Posts
Aloha...it is Aloha Friday here in Hawaii so it's only fitting that in the spirit of Aloha I will post about someone else's blog.
Lilly is having a wonderful Valentine Give-away on behalf of her husband. Her husband is diagnosed with cancer so her whole blog is created mainly to keep updating on her husband, Roy's progress. She has also joined the relay for life to raise money that would go toward the cancer foundation. I think that is a very generous and loving thing she's doing for her husband and of course every other cancer patients.
My brother-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer several months back and he's going through the chemo and every other treatment that cancer patients get when they are battling with cancer. So when I came across Lilly's blog via Shelle, I was drawn to it. And of course her give-away is very generous, I can't help but enter it. So, if you want to get a really wonderful Valentine give away basket, go over to this blog and check it out. While you're at it, check out the whole place and read how this family is doing to fight their cancer battle.
I give a big shout-out to Lilly and her husband, Roy. I wish you all the best in your endeavor and may the Lord watch over you and keep you safe!!
God bless!!
P.S. I want to wish my son, Chris, a Happy 14th Birthday!! {He actually read this blog.} And Swirl's son #1 Happy 12th Birthday too.
1/30/09
1/28/09
Boys are such trouble.....
That's what my 17 year old, daughter, said when I jokingly asked her why doesn't she have a boyfriend yet.
I know what you're thinking....why am I encouraging my daughter to have a boyfriend now? Well, for one, I want to make sure she's your typical teenage girl you know, the incessant talk about boys like her younger sister...LOL. {Besides, I love to throw her off balance, to see her blush.}
Conversation in the car on the way home from the Dentist's Office:
Me, just making conversation: So Steph, got a new boyfriend yet and if not, why the heck not?
Her: Oh mom, you ask me that everytime we're alone.
Me: And I'm going to keep asking til you bring home a boyfriend for me to meet.
Her: Gee Mom...boys are too much trouble, why would I want one?
Me: Oh I don't know...so you're not interested in boys at all?
Her: I don't have time for boyfriend. I want to enjoy my last year of High School without all the drama that comes with having a boyfriend.
Me: Awwww. Atta girl!!
Then she said with a smug smile on her face: "Besides I did have a boyfriend."
Me, bumbling idiot: Wha What? When was this and why didn't you tell me? Where's he from, where did you meet him? Does he go to Kahuku?
Her: Sheesh mom, breathe. That's precisely why I didn't tell you, you get over excited whenever I so much as mention a boy in your presence.
Me: I DO NOT.
Her: Anyways, I didn't say anything about it cuz I only went out with him a total of one week and then I broke off with him and this was waaaay back in November.
Me: What?! In November? This is January and you're just now telling me? And what do you mean you guys went out? Where? How?
Her, very patiently: We didn't go out as in go out. We are on the same paddling team so we just saw each other at practice but then I had to dump him cuz I found out he was dating my new friend at the same time he was supposedly dating me.
Me: I see.
Her: Indeed.
So the drive was quiet for a few minutes and then she spoke up;
"Oh yeah Mom, there are two Sophmore boys on my paddling team who have major crushes on me. What do I do with that, what do I say to them?"
Me: Hmmmm, what do you say? Say, "I'm really flattered that you boys like me, so how 'bout looking me up in five or ten years from now." I mean, do you even like them? But it's besides the point, they are too young for you.
Her: I don't like them like they like me, I think they are really cute potential younger brothers but they are not way too young for me, they are only one year younger than me.
Me: Well, there you go...tell them that.
Her: Ok, will do.
Another pause...I was really quiet thinking to myself..."will she ever tell me when she has a real boyfriend? Will she bring him home for the family to meet? She tells me about boys she liked before..I wonder if all my teasings had marred her somehow that she will never trust me again to tell me next time she meets a boy. Other thoughts were still going through my head, when she broke the silence,
"Don't look so sad, Mom. I was going to bring him home after a week of seeing him but since I broke it off that early, I didn't see any point in mentioning it. And it was not that big a deal either since it was way back then. But I promise, mom, if I ever have a boyfriend, even if I was away in College, you will be the first to know. I'm going to invite him over everyday like Jen does with Mark that you will get so sick of him. Ok?"
Me: Ok...I will definitely hold you to that.
Oh yeah and if any of you tell Steph I post about her on here, I will deny it wholeheartedly..LOL.
{J/K....She gave me her permission to post about her today. As an update, she said she told those Sophmore boys who have crushes on her that she just wants to be their friend and one of the boys was totally pissed up about that and cussing up a storm. "Yep" she said, "that's what I mean by boys are too much trouble."}
1/26/09
Ter's Card Challenge Week #4 {Flowers}
Here's my flower card for Ter's 4th Week Card Challenge.
This is very easy to make card. I used everything from one of the Simply Scrapping kit from SU. The flowers are actually stickers, makes it a lot faster to make. I used a button as a core of the yellow flower and then add more flowers in different colors.
Then I stamped the "for you" on that little tag and used silver brads as embellishment. I love making cards using embellishments.
Then I used a needle to poke all those little holes around the card to make it a little sewy look. I love the color combinations, I love playing with different colors just to see how they look together. So there you have...a very simple card made in ten minutes top but yet cute.
1/23/09
My First Bloggasphere Interview
I was over at Ter's and she posted her interview from one of the bloggers so I decided I'd like to take a snap at it.
1. How is your name pronounced?
Hmmm...Kinda hard to explain it so I think you pronounce it like this.... An Jenny, or something like that. The A is supposed to be pronounced in its short sound.. a.
2. With 7 kids in your house, it must get pretty hectic. Describe what a day in your house might be like.
The mornings are a little noisy with everyone trying to get ready for school...we have only one bathroom so my teens are constantly fighting over the bathroom. Of course during their fighting over the bathroom time, they are taking turn consulting each other on the outfit to wear. Sometimes there's even fights over whose wearing whose clothes without permission. The Elementary kids are usually the ones whining about not wanting to go to school and if they could have few more minutes of sleep. But once they are off to school, the house is pretty quiet with just me and my two year old. I always relish that time. From about eight a.m. to three p.m., I usually use that time to do my chores, grocery shopping if I have to, visit friends, make or return phone calls and of course spending total one on one with my two year old.
Once the kids are home, the house gets very noisy. Everyone seems to want to talk to me about their day all at the same time and of course, my Elementary kids like to make such big deal about homework, it gets really frustrating. The only way to keep sane to stick with the schedule I keep for them....quick snack, homework, an hour of freetime for each kids, chores, dinner, and then preparation for bed..down time.
3. What is your favorite thing to do during ME TIME (if you actually have any!)
I love to read a really good novel, so whenever I have a ME TIME, that's what I spent doing. But I am also in a card swap group that we meet every month. My family knows about this and they make sure that nothing comes in the way of it. The kids know that if I am attending this card swap, whatever emergencies that come up, their dad is the person to go to so I am not disturbed...isn't that sweet of them?
4. Most people might pick Hawaii as a great vacation spot. Since you live there, where would you want to go on vacation?
I've always wanted to visit Ireland so if I have the money, that would be the number one on my list of where I would go for vacation.
5. What is your favorite thing about Hawaii?
I would have to say the weather....the all year round summer we get here in Hawaii.
Ok, if you would like to be interviewed and give others a chance to know you better:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions, so make sure you leave me your email address. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
1. How is your name pronounced?
Hmmm...Kinda hard to explain it so I think you pronounce it like this.... An Jenny, or something like that. The A is supposed to be pronounced in its short sound.. a.
2. With 7 kids in your house, it must get pretty hectic. Describe what a day in your house might be like.
The mornings are a little noisy with everyone trying to get ready for school...we have only one bathroom so my teens are constantly fighting over the bathroom. Of course during their fighting over the bathroom time, they are taking turn consulting each other on the outfit to wear. Sometimes there's even fights over whose wearing whose clothes without permission. The Elementary kids are usually the ones whining about not wanting to go to school and if they could have few more minutes of sleep. But once they are off to school, the house is pretty quiet with just me and my two year old. I always relish that time. From about eight a.m. to three p.m., I usually use that time to do my chores, grocery shopping if I have to, visit friends, make or return phone calls and of course spending total one on one with my two year old.
Once the kids are home, the house gets very noisy. Everyone seems to want to talk to me about their day all at the same time and of course, my Elementary kids like to make such big deal about homework, it gets really frustrating. The only way to keep sane to stick with the schedule I keep for them....quick snack, homework, an hour of freetime for each kids, chores, dinner, and then preparation for bed..down time.
3. What is your favorite thing to do during ME TIME (if you actually have any!)
I love to read a really good novel, so whenever I have a ME TIME, that's what I spent doing. But I am also in a card swap group that we meet every month. My family knows about this and they make sure that nothing comes in the way of it. The kids know that if I am attending this card swap, whatever emergencies that come up, their dad is the person to go to so I am not disturbed...isn't that sweet of them?
4. Most people might pick Hawaii as a great vacation spot. Since you live there, where would you want to go on vacation?
I've always wanted to visit Ireland so if I have the money, that would be the number one on my list of where I would go for vacation.
