educational explorations

we used to be all about reading but have gotten a little less obsessed these last eight weeks or so. time to get back on track and this list is helping me out:

50 ways to get children to love reading

also gonna start checking activities off this list of 50 summer time crafts to do with your kids from the long thread



we're feeling good around here. i am suddenly very comfortable in my role as mama again and that is a big relief to me.
it's like it just clicked that it's ok to shoot for things to go right but not expect them to be perfect.

if your son runs around the 99cent store with a broom he pulled off the shelf while you're consumed with buying up bento boxes like they're going out of stock... at least he's in the vicinity and he's probably doing them a favor by tidying up with that broom anyway... (of course, of course there are still panicky, stressed out, everybody-is-crying moments here and there, but even those are kinda funny to me now.)

anyway, if anyone wants to join in on our educational explorations and good times- feel free!

what has honestly been helping me is keeping a little FLEXIBLE schedule of activities for the morning and afternoon and it has made a HUGE difference. being a mom is so fun. in fact, i was driving past some homes of old clients i used to work with today and a gigantic rush of relief came over me that i dont have to worry about that anymore. my job is to help little people who i love learn and grow and that's pretty awesome when you can let go and allow yourself to enjoy it.

ahhhhh!

GO HERE! you wont be sorry.

i might be looking forward to this more than new moon and more than anything ever. (more than you did the birth of your children? maybe. not sure.)

you can never go wrong with tim burton and johnny depp in my book.


and i've seen ed wood so that means a lot.

road blocks be damned! i yelled

in my head, because that's hardly something you yell out loud with two youngins in the car.

we were on our way to preschool and the road was mysteriously blocked.... and it was our day to bring the snack.... so, i called the preschool to explain the situation and decided that, dash it all, we were going to eat that snack on our way to the north shore for a day of adventure! just me, ambrose, and asher and we were gonna have fun.

so we did. as we made our way to haleiwa, we dined on granola bars and apples and pointed out all the "ocean!" "trees!" and "birds!"...etc. that we could find. ambrose begged for "songs!" and "coco!" (which translates to wilco) and we sang the whole way there.

when we arrived we chilled in the car for a bit so i could nurse asher:


boy do i love my minivan. for reals.

then we got out and looked at all the boats. which ones had blue ("ba-due") on them and which ones were BIG and could we find any small ones???


it was fun.

then we parked a little further up the road and headed out for a walk

i picked up some new slippers at surf n sea just to switch things up a bit since i have worn the same brown ones for two years now

and by the way, you never quite realize just how tiny the aisles are at that over-stocked store until you have a big old stroller to push around. honestly. what do they do when people in wheelchairs come in??? who do i need to call about this? jk. i dont care that much, but it was annoying. moving on! we headed up to get shave ice. matsumotos is over-rated but the price is right. it's not like i dont like that store, i do. but why is it the one all the tourists go to when angels and other similar places taste the same? i've heard people claim otherwise but i cant tell the difference. we had a grand old time there though. see:





and then asher decided he had had enough and so i told him not to feel left out and i promised him some shave ice when he was a little older and so he went back to being his normal happy self.

and then we loaded up in the car and came home.... now to see if ambrose will settle down in his room and go to sleep. that's a whole other adventure.

there are just some things you wish you never heard about

i didnt even know i cared about china or place settings. i didnt register for them when i got married. my mom said i would be sorry and i am still not sorry. i'm only sorry i didnt get married two years ago when this was first created... or even this summer when i could still register for them.

can i still register and send out anniversary announcements or something?

we are goin' on 5 years this august.

good gravy dinnerware is expensive. and i have no money. and oh how i love this. sigh.



it's called chirp by lennox and you can buy it for me here (if you have some extra money laying around... you know, whatever. sigh again.)

"i got two boys"

i must have said that one day a couple weeks back when i was holding both of them because every time i am holding or nursing asher and ambrose climbs on my lap too- he proudly proclaims, "I GOT TWO BOYS!!!!!!" in a tone like, "remember mommy!?!"

and it's pretty precious. which is a good thing since i am usually irritated that he is climbing all over me while i am feeding or burping or comforting asher.

while we were visiting the mainland my dad said, "he wants to be included. include him."

and if that's true then i am happy to hold him too and happy that "i got two boys!"

i actually did it!

see! i didnt want to let you down. :) hooray for make-ahead dinners!

everyday on my jog i seem to have a theme running through my mind and i race home inspired to be better. today i was thinking about this quote that i always see on my sister's fridge when we are visiting. this is my theme for the week and hopefully the rest of my life:


“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed some one's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."~Marjorie Hinckley

marjorie hinckley, for anyone who isnt too familiar with the mormon church, is the wife of gordon b. hinckley who was our prophet until he passed away (was that just last year?). i love reading about her and her life. i hope to be like her someday.

oh auntie liko.......

a weekend sewing kimono shirt WITH heather ross fabric?!?!?!?!? what a dream.

you do good work friend. asher looked dashing in his present from you. we love you!

make-ahead-meal update

here! thanks.

following orders

here ya go britt. i think of you every time i give him a bath. thanks for being a great example to me of the kind of mom i want to be! and now here's your baby fresh out of a bath (sorry, i dont have my photographer around so this was the best i could do aside from a camera phone photo and those dont always turn out well either... we'll try and get some good shots this weekend):




he was 11.8 lbs at his last doctors appointment last week so who knows what he is now, but he is tall, solid, precious, hungry, good, smiley, sweet, and now after his bath he smells so good that i better hop off this computer so i can sniff his hair and cuddle him for the remainder of his brother's nap!

