MORE GOOD.

So, since we don’t have pictures… I am going to try and do a brain dump here… starting from day 1. Our first travel day was Monday. Tic Tac was SOO excited to ride the plane. We call Lilianna “Tic Tac” a lot because she still has the cutest little baby teeth- tic tac teeth! Isaiah and Lil looked like world travelers at the airport, pulling their own luggage. Isaiah was pretty fascinated with all the processes, and asked lots of questions. I sat with Tic Tac and Daddy sat with Isaiah. She held my hand so tight for take off. Fascinated by all the little things on the plane… she asked me to roll down the window. Isaiah was happily reading his book and then played his DS for the last time. Tic Tac was forever fidgety the entire flight- having to go the bathroom at the WORST times. I think she just liked going into the tiny bathroom. We arrived in Oahu in the afternoon, checked into our resort, ate dinner, and did some Wal-mart shopping for groceries, etc.

Tuesday, we met up with Uncle Paul, Auntie Kathy, cousin Alyssa and her friend Mia. We drove around the island and visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Fruit Heaven for Isaiah, whose FAVORITE fruit in the world are PINEAPPLES! The kids were pretty amazed at how pineapples start out, a tiny little pineapple sprouting up in the middle of the leaves. We ate lunch and then dessert. Of course, Isaiah just wanted pineapple, so he got a small box of some of the sweetest delicious pineapple we’ve ever tasted. Lil had a Dole whip – and didn’t even want to share with me! We all boarded the train to the Pineapple express. We saw fields and fields of pineapples growing in rich, red dirt. Mango trees, macadamia trees, coffee trees, etc were also planted for harvest. Isaiah was amazed to learn that a single pineapple can take up to 2 years to mature. He said, “Wow, that makes them pretty rare.” I think he enjoys pineapples EVEN more knowing this. The tour was great, until my cell phone dropped out of my purse on one of the turns. I watched it fall in S-L-O-W motion and break apart next to the track. Luckily I got it back at the end of the tour- as the train operator saw it happen and retrieved it for me. LUCKY I got it back, uncracked. This was the piece of tech that didn’t get stolen on our trip. Next the kids and dads went through the pineapple maze/scavenger hunt; while Kathy and I sat in the shade and had a chance to chat. Dave and Paul went together and all 4 kids raced around the maze together. Isaiah LOVES a challenge. When Dave found the kids, Isaiah exclaimed, “we only have 1 more stamp and then we’re done!” Dave said that Lil seemed really proud to be big enough to run with the big kids. They were hot and exhausted when they finished, but very happy! We were all pretty hungry so we drove further out to North shore and visited Giovanni’s World Famous Shrimp Truck. Poor Tic Tac fell into a deep sleep in the car and could not be woken, even when Isaiah said, “Lil, we’re going to eat SHRIMP!” My kids happen to LOVE shrimp and all seafood. Isaiah tore through a 1/2 order of garlic shrimp which made his Dad extremely proud. We sat very close to the car so we could keep an eye on Lil. Isaiah kept going back to the car to check on her because he didn’t want her to miss out. We ordered the boy another 1/2 order which he devoured. He loved it but said he was sad the Lil missed out and that she didn’t get a chance to sign the truck. We drove home too late to go to the pool, which disappointed Tic Tac, who had been asking to go to the pool ALL DAY.

Wednesday, cousin Korina arrived from CA and we all went out to the Macadamia nut farm. Besides seafood, my kids love NUTS. I know, they are nutty kids. The macadamia farm is beautiful there, set among the jungle, with big beautiful trees and wild chickens and baby chicks everywhere. My kids love chickens and are not afraid of them in the least bit (as we raised chickens in the backyard for a few years). These were wild chickens though, not tame and easy to catch hold like ours were. They chased them around for awhile after we sampled the nuts and Kona coffee inside. Outside, there was a huge bin of raw nuts outside that you could crack open and eat and several chickens under a tree where there are rocks and logs waiting to try and get some leftovers. The kids sat and got some nuts to crack open. They are surprisingly very good raw. Tic Tac particularly liked doing this and looked like a little native girl, squatting there and cracking open nut after nut. Chickens were climbing all over getting super close to her. One even stole a piece of her nut. She didn’t even flinch, and popped the rest of it in her mouth. She’s a very funny little girl. All the other little girls there were scared and bothered by the chickens, but not Lil. She ate a TON of nuts and told us her tummy was all full from nuts. Isaiah chased chickens most of the time, determined to hold one of the baby chicks, but to no avail. My Isaiah with his constant tan looks totally like a local. As do I. I was asked at least 10 times during the trip if I was local.

We stopped a few times along the way, once to see the turtles basking at Lanikai beach and once again to hit up a fruit stand! MORE pineapple for Isaiah and coconut for Lil.

Afterwards, we all came back to the resort where we finally got a chance to swim in the pool. Isaiah practiced his strokes and Lil floated around with her bright orange floaties! Isaiah and I raced each other across the pool a few times and Dave played squirt guns with the kids.

