Keiki On Board

Tantrums

2012-01-27T13:48:00.000-10:00

Bloogger isn't letting me upload my video :( I'll try again later...onto the post... I'm over tantrums. They serve no purpose. They give me stress. They are evil coping mechanisms that should be replaced with rational discourse. This was my eldest a few months ago. *shudder* It went on for about two weeks before Mr A and I figured out that the time-outs needed to be more systematic.

Koa's Baptism

2012-01-25T14:58:00.000-10:00

Earlier this month, during my family's yearly visit to Hawaii, we had my youngest son baptized at the Catholic church. It was the epitome of “low-key”. We didn't send out invitations or take group pictures. Koa wore jeans, the godmother wore flip-flops and a hoodie. His baptism was followed by a typical Sunday at the beach. However, far from being perfunctory, Koa's baptism was an incredibly

Bathroom Essentials vs Clutter

2012-01-20T13:36:00.001-10:00

In my never-ending quest for frugality, I seem to have forgotten that saving 50 cents on stuff I don't actually need is, in fact, wasteful (read: NOT frugal). Also, this accumulation leads to a bathroom cupboard full of trial sizes and half-full bottles that seem to remain there for years. I was pawing around my bathroom yesterday trying to figure out just what I would define as an essential

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

2012-01-19T11:53:00.001-10:00

I was poking around over at The Non-Consumer Advocate and came across this post idea. Enjoy! Yesterday The morning was spent walking with the boys around town completing a long list of chores (bank, post office, another bank, grocery store, library, etc) - our first outing with the stroller since the weather has changed for the beautiful. Then I worked (bar side!). After work I played

No Love for Facebook

2012-01-18T12:32:00.001-10:00

Facebook = Giant Time Suck. About a month ago, I officially deleted my Facebook account. The reasoning behind this was simple. That book I read about branding and marketing made me realize that the people behind Facebook already knew I was addicted and were now trying to find ways to keep me on there longer in order to show me more advertisements. (BOO!) Even though I was keeping up with

8 Months Until I See You Again

2012-01-16T18:39:00.002-10:00

Tomorrow morning my parents board a plane and return to the Northwest. I am sad. When family gets together there are always moments of such unbridled happiness we wish it would never end. There is the inevitable freak-out where we wonder why we even bother visiting each other in the first place. There always comes the moment when I ask my mom if she wouldn't seriously reconsider just staying

Too Cute to Spook Gnome Costume

2012-01-15T15:39:00.000-10:00

A Christmas present from Aunty Lulu.

A Beautiful Week With Family

2012-01-14T14:10:00.000-10:00

Today we are concluding a wonderful week of Stransky family reunion. Among other fun activities (like eating and watching sports together), we toured and Big Island and saw such scenic wonders as: Halema'uma'u at Kiluea Volcano (Volcanoes National Park) Sharing the mana'o Waipi'o Valley (Valley of the Kings) on the Haumakua Coast *this* is my little sister's "goofy" face! Carolyn's

First Real Sleep Over

2012-01-10T21:43:00.002-10:00

Ikaika is having his first real sleep over tonight. My parents are staying in Waikoloa, which is a good 30 minute drive from where I live. Tonight, when we were exploring Volcanoes National Park and eating ono good at Ken's Drive-In in Hilo, Ikaika pleaded his case for staying at Oma's house. I made it perfectly clear that neither I, nor Daddy (nor Koa) were going to be there. Just him. We

Oma and Opa Visit Hawaii

2012-01-08T10:13:00.000-10:00

Thursday we drove to Kona and picked up my parents from the airport. Ikaika was so excited he hardly slept on Wednesday night - it was the second coming of Santa in more ways than one! We parked the car and waited outside the gate. When the doors burst open and my mom walked through, he screamed "OMA! OMA!" and ran to her, knocking through a few people on his way. She said it was quite a

New Year Resolutions

2012-01-02T23:19:00.003-10:00

A few new years resolutions I cooked up the other night at work. If I've learned anything from Mr A's classes on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), I learned that goals - good goals - should be measurable and achievable, which is why I think all of these are realistic for the coming year of my life. The only one that's questionable is starting confirmation classes, because sometimes I feel

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

2012-01-01T19:46:00.001-10:00

We said "aloooooha" to 2011 at our friend Steve's house. Mr A took care of the BBQ, as always. Even though the last few days have been beautiful, we brought all our warm clothes to brave the "green side" of Waimea. We also brought hearty appetites for the garage length buffet! Last year, because I was running a 5K the next day and we were in the Northwest, the family didn't do much

Ode to Rural Living

2011-12-27T11:21:00.001-10:00

This picture has nothing to do with the content of this post, but it was cute and I wanted to use it somewhere! Anyone who knew me 10 years ago would probably be surprised by my current lifestyle. The life I imagined for myself was very urban, very modern. I would be living trans-continental and married to my work. Maybe saving the world teaching in a jungle somewhere or making art for the

