Quick craft

We needed some more pot holders around here.

I love projects that utilize scrap fabric. Validation for keeping every last thread!

Necessity is the mother of invention.

My sister also needed a "sturdy, long apron" and her wish is my command!

When I was done I was like, "Man, maybe I should have put a pocket in after all?" But who really uses an apron pocket anyway... but what if she wants one!? And then, bam, I had a cool idea!

She could fold it up and button it! Good thing I lined it with a cute red. Whew.


Ta-da! Pocket.

Now, if she wants a longer apron with a pocket.... she can go buy one! haha :)

I'll send this off ASAP Britt! Bon Appetit!

Monkey see

Ava showed us around Honolulu Zoo today.

I'm thinking about getting a season pass too. What a fun day!

Not pictured: Asher strutting around like he owned the place. If I didn't have that kid strapped to a stroller he was gone and I was getting huffy looks from tourists... come on people! Who's the zoo for- kids or pasty, chubby men in confusing beach wear and brightly colored sandals?

Sewing something for my sister...

...is not only great alliteration,

but it's a nice distraction from unskilled pattern-making and a terrific excuse to finally get together with favorites like Matti, or Matild that is. She's got this car seat cover business down to a fine art!

Check your mail soon Bricka-Bracka!

awww yeah!

This makes me so happy I'm gonna make it my goal for the year. This pose and this emotion.

The picture is way too tiny so you can't see the awkward, and I mean awkward, look on my face in the picture. It's too bad too. I love awkward.

But don't worry. I ordered it in a 5x7 (this is just the proof they email you from the race).

Remember last year's victory pose at the finish line?

It's my personal goal to end each race like a lunatic. It just feels good. Success.

Failed attempt No.1

Sometimes when I make things my problem solving is going a mile a minute from issue to issue and I can't see the forest for the trees.... does that saying apply here?

Anyway, deep down I knew I had no idea what I was doing, but the child begged me everyday for at least two weeks straight. He wanted a scientist coat just like the one in the movie and I thought, well, I want to learn how to sew clothes... good practice?

Anyway, did you get a load of that huge boat neck up there? I didn't even bother hemming the sleeves... it was a lost cause.

"Where did I go wrong?" I wondered as I went to bed.

I did the front panels, and felt all clever because I remembered you could do something tricky with the sleeves before sewing it all up.... an insiders tip my beginning sewing teacher taught me long ago... first it was the back that gave me trouble. It didn't fit with the front and the sleeves. In fact, when I was measuring it on Ambrose I was doing a lot of grumbling about it not matching up and he said, "I think you don't know how Mama. I could show you!" and I grunted, "Ha! I wish." And then he grabbed my face and said with a big grin, "Let's just laugh about it." No joke, he said that. Where does this delightful child come from? I was more determined than ever to make this kid his stupid scientist coat!

So, when I threw the towel in last night I was sad for my boy.

And then, like a mad scientist version of myself I started laughing hysterically in the middle of the night! It was so painfully clear! OF COURSE! I have a crazy boat neck because I am supposed to sew the front panels to the BACK! first! Not the sleeves. And the tricky trick was to sew the sleeves in before the side seams! OH YEAH!

I had forgotten that tiny, significant detail.

So, of course I woke Thomas up and told him my mistake, because he gives a crap at midnight..... and then I giggled myself to sleep.

I will start over tomorrow since I don't have time today. Expect a finished coat by this weekend.

I know, you're just sitting on the edge of your seats.... :)

Well, I know one kid who is.


Hold tight little buddy. I think I've got this one figured out! Back to the lab with attempt No.2!

Caution! Warning!

Watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs with your three-year-old may seem like a good idea at the time. You both love the 1978 classic book and it's on Netflix Instant Watch.

It's even a pretty cute movie overall.... but, there is a scene where the little boy main character, who is in love with all things science and inventing, gets a handmade scientist coat from his mother as a surprise.... your child will take a cue from said movie, because after all, you're his mom and you sew, and assume this is a rite of passage for all young, imaginative, science-minded males...