5. What is your favorite thing about Hawaii?
I would have to say the weather....the all year round summer we get here in Hawaii.
Ok, if you would like to be interviewed and give others a chance to know you better:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions, so make sure you leave me your email address. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
1/21/09
Random Thoughts
These last few days I've done nothing but surf the net blogging and reading other people's posts. It's fun but at the same time very time consuming and distracting. I find it very hard to tear myself away from the computer. I hung out mostly at Crash's site, reading her posts and comments on her comment box and of course commenting here and there.
Last week she announced her million dollar idea about jog/blogging across America like Tom Hanks did in the movie Forrest Gump. Well, that idea was so intriguing that all of her friends jumped on board with requests of songs to play on the trip {virtual trip, if you missed my earlier meaning} and other things they would love to do. Crash then posted about first kiss stories that the blog stalkers/lurkers of her site and even from other sites started coming out of the woodwork to tell of their first kiss moments. The comment box was so loaded of first kiss stories, some short, and some not so short, that she had to make a follow-up post about the first kiss stories with some highlighted bloggers with pictures of themselves and their first kiss. Turns out that some of her closest blog friends/followers didn't get a chance to comment about their first kiss stories because they were too long for the comment box and of course the comment box was always full of comments so these friends are posting about their first kiss stories.
I've had a chance to read those posts and I gotta say they are really good stories. These ladies really know how to tell a story. Did I tell my first kiss story, you ask? I did, but got chickened out and deleted it but not before Crash read it on her email but lucky for me, she didn't post it..lol.
So, is this going to be a post about my first kiss? Are you kidding me?
A couple of my kids read this blog. You want me to make them think that their dad wasn't the only man I ever kissed and that he wasn't actually the first man I kissed?
That's what I thought.
What is this post about? inquiring minds want to know. It is as the title said..random thoughts.
Back to my post if you would kindly let me finish and stop interrupting with your constant questions. So that jog/blog across America that Crash is heading..actually driving a tie-die yellow submarine with a couple of photographers and a few very athletic bloggers jogging alongside the van pointing out funny people and even stupid people that April is allergic to.
I am sorta sitting in the back of the van taking in all of this quietly, would open my mouth up once in a while to say something then closed it again like a fish out of water because it's really crazy in and out of the van with all these crazy, boring {and I say this in a very respectful and reverant way} Mormon mommies and some non-Mormon cool ladies, all speaking-laughing-pointing fingers-at once so of course when someone is sitting in the back of a submarine van, no one else can hear that person saying anything, right?
Oh did I mention that Crash's very apostate {her exact description} brother is cycling along the van also with some of the very healthy looking ladies? I think she even have her very cynical to romance Austrian student who is now addicted to blogging surfing on the roof of the van and another blogger dude somewhere in the van, can't really see him with all these buzz in the van. How cool is that eh?
This is such a fun trip with the van stopping all over the different states picking up bloggers and of course trash on the highway because Crash is all about good cause, mind you, and we ended up yesterday at the inauguration of the new President of the U.S. It was a momentous day in American History because yesterday, the first African American {ok, so he's half white} was sworn in as the new President. See, that's where the trip got a little sticky. There were mixed emotions about this particular moment because not every American voted for this new Pres., so those who were for him, it was a very happy go down in history day for them and those who did not vote for him, it was a very sad, emotional and probably bad day for them.
That got me thinking about this whole politics issue. Not that I'm a political person myself. The one subject I always avoid like a plague is politics...the different emotions that stirred up from this subject is just not worth the headache, as far I'm concerned. But back to my thoughts...
during that whole election time, I've heard different people with their different views on the canditates and their flatforms and of course one can always tell who a person will end up voting for by the way they talk about each canditate. I remembered when it was down to just the two canditates, McCain and Obama...those I've come in contact with would use this phrase "the lesser of the two evil" a lot, when making the decision on who to vote for.
Has U.S. fallen so badly that there are actually no really good man who can represent her that voters would chant to themselves that if they have to choose between two not so very good men, that they will have to choose the lesser of the two evils? What happen to this great nation that was once founded by such great man? Man with integrity, good morals? Do people vote for Obama and getting him win the election just for the sake of making history? And the ones who voted for McCain and wanted so badly for him to win, will he be actually able to save this country from its recent state?
I was driving my kids to school on the morning of the inauguration, listening to the radio when some lady called into the station said some things. I have to agree with her questions, want to point that out before I write what she said.
She was at the doctor's office when she overheard two other ladies saying some really mean things about the new President and the fact that he messed up on the first part of his pledge....I didn't know that part, we only watch the very last part of the speech before I had to leave the house....those ladies must have heard it because that was their irritation at the moment.
Even the guy at the radio station didn't know about it, he kept asking "He what? He messed up on his pledge? I didn't hear that, lemme go back and see it again."
Anyways, the lady who called in the radio station was upset about the whole thing she heard and said....her exact words,
"I don't think they should be talking crap at all about our new President. So they didn't vote for him and they don't like him, he's elected, he's the new President of our country. We should all pull together and give him the support he needs to run this country. We should set aside our differences and difference in opinions about our President and show him that we support him and in so doing will show the rest of the world that we stand behind our President and that our Country is still the best country in the world. The rest of the other countries don't need to see contention among ourselves. He is in office, we should give him the chance to show us what he can do. I have a son and I will show my support for our new President to help make this country an even better place to live for my son."
That was really sweet. I have to agree with her. The majority have voted and America, you have your new President now. It wouldn't do any good for this country if you don't give him all the support he needs to run this country. That saying "United, we stand, divided, we fall," totally applied at this moment. I love this country, America, I am proud to be a part of such a great nation, a great place where my children have the freedom to live a free life, to voice their opinion without fear of being shot and the freedom that women have here. I've studied countries of the world as a little girl growing up on a small island, and learning about women's worth in such countries and I did not like that one bit....I love that America has a constitution that protects people's right TO BE, to worship whenever and however they like {and blog one's brains out whenever one feels like it..LOL}. I love everything that is this great nation.
I will end there because if I go further, I might end up making it sound like a testimony and I refuse to bear my testimony on this blogasphere unless I am attending Crash's RS testimony meeting along the highway in the U.S. of A.
There....my rambling thoughts of the day. Sorry I don't have any give-aways, first kiss stories or even a stand up comedian act to give ya.
These are just thoughts going through my head these last couple of days.
P.S. If you want to win some cool prizes, go here. My friend Laura is giving away some cool prizes in honor of her Mother of the Month feature in the Family Fun magazine.
Last week she announced her million dollar idea about jog/blogging across America like Tom Hanks did in the movie Forrest Gump. Well, that idea was so intriguing that all of her friends jumped on board with requests of songs to play on the trip {virtual trip, if you missed my earlier meaning} and other things they would love to do. Crash then posted about first kiss stories that the blog stalkers/lurkers of her site and even from other sites started coming out of the woodwork to tell of their first kiss moments. The comment box was so loaded of first kiss stories, some short, and some not so short, that she had to make a follow-up post about the first kiss stories with some highlighted bloggers with pictures of themselves and their first kiss. Turns out that some of her closest blog friends/followers didn't get a chance to comment about their first kiss stories because they were too long for the comment box and of course the comment box was always full of comments so these friends are posting about their first kiss stories.
I've had a chance to read those posts and I gotta say they are really good stories. These ladies really know how to tell a story. Did I tell my first kiss story, you ask? I did, but got chickened out and deleted it but not before Crash read it on her email but lucky for me, she didn't post it..lol.
So, is this going to be a post about my first kiss? Are you kidding me?
A couple of my kids read this blog. You want me to make them think that their dad wasn't the only man I ever kissed and that he wasn't actually the first man I kissed?
That's what I thought.
What is this post about? inquiring minds want to know. It is as the title said..random thoughts.
Back to my post if you would kindly let me finish and stop interrupting with your constant questions. So that jog/blog across America that Crash is heading..actually driving a tie-die yellow submarine with a couple of photographers and a few very athletic bloggers jogging alongside the van pointing out funny people and even stupid people that April is allergic to.
I am sorta sitting in the back of the van taking in all of this quietly, would open my mouth up once in a while to say something then closed it again like a fish out of water because it's really crazy in and out of the van with all these crazy, boring {and I say this in a very respectful and reverant way} Mormon mommies and some non-Mormon cool ladies, all speaking-laughing-pointing fingers-at once so of course when someone is sitting in the back of a submarine van, no one else can hear that person saying anything, right?
Oh did I mention that Crash's very apostate {her exact description} brother is cycling along the van also with some of the very healthy looking ladies? I think she even have her very cynical to romance Austrian student who is now addicted to blogging surfing on the roof of the van and another blogger dude somewhere in the van, can't really see him with all these buzz in the van. How cool is that eh?
This is such a fun trip with the van stopping all over the different states picking up bloggers and of course trash on the highway because Crash is all about good cause, mind you, and we ended up yesterday at the inauguration of the new President of the U.S. It was a momentous day in American History because yesterday, the first African American {ok, so he's half white} was sworn in as the new President. See, that's where the trip got a little sticky. There were mixed emotions about this particular moment because not every American voted for this new Pres., so those who were for him, it was a very happy go down in history day for them and those who did not vote for him, it was a very sad, emotional and probably bad day for them.
