Catching Up

I've got lots of catching up to do! We all left Oahu behind on the 21st and headed to Maui.
I must say the 20 min flight was much more enjoyable then the usual 6 hrs we spend on a plane when leaving the island. The kids sat next to the windows and enjoyed pointing out the places they knew on our island and watching the other islands as we passed over.
Maui was beautiful. Imagine this- It's a lot like our island, only different! He he he!!!
We stayed at the Grand Wailea. It was a fabulous resort with 9 pools, a water park, swim-up bars, amazing restaurants, gardens and beaches. It also has the designation as being the spot for the most expensive lunch ever. But that's a story to be told by Mike Furey!
We ventured out for a few excursions. We went to downtown Lahaina and visited Banyan Tree Park, the Marina and browsed through shops.
There are a ton of pics to view.
Our other family outing was over before it started.
The Road to Hana is described as an adventure that is the journey, not the destination.
The journey involves 617 turns, over 50 one-lane bridges and 62 miles of beautiful scenery.
The Road to Hana's journey is supposed to be filled with stops along the way to photograph or swim in waterfalls, hike along breathtaking trails and visit remote beaches.
During our dual van journey, our Road to Hana quickly turned into our Road to Hell!
The road is nothing but switchbacks along the side of mountains on the East side of Maui. The switchbacks yield to one lane bridges with breathtaking views into deep gulches or down the sheer mountain cliffs.
Big Guy was the first, but then the others began to get sick in quick succession. We (I should say Judy since I was holding a sleeping Trey) had just cleaned up from Big Guys puking extravaganza when Van I pulled over and we pulled in behind them in Van II.
I was excited. I sprayed everyone in Van II with bug spray, grabbed my camera and headed over to Van I ready to hike to what I was sure would be a great waterfall.
I got there excited and ready to go and what to my wondering eyes did appear? But pukers, pukers everywhere!
Kathy was bent over the fence losing her breakfast, Ellie was about to begin and Kevin was just thankful the car had come to a stop before he lost his eggs and bacon too. Judy then admitted she was feeling a little green around the gills.
So began the road to hell!
The next puke stop we made I hustled some Drammine from some other tourists but Kathy was too far gone for it to help.
The sad part of this story is that the road ends at the Seven Sacred Pools. Then you have go back the same way you came.
The journey along the road to Hana turned into a "perilous, non-stop, get the hell out of here as fast as you can" road trip that only paused for more puking, a brief lunch stop for those that weren't queasy and a much appreciated break as we hiked to the Seven Sacred Pools. Poor Kathy!
Needless to say there wasn't a chance of me convincing anyone to drive up to Mt Haleakala the next day!!!
Kevin and the boys golfed, we stayed by the beach or the pool and the kids loved every minute!
Thanks Allied! What a great place for a concrete convention!
Mike and Judy flew over after the Convention came to an end.
They spent the week hanging out with the kids. Judy must have played 50 games with Big Guy, Mike taught Baby Trey the "tickle tickle" game and Tara chatted non-stop.
Judy and Mike had the joy of attending the annual Mokapu Halloween Parade, Judy joined us for trick-or-treating and Mike had so much fun passing out candy that when we got home he was passing out cash to the kids!!! (True story!)
As always, we were sad to see them go!
They got home just in time for Mike's birthday- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE FUREY!!!

Hello? Hello? Are you there?

I have a confession to make.

I bought my 7 1/2 year old daughter a cell phone!!

Yes, I have lost my mind! Yes, she will probably lose it!

Before ye cast the first stone- let me plead my case.

I went shopping with the sole intention of utilizing my new every two phone deal with Verizon. Kevin made a huge deal of informing me before I left that all he needed was a phone. He needed to be able to open it, close it and make and receive calls. Simple.

The simple phone included pictures. (I new I was in trouble when I had to get a phone that included a camera.) With this simple phone they were giving away 2 additional phones. With me now at work all day I like to be able to call Tara and ask if they are on their way to school or are they home yet. One of the older kids in the neighborhood watches them but I still worry. So when they offered the extra phone, for free, I thought why not? As I was standing there contemplating the idea and how my DH would react the salesman honed in on my indecisiveness. He began to describe the child watch program they offer. The child watch is a GPS locator for kids. I can set up safe zones and if the phone leaves the safe zone I will be notified via text message. I can also use the GPS locator in the phone and zero in on her on a map using my phone or a computer.

I was hooked. He didn't even have to go into the fact that the phone could be set-up to only allow calls from the pre-programmed phone book. Mr. Salesman, you did your job well. I had a momentary thought of getting one for Big Guy but that would have been true insanity.

She even got a cute little pink phone case. There. My confession is complete.

I also set up her phone so that she she can only call out from her contact list. If you are on her list beware.

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Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

Are these not the cutest kids ever?? We had parent teacher conferences today. Both of their teachers gave them glowing reports! I don't know why I am so amazed but I am near speechless. When I got home to tell them what good kids they are they gave me these pictures. Great pics and great report cards! What a day!

Teachings, Pink Palaces, Air Shows & Birthdays!

Friday Oct 6

The kids were all sick. I thought Big Guy had gotten better but he proved me wrong. I felt so bad for them! They had the entire week off and they were all miserable! How fun is that?
Kevin and I had been checking for room availability at the Hale Koa. When something finally opened I jumped on it! I had been off the week so we could hang out and do fun stuff. Instead I spent the week taking care of sick people! I don't even do that at the hospital! My DH had been going to work every day and playing softball every night so I stayed at the Hale Koa the first night by myself. No kids, no husband, no cooking, no diapers, no puking and no crying!! Aaahhhh. I even managed to have a massage. Double aaahhh!
Anyway, the family tracked me down with their GPS locater I am sure they embedded in me some night when I was unaware.
Hale Koa Day 1 they spent like zombies around the pool. I asked them all if they wanted naps and each one readily volunteered. Everyone woke up four hours later in a much better frame of mind. The DH and I decided we had better take a nice long walk to burn up some of their new found energy.
We meandered over to the Hilton to watch some of their pool-side Luau and take in the sites. They have a caged area set up with pools and rocks where they keep several penguins. We stopped, of course, because Baby Trey was screaming and pointing and demanding it of us. While I was holding him praying he wouldn't jump in the pool and tackle the poor penguins I heard my daughter talking to Big Guy.
"Tyler, do you see those two penguins hiding in the cave? They are mating!"
I was frantically giving my DH the LOOK as I was backing away hoping he would decipher the "Quick! Grab them! Let's go!" vibe I was sending him telepathically. I wanted to be out of there quickly before she went into more detail about penguin mating. My daughter is an expert on all things from Animal Planet or Discovery Kids. The crowd had collectively quieted and was waiting for her to elaborate.
We made a hasty exit before she was able to give the other sweet children an anatomy lesson.
Hale Koa day 2 the kids were once again enjoying the salty waters of the pool. We always plant ourselves in the gated area of the kiddie pool. Baby Trey can splash with no worries. Little children are best kept happy by bringing toys to the pool. The usual are balls, the whole sand castle building bucket of stuff and small floaty things.
On this day a little boy brought a bucket of plastic fish in amounts that boggled the mind. They were in every variety and every child there had a handful. Tara, the knowledge sponge that she is, was surrounded by toddlers as she named the fish and explained where they lived.
I was sitting in the pool scooping fish off the bottom and putting them back in a bucket. I looked at one and gave it to Tara.
"Look Tara! A sword fish."
It had a long sword-like thing on the nose. Sword fish right? Oh no! This wasn't a sword it was a twisted sword-like thing.
"Mom. That's not a sword fish. I can't remember the name of it but it lives in the Antarctic with the Beluga"
Who am I to argue with the Discovery Kid?? (To her credit, I don't remember if she said Arctic or Antarctic and I am just happy I know a Beluga is a whale!) I determined right then I wasn't needed and left her to her teaching.
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I have wanted to visit the The Royal Hawaiian and never gotten around to it. It's the big pink hotel along Waikiki Beach that's been around since the 1920's. It was designed for the Hawaiian royalty. The kids and I took a walk and found our way to the beautiful old hotel. The boys didn't really care where we were. Tara was quite impressed with it's opulence. I must confess the decor and architecture was overwhelming. You could feel and touch the history of the place but.... it seemed incredibly small!
There is no sprawling lobby adorned with local flora and island plush furniture. The pool was tiny, the lounge chairs, while nicely embellished with pink pads and thick terry cloth pink towels and pink umbrellas, were crammed together with little room for walking. The beach beyond it's borders was narrow and over crowded.
I had promised the kids an ice cream when we finally reached our destination. Of course there were no simple ice creams at the Royal Hawaiian. No ice cream sandwiches or fudgesicles here! My 3 kids dripped Hagaan Daas happily down their faces and begged for drinks I refused to buy. I left the Royal Hawaiian very pleased to have seen it but I had a new appreciation for the Hale Koa. One more site crossed off my list!

