I might offend you so reader beware!

Ok so probably not the funniest or smartest thing for the Spanish basketball team to do but it made me laugh, only because when my brother and parents went to China the kids would take their fingers and make their noses big by placing their pointer at the bridge and thumb just above the lip, as they passed by. Anyway the American kids would do the eye thing back to them, and the kids would just laugh. Anyway....this picture just made me smile today.

Blogging??? Our Weekend...because you care :)

I keep bouncing back and forth between being a blog of just random information and thoughts, to a travel log blog...not that it really matters but do you know what I am talking about? Probably not because I am not totally sure. I guess it seems that there are some blogs out there that just share random thoughts and stories. Then there are the for the grandparents blogs, you know just pictures and cute stories. There are some blogs out there dedicated to just peoples cooking and recipes. Then there is me...do I really have much of a theme? Other than totally just humoring you, right? Anyway sometimes I just worry too much in posting mundane boring epics of my life. But then again, really what is my blog?



So with out further messing with your minds and totally confusing you and boring you from reading my blog, I will get on with my weekend.



We had a great weekend. It was finally nice to do some things as a family since the last few weeks, the kids started school and Eric started working 80 plus hours a week. So pretty much we have turned from travelers to just livers--not the organs but you know people that just "live" here. But this weekend as we did some "tourist" things mixed with "liver" here things, I realized everyone where ever you may be, if you have become a "liver" take a day off and go be a tourist of your town, or city or state, because you know sometimes we just take for granted the beauty and amazing things that lay around us....Oh my gosh, are you still with me here....BABBLING ...



So yeah we had a great weekend. It started with a little BBQ with some friends at the pool, followed with some night swimming. Thanks Ben for bringing your "rocket" to the pool to let the kids scoot around the pool.



Saturday morning we woke up, slowly. Everyone was really tired and having a hard time getting out of bed, and well deciding what we wanted to do. So we ended up going to the Honolulu Contemporary Art Museum, it was really cool. G-man loved the streaming video of fire starting. There was a really cool trail through a "forest" filled with man eating mosquitoes. Poor Bee's legs were eaten practically off...well not really but she was covered in red polka dots.



After the museum we did a drive through Punchbowl's Veterans' Cemetery. It is very beautiful and very serene. I am always amazed at the peaceful calm feeling that I get when at a Cemetery.



Then we headed to downtown Waikiki and hit Teddy's Bigger Burgers...YUMMY if you are ever here those burgers are so worth eating! Then we hit the Zoo for a little speed zoo adventure because we only had an hour left on our meter.



Then Sunday...off to church and man not as bad as a few weeks ago but bad enough to make Eric and I wonder why the heck we even bother going.



Then...ok enough Thens...but after church we made lunch, cleaned up, and played some family games. Followed by dinner with one of Eric's co-workers and his family. It was fun to get to know them and the kids had a blast playing.



So there you go everything you wanted to know about what we did this weekend, and what was going through my tired little head tonight.

Just a Few FYI's

FYI:

If your one year old has your cell phone (or as I have been corrected lately-mobile phone), enjoys playing in the toilet, every chance there is a bathroom door left open, and runs away from you headed for the before mentioned room, be prepared with a blow dryer to try to save your battery.

If you have a potty training 3 year old, that you are sure will still be in diapers when you send her off to college, don't be surprised when she looks up at you and says "I peed" while standing on the carpet and you ask her "Where do we go potty?" and she answers "In the 'baffroom.'" She most likely is a big believer in "do as I say not as I do."

If you are tired of the way your hair is growing out, it might be better to pay a hairstylist some money to cut your hair, rather than cut it yourself, and end up in the salon paying for a fix. (Not that I have paid anyone to "fix" it YET.)

