Hike up Diamond Head and Lost in a Rainforest

Eric by the water fall

Darling T-Rex

The kids and I in a grove of trees.

The Girls at the top of Diamond Head

G-man and Eric enjoying the views from the top of Diamond Head

All of us at the top

Going up the last set of straight stairs, G-man counted this set was only 99 steps

The kids looking all stinking cute, and yeah thats a misquito biting T-rex's head...and the back ground is real!

Emily smiling and well right when I snapped the picture she started to walk away and informed me she was done taking pictures.

G-man getting blown away by the winds on Pali Look out.

Yesterday and Today we went on a few little hikes. Well actually Friday we went to hike up Diamond Head (an inactive volcano) but the lot was full and well it was just too busy. So we set out on another little adventure. We went to the Pali look out to only be blown away by the wind and the side going rain. Then we found a little hiking trail along the river and in the "rainforest" not sure if that is what they call their treed areas here, but that's what I would call it. So for your enjoyment I have posted these pictures.

I don't have a picture of it...

but man I should have asked her if I could have taken a picture of her. One of the cool things about Hawaii are all the tourists, and most are from Japan, and well some other Asian countries, but anyway today as we were hiking up Diamond Head I saw the coolest, funniest shirt ever. This gal had a t-shirt with two Siamese cats, with their heads pressed together, and a heart behind their heads, and to the left were the words...........

We love Cheating!

I am just amazed at what some shirt makers in foreign countries will do to put English on their shirts. I have seen shirts say some crazy things, but this one just hit the craziest I think.

Summer Beach Book Swap!

SBBS Time!

Last night as I was reading, a total beach read type novel, I thought about who I could give the book to read when I was done. And then it made me think about how it would be fun to get a book from a friend right now to read, you know "oh I just finished this great book...you should read it." and they hand it to you. Well anyway then it occurred to me that I might have enough friends out there that would want to participate in a Summer Beach Book Swap.

Wouldn't it be fun to get a light novel to read this summer while enjoying the longer sunny nights?

So here is how it will work.

• You email me with your mailing address, favorite book type and your name.


• Then after I collect all the interested parties information, I will give you a name of someone to whom you will send a summer beach read (paper back).


• The book can be one you just finished or you can go on line to Amazon and order one, or just hit the local book store how ever you like. Who is in????


• Deadline is July 2 to get your information to me. Then you will have a week from when I give you your name to send it out.

Leave a comment below then you can email me at corrinesim at yahoo.com

And please post a link to this on your blog, so we can get a lot participating. I am excited!!

Feeling the need for change....

I guess moving what 8000 miles away from home, and selling our house, and up rooting our family didn't really satisfy my need for change. And because I can't wake up, after thinking about and wanting to be, 20 lbs thinner. I decided I needed a change. So Bethany and I just went to the salon and I said " I need a change."

I am not sure what I think.

Though Bethany said "You look like a Grandma." To which I said "Is that good?" And she said, "Yeah you kind of look like our grandma." I must remind you as well that she thought a picture of Grandma was the guy from Blades of Glory...so I can 't rest my judgement solely on her, though in her defense my mother in law's hair always looks great and styled.

Then my sweet husband, said "it looks nice, but is that all your hair?"

"Um yeah its my hair. What do you mean?"

"well you know how sometimes they style your hair, and it looks different after you wash it? When my mom used to get her hair done we'd tease her on how it looked when she got home, because of the way the hairdresser would do her hair. Then she would wash it and style it her self and it would look normal again."

So I wonder if that was a compliment or a way of getting out of saying "I don't really like it."

I don't know what do you think?

Before:

After:

PS. these pictures I took tonight after I washed it, and let it dry as i went for a three mile walk, in the wind and drizzle. And I do love that more than half my hair is gone, the stylist- like most- kept saying "wow you have a lot of hair" as she took the thinning scissors and chopped away.

It's a Dole Life!

Not a dull, but Dole life. We had a blast at the Dole Plantation, which up until a few years ago was a working plantation. I believe now, and don't quote me, it is only a tourist location with some pineapples for local use. Though with the amount of ice creams and smoothies they serve a day, they probably grow the pineapple for self use.