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2011-12-25T10:58:00.001-10:00

Christmas Eve this year did not disappoint. We started the morning with some volleyball and beach time down at Kawaihae Harbor. Nothing says "mele kalikimaka" quite like 80 degree weather, sand and surf. Then we ate lunch, took naps and unwrapped a few preliminary gifts before heading out to Children's Mass. During church service, Ikaika set a new standard for embarrassing family

Holiday Cookies

2011-12-19T14:20:00.001-10:00

Growing up, holidays meant tradition. More than doing the same thing the same way year after year, we relied on certain things that were only done during the Advent season. One of these traditions is my great-grandmother's molasses cut-out cookies with hard sugar frosting. My sister and I used to paint them with colored frosting and cheap plastic paint brushes. It was a highly anticipated

Green Day at Tutu & Me Preschool

2011-12-14T21:36:00.002-10:00

Today was "color of the month" day at preschool. The boys chose green shirts, we packed at bag with holiday makana (gifts) for our teachers, and even got to school on time! Go Tuesday! LOVE ME!!! Oh brothers. I remember doing this to my family members when I was young (practically attacking them with unsolicited and largely unwanted affections). I bet they miss it now! Koa was making stacks

My Kids + God = A Match Made in Heaven

2011-12-07T08:22:00.000-10:00

Why raise kids with religion? Why am I imposing my beliefs on my children? I'm sure anyone that raises their kids to believe in God (esp Jesus) encounters this question at some point. It's frustrating because an essential characteristic of 'faith' is believing something even without proof, explanation, or reason - which doesn't facilitate "easy answers" There are a lot of reasons why I

The New Social Network Lets Us Pray

2011-12-04T12:30:00.000-10:00

This morning I logged onto Facebook and discovered that a college classmate has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and she was asking that we pray for her and pass it along so more people could do so - the more prayers the better, right? Katie wasn't my best friend in college; she wasn't a roommate or even a teammate. But she was active in athletics so I saw her in the locker room and

Daddy is Old, Koa is Funny

2011-11-30T10:11:00.001-10:00

Yesterday my husband moved me one year closer to AARP benefits. Mr A celebrated the big 4-9 by going to the dentist, the beach, and the sushi bar. It was a fabulous day. We had a chance to thaw out down at Mauna Kea. It's been about 60 degrees at best in the evenings, pouring rain, howling winds...combine that with no heating whatsoever and it's been a rough couple of days. By the time

Home for the Holidays

2011-11-26T17:47:00.000-10:00

Because we decided to stay in Hawaii for the holidays, and because Thanksgiving is pau, up went to the tree today. I swore I would never do the artificial tree thing, but real trees here are ridiculous both from an economic and an environmental standpoint. Ho ho ho. Here it is.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:28:00.000-10:00

I spent the first half of Thanksgiving working while my boys stayed home and watched football. After pau hana time, I drove down to Waikoloa and met up with the crew, who were already busy deep frying the turkey. We spent Thanksgiving with our friends under the promise of being fed "hippie food". It was a far cry from Tofurkey, but I did bring them a Venti dirty chai to split for good measure

Wine Class

2011-11-21T11:52:00.003-10:00

sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and port "Swirl your glass, it's time for class" When this showed up in my email inbox 3 weeks ago, I was stoked! My friend from MOPS is a wine sommelier, a viticulturist, a sales rep for a vineyard in California, and an amazing person. She is so amazingly awesome that she set up an entire wine tasting class for the gals at her

Packing Boxes for Operation Christmas Child

2011-11-18T14:55:00.002-10:00

Last Friday Mothers of Preschoolers got together and packed boxes for Operation Christmas Child. I found out today that all boxes from Hawaii are going to Nepal. So, some Naplese child is going to be really confused when he opens my box and sees that he got rubber slippers. Oh well, hopefully he can find some use for them! At our MOPS meeting today, we talked about holiday traditions. What

Koa: Talking

2011-11-14T08:01:00.000-10:00

During a phone conversation with my mom the other day, she pointed out that although I was seriously concerned about Ikaika's speech development when he was the same age, I hadn't mentioned anything about Kekoa's lack of vocabulary. I'm sure she was just making about a point about how I was a typical neurotic first-time parent...and she's right. But that got me thinking about how Koa really

Kale Smoothie

2011-11-11T15:39:00.000-10:00

Oh, Kale Smoothie. You are, quite possibly, the world's most perfect breakfast. Full of greens I would never otherwise be able to force down my throat and flaxseeds to keep me regular. You require only the most minimal of ingredients and you are tasty enough for my children to drink. You are chock full of healthy, raw goodness. I love you, Kale Smoothie. I want to drink you everyday. 1 cup