That afternoon, we all took a cruise on the Mai Tai Catamaran off Waikiki Beach. The kids wanted to go up front and stand by the rails. Brave little Tic Tac loved getting splashed by the waves. She was her usual excited hoppy self. So cute with her golden hair blowing in the wind and her big grin. It was really cool to see the water change from clear, to turquoise to aqua to deep blue. When the waters got a little rougher we all sat by the nets enjoying the cruise. We saw views of Diamond Head and I told the kids they had been to the top when they were little. Isaiah was 4 and Lil was not even 1 yet. Dave and I ergo carried them and made it all the way to the top 4 years or so prior. One day when the kids are older, we’ll do it again, if we decide to come back to Oahu.

After the boat ride we ran to our room, got changed and came back to the beach with the cousins. I was pretty amazed, because at home in CA, Lil is TERRIFIED of the ocean. Loves the sand, but barely puts a toe in the water. She could hardly keep away in Hawaii. She loved the warm clear water and gentle waves. I couldn’t believe my baby girl was in the ocean. Of course, the kids couldn’t resist collecting some beach rocks, shells and even sea glass we found there.

We went to Marukai Udon for dinner where we ordered two of our Lilianna’s most favorite things, noodles and tempura. Isaiah had a musubi and noodles. But you kids were so tired you were were practically sleeping in your noodles.

Thursday morning we got up bright and early to head out to Kualoa Ranch. We were pretty excited about our jungle tour. We had some extra time before hand so we went to go feed the animals at the petting zoo. There was a big huge pig, a giant tortoise, a bunny, some goats and a donkey. The poor little turtle was “running” at full speed to try and get some lettuce, but Princess the pig was trying to hog it all. We managed to distract Princess and throw the turtle some lettuce. The shy bunny finally came around and let us pet it too. The bunny was bigger than Jilliboo our cat back home! Our tour was pretty bumpy. We got in the 6 wheeled off road vehicle and held on for dear life. The whole ride up I could tell by the way Tic Tac was holding on to Dave’s arm that she was riding that line between sheer terror and fun. Isaiah was loving it, holding on tight! No seatbelts! On our way up we spotted two wild pigs, a great big one and a tiny dark one running around the jungle together. We stopped to gaze at the old Hawaiian fish ponds and were told the history and genius of the Hawaiian ancestors. In the old days only Royals were allowed to fish in the fish pond. All others caught fishing would be executed. Up high the views of the ranch and surrounding areas were breathtaking. We sat next to an elementary school teacher who told Isaiah to really take it all in and appreciate the trip. She said that a lot of her students would never leave their small town, and never get to experience such beauty. We passed many fruit trees, strawberry guava, mango, and kukui nut. We learned that the kukui nut is rich in oil and the ancients used it to burn like candles. At the top, our tour guide Lani brought out coconut leaves and showed us how to make a fish on a pole out of them. Before we left she discovered we were running behind and told us to be prepared for a fast ride down! Lani booked it down the mountain at crazy speeds, boy could she drive! We were holding on for dear life, but having a blast. By this time Lil had loosened up and wasn’t scared at all coming down, even though it was much more scary going down than up. At the bottom, there were dozens of cows hanging out by the gate as we passed it.

On our way back to the resort, we stopped at a fruit stand on the road and had some coconut juice (Lil loves it, Isaiah doesn’t) right out of an ice cold coconut. We also got another pineapple all cut up for Isaiah.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Hanauma Bay. We were so very proud of our kids, who BOTH did some snorkeling. Lil looked pretty hysterical in her giant orange floaties and goggles. She would swim out, take a deep breath, plop her head in the water for 2 seconds- just enough time to see a few fish and pop back up to tell me what she saw! We stayed very close to shore so she didn’t see a whole lot, but she saw a handful of different fish, mostly Convicts and Butterfly fish. She did see a “DORY” fish too. Isaiah was very hesitant at first, refused to wear any type of floating device and wanted to swim out far where the waves were. We were just very nervous because even though he is an awesome swimmer in a pool, swimming in a coral packed ocean with snorkel gear he wasn’t exactly comfortable with and waves worried us. Finally we compromised and at first he couldn’t get used to the mask, the flippers, the gear. But after a few minutes, we were snorkeling together out in the ocean, holding hands. It was so exciting! We saw DOZENS of fishes of all different colors and sizes. Dave and I took turns snorkeling with Isaiah. On their swim out they saw a dog faced spotted puffer and HUGE parrot fish as big as Lil! On our swim out, Isaiah and I saw a sea turtle feeding on sea grass in a cave. It makes me smile from ear to ear that we saw it together! We were talking through our snorkel masks and pointing, all excited! Isaiah was naming all kinds of fish (because the boy was really paying attention during the informational video). We saw racoon fish, butterfly fish, convicts, surgeons, tangs, wrasse and more. We had so much fun there the kids didn’t want to leave. Tic Tac loved playing at the beach there and searching for shells. The water was warm and clear, the sand was soft and the waves were gentle. It was beautiful. We closed the place down and left promising we would take them back.