have a great weekend!

really, you're posting about this??

the kids are asleep. i want to hold myself to something here. let's talk vanity.

i used to work several jobs in high school and college and spend most of that income on clothes. i loved it. i still love clothes, but it's just not a priority when you are on a reeeally tight budget and you have to drag two babies to the store with you... oh yeah, or when you are pregnant or carrying around a bunch of postpartum weight.

these days, i am a pretty low maintenance girl (you wouldn't have guessed this if you knew me back in high school).

my 25th birthday was last month and my mom sent me some money to buy clothes that would make me feel and look good after giving birth to asher. i spent the money on fabric, a book, and these big, decorative vinyl stickers for my walls in the new place because i couldnt even think about trying on clothes.

i dont really buy new clothes anymore and getting ready for the day consists of possibly showering, a ponytail, and maybe some sunscreen on my face. that's just the way i roll these days.

but i'm not saying this is the way to be. nor am i suggesting that being obsessed with clothes and waking up two hours earlier in the morning to primp is virtuous either.

i think you should take care of the body you were given by:
1.eating healthy at least 90% of the time
2.moving your body at least once a day
3.giving personal hygiene some consideration (ha!)

that's what i'm shooting for anyway. pretty basic.

and i discovered something about myself.

I AM SICK TO DEATH OF MY UNIFORMS!! oh, i mean, the 5-6 outfits i wear on a weekly basis. it is not like these are my favorite articles of clothing i just cant live without. they are just what fit right now without being too big or way too small.

so, i am starting a little reward program for myself (it works on kids right??). i want to get fit. without going overboard and sharing too much personal detail (i think i've already done that), i'll just say that i have certain goals i have made for myself. each time i reach one of those goals there's a reward and they all come from this website. affordable, modest, really cute, and very basic (it's in the name people) so i can wear items with a lot of things, but nice enough that i want to work for it- it's not like a cheap trip to ross or savers or something.

i've already started the motivation by buying this:

to get me kick started. and i cant wait! so, if you shop from this site, and end up buying some of the same clothes, get ready to have a twin because i already have all my rewards picked out and i'm excited. :)

because you cant really be too big and not look unsightly in this:

so i've got some work to do, but i can do it and so can you!

go find some inspiration! i've got mine. vain as that may be. :)

do something for yourself every once in a while

i'm going to do this:

it's the same run i did last year when i was like 1 week pregnant with asher! if you want to do it too- it's on spet. 19th and you can go here for info

i got the ok to run yesterday so i went for a delicious jog last night and it was like reuniting with an old friend. so nice.

this 5k gives me something to "train" for and the money goes to a good cause so that's always nice. i figure i can get out in the morning with the kiddos:









and then have a real, long jog by myself at night. i have always loved running because it gives me time to myself to think, plan, get a little personal inspiration, and listen to my headphones full blast.

anyway, life as a mom sure is a whole lot easier when your body is healed and able to do the things you love to do. we are all very happy now that we can get out and about and PLAY!!!

here's to long runs, good tunes, and FITTING INTO MY SKINNY JEANS AGAIN SOMEDAY!!!! ;)

help me out!

so, i know, i know, i havent posted on oliofolio in a while. and i have a dang good reason! well, two of them actually:


my kids keep me hoppin! and so you would be right to wonder WHY on earth i would sign on as a contributor to another blog. but this one i can handle right now because it takes little time away from the demands of motherhood, and in fact, helps me out in that department. it is a food blog called fine meal woman that my good buddy starlyn started and asked me to be a part of.

and i need your help! go here to see how you can lend a hand and it will end up benefiting you when all is said and done, because, well, just go there and you'll see!

you all make it look so easy

but taking two kids to beach day is NOT easy. not for me anyway. :) thanks matti and liko for basically watching my toddler the whole time. how do you people do it? no really, i'm asking. ha!

i told thomas that back when we had just one kid... calling myself a "full-time mom" was like patting myself on the back. yes, good, involved moms are busy all day... but now i HAVE to be busy all day. i have no choice. i slack off and someone starves! ;)

anyway, they are both napping and i dont intend to waste the time with all this whining and carrying on.

just wanted to say: "wow everyone with more than one kid. i am impressed. you make it look easy. good for you! i hope to join you someday (soon!)"

the end.

VACATION

if you are checking the blog then this is all backwards- but here are a bunch of posts about our recent trip to the mainland!

if you are reading this through google reader or something similar then you probably got them in order.

at any rate- here are some happy images of people who love each other having a great time.

enjoy! :)

and finally, the HAIRCUT!

we were in vegas the night before we left, and my sister brittany did this:




isnt he so cute and handsome? he looks all grown up (tear, sniffle) but he is still my baby!

well, this concludes all the vacation pictures! hope you enjoyed looking through at least some of them.

WE HAD THE BEST TIME! it wasnt always action packed and i think that was definitely a good thing. i already miss all the extra adults around to help me manage my children, but i think it is definitely time for me to get myself together and figure it all out.

thank you family for having us, driving to see us, feeding us and making us feel so loved! it is really something to feel so secure and happy with the ones you love.