Thanks G-man for taking these pictures of us enjoying these yummy treats.

You know what else they have that looked so yummy was a pineapple split!! Imagine if you will a pineapple cut in half, clean out a pit and piled high three scoops of ice cream smothered in whip cream, strawberries, chocolate and of course pineapple...It looked so yummy, think I am going to try that out for a dessert sometime. Anyway.....

So who knows how pineapples grow??

Would you like to see?

I am sure you would so here you go.

Yeah they just grow off the tops like that, looks kind of fake or something. Seems like the fruit part should grow in the ground, ya? (that's local talk, make a statement and turn it into a question by adding ya? at the end) Anyway kind of cool, ya?

We rode on the fun train around the plantation, but not sure how fun it was for those sitting around us, because Mr. T-Rex screamed, I mean screamed, the whole 2 mile 22 minute tour. Yeah it was fun! Sorry fellow travelers!

After the train ride we fed the local coy fish...man they were hungry, I feared one of my kids would fall into the pond to be devoured by these hungry guys. Funny thing is as they were all jumping on top of each other to get the food people were throwing in by the handfuls, Two just sat there and dropped the pellets in one at a time. She kept feeding them while the older two were done feeding them, Gman didn't think it was fair that she got to keep feeding them. But that's what happens when you throw the pellets all in and your sister just throws one at a time, causing a huge feeding frenzy. (did that even make sense??)

We also went through their maze, which g-man totally loved! It was a lot of fun, and truly was the largest full size maze I have ever been in. The world record for going through it and hitting all their secret spots is a little over five minutes and it took us...........a little under an hour. No wonder Two wanted me to hold her.

You may not be able to see it, but G-man has his new light blue cast, which we drew sea life all over on it. We have been told by several people that it is the coolest cast they have ever seen.

G-man's first talk

Today G-man gave his first talk at church. He did a wonderful job. I was so proud of him. He said the whole thing by himself.

To Move or not to Move

Isn't that the eternal question? Possibly this doesn't apply to you because one your kids are grown or two you are much better at bed time rituals than we have been lately.

When your kids fall asleep on the floor, mind you after baths and getting in pjs, do you move them to their beds?


I mean you know they will sleep so much better in their beds, you know it can't be comfortable on the floor with their heads stuck under the ottoman but do you disturb their slumber?

Is it possible they will sleep there all night??



No it is not, and do they go to their own beds?
Not typically. This is where they end up.

G-man down at the bottom, me (mom) on the left, Two hard to see in the middle, and B in the pink.

Moral of the story. Yes move them to their beds, because if you don't move them they will move themselves to your bed.

side note: Put laundry away before going to bed, you never know when you will take a picture. Also to the side of me are the blankets that B brought to sleep on on the floor. I guess Eric got a little uncomfortable and got out to take this picture. Don't you feel bad for us all sleeping on the floor? :) It is a really comfortable mattress, maybe we will get a bed frame one day.

Hike to the Light House

I am not sure what the park is called but it is just over the hill from our house. This morning we got the kids up, well rather they got them selves up early and we went for a walk. Well more of a hike, it was two miles straight up the hill. Nice paved trail, beautiful views...can even see two neighboring islands, Maui and Moloki (sp). The kids had a blast. Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.

B wanted me to stop every few steps to take her picture. We sure looked a little touristy. Though as we walked you could tell the locals from the tourists by...no not the cameras but by the friendliness...

Oh one other thing, as we were walking back down the hill, G-man couldn't stop asking questions. He was asking them so fast, we didn't have enough time to resond to them.

After a while he finally said or rather asked "Why can't I stop asking questions?" To which I responded, "I don't know but I was thinking the same exact thing."

He does ask a lot of questions. But it is great.

Talofa! (Hi in Samoa)

The kids got asked to dance a Samoan dance. They had fun, though a little shy.

Wordless Wednesday from Waikiki

Well not really from Waikiki but close enough! Here are some pics from the Polynesean Culture Center and the Honolulu Zoo which is across the street from Waikiki. Looking forward to taking y'all to visit these places....think I want some visitors? YES!!!