Friday morning we were up early again to embark on our Rainforest, Waterfall and Movie site adventure- hike up to Manoa Falls. Our guide met us at the gate, told us that scenes from Jurassic Park, Hawaii Five-O, and the Hunger games were filmed there in the rainforest. He had actually been an extra in some of the Hawaii Five-O episodes. He gave us bottled water and granola bars and told us to have fun. He told us that we were free to go into the falls even though the sign says not to! We started on our hike and marveled at the vast amount of greenery around us. Vines, trees, bamboo all twisted… Trees with HUGE roots hanging down…the smell of the woods and mud and flowers all mixed together…the song of different birds… yellow and white butterflies floating by… So beautiful and serene. The trail starts out very wide and starts to get more narrow and muddy as you go up. Lil slipped once and wall all upset she got mud on her knee. I told her it was okay, and go ahead wipe it on her shirt or wipe it on me. The kids did great. They didn’t even complain one bit. We went slow and careful. We stopped along the way to walk on logs, smell flowers and stare at bugs. We could hear the falls coming up. “We’re almost there!” the kids shouted! We made it to the top, gave high fives and stared at the falls. Then we had a quick snack of 7D dried mango, and gulped down some water before ducking under the rope to the falls and the pool of water. Tic Tac really wanted to get the mud off her knee. We walked in the crystal cool water and Lil saw a fish. It was so clean and refreshing. Although the walk down was easier, it was also more slippery and dangerous. I feel square on my butt in the mud after losing my footing because someone rushed past me. I was holding Tic Tac’s hand and took her down with me! We were all okay and merrily coming down laughing and happy when Tic Tac starts this chant of “SO MANY TREES! SO MANY ROCKS! SO MANY LEAVES!” SO funny in her little voice all excited! I got eaten alive by mosquitoes, but it was worth it.

We went back to our resort, got cleaned up and went to Teddy Bear World. What a wonder. You would never know it was so cool inside! We saw the 8 wonders of the world all decked out with Teddy Bears. The statue of Liberty but a teddy bear. Mount Rushmore in Teddy Bears, SO CUTE and funny and detailed. New York City in teddy bears! They even had a teddy bear Dinosaur world! Like Jurassic Park, filled with Teddy bear explorers. Tiny bears, big bears, giant bears wearing costumes and clothes, wedding bears, an underwater world filled with scuba diving bears and mermaid bears! There was a questionnaire scavenger hunt and Isaiah was ALL OVER that! But the best was the ELVIS stage show where we watched a short movie of Elvis in Hawaii and then were treated to a mini concert starring Elvis Bear, his backup singers and band members. It was hilarious and so CUTE! Lil wanted a picture with every one of the big bears, including the Gangnam Style bear at the end.

We walked to beach and played in the water until evening. Dave tried to surf out there but the tide was just too low and far out to catch any waves. I took so many pictures of you cute kids playing with Daddy- while he pushed you on the long board. Isaiah tried to stand up and “surfed” into shore a few times! The smiles were huge and giggles were plenty!

That night we came back to beach, met up with the cousins and Uncle Paul and Auntie Kathy to have dinner at the Steak Shack and watch the fireworks. Afterwards the cousins wanted to check out Teddy Bear World, so we had an encore presentation! Auntie Kathy couldn’t resist buying you kids each a bear. Elvis got to her. Even though it was getting late, we decided to ride the trolley around town just for fun. The Hawaii air is so balmy and relaxing. You kids were so tired from such a long day. Isaiah dozed off a few times and Tic Tac fell asleep and had to get carried back to the room. So glad Isaiah woke up. Too big to carry anymore! Tic Tac is even too big, but Dave and I traded off and we made it “home”. Dumped the kids into bed and got some sleep ourselves.

The next day (Saturday) we rode the trolley to the marketplace, got some boba and headed out to North Shore to meet up with the family for more Shrimp Truck!!! Tic Tac fell asleep AGAIN on the way there. Isaiah was all bummed out, but we were able to wake her for lunch. Yep, you kids love shrimp, and Giovanni’s is so soo good. We freaked out for a second because the kids disappeared momentarily. Isaiah had taken Lil around to sign the truck. Sweet big brother wanted his baby sister to have the full experience. They bonded a lot on this trip… laughing so much in the back seats of the car, it was very loud everywhere we went!

We went to the Polynesian cultural center, where we were lei-ed and led around the different villages by our hostess Sarah from New Zealand. We learned about the different customs and cultures of the different villages. We played a traditional New Zealand stick game, watched warrior dances and drum shows. The kid’s favorite show was the Tonga show, where we were taught how to make coconut milk and how to make a fire. We saw a man climb all the way up a coconut tree with bare hands and feet. We watched the new Imax 4D movie and saw the wonders of Hawaii only viewable via helicopter. The theater was amazing and huge and the seats moved. Mists of water hit us when we neared a waterfall and the smell of flowers pumped out when we flew over gardens. We rode a canoe all around Polynesia and returned for a great dinner of prime rib and seafood. The kids and Dave ate their weight in crab legs. Finally the show was about to start. We took our seats and watched in awe the amazing singing, dancing and fire breathing. They story of the HA, the breathe of life played out before our eyes. I couldn’t help thinking, Isaiah could fit right in, he looks so Hawaiian. Lil couldn’t wait for the icecream. She kept asking during the whole first half of the show when it was going to come out. Give the girl ice cream and she’s happy. The show was amazing. Polynesia’s culture and people are beautiful.

