01-29T18:34:00.000-05:00

Saige seems to be getter worse rather than better, so the doctor decided to do some bloodwork. He is hoping that she is just dealing with several issues at one time and that is the reason her fever has been lingering so long. It seems like the fever has been the only consistent symptom and all the other ones have come and gone and or are cropping up as new ones. We all just hope that everyone is better soon, as we have not been able to enjoy our usual play and outside activities. Personally, I am most tired of all the whining! On a more positive note, she continues to grow! She is 33 inches now at 18 months! (Much taller than Dayton was at that age) But, she has not gained anything in 6 months...she is still just a mere 24lbs. Funny because she seems heavier to me lately. What else is new besides all the illness....?Dayton has been celebrating the Chinese New Year at school and likes to talk about it like he knows what it is. Part of his morning ritual now is to ask me what they are having for lunch and snack at school and what he's doing at school that day. I think Thursdays is religion day as well as physical education and art. I'm pretty sure he has also started to learn about the Hawaiian Islands and yesterday they started learning about maps. The only reason I know this is because I check his curriculum guide each day so that I know what kind of questions to ask him when he gets home. Otherwise, he just replies with "my don't know." What did you have for lunch Dayton? "My don't know." What did you play with today? "My don't know." What did you do all day? "My don't know...I slept and pwayed on the pwayground." Oh, and have I mentioned that almost every single day there is an accident report in his mailbox? *me rolling my eyes* The other day the had one that said "Dayton was accidentally pushed down during playground time today. Scraped his left cheek. Ice applied." I asked Dayton what happened and he told me that a "boy pushed me down an' smashed my face." Who do I believe? I'll have to look and see if my child is the only one with these little slips in the mailbox every single day!

Mommy's Turn To Be Sick

2009-01-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

It was bound to happen eventually. Ugh. Nothing worse than being sick while you are pregnant! Unfortunately I have to miss my little lunch at Dayton's school today! Ah, the guilt. Poor little guy will wonder why all the other kids parents are there and not his. And for the first time since starting school, he did leave the house screaming today and apparently screamed all the way there. (I'm sure that will do wonders for his congestion) He wanted to watch a movie on the way to school and was upset that Daddy's car doesn't have TV's in it. Go figure. Can you tell he's been watching too much TV since getting sick? Well, since today is overcast, rainy and cold (yes it does get cold in Hawaii - it is only a high of 73 degrees today...but feels much colder on our bluff in the rain)Saige and I will be spending the day in our PJ's.

Looking For A Live-In Nurse

2009-01-26T15:03:00.000-05:00

So, I'm thinking about changing my sleeping schedule to be from 6am-6pm and stay awake from 6pm-6am, since that seems to be when I'm asleep and or awake. Last night I lay on Dayton's floor for a little over an hour trying to comfort him through a coughing spell. He gets so upset about it and then the tears cause more snot and congestion and thus more coughing. Mostly he is upset that I am denying him access to sleep in our bed. Normally, he would wake up in the night and just climb right in, but I am trying to limit my exposure to germs as much as possible (if that is even possible when you are a mom). Afterall, who likes snot rubbed on their pillows and hands rubbing all over their face during the night when trying to sleep? So I am instead nesting (quite uncomfortably I might add) on his floor until he falls asleep. I tried sneaking out once last night and he woke up yelling for me. After I snuck back into my own bed at 2:30 am I heard Saige crying. Since she normally doesn't cry during the night I went to check on her and sure enough, she was covered from head to toe in diarrhea. Poor baby. She was shivering uncontrollably and her little teeth were chattering. I put her straight into a warm bath to get her clean and warm her up. Would I ever get any sleep? No. She was still pretty cold after the bath so I wrapped her up in a warm blanket and we snuggled a bit. I changed her bedding gave her some tylenol, rubbed her back for a bit and then tried sneaking out. No such luck. Normally I can just pat her back and leave her room and she is fine, but last night she wasn't, so I resigned myself to creating a little nest on her floor. By now it was 4am and she didn't fall asleep until 5am. She kept checking to see if I was still lying there and on occasion would try and make conversation. The only response she got was "shhh". Finally, at 5am I crawled into my own bed (at that point not caring about the time - just wanting some warmth)and immediately fell asleep. Only to be woken up moments later by Dayton crawling in bed. I was too tired to take him back to his room so I just let him cough on my back. At 5:30 the alarm started to go off. Thankfully, Scott only hit snooze one time (usually it is more than 3 times). I think I got an extra 15minutes of sleep in there before I had to get up and get Dayton ready for school. Today, Saige and I are doing nothing. I am going to feed her lunch shortly (it is only 10am here) and put her to bed and then I am going to sleep and hopefully I wake up in time to pick Dayton up from school. At least that is my plan. Hence, I am looking for a temporary live-in nurse...well, not really, but it is a nice thought.

