SWEET!

I figured it out! I have been trying to put a simple slideshow on my layout for weeks and I finally realized that there is something wrong with blogspot and it won't pick up my photobucket pics GRR! So I uploaded a few to Picasa and the slide works!!!!! (The pics are from the week before Christmas. I know I know ~ I'm WAY late in sending the cards.)

Merry Christmas

It was a really crazy week for us. It started last Saturday with some last minute shopping and running errands. I tried to get as much done that day so that I could relax and enjoy the sabbath.
Sunday sacrament meeting was so good! The ward choir director is our own Nat Kamau'u (who was awarded Hawaii's 2006 Na Hoku Hano Hano Female Vocalist of the Year). She and her extremely talented family joined our ward choir in putting on the Christmas presentation this year. It was really beautiful. I had chicken skin the entire time!
On Monday it was up and running ALL DAY! First, I had to baby-sit for YOGA (I do child care for my friend in our ward who owns YOGA4EWA). After that I was baking and putting together food for our dinner with the Wheelers at their new house up at Schoffield Barracks (the army base). That was really fun, but short lived, since I hadn't even started wrapping yet.
Will and I were up until about 2:30 am wrapping and getting everything straightened out. Mariah was the 1st up at 7 am and shortly followed by Brinlee and then Asia and Tatum. I went down and turned on the tree lights and started some Christmas music and got the computer up and running because we used the web cam with my parents so they could watch the kids open gifts and stuff.
It was MADNESS!!! They all had a BLAST! It was so much fun, though. My parents got a kick out of watching everything and the kids would run back and forth to the computer desk (just across the room) and show Grandma and Grandpa what they got. Tatum was actually into this year. She was happy to open 2 or 3 and then hold her new baby and new care bears. They all got what they wanted and were very happy and content all morning.
They had gotten movie tickets from the cousins that had drawn their names, so we took them at 1:30 to see "Enchanted". It was really good. Even Will thought it was "cute" (he needs a boy!! lol).
After that we were gonna go to the beach, but the girls wanted to go home and play, so that's what we did. Mariah hadn't been feeling well, she had been fevering off and on since Monday morning. It looked like a Barbie and Polly Pocket whirlwind had struck inside the house!!! There were tiny pieces and hairbrushes and dolls of all sorts and sizes lying around.
Later that night, the Kai's came over for a gift exchange and they brought Will's gift from me. It was the Wii that he'd been so desperately seeking for weeks and weeks. I had gotten it in the beginning of December and he had no idea!! He was all sad on Christmas Eve when he went to WalMart to do his last minute shopping and he went to the electronics counter to ask and they told him they had just sold the last one!!!!
He's been happily playing Wii Sports with the girls. And he got this need for speed racing game too that he really likes. I wanted to update on the Wii "saga" as it unfolded over the last month, but I was afraid he'd see it on here, so sometime I'll put up, because it's really quite comical!
Will just put Tatum to bed, but I wanted to put in a side note about that silly girl. It seemed like in the last hour or so, she has all of a sudden learned to talk. She said so many things that we had never heard her say before and she even counted to 3!! I was doing my new Sudoku book that MaryLou gave me for Christmas and she was sitting on my lap pointing to all the numbers, so I started counting out loud to her "one.." and she immediately piped in with "teewoo, feeee..." I was shocked! Then she noticed that Will and I were paying attention to her (and she got embarrased) so she takes her little water bottle and kind of put it on my face and says "BOK!" (bonk). She hopped down and went over to her car and she turned to look at me and held out her hand and said "cuh, cuh" (come). Like she wanted me to go for a drive with her in her little cozy coupe car! THEN, a few minutes later she pointed to the downstairs bathroom and said "see-see" (shi shi, which is pee pee in Hawaiian) and so Will took her in there and she went!! She has had dry undies all day, including her two naps. So far, she is still doing GREAT! She has had a few accidents here and there, but never poop, only "see-see"!! (She turned 16 mos on the 24th)
We only have one of the pullups left that our neighbor gave us and then we are going to try for all night. I really don't want to have buy any more diapers.