If you have a bad day with your kids, you are tired and eat dinner with your family and say "I'm done. I am going to bed." remember it doesn't translate to "I have had a hard day, I have already changed three blow outs, loaded and unloaded the dishwasher. I made dinner, spent three hours doing homework that should have taken ten minutes. I already cleaned the house, but after friends coming over, kids just living I don't feel like cleaning up anymore and would love to just wake up to a clean house. I know dinner was not the best, but I made it, set the table and fed y'all can you please clean up the kitchen. I am going to go get the rest I need because the kids will be up all night playing musical beds and I need a few hours head start. So could you please help with the rest of the chores so I can wake up to a fresh start."

If your son in second grade complains that the light is bothering his eyes, that things are always bouncing and that the words on his papers move around, it might be best to take him to an eye doctor who says "His vision came up so bad, I want to wait thirty minutes and test him again, to confirm what we found." You may find that he has poor vision and not just enjoys driving you crazy with not wanting to read or work on his homework. Doing his work must be like watching a broken TV with the picture fragmented and cycling through.

If you fear that your daughter who dropped out of preschool will never attend school and always want to stay home with you, especially when she says to you the day before school starts "Maybe I should just stay home one more year so I can spend more time with you," give her a shot at going to kindergarten with a neighbor. She will go more easily with her dropping her off than you dropping her off. And find out that she really enjoys school.

My Personal Joker!

Today while "Two" was enjoying her play date with her new little friend Addie, she decided to terrorize her. Seriously, out of no where she'd come running up, grab a toy and run away laughing, leaving her little friend crying. And it didn't just happen once. I am not sure what she was thinking, other than she really enjoyed making her friend cry. Should I be worried about the smile on her face at the other's tear streaked cheeks? Really?? She reminded me a little of the Batman villain the joker, with her big ol' grin and her "evil" doings.

Wordless Wednesday

Stuffed Puppies!

Bee, G-Man and Two have been begging and begging me to get them a dog. I understand their pleas. I loved my dogs growing up Snuffy and Tawny. But the timing is all wrong right now.

I have been able to avoid getting them a dog. When we were in Texas the conversations went like this:

"Mom can we get a dog. PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSE!"
"No we can't right now because we are moving."
"Please we will walk him, and give him food."
"I know you would take great care of him but right now isn't a good time, with the move and all."
"Okay."

And now that we live in the dog capital of the world. Seriously folks. When I take the kids for walks, usually someone with another stroller will comment "oh how cute." And I reply back "OH your's too. How Old?" Well in our neighborhood it is a different story.

As we walk by on every corner there are a couple of people with a couple of dogs on leashes. And their conversations are:

"Oh how is Fiddo?"

"Just great. He did spend an hour at the Dog Spa yesterday for a much needed TLC."

"Yeah Fluffy, really needed a trim, so we went in this afternoon."

All the while the dogs are sniffing each other. While my kids stand there interrupting this exchange of conversation with a

"Please can I pet your dog."

Most will let them fill their need of dog loving, but others will totally ignore my cute two legged pets. I'd really love to get them a four legged pet sometime, but I have a hard enough time keeping my four two legged creatures alive, fed and groomed. Plus our renters agreement, my allergies....

BUT.....

Today in my email box was my feed from Five Minutes for Moms, and it it was this post for a set of Free life size stuffed dogs! And I am so wanting them. I really really would love them for my kids. I'd buy them leashes and we'd take them for walks, so they could truly fit in in our neighborhood. And I know for sure they won't ask me for a real dog for awhile.

And maybe one day when we have a yard again, they can have one. Maybe because after all I am allergic to the real thing...one more reason for me to win this drawing.

You should clink on the link if you haven't already, and maybe you want them for yourselves, but maybe just maybe you could leave a comment fighting for my poor petless kids!

What is faster than the speed of Light?

Stronger than a Steel Locomotive?

Faster than a speeding bullet?

Any guesses?

No not our building elevator, that's for sure.

Not T-Rex and his amazing house destroying abilities, though getting warmer.