Sunday morning we woke up early to drive out to Happy Trails for horseback riding. Such a great experience. The horses are so gentle and well taken care of. Tic Tac rode the biggest horse of all Hombre. He was a gentle giant and was so good with her. She looked SO tiny on top of this giant horse! Isaiah’s horse was called Bella. He did so well in riding, like a natural, steering her left and right, gently tapping his foot when it was time to go and pulling back when it was time to stop. My horse Aloha was a stubborn girl who wanted to lead the pack and kept tailgating! I had to keep putting on the brakes, and she sure made it known that she was not happy about that! It still was an enjoyable ride through the amazing weeping pines of the jungle. We went all through the jungle through trails steep and curvy. It was actually very relaxing. The views were beautiful at the top. Again, I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. They love me. At the end of our trip the count was: 16 Mom, 2 Isaiah, 0 Lil, 5 Dad. Kids say I have sugar blood, Daddy has spicy blood and they have sour lemon blood.

After stopping for lunch, we decided to head out to Wet and Wild Water Park. It was SO MUCH FUN! The first ride we did was a family raft ride where all 4 of us could ride. My brave little girl held on so tight and again straddled the line between terror and fun, closing her eyes so tight at times and squealing with delight. She’s such a trooper. Isaiah LOVES water parks and isn’t scared of ANYTHING. Lilianna tried ALL of the rides she was tall enough for at least once. I kept asking her, “Did you like it? Was it fun?” She would say yes, but she didn’t want to go again! We found the kiddie portion of the park and Tic Tac and I played there for awhile while Dave and Isaiah went off to conquer the TORNADO. The tornado is a giant red funnel that you get dropped into by raft and you pretty much get flushed down, like a toilet bowl. It is crazy fast and fun! Lil and I did a few other small rides and then went to hang out at the wave pool. She loved floating in the waves and swimming around. The boys came back and Dave peer pressured me to take Isaiah and go do the Tornado with him. We did it 2 times in a row! Isaiah rode the tornado 4 times that day! We got as many rides in as we could until Wet and Wild closed.

Back at the resort the kids went to hang out and watch movies with the big cousins while the grownups went out to dinner. We had great drinks, great food and great conversation with Paul and Kathy. This was their last day there, so it was nice to be able to hang out with them one last time.

Monday was our final full day in Hawaii. We rode the top floor of the double decker bus to the Honolulu Zoo. The zoo is small, but really cool. We loved the monkeys and lemur exhibits. The monkeys were showing off and in full swing. We saw toucans and were laughed at by laughing gulls in the bird exhibit. We told the bird jokes and it laughed at some of them, but not others. It had a really odd sense of humor! We saw a crazy huge komodo dragon which was really FREAKY! The gardens and park at the zoo were really beautiful. One of the last animals we saw was the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey. He was the cutest little monkey ever! The kids said they wanted to buy me one!

After a quick lunch of pizza, we picked up our car and headed out to snorkel Hanuama Bay as we promised we would one last time. We had a great time again there. Isaiah’s snorkeling skills got even better and he was even more confident than before. Tic tac spent most of her time swimming in the warm water and looking for shells. By weeks end we were all pretty tan!

Regardless of what happened at the end of this trip, we enjoyed every precious moment we were able to spend together as a family. Not worrying about work or school or things back home… but truly just being together and watching our kids experience things for the first time was priceless to us. Getting to see their big eyes, proud smiles, goofy grins… holding little hands tight… hearing their hearty laughter… watching them fall asleep after a long adventurous day… tucking them into their beds every night… lots and lots of hugs and kisses…they are growing up so fast… too fast that we wish we could just freeze time.

I know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we lost all of them. We lost all of the video too. But our time together can never be taken away from us and will always be cherished. The love we have for each other can never be stolen or even measured. This was not our first adventure and certainly not our last. There will be many more to come… and double the pictures next time!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Here’s the short story.

The Good. We had a magical time in Hawaii.  We wanted the kids to experience all that we love about Oahu, and at 5 and 8 they are old enough to actually do some amazing things.  We snorkeled, hiked up to a waterfall, cracked open macadamia nuts and rode horses through the jungle.  We went off-roading through Kualoa Ranch and saw wild pigs and amazing views. We stopped at side of the road fruit stands and ate fresh coconut, pineapple and papaya.  We ate out of shrimp trucks.  We rode trolleys and double decker buses. We went to the zoo. We surfed and played in the ocean. We learned about Polynesian culture and went to an amazing Luau. We watched fireworks off the beach. We did amazing wonderful things together.