Fri Oct 12

This is the weekend of Blues On The Bay! Yeeaahh! (Pardon my ambiguity but I was stationed at the winter home of the Blue Angels and have personally seen them enough for a life time. Barb and Suella- I am sure you understand!) In honor of the festivities the kids were once again out of school. This holiday was labeled Waiver Day. To celebrate Waiver Day we went to the Air Show. It was military appreciation day. The masses were kept off the base till Saturday and Sunday. The private chalets were not yet private so we had the run of the place.
Kevin had been taking the kids to a nearby hill almost daily to watch the aircraft's practice. I didn't think I needed to force the kids to watch planes they had already seen but the Blues are much better if you can hear the narrator's chatter that accompanies their show. We skipped most of the day and showed up for the main event.
We stood directly in front of the blue F-18's as they fired up their engines and made their way into the air. I was concerned about the noise bothering the kids but they were so enthralled with the excitement they didn't mention the screaming engines.
Trey was so excited he didn't know where to point or look. I was fearing whiplash as fast as he was turning his head! Big Guy was laughing and full of Oohhs! and Aahhs! My DD watched, but you could tell she would have much rather been doing "girl" stuff. As we left they were still flying and I proudly told them they were listening to the sound of freedom. They are pretty awe inspiring!
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Today is Trey's birthday! Yeah! He's two! He's also rotten, adorable, spoiled, mischievous, smart, bad and absolutely perfect! He had ton's of presents (thanks everybody!) and a huge bowl of ice cream cause that's what he loves best. When we sang he buried his head in whoever was closest and if he could have crawled under the table he would have. As usual he was the center of attention. Happy Birthday Baby!! Pictures have been posted. Lots of pictures....

Buffett, Remotes and the Dentist

The DH and I went to see Buffett last night for the Honolulu stop of the Bama Breeze tour. I apologize to any and all that I called while there to torment with me yelling "Listen!! I'm at Buffett!" and then holding the phone in the air for them to hear the show on their voicemail for at least 5 minutes. Kevin and I left the house with no idea where the Waikiki Shell was even located. With the help of friendly Parrotheads we found the stage and even snagged some Jello-shooters on the walk in. Once upon a time it was illegal to bring cameras or video recording devices into a concert. I wanted to be able to snap a picture so I smuggled in the DH's small digital camera. People everywhere were holding their huge DLRs with their ginormous telephoto lenses. I guess I need not have worried. So lots of people probably have spectacular images of Jimmy on stage and I have a barefoot blurr in a yellow shirt and blue jean shorts. Yoohoo!
Chantell arrived at the show around 4 in the afternoon to get in line to get in, an hour and a half later. You go Chantell! She got the best lawn seats in the house! Great job and thanks!
I love to go to a Buffett concert. People are there of every age. We had teens on one side and a group that had to be in their late fifties on the other. Buffett is timeless. There was a guy that I chatted with that was bringing his daughter to her first concert. She must have been all of 10-12 years-old. That made me laugh. My DD had told me a couple of hours earlier
"Mom! That's not fair! I want to go! He sings the Cheeseburger song!"
That made me proud. My seven year old knows who Jimmy Buffett is. Sorry Paula- I met no one from Utah. The place was packed. The usual beach balls and balloons were a flyin' around, the smell of Maui was everywhere, and Jimmy commented on how awesome it is to be on the beach and then walk over to enjoy the show. The music was as it always is- fantastic. I hope he tours for many more years!
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Emily stayed with the kids last night. We were almost late leaving because we couldn't find the remotes to the TVs. FYI- Kev went into Tyler's room this morning and found 5 remotes and a phone. The question is not just why but also who???
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We all went to a new dentist yesterday. The kids were great. Tara expressed her concern over the fact that she has only lost 2 teeth. The dentist assured her she would lose more. He told me she would probably lose them rapidly around the same time. He did point out that Tyler would probably be the exact opposite. His roots are already deteriorating. He might actually beat his sister at something! Usually when I go to a dentist I open my my mouth and I see $ in their eyes and can hear the "Ca-ching" of money flying from my account. I loved this guy! He said
"Your teeth look great!"
Holy guacamole! No crown? No artificial bone grafting surgery? No root canals? No belittling for not doing something that I do already? I wanted to add him to my Christmas card list right there in the chair! The entire place was friendly! I never get this excited over a dentist!! I am still in disbelief. Not that anybody wants to know this, but the bone graft worked! My pockets were reduced from 7-9 to nothing but 2-3s. If you have no idea what I am talking about that's good. If you do then you know that's great!! Okay, I am going to quit gushing about a dental visit now. Don't forget to floss!!

Pity No More!!

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Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

I hate feet! Feet are gross. I have a pedicure every now and then just to have a pound of flesh removed from the bottom and sides of my too often bare and quite neglected feet. The women stuck performing this task often shake their heads and as the pile of dead skin grows higher and higher they have been known to call friends over to marvel at the mounds of sloughed-off skin. I am like a carnival side show when it comes to pedicures. I always have my toe nails painted in a very blah french tip style. I want no one starring at my feet ohhing and ahhing over a selected color because with the prolonged look they may notice what I have always known- my feet should be chopped off and donated to science.
On my last visit for skin removal I took my dear daughter. She has her father's feet. For this I am eternally grateful to the little bits and pieces of DNA that determined her parts distribution. She proudly picked the brightest bottle of polish on the shelf. She sat perfectly still and enjoyed the massage chair and didn't mind one bit while someone labored over her feet. She didn't wiggle or squirm and sat very stoically through the entire procedure. The lady assigned this task was quite impressed by her behavior and added a very beautiful flower to her toes at no extra charge. She loved every minute of the fuss over her feet!
I noticed something too. While everyone was marveling over the beautiful young lady I had beside me, my feet were not the center of attention. The lady merely looked at me and I got the pitied head shake and tongue "tsk! tsk!" but I was not barraged by the normal group of oglers. I may take this wonderful distraction with me more often.

Yet Another School Holiday!

One of the perks of being contract is that I am able to take off when my kids are out of school. Here in Hawaii they have "year round" school. I think that is actually code for "take as many holidays as you want" school. We are currently enjoying Fall Break which began with Sept 28th being Waiver Day, Oct 1-5 being Fall Break and Oct 8 being Teacher Institute Day. I could be wrong but Teacher Institute Day used to be Columbus Day. In an effort to be politically correct, it became Discoverer's Day and, for the life of me, I haven't a clue what Teacher Institute Day represents. Any guesses that don't involve the obvious joke of teaching and their right to being institutionalized?
If you read this you know my boys have been sick. PUKING, FEVERISH, MISERABLE sick. Today has been a complete change. I have been on the computer doing things people do on the computer while my children run wild and rampant through the house.
-Trey has brought me no less than 3 Halloween sized candy bars from the bag that is hidden. I have tried to finish what I am doing and happily opened each one and sent him away with smiles on his chocolaty face
-Tara has finished her Christmas list. I tell her that her Christmas list can only be 10 items long so that we don't overwhelm Santa with our requests. She has met my requirement by making a new list, 10 items long, daily.
-Tyler has been grazing through the kitchen eating everything in his path. He hasn't touched solid food for 3 days. He is making up for it now. Obvious sign of wellness!
-After each candy bar, Baby Trey opens the fridge, grabs the gallon of milk and drags it to me. Than he finds a sipee cup and does the same while yelling "Mom-myyyy, milk, and Barrnneeeyy! Thank heavens for Time Warner and Kids on Demand.
-Trey is my touchy feely child. If you remove his diaper he pushes his button. If you take off his shirt he plays with his circuit breakers. Now he has discovered the joy in pulling up Mommy or Daddy's shirt and playing in their belly button. That is what he is doing right now. I must go do something fun with my children!

Happy Birthday Kyle!!

Great Job!

Tara and Cody English, Citizens of the Month for Mrs. Holliday's 2nd grade class!

Surf Lesson Video

After a very long wait we received our video from Heath Thompson. Heath, of Waterlogged Productions, made a recording of the kids surfing when the Beatty's were here. I have embedded it at the very bottom of this page. It 's a wonderful video and a beautiful display of many of the sites here in Paradise. Scroll all the way to the bottom. Enjoy!

Tara's Season Opener

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Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

Does this even need a description? Ya gotta love this guy!