That got me thinking about this whole politics issue. Not that I'm a political person myself. The one subject I always avoid like a plague is politics...the different emotions that stirred up from this subject is just not worth the headache, as far I'm concerned. But back to my thoughts...
during that whole election time, I've heard different people with their different views on the canditates and their flatforms and of course one can always tell who a person will end up voting for by the way they talk about each canditate. I remembered when it was down to just the two canditates, McCain and Obama...those I've come in contact with would use this phrase "the lesser of the two evil" a lot, when making the decision on who to vote for.
Has U.S. fallen so badly that there are actually no really good man who can represent her that voters would chant to themselves that if they have to choose between two not so very good men, that they will have to choose the lesser of the two evils? What happen to this great nation that was once founded by such great man? Man with integrity, good morals? Do people vote for Obama and getting him win the election just for the sake of making history? And the ones who voted for McCain and wanted so badly for him to win, will he be actually able to save this country from its recent state?
I was driving my kids to school on the morning of the inauguration, listening to the radio when some lady called into the station said some things. I have to agree with her questions, want to point that out before I write what she said.
She was at the doctor's office when she overheard two other ladies saying some really mean things about the new President and the fact that he messed up on the first part of his pledge....I didn't know that part, we only watch the very last part of the speech before I had to leave the house....those ladies must have heard it because that was their irritation at the moment.
Even the guy at the radio station didn't know about it, he kept asking "He what? He messed up on his pledge? I didn't hear that, lemme go back and see it again."
Anyways, the lady who called in the radio station was upset about the whole thing she heard and said....her exact words,
"I don't think they should be talking crap at all about our new President. So they didn't vote for him and they don't like him, he's elected, he's the new President of our country. We should all pull together and give him the support he needs to run this country. We should set aside our differences and difference in opinions about our President and show him that we support him and in so doing will show the rest of the world that we stand behind our President and that our Country is still the best country in the world. The rest of the other countries don't need to see contention among ourselves. He is in office, we should give him the chance to show us what he can do. I have a son and I will show my support for our new President to help make this country an even better place to live for my son."
That was really sweet. I have to agree with her. The majority have voted and America, you have your new President now. It wouldn't do any good for this country if you don't give him all the support he needs to run this country. That saying "United, we stand, divided, we fall," totally applied at this moment. I love this country, America, I am proud to be a part of such a great nation, a great place where my children have the freedom to live a free life, to voice their opinion without fear of being shot and the freedom that women have here. I've studied countries of the world as a little girl growing up on a small island, and learning about women's worth in such countries and I did not like that one bit....I love that America has a constitution that protects people's right TO BE, to worship whenever and however they like {and blog one's brains out whenever one feels like it..LOL}. I love everything that is this great nation.
I will end there because if I go further, I might end up making it sound like a testimony and I refuse to bear my testimony on this blogasphere unless I am attending Crash's RS testimony meeting along the highway in the U.S. of A.
There....my rambling thoughts of the day. Sorry I don't have any give-aways, first kiss stories or even a stand up comedian act to give ya.
These are just thoughts going through my head these last couple of days.
P.S. If you want to win some cool prizes, go here. My friend Laura is giving away some cool prizes in honor of her Mother of the Month feature in the Family Fun magazine.
1/19/09
This Hobby of Mine...
I don't know if I've mentioned before but I am a big time card-maker using rubber stamp. I am actually an Independent Demonstrator for StampinUp and I have been doing this for eight years now. But I don't do this on a business level, it's more of an hobby for me that I find much satisfaction from. So much, in fact that I {and the friend who recruited me} started a group where we meet once a month and exchange cards where my friend and I took turn demonstrating a new technique. I loved it so much that when I met Swirl, I just had to invite her to come join our group. And it's been always fun to watch her enthusiasm when she's making cards, she's got an incredible talent.
Anyway, our next card exchange is scheduled for the last Saturday of February. We always had a theme for each month and for next month, our theme is BABY. This is the card I will be exchanging at our card group. I copied the idea from Dawn at Dawn's Studio. I used a circle scallop bunch to cut out the body of the sheep and a five petal flower punch to make the feet and the ears and face. Isn't it cute? This is the girl version...I ran out of blue paper so I will be making some blue ones later.
Very simple yet absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself.
I am especially looking forward to February because there's going to be Regional Seminar for StampinUp here in Hawaii.
Because I usually do this as a hobby, I don't usually earn enough points to go on the conventions that were held on the mainland and never make it to the cruises. So because of that, I look forward to the seminars that are held here in Hawaii. This will be the third time I attend {the last two times were so much fun} I don't want to miss out on this one.
{I love this card on the right, it's called a spinner card...the dragonfly actually move from one corner to the next.}
Today I spent most of my afternoon playing with the supplies I have to create some fun cards. There will be card {card face} swap at the seminar so I was trying to come up with something that wouldn't take too long to make, fun, easy yet a "wow" card at the same time.
{This is a bag-a-lope. I used an envelope to make it into a bag. That's what it looks like opened...above picture}
Well, several days ago, I was surfing the net, or stalking the bloggasphere and reading posts
when I stumbled upon this blog and saw her card making challenge. She's an incredible woman who had lost her baby and husband all in one year. Her story is very sad and I really admire her for the courage she has and the brave way she comes up with things to help her cope with her day. I love her challenge so this card is made specifically for her card making challenge. I hope she likes it.
Her card challenge for this week is tag card. Because her sites are mostly about her teddies, represent her hubby and baby, I thought the teddy bear would be appropriate. And I'm sure everyone who know her would agree with the saying on the tag, that's why I use it. I actually have so much fun making these cards...not all my ideas but it's always fun to take someone's idea and play with it a little, add a little embellishments here and there and make it a great work of arts. That's what I love about this hobby.
I can't wait to see what the other ladies have for our next swap. I am also anxious to see meet all the other demonstrators here in Hawaii and get new ideas from the seminar.
Alright, it's already late here so I need to get off and get some sleep.
Anyway, our next card exchange is scheduled for the last Saturday of February. We always had a theme for each month and for next month, our theme is BABY. This is the card I will be exchanging at our card group. I copied the idea from Dawn at Dawn's Studio. I used a circle scallop bunch to cut out the body of the sheep and a five petal flower punch to make the feet and the ears and face. Isn't it cute? This is the girl version...I ran out of blue paper so I will be making some blue ones later.
Very simple yet absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself.
I am especially looking forward to February because there's going to be Regional Seminar for StampinUp here in Hawaii.
Because I usually do this as a hobby, I don't usually earn enough points to go on the conventions that were held on the mainland and never make it to the cruises. So because of that, I look forward to the seminars that are held here in Hawaii. This will be the third time I attend {the last two times were so much fun} I don't want to miss out on this one.
{I love this card on the right, it's called a spinner card...the dragonfly actually move from one corner to the next.}
Today I spent most of my afternoon playing with the supplies I have to create some fun cards. There will be card {card face} swap at the seminar so I was trying to come up with something that wouldn't take too long to make, fun, easy yet a "wow" card at the same time.
{This is a bag-a-lope. I used an envelope to make it into a bag. That's what it looks like opened...above picture}
Well, several days ago, I was surfing the net, or stalking the bloggasphere and reading posts
when I stumbled upon this blog and saw her card making challenge. She's an incredible woman who had lost her baby and husband all in one year. Her story is very sad and I really admire her for the courage she has and the brave way she comes up with things to help her cope with her day. I love her challenge so this card is made specifically for her card making challenge. I hope she likes it.
Her card challenge for this week is tag card. Because her sites are mostly about her teddies, represent her hubby and baby, I thought the teddy bear would be appropriate. And I'm sure everyone who know her would agree with the saying on the tag, that's why I use it. I actually have so much fun making these cards...not all my ideas but it's always fun to take someone's idea and play with it a little, add a little embellishments here and there and make it a great work of arts. That's what I love about this hobby.
I can't wait to see what the other ladies have for our next swap. I am also anxious to see meet all the other demonstrators here in Hawaii and get new ideas from the seminar.
Alright, it's already late here so I need to get off and get some sleep.
1/17/09
Unbelievable!!
I just came back from the Doctor's Office with my baby. We spent over three hours just waiting for the doctor to have a look at her. Provided it was a squeezed in appointment but usually the longest we ever had to wait before was an hour.
I guess it must've been because of the day of the week or something. Heck we waited two hours in the reception area and when we finally got called into the doctor's office, we had a whole hour to wait before my daughter was finally seen by the doctor. And then the doctor showed with peanut butter on his fingers and between his teeth..ewww, so gross.
Honestly, doesn't the guy ever heard of mouth rinse? I mean he had us waiting for an hour for him because he was eating his peanut butter sandwich? Why didn't he rinse his mouth out first then?
So what did my baby need to see the doctor for, you ask? I'll tell ya. She stuck a couple of plastic earring backing in BOTH of her ears, not just one but BOTH!! Sheeesh!!! I have no idea how long those things have been in her ears.