The Bad. On our last full day on the island, we got robbed while snorkeling in Hanauma Bay.

The Ugly.  All our valuables were in the car because we were in the midst of transferring hotels.  ALL OF OUR VALUABLES were stolen out of the trunk our LOCKED rental car.  Several thousand dollars worth of valuables. 2 laptops, an ipad, a 3dsxl, my canon camera, and all my lenses, our video camera, Dave’s cell phone.  All of them GONE.  Most devastating of all, is not the money amount any of these were worth…. most valuable of all were the hundreds of pictures and video we took to remember this once in a lifetime vacation.  I sobbed uncontrollably the moment I knew our camera was gone.  So many “should have’s, would have’s, could have’s” went through our minds.  So many regrets and blame on ourselves.  We should have taken our stuff. We could have at least taken our camera.  We could have parked somewhere else. If we would have just stayed in town.

We called the police after finally checking in to our new hotel.   The first question asked was, “Was it a rental car?”  Yes.  The second question asked was, “Was it a Dodge Charger?” Yes.  “NEVER, EVER RENT A DODGE CHARGER AGAIN.” were the officer’s words to us. The cars are NOTORIOUS for being easy targets to break into.  I am heart broken over and over and it is really hard to cope.  I feel violated.  I feel sick.  They also took a lot of my personal items, including all my makeup and toiletries, and my underwear and bras.  SICK people.  I am angry and so sad. I am angry that they stole something priceless to us (our pictures and videos) and so meaningless to them.  I am angry that my kids that are so young and innocent had to experience this horror and harsh reality.  I am devastated for my son who lost his 3DS XL and all his games that he got for Christmas… his most prized possession.  I am DEVASTATED that I won’t get to look at the picture of my kids at the top of the waterfall and see the look of pride and accomplishment on their faces. I am heartbroken that we can never recreate those memories, and we can never retake those pictures. Pictures of all of our feet in the sun while we rode the catamaran out to sea. Pictures of my little daughter riding the biggest horse at the ranch, pictures of my son who was so proud to see a sea turtle when we went snorkeling.  I feel sick when I think of the heartless people rifling through our things, taking personal items. I feel so violated that they took my precious pictures and video of my beautiful children and probably just wiped out those priceless memories forever; before selling off our stuff so they could get money for their drugs or what have you. I am angry at myself for letting this consume me and for spending the last day and a half sobbing and crying in Hawaii.  I had a panic attack on the plane because I could not hold it together.

I am trying to remember the good most of all.  Trying to burn the memories into my head. Trying to be grateful that we are all ok. Trying not to cry. Trying not to be bitter. Trying to remember that a lot of people never even get to go on vacation.  Trying to remind myself that we had an amazing time and we were all together experiencing these things together. Trying not to cry.  My kids drew pictures of some of the things we did to help us remember. I look much skinnier in those pictures, than I would in the real ones. My daughter keeps praying to Jesus and asking him for our camera back. Trying not to cry.  My son is being so strong and trying really hard not to cry over his lost DS. I know that I have to get over this, and not let this ruin our trip.  It’s hard to go back to real life in general after a vacation. Even harder for me to not be able to look at the pictures of what we did together. Trying not to cry.

Learned a big lesson. BIG lesson. Never leave your camera. Never rent a Dodge Charger- even if you have to pay more for something better. Upload your picture/videos to some kind of internet service every night. Leave your valuables in the hotel safe or take them with you. DON’T EVER LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. I hope it never happens to anyone dear to me.

I can’t believe my baby girl is 5 today. There are so many things I love about you Lilianna, it would be impossible to list them all… I love your sweet little voice and the way you say RENEMBER instead of remember. I love how sticky you are ALL the time, you are little miss messy! I love how your hair smells like hawaiian bread. You’re so funny and quirky and cute. You have to have a blanket to snuggle with when you’re laying on the couch even if it’s super hot.  You love your bubba and you are such a tomboy… you love playing with legos, tinkertoys and watching Bubba play video games… but most of all you just love being with your Bubba.  As much as you are a tomboy, you love dressing in pretty dresses!  You’re so soft, your nose feels like a mini marshmallow! You love kitties, and now that we have a REAL kitty, you drag Jillyboo around with you wherever you go. You like taking her around the house in your doll stroller and carrying her like a doll everywhere. Your favorite tv show is Doc McStuffins. You are kind of obsessed and willl watch it even if you already saw it! You love having dance parties in your room and listening to your audiobooks on tape and music cds. I love how you pray every night and how you always remember to pray for people we talk about who need prayer. I love your good, God loving heart… you are always singing worship songs to yourself … your favorite is Shalom to Jesus which you learned in preschool.  I can’t believe you’re going to be a big kindergartener.  I love you so much it hurts baby girl! You are my very best girl and I am so proud of you. I love you from head to toe, inside and out, today, tomorow and forever more, even when I die! Happy Birthday Peetie Pie Honeybunch!

Mama

Lilianna: When I grow up, I don’t want to move to a new house.
me: why? you want to live with mommy and daddy forever?
Lilianna: yes, until we all die!
Isaiah: why you laughing mommy?