Hula

Last week Monday (the 17th), the girls' had their first official hula performance with Halau Kulani Dance. It was at the Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu. It was SO much fun!!
Asia was so funny! I was worried that she might get stage fright or something and not do it, but she was TOTALLY in to it. Only she was turned around looking at everyone else behind her most of the time or she was dancing to the beat of her own drum, but other than that she did great! LOL
Brinlee was totally gung ho! She is a little showboat anyway, but she really got in to it too. She doesn't like to dance the tahitian style (wild hip shaking), but she is pretty good at it, being her first year in. She is definitely not afraid to get up and perform in front of people. She hamms it up!
Mariah is the very graceful (most of the time) one. She looked so grown up out there! I got a little misty through the whole thing. It was so beautiful!
Then on Wednesday (the 19th), they go the opportunity to dance at the Polynesian Cultural Center over in La'ie. That was a truly awesome experience. The spirit over there is already amazing by itself and getting to participate in something so deeply cultural and such a cultural place was inexpressible.
Here are some video clips and pictures from both nights.

Asia, Mariah and Brinlee

Brinlee getting ready for the Tahitian number

Asia and Aleena Kai (DOUBLE TROUBLE!!)

Mariah (in background wearing solid black) dancing the Maori number with Poi Balls

Brinlee and Asia performing "Sweet Singing Bamboo" (sorry it's so dark! It's a kind of outdoor mall)

Mariah (in the background on the right end) performing "Nani Hanalei" (next to her on the right is her friend Taylin Kai)

The long and short of potty training

When I found out I was pregnant with Brinlee in July of 01, I immediately said that I would not be found buying 2 sets of diapers when the baby came along. Mariah was 17 months old and I decided to give it a try. .....(*dusting off the memory*)...... LOL If I remember right, she got the pee pee thing down pretty quick, but she was so scared to poop on the potty. I absolutely refused to buy on of those little potty chairs because, let's face it, if I don't even clean the real toilet, I am definitely not going to clean out one of those disgusting little potty trays. So she would wait until we put a diaper on her at nap time and then poop, come tell us and then we'd put a new diaper on her and put her back to bed where she'd sleep with a dry diaper most of the time. GRR!

So after about a week or two of that, I broke down and went to Wal-Mart to buy a potty chair. Will was at work that evening, so I brought it home and set it up in her (carpeted, I might add) bathroom. Right before bed, I showed it to her and got her all excited about it, and then put her on it so she could get used to it. I put her on there and then went to the bedroom or kitchen for a second to do something and when I came back she had already pooped in it and was standing there looking at it! I was so excited and so full of dread at the same time. I did NOT want to clean out that poop. If I remember right, I dumped it in the toilet and then left the tray sitting in the tub till the next day so that my loving husband could take care of it. (I know, I know). Anyway, a few days later at nap time, we put her down with no diaper, since it had been a long time since she had a wet diaper. A few minutes later we heard her kind of whining and fussing and I told Will to just leave her that she would fall asleep in a few minutes. Well, the fussing got louder and by the time we got in there, she was laying in bed with a mortified look on her face and was trying to hold it in, but just couldn't. It wasn't a huge mess, but she was so sad that it had happened. I felt really bad thinking that she was trying to tell us and we ignored her, poor baby! Anyway, that was THE ONLY poop accident she ever had and by about late October, early November, she was sleeping all night in undies at 21 months. She NEVER had a single accident in her bed. I think she really only ever had a few accidents in her pants at all.

So with Brinlee; it was a completely different story. From the day she was born, she would get these horrendous, blistering diaper rashes on her bottom. We tried everything and she would scream when we'd have to change her. When she was about 8 months old, we were visiting my sister, Paula, in Las Vegas and she was having one of those rashes. One of the nights, she woke up crying and crying in pain, so finally at about 2 or 3 am, we took off her diaper and piled a bunch of towels under her on the floor and she slept the rest of the morning until about 7 am. When I got up to get her, she was still completely dry! So I pulled out Paula's potty seat and put her on the toilet where she promptly pee'd. I decided to quickly bathe her before giving her a bottle and while I was drawing the bath, she pooped! So from then on, she would only poop on the potty. Every once in a while, she would poop in her diaper and would immediately start getting a rash. I think she knew that if she pooped on the potty that her bum wouldn't hurt.