Sleepless in Hawaii But Getting Better

2009-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:00

Still a whole lot of coughing at night and complaints about a sore belly as well as lingering whining...but overall it seems the worst is over and the norm is yet to come. (knock on wood) The day did begin with a split lip though..need you wonder who? Dayton of course. He banged his mouth trying to get into his chair for breakfast and his tooth pierced his lip. Certainly not the first time that has happened. He said, "first my chin and now my lip and spittin up Monday, Wensday and Fursday." Then he started to cry. Poor thing. On the upside, since I've been spending so much time with him, I've noticed that he's doing and saying lots of new things that he must be picking up from school. Like counting in spanish???? Umm...hello...either Dora is doing a great job teaching him or he's picking it up at school because I most certainly cannot count in Spanish. This morning he was throwing a toy across the room on the floor and jumping over to it. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was "playing hopscotch." I just sort of gave him a strange look...who taught him about hopscotch? It makes me happy that he is enjoying school and learning new things. I just wish they were germ free. This week is Catholic Schools Week Celebrations (I'm not really sure what that is) and Saige and I get to join Dayton for lunch at school on Tuesday. It should be fun - I'm sure he'll enjoy showing me everything that he does.

A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

2009-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

No vomiting, no loose potty...thank God for small miracles. Still a rough night with bouts of coughing, nose blowing and crying, but much better than the night before. Dayton is drinking a little bit more each day and eating little bit more at each meal. Last night he still had fever, but was running and jumping around in his usual fashion...a sure sign that he is feeling better! It's about time..it has been such a LONG week. The kids have certainly had their share of colds and tummy bugs, but have almost always rebounded within a day or two. This has been the hardest week of motherhood thus far. I know there will be many more challenges in the days and years to come but illness and injury it seems, is one of the more taxing ones. Saige is still suffering from gastritis and a low grade fever but otherwise seems her usual joyful self with short lived moments of misery. She finally let me stick a finger in her mouth last night without biting it and I was able to feel the first signs of her two year molars..well at least one of them anyway. Now it makes sense why she's been putting anything and everything in her mouth and constantly saying "mouth", "mouth". It also explains why she's been constantly poking at one of her ears. What I would like to know, is why she needs them 6 months early and why her eye teeth haven't come in first. The dogs are surviving the disruption in the house but not liking the new sleeping arrangement with Dayton on our floor and a vaporizer in the room, nor the bouts of coughing keeping them up. Perhaps they'll realize what it is like for me when they constantly wake me up with their scratching and wandering. Outside of the sick house, it is another beautiful day in Hawaii. Warm breezes, hot sun and ocean views.