Happy Easter friends and family! We had an amazing weekend celebrating the Resurrection with family. I love this time of year as the weather starts warming up and life springs forward all around us. Everything is in bloom, including the kids who are changing and growing ever so fast. Our kids are being trained up in the word of God thanks to Awana’s and the awesome Children’s Ministry at Calvary Chapel. We hosted an Easter Egg Hunt in Menifee with their cousins and my kids taught their cousins to say, “Jesus is alive!” every time they found an egg. It was a wonderful thing to witness! Sometimes in the eyes of a child, Easter can be all about candy, treats, eggs and bunnies. I am proud of my little ones, because they know in their hearts that Easter is about the miracle of God’s promise being fulfilled. So many blessings my cup runneth over! Happy Easter everyone!

[showtime]

I sent my big boy off into the world last week. That’s what it feels like anyway. It’s bittersweet really. I miss my small boy with the giant heart. He is away from me more than he is with me for the first time in our lives. We were both nervous and excited at the same time.

I love the start of the new school year…  first grade especially…all the kids in clean new shoes, fresh haircuts and pigtails, missing teeth everywhere.  Seeing the classroom all nice and neat, Isaiah was so excited to have his very own desk where he could have a picture of his family and his water bottle. He sits right in front.  He bought lunch in the cafeteria the very first time today for Friday, pizza day. My boy who loves veggies was excited about the salad bar. “Just like Souplantation but smaller,” he said, and “I felt like a grown up because I could reach everything and choose whatever I wanted!” He even got to buy ice cream, the little cup kind with the cardboard lid and the wooden spoon. Some things never change! He showed me today at the store that he drank milk out of one of those cartons, only it was smaller with a  straw. Yesterday he brought home his Scholastic book order form and pored over it for half an hour trying to choose just three books. I remember that… reading every single description and circling the ones I really wanted. Some things never change and I’m grateful for it. I’m happy to share those same feelings and memories with my own children. It’s a little piece of heaven right here on earth.

I am scared really, and more sad that I care to admit to let my boy go. This was way harder than Kindergarten. Kindergarten was only for a few hours. Kindergarten was so … innocent.  This was the reason I had wanted to homeschool… to keep him close, to shelter him from peer pressure, from mean kids, from kids who watched shows he’s never even heard of and PG movies! From the big wide world!  But I know in my heart, my decision to send him to public school is the right one. He loves it and he will thrive there. His teacher has already told me that she can see how smart he is and how much he loves to learn.  I stayed until 11 the first day to help out…maybe to help me out more than anything. I have drilled him every day asking him 500 questions about his day in the car while driving home.  And then what did you do? Who did you sit by at snack/lunch? Did you eat all your lunch? Who did you play with? And then what? And after that? What was the story about? Did you play with anyone new? He’s starting to tire of this I know, but I can’t help it. I want to know every detail. If I could only be a fly on the wall.

We miss him and I’m so happy to see him at pick up time. Lil misses him. Her best friend is gone most of the day now and all she has left is boring mom who is always cleaning or fixing something in the kitchen or talking to someone on the phone. I am trying to be a good friend to her, but I just can’t replace her Bubba who was silly and funny and clever and sweet. But I love my time with her. Just me and her, holding hands, getting her haircut, grocery shopping. My little girl isn’t so little anymore either and it breaks my heart too.  She’s a kid now, and she’s funny and feisty and stubborn and sticky and cute. She makes me laugh so much. She loves to sing and jump and hop. She doesn’t walk at all, she only hops and skips and runs. She calls me Mimi and it melts my heart… her sweet little voice, so soft and innocent. We are going to try ballet/tap class next week. Went and tried on ballet shoes at the store and bought a pink leotard and tutu already. Every little girl should be a ballerina once.

She’ll be starting preschool in a week… so I’ll actually be alone for a few hours a week. My heart will be in two different places.

August 27, 2010

Dear Isaiah,

You are officially a Kindergartener! Yesterday was your first official day at school, but I got to stay with you in class the whole time. Today was your real first day all on your own. This day is such a monument for me… it is so special and sweet, and I am so proud and sad and happy. Proud and happy for you, but sad it’s all happening so fast. You picked out your clothes all on your own today. I love what you wore because it was so YOU. Colorful collage of monsters on your shirt and your Dr. Seuss shoes.

We went a little early so you could have extra time on the playground. As soon as we entered, you and your sister were off to the play structure. A few minutes went by and I was told that Lilianna was not allowed on the play structure (only kindergarteners). You are the sweetest big brother ever. You stayed with her to my surprise and played elsewhere with her. Racing her in the grass, hopping on the alphabet letters, holding her hand. I love how much you look out for your lil sister. When the bell rang, all the kids went to their class and lined up single file. Your friend Madison from preschool stood right behind you, holding your hand and clinging to you for security (always had a way with the ladies). You waved and smiled at us as you went in.

