Sunday, July 29, 2007

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.....

Friday, July 27, 2007

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.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

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!!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

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!!

Monday, July 23, 2007

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!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

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?

Thursday, July 19, 2007

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 :)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

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!!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

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!!! :)

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

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.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

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!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

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!!!

Monday, July 02, 2007

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!!!