My New Little Bed

2009-01-23T19:13:00.000-05:00

It was NOT a good night last night...for any of us. After several bouts of spasmodic coughing/choking followed by vomiting, we decided to put Dayton's mattress in our room on the floor so that he might feel a little better. He liked the idea and initially slept ok, but woke up with several choking episodes and throwing up. We haven't quite figured out if he is suffering from a stomach flu or if the vomiting is triggered by his choking episodes. For the most part, it seems to be related to the latter. Finally, around 1am he slept peacefully. I floated in and out of sleep, worried about my little boy. This morning he has drank a little bit better; though not his normal amount and ate half a banana and a mini muffin. He kept that down but did complain about his belly hurting about 2 hours after eating. Close to lunch he asked if I was going to make him lunch...he ate a whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is now 2 hours after that meal and it also seems to be staying down. He's trying to nap right now but having a hard time because of the choking episodes. I'm worried it may trigger another "spit up" as he calls it. Initially he wanted his bed set back up in his room (which I thought was a good sign), but after several episodes he sweetly asked me if I could put his "new little bed" back in Mommy's room. Very cute, and hopefully not a habit, but much better than kicking me all night and choking in my ear. To be continued I suppose....here's hoping for a weekend filled with recovery.

Pitiful Dayton

2009-01-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

Well, we decided to keep Dayton home from school today and replace it with a trip to the doctor since he spent a lot of time awake, coughing and choking last night. Very low grade fever and still bouts of loose potty. The doctor of course felt he was mildly dehydrated and said he needed to drink more and be eating better before going back to school. No antibiotics, no cough medicines (he is so conservative with medications and little ones) just rest and fluids. I was beginning to think we were doing a bit better today since he did eat some mac'n cheese and didn't complain about his belly after. It has been hard getting him to drink though. I am constantly telling him to take small sips here and there, but I don't even think he is sipping enough to wet his lips. So we were sent home with instructions that he needs to have a pee at least once a day. *sigh* Well that was this morning...this afternoon he now has a fever and just had a horrible bout of choking followed by some more vomiting and still no pee today. I thought we were over that last Sunday. I guess not. So now I am extra worried about the possibility of a hospitalization for dehydration. Will keep you all posted.

My Poor Baby Boy

2009-01-18T13:22:00.000-05:00

First a trip to the ER on Thursday night for stitches, then a stuffy nose on Saturday, followed by vomiting at 6 in the morning on Sunday. Not much fun for a 3 year old that has never thrown up before (the exception being motion sick on the SuperFerry) and not much fun for a mommy to be woken up by vomit all over her. Daddy got the fun job of cleaning all the bedsheets and Mommy got the fun job of getting Dayton to the toilet to strip him down, wash him off and sanitize everything. I guess we can count this as our first illness since starting preschool 2 weeks ago. *Sigh* I knew it was bound to happen eventually, but in just 2 short weeks? Ugh. Yesterday he was acting fine (besides the semi-stuffy nose) and in fact was acting so silly he said he was "trying" to hurt his chin again. Only from the mouth of a 3 year old! Now the trick is keeping his sister away from him and hopefully healthy and keeping myself and the baby healthy. We would like to avoid another trip to the ER. Needless to say, he's not been up to having me take a picture of his stitches nor his cool new PJ's from the hospital. So today, he is spending the day in his most favorite spot of all...on the sofa, with a blankie in front of the TV.