No not superman, close though.

It is ...

BACK TO SCHOOL Super GERMS!

Yes the Super Germ likes to call this little building nestled in the hills, home, or as we like to call it Elementary School, this one is actually the kids new school.


School started less than a week ago. Already everyone minus Bee, knock on wood has a cold. Crazy how fast those germs spread, and find homes in little healthy unsuspecting kiddos. I should have given them some Airborne meds before going.


G-man loves his teacher. Bee well lets just say they start kindergarten here really really slow. She has only been a total of four hours so far. She seems to like it. We will see when they start full time next week. She is ready to start.

Move your Head

This is usually a task I am able to do.

For example:

Move your head-

• I can't see the TV
• I can't see out the passenger side window
• left to right (either at a doctors office or stretching in areobics)
• off my pillow
• off my shoulder
• a little closer so I can kiss you

You know those kind of requests are easy for me to do.

But yesterday as I was giving Two a ride on my shoulders as we were walking home for school, she said:

"My tummy hurt, Mommy Move your head." followed by a tugging to stretch my head upwards and out of the way. After much convincing that my head wasn't going anywhere, she stopped trying to move it out of the way. Sorry Mommy is not a turtle or a super stretchy hero!

You Are Snow White!

Pure and trusting. You are a gentle soul who can get along with just about anyone. Everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you. How can they resist? You have a pure, lovable nature that's irresistable. Just don't trust everyone who comes across your path.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Fridays+ Monkey Bars= Doctors

This morning after we dropped G-man off at school, the younger three and I went to play on the play scape. As Bee was swinging on the monkey bars, she fell flat on her belly. I heard the smack and saw her laying on the ground. I called to her to see if she was ok, keeping one eye on Timmy on top of the play scape. She hopped up and started crying. Then her legs buckled under her and she fell onto the ground. I called her name and she didn't respond or move. I quickened my pace to her. I bent down and asked if she was ok, to which she didn't respond. I picked her up and carried her little limp body to the bench, all the while I kept asking "Bee are you ok?"

I sat down on the bench with her and asked her again "Bee are you ok." She said "No, my body hurts all over."

I scanned her body and her knee was bleeding but everything seemed pretty ok.

I didn't have my cell phone. So I did the only thing I could think of, go to our doctor's office across the street. I put Bee in the stroller, and Two walked. By the time we got to the office she was "normal." But they saw her right away.

He said she has a stage 3 Concussion and we need to watch her for 48 hours. But that everything right now appeared normal and good.

So I think from now on we are staying off of the monkey bars at least. Just glad they use those super padded floor thingies now.

Triumphs in the little things

After taking the kids swimming, I went into my bathroom to change out of my wet suit and into some dry clothes. I quickly sat on the potty, trying to avoid wetting on the floor. I had a small audience, T-Rex and Two. While defending the roll of toilet paper from being torn into tiny shreds by T-rex, Two started applauding me. "Yeah mommy go peepee on the potty. Good job mommy."

As I sat there, trying to hurry and worrying about T-rex destroying a roll of paper, concerned a little about having an audience, thinking a little about what I was going to fix for dinner, fretting about the small stuff in life and worrying about all I didn't accomplish today, I was reminded to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. I mean really it is a triumph to be able to sit on a toilet and go.

Sometimes I go through out the day feeling like nothing has been accomplished, but today I have seen through the eyes of a three year old that I do accomplish much. I may not get all the laundry folded, or all the beds made, but......

"Yeah Mommy go potty."

Comments Name thing

Hey Help! Many of you have clever and cute sayings where the comment link is on my page....How do you change it??? Help me!

Happy Wedding Day to me!

Ok so its our Anniversary, nine whole years! Crazy how fast the time has gone. I know I probably should write some gushing love sappy piece about my wonderful husband whom I adore, the amazing father of my children, my best friend. But for some reason my mind has been just racing over all that has happened in the last nine years. So Honey I love you! Look at all that we have accomplished since we were married:

1999:

• Eric graduated with his MBA.