At Random

Tara was Citizen of the Month at Mokapu for September. Woohoo! Way to go Tara! She wore one of her fancy dresses for the occasion. Her good friend, Cody, was also Student of the Month. They are both in Mrs. Holiday's class and he lives just up the street. They are so cute!!!
Big Guy had his first football game Saturday morning. He had on his jersey, mouth piece in place, with the "black stuff" smeared under his eyes. He looked like such a little man!! He played hard and there was vast improvement from some of the first practices that I saw. They were able to actually make plays that didn't involve a dog pile. This is going to be one good season to watch!
Tara had her first performance of the cheer season shortly after Big Guy's game. The did a half- time routine that was done very well and even included some stunts. Very impressive for a first show! Last year they were the MCBH Bulldogs. This year they have changed their names to the D-Dogs. (Yep, we're on a Marine Corps base!) Gooo D-Dogs!!
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Tara is my child that tends to be on the creative side. If she is bored she will find something to do. Tape does not last long in my house. Most of her projects involve the use of tape. She tapes up the end of empty paper towel tubes to make shakers or tapes various items inside of boxes that become houses for pet rocks, etc. etc. I'm sure you get the idea. For the last couple of days I have noticed a new flower decoration taped to my wall. It's very pretty. It has a a big leaf with several other leaves taped to it and a gorgeous red flower taped in the middle. The entire creation is taped very securely to my wall. I get it. It's pretty and she wanted it to be a beautiful decoration displayed on my wall. What I am baffled by is the new addition I found taped next to her lovely arrangement. A calculator. A small hand held calculator is taped to the wall right beside the flower. Why??
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Last night was one of those evenings one spends reminiscing about the years before children. Kev and I were exhausted. He scampered upstairs about 7:30 mumbling something about watching TV. I knew what he was up to!! So I rested my weary head on the side of the couch and told the boys to lay down and go to sleep. Hah! That didn't happen. Who knew they would be up all night? I am pretty sure they must have been drinking coffee and eating sugar. Finally when I was done being awakened by toys bouncing off my head and Trey poking his fingers in my eyes and up my nose proudly showing off his anatomy skills, I got up and pulled the big bad Mom routine and made them go to sleep. Since my adrenalin kicked in I was hopelessly awake and began to do a little internet surfing. An hour or so later the real fun began. Big Guy woke up crying, hotter than Hades with the temp he was suffering from and complaining of a headache. ( I was waiting for this to happen. Emily's kids had it first so there were no surprises when this little virus surfaced!) Motrin had to be searched for in the medicine basket I pretend is organized, the thermometer's whereabouts I am still seeking, the puke bucket had to be recovered and I had to put on my Mommy nurturing smile and hold my now feeble child as he suffered through another late night illness. Just as I got Big Guy settled down guess what? It was Trey's turn to wake up miserable. About 3am I kicked Kevin out of bed and said "Tag! Your it!" (At this point he had been sleeping for at least 6 hours. How is that fair and why do I feel it is my sole responsibility to provide care during an illness? I know it is embedded in the mommy gene but I swear it is some type of genetic flaw that needs to be eradicated!) He spent the rest of the night holding Trey and keeping him comfortable. I can't stand when my kids are miserable. I am typing this pretty late on the following evening and Big Guy is still groaning and moaning in his sleep. I have a feeling this is going to be another long night. Remember when if you stayed up all night it was fun and then you got to sleep in the next day? Sometimes I do long for my misspent youth.

That's Love

I am double dipping today but I am feeling rejuvenated! When Baby Trey woke up I was really yearning for the beach. Tara and Tyler were out playing and I was tired of waiting for them. Since I have been working (I won't take that statement any further because I know you are tired of me whining about working) we are all growing quite pale. We are beginning to look as if we live in Alaska and not Hawaii. I was killing time, pacing back and forth when my DH said "Honey if you want to go to the beach why don't you go..." At this point in his sentence I took off like the wind, raced up stairs, changed into my favorite "no one will see me suit", grabbed a book, my keys and a towel and was almost back downstairs before he could finish his sentence with "...and I'll bring the kids if they want to go when they get home." That my friends is love. He earned huge brownie points for that one statement. I don't know if it was love for me or love for football, but really, does it matter? I was out the door before he could reconsider. I heard him say something about look for them as you go up the hill but I ducked my head and hoped for a clean escape. I drove on auto-pilot to Secret Beach. Apparently the secret is out (I'll blame that on Melissa and Ray!!!) because my spot was full and I was in search of quiet solitude. I drove a little more and found a nice deserted patch of sand further down. I spent an hour in deep thought about life and things when I noticed a beautiful girl walking the beach. That beautiful girl was Tara followed by Tyler, Trey and my DH. The few moments alone were nice, but the joy I felt in seeing my family, and the fun we had playing in the water and throwing around the clay we dug up with our hands and feet, was priceless. Aloha...

Too old....

Nothing makes my morning brighter than starting my day with a reading from this web site. This morning while laughing out loud with my coffee flavored hazel-nut concoction, Kevin came limping, moaning and whining down the steps.
"I am too old for this!"
He played softball last night. His elbow has a layer of skin removed and has begun to crust over making it painful to bend. He collided with a big ole' Marine as he ran for home and is now stooped over like an eighty-year-old man on a calcium-free diet for the last 50 years. He has a big old bruise on the inside of his thigh, right at his groin where his boys used to be. They got grazed and are still in hiding. He whined and moaned as he feebly stretched out on the couch. I looked at his softball schedule posted by the desk. "Hey dear! Today is Saturday! Just think on Monday you have two more games!" He replied with a groan. Hehehehehe! It's a great morning!

Wow! So much to say! So much to write about!
I have bad news. Work has asked me to extend my contract. They now want me to remain in the clinic through the end of December. Monday through Friday. I became a nurse so I didn't have to work 5 days a week. I don't mind the job, I sort of like it. They need the help too. So, if you do a good job, your are rewarded. The term that applies here, as with most things in life, is karma. My company has always treated me justly and fairly so I will do this favor for them. (Hey, I just found out I have accrued PAL time so I feel as if I owe 'em!) I will bite the bullet and stick it out. It's only 3 more months. Three more months of not languishing on the shores of the beach and enjoying the peace and the beauty that comforts me there. (What am I doing?!?) It's okay though, I know the warm sands of tranquility are there and will be at my next duty station too!
Not much has changed here. Tara is enjoying cheering and Big Guy is loving football. Football for 4-5-year-olds is a comedy in the making. Whichever poor child ends up with the pigskin is the base of a massive dog pile. It is play after play of the dog pile that moves down the field. They haven't yet grasped the concept that they are on the same team, nor that they are playing flag football and there is no tackling in flag football. Tara is participating in drama club. I don't know why she has to go to school to find drama, but it is an extracurricular activity and if it makes her happy, it makes me happy. Both are attending CCD. Big Guy wasn't real excited about it last year. This year he has lots of friends from his sports endeavors and from the CDC so he is very comfortable. It's a big year for Tara. She will receive First Holy Communion. She is very excited and a little too motivated. My dear daughter has the ten commandments posted on the refrigerator and is quick to point out the difference between right and wrong. My DH has been standing in for Mom and making the rounds at school for family lunch days. Gotta love the Dad that makes family a priority.
Tara and I had a Girls Afternoon Out. Saturday we took in a performance of the Lion King. The show was absolutely breath taking. The costumes and theatrics were incredible. Tara was wide-eyed with amazement and appreciated the story so much more because it was one that was familiar to her. She laughed and clapped and we all stood together for a much deserved standing ovation. If you get chance and opportunity this is one not to be missed.
I must now extinguish the power of the pen. It is back to work time for me.

Remember 9/11

Aloha! It's Sept 11. Please take a moment today to remember the tragedy that unfolded 6 years ago. Remember the horrific images of explosions, fire, death, dust and rubble. Remember too the hero's that were made and lost. I also remember, in the days that followed, how united we were as a country. It was amazing to look around and see Old Glory on cars and on homes, lapel pins, magnets. Spirits were high and the military was an icon of honor, courage, commitment and integrity. Now? People are done with the war and the military. It's a common theme of both conservatives and liberals "to support your service men and women" even if you don't support the cause. Why do people have to be reminded to support the men and women that are serving their country so that these same idiots are allowed to voice their stupidity? This is where I have to stop. It could get ugly. No politics today. Today is for remembrance. Remember the pride and hope that united us all after 9/11? See if you can't relive a little of that!
REMEMBER !!
NEVER FORGET !!

Citizen of the Month

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Tyler is having lots of firsts! He has started kindergarten, went to his first school friend's birthday party and at his very first assembly he went up on stage and accepted his first award as citizen of the month! Daddy took time from work, mom went in late and baby Trey was there too! He had cookies and punch to celebrate and then went quickly back to class just so he wouldn't miss anything. We were very proud of our Big Guy. Now if we could just get a real smile!!