Our First And Hopefully Last Trip To The ER

2009-01-16T17:48:00.000-05:00

Every mother's nightmare is to have to take their child to the emergency room for illness or injury. Our first trip was last night. Right before bed Dayton was reaching across that small gap between your bed and night stand...he wanted to push buttons on Daddy's phone. On his way crawling backwards to the bed, his hand missed and the underside of his chin connected with the corner of the nightstand. Right away he started screaming (I was dripping wet from just getting out of the shower) and I ran for the ice pack imagining that he just lost his first tooth and blood would be everywhere or that his lip would be fat. I saw it happen and heard it happen and there was nothing I could do to stop it. When I got back upstairs, Daddy said he had a cut under his chin and that it wasn't really bleeding too bad. I was not expecting to find a gaping hole under his chin about an inch long!!! I knew immediately that he would need to get stitches. Daddy was calm and helped keep Dayton calm but he didn't immediately seem to realize that it needed stitches. I think it helped that Dayton couldn't see the cut and that there wasn't much blood. I got dressed and off we headed to the ER. Daddy stayed home with Saige. Fortunately the ER wasn't insanely busy and we were ushered in right away. They applied a numbing gel and band-aid (Dayton screamed for this) and then we waited 30 minutes for it to numb up and for the doctor to come and see us. It needed stitches (I didn't really need a doctor to tell me this). They strapped him to a papoose board so he couldn't move or wiggle. I couldn't even hold his little scared hand. Poor thing screamed and kept saying "mama, I want to hug you," "mama, I want you to hold my hand." I felt horrible that I couldn't do anything except stand where he could see me and touch his hair. The nurse held his head still. First they injected the area with more numbing agent via a small needle. Yes, he screamed for this too and I tried my best to not cry as they pried the flap of skin on his chin open. He wouldn't stop talking/screaming, which made it kind of hard for the doctor to stitch him. He calmed down after the first stitch and was able to answer some of my questions (I was hoping to soothe him a bit) and then when the doctor told him she needed to do two more stitches he started screaming again. "Mama, I want to hug you," "Mama, I want to go home," "Mama, I want out of here," "Mama, I want my blankie." My heart was breaking. After it was all over he calmed down immediately and then started screaming once he realized his shirt was all wet. He wanted his hospital bracelet OFF as well. The nurse came in with a brand new pair of PJ's with the character Dash from the incredibles on it. All was well in the world of a tired and traumatized 3 year old. He emphatically told me to "throw his other shirt away" as if it were to blame for his situation. 3 hours later (and 3 hours past his bedtime I might add) we made it home. We both crawled into bed together after proudly showing daddy his new shirt. Now the hard part is to keep it covered, change the dressing twice daily, keep it dry, free of food particles and in about a week we can uncover it to wash it and hopefully the stitches will be ready to fall out. I know that it could have been worse and that parents have had to deal with situations much more difficult, but that was a first for me. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to witness. No parent likes it when their child gets hurt but it is much more difficult to see them so scared, vulnerable and just wanting a hug and there is nothing you can do about it. I can only pray that it was our first and last trip to the ER.

Holiday Traditions

2009-01-13T17:55:00.000-05:00

I know I wrote previously about Dayton making his first gingerbread house, but I never got around to posting the picture of it. We of course, also made cookies for Santa and his reindeer the day before Christmas Eve. Dayton acts like he's helping, but really he just dumps sprinkles all over the place and then says, "oops, my eat that." Saige just watches. But it is all part of holiday season and developing family traditions or passing on old ones from previous generations.

Some Catching Up

2009-01-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

Let's go all the way back to decorating the Christmas tree days....we got our Christmas tree a little late this year because Daddy was sick, but he certainly did a good job picking a beautiful one! The kids helped decorate and wanted to touch every single ornament...so as you can imagine, what should have been a couple hour job, turned into an all day affair. But that's okay, they had fun and so did I. Scott participated by going to work that day and unfortunately (since I know how sad he was) missed our decorating adventures. Saige was mostly interested in the bell ornaments that she could take off the tree and shake and hide all over the house, and Dayton was fascinated with the train set under the tree. Look with your eyes and not your hands rule didn't work that well this year. As always (well since kids anyway) we went with the alphabet letters theme mixed with the traditional family ornaments (from "kids, stand on your tip toes and see how high you can reach" level and up). Anything non breakable went at the bottom. It's really a system that works well for us. It might look a little unbalanced and funny, but it works. Here's a picture of the kids in front of the fruits of their labor!

Somewhat Of A Blogging Holiday

2009-01-11T13:20:00.000-05:00

I know...I know...I haven't posted pictures in a LONG time and I haven't even been keeping up with updates. Life has been busy along with holidays, visitors, restoring order to the house, preschool starting and my photo software has been out of commission. So, I've gotten a little lazy and now I'm so behind with keeping my pictures organized that laziness has just turned into procrastination. Obviously I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions this year! Pictures and updates coming soon - hang on all you withdrawal sufferers! As always, love and miss you all!