• I got my first full time teaching job.


• Duh we got married!

2000:

• Eric got his MIS.


• I had surgery.


• Found out we were pregnant with first baby


• Moved to Austin


• Eric got his first post graduate real job at Norwood.

2001

• G-man was born


• purchased, well start the process of building our first home.


• Traveled a lot to Florida to visit my parents.


• Lost both my grandfather and Eric's grandfather.

2002

• Moved into our first home.


• Found out was pregnant with second child.


• Lost Eric's other grandfather

2003

• Bee was born.


• Eric started working in San Antonio


• I started selling Creative Memories and got into scrapbooking.

2004

• Eric started working in Indianapolis, and then half way through the year stopped working for Norwood.


• Found out we were pregnant with number 3.


• Eric started working independently

2005

• Two was born.


• Eric started working for Hart


• I was introduced to Heritage Makers and switched from traditional to digital scrapbooking.


• Eric's grandmother passed away.


• Eric's parents went on a mission.


• My parents moved to Utah, leaving us with out a place to go vacation to.

2006

• G-man started Kindergarten


• Eric traveled all the time, including many trips to Hawaii


• Found out we were pregnant with number four.

2007

• Had T-rex.


• I got really sick.


• In laws came home from their mission.

2008

• Sold our first home, for exactly what we bought it for six years ago, crazy market.
• I lost my grandmother.


• Moved to Hawaii


• Bee started kindergarten


• Found out we were pregnant with number five.

JUST KIDDING on the number five thing! Just seemed like I had a pattern going on :)

It has been a wonderful nine years and I look forward to many more and all the many things that will happen. I know there are a lot of gaps in my time line, especially because my mind is not fully functioning with a screaming child on my lap.

For your Viewing Pleasure

Our very own beach Bumble Bee, what out boys she stings!

Little Two loves to dig in the shade.

Dad and T-rex enjoy the nice warm water. Though after swimming in the sea and playing in the sand it took T-rex three hours to be able to open up his eyes. Poor little guy.

G-man with his total surfer hair that he won't let me cut! Looking tan and all locally!

My little clan aren't they so stinking cute!!

Monday Mumblings: Back to School

It truly can't be that time of year! I haven't even seen any back to school commercials yet, you know the ones that either excite you or that send you hiding in the closet with knots in your tummy filled with fear. I am the later. I have never liked going to school. When I went to kindergarten I screamed and cried. First grade wasn't much different other than my mom couldn't take me and made my dad drop me off.

Anyway here in the great state of Hawaii, they have what they call year round school. They do get about two months off for summer. They start on Wednesday.

The kids have their backpacks packed and new clothes for school. They are excited. I should be excited, I mean two less kids to worry about during the day. But I am not. I am racked with fear and sadness and a bunch of unexplained feelings.

As much as I enjoy sending my kids off to school, I am really sad to see them go. I feel like we haven't had enough time together. I mean Bee is starting kindergarten and from now on I will no longer have her home with me full time. She is now a part of the great public school system, only to be returned to me at nights and weekends and vacations. Its a joint custody kind of thing and I want full custody.

But I really can't home school, even with my education background. I am just not organized enough. Truly my grandiose plans of summer reading and learning flew out the window and were replaced by swimming and playing. I so thought that every week we would have a fun trip to the Library, well our first was our last.

Anyway, it will be okay and hopefully my kids total lack of summer mental stimulation won't put them too far behind. And maybe just maybe I will enjoy the little tiny bit of peace enough that I will feel some peace about this joint custody thing.

Facebook vs MySpace

As one friend of mine commented I am a computer junky, I love email. I enjoy chatting. I have a Myspace account which I never ever use anymore, and well a Facebook account, that until recently I rarely used. I still don't use it as much, though this morning I have spent time chatting with my brother and friend Melissa.

