Narrative Friday: Bird Flight

If I could fly any time I wanted, I would fly flower to flower drinking nector. I would also fly around the world. While I was in the air looking down, I saw kids playing. While flying over China, I saw the Chinese president saying "hello" to all the people around him. By the time I got home, it was time for bed and I said, "What a tiring day it has been!"

Note: HS was asked to write about what would happen if he could fly.

One Month

I can't believe that Cody is 4 months! He's a whopping 25lbs and a bundle of pure puppy kisses! He's settled well into the household and enjoys following the kiddos, helping me cook (or hoping that I'll drop a few ingredients onto the floor), loves to play fetch, and rings a bell to be let outside to do his business. Although sometimes the house feels chaotic, I'm glad that we decided to jump in and get a dog. Cody is sure to be a childhood memory.

It's a Father's Choice

Father's Day. A day to reflect on those special men who take on the responsibility of being a valuable person in the life of a child. They inspire, teach, create, and play. They dicipline with love, understand with empathy, provide the "masculine" touch to a problem, and do all of this with the hope of a bright future for this child.

I was blessed with a phenomenal Dad. He provided the balance of an incredibly fun man who also was equally successful in his career. I will always be thankful that he found my sister and I important enough to miss a party or meeting just to ensure that he was sitting in the auditorium before any of our performances. Thank you, Papa for being wonderful! I love you!

My children are now blessed with a wonderful Daddy. HH may be exhausted when he comes home from a long day at work, physically absent for milestones because he's deployed, but one thing is a constant: he loves his children and would do anything to see them be happy and successful in their endeavors. I'm grateful that he has that personality woven into his personality.

HH had a very simple request for Father's Day this year: Loads of family time and snorkeling. We headed up to the North Shore and enjoyed delish hamburgers, snorkled in Turtle Bay's cove, and headed back home with a stop at Matsumoto's for some heavenly shaved ice with a snow cap and ice cream. Yummmmy! The kiddos enjoyed the beach and HS loved getting his snorkel gear on to head out for some daddy time. Viola! Success!

Happy Father's Day!

High Seas Expedition

"The journey begins...









we're all heading in...into the word of God!










His word is our guide...





















for all of our lifetime...oh...oh...oh....HEY! Let the vast journey begin!"


Snapshot memories of this year's Vacation Bible School:

Mommy's~ joy on HS and LD's faces, singing praises to God, meeting new and wonderful people, watching LD dance and lift her hands up in song, seeing HS respond to all the stories with such curiousity.

HS's~ singing and enjoying time with friends

LD's~ playing, dancing, and being with "eyan"

5th Kyu

Each time I sit and watch HS in the dojo as he practices his kata and sparring, I'm proud that he has attached himself to a skill that he obviously loves. Watching him in a test is all together nerve wracking as I sit and watch him go through a grueling hour and a half exam. Senseis and Senpais watch over those testing and at any moment, they just might make you do push-ups for not trying hard enough, being lazy, or worse, not focusing on the exam. By the end of any exam, I have fingernail marks embedded in my hand and a heart full of pride. HS always makes it without problem. I'm not sure if it's the defensive over-protective mommy bear coming out of me, but I'm always greeted with a wide HS grin and bear hug at the end of an exam. Obviously, his nerves are kept in check. I could learn a lot from him.

I am proud to write that I watched him not only do his best during the exam for 5th Kyu, but I witnessed him get his 1st "outstanding" in kata! Way to go my handsome Karate kid!

Narrative Friday: Mars Expedition

5~4~3~2~1~~~BLAST OFF!
HS's red spaceship is taking off from the rocky coastlines of California! Looking back at Earth's blue oceans, HS is going to the dark red planet of Mars. 25 days later...HS's red spaceship lands! He sees broken probes, green aliens, and even crashed spaceships. Luckily, he lands without a problem and begins exploring.

Note: For this Narrative Friday, HS choose the one that HH took the helm of leading him during his journal writing. HS's task was to use adjectives to describe an expedition to Mars.

Eagerness, Patience, & Stubbornness

Dear God,

We've really felt blessed by Cody. He loves being part of our daily activities and is curious about the world around him. Thank you for making HS the best big brother for LD. Thank you for creating him and weaving into his soul the type of patience that makes him able to sit, reading an endless amount of books to her while she learns to use the potty. If it's not to much to request, could you please speak to LD about her stubbornness? Maybe you could convince her to ditch her diapers for the cool princess designed panties.
Amen.

Happiness is...

* a bucket and an endless supply of sand

* jumping the waves in the crystal blue Hawaiian waters while holding onto the hand of mommy or daddy

* creating new worlds of fun with your big brother

* playing peek-a-boo with a clear box

* pushing a baby stroller down the street to the park with your favorite doll

* chatting with buddies either human, furry, or plastic

* singing as loudly as you can to a Music Together CD while pounding on a drum

* spending time with granma and poppop exploring the islands

* playing in a sheet fort built just for you by big brother

* wandering around to explore new things

* dancing to music and not caring what you look like

Narrative Friday: The Punchbowl Cemetary

Inside an old crater, tombstones, huge shady trees, flowers for fallen heroes, a beautiful white statue watching over.

Boy Scouts saluting, placing leis on the tombstones, listening to veterans.

Memorial Day Good Turn

Note: This journal entry was from Tuesday, June 1, when I asked HS to write a "When, Where, and What" Haiku. His topic had to reflect an activity that we did over the long weekend. He chose the Boy Scout Memorial Day Good Turn that he participated in with some of the members of his Cub Scout pack.

Farewell Wolf...

...Hello Bear!

Tonight we watched as each den fleeted up to their next Cub Scout rank. HS is thrilled...he's now a BEAR! Grrrrr! So, let the fun begin again as we are challenged and dig deep into the Bear Achievements that lead to him wearing his Bear badge with pride. We're also super proud of him as he received the World Conservation patch and the Outdoor Activity badge. He's certainly showing us that the Cub Scout spirit resides within.