...and so you'll spend a large chunk of your Tuesday trying to create your own version of the scientist coat.

Even if you really have no idea how to make a tiny scientist coat. At all.

I've already re-done the sleeves because they were too short the first time.

Ok, enough stalling, back to work. I've got a tiny mad scientist to outfit here.

Great Aloha Run

My feet and I participated in the Great Aloha Run again this year and we lived to tell the tale.

I had a marvelous time once I told myself to just walk when I had to and enjoy! I should be more grateful for my feet. They don't always feel the way I want them to, but they got me through all 8 miles. Good job feet.

From somewhere in my dreams...

Taken by the man of my dreams

freak out blogging frenzy!

I'm on a blogging roll lately! It's very nerdy. I apologize. But not really, because I am recently realizing that I won't be seeing my family and all my best buddies on the mainland until like August 2012.... that's a whole year from this coming August... making it two years since we last saw everybody I have known and grown up with and loved for most of my life. TWO YEARS!

Do you know how much kids can change in two years. My kids won't even be the same people at all by summer 2012.

Luckily my parents will come see us once or twice during that time, but still, my sisters are all sensible mothers of many with mortgages now and so they won't be coming out here anytime soon. We are in the same boat. We have two kids and budding careers and we are taking the counsel to get out of debt and become more self-reliant really seriously so it doesn't work for our family situation to be flying back and forth a whole lot anymore.

I know we are making the right choice and that feels great, but I love the idea of my sisters kids and my kids being good friends in the same way we were growing up: having inside jokes, and loving each other like siblings do (which includes a healthy amount of hair pulling and drama). I had a huge group of best buddy cousins growing up that I love so much (Jewls, Ali, Ness, Mono, Mel...etc you know who you are!)

So, living and working in paradise certainly is living the dream in many ways, but it has it's price. I believe that it is absolutely the best choice for our little family right now, but it comes at the price of missing out on the baptisms, and birthdays, and helping out in times of need. It comes at the price of calling home on a Sunday and hearing everyone lazying around in my parents family room, with the cousins in the background running around and the adults full from my mom's Sunday cooking. And catching everyone's plans on facebook for a big, awesome drama nerd reunion for the 20th Anniversary of the show that was the biggest part of my life in High School. I'm strangely not homesick, just realizing that we are missing out on some important things and will do so for a long time.

Therefore, I blog. As nerdy as it is.

I love Hawaii and my close buddies out here and our beautiful little home and my family here so much, but I want to be a part of what I am missing out there and I don't want my parents, sisters, extended family and oldest, dearest friends to miss out on my kids growing up if they want to be a part of it too.

Anyway, this is what I was thinking about in a bout of insomnia last night. It seems to be on my mind a lot actually. Hence the blogging.

And in my psychotic blogging frenzy as of late there sure has been a whole lotta Ambrose up in here. He gets more blog space, because, he talks I guess. But Asher says stuff in his own little way. Enjoy!

So haole.

Little girl hopping on Ambrose's bike at the playground motions to her sisters: We come from Samoa.

Ambrose: Oh! (motions to Asher) Um, we came from our house.

A portrait of the artist as a young man...

Today we went to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The boys love painting and drawing and coloring so much I thought they'd get a kick out of seeing some professional art. They were surprisingly well behaved and seemed to really enjoy it.

When we were in the Hawaiian exhibit I saw a large volcano painting and noticed the artist's first name was Ambrose.

Me: Look buddy! The person who painted this is named Ambrose too!
Ambrose: Whoa!!!!!! (cuddles up to me excitedly and stares at the painting amazed)
Me: Do you think you'd like be an artist too someday?
Ambrose: (pulls away- offended) I already AM an artist!
Me: Yeah that's true! Should we go home and paint some oceans and volcanoes too?
Ambrose: Yeah, except for maybe I don't have all the supplies. I think I need to get more supplies. (Where on earth did he learn the word supplies??)
Me: (a little astounded) Yeah, ok. Let's get you those supplies.