It isn't 8 am yet

and I have checked my email, fed my kids,

cleaned the bathroom,

watched some tv,

ate a snack,

put kids into time out three times,

read about 15 blogs,

changed a couple diapers,

ate some coconut,

told my kids no 25 times,

nursed a baby,

bandaided a finger,

told my kids not to tie a rope around their little sister because she is not a dog,

picked up thirty croutons off the carpet,

said "I don't care who did it, I asked you to help me clean it up!",

threatened to turn off the tv if they didn't help,

and thought about unpacking my clothes in my closet.

Oh and I need to fold the laundry on my bed..um well floor now....

I have been here over a week now almost two on Friday (not counting thursday as two weeks because we got here at 11 PM) and I haven't wanted to unpack my clothes. I keep wearing and washing the same outfits. But the suitcases are spilling out on my floor as I try to find something "different" to wear. Ok off to work!

Twelve Hour Mom

You know you are a twelve hour mom when:

Your kids wake up at 5:30 am and you are ready for them to go to bed at six at night!


I knew well I didn't know, when I decided to have kids that it really is a 24/7 job. I always thought I'd have nights and weekends off...what was I thinking?

I just really need a little time to myself especially at nights. I discovered well more like came to a realization last night that after about 12 hours of my kids I shut down, and need a break.

Is it so wrong of me to want them to go to bed? Stay in their beds, or even their rooms for that matter?? Why do I feel quilty for wanting to have my own down time?

Why do they want to stay up with me? I really am not a nice mom after seven o'clock. Heck not sure if I am ever a nice mom, but I really am not nice after 13 plus hours with my kids.

Eric doesn't understand that when I want him to put the kids to bed, and have them stay there, I mean it. I don't think he gets that I really truly need them out of my hair.

Don't get me wrong I love my kids. I love spending time with my kids, just not at night. I just want to sit in front of the tv and think of nothing. I want to write on the computer, or do some digital scrapbooking and not have to worry about kids.

Am I alone??


Am I just horrible?


Am I just plain tired??

Seven days and.....

One broken arm! Yes we have been here, count them seven days. We got invited to a birthday party today, which after only being there five minutes, G-man fell off the jungle gym and broke his left arm. And if you are saying to yourself "didn't he just break his arm?" You would be correct. He broke his right arm about two months ago- beginning of April. He has now evened up the score by breaking the left arm, in almost the exact same spot as the right, but only one of the bones not both, so that is good, I guess.

Photo Tag

Photo Tag
The rules are you have to take ten pictures of the following things. And you have to do it right away. No straightening, cleaning or wiping the snot from your child's nose. Then you tag five others. You guys are in for quite a treat since it's just a week after moving in and still not settled very well.

1. Laundry room - a little closet off the front hallway

2. Favorite room - the kitchen! I just love that it is open to the family room and can step off onto the Lanai from it, and the views from the eating area are really really beautiful.

3. What the kids are doing right now - Emily in the kids room, sitting nicely on their wonderful futon mat :)

These two are enjoying our new furniture while watching tv. Like our new furniture :) Bought the ottoman and chair from a hotel resale store, and the futon, ready for you to come and sleep on it :)

4. Favorite shoes - bare feet:
you would not believe how comfy they are!

Didn't think you wanted to see my feet.

5. Toilet - I took a pic of our bathroom, the toliet is in the little closet, I read this wrong and well don'[t feel like getting a pic of the potty I m tired :)
6. Kitchen sink - again, better than expected!

7. Fridge - see above kitchen picture :) ok cheating again...

8. Self-portrait--I am just so not pretty!

9. My closet - half of it anyway and well most of our stuff is still in those suitcases on the floor.
10. Dream vacation - I d love to go on an African Safari....B took this picture of the spinning world at the temple on Sunday. It is part of a display of all the Book of Mormons in all their different languages.

Now I am suppose to tag five people.... So here it goes Poppy Mom "Patricia", Iggee (Stephanie), Cherylanne, Erika, and Sheri. And any one else who feels like doing this, it was kind of fun, even though I forgot all the pictures I was suppose to take and am just too lazy and tired to take anymore :)