I know you’ll be on your best behavior, I’ve taught you to have good listening and to follow the rules… but this is not what I’m most proud of. I’m so proud of who you are. I love that amazing heart of yours, your unshakeable faith in God, your strong morals, your ever inquisitive mind that never stops asking questions, your thirst for knowledge and love of learning. I love that you’re innocent and sweet- that you don’t care about pop culture or brand names or anything like that. You like everything and are upbeat and easily happy, although you are also very sensitive. I suspect this is what made you so popular with the girls at pre-K*. You are rarely grumpy or mean or moody. You are so bright, you’re a little piece of sunshine with the most charming dimply smile.

I love you little man. You make me so proud to be your Mama.

*Yesterday, your best friend from preschool, Hannah (who had moved away) saw your picture on facebook and wanted to call you. Hannah wants to marry you and has wanted to marry you since she started playing with you at pre-k (along with 2 other girls at pre-k who also wanted you for a future husband). I wasn’t home when she called but Daddy told me the details. She wanted to know how your first day of school went. You talked a little about what you did this summer and who was in your class. And at the end of the call Hannah said, “I miss you Isaiah. I love you!” You told her you missed her too. Oh goodness, my heart melted when I heard about the phone call. You’re getting so big…making girls fall in love with you and talking on the phone already. I’m so glad I got the be the first girl you ever loved. And I’ll love you forever (okay, crying now).

My Lala girl has been wanting to get her ears pierced!.  She’s been asking me for the past 6 months! I told her it would hurt and she still said she wanted it.  She told me, “Mama, I’m going to be brave!”  Now that she is almost 4 I thought it would be a good time.  Ama has been wanting to get Lil’s ear’s pierced from the minute she was born, so she met us at the mall to see it happen. I made sure we could get them (the ears) both done at the same time (highly recommended)! Bubba was there for moral support. She’s such a big girl now! Can’t believe she will be 4.  It’s so fun… this is one of those things I’ll always remember… my baby girl growing up.

A little nervous

Good thing I’ve got Bubba here.

On your mark,

Get set…GO!

Not even one tear! So brave, like she said.

Of all the things you can get in the mail, I never thought a box full of baby chicks could be one of them! I ordered them almost 2 months ago in March! Dave (surprisingly) gave us the green light on having chickens. I couldn’t believe it. I quickly told the kids so he couldn’t change his mind. We have been anxiously awaiting this special package for so long. The kids constantly asked me, “When are we getting our chicks?” Keeping chickens has become very popular again so some of our friends have been getting them from the local feed store. But NO, not me I had to SPECIAL order mine! I actually wanted specific breeds and after weeks of research decided on three for their egg producing qualities.

Yesterday morning our post lady came right to the door with a box stuffed with hay and the sounds of cheep cheep!

After tearing it open, there was another box inside. It looked like a box you would put cupcakes in, but with holes. The cheeps got louder! Under the box was a special heating pad that was still warm.

Opening this box and we saw three of the cutest fuzz balls you ever did see! Meet the girls; our new additions to mylilfamily.

Meet Boo Boo Chicken. Her name was given to her by Isaiah. She is an Ameraucana Chicken or what’s known as an Easter Egger. We’re hoping for green or blue eggs! She looks so much like a baby owl! She has very puffy cheeks and is super round and fuzzy. She’s the friendliest girl, she’ll come right up to your hand. She doesn’t mind being petted and seems to like being held.

This is Cheep Cheep. Her name was given to her by Lilianna. Cheep Cheep is a Leghorn Chicken. She’ll be all white with a red comb when she is full grown. She is an egg laying machine! Leghorns are commonly used for commercial egg laying. She will lay white eggs. Cheep cheep is the leader of the pack as far as we can tell. I think she is first in the pecking order. She is pretty friendly too. Not as mellow as Boo though. She’s so funny and feisty. She gets so excited sometimes and cheeps like crazy! I guess Lala named her well!

Here we have Clementine. We named her after our last address on Clementine Street. Clementine is a Golden Buff (also known as a Cinnamon Queen or Red Star). Golden Buffs are prolific layers of brown eggs. Clementine is the shyest  of the three. She is also the smallest. She does not like to be held or petted at all, but she’ll come around!

Welcome to the family girls! These sweet girls spent 2 days in the mail to get to us. Here they are getting to know their brooder box. They need a heat lamp on at all times for a few weeks. 95 cozy degrees.

The girls do everything together, eat…

Sleep…

And play! It’s only the second day and they are trying out the roost!

The kids are so happy and check on the chickens constantly.

Oscar checks on them too. But not because he loves them. I think he wants to eat them.

His nose gets all wet, and he starts licking his chops when he gets near them. We have started putting the brooder box up high, just in case. I had to scold him once and tell him to stay away when we had the chicks out. He was not too happy about it.

It’s a lot of work keeping these chickens! Round the clock care! Like having newborn babies again. What did we get ourselves into? It’s been lots of fun so far, and hopefully this kids will learn some responsibility. They’ll be in charge of egg collecting, feeding and watering our flock. We’re getting two more girls on Saturday morning from the feed store, pictures to come. What a diverse flock we’ll have. Here’s hoping for lots of fresh, free range, organic eggs in 5 months or so! Quiche? Custard? Devilled eggs anyone? Next I’m going to ask Dave if we can get a pig to add to the menagerie.