However, even though I don't really go to myspace I kind of like the layout of it a little better. Not sure why. And really not sure why I am posting about this.

I do think however it has been much easier to find friends on facebook and have found a lot of friends as of recent.

It just seems that I didn't have as many friends on myspace. So is Facebook more an older person version of Myspace? Did Myspace get the rap of being an unsafe place? Is it a fad? Or is it I haven't logged in to Myspace for several months and all y'all are waiting for my friend approval?

Oh such a random thought mess, to post or not to post? What the heck why not. And hey if you are on facebook let me know!

Back in Austin Facebook was the way we got our sitter to babysit, easier to catch them there than on the phone!

Five O'Clock News is Yesterday News?

We get our newspaper here at around 5 PM, which is 11 PM Eastern time. My question to you is that pretty much yesterday's news?

Yeah that's what I thought!

Form and Fixx: The Skinny Pill

Are you interested in a skinny pill that really works? Would it benefit your life to know of a pill that simply fills up your stomach so your desire to eat LESSENS? Would it benefit your life to know that this pill is made of ALL NATURAL SUBSTANCES and has no stimulants or harmful substances? Would it benefit your life to lose weight and GET HEALTHY?

Not to fill my personal blog about the new Skinny Pill and shakes, but I just wanted to let you know that I do have some samples if you are interested in trying them out. Also my friend Heather started a blog, with a lot of information on the products, click here to learn more. And if you decide to sign up (as either a customer or a distributor they are the same, depending on how you want to go about it.) click here, or http://4760519.myo3world.com to join my team. The blog link joins my friend Heather, not that I mind her getting y'all but I'd love to have you with me. Thanks :)

If you sign up by the end of July the year membership is free, and you can buy the product at wholesale.


Please take a look at the blog to find out some more of the amazing facts about Form and Fixx, and I have to say Fixx shakes are amazingly packed with lots of good for you things, like spinach and other fruits and veggies.

Tag from my sister Aly

4 Places I visit over and over.
1. The swimming pool: the kids don't know that I take them there for me more than them.
2. Costco: our most convenient grocery store
3. The Park: got to get a back yard but not complaining too much
4. UMMM....I don't go anywhere much.

4 People who call/Text/Email me regularly
1.Eric
2. Mom
3. Dad
4. ummm...again things haven't been ringing much lately HINT :)

4 Favorite food
1. Pizza
2. chicken enchilada with deluxe green tomatillo sauce from Chuys...oh I miss good tex mex
3. A good steak-Aly
4. Hamburger and French fries-good 'ol American girl

4 Places I'd rather be
1. Hawaii-visiting my sister (that was my sister, and I'd rather have her visiting me here too)
2. Asleep in my bed with out kids ( its a little after two am)
3. Most days just at home, I like going out but some days I don't want to fill the "where are we going what are we doing today" order.
4. In a small European town with Eric walking down the cool cobble stone streets admiring the century old buildings.

4 Movies I'd watch over and over
1. Steel magnolias
2. My Girl
3. Girls just want to have fun
4. While you were sleeping

4 Bands/Groups I love to listen to...
1. Lone Star
2. Erasure
3. A good country radio station
4. I don't listen to much anymore, but I love that bubbly song by Kolby Collet?? Don't know how to spell her name.


The 4 People I am tagging are....
Any one who would like to do this because it is too late, or too early I should say to even think straight. But if I were to assign I'd say
1. Katherine
2. Tonya
3. Yvonne
4. Sheri

Bragging Rights

I just wanted to post because I am so proud. But my dad is an amazing athlete, even in his golden or rather more silver age. He just received an email that he shared that I wanted to post. I think it is really cool:

!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS !!!!

The Clayton Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame committee would like to announce that you have been selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Our last meeting was yesterday and our final selections were made.
We will be sending to you,by mail, additional information. Again, congratulations.