Big News

2008-12-20T18:23:00.000-05:00

Don't be disappointed by the title! This may just be big news to our family, but I couldn't resist in sharing my excitement and pride. Saige, who is now 17 months old, did her business on the potty last night! She was looking and sounding a little like she was "trying" to go so I asked her and she said yes. I asked her if she wanted to use the potty and she said, "yup". So off we went. She got it all set up with her big brother's Dora seat, I plopped her up there and VOILA! I was soooo proud of her and she was quite proud of herself, asking for toilet paper, asking to flush and wanting to wash her hands! I figured it was just great timing on my part, but was quite impressed that she was comfortable enough to not "hold" it. Then this morning while I was getting her dressed, she told me "pee, pee" and went and put the potty seat on so I got her all undressed and put her on the pot and she peed right away! Now, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I think she might be on the brink of potty training herself! What a Christmas gift that would be.

Jingle Bells

2008-12-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

Christmas has officially arrived at Ho'oolako. We have our tree, which is fragrant, full and beautifully decorated with kids in mind. Meaning there are no breakables that curious little hands can reach. Saige likes to look and poke at the decorations but for the most part listens to her mama and leaves it alone. Dayton on the other hand, likes to remove decorations and stuff them in the stockings or hide them in the trunk of his bike. (Yes, the same trunk that he peed in a couple weeks ago) I think he is overly excited about this whole Christmas thing this year...he is talking a lot about Santa, his elves, the reindeer and the North Pole. I need to remember to be consistent with what I tell him or he catches me. It has been fun because it has truly put me in the spirit of believing again. Christmas through the eyes of a child is really special. Today he will be making a gingerbread house and doing some Christmas crafts. We are all getting excited for our family to arrive after Christmas as well. So much to look forward to in the coming weeks and no better way to end and start another year.

An Update of Random Events

2008-12-12T21:05:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks and it seems as though there is much to update you all on, but my aged memory seems to already be on Christmas vacation. Dayton has been accepted into a wonderful Catholic Montessori Preschool. It was on the top of our list and we've been waiting almost a year to get him in. He will be starting January 5th. I'm excited, nervous, scared, sad, proud... He's growing up so fast and I know he will love it and I will come to love it. He will be going Monday - Friday from 7am-2:30pm. A long day for a 3 year old. He'll get used to it though. It will take some time for both Saige and I to adjust to him being gone all day. She will miss him...she follows him everywhere and plays with whatever he is playing with. It will be a great opportunity for me to have some alone time with her before the baby though. Second children and those thereafter don't get that individual attention that the firstborn gets. Okay, I'm rambling about preschool...I'm obviously having some pre-separation anxiety.
On a more festive note, we went and took pictures with Santa the other day. Dayton was excited and actually sat on Santa's knee and talked to him! He asked him for a red robot. (I have no idea where that came from) Saige had different plans. She refused to sit on Santa's knee and was instantly in tears screaming. Fortunately Santa was not offended. So, once again (3 years in a row now) I am in the picture! Saige accepted the candy cane from Santa and instantly stopped crying...she then politely told him "bye bye". Sorry, no scanner to share the terrible picture!

Much To Be Thankful For

2008-11-29T19:04:00.000-05:00

I LOVE eating turkey, but I don't particularly like all the work that is involved in making a full Thanksgiving meal. Especially when I have a husband that sweetly reminded me on many occasions how much he dislikes turkey, a 3 year old that is going through a "my don't like that anymore" stage and a 16 month old that doesn't really know what a turkey is or how to manage eating it with only a couple molars. Despite all that, I cooked at 13.65lb turkey, a sweet potato dish, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and apple crumble made from scratch. Yummy. Being Martha Stewart is a lot of work. I think as a family, we realized this year how hard it is being away from loved ones during those times when family gathers together. We love it here, how can one not with such beautiful weather every day and a beach at our doorstep, but we miss you all! I am thankful to have such wonderful family, extended family and friends as well as a loving husband and precious children; whose unconditional love I will always treasure. I love my husband. I love my kids. I love my dogs. I love my life. And we are thankful to be blessed with another miracle in the making.