When she was 14 months old (2003), we moved to Vancouver, WA from Orem, UT and we started full potty training with undies in the day. By 16 months, she was fully done over night and everything. She would have accidents every great once in a while in her bed, but nothing to complain about. In fact, I think she had more accidents while awake than she ever did in her bed.

Brinlee 12/02/02 (8 months old)

Then we have little miss Asia. SHE WAS THE WORST!!! We moved here to Hawai'i when she was 8 months old (2005). From the time she could sit up on her own (between about 5 and 7 months) we had been putting her on the potty each morning before her shower and she would poop pretty much every time. When she was right around a year (in Oct) she started throwing a fit anytime we'd put her on the potty, so we quit doing it because we didn't want to force it. That Christmas, while we were on the mainland, I found out I was pregnant with Tatum. So when we returned home, I said again that I would NOT buy 2 sets of diapers. Asia was around 15 months old by then, so I figured she should be ready. Well, not only was I sick and dealing with be newly pregnant, but she was NOT ready. She would hold it and hold it and hold it some more. I would set the timer for every 15 minutes and then I'd put her on the toilet. She would sit and fuss and whine the whole time, but the minute I'd take her off, she would go in the other room and have an accident! GRR!!! After about 3 weeks, I had HAD IT! I gave up. I was tired and cranky and didn't want to deal with it. When she was about 19 months old (around June) I decided to try again because I was due in Aug and really DID NOT want to buy 2 sets of diapers. It took about 6 full weeks o

f agony, but she was fully done, overnight and all, by the time Tatum was born at the end of August.

Asia 4/20/2005 (6 mos old)

Now we are here with Tatum....... So far (somebody, please, knock on wood), I almost don't want to think it, but she is a dream!! She always has been, since she was born. She will take it or leave it with almost anything. She eats anything you put in front of her. She sleeps 12 hours at night and takes 2, 2 hour naps in the day. Two days ago (on the 12th), Will called to me from her room asking if we had any more diapers that she was down to her last 3. When I had bought that box last month, I swore that it would be the last, that I am going to potty train her. I have been trying to get motivated to do so since my family left at the end of October. Well, she was really sick a couple weeks ago and it's been crazy with the holidays, so I just keep putting it off. When Will said she only had 3 diapers left, I said "Well, I guess it's panties for her today". So she wore panties all day that day and had maybe 3 (pee) accidents.

She has actually been pooping on the potty since about June or July (about 9 or 10 months old). She was doing this thing where she would poop in her diaper just a tiny bit like 12 times a day, so I decided to try putting her on the potty right after breakfast before her shower each day and she would poop a TON and then be done for the entire day. She's had maybe 2 dirty diapers a week since then.

Yesterday, she only had one pee accident. It was kinda my fault, because I ignored her timer for a few minutes and she pee'd while standing in my bathroom. Poor thing was probably trying to tell me she needed to go.

So far today, she has been dry all day and had a dry diaper when she woke up from her nap!!! I went to Wal-Mart last night to buy a small package of diapers, but we haven't had to open it yet. She wore one of her 3 diapers from the old package to bed last night and it was mildly wet this morning. I need to dig through all my old purses and diaper bags and beach bags to see if I can dig up some more diapers and then I might not have to open this package!!! *fingers crossed*

Tatum 12/13/2007 (15 mos old)

Cleaning the Toilet

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I DON'T DO TOILETS! I have never cleaned a single solitary toilet in 9 years of marriage and I can't remember that I have ever cleaned one EVER! When we first got married I would pay Will to do it and now he lovingly and faithfully cleans all 3 once a week.
About 2 months ago, we decided that it is time for Mariah and Brinlee to clean their own bathroom. So Will showed them how to properly clean the sink and tub. He uses a sponge and cleaning gloves to clean the toilet, but I couldn't bear to think of them doing that (plus I couldn't find gloves small enough), so I broke down and bought one of those brushes that has the flushable disposable brush head things. Anyway, every single week it is the same fight. And it's not what you think, they fight over which one of them "gets" to clean the toilet and which one "has" to clean the sink and tub. They FIGHT over who gets the privilege of cleaning the T~O~I~L~E~T!!!!! When Brinlee was throwing a fit over it earlier, I said to Will..."These are NOT my children!!"