She was sticking her finger in her ears last night and saying, "itchy, mommy, itchy."
When I shone a flashlight in her ear, I could see the stuff in there. We happen to have one of those ear thingies they have at the doctor's office so when I checked her ear with that, I could see the stuff in there, lodged so deeply into her ears.
So that's why we ended up at the doctor's office on a Saturday morning of all days.
{Half the day was practically gone.}
Honestly, seven kids and this one is the first one who ever stuck something in her ears. Just when I thought I just might be lucky and not experience such a dramatic thing, it happened.
{I don't know how she manage to get into my stuff. I swear I am totally running out of high places to put my stuff.}
The nurse had to spray some solution in her ears to wash the thing out. It didn't take very long the stuff to come out of the left ear but the right ear, she had to keep flushing that little object out at least five times, I lost count. But I'm glad that both objects are out. There was a lot of ear-splitting scream from my daughter but once the thing was out and the nurse gave her stickers, she was all happy again.
So now we're home and she's playing with the brothers. I doubt she'll want to try putting anything in her ear again.
Which reminds me, today is Saturday, major deep cleaning for my family and half my day is gone already. I can't believe I'm actually sitting here on the computer blogging and the sun is shining brightly outside.
Oh yeah, the so called storm that got everyone running around Thursday getting prepared for, that supposed to hit yesterday, that school was canceled for never happen. I gotta say, that has got to be the best storm ever, the sun was shining, not even a breath of storm in sight. It rained last night but not enough to cause worry. And now the sun is out today, hotter than ever.
{Hmmmmm, I wonder why I am not outside enjoying the sun or at the beach? Good question, I will definitely go gather up my kids and go to the beach, screw the deep cleaning...LOL.}
Yep, I can't believe I am sitting here blogging when the sun is beckoning me to go play with him today. I wonder if there's a cure for this blog addiction of mine. Well, more like blog stalking. I could literally spend hours not just reading other people's posts but all the comments in their comment boxes. How sick is that? I need a doctor.
Wonder if there's a place where blog addicts meet once a week like AA meeting, where bloggers take turn standing up and say,
"Hi, I'm a mormon mommy and I'm addicted to blogging."?
I guess it must've been because of the day of the week or something. Heck we waited two hours in the reception area and when we finally got called into the doctor's office, we had a whole hour to wait before my daughter was finally seen by the doctor. And then the doctor showed with peanut butter on his fingers and between his teeth..ewww, so gross.
Honestly, doesn't the guy ever heard of mouth rinse? I mean he had us waiting for an hour for him because he was eating his peanut butter sandwich? Why didn't he rinse his mouth out first then?
So what did my baby need to see the doctor for, you ask? I'll tell ya. She stuck a couple of plastic earring backing in BOTH of her ears, not just one but BOTH!! Sheeesh!!! I have no idea how long those things have been in her ears.
She was sticking her finger in her ears last night and saying, "itchy, mommy, itchy."
When I shone a flashlight in her ear, I could see the stuff in there. We happen to have one of those ear thingies they have at the doctor's office so when I checked her ear with that, I could see the stuff in there, lodged so deeply into her ears.
So that's why we ended up at the doctor's office on a Saturday morning of all days.
{Half the day was practically gone.}
Honestly, seven kids and this one is the first one who ever stuck something in her ears. Just when I thought I just might be lucky and not experience such a dramatic thing, it happened.
{I don't know how she manage to get into my stuff. I swear I am totally running out of high places to put my stuff.}
The nurse had to spray some solution in her ears to wash the thing out. It didn't take very long the stuff to come out of the left ear but the right ear, she had to keep flushing that little object out at least five times, I lost count. But I'm glad that both objects are out. There was a lot of ear-splitting scream from my daughter but once the thing was out and the nurse gave her stickers, she was all happy again.
So now we're home and she's playing with the brothers. I doubt she'll want to try putting anything in her ear again.
Which reminds me, today is Saturday, major deep cleaning for my family and half my day is gone already. I can't believe I'm actually sitting here on the computer blogging and the sun is shining brightly outside.
Oh yeah, the so called storm that got everyone running around Thursday getting prepared for, that supposed to hit yesterday, that school was canceled for never happen. I gotta say, that has got to be the best storm ever, the sun was shining, not even a breath of storm in sight. It rained last night but not enough to cause worry. And now the sun is out today, hotter than ever.
{Hmmmmm, I wonder why I am not outside enjoying the sun or at the beach? Good question, I will definitely go gather up my kids and go to the beach, screw the deep cleaning...LOL.}
Yep, I can't believe I am sitting here blogging when the sun is beckoning me to go play with him today. I wonder if there's a cure for this blog addiction of mine. Well, more like blog stalking. I could literally spend hours not just reading other people's posts but all the comments in their comment boxes. How sick is that? I need a doctor.
Wonder if there's a place where blog addicts meet once a week like AA meeting, where bloggers take turn standing up and say,
"Hi, I'm a mormon mommy and I'm addicted to blogging."?
1/14/09
What Do They Talk About?
My 15 year old daughter, Jen, came bursting into the house, all blushed from running from the bus stop to our house, curiousity written all over her face....
Jen: Mom, is cucumber a vegetable or a fruit?
Me: A veggie, why?
Jen: Just wondering. So what is a gourd?
Me: Don't you want to look it up yourself in the dictionary? And why are you asking me these questions?
Jen: Well, because Josh said cucumbers are gourds and I didn't know there's such a thing as a gourd til now.
{This daughter was always asking me what does something mean, or how do you spell something or some such other simple stuff so I usually hands her a dictionary to look up her words or have her google it...don't u just love googling?}
Then she proceeded to relay this conversation she and her friends had while they were waiting for their school bus.
{Conversation between Jen and her friends Maila, Steph, and Josh.}
Maila: What do cherries grow on?
Steph: uhh.. trees? hahaha
Josh: yeah you've never heard of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree?
Maila: well, yeah, but... wait, but they're so small.
Steph: yeah??
Maila: shouldn't they grow on like bushes, like berries?
Jen: hahaha Cherry-berries.
Maila: hahahaha that's so cool. ohhh!! but they have blue berries and black berries and raspberries.. that would be awesome if they had cherry-berries.
Jen: haha yeah. Oh! did you know that potatoes are starches?
Maila: What?? you mean they aren't vegetables??
Josh: no, potatos are starches.
Steph: umm.. hahaha. yeah starches, kinda like rice?
Jen: I thought rice was grain.
Steph: Grain is a starch.
Jen: oh... like bread.
Josh: yeah.
Maila: wait.. you mean there's another category??? why can't it just be fruits and vegetables??
Jen: yeah.. wait.. what makes fruits and vegetables.. fruits and vegetables?
Maila: don't fruits always have seeds?
Jen: no cause cucumbers have seeds and they're vegetables.
Josh: well, technically, that's a gourd.
Jen: what the heck is a gourd??
Steph: like squash, or pumpkins.
Maila: ....you mean there's ANOTHER category??????????? why do they have to make it so darn confusing???????
I was laughing the whole time she was retelling this conversation. I thought this was so funny I just had to blog about it.
Glad to know "boys" aren't the only topic of my daughter's conversation when she's with her friends.
Jen: Mom, is cucumber a vegetable or a fruit?
Me: A veggie, why?
Jen: Just wondering. So what is a gourd?
Me: Don't you want to look it up yourself in the dictionary? And why are you asking me these questions?
Jen: Well, because Josh said cucumbers are gourds and I didn't know there's such a thing as a gourd til now.
{This daughter was always asking me what does something mean, or how do you spell something or some such other simple stuff so I usually hands her a dictionary to look up her words or have her google it...don't u just love googling?}
Then she proceeded to relay this conversation she and her friends had while they were waiting for their school bus.
{Conversation between Jen and her friends Maila, Steph, and Josh.}
Maila: What do cherries grow on?
Steph: uhh.. trees? hahaha
Josh: yeah you've never heard of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree?
Maila: well, yeah, but... wait, but they're so small.
Steph: yeah??
Maila: shouldn't they grow on like bushes, like berries?
Jen: hahaha Cherry-berries.
Maila: hahahaha that's so cool. ohhh!! but they have blue berries and black berries and raspberries.. that would be awesome if they had cherry-berries.
Jen: haha yeah. Oh! did you know that potatoes are starches?
Maila: What?? you mean they aren't vegetables??
Josh: no, potatos are starches.
Steph: umm.. hahaha. yeah starches, kinda like rice?
Jen: I thought rice was grain.
Steph: Grain is a starch.
Jen: oh... like bread.
Josh: yeah.
Maila: wait.. you mean there's another category??? why can't it just be fruits and vegetables??
Jen: yeah.. wait.. what makes fruits and vegetables.. fruits and vegetables?
Maila: don't fruits always have seeds?
Jen: no cause cucumbers have seeds and they're vegetables.
Josh: well, technically, that's a gourd.
Jen: what the heck is a gourd??
Steph: like squash, or pumpkins.