Worst Parents Ever

My daughter is a sap. It's been confirmed before and there is no end in sight. She cries over movies, stray cats that aren't with their family and even flowers that die after being picked. This weekend she went over the top in the drama queen game.
Kevin and I have a 19" TV that we have had since we were married. It was actually left in his old apartment by one of his roommates that moved out too quickly. The name brand is Crozely. It's wrapped in a faux wood tone and is so old it has one port on the back to which you can hook up cable. We had to buy a special RF modulator thingy to be able to watch DVDs. In the last year, the picture has become snowy and it was just time to be rid of the old eye sore. This past weekend I had time to hit some yard sales in search of a replacement. I got a great deal on a 29" Panasonic TV with a built in DVD player. The DH and I did the juggle, move and replace thing and finally put the old TV out by the road for the trash to pick up. All is well, right?
WRONG!!!
We found our DD crying hysterically with her arms wrapped around the TV. After Kevin and I got done giggling over the situation while watching through the window, I bit the bullet and went to talk with her. Amidst the sniffles and sobs she proceeded to tell me that it wasn't fair. She had been with this particular TV since she was a baby and why couldn't we keep it? I tried to talk of living and non-living things and she wasn't buying any of it. Why couldn't it stay in a closet until we moved and then it could be put in a play room again where Baby Trey could watch it too? I shook my head and went back inside knowing I couldn't win against this particular chain of thought. I later discovered that my DD had rolled the thing back into the house and I almost tripped over it as I came down the stairs. It is now back in the yard and she periodically sits with it. I can only imagine the conversations are about how mean and evil her parents are for throwing it out. I am sure we are the worst parents ever! Drama Queen!

Why are you here?

I am working in an emergency walk-in OB clinic. Some of the things I hear are amazing. Some of the things I would like to say aren't very professional. Personally, I think I could cut down on our workload if I could just tell it like it is. For instance.....
Me: "What brings you in today?"
Pt 1: "I have a cold. I have had this cold for 3 days. I don't know what to do."
(You have a cold. A cold has to run it's course. A normal cold lasts 5-7 days. Go home.)
Me: "What brings you in today?"
Pt 2: "I am tired and and always feel as if I could puke."
(Sounds like you're pregnant. Oh! That's right, you are. Go home.)
Me: "What brings you in today?"
Pt 3: "My gums are bleeding and my tooth hurts."
At this comment I just stared at her. Really. I couldn't say anything! (Hey dumbass! You need a dentist! Not a doctor! DDS not MD! Go find a phonebook and look under dentist! You're in the military stupid! You have insurance! Please leave!
Me: "What brings you in today?"
Pt 4: "Well I need an STD check."
Me: Looking confused "Your admission paper says cramping and spotting."
Pt 4: "Yes but my boyfriend was with me. He's not very faithful so I would like to be checked for STDs."
Me: Just staring. (Wow. You're stupid. Get checked. Go home. Find a new boyfriend.)
and finally....
Me: "What brings you in today?"
Pt 5: "I was in a car accident and I think I hurt my wrist."
Me: "How many weeks pregnant are you?"
Pt 5: "Pregnant? I'm not pregnant. Why would you think I'm pregnant?"
Me: ***Deep groan*** (Because DA this is an obstetric walk-in clinic. Not only does your wrist hurt but you are stupid. Someone will be able to fix your wrist but my diagnoses is you're always going to be stupid!!! Please leave!)
I bet I could get people in and out pretty quickly if I could triage the way I want to! Where do these people come from??

Bye! Congrats! And California it is!

The weekend is almost over. The house is clean, laundry is done and we were able to hit the beach both days. Soccer was over Saturday. Tara had her end of season party right after the game but Tyler will have his trophy day next Sunday. Where else do you have a soccer party in Hawaii? Why the beach of course!! It's a potluck so I have to think of something delicious to bring. The Reyes are leaving tomorrow for a wedding. After they return they will be at the Hale Koa for a few days before they are gone for good. :( Big Guy was already whining today about how he was going to miss Ray Ray. Tara and Cassidy have spent every minute of every day together. This is going to be one rough good-bye!

Kevin has said that he will take the orders to California. (big surprise!) I don't know what we will do about schools. We may have to send them to private school. That sort of takes care of that bonus he will receive. Yikes!! We won't have to worry about a big change in wardrobes. A light jacket with a couple pairs of pants thrown into the mix and they should be fine. It will be nice to be so close to the beach and if we make a little effort we can go to the mountains and play in the snow. Julienne is a wonderful little town nestled in the mountains around a lake with little shops full of antiques and apple pie. I can't wait to be able to drag the kids to all of these places to see and experience new things. One of my favorite places, the San Diego Zoo, will be just a few hours down the freeway and we can visit all the theme parks in the area too. My big geek daughter wants to live in the same house she lived in when she was a baby. I try to explain that a two bedroom just wouldn't work these days.

Speaking of new houses, Kelly Nixon closed on her new house on the 24th. She is now a happy home owner and she did it all on her own. She is probably at this very moment painting! She and Lexi are now in a 3 bedroom house with room to grow! I have a picture here. She already has Cracker Barrel rockers for the front porch!

One last thing: Mom, those pictures you have been waiting for are posted! Aloha and have a great day!

Florida or California??

There is actually a moment here at work where I am able to post. I have pics of Tara's room but I haven't had a chance to sit at my own computer to upload. Remember I said Jax was an 85% sure thing? Well as with anything military, the 15% chance of elsewhere has changed. A bonus has been dangled in front of my DH if he will take orders back to Pt. Mugu and become a flight engineer. The orders are a sure thing for Jax- if he wants them. The orders for Mugu can be reality- if he wants them. I, being of gypsy blood, really don't care. The money would be outstanding. We spent a couple of years at Mugu and we were very happy there. We often commented on how wonderful it would have been to have had kids because the base was very family friendly. Jax would be nice because it would have been wonderful to have been in close proximity to so many of our family and friends. So for me, I am good with either. The decision is all his. ***uuhhhmm**** Any guesses on his choice?

Work Week II

Week 2 of work has come and gone. I still enjoy the job but I have serious issues with being away from the kids when they get home and do their homework. Kevin has done a great job of helping with laundry and when I came home yesterday he had vacuumed, put away dishes and straightened up the house. We have gotten pretty good with preparing meals on-the-fly and the crock-pot is a life saver. I did Kailua pork yesterday before leaving and it was delicious.
The house is under contract and we should be closing on the 28th. Gerry said she put a sold sign on the property and sees nothing interfering with the sale. The more I read/hear about how bad the market is and how it is going to continue to deteriorate, I am very thankful we sold when we did, got the price that we asked and am hopeful that there will be good deals in Florida in another year. And no Tammy, I am not going to quit now that the house is sold. (I think about it in an "I wish" sort of way :) ) It would be lovely if I could, but the greed factor kicks in and the extra cash is always needed. Trey breaks my heart when I have to leave him but the cure to that is having Kevin drop him off. Emily swears he's a great kid and said if this past week was as bad as he gets, than he's a dream. (He had that stomach virus we all had when Macy was here and was a puking nightmare!) Kevin leaves work at 3:30 and he is fortunate to be able to come and go to take care of doctors appts, etc. I am very thankful for all of the above and will continue to work as long as the clinic lets me.
The Harrington's are getting settled in their new home and the Reyes are getting ready to leave theirs. I try not to think about it. I asked Melissa if I could have custody rights in the summers. Apparently, I have to get in line behind the grandparents! What kind of crap is that? They will be in Florida near Disney so no matter where we go I guarantee we will see them!
The upcoming months appear to be busy. People are making plans for their last rounds of visits. Judy, Mike, the Fritts and the P Furey family will all be in Maui in Oct with Judy and Mike coming here to stay for a another week. The Thurmans are going to visit in January and the B Fureys are mumbling about coming over Spring break. Busy times ahead!

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Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

All the curls are gone!!

Closing and Curls

We have a contract on the house!!! What a relief! Closing will be on the 28th of Aug so no more mortgage payments! Yeeaahh!! I really didn't expect a contract this soon so I am relieved and excited. The day they presented the contract they had already scheduled a home inspection. I'd say they are ready and expecting no problems. Makes me happy and I am sure my father will be thrilled not to cut the grass. The house was a nice place to call home for a while, but it was time to sell. The next house we purchase will be open, bright and updated. Oh, and it will be in Florida! The market is so bad there I am hoping houses will be even cheaper in a year.
Trey got his first haircut today!! Melissa was cutting mine and when I got up from the chair, he climbed up and looked to Melissa and pulled on his hair. That was her cue and she started cutting away the curls. He did well until she was almost done. My baby now looks like a little boy. I bagged some of his precious curls to keep forever.

Happy Birthday Suella!

When I move to Jax you better come see me or I'm going to bring all my kids and come see you! That's a promise!

Happy Birthday Bernie! Happy Anniversary Bernie & Kristi!

Spring break is Mar 14-30. Two long weeks to choose from! Hope you had fun at the fair....

Have I mentioned....?