SURPRISE!!!!!

Will is getting so good at surprising me! LOL! Yesterday was my birthday and I got up first thing to go to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet to do some last minute Christmas shoppping. Then Will picked me up with the kids and we ran some errands. Will is desperately looking for a Nintendo Wii for Christmas, he has been staking out electronic stores for weeks. So we went to a few different stores to ask about the Wii, but to no avail.

We came home around 1:30-ish and just sat around. I decided to work on some sewing and the kids were playing outside. Around 4:30 Mariah came in to ask something and I heard Will tell her to stay close because we were leaving soon???? I was trying to think if I forgot we had somewhere to go.

At 6 we all loaded up in the car and ran to Foodland. I waited in the car with the girls and he went in (I kinda thought he was probably getting the Andes mint chocolate ice cream cake I'd been craving). Then we headed back into our neighborhood. All kinds of speculations were flying through my head and I figured we were probably headed to Kai's for dinner (since we hadn't eaten yet). When we turned the opposite way toward Allens, Will said.."Oh, we're gonna dump the kids off first..."

When we got to Allen's he asked me if I wanted to help him get the kids inside, I was highly suspicious. When I walked in I saw Kauwe Kai and Andy Wheeler sitting inside and all the kids were playing. The girls (Kapua, May and Andrea) were in the kitchen cooking. I was TOTALLY surprised. It was really casual. We all ate and sat around talking while the kids pretty much destroyed the bedrooms upstairs. May made some super YUM Hmong food and Kapua and Andrea made chicken salads and coconut shrimp. It was all so good!

Kai's gave me a foot spa massaging tub and some pedicure products. I was like YEEEeeeSSS! I need a pedi! ha ha ha!

I love surprises! Thanks honey!

Brinlee's crush

So I mentioned a few weeks ago that we suspected that Brinlee had a crush on Ammon Olayan, who is in her kindergarten class at school and also her class at church. Well, it is true. We went to his little sister, Liahona's birthday party last weekend and their mom, Temple, was telling me how Ammon always says that Brinlee tries to hold his hand and he says no, but she holds it anyway *EYES-ROLLING*! WE are in BIG trouble!!! LOL

Ammon, Brinlee, Liahona (at Tatum's 1st birthday party in August)

Things have been SUPER busy around here. I have been sewing like mad trying to get these hula costumes ready for their first performance next week. We had their first fitting tonight and every single one fit great. Only 2 needed to have the bust taken in because they are only 11-13 year olds, so, of course most of the 13 year olds fill it out, while the 11 year olds don't. I was SO glad that I wouldn't have to do a ton of taking in and letting out. I have also been sewing mine and the girls pa'u for our Christmas pics and our stockings.

Yesterday, I went on Brinlee's Kindergarten field trip to the Honolulu Art Academy. We were supposed to go to the Honolulu Hale Christmas display, too, but it has been raining so much and so hard here that it was just too muddy and wet to go. So we went to the art academy and it was FANTASTIC!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think the kids did, too. They have a display there that is from 15th and 16th century Italy that depicts the virgin Mary and baby Jesus. There are several paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The little old lady that was our tour guide was so sweet and so GREAT with the kids. She really knew how to hold their interest.

After the art tour, they took us to the basement where another cute lady, dressed as one of Santa's elves, did a puppet show and some magic tricks. She was SO GOOD! The kids absolutely LOVED her! I was really pleased with how the whole thing went.

After the field trip, I went to the Young Shoppers Club store that they have set up at the school for the holidays for the kids to shop at for presents for family and friends. I was there until 2 and then came straight home to sew until dinner. Then I sewed until just before midnight, when I was too blurry-eyed to see. I got up at 6:30 this morning to get ready to go back and volunteer at Young Shoppers Club again from 8 to 12. I came straight home from that and sewed until 3:30, which is when we had to be at the hula rehearsal.

Needless to say, I am ready for the weekend! Tomorrow morning, I am going to the Aloha Stadium swap meet to finish up some shopping. I don't think we have any plans for my birthday tomorrow. When Will asked me what I wanted, I reminded him that I got an awesome trip to Kaua'i for our anniversary that I said (after I accidentally saw his NRA credit card bill) would have to be for our birthdays this year, as well.