More Than Pictures

2011-11-09T09:44:00.001-10:00

There are some things about being a mom of young children that pictures can't describe. Ok...there are A LOT of things that pictures don't do justice. I want to document these moments so that when my boys are all grown up I can lovingly browse this blog (wrapped in a quilt made of their baby clothes,deep into my glass of Merlot as my husband tells me to "just stop crying and come to bed

Being Busy

2011-11-07T10:38:00.000-10:00

I feel so overwhelmed. There is so much to get done and only a few short hours in each day to do it all. Sitting here, looking at the jumbled scribbly mess that is my calendar, I just want to hole up in my house and never leave. But, the more I have to do, the more I get done. Busy people get stuff done. That's why the PTO president is always a career woman/soccer mom with a clean house. If

Finishing 1st at the Run for the Dry Forest 5K

2011-11-03T11:22:00.003-10:00

#43 on my To Do List got checked off a little sooner than I expected! Last weekend, I ran a 5K at the Run for the Dry Forest at Pu'u Wa'awa'a. It was a beautiful trail run (and a benefit for preserving endangered species that grow in the dry forest) with an elevation change of 300ft (bleh!), which is more than I am used to since I typically run on nice, flat road. One of my goals this year

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:33:00.000-10:00

This year I chose to work on Halloween. I figured we aren't quite at the age for serious trick-or-treating yet and I get to wear a costume to work, so why not?! But then I started to feel sad and guilty because everyone else was having fun and I was handing out candy and hot chocolates to happy familes. Mr A saved the day and took the boys trick-or-treating around the shopping center. They

Fun With Chores - Mopping Floors

2011-10-28T12:06:00.000-10:00

This cool idea came from my coworker. I am awful about mopping the floors. I hardly ever do it. If I do get around to it, I think it's miserable work. Enter, solution. When you have a big load of towels to wash, lay them all out on the floor (bathroom, kitchen, etc.). Set out large bowls of water and toys (bonus for adding soap - I wasn't that brave) Undress children. Let the splashing

Time For A Change

2011-10-25T20:05:00.000-10:00

I'm trying something new. I keep this weblog mainly so my family and friends can follow what is going on with the boys. One of the big thumbs down about living in Hawaii is being far away from my family - so technology will have to bring us together for now. But, I also like to chronical my own life (I was blogging long before I became "mom"), so this is me trying to reclaim some of that. I'm

Mahalo for the Birthday Love!

2011-10-24T18:32:00.000-10:00

Just a little shot of Ikaika enjoying some of his birthday gifts from my family (next time we are in Kona he will be spending his money from Mr As family). Shirt = Granny, Optimus Prime (who needed to be in the picture, too) = Oma, and NFL pennants = Aunty Beth! He even helped me hang them by deciding what order to put them in. L<3VE IT!!!

Kohala Mountain Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T12:27:00.000-10:00

Today, we went up Kohala Mountain Road to search for the perfect pumpkin for our Autobots jack-o-lantern. This little patch (Kohala Mountain Farm) had a great selection and the pumpkins were only 75 cents a pound! The boys had a great time hunting - we ended up with one large J-o-L and one small sugar pumpkin. Last year we went to the HPA patch but it's more like a carnival - with games,

101 Things to Do

2011-10-22T00:33:00.001-10:00

1. reverse Oregon Trail road trip 2. finish a marathon 3. go back to Japan during sakura season 4. tour Germany 5. attend Mass at the Vatican 6. write a book 7. get masters degree 8. learn some basic Latin 9. hike the grand canyon 10. see Niagra Falls 11. take a photo walk 12. paddle in a real regatta 13. take the family to Wash DC 14. pay off all debts 15. own a house outright 16.

Ikaika's 3rd Birthday

2011-10-20T20:59:00.000-10:00

Ikaika's 3rd birthday came and went without too much fanfare. Earlier this year, I came to terms with the fact that I'm not a "child's birthday party" kind of person. Because of this, I won't be doing any birthday parties until my kids are old enough to beg for them. I did make legit cupcakes for his little friends at Tutu & Me. I got a box of cake mix and added in some canned pumpkin to

Starbucks for Kids

2011-10-14T12:49:00.000-10:00

Now that I am working part time at Starbucks, Ikaika has been wild about the whole coffee shop thing (which is so awesome because on my days off there is nothing I would rather do more than hang out at work...). I'm not about to set my 3 year old loose on whole bean coffee, so I'm thankful that Starbucks has many wonderful options for the discerning toddler pallette. Here are Ikaika's

A Day Off

2011-10-12T12:22:00.000-10:00

I woke up with a horrible sore throat. Not only do I have to work tonight, but my kids aren't even nice enough to take tandem naps. When do moms get days off? Mr A and I were brainstorming last night about ideas for something fun to do/reward ourselves with once we "survive" this semester. I'm thinking SPA DAY!