I don't know if I have told many of you this but we are pretty sure (85%) we will be moving to Jacksonville, Fl at the end of next school year. I am not too keen on moving, since I am pretty positive I could live here for the rest of my life without any regrets. But...if I have to move, Florida is okay in my book. The ocean isn't far, and the weather is a whole lot better than Maine. Kelly D lives few hours away on the west coast, the Reyes family will be moving just a little south of us, CC is in Atlanta, they have a professional football team and my DH has an in with one of the coaches. The kids are at a perfect age to enjoy all the attractions of Orlando (military season tickets to Disney are half price), air fare to Va is fast and fairly cheap, I love the Keys, it's a great place to come visit and the winters are wonderful. There are no state taxes, the neighborhoods are built as communities with their own schools, pools and water parks and the housing market isn't ridiculously over priced. The base has a hospital on post along with childcare and all the amenities to which we have grown accustomed. I am excited to again be able to shop at Target!! I am also trying to convince myself of how wonderful Florida will be by writing all the "pros" down. To be sure, I have to jot down the "cons". Hot humid summers, traffic, congestion and once again returning to the rat race which is known as life in the big city. I am going to repeat over and over "It's going to be wonderful, It's going to be wonderful, It's going to be wonderful.."

Happy Birthday Doug!!

Are you guys still coming out for a visit? The final year is counting down!

Tears, Work and Puking

First-off and the most important news is Big Guy had his first day of school on Thursday. He had a brand new Mokapu t-shirt for Spirit day, 2 full bags of supplies, and a whole lot of excitement. The DH and I were able to walk him and he loved every minute of it! I packed him a lunch and when he got home he requested, with wide eyed amazement, that he wanted a school lunch because they looked yummy. He saw lots of friends at recess, including Ray Ray who was also having his first day. I didn't linger. I had to leave quickly. As I said good-bye and have a great first day I got the required hug but when he quickly gave me the second, just a little tighter than the first, I had to quickly retreat out the door to hide the tears that were filling my eyes. My premie, my little boy that lost part of a finger, my little guy with the big heart and the speech that has been a little slow to come had grown into school age. (I am fiercely protective of this one and God help the child/teacher that causes him any pain.) Kevin laughed at me but wasn't surprised. He promptly announced that we had one more to go and we pushed baby Trey home in the stroller.
Some how we have made it through the week. Everyone made it to school, swimming lessons and soccer practice without a hitch (thanks Melissa and Emily) while I labored away like the rest of the working stiffs. I have to admit that I actually like my job. I have always loved OB but this is a whole different aspect. I am doing OB registration. That means I sit down with any and all pregnant moms new to Tripler and give them an outline of appointments, labs, what ifs, no nos and recommendations. I will also be giving answers on the Nurse Advise line for those that call in with questions. I have been to a seminar on IVF pregnancy and have also sat in on a prenatal class offered to our new moms. The people are very nice and I am enjoying my time there. An added bonus is that I pack a nice big healthy salad everyday with fruit, crackers, yogurt and water. I have been drinking lots of water and I have a 2L of Diet Coke that is still half full after an entire week. Way better than my nearly 2L a day habit!
After 7 years of various illness' that strike the children at any given time, my husband stayed home with a sick child. The first day Trey stayed at Emily's he reacted to her kindness by puking all over her. As he continued to puke that evening and into the night I was lamenting about how he had to get sick right after I went back to work and Kevin said "I can stay home with him tomorrow." Could it be true? Did my ears deceive me? He grabbed the phone the next morning and went out front for a hushed phone call. He came back in and said "Have a good day at work dear." My mind took a few moments to grasp the fact but it was true. He stayed home and played Mr. Mom. Wonders will never cease to amaze me.

Every dog has it's day!!

Ha! Ha! Ha! LOL! Who would have thought that dog's would get their revenge?? Whoever thought this up, I tip my hat to you!! For a mere $10.99 plus $2.00 shipping you can order the newest doggie chew toy that is a must have. The Vick Chew Toy is now on sale here. It is advertised to be the only thing left you can still buy with Vick's name on it (you know, since he lost all of his endorsements...)

"Is it different you ask? You bet it is!
The Vick Dog Chew Toy is made of state
of the art “dog” material. The Vick Toy
Doll is so strong and flexible, it will challenge
even the most aggressive breeds. Especially
Mike’s Favorite Breed, The Pit Bull.
Unlike Vick, our manufacturer is so sure of
its durability they guarantee it against the
most aggressive dog destruction. It Bends.
It Bounces. It Flies. It Floats. And best of all,
it lasts through the whole season and more!"

Might I recommend getting yours today? Apparently there has been such a tremendous amount of activity on their site that the toy is on back order. Better hurry though, I hear their was no permission given by Vick or the NFL for use of their logo or name. Proceeds will be anonymously donated to "local" animal shelters. He! He! He! Yeeaahh dogs!

Craziness, Sadness and Pasta

What an idiot I am!! As much as I know I passionately dislike working during the day I am now working full-time, Monday thru Friday 7:30-4:30 in the OB clinic. I start Monday. As in tomorrow. The silver lining here? It's only till September 28th. In the interest of financial security while trying to sell our house in Virginia and the trip to Maui in October, I thought it prudent to make some extra cash. My DH is elated. (Of course!) Tara and Tyler will both be in school and baby Trey should be fine on his own. Just kidding!! :) Emily Dillon will be keeping Trey till my servitude is up. How bad can it be? It's the OB clinic! I love OB! Clinic work is always a tad boring but I would be making the same amount of $$ even if working in L&D. So I will now do a lot less work for the same rate of pay. Not too bad, huh? **sigh** What have I done?
Friday we went up to the Hale Koa to say farewell to the Harringtons. The kids all played around the pool and had a fantastic time. We dined under the stars and as we began hugging our last good-byes the fire works exploded overhead as if the grand finale was marking our sadness. There were lots of tears and sniffles on the way home. Tara said she wasn't going to cry because we would see them in a year when we passed through California to a destination still unknown. Robert, Celeste, Kayla, Mary and baby Ryan- we miss you all already!!
Anyway, I have some video from yesterdays soccer games I need to upload. Saturdays are always filled with soccer. Four games left!
Today is a family picnic sponsored by Kevin's squadron at the superpark. He actually made the pasta salad for this event. All I have to do is add the extra ingredients that make it more tasty. There should be more pictures posted later.

Happy birthday Tammy and Pete! You guys are old!!

The Big Boy Room

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Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

Ok Mom, here it is! Ta daa! The curtains are even hung. This is the finished product of Tyler's new Big Boy room. He loves having the top bunk as his bed so much he didn't even complain about not having the fire engine bed. His trophy's, pictures, and little boy treasures are on top of the old toy shelf. There are more pictures loaded so take a gander at those if you want to see the border!! He is so proud!

Originally uploaded by shrimptruckplatelunch

2nd grade has begun!

Just to keep you in the know...
-The Reyes family will be moving to Panama Beach, FL at the end of the month.
-The Harrington's moved out of their house as of Sunday and are staying at the Hale Koa for a week before they move to Lemore, CA
-Scott and Pam will be transferring to Andrews in Sept. Link to their site here!
-Kevin is doing some pre-negotiating for orders. Of our choices, he has said our top 3 are Florida, New Orleans and Texas.
-Macy! You left your yearbook and as expected, some clothes.
-Happy birthday tomorrow to Pete and Tammy!
-Big Guy's room has been painted blue. Now it has to be put together again.
-Kevin has finally been put on blood pressure meds. After years of tricks prior to his doctors visits, he had to accept the fact that he has high blood pressure. It is just on the upper end of the normal range but it is still considered high. Maybe that daily run will be more appealing now and I should put away the salt shaker!

Today is the first day of school. Tara was ready but I think the summer went way too fast! She must have been very excited. She had gotten into the habit of sleeping till 9 or 10. This morning she bounced down the stairs at 6 with her clothes in one hand and a brush in the other. Her breakfast of choice for the first day of school? Waffles with bacon (turkey bacon, of course!). Her lunch? Ham sandwich with cucumbers, celery, and green peppers (thanks Macy!) with Ranch for dipping and sliced oranges for dessert. We loaded her favorite backpack, plus two shopping bags, with supplies. Big Guy, Trey and I walked with her to help carry the load and meet the teacher. Mrs. Holliday will be her 2nd grade teacher and she was Mary's old one. Tara is thrilled because she is so pretty and nice! I ran into Robin (who works there) by the front office and she informed me that while she is a very nice teacher, she's also a good one. That's encouraging considering Hawaii's school system isn't the best. Kindergarten doesn't start till next week so we will have another first then.

I've got the whole bed to myself! Sort of....