Maila: ....you mean there's ANOTHER category??????????? why do they have to make it so darn confusing???????
I was laughing the whole time she was retelling this conversation. I thought this was so funny I just had to blog about it.
Glad to know "boys" aren't the only topic of my daughter's conversation when she's with her friends.
1/13/09
Yay!!!
Today is the first day the kids go back to school after a looooong three weeks break. I am giddy with excitement.
Is it a bad thing to be happy that my kids are back in school?
Shouldn't I suffer some seperation attack or something?
Well, hummp, no...yes?...oh heck NO!!
I am finally getting some peace and quiet. I mean hey, six hours the kids are going to be in school. I am finally taking total control of the computer now, I can blog to my heart's content, well, not posting actually, more like stalking, ahahah.
So hey, I was sooo happy that the kids, six of them actually, are back in school today that I was not even grumpy when I was awaken so early this morning after staying up late last night to take high schoolers to Seminary.
So, now that everyone is gone except for my baby, I'm going to blog for a little while, catch up on all my email, respond to whatever needed responding, then I'll get off and read all the books my toddler wants me to read to her and then do some laundry.
Oh don't get me wrong, I still don't care very much for laundry, that's why I'm only doing "some"..not all..lol. It's sad really, I have friends who even if housekeeping is not their thing, still find at least a household chore they find a liking to. Me? I am still waiting for when that day will come. Ok so I kind of find cleaning bathroom to be more satisfying but it is not my team's (I'll post on how this team thing work next time) week.
Hmmmm, I wonder if I get tooo stressed out, will I be able to find some kind of household chore I would actually find a liking to? Like how making home-made greeting cards a very liberating and satisfying stress relief? Will I ever get to the point where I will not dread housekeeping so much?
Did I mention that I just can't stand house cleaning? Not that I'm a pig or anything. I do love a clean house and I do get into those cleaning streak mood but it's not very consistent. I mean I love the feeling I get when I actually clean the house and everything look so neat, in order, and clean that I just can't help but to bask in the glory of it. But then on the downside is that I get really grumpy and crouchy when I clean up, I don't want the kids to touch this or do that, they will just make more mess for me. Neurotic isn't it?
But enough about that. Today's post is not about my dislike to house cleaning. It's about six whole hour of peace and quiet and having complete control of every entertainment equipment in the house.
With that said, I am gonna take myself off and do some major net surfing. Toodles!!
Is it a bad thing to be happy that my kids are back in school?
Shouldn't I suffer some seperation attack or something?
Well, hummp, no...yes?...oh heck NO!!
I am finally getting some peace and quiet. I mean hey, six hours the kids are going to be in school. I am finally taking total control of the computer now, I can blog to my heart's content, well, not posting actually, more like stalking, ahahah.
So hey, I was sooo happy that the kids, six of them actually, are back in school today that I was not even grumpy when I was awaken so early this morning after staying up late last night to take high schoolers to Seminary.
So, now that everyone is gone except for my baby, I'm going to blog for a little while, catch up on all my email, respond to whatever needed responding, then I'll get off and read all the books my toddler wants me to read to her and then do some laundry.
Oh don't get me wrong, I still don't care very much for laundry, that's why I'm only doing "some"..not all..lol. It's sad really, I have friends who even if housekeeping is not their thing, still find at least a household chore they find a liking to. Me? I am still waiting for when that day will come. Ok so I kind of find cleaning bathroom to be more satisfying but it is not my team's (I'll post on how this team thing work next time) week.
Hmmmm, I wonder if I get tooo stressed out, will I be able to find some kind of household chore I would actually find a liking to? Like how making home-made greeting cards a very liberating and satisfying stress relief? Will I ever get to the point where I will not dread housekeeping so much?
Did I mention that I just can't stand house cleaning? Not that I'm a pig or anything. I do love a clean house and I do get into those cleaning streak mood but it's not very consistent. I mean I love the feeling I get when I actually clean the house and everything look so neat, in order, and clean that I just can't help but to bask in the glory of it. But then on the downside is that I get really grumpy and crouchy when I clean up, I don't want the kids to touch this or do that, they will just make more mess for me. Neurotic isn't it?
But enough about that. Today's post is not about my dislike to house cleaning. It's about six whole hour of peace and quiet and having complete control of every entertainment equipment in the house.
With that said, I am gonna take myself off and do some major net surfing. Toodles!!
1/11/09
Sad but Happy
Today in church I got released from being a Primary Counselor along with the President, the other Counselor and the Secretary. I have been in there for a little over three years so it was kind of a relief to take a break.
I am sad because I actually love this calling. I love the kids in Primary. It was such a humbling experience to work with such spiritual and intelligent children, I always come away every Sunday feeling spiritually refreshed and a lot better perspective on things in life.
When I first got called into the Primary Presidency, I was a little reluctant. The last thing I wanted then was to be put in a room full of children on Sunday after spending all week taking care of my children. I had wanted to be in Relief Society where I can see women and talk to women and be able to carry on a conversation that didn't involved yelling anyone to clean up their room, or pick up toys off the floor or any of the other loud sentences/phrases we mom often found ourselves using when trying to get our kids to do anything around the house. I had the hope that Sunday will be my break from kids. So when I got the calling to be a Primary Counselor I was a little reluctant but of course, I want to be obedient so I accepted it. Well as it turned out after the first two weeks in Primary, I had to admit that the Bishop and Primary President was totally inspired to call me to this position. It wasn't because of my knowledge of the gospel or that I was an expert on this calling but I believe this calling was extended to me mainly for myself, to humble myself and to teach me...I have learned a great deal from serving the children. Every week I go to Primary, I learned a new thing. Maybe this was Heavenly Father's way of helping to strengthen my testimony. I just know that being in Primary, our family has become better because of it. I was able to use what ideas I learned in there and applied it to our family living. There is nothing like looking at the world and the gospel through the eyes of a child.
So anyways, while I was sitting up at the stand (I am also our Ward chorister) after they had released us, I felt this overwhelming feeling of sadness. I felt like I was leaving somebody I really love. And you know, it is true, I've learned to love those kids as if they were my own and those three wonderful ladies I was blessed to serve with. And it just kind of a coincidence that our speaker for today happens to be a returned missionary and she was talking about how sad she was to leave the people she served and yet happy to be back with her family. I totally felt what she was feeling at the moment. I quess that famous quote our leaders and many speakers like to insert into their talks about how "we grow to love those who we serve" is actually true, uh? I mean I've never really cared for that quote before because let's face it, I am a mom and a wife and I serve my family because I love them not the other way around. So when missionaries would express that little quote I couldn't understand fully what it really entails. But now I know...who would have thought.
All throughout the whole sacrament meeting I was pondering about a lot of things. One is when I was a teenager, just right after I joined the church and I would observed how the missionaries would stood up at their farewells to say goodbyes would always say the same thing....they are happy that they will be seeing their family again but incredibly sad to be leaving the people they have come to love and serve...and I'd often thought that was kind of contradictory on their part. Of course they had to say they are sad to leave the people, it wouldn't be totally nice to say you're actually happy to be leaving and that's it..right?
Another thing I was thinking about was that I had approached the Bishopric two months ago that I would really like to be released from being a chorister so I could sit with my two year old who has become quite a handful for my family to handle. She kept running up to the stand when I was up there trying to lead the song. Well, instead of getting released from being a chorister, I got released from being a Primary Counselor. Is this some kind of a hidden message that Heavenly Father is sending me? Am still in this calling because there's still some things I need to learn? I mean, I love being a chorister, it's the easiest calling I've ever had and it also helped me able to get my whole family, seven children and all, to Sacrament on time, at least ten minutes before Sacrament start. But like I said, I miss sitting with my family down on the benches.
I guess I should say I am happy that at least for a little while I can relax and just go to class without having to worry that I need to be running around in church trying to multi task, having to juggle between doing sharing time, playing the piano, conducting and teaching a class. I mean I don't mind doing any of things if I can do them one at a time instead of juggling them all within two hours. I love doing sharing time and playing the piano sometimes even but a lot of the time I was not prepared to teach a class especially thinking the teachers are all there and then we showed up in Primary and found out there are two or three teachers missing so then we as Presidency had to start running around, trying to find sub or sub ourselves and do what we were suppose to be doing at the same time. I did learned a great thing from this juggling we often do every Sunday, I've learned to become very spontanious and creative. So maybe I have gotten what I needed from this calling.
So there...the little happening on my beautiful Sunday. I wonder what's in store for me next, what will be the next calling? I'm a little scared of the unknown but I'm up for a new adventure.
Alright....I need to close off for now and go get started on dinner.
I am sad because I actually love this calling. I love the kids in Primary. It was such a humbling experience to work with such spiritual and intelligent children, I always come away every Sunday feeling spiritually refreshed and a lot better perspective on things in life.