Some Unexpected Benefits of Grad School

2011-10-09T16:23:00.000-10:00

Mr A is taking a class right now on Applied Behavior Analysis/Behavior Modification (I can't remember the name of the course). Lo' and behold, I'm finding myself immersed in his textbook, seeking answers to my own parenting queries. Parenting and discipline books have their place, but I am totally jazzed about the scientific/nerdy academic approach presented in this course. Have I thought

Too Many Changes

2011-10-06T11:32:00.001-10:00

Lately, I've been trying to tackle waaay too many changes. My husband is in grad school, I took on a new part-time job, and I accepted a volunteer leadership position with my women's group. I decided to run a marathon next year, which means lots of training/running in my free time. We chose not to put Ikaika in preschool this year because it wasn't financially realistic, but I feel like he

I got a haircut, too!

2011-09-30T14:43:00.001-10:00

Mr A Cut Koa's Hair Last Night

2011-09-27T13:48:00.002-10:00

...and in other news, these muffins are delicious!

Saturdays in Paradise

2011-09-26T07:43:00.001-10:00

Lately, life has been getting in the way. The boys are busier with playgroups and preschool; Mr A is busy with work, coaching and school; and I'm busy with work and shuffling the chaos. I keep having to remind myself that this, like every other phase of our life as a family, is temporary. But it's also important to acknowledge that we are busy so we can make a point to not be too busy for

Bumblebee Transformer Costume

2011-09-19T12:24:00.000-10:00

Yesterday we took Ikaika to the "real" (not "thrift") store to look at Transformer action figures. I was thinking about possibly getting him an Optimus Prime for his birthday. WRONG! I can not believe how expensive kid's toys are. It's outrageous. I'm still talking about it today. I almost never buy toys, so it's not even an issue of money. $50-100/year for toys seems like a reasonable

Potty Time for Kekoa

2011-09-16T14:26:00.001-10:00

Today I had a mom-pants reality check as my son pooped and the first thing I thought to do was update my Facebook status about it. Kekoa is now walking for real (to the point that I have to remember shoes if we go anywhere - barefoot is a very hard state-of-mind to change) and with that is coming some other developments. There is more talking (mom and dad are very definitive words now) and

The Kids Are Alright

2011-09-11T00:01:00.001-10:00

It's been super busy lately with 2 preschool/playgroups, MOPS, grad school for Mr A, coaching football, new job, etc. I've fallen behind on my blogging, but I am here now! There are certain things I wish I had blogged/documented. Ikaika breastfeeding his stuffed bears stands out in my mind. So here are some videos that document what is going on in our lives at this moment. In this

Lucky You Live In Hawaii

2011-09-01T14:02:00.000-10:00

Today the boys' preschool took a field trip to Lapakahi State Historical Park. It's about half way between Kawaihae Harbor and Kohala. The kids really enjoyed the hike and I enjoyed that one of the Grandpas was on the original excavation team of the site. So many awesome stories over snack! I also found out today, sadly, that one of my good friends is moving back to Portland. I've mostly

Koa is Walking!!!

2011-08-28T11:45:00.000-10:00

A video for my mother of Koa walking around the living room. He's a tiny tank (only in the 3% for length!) but he is now on the move so maybe that will thin him out a little! A word of advice: if you don't put clothes on your kids it helps cut down the amount of laundry at the end of the week!

A Long Weekend

2011-08-20T09:02:00.000-10:00

Friday was Statehood Day, which means no school! We spent a perfect morning at 69s near Puako. Picnic lunch, playing on the sand, swimming in the ocean. Today we again have our pick of the litter - farmers market, Obon festival at the town temple, Green Living festival in Waikoloa, maybe even a Kona run/Costco samples! This is shaping up to be a pretty amazing weekend.

In Marriage, the Small Things Make the Biggest Difference

2011-08-12T09:48:00.000-10:00

This is what I get when I open a pint of ice cream that's been in the freezer for longer than 2 hours. And this is exactly why I love being married.

Happy 1st Birthday, Kekoa!

2011-08-06T22:08:00.001-10:00

My lil makamae (precious) is 1 year old today. We had a lu'au at our house and capped off the evening with a trip to the ER, because what birthday party would be complete with some medical emergency! Koa began crying right when the party started and appeared to be in a lot of pain. I put him down for a nap and the party continued - Ikaika was having a blast with all his little friends and the

Koa's First Steps

2011-08-05T13:49:00.000-10:00

My friend came over this morning and as I was getting ready in the bathroom she says "Oh, so Koa's walking" And I said, quite matter-of-factly, "no he's not!" Apparently he is. Just not for me. So here's a video of Koa's first legit step - the day before his first birthday.