Somebody get this boy some supplies! He is an artist after all.

Rainy tuesday campout

There is nothing better than catching your kids having fun together. Nope, nothing.

so true

and in that order too!

new tradition

Saturday is drum day in our little house. I would apologize to the landlords, but they raised the drum teacher so I think they're well acquainted with the old familiar bangs and crashes.




Ambrose was so determined and focused and into it that I teared up more than once. My grown up little musician.

And I wonder if Asher liked it or not?





Intense!

Can you imagine what these boys will be like in 5, 7, 10 years? I'm along for the ride. Can't wait!

sidekicks

This week Ambrose said so many encouraging things to me it made me wonder if he sensed I needed it or something.

I sure do love these two little souls. They are so hard to handle sometimes and then my greatest joy at the very next turn.


Glad we are on this journey together. I like growing up with them.

This was our Wednesday

Exploring Sunset

Use your words

In life, there seems to be two categories: those who sleep and those who cannot. I'm writing this from the latter category- my eyes droopily wide awake and my blood pumping with more ferocity than it seems capable of in normal waking hours. Unwinding flashes of thought weave intricate patterns of perplexity until *snap!* my mind is racing down a never-ending spiral of unorganized hopes, plans, anxieties and occasional flashes of brilliance!

The insignificant grain of me that's sensible hollers, "stop!" and "be still!" like a beach towel flapping sand in your eyes with the breeze- most unwanted.

I can never write so well, scheme so thoroughly, and aggrandize so horrendously as when I'm awake while all others sleep. Alone, unfettered by sippy cup refills and tantrums to appease, like distant memories of the mere hours separating bedtime from now, I'm left in a cloak of reflective solitude to waste away as I please: a silly novel, a clickity Internet stalk, or perhaps just hours of un-infiltrated creative pursuits. All that echoes is stillness ringing through my ears and the benevolent roar of the ocean just a window away always keeping a reassuring vigil.

My heart pounds for the little ones, thick breath in their room, dreaming together with mouths relaxed open and deep baby sighs. Then arms reach for my constant one. He sleeps so easily, drifts off without a care and exhales steadily as if to show the way. I watch him enviously, curl up to his relaxed shape, hoping his peace is contagious.

My eyes never see so well as when they should be closed. Everything seems more rich and genuine. No harsh rays distort or blind. It's no good! I must sleep! My mind reels with early morning responsibilities, chirpy little voices and adventures to be had. I must bid the night farewell. And so I chide myself, "relax," and I breath slowly, and let go, and turn off the hopes, plans, anxieties, and snuff those flashes of brilliance... for now... and drift, drift, drift away into a harbor of slow breath and soft pulse until I sink down like an anchor into an ocean so deep.

We can't call him dandelion head anymore

craft nite postponed!

Hey crafty types-

Looks like this week seems to be filling up with lots of good stuff for all of us!

I'm a big fan of not packing your life to the brim so let's postpone the craft nite that was going to be on Wednesday the 9th until later shall we?

Whew, that feels good.

See your crafty faces later alligator!

Steph

Ambrose's super short digital short

We laughed about this all weekend.




These don't always play on Safari for some reason. Weird.

Anyway, I have like 100 of these so sorry folks, but there's more to come.....


Here's another one of his brilliant concepts involving me and a reluctant Asher this time:

Mormon food

When another tsunami hits, I'll share my food storage. But it's not gonna come free. Like one hour watching my children run wild in our emergency camp per can. Or, if I don't trust you to watch my kids, just don't complain about their noise and you can have a pack of Ramen noodles.

Also, I was thinking Mormons are probably the healthiest culture of people in the USA because of their strict adherence to the Word of Wisdom. But then I got thinking about funeral potatoes, jello, canned fruit and whipped cream "salads," and mayonnaise in general and changed my mind. Any group of people fiercely dedicated to rotating food that's meant to last until 2015 can't be doing that great health-wise.... but maybe the two cancel each other out and we're ok after all.

Hey, at least we've got dried fruit and wheat going for us.