When I first got called into the Primary Presidency, I was a little reluctant. The last thing I wanted then was to be put in a room full of children on Sunday after spending all week taking care of my children. I had wanted to be in Relief Society where I can see women and talk to women and be able to carry on a conversation that didn't involved yelling anyone to clean up their room, or pick up toys off the floor or any of the other loud sentences/phrases we mom often found ourselves using when trying to get our kids to do anything around the house. I had the hope that Sunday will be my break from kids. So when I got the calling to be a Primary Counselor I was a little reluctant but of course, I want to be obedient so I accepted it. Well as it turned out after the first two weeks in Primary, I had to admit that the Bishop and Primary President was totally inspired to call me to this position. It wasn't because of my knowledge of the gospel or that I was an expert on this calling but I believe this calling was extended to me mainly for myself, to humble myself and to teach me...I have learned a great deal from serving the children. Every week I go to Primary, I learned a new thing. Maybe this was Heavenly Father's way of helping to strengthen my testimony. I just know that being in Primary, our family has become better because of it. I was able to use what ideas I learned in there and applied it to our family living. There is nothing like looking at the world and the gospel through the eyes of a child.
So anyways, while I was sitting up at the stand (I am also our Ward chorister) after they had released us, I felt this overwhelming feeling of sadness. I felt like I was leaving somebody I really love. And you know, it is true, I've learned to love those kids as if they were my own and those three wonderful ladies I was blessed to serve with. And it just kind of a coincidence that our speaker for today happens to be a returned missionary and she was talking about how sad she was to leave the people she served and yet happy to be back with her family. I totally felt what she was feeling at the moment. I quess that famous quote our leaders and many speakers like to insert into their talks about how "we grow to love those who we serve" is actually true, uh? I mean I've never really cared for that quote before because let's face it, I am a mom and a wife and I serve my family because I love them not the other way around. So when missionaries would express that little quote I couldn't understand fully what it really entails. But now I know...who would have thought.
All throughout the whole sacrament meeting I was pondering about a lot of things. One is when I was a teenager, just right after I joined the church and I would observed how the missionaries would stood up at their farewells to say goodbyes would always say the same thing....they are happy that they will be seeing their family again but incredibly sad to be leaving the people they have come to love and serve...and I'd often thought that was kind of contradictory on their part. Of course they had to say they are sad to leave the people, it wouldn't be totally nice to say you're actually happy to be leaving and that's it..right?
Another thing I was thinking about was that I had approached the Bishopric two months ago that I would really like to be released from being a chorister so I could sit with my two year old who has become quite a handful for my family to handle. She kept running up to the stand when I was up there trying to lead the song. Well, instead of getting released from being a chorister, I got released from being a Primary Counselor. Is this some kind of a hidden message that Heavenly Father is sending me? Am still in this calling because there's still some things I need to learn? I mean, I love being a chorister, it's the easiest calling I've ever had and it also helped me able to get my whole family, seven children and all, to Sacrament on time, at least ten minutes before Sacrament start. But like I said, I miss sitting with my family down on the benches.
I guess I should say I am happy that at least for a little while I can relax and just go to class without having to worry that I need to be running around in church trying to multi task, having to juggle between doing sharing time, playing the piano, conducting and teaching a class. I mean I don't mind doing any of things if I can do them one at a time instead of juggling them all within two hours. I love doing sharing time and playing the piano sometimes even but a lot of the time I was not prepared to teach a class especially thinking the teachers are all there and then we showed up in Primary and found out there are two or three teachers missing so then we as Presidency had to start running around, trying to find sub or sub ourselves and do what we were suppose to be doing at the same time. I did learned a great thing from this juggling we often do every Sunday, I've learned to become very spontanious and creative. So maybe I have gotten what I needed from this calling.
So there...the little happening on my beautiful Sunday. I wonder what's in store for me next, what will be the next calling? I'm a little scared of the unknown but I'm up for a new adventure.
Alright....I need to close off for now and go get started on dinner.
1/10/09
Out of his mouth
I just heard the funniest thing tonight while I am sitting here reading Crash's most recent post. Six of my kids are sitting in the living room doing their own stuff, one on the phone, another one visiting with her friend who came over, another one is playing on an ipod, another one playing quietly in her little corner, and two playing XBox 360.
The kid whose friend is over, my second daughter, was chatting away quietly when all of a sudden my oldest daughter who was on phone must have heard what the second daughter was talking to her friend when she blurted out and said,
"MOM, you should see Jen's stomach."
"What's wrong with her stomach?", I asked.
"Her stomach is sooooo skinny," {she tried to shape her sister's body with her hand}
"it's completely flat and you can see her ribs sticking out. It's like she's anorexic or something."
To which the second daughter agreed completely.
"How can she be anorexic if she eats all the time?", I asked.
Second daughter responded. "That's because everything I eat goes straight to these", pointing at her thighs.
Second son, who was playing on the XBox turned to his sister.
"You know you should tie something on your thigh so when the food comes down to your thigh that stuff would push the food right back up to your stomach."
That cracked everybody up.
This is my eleven year old son who often says the weirdest and funniest thing.
The funny thing about him is that he wasn't trying to be funny and when he tries to seriously input his view or ideas on things, it comes out really funny. Of all the kids, he's the one who always takes things seriously, always the last one to get the joke. When you tell funny joke, everyone will be laughing but not him...he always have this puzzle look on his face and it usually takes a few days after rolling the joke over and over in his head before he would figure out the punchline to the joke.
One example....There was this restaurant/shop two towns away from our house called Crouchin' Lion. The reason it's called that was because up on the mountain background, there's a rock formation at the very top of the mountain that look like a lion crouching down looking over the valley.
So, one day, the kids and I were making one of biweekly trip to town (Honolulu) and as we were approaching the place, I slowed down and said......
"Hey kids, can you look out the right window and see if you can find the lion that they named this place after? There's suppose to be a lion up there", I said pointing to the top of the mountain.
All seven pairs of eyes strained their eyes out the windows to see who can spot the lion first. About ten seconds later excited voices yelled out, "there it is, up there!!" pointing in the right direction.
The older kids have helped out the three youngest by pointing to the right direction.
My poor son #2 blurted out, "I don't see any lion. Where is this lion?"
"Up there!" son #3 pointed out.
"I still don't see it. There's not lion up there, you guys made that up."
"It is there, you're just too blind to see it," said daughter #2.
"All I saw was just the mountain and a rock up there", he insisted.
{By then we had already passed up the place.}
Poor kid kept insisting that he didn't see any lion where we said there was one. That caused quite some debate for the next 20 minutes.
After a the kids quieted down and each went on to their own things. Some of them even took a nap.
Son #2 stayed up the whole time looking out the window with some serious thinking showing on his face.
Well, we got to town, met up with my hubby, had some dinner and then a movie.
It wasn't until we were returning home and approaching Crouchin' Lion that I figured out what the problem was, why son #2 was the only one who couldn't see the rock formation that shaped like a lion. I mean, even my six year old was excited once he discovered what I was pointing out to them.
Son #2, the whole time the other kids were looking and pointing out to the rock formation and figuring out the shape the formation has, he was looking for a REAL lion.
See, that's how he is. He takes everything people say literally. He couldn't figure out that I wasn't talking about a real lion that I was actually pointing out rock formation that shaped like a lion.
The next day when I told him that, he was red in the face and admitted...
"Well, I thought you said there was a real lion up there but there wasn't."
It was really hard to hold all that laughter in. But I didn't want to make him feel bad so I waited til I was in my bedroom that I broke down laughing.
I know, kinda cruel of me to laugh at him like that.
Actually that was the biggest relief for me because for a long time I thought he was the slowest mentally speaking. I don't want to say that he's stupid because that's too strong a word but I did worry that he might be on the slow side, if you know what I mean. But after that incident, I know that it's not that he's stupid or something, he just takes things literally...he's too serious that he doesn't get the joke until way later after he's had time to take apart the joke line by line til he gets the punchline.
Just thought I'd share that tonight.
P.S. I practically spent all day playing. Early on this morning I went to a baptism and later on I went to a retreat for daughter #2's choir. After that, when I got home, I went to Pounder's Beach with hubby, two of my sons and my little Princess Katie. I spent the time snoozing, reading and singing "rain rain go away" with my little girl. When we got back to the house again, I gave her a bath and we took a nap. After the nap, which from about 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., I got up, get put some chicken to bake in the oven, have my second daughter watch while I went to my card exchange. I had a really great time, Laura did a really great job on her demo. Now I am sitting here and it's almost eleven o'clock p.m. "blogging my brains out" as Crash would word it. It was nice to actually spent a day like this and I should feel quilty that I didn't do any of my household chores but I'm not.
The kid whose friend is over, my second daughter, was chatting away quietly when all of a sudden my oldest daughter who was on phone must have heard what the second daughter was talking to her friend when she blurted out and said,
"MOM, you should see Jen's stomach."
"What's wrong with her stomach?", I asked.
"Her stomach is sooooo skinny," {she tried to shape her sister's body with her hand}
"it's completely flat and you can see her ribs sticking out. It's like she's anorexic or something."
To which the second daughter agreed completely.
"How can she be anorexic if she eats all the time?", I asked.
Second daughter responded. "That's because everything I eat goes straight to these", pointing at her thighs.
Second son, who was playing on the XBox turned to his sister.