Another Saturday has come and gone. Soccer was this morning. The kids were great. Kevin was here so that made it more special for both Tara and Big Guy. I finished up the last of the school supply shopping. I don't mind buying the usual supplies. Paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers, glue, etc. is all the stuff you expect. But...when I have to buy dry erase markers and other supplies for the teachers there seems to be a problem. Tara needs 6 rolls of paper towels. Every child has to bring in 6 rolls of paper towels. What in the name of Pete are they going to do with all those paper towels? Why are the students bringing in dry erase markers for the teachers and paper towels to last into the next decade? Whatever **sigh**. In assessing the kids wardrobes I discovered that Tyler didn't own a pair of tennis shoe. I can't remember the last time I bought him a pair. So, in addition to the school supplies, paper towels, hand soap, boxes of tissue, dry erase markers and drinking cups I found Tyler some really cool tennis shoes. By some stroke of pure luck, they fit too. The bright spot I have in the yearly ritual is Tara. She is overly attached to anything from the year before. She does not want a new backpack. She is using the one she had in Kindergarten and even refuses to let me wash it. She is very protective of her "stuff" from last year. I'm not arguing.
I am sure my DH thought I had lost my mind today. We had one of those family cleaning days upstairs. (And no! Company is not coming!!) I rearranged Tara's room. I took the bookshelf off her desk so there would be room for homework. I then put the desk under her loft bed and moved all of her toys from the playroom into her room. That enabled me to move all of Tyler's stuff into the playroom and now the playroom is no more. It is officially Tyler's room. He is absolutely thrilled. A room of his own. I am ecstatic. My bed will only have to sleep me, Kevin, Samantha, Gizmo and the baby after his 4am wake up. Yeah!! So, after all of this rearranging I am exhausted and going to bed. G'night.....

The bird

Tara and Cassidy are our resident tree huggers. They want to save and keep everything. When we go to the beach we come home with buckets of fish or sand crabs. They stay on the lanai till the fish go belly up or the crabs disappear. Tara took a bucket to her room once. I found the bucket, empty, and my child playing in front of her big, multi-story, Barbie house.
"Tara, where is the crab?"
"It wanted to play in my Barbie house."
"Tara, where is the crab now?"
"I don't know. (looking sad, almost in tears) I moved the steps and heard a big crunch. I think I smooshed it."
Buckets of creatures are no longer allowed in the house.
Yesterday they found a bird that couldn't fly.
"Can we keep it?"
"Absolutely not!! And do not touch it!" I've had a bird. Been there done that. And wild birds are nasty and carry nasty germs and stuff.
They disappeared outside.
Today Kevin came home for lunch. He walked in laughing and told me to come outside and look. There we found a perfectly made, very realistic looking bird's nest. In it was the bird. Dead.
"Tara, did you make this bird's nest?"
"Nope. I found it in the bush where we find all the bird's nests. We tried to get the bird in it all night. This morning we found it and wanted it to be comfortable and be in it's real house. We didn't touch it though. We moved it with rocks."
Can't argue with that logic. They didn't touch it either. I just wonder if the whole moving it with rocks thing is what actually killed it. I'm curious what they will bring home next. I guess it is only fair. I know I brought home my fair share of critters.

Potter Finale

I'm done! I finished it. The end has come and gone for me and Harry Potter. The end was so final. No more of Potter and friends and their escapades at Hogwarts. All of my patients rooms had a copy of The Deathly Hallows on their bedside tables. I was their sleepy nurse who had given up her nightly slumber to diligently read the final chapters. I couldn't begin with the new book. Nope. Had to go back and read #6 so the story lines were fresh. I am usually not one to reread(?) books. This time I may make an exception. But not yet. Tara is becoming fascinated with the movies. I long for the time when I can sit with the kids and read to them this enthralling tale of magic and muggels and mythical creatures. I hope it is as magical a story to them as it has been to the rest of us. Thanks J. K. Rowling for the incredible stories of courage, strength, friendship, love and imagination!!

Bye Macy!

Macy is gone. The house doesn't feel much different- but it will. Big Guy and Tara both slept in her bed last night. Macy broke-up with Tyler. She called him her boyfriend and made sure to kiss him several times a day. He didn't like it and was glad she broke it off before she left. Tara said she was glad she was leaving. Macy was so mean because she made her clean her room and pick up the house. She was the first to say she missed her at dinner last night. The neighborhood kids were here asking about her. They thought Macy was the coolest cause she was so pretty, almost 14 and the queen of IMing, texting and an IPOD!!! I am glad the kids were able to hang out with a cousin and form a relationship. It's hard when we live so far. I won't be buying any cake/cookie/brownie mixes for a long time. Macy baked a lot while here. Out of boredom? Probably. Did we eat it? Definitely. I probably gained 6 pounds during her stay. We got her to the airport and Tammy said she arrived home just fine. Hungry, but chattering non-stop. I'm sure she is very glad to be back with her friends. She still has a month of summer to hang out before school starts. I hope she enjoyed her time with us and came to love Hawaii as much as the rest of us. Thanks Macy! Send me a text some time!!

National Monument?

Have you heard? There is a proposal in legislation for a new national monument. The subject? The military spouse. Can you believe that? After years of being told "If the military wanted you to have a family, it would have come in your seabag" someone has finally realized that spouses deserve something other than just being called "a dependent". National monument? Not quite sure how I feel about that. I am in shock. The stautue has been sketched to show The Two Faces of Courage. One of a woman and her children anxiously waiting for the return of their loved one and the other side shows the same woman clutching a folded flag with her children after her husband has given the ultimate sacrifice. I will be keeping a close eye on this one. It reminds me of a story that has circled the internet and Melissa has a framed copy in her house. I love it.


When God Created the Military Wife

When the Lord was creating a military wife He ran into His sixth day of overtime. An angel appeared and said, "You're having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? It has to be completely independent but must always be sponsored to get on a military installation. It must have the qualities of both mother and father during deployments, be a perfect host to 4 or 40, handle emergencies without an instruction manual, cope with flu and moves all around the world, have a kiss that cures anything from a child's bruised knee to a husband's weary days, have the patience of a saint when waiting for its mate to come home and, have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands? No way." The Lord answered, "Don't worry; we will make other military wives to help. Besides, it's not the hands that are causing the problem, it's the heart. It must swell with pride, sustain the ache of numerous separations while remaining true, beat soundly even when it feels too tired to do so, be large enough to say 'I understand' when it doesn't, and say 'I love you', regardless.
"Lord," said the angel, gently touching His sleeve. "Go to bed. You can finish it tomorrow." "I can't," said the Lord. "I'm so close to creating something quite unique. Already it can heal itself when sick, on a moment's notice it will willingly embrace and feed total strangers who have been stranded during a PCS move and it can wave goodbye to its husband understanding why he had to leave."
The angel circled the model of the military wife very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed.
"But tough," the Lord said excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this being can do or endure."
"Can it think?" asked the angel. "Can it think?! It can convert 1400 to 2 p.m.," replied the Lord.
Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she said. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model." It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear." "What's it for?" asked the angel. "It's for joy, sadness, pain, loneliness and pride." "You're a genius," said the angel.
Looking at her somberly, the Lord replied, "I didn't put it there."

"Wastin' Away in Margaritaville"

The only thing that would make sitting on the beach with a cooler of Coronas any better would be listening to Jimmy Buffet. While I am not an official Parrothead I am one at heart and have been for years. (Anyone remember the hat I had with the huge red parrot on top?) Maybe it has to do with my love of the ocean, or the sound of the steel drums or maybe it is his laid back "no worries" type lyrics but I love Buffett. My DH arrived home yesterday. Due to jet lag he was awake at 4am and browsing any and every internet site he came across. There was a blurb about Buffett coming to the Waikiki Shell and he immediately logged into ticket master and got us tickets. YEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!! I am so excited! I am like a little kid that just got the bestest gift ever!! Buffett tickets! ***taking deep,calming breaths*** Ok, ok I am pathetic, but sheeesh ,Kevin bought Buffett tickets. He hasn't done anything that wise since the day we got married! ;)
I was so excited I skipped over the part where I am supposed to say "Daddy's home Daddy's home!" Kevin arrived home Sunday morning in Honolulu. Tyler went with me and Tara stayed home so Macy could do her hair and make it pretty for Daddy's arrival. I, being the horrible, stressed-out, puked on, pooped on wife of the last week said "Tag! You're it!" as soon as he walked in the door. He took the kids and Macy to the Hale Koa and I began reading the new Harry Potter book in a house that was strangely, wonderfully quiet. It was heavenly. Speaking of heaven, my DH is fixing breakfast. Aloha!

My website, blogger.com, is trying something different. They are experimenting with video uploads, so I am trying it too. I don't really know what we'll see but, TA DAA! Here it is!!

3rd Week of Soccer & New Discoveries!