My Dearest Big Kids,

I can’t believe how much you’ve both grown! Isaiah, you just turned 6 and Lilianna, you are 3.5.

My little Rooster, you’re doing so well in kindergarten. You are at the top of your class in reading. You’re reading books at a 2nd grade level! You love school and you have lots of friends! Even one little girlfriend that you sometimes hold hands with (Victoria)!  We recently pulled you out of school for a week for a family vacation. Upon your return, the whole class was so happy to see you, they all wanted to give you a hug! We’ve never been invited to so many birthday parties in our lives! The boys you play with most are Anton and Bison. They are sweet boys, just like you! You love it when I volunteer in class- you are so happy that I am there and I’m so happy that you want me there! What a blessing that you enjoy school so much. You were student of the month in January. We are so proud of you! You’re learning Spanish every Wednesday after school. You’re the youngest one in the class. You told me once that all the girls say that you are “so cute”. Hmm, maybe that’s why you like it so much! You’re still doing karate every week. You really take it seriously. You listen and try really hard each and every class. I’ve never seen you goof off. Your form is so awesome, your Sensei has commended you, saying that your form and stance is even better than the older kids’. I say this often but, I love the age you are RIGHT NOW! I feel like this truly one of the last of the most innocent years of your life. You are learning so much so fast! I love that you get so excited about the little things. You still believe in leprechauns (amongst other things), and you see that the world is full of good. You still love Buddy, robots, snakes, bugs and now VIDEO GAMES. Typical boy! You are also a dog lover! You’re so good to Oscar. You talk to him and pet him EVERY morning when you wake up! You take such good care of him, even though he’s old and stinky. You truly love him, and when we leave on a vacation you talk about him and worry about him every day. Your heart is pure gold, and we are amazed by you! You are the best big brother a girl could EVER ask for. You adore your little sister. You can’t wait to see her- you play with her, read books to her, and always look out for her- even among your peers, you stay by her side. This makes my heart so happy! Strangers have come up to me in stores and have told me how wonderful it is to see to siblings like each other so much! I hope and pray it stays this way forever!

Little Lala, Lili, Peetie Pie, Honey Bunch… we have so many funny names for you because you are very funny. You make us laugh all the time. You tell stories that you make up as you go and come up with new songs daily. You love preschool and can’t wait to go. We go to a parent participation school, so I get to be there with you a few times a month. You talk about your teacher Ms. Jodi all the time. Your favorite thing about school is snack time. Ms. Jodi says you’re the best eater in the whole class (always the last to leave the table)! You may be a chef one day because you are always putting strange things together and eating them… like ham and blueberries, or raisins and cheese. You’re still doing gymnastics weekly and getting braver and braver! Doing forward rolls and crazy jumps and ladder climbs all by yourself! You’ve got lots of friends, but Tyler is your boyfriend and you say that one day you’re going to marry him. He does gymnastics on the same day and you two are always getting in trouble together. Mabel is your other best friend. You hang out at the park with her almost every day (while we are waiting to pick up the “Bubbas” from Kindergarten). She’s smaller than you so she gets all your outgrown clothes. Whenever something gets too small for you, you say, “We better give this to Mabel”. Whenever we go to Joann Fabric Store, you say, “I miss Mabel.” Because we often see her there with her mom (hoarding fabric, like me). You’ve been a tomboy most these years with fits of girly-ness coming through. I think the girly-ness is starting to take over though. We just went to your first “all girls-princess-dress-up-tea-party”. It was a birthday party for your preschool friend, Auden. You wore jewelry and your high heel play shoes. You had pink milk from fine china, got your nails painted and your makeup done (a little bit of blush and lip gloss). Everything was pink (naturally your favorite color) and flowery and fancy. You LOVED IT! I can’t believe you are getting so big! You talk about being a “GROWM- UP” all the time. You say that one day you’ll “have big BOOPS just like Mimi” (which is your nickname for me)! You have recently asked me to start wearing earrings. I told you about piercing and how it hurts and you said you still want to do it! We’ll have to ask your Daddy! You love your brother the MOST. Once you told me that you loved him more than you loved me and Daddy. It made me sad but so happy at the same time! He’s your very best friend. Daddy and I adore you and can’t believe how stinkin’ cute you are.

You both love going to church. You’re learning so much about the Bible and about doing the right thing. You both come out every Sunday talking about the stories from the Bible that they teach you in your class. Your Bible stories and books are your most favorite books at home. It is a dream come true for me since I grew up Athiest and struggled to find faith as an adult. I hope and pray that you know God and feel His grace all your lives, and never feel that hole in your heart that I did for all those years.

I want to slow you both down so badly. You are growing up right before my eyes and it’s happening too fast! I cherish everyday with you and thank God that I am able to be a stay at home mom to you.

God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

I love you,
Mama