"You know you should tie something on your thigh so when the food comes down to your thigh that stuff would push the food right back up to your stomach."
That cracked everybody up.
This is my eleven year old son who often says the weirdest and funniest thing.
The funny thing about him is that he wasn't trying to be funny and when he tries to seriously input his view or ideas on things, it comes out really funny. Of all the kids, he's the one who always takes things seriously, always the last one to get the joke. When you tell funny joke, everyone will be laughing but not him...he always have this puzzle look on his face and it usually takes a few days after rolling the joke over and over in his head before he would figure out the punchline to the joke.
One example....There was this restaurant/shop two towns away from our house called Crouchin' Lion. The reason it's called that was because up on the mountain background, there's a rock formation at the very top of the mountain that look like a lion crouching down looking over the valley.
So, one day, the kids and I were making one of biweekly trip to town (Honolulu) and as we were approaching the place, I slowed down and said......
"Hey kids, can you look out the right window and see if you can find the lion that they named this place after? There's suppose to be a lion up there", I said pointing to the top of the mountain.
All seven pairs of eyes strained their eyes out the windows to see who can spot the lion first. About ten seconds later excited voices yelled out, "there it is, up there!!" pointing in the right direction.
The older kids have helped out the three youngest by pointing to the right direction.
My poor son #2 blurted out, "I don't see any lion. Where is this lion?"
"Up there!" son #3 pointed out.
"I still don't see it. There's not lion up there, you guys made that up."
"It is there, you're just too blind to see it," said daughter #2.
"All I saw was just the mountain and a rock up there", he insisted.
{By then we had already passed up the place.}
Poor kid kept insisting that he didn't see any lion where we said there was one. That caused quite some debate for the next 20 minutes.
After a the kids quieted down and each went on to their own things. Some of them even took a nap.
Son #2 stayed up the whole time looking out the window with some serious thinking showing on his face.
Well, we got to town, met up with my hubby, had some dinner and then a movie.
It wasn't until we were returning home and approaching Crouchin' Lion that I figured out what the problem was, why son #2 was the only one who couldn't see the rock formation that shaped like a lion. I mean, even my six year old was excited once he discovered what I was pointing out to them.
Son #2, the whole time the other kids were looking and pointing out to the rock formation and figuring out the shape the formation has, he was looking for a REAL lion.
See, that's how he is. He takes everything people say literally. He couldn't figure out that I wasn't talking about a real lion that I was actually pointing out rock formation that shaped like a lion.
The next day when I told him that, he was red in the face and admitted...
"Well, I thought you said there was a real lion up there but there wasn't."
It was really hard to hold all that laughter in. But I didn't want to make him feel bad so I waited til I was in my bedroom that I broke down laughing.
I know, kinda cruel of me to laugh at him like that.
Actually that was the biggest relief for me because for a long time I thought he was the slowest mentally speaking. I don't want to say that he's stupid because that's too strong a word but I did worry that he might be on the slow side, if you know what I mean. But after that incident, I know that it's not that he's stupid or something, he just takes things literally...he's too serious that he doesn't get the joke until way later after he's had time to take apart the joke line by line til he gets the punchline.
Just thought I'd share that tonight.
P.S. I practically spent all day playing. Early on this morning I went to a baptism and later on I went to a retreat for daughter #2's choir. After that, when I got home, I went to Pounder's Beach with hubby, two of my sons and my little Princess Katie. I spent the time snoozing, reading and singing "rain rain go away" with my little girl. When we got back to the house again, I gave her a bath and we took a nap. After the nap, which from about 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., I got up, get put some chicken to bake in the oven, have my second daughter watch while I went to my card exchange. I had a really great time, Laura did a really great job on her demo. Now I am sitting here and it's almost eleven o'clock p.m. "blogging my brains out" as Crash would word it. It was nice to actually spent a day like this and I should feel quilty that I didn't do any of my household chores but I'm not.
1/8/09
Picky Eaters...how do you get 'em to eat
Last night as I was going to pick up my daughter from choir, I came upon a friend at the bus stop with her son so I pulled over to see where she was going. She wasn't really happy with her hubby so she was just taking a lil breather, not really sure where she wanted to go. So I offered to bring her and her son to my house to hang with me. I will not go into the details of why she was upset with he hubby, it's too sensitive.
Anyways, we had some talks and I offered as much guide and comfort as I could. I felt honored that she wasn't too shy to share what was on her mind. So one topic led to another and she brought up her son's lack of appetite. She has two children and the son she had with her was her oldest, who's three and she also has a nine month old that she left with the dad at home. Well, she said her nine month old weighed 20 lbs while her 3 year old only weighed 27. And just last week, he lost 3 lbs. (He was 30 lbs. before and after last week, he went down to 27.) She was really worried about him because every attempt they made to feed him, he just was not interested in eating. She asked if I know any trick on how to get him to like to eat...I mean they even bribed him with fast/junk food but he wouldn't eat em.
I feel bad you know. She thought since I have seven kids, I was bound to have at least one picky eater that I may have figured out some trick to get 'em to eat. Well, I do have a itty bitty trick I picked up from a friend way back when I was just a newly mom. My oldest son at one point in his life was a very picky eater. He was not as heavy as his sisters so I tried this trick on him and it turned out to be the best thing. From then, whenever my friends would ask what to do about with their picky eater, I would tell them to try this trick and the result was incredible. It is not a genius bang theory of the universe discovery or anything, it was very simple.
When I told my friend that I have a trick she could try, she looked so hopeful and was really excited and anxious to go home to try it out.
"So what is this trick?", she asked.
"Well, it's really simple, you know", I said, "it might work on your son or it might not."
"Anything is better than nothing. I am out of ideas", she said.
"I don't really have a name for it but here goes."
What I did was I put put whatever food I make, and I try to make sure there at least three different food group on the plate, in separate portion. Then I sat my son down at the table and kind of make a game out of it. I asked my son how old he was and of course I tell my son my age too {I always made up my age for fun}. Then I told my son that whatever age he was, that would be the amount of bites he would have to eat from his plate, from each of the different food group on his plate. So if he was 3 years old, he would have to take 3 bites out of his starch, 3 from the protein and 3 from his veggie group. Of course I would do the same thing with my made up age. I tried to make him think that that is not a big deal. I mean that is all he has to eat before he can leave the table.
At first I would get the cynical look but after making it clear to my son that was the only way he would be leaving the table, he would reluctantly try with the first bite. I didn't care how big or small the bite was as long as he was taking it. My goal was to get some nutrients into his small body. The first day took a little longer than I would have wanted but after a couple of days, it got easier and faster. After a while, I would give the option of either eating everthing on the plate or do the number of bites that is equivalent to their age. The real fun part about it is that the more the number of their age is, the more number of bites they had to take and sometimes the portions I put on the plate were actually equivalent to the number of bites they take. I remember one time my son discovered that once he actually eat the required number of bites, his plate was almost empty.
You can imagine my real joy in seeing my picky son stop pushing his food around on his plate and gobbled down everything he saw and actually licked the plate clean. My seven year old now does that sometimes with his food but since I am trying to get my kids to like food from all over the place, I use that trick on him, too.
So far the friends who've tried this with their kids are really happy about the result. I am happy about the result too and I can't wait to talk to my friend from last night and see how she's doing and if she is successful with method on her son.
Oh and yeah, my picky eater of a son is now a teenager and seems like I could never feed him enough, he is constantly hungry and eating everything in sight...what a pig!! LOL.
Hope this post helps whoever happen to be stumble upon it and whoever is lurking around in the dark.
Aight, I'm going over to Crash's to play truth or dare. Later!
Anyways, we had some talks and I offered as much guide and comfort as I could. I felt honored that she wasn't too shy to share what was on her mind. So one topic led to another and she brought up her son's lack of appetite. She has two children and the son she had with her was her oldest, who's three and she also has a nine month old that she left with the dad at home. Well, she said her nine month old weighed 20 lbs while her 3 year old only weighed 27. And just last week, he lost 3 lbs. (He was 30 lbs. before and after last week, he went down to 27.) She was really worried about him because every attempt they made to feed him, he just was not interested in eating. She asked if I know any trick on how to get him to like to eat...I mean they even bribed him with fast/junk food but he wouldn't eat em.
I feel bad you know. She thought since I have seven kids, I was bound to have at least one picky eater that I may have figured out some trick to get 'em to eat. Well, I do have a itty bitty trick I picked up from a friend way back when I was just a newly mom. My oldest son at one point in his life was a very picky eater. He was not as heavy as his sisters so I tried this trick on him and it turned out to be the best thing. From then, whenever my friends would ask what to do about with their picky eater, I would tell them to try this trick and the result was incredible. It is not a genius bang theory of the universe discovery or anything, it was very simple.
When I told my friend that I have a trick she could try, she looked so hopeful and was really excited and anxious to go home to try it out.
"So what is this trick?", she asked.
"Well, it's really simple, you know", I said, "it might work on your son or it might not."
"Anything is better than nothing. I am out of ideas", she said.
"I don't really have a name for it but here goes."