Third week of soccer and .....WOW!! Tara played goalie and did a great job! I was very proud of her. She tackled the ball, caught it, had several saves and got walked on by cleated feet several times. She never shed a tear but she did make one request. She wanted to go to the doctor immediately after the game cause she swore someone broke her bone when they stepped on her arm. :) Big Guy scored a goal and had an awesome block that he did with his chest. He was also put in as goalie and did a heck of a good job. It was so cute having everyone yell "Go Big Guy go!". He wanted to sit out at one point and coach told him to go back in cause they needed him. He swelled with pride and ran even harder. Yes, I know, I'm bragging.
Yesterday was cloudy so we (us and the Reyes family) piled into the van in search of places we had never been. We stopped at Laie Pt. It was beautiful and even more so with the extra punch from the angry swells of the ocean thanks to a hurricane near the Big Island. There are 5 outcroppings of rock scattered in the ocean like little islands. There is a legend about a giant lizard that was destroyed and thrown into the ocean and the "islands" symbolize what is left. Next on our list was Pu'u O'Mahuku which is sacred land that once was the location where ancient Hawaiians performed human sacrifices. The stone walls remain and it soars over Waimea up in the hills so if you walk to the edge the views are fantastic. (I don't mean to offend anyone if I butcher the legends or misspell a place name!) Our last stop was to see the sunset from the north side of Kaena Pt which is the western most tip of the island. We were hoping to get there a little earlier so we could do a 1.25 mile hike to hidden beach but we were a little late and the road was a little flooded. All 3 spots were beautiful. Have I mentioned lately that I love it here?

Picture Perfect Day

Everyone has a place that they go to unwind, relax and be at peace. If you read this site, you know for me it's the beach. I had only one purpose yesterday and that was get to the ocean, sit in the sand and dive into the crystal blue waters that restore my inner balance. Aaaahhhhh. We brought nine kids. Pam brought seven. Did I care? Nope. They played football, had chicken fights, rode the waves, did some skim boarding, explored the jetty, gathered "sand turtles",played a little bb, walked to the park and played in the sand. Pam had a blast playing with all the kids. She was in need of a little fun in the sun too! Melissa, Celeste and I kicked back, had a Corona and watched the day unfold from our chairs by the waters edge. Back at the house I finished up a novel I was reading. The book is called Molokai and chronicles the life of a girl sent to the island's Leper Settlement in the late 1800's. It's a historical novel about Hawaii and it's a great read. Dinner was a done deal as we stopped at Fat Ron's on the way home. Not my idea, but it was an easy way to appease the angry mob of hungry children. I ate my left overs from my thawed out freezer. It was a great day and a great way to erase the last few days. Now, if only I could find the energy to clean my house. There are more pictures posted.
I forgot to add a funny here. After her bath last night, Tara came down the steps in the beginning stages of a full blown crying fit. She was balling and sniffling and she fell into my arms and said "Mom, I am too young to die, I don't want to die! Look at my toe! Are they going to cut it off or am I going to die?" She sobbed and cried. When I could finally understand what she was saying, I looked at her toe. Apparently while playing on the rocks she stubbed it pretty badly. The toe is bruised and the nail is too. The nail will probably come off but I kept that to myself. She was sitting on the couch a little later and looked down and said "Mom, that looks horrendous. It's it going to be better by the time I go back to school?" LOL :)

My Dear Friend Murphy

I consider myself to be pretty independent. I can change a tire, jump a car, do minor home repairs, etc., etc. When your DH is gone as frequently as mine you learn not to depend on anyone but yourself. If they are around, it's the exception and not the rule. And, as required by Murphy's Law, if anything is going to go wrong- it will, but especially while the husbands are away. The last week has been a prime example of me and ole Murphy battling it out.
-Macy and Tara getting sick, and barfing all over everything in their path
-The laundry that the above created
-The baby got sick while I was at work the next day
-When I came home the freezer door had been left open (or so I thought)
-I got sick the following am and had to go in to work any way
-The weather has been crappy from the typhoon that was pounding Japan. Cloudy skies and rain mean I am not getting to the beach. The beach is my therapeutic release.
-The freezer died thru the night. I went to buy a new one but when I jumped into the van...
-The lights had been left on overnight and it wouldn't start. The battery was so drained it wouldn't jump.
-Every man I know was gone- deployed, on det, out-of-town, or at work.
-When I went to buy a new freezer the card I was using had my DH's name. I was told I wouldn't be able to use it unless I had a power-of-attorney. I knew I had one and knew exactly where in the van it was and told the lady I would be right back. I ran outside only to realize I had borrowed a vehicle because mine wouldn't start. Uhh! Murphy got me again!!

Fortunately for me Dillon is in town. He answered my cry for help. Together we hauled out the old freezer and he had a charger for the battery. I can't pick up the new freezer till Thursday and I enlisted his services to help me then also. I thanked him and gave him a half thawed hunk of Salmon, bag of broccoli with cheese and a loaf of crusty french bread. I don't think he realizes that he rescued my injured soul. I was on the verge of waving white flags at my dear friend Murphy. Instead, he listened to me rant and rave, reassured me that I had jumped the vehicles correctly, and hung out just to chat for a few moments. Exactly what I need to once again feel like a strong, independent, military wife capable of handling all of Murphy's sh#t! Thanks Pete!!

Hallmark? HA!

I don't have the greatest of memories. Especially for birthdays/anniversaries. My family would fit in a Honda and I still get the dates of my grandfather's birthday and their anniversary confused because the dates are back-to-back. I've known them for 38 years. Imagine my complete ineptness when marrying into Kevin's family. His mom, dad, brothers and sisters wouldn't fit in a Honda. That's not even mentioning the nieces, nephews and grandparents. If you add in the anniversaries and first communions I am a complete failure. I apologize. It's horrible- I know. When you are in the military and move from place to place, strangers suddenly become family. You find yourself celebrating special occasions with friends that have become like brothers/sisters even while forgetting those same holidays of your real family. It doesn't help that my DH doesn't even know which month some of his family's special occasions occur. I don't know if any of you ever scroll down to the bottom of the page. I have added a calendar. Please scroll down, take a look, and see what I have missed. The calendar actually e-mails me a message to remind me of the posted event. I think this is wonderful. I had to use a 2004 Meiners-Hodes-Aumuller Family Roster for the dates. If I have left anyone out or need to add in something, please leave a "comment" in the drop down box below this posting. You could also email me. I don't know if it would work, but you could try just adding the event to the calender. I am not promising cards, gifts or flowers. I can't even promise phone calls because sometimes by the time I get around to checking mail and such, it is bedtime where friends and family live. I am promising to be thinking of each and everyone on their special day and to try real hard to at least send an email acknowledging their special day. So far I have sent an email to Pam for Michael's birthday and also to Kathy and Grandma Rose. I hope you all know we were thinking of you on your special day and we hope you had great birthdays!!! Please accept my sincerest apologies for any and all past (and future LOL) missed holidays- but note that I am trying!!! :)

What a day!!

I should never have gotten out of bed today. I should have grabbed the covers, pulled them up high and hidden in the depths of warm blankets and pleasant dreams. But no. That's not what happened. I heard Macy's feeble voice coming from the bathroom, between puking sessions, calling my name. After I got her cleaned up and the sheets were pulled from her bed I was cleaning and spraying the upstairs and it just still smelled bad. I went into Tara's room and found her asleep next to the mess she had created when she had gotten sick through the night. The washer is going, the dishwasher is running and hoooraaahhhhhh! It's my day off. We were all (the neighbors and I) going to gather the kids and go to the zoo and then cool off at the Hale Koa. Now I am listening to my two girls taking turns to wretch into the buckets I have set next to them. My poor girls.
At the top of my site I have a disclaimer that allows me to complain about the little things. So, here goes. I have often ranted about poor pitiful me because I have no brothers and sisters. There are times when I am very thankful for being an only child. My family experienced a death not long ago. Three adults were left grieving over the loss of a parent. One has done very well in life. She has a successful husband, a large home, and 4 beautiful kids. Another is married and happy, living in a home in another state. The third and youngest (he is older than I am) was living in the house with the now deceased parent. He is now living with other family while he gets finances and life straight before branching off on his own. The estate was not overly large- a modest home, an eight year old car, some cash in the bank and maybe an insurance policy. The problem is the executor of the estate was child #1. She has decided to charge an executor's fee. If the estate was large or if she was a lawyer or someone outside the will that was not an heir, the fee would be perfectly justified. The other problem I am having with the situation is the fee is only being paid by child #3, who has no place to live and is making a valiant effort at getting his affairs in order. I have searched on the internet and everything I find says the fee is generally waived if the executor is a recipient of the will or a family member. An executor should be business smart, trustworthy and fair. By that simple definition she has failed. I hope her children will not be subject to the same greed and injustice when they lose their parents. Sometimes being an only child has it's perks.

07/07/07

Macy took this great shot of Tyler- #6 for the Electric Eels!!