Golfing at Mauna Kea (beach course!)

2011-07-30T13:00:00.000-10:00

Yesterday my friend Becky treated me to a day on the links! It was so fun - a foursome of just us gals, some Miller Lite, and the beautiful scenery of the Mauna Kea beach course. Throw in some great shots on my part and, all in all, I would say it was a perfect Friday afternoon. The weather was amazing, but my camera is not. Teeing off over hole #3. Its 145yds and I initially used a 7 iron.

Ruffle Bustle Skirt

2011-07-28T10:59:00.000-10:00

This is an upcycled skirt I made for a friend's daughter using Lil Blue Boo's free pattern. Frankly, with the state of my morning (screaming, fussy baby - touching everything toddler - overflowing washing machine) its a miracle I've gotten anything done, let alone a sewing project. It's 11am and I already ready for a drink... This was made in 18-24M size, but as you can see, the fabric is

Kekoa being adorable

2011-07-27T14:27:00.001-10:00

This afternoon Mr A and I were enjoying lunch together and I noticed Kekoa just being adorable. Enjoy. Those eyes kill me. I can't nail down what color they are. Definitely not blue or brown. Green? Grey? Less "adorable" more "hilarious". All four teeth are clearly visible in this picture. Soon, he'll be chewing food with the big dogs. Preeesssssshhhhhh! Everyone says this about their

Blast from the Past

2011-07-25T10:51:00.000-10:00

Last September, my grandparents came to Hawaii for a visit. Granny recently sent me some pictures from their trip and I wanted to share this one from Honaunau because it's one of my favorites. And I look so good! I need to figure out how to gain some weight without it all going to my thighs and stomach - aesthetically, I am much better off as a size 6. Here's a picture of me standing in

Presenting the MOPS Quilts for NHCH

2011-07-23T15:28:00.001-10:00

Uggh, Jill, why don't you hold this one so I don't have to explain the terrible puckering... Yesterday I took Koa up to North Hawaii Community Hospital (where we was born) and presented the MOPS baby quilts to the Family Birthing Unit. Most MOPS moms have delivered at NHCH and we thought this was a great way to give back to a place that has given us so much. We collected baby clothes from the

World Botanical Gardens

2011-07-20T20:05:00.001-10:00

So long sweet summer. School starts early here in Hawaii (but summer weather is year-round, so its a good trade) and Mr A wants to milk every drop out of his last week of freedom. We decided to go on some adventures and explorations this week and started with the World Botanical Gardens and Waterfalls in Umauma, just north of Hilo. There were so many amazing plants and they were all

Pool Partay!!!

2011-07-17T19:27:00.000-10:00

Today was the final pool party in what seems like a marathon of kids' parties (seriously, was everyone born in the summer?). Ikaika has been doing well with waterwings in the pool (open ocean, not so much - he doesn't seem to like getting his head/face wet). The following video is of him swimming - nothing exciting, if you aren't my mother you should probably skip watching it. Koa's

Boys Night in Kona

2011-07-16T11:13:00.001-10:00

Despite the awful picture (I blame the photographer), the boys had a great time in Kona yesterday. Mr A took Ikaika to see his first movie in the theater - Cars 2! Mr A complained it was boring, but after reminding him that the movie is intended for children and the "point" was for Ikaika to do some 'big boy' activity with Dad, he agreed it was fun. Afterward, we picked up Uncle Stevie and

MOPS Steering Team Retreat

2011-07-11T08:50:00.000-10:00

We had a retreat this weekend in Waikoloa so we could plan next years activities for Mothers of Preschoolers. It was so fun and we got a lot done - including taking some pictures! Starting in the back - left to right: Karyn & Tiffiny (hospitality), Jill (creative activities), Kim & Heather (publicity), Becky (coordinator), Pastor Lani (mentor), me (finances). Lani got us these great

Hippy Dippy Trippy

2011-07-08T10:55:00.001-10:00

Mr A, Ikaika, and I had fun tie dyeing the other week and I wanted to get a picture of Koa in this onesie we made before he took a nap today. In his delirium, I guess this was considered "smile". Gaaahhh! That's scary! This is slightly better but you can't see the outfit as well. Sigh...it's hard to get a quality picture when the baby is trying to scale your leg.