What I did was I put put whatever food I make, and I try to make sure there at least three different food group on the plate, in separate portion. Then I sat my son down at the table and kind of make a game out of it. I asked my son how old he was and of course I tell my son my age too {I always made up my age for fun}. Then I told my son that whatever age he was, that would be the amount of bites he would have to eat from his plate, from each of the different food group on his plate. So if he was 3 years old, he would have to take 3 bites out of his starch, 3 from the protein and 3 from his veggie group. Of course I would do the same thing with my made up age. I tried to make him think that that is not a big deal. I mean that is all he has to eat before he can leave the table.
At first I would get the cynical look but after making it clear to my son that was the only way he would be leaving the table, he would reluctantly try with the first bite. I didn't care how big or small the bite was as long as he was taking it. My goal was to get some nutrients into his small body. The first day took a little longer than I would have wanted but after a couple of days, it got easier and faster. After a while, I would give the option of either eating everthing on the plate or do the number of bites that is equivalent to their age. The real fun part about it is that the more the number of their age is, the more number of bites they had to take and sometimes the portions I put on the plate were actually equivalent to the number of bites they take. I remember one time my son discovered that once he actually eat the required number of bites, his plate was almost empty.
You can imagine my real joy in seeing my picky son stop pushing his food around on his plate and gobbled down everything he saw and actually licked the plate clean. My seven year old now does that sometimes with his food but since I am trying to get my kids to like food from all over the place, I use that trick on him, too.
So far the friends who've tried this with their kids are really happy about the result. I am happy about the result too and I can't wait to talk to my friend from last night and see how she's doing and if she is successful with method on her son.
Oh and yeah, my picky eater of a son is now a teenager and seems like I could never feed him enough, he is constantly hungry and eating everything in sight...what a pig!! LOL.
Hope this post helps whoever happen to be stumble upon it and whoever is lurking around in the dark.
Aight, I'm going over to Crash's to play truth or dare. Later!
1/5/09
Check IT Out
Ok, my friend Swirl has her infamous Book Club and she's got a nice do over with it. Everyone who knows her are trying to spread the word, she's doing this incredibly wonderful thing to help promote reading for boys. I wasn't going to post about it because first, my boys are not reading all that much and secondly, I don't have that many bloggers who read my blog but I just remember that most of the ones who read my blog are non bloggers so this post is for them.
I am kinda ashame to admit this. I LOVE reading but my kids loathe it. I mean they will read only if I am bribing to do their chores for them or pay them money for it. This has always been a problem for me. I don't know how that happens, though. Whenever any of them were younger, from baby to before they start school, I was always reading to them and encouraging them to read. I had such high hopes whenever I see any of them show interests in any book. And they did...they loved it when I was reading to them and even tried to immitate my reading. Then as soon as they stepped into a classroom, they wanted nothing to do with books. Boggles my mind.
You see, I look for a time when all my kids can each grab a book and sit down with it so I can justify reading the books I love reading without feeling quilty that I am ignoring my wifely and motherly duties. I mean I would go so far as to offer to do their chores for them and if that doesn't work, I would bribe them with money.
Sometimes it worked, and sometimes not. So far, the only time my boys {and this is 13 year old son, and 11 year old son} were reading was HOLES came out {and that was after watching the movies first}, the Limeny(wrong spelling, I'm sure) Snicket series, the Narnia series and of course Harry Potter series. I think getting books that has a cd comes with it is a great way to go. My boys usually rotated between the book and cd. But anways, that was back then. Right now both boys are contemplating on reading the sixth book of Harry Potter, Half blood prince, before it comes out in the movies.
Right now, we don't have any interesting book around the house, for boys, (oh, I have book "THE HOST" by Stephanie Meyer, her fifth book she wrote. I finished reading it and my oldest daughter wants to read it now. So far, she's the one most interested in Stephanie's book, maybe because they have the same name, I think?) so I think I need a trip to the bookstore. I need a day where I can spend a few hours there so I can really find an attention-grabber book that my boys would take one look at and fall in like with it.
So if you are reading this...go here
and check it out. You are gonna LOVE it!
I am kinda ashame to admit this. I LOVE reading but my kids loathe it. I mean they will read only if I am bribing to do their chores for them or pay them money for it. This has always been a problem for me. I don't know how that happens, though. Whenever any of them were younger, from baby to before they start school, I was always reading to them and encouraging them to read. I had such high hopes whenever I see any of them show interests in any book. And they did...they loved it when I was reading to them and even tried to immitate my reading. Then as soon as they stepped into a classroom, they wanted nothing to do with books. Boggles my mind.
You see, I look for a time when all my kids can each grab a book and sit down with it so I can justify reading the books I love reading without feeling quilty that I am ignoring my wifely and motherly duties. I mean I would go so far as to offer to do their chores for them and if that doesn't work, I would bribe them with money.
Sometimes it worked, and sometimes not. So far, the only time my boys {and this is 13 year old son, and 11 year old son} were reading was HOLES came out {and that was after watching the movies first}, the Limeny(wrong spelling, I'm sure) Snicket series, the Narnia series and of course Harry Potter series. I think getting books that has a cd comes with it is a great way to go. My boys usually rotated between the book and cd. But anways, that was back then. Right now both boys are contemplating on reading the sixth book of Harry Potter, Half blood prince, before it comes out in the movies.
Right now, we don't have any interesting book around the house, for boys, (oh, I have book "THE HOST" by Stephanie Meyer, her fifth book she wrote. I finished reading it and my oldest daughter wants to read it now. So far, she's the one most interested in Stephanie's book, maybe because they have the same name, I think?) so I think I need a trip to the bookstore. I need a day where I can spend a few hours there so I can really find an attention-grabber book that my boys would take one look at and fall in like with it.
So if you are reading this...go here
and check it out. You are gonna LOVE it!
1/4/09
Eight is Great
Today is my son #3's eighth birthday and he was also baptized. We just came from his baptism. The whole experience was really fast....it is fast Sunday too. The baptism was taken place at the temple beach. Because his b-day happens to fall on the first Sunday of the month, I decided it would be only fair to everyone that I not serve snack after the baptism.The day was very cloudy and windy. There were some setbacks but the service went great. Everyone who has an assignment was there. It was a good turn out.
It was really an awesome service. My daughter #1 talked on "baptism" and her visual aid was a bowl of bleached water with a white handkerchief and chocolate syrup. White handkerchief represent us when we were born, clean and pure, no sin. So in her talk whenever she mention a sin, she would squirt a little chocolate syrup on the handkerchief and pretty soon the handkerchief was all dirty from the chocolate. Then she immersed the dirty handkerchief in the bleached bowl of water {which represent the baptism itself} and with a little time, the handkerchief came out all white again. It was really beautiful to see a 17 year old did a talk like that.
Then daughter #2 sang a duet with my friend's daughter a cappella style. They sang the song "Baptism" from the Primary song book. They both have beautiful singing voices.
Then my friend, Joce, did the talk on the "Gift of the Holy Ghost". She started off by sharing a most recent Holy Ghost experience of hers. She said that last night she was impressed upon or inspired by the Holy Ghost to work on her talk last night but she said she didn't listen to it thinking she has time to do it this morning. Well when she got up this morning when she typed up her talk, her printer wouldn't cooperate with her. So she had to copy all her talk from the computer by writing it up and of course, she did not have enough time to write everything. That was her example of what happens when you don't listen to the Holy Ghost. Then she had all the Primary kids who were present to recite the Fourth Article of Faith. I can proudly said that the kids did great reciting the article by memory. She then proceed on about her talk with the different visual aids she brought with her and how they relate to the Holy Ghost. She had a blanket, a flashlight and a compass. That was a beautiful talk, too. Even with the wind blowing really hard we were still able to hear everything.
After the talk on the Holy Ghost, we proceeded on to the ocean to have the baptism itself done.
Living in Hawaii, baptisms done in the ocean is a customary thing to do.
My husband performed this part of the service
He did a really good job, they both did. Even
with the waves coming in and out and the wind, he was loud enough for us to hear him.
After the baptism, the bishop gave his welcoming remarks and then we closed with a song and prayer. The confirmation will be done in Sacrament today. With the new year, our ward starts at 12 p.m. today.
I assigned sons#1 and #2 to give the opening and closing prayers. I tried to get my family involved as much as possible whenever we have a baptism in the family. What was my assignment, you wonder? I was the one who was making all the calls to invite people to the baptism, {I was unable to hand made the invitations since I had to make a 116 "Thank You" cards for my husband to pass out to his work on his last day. He's starting a new job somewhere else on Monday.} in charge of giving out assignments, making the program and making sure whoever has assignment show up and of course, I was the chorister. I had planned on having someone play the keyboard at the baptism but she didn't come on time and of course because it was too windy, I'm not sure the music would have worked that well there, so close to the ocean and all.
All in all, I would say that the whole thing turned out great. Even with the wind and cloudy sky, we only had a little drizzle of rain here and there, but nothing major enough to get in the way. I am glad that we were able to have Joey's baptism done today, he picked perfect spot for his baptism and a really good day, too. He has been looking forward to turning eight for the longest time and I am really proud of him.
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