Today was the first Saturday of games for soccer. Tara had a game at 9 and Big Guy played at 10. At the beginning of the season we have to sign a Parent Promise. The form basically reminds parents that the children are there for fun. A commom sense, good sportsmanship reminder that obnoxious screaming and foul behavior will not be tolerated from the sidelines. If anyone was witness to my facial expressions during Tara's game, I was radiating complete astonishment at the behavior of two of our parents. These kids are 7 and 8 years old and these parents were yelling at this poor little girl like there were college recruiters sitting in the crowd. To yell and scream and threaten a child for not running fast enough or kicking the ball hard enough is completely inappropriate. The poor girl is a great player but I guess that's not enough. From what we all heard coming from the screaming idiots, the poor child will be running laps and grounded for the weekend because at some point during the game she dared to look in the wrong direction. I don't have a lot of patience for that. I know in addition to a highlighted copy of the Parent's Promise being left on their windshield, I will not be able to bite my tongue each and every Saturday. We are still trying to convince Tara that she actually needs to make contact with the ball instead of just running along beside it. She loves to play and and she may not be the star of the show, but I am happy that she stays interested and involved. It's not about winning, it's about having fun!!! Big Guy was super aggressive and had a great game. He was all over the ball and ran hard and fast. He was so very happy that it was finally game day and he got to wear his complete uniform!

Kayla Bazzle also had a birthday today. She wanted to go to Hawaiian Waters for the day, so off we went. The kids had a blast! It was the perfect way to cool off and there was something there for everyone! Pictures have been posted!

Oops!

I just uploaded some pictures and when I did I realized I hadn't written about Tara's birthday. She once again wanted a pool party. We decorated with multicolor pool /luau decorations. Since we rented the pool after hours we had the place to ourselves. The kids were able to slide, dive and swim as much as they wanted. I had a craft table set up and all 15 or so kids made popsicle stick picture frames. I snapped pics of each child with Tara and they were able to take their framed photos home as a thank you. We had a limbo game set up on the side. (How low can you go?) The kids played several rounds of "push the duck across the pool with your nose". Their dives got very creative and their laughter and giggles could be easily heard as they repeatedly went down the slide. Everyone had lots of fun and kept busy. At the end of the evening when we were packing up to go, I had to chase Macy away from the craft table. She thought the frames were great and I bet she made about 10 to take home. Tara received lots of great presents but I think her favorite has got to be the desk top cd/radio/alarm clock she got from Aunt Tammy, Payden, Macy and Darby. Everyday she is upstairs dancing and singing. Thanks everybody for a great party! Lots of pictures have been uploaded....

Happy 4th!

Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July!! We met up with the Dillon's yesterday morning and headed out to the sandbar. We grilled and played frisbee and the kids splashed in the water. When the tide began stealing the sand we headed back to the boat and snorkeled and tossed around a football. All was well until a killer crab the size of a quarter latched onto Macy's foot and wouldn't let go. I wanted to take a picture of the little crab's claw clinging to the underside of her foot right next to her toes. The piercing screams one decibel under a dog whistle made the picture taking impossible because we just wanted to remove the crab so the screaming would stop. Even Tara and Tyler were laughing at her but unfortunately baby Trey has gotten pretty good at mimicking the scream. One small crab in all of the ocean and it found it's way to Macy. She was the entertainment segment of our day! There were several fireworks displays on the other side of the island but the only one on this side was Kailua's. Since there is only one road in and one road out of town, the ride home could have taken hours so we headed to Ft. Hasse beach here on base where we had a great view without the traffic and hassle. Everyone was exhausted. Trey and Big Guy were already asleep and Kev more than happily volunteered to stay with them. Tara and the Reyes kids were sitting on the beach and I could hear comments like "Why are we here?" "We've seen fireworks all weekend!" "Can we go home now?" We all went back to the house and feasted on Kalua pork, cabbage, rice and pasta salad. Melissa asked if anyone wanted a beer and we all laughed- then everyone went home and went to bed. Thank heavens the holiday festivities are over!!!

Summer Daze and Bay Fest Haze

Macy has been here for a couple of weeks now. It is wonderful to have her here. Kevin and I are about to put our house in Virginia on the market and with an extra mortgage to pay having her here to hang out with the kids while I work is fabulous. I have decided that those people that have to work everyday 9-5 are sucking. Maybe it is just because I am in Hawaii. (I didn't hate it so much when I was in Virginia, but then again I worked nights.) I only worked 3 days one week and 2 the next- but it's horrible. I was at work all day. That is a day at the beach completely wasted. An entire day of being without the kids and missing all the crazy, goofy things that they find to keep them occupied through the day. I think I entered a state of semi depression. I should probably avoid that whole work thing for a while (LOLOLOL). Okay! Just the day part in the work factor is what I will try to avoid.
Anyway, trying to keep Macy occupied should be considered work. Just kidding! We have been going to the Hale Koa, hanging out at the beach, going to the movies, Bogey boarding at Bellows and doing some hiking. This past weekend was the Bay Fest extravaganza. I took Macy to her first concert- 3 Days Grace. I admit I have been a little out of touch with the music scene for the past few years, but who knew they would have a mosh pit at Bay Fest? Macy was mesmerized by the pure chaos of the "dancing". Ray went with us and he threatened the life of any and all Marines that happened to stare at Macy for too long. It was a blast! Macy had a great time at the concert and Ray even let her dance a little at the after party (of course he was standing next to her glaring at the poor soul who dared dance with her). Kevin was on duty and had to work the event on Saturday so he passed on that concert. I was supposed to work the next night when Gretchin Wilson was the main act so we both skipped that day. Sunday, a bunch of us took the kids and let them ride rides all day. Kevin and I went back that night and saw Alan Jackson's show. He was great and I think everyone in the crowd knew every word to every song. We all sang and swayed and even shed a few tears together when he played "Where were you when the world stopped turning?" It really was a great show.
My dear parents have been working hard on getting my house back into pre-renter condition. We are re-painting the inside for that clean, fresh feeling but the yard was in complete disrepair because they completely let it go. I have seen before and after pics and they, and Adam, have worked their butts off getting everything done. I can't say thank you enough!! We should be having an open house this coming weekend so everyone keep their fingers crossed and think "Sell! Sell!" I don't want to work this hard indefinitely!! :)
Well, I am currently teaching Macy about the luxury of owning a gas grill and the ease of a rice cooker. She lives on chicken and rice! Anyway, I am going to go supervise so...aloha!!!

Turtles, Shrimp and Waterfalls

The Beatty's are still here and we have been busy, busy, busy! Saturday everyone went to Tara's volleyball game then they all went to the swap meet. As the sun was going down, we were headed to Hanauma Bay. Twice a month they do night snorkeling so we weren't going to miss the opportunity. It was very cool. We were able to rent underwater flashlights and to look at the dark water with the lights moving just beneath the surface was very inviting. In all actuality, it creeped us out. You could hear stuff in the water but you couldn't see anything unless it was directly in the beam of you flashlight. You never knew what was lurking just ahead. By unanimous vote it was decided this adventure, although sounding very cool, was creepy....very creepy. Sunday we went to Bellows AFF so the kids could do some boogy boarding. They also got an added bonus that day- there was a turtle feeding around the jetty so they kept an eye on that. We headed to the West side of the island for Germaine's Luau that evening. It was great fun and served up some fabulous mai ti's. Yesterday we hit the North Shore and our guests sampled the wonderful shrimp scampi from Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. While waiting for our eats we all passed the time by adding our names to the countless others found on every inch of the truck. They were fascinated by the many turtles at Lanikea or Turtle Beach. Snorkeling in waters where turtles nearly run you over is intoxicating. Next on our list was Waimea falls and other than an overzealous life guard, the icy swim is fabulous. Today we are going to head out to the sand bar for some volleyball and good times. Have I mentioned lately how much I love it here?? As soon as I find Darby's camera I'll update with some pictures...

Tara's Last Day of School & the Beatty's First Day on Island

School's out for summer!! Yoohoo!! Tara's last day of school was yesterday. We said good-bye to first and it's on to 2nd grade. Wow! Our little girl has become an exceptional reader and for that I am very thankful. I don't know what second grade will bring but I love to watch her learn. She is like a sponge that is awed by her journey of learning and discovery.
The Beatty's are here! We all walked Tara to school and after I dropped them off at the beach. Tara only had a half day and that was just for a party and to play. Her birthday is always after the school year so I made her a ginormous chocolate chip cookie and Macy decorated it to share with the class for a mini birthday celebration. We met up with our latest guests when school was out and Trey had napped. They were snorkeling, boogie boarding, walking the beach, exploring the tide pools and having tons of fun in the sun. When I left several hours later they were making plans to head to yet another of our beaches. Needless to say, today they are crispy critters, especially Darby and our very own Flamin' Payden. Today they have strategically planned to stay out of the sun and are headed into Waikiki. They are going out on the Atlantis submarine and then hanging out to explore and watch sunset. I am actually going to work tonight (nobody faint!!). Macy bought a skim board so I am sure they'll be hitting the beach while I am sleeping tomorrow. Twice a month they do night snorkeling at Haunauma Bay and this Saturday we are going to try it. I am excited because Kev and I have talked about it but haven't done it yet. Not quite sure what we'll do with the little kids but I'm sure we'll figure it out. I love when people come to visit and we get to be tour guides!!