4th of July, 2011

2011-07-05T09:02:00.000-10:00

Since I'm sure my family will be curious... Yesterday we went to a BBQ at our friends' house. Mr A works with the father and son. The son has been babysitting the boys recently but I had never met his family until yesterday. Such a nice family! Their grandson is Ikaika's age and the boys got along very well, which was a huge relief. We had a great time eating, chatting and playing music for

I love being married :)

2011-06-30T18:12:00.000-10:00

Built By You! summer shirt reconstruction

2011-06-28T10:35:00.000-10:00

My friend over on Fletchers Farm posted a challenge this week (or at least I took it as a challenge) to make something using Simplicity 3835. I just happen to have that exact pattern in my crazy collection, so you can only imagine the excitement. I also have Sew You, the sewing book from the same designer, and I love these clothes. They are simple, modern, and always fit just right. Not to

2011 Kona Marathon 5K

2011-06-26T10:58:00.000-10:00

"Yo, wife, nevermind the camera! Race is starting in 5min!!!" This morning we woke up at 430am and, thanks to some careful preparation and planning ahead, were able to be on the road at 5:01am. We headed down to Keauhou (Kona) for our 2nd family 5K race - the 2011 Kona Marathon! What a blast!!! Our official time was 31:03 but I clocked it on my watch at 30:42 (there was a hold up at the

The All American Pasttime

2011-06-22T13:16:00.001-10:00

Today we played baseball out in the yard because Waimea weather finally decided to be agreeable (the summer solstice was yesterday - its about damn time). My sister's husband, a baseball addict (I can say it on the blog, right?) and captain of the Beloit College baseball team, hand selected this glove for Ikaika because no nephew of his was going to have some loser "kid glove" - it needed to

Kekoa...crying

2011-06-21T18:35:00.000-10:00

Why is it that every time I settle in to finish something on the computer (I'm talking about a time-sensitive project or email), I look down and see this? Not cooperative! I don't know how anyone honestly works from home unless their kids sleep all day, are at school, or they have a live-in nanny. Hats off to all the WAHMs out there.

ABC Flashcards

2011-06-20T10:07:00.000-10:00

Ikaika has been practicing his ABCs and can do some flashcards now. He's usually down to go 20 for 26 average, which I would consider "not bad" for an almost 3 year old.

Happy Father's Day Date Night

2011-06-19T09:57:00.000-10:00

Last night I saw my first comedy show: Tommy Davidson at the Waikoloa Hilton Grand Ballroom (the room of terrible sound). It was fun - I laughed. Mr Davidson did not do an encore, despite the fact that we practically begged, howling of "HANA HOU!" ("one more time!") and we even stood up and cheered during his show! I was vastly disappointed and thought that was just bad manners. The best

Moscow Mules with Homemade Ginger Ale

2011-06-17T18:30:00.000-10:00

Alcohol is frowned upon in the anti-candida diet. But if you (like us) do indulge, vodka is the way to go because it's distilled and has less sugar/yeast/gluten than wine or beer or other spirits. That being said, what can you mix with vodka that isn't a veritable sugar-bomb?! And, FYI, I'm not about to drink disinfectant on the rocks. So I made a homemade ACD friendly ginger ale and made us

What is Love?

2011-06-16T10:42:00.000-10:00

what is love? when did you first experience love? who shaped your views of love? what role does love play in your life today? just some thoughts for a rainy Thursday afternoon.

Healthy Eating Choices - Getting Kids to Eat Healthy Foods

2011-06-11T10:31:00.000-10:00

Things have been trucking right along with my transition into the candida-free diet. I still have about four bags of dried fruit in my house, but I'm well on my way - eating at least 2 acceptable meals each day. Ikaika and I even made ACD (anti-candida diet) pumpkin cookies the other night...and ate them all for breakfast the next day :) So the other night I was looking to clear out my

Pua Mau Place Botanical Garden, Kohala Coast

2011-06-10T14:53:00.001-10:00

Yesterday I was seriously hurting for ambition. I spent a lot of time online and read several great blogs (including Greening Sam and Avery by my friend Abbie). This inspired me to take the boys on an adventure today. We packed a picnic lunch and heading to Pua Mau Place on the beautiful Kohala Coast. I told Ikaika that we were going "hiking". We got there at 930 (hours of operation: 9am-

Children and Empathy

2011-06-09T09:30:00.000-10:00

My two-and-a-half year old is a very sweet child and he appears to be aware of his emotions. I read somewhere that young children are not developmentally capable of empathy, but this does not appear to be the case with Ikaika. The other day we were down in Kona and I took the boys to Target. Ikaika was walking next to the cart and I saw him playing with my wallet (which had been laying in the

Good Morning 29!

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-10:00

Another birthday! I woke up (at 9:30 - best present ever!) to this beautiful display at the kitchen table. Actually, I woke up to a pig pile of boys in my bed, but I was more technically awake when I got this. Mr A made this lei and then told me the entire story behind the flowers (another great present - my husband understands my thirst for nerdlore). These are flowers that if you wear

Last Day as 28

2011-06-03T12:48:00.001-10:00

It's the day before my birthday. Still no formal plans. There are two kid's birthday parties this weekend, which I may attend and then just pretend they are for me (certainly it's not a far cry to think I would have a bounce house if I were to throw my own soiree). I spent the morning tie-dyeing with Mr A. He claimed to have never done it before, but I find that hard to believe since he grew

Beloit Babies

2011-05-29T17:50:00.000-10:00

With Aunty Lulu's recent acceptance to Beloit College, it seems that I am now outnumbered. My older and younger sister will be alumnus of the same college and I will be all by my lonesome in my purple and gold. These pictures are for my sisters, especially Beth, who keeps the boys outfitted in BC gear during all phases of their lives (probably in the hopes that they will one day be Buccaneers

Monday at Mauna Kea

2011-05-23T19:30:00.000-10:00

Summer is just around the corner - only one week of school left! We spent this afternoon down at our favorite beach. When we first got there the beach was closed to swimming because there was a shark sighting in the water. I guess a lady was paddleboarding with her kid in Kona today when a 14ft tiger shark bit her board. Scary! But we weren't going further than 5ft out, and that's not

Koa's First Haircut

2011-05-20T08:21:00.002-10:00

It's about damn time. ( to jog your memory, he went from this to THIS). It was more or less on a whim. We had loosely agreed to wait until he was a year old before cutting his hair, but I just couldn't deal with picking it out of his eyes and I couldn't clip it back in public due to my husband's deeply ingrained habit of gender stereotyping. My friend Jill, who is a professional stylist, did

DIY Laundry Soap

2011-05-19T13:16:00.001-10:00

My supply of ultra luxurious Shaklee Get Clean laundry concentrate was starting to dwindle. To make it last, I thinned it out with some good-ole homemade stuff. First, I gathered up my supplies: Borax Washing Soda 1 bar castile soap (or olive soap) Oxi-Clean Tea tree oil (or essential oil of choice) Food processor & measuring cup Next, I set up in a well-ventilated area (carport) and put

I used to be an idealist...

2011-05-18T11:58:00.000-10:00

...and I would like to enter my thirties the same way! Fresh out of college, and really my whole life, I have been bursting with idealism. When I was 8, my aspirations in life were to win Wimbledon and be the first female pope! Somewhere along the line I became "real". I became cynical. I stopped believing that it was possible to change the world. I stopped thinking that my work could be

MOPS Tea & Treasure

2011-05-13T14:28:00.000-10:00

Today was the last MOPS meeting of the year, otherwise known as the annual Tea & Treasure. We eat delicious food off nice china that is served to us by very gracious volunteers. It's a blast. There are also 3 women who give their "testimony" and talk about their life journey, share their faith story, whatever. I was one of those women this year. I was kind of nervous to find the right

Koa 9 month check up

2011-05-10T16:28:00.000-10:00

27" (ish), 10th percentile 18lbs 6oz, 20th percentile The doctor listened to his heart and asked me if anyone had ever said anything to me about the murmur. Sorry...what?! The doctor said that he heard what he suspects might be a VSD or tiny hole between the heart valves. He's sending us to a cardiologist in Hilo to get an EKG, echo thing, or whatever it is cardiologists do. He said this

A Poem

2011-05-09T13:08:00.001-10:00

The other day, as I poured through my old journals looking for inspiration to write my Tea & Treasure testimony, Mr A asked me why I don't write anymore. Which seems funny to say - as I am writing this on my blog. I suppose it's because at the height of my creative output I was also in the depth of my mental breakdown. Maybe that has left me with the subconscious impression that anything I

Log Cabins for Japan - Finished Product

2011-05-05T11:47:00.001-10:00

holy cow. look at this amazing quilt from Mini Mushroom. She took my log cabin squares and made them into this incredible blanket for who-knows-who in Japan! I am so glad I participated in this project. *squeal!*

MOPS Quilts for North Hawaii Community Hospital NHCH

2011-05-04T09:39:00.000-10:00

The year is quickly coming to an end (for those of us who live by the academic calendar) and it's time to finish up all those UFOs! For a community outreach project this year, the women in MOPS cut and collect quilt squares from our kid's clothes. The blanket is going to be donated to the family unit at our local hospital in Waimea (where most all of us have given birth at least once). After

Aloha Oe Hawaiian Quilt

2011-05-02T13:17:00.001-10:00

Today is officially Kanani's last day as a resident of the Big Island. :( I am deeply saddened to see her go (it was fun to drop by with the boys, watch movies, drink tea, go to the beach, have crafty parties, eat...really, just getting to know her was such a gift) but I know it's for the best. Sigh... As a farewell gift, I made her this quilt. It's done in a sort of modified Hawaiian

Ikaika's First Field Trip

2011-04-29T16:27:00.000-10:00

Ikaika took his first field trip with Tutu & Me Preschool. My friend watched Koa so we could ride on the bus (only 2+ yrs can go on the bus). We went to the Hilton Waikoloa to see animals that lay eggs, our theme for April. Auntie Kanoe helped him feed Koi in the fish pond. She also made sure he didn't take a bath. What a great teacher! We got to ride on the shuttle around the resort.

Baby Trend Expedition Double Jogging Stroller

2011-04-27T20:15:00.001-10:00

THANK YOU UNCLE BRUCE & AUNT ALISON!!!I am beyond excited to get my jog on! Now I don't have to wait for those perfect (and fleeting) moments when Mr A's free time coincides with my motivation! There is also a new road that runs behind Parker Ranch and, not only is it exactly 5K to the end and back, it also has sidewalks...ooo!

Mini Vacay at Keauhou

2011-04-22T18:10:00.001-10:00

We are spending the holiday (Hawaii schools get Good Friday off) down in Keauhou with our same friends from the Egg Hunt. They have a time share condo down here so it's like a mini vacation! We came down late last night after their basketball game and put the boys to sleep (super late). I didn't think about closing the blackout curtains and, needless to say, we were woken up at 6:15am by two

Punishment

2011-04-20T09:17:00.000-10:00

This morning I overheard by 2 year old punishing himself. He was shouting at himself (in a really nasty tone) "you go to your room and think about it", "it's time for time-out", "that is a naughty thing to do", etc. I know he was just role-playing and that it's a healthy part of development, but it made me sad! Do I talk like that?! (I know I say those things, but do I really sound so mean?)

Quik N Dirty Sticky Buns

2011-04-18T17:51:00.000-10:00

These sound so good, I don't care if they are totally unhealthy. I'm probably going to make these Easter morning or some other lazy weekend AM when I just want something that makes my house smell heavenly. I wonder if there is a way to make biscuit mix ahead of time because the only thing I'm leery of in this recipe is the processed packaged biscuits with their myriad of unidentifiable

Waikoloa Village Easter Eggstravaganza!

2011-04-16T18:36:00.003-10:00

This morning we went down to Waikoloa for the 10,000 Easter egg hunt. Literally 10,000 eggs. I know because I was part of the stuffing committee the other weekend. The "hunts" were actually just eggs in an open area and the kids would scramble around to collect them. They had multiple age divisions and then an "open" division at the very end with the eggs that were leftover. It was nice

Pretty Things for Sale

2011-04-15T21:20:00.000-10:00

Round Bazillion of trying to sell my cratfy stuff...GO! Lexi and I had a craftacular night this week where we just went nuts with the sewing machine, the glue gun, etc. It was really fun. I posted it all HERE on my Facebook page so you can go nuts and reap the rewards of a Wednesday well spent!

A Daughter?

2011-04-12T10:39:00.000-10:00

It occurred to me today that if I had a daughter I would dress her like Chelsea dresses her daughter on Teen Mom 2 (animal print explosion) and top it off with super ridiculous headbands. The world is a better place with me just having sons.

Water Baby

2011-04-10T21:32:00.001-10:00

Koa doesn't like the water. When he was born, the amniotic sac was partially covering his head. One of the Aunties told us that meant he was spiritually connected to the water. Apparently, they forgot to pass him the memo. He will sit on the beach and eat sand for hours but if the ocean touches his foot - look out! He doesn't even seem to enjoy baths. Despite the fact that Ikaika is in

In the Mood for Crafts

2011-04-09T23:36:00.001-10:00

I went nuts with the crafts tonight. The annoying/frustrating/predictable thing about me is that even if I have things that "need" to get done (for example, the taro quilt or my mom's Christmas afghan), when I get into the mood (the crafty mood) I rarely make progress on any of that stuff. Instead, I spend hours and hours working on other - less consequential - things. Tonight I started

Crafting some Headbands

2011-04-09T17:14:00.001-10:00

Glue gun fun! I've been scoping out the scene over on You Seriously Made That!? and - although I went there for the rosette tutorial - I got all into these crocheted headbands. I've never used my glue gun this much. Gotta say, I love the convenience. Ikaika begged to model one of the headbands and then made a mockery of his responsibility. Wouldn't sit still and kept giving me all the

Log Cabins for Japan

2011-04-05T21:02:00.001-10:00

I came across this on Punkin Patterns and decided that it was about time I started crafting for good (not evil). It's so simple. Make a "log cabin" style quilt square and send it to Minnesota by Friday April 8th (or early next week). They patch em all together and quilt em into a blanket. The blankets go to Japanese people who have been affected by the tsunami. I found a few scraps of

Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool

2011-04-05T11:05:00.000-10:00

I took the boys to their first day of Tutu & Me today. Wondering why it took me so long to get them enrolled (esp. Ikaika)... This program is really cute. It's held at one of the churches in town (Imiola on Church Row). They start with circle time where they stretch, sing, read a story and also - gasp - do the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer! I couldn't be much more excited about that if I