so...

whenever i say, "so...." thomas says in a matter-of-fact voice "sew buttons."

and it drives me crazy.

and i love it too.

so...... (sew buttons)

our computer is in the shop getting a new hard drive (i'm typing this on my work computer four minutes before my class starts! hurry!)

me and the boys are sick AGAIN (someone PLEASE tell me what i am doing wrong or doing to deserve this and i will remedy it ASAP.)


the apartment is nearly livable but there are a few things holding us back from moving up there and i'm over it (i realize that i always sound like an unappreciative brat when i write stuff like that but try not living in your own house for over a year with all your stuff scattered in a cluttery, dusty, chaotic mess and then judge me accordingly.)

it's so hot all of a sudden and i just want to spend every day all day at the beach with my kids doing what mermaids and fishies do! (but we must get better first and we still have everyday obligations to attend to... even in paradise.)

so.....

in other words i am looking forward to june.

no more teaching, no school, we will be moved in to our awesome little home, and i only have three things on the calendar:

asher's birthday
my birthday
camping with our ward

birthdays AND camping? two of my favorite things!!

oh, and go to the BEACH everyday!!! (make that four things then)

until then, i'm gonna keep my grumpies to myself and take a nice long computer break. aloha.

feel free to join us

over at the good old book club this month

It's my turn to choose and I think I want to locate my inner sleuth.

Melissa gets a shout out for obvious reasons.

And Seth Aaron. For less obvious reasons, but still, it works.

Jackie Kontoes, I feel you should be involved somehow. So there's your shout out.

It's gonna be fun!!

just to clarify for the confused :)

Yes, yes, even if you live far far away you can join- this is kind of like an online discussion group and sometimes people in hawaii will meet, but mostly we'll just talk all things sewing here and, well, just join and I'll send you an invite and you'll see!



email mailing addresses to: stephaniexrobertson(at)gmail(dot)com!!

my home computer is giving me grief

So my work computer will quickly post these. We have been up to some things and here are some of them from my camera phone. Why the camera phone all the time? See the subject of this post for details.

I made a bunch of these on Saturday and handed them out with Ambrose and sometimes Asher in tow:
If you didn't get one and you are feeling left out it is only because the inviting was tragically cut short yesterday by crying children. You are invited. Monday 3/29 10:30AM-12noon at Kekela. A "camping" party for the big "tree" year old. Be there.


I am teaching Happy School this week and indocterinating the children with all kinds of hippie, tree hugging ideals since the theme is how happy the earth makes us: And we truly do live in such a beautiful beautiful world that Heavenly Father has created for us. Of course we should take care of it! It's only polite.


Speaking of polite. I love the sassy tudes in this group. Sometimes it makes me excited for their mothers to come at 11am and claim them, but mostly it's just awesome because it shows me that all the sass I deal with in Amby all day is indeed all part of the age and stage.
And is usually just plain hilarious.


And this was snack time: YUM!

Aloha. My parents come on Saturday y'allllllll!!!!!!!!!!!! Cha-hooooo!

mainland trip booked

woohoo!!

july 22-aug 12

we will be in: vegas, utah, new port beach, and bakersfield... you know, the major US cities.

did i mention disneyland?

and yan photography?

etc etc etc???

see you then friends and family!

here's my "happy mama song" as amby calls it to celebrate!

normally not such a fan

i liked her when she updated us on her sister but since then i just find her self-important and occassionally amusing. always well written though.

geez, what am i a blog critic?

sorry.

anyway, today she was in fine form and i laughed and laughed.

i like her again i guess.

for the hard working, studying daddy

we're proud of you! we love you!!

i don't know how it happened....

but the english department chair observed my class on monday morning and on thursday morning i was invited to teach english 101 again next semester.

a christmas miracle?

i think so! :)

oh my

our stockings are 1/3rd of the way sewn and they look awesome so far!

the turkey will be marinading very very soon!

i got my books in the mail yesterday!

my jury duty was canceled today!

i just yelled at my annoying across-the-way neighbor for continuing to block my van in and/or parking in my spot all the freaking time!

let the holidays begin!!!!!!



cha-hoooooooo!!!!!!

uh oh, fishing for a roll call? :)

haha

hey all- oh man- i meant yesterdays post to say:

"i am not sure who exactly is reading my blog besides the lovelies that comment all the time, but i'm gonna try to blog without being self-conscious. i.e.- when i post Mormon stuff i hesitate, like i hope no one thinks i am trying to preach to them or when i post silly things i think, "what must _________ (insert random persons name here) think of this nonsense?"

and then i realized, well, who cares. they must enjoy my particular brand of nonsense or they wouldn't be reading... either that or they are a glutton for punishment and they pound their fist on their forehead after each entry....cursing my name...........

but anyway, thanks for the impromptu roll call- it was fun to get little, "hellos" throughout the day. my students were taking a test all during class today and i would check my phone here and there for the time and see your emailed comments and laugh.

i didnt mean to fish for it (well, i did mean to tease my family- especially the lazy or computer challenged ones-hehe), but it was fun anyway.

on that note: i'm off to grade said tests and then some papers upon papers, but just wanted to say aloha!

friends of laie, kahuku, hauula, kaaawa...etc!

theys-a-tearin' up the house! like as i type this! and it is exciting and very very loud! no really, like it's caveman style. a burly man with what appears to be a huge crowbar is knocking the carport roof planks off one by one. ah! :)

anyway, if you live around here expect me to be inviting myself over all the time. oh my, there goes the chainsaw! haha

maybe my kids will get used to napping in the van........

this is crazy. i cant believe it is finally happening. i jumped for joy yesterday and skipped around the yard. i may just go do that again. see ya. (no really, i might be seeing ya. especially if i invite myself over. hehe)

hey asher henry!

i cant believe you're three months old today! you are the sweetest, easiest, most pleasant peach i've ever met.

i'm gonna finish your quilt now in honor of your birth-anniversary! :)

love you!!!

mama

i'm not worried

about any impending hurricane. the news says it shouldn't hit us anyway probably, but i am listening to my mellow sewing tunes, almost all alone while thomas is out late playing the drums, constructing some huck finn pants for a sweet little one year old boy, keeping time to the rhythm of my baby's coos, feeling nervous about some big changes coming up, grateful for the turn our luck has taken, happy to be able to keep in touch with you.

huck finn pants fotos and life updates to come.

funny phone fotos

we are home. tired. a little dizzy. but home. it was fun and relaxing.

we miss our cousins! here are some of them:

and amby got a short summer boyish cut from aunty britany.

real pictures to follow someday i am sure.

dear joanns fabrics,

i never thought you were much to fuss about growing up, but now that i live in the land of aloha print only (with rare exception)...

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

thanks for letting me breeze and float around your shop today.... stroking fabrics and freaking out over your vast selection.

and you had some good sales too.

i now have fabric for two yard sale skirts and two trapeze dresses from heather ross' weekend sewing. oh yeah, and some fabric for a clutch from bend the rules sewing. and a bunch of other pieces of fabric for other random projects.

we had fun today didnt we? if you move to hawaii i promise we can hang out all the time and i'll even introduce you to fifty friends of mine who want you just as bad as i do.

you are beautiful, you crafty thing, you.

love always,
stephanie

a few notes before take-off

tomorrow we leave for this place:

but we arent going to see this:

we are going to play with these guys! (my sister, brittany,
her husband and their three awesome boys):

then these people (my parents, betty and kimball):

are driving us to my hometown:

where we will party it up with them and another sister of mine, natalie, and her wonderful family:

and my other sister, ashley, and her husband who will be driving all the way from orem to see us (dedication, i tell you!): well, blogger is not letting me load a picture of them no matter how hard i try... but it is off their blog so go there if you need a visual! :)

we are having a 4th of july party, blessing asher on sunday, and living by the pool every other day. we'll head back to las vegas at the end of the two week visit for some more fun and then it's back to the land of aloha.

i am so so ready for this trip! my family is so great and fun and happy and we know how to relax, enjoy each other, and have a good time and that is just what i need! i love hanging out with my sisters- we end up laughing so much and it just feels good to be together. and dont even get me started on all the trader joes, in and out burger...etc. that i look forward to having. plus, it will be nice to be together as a family without thomas dashing off to work in the morning or heading out to take care of a crisis. i am sure he will have to do some stuff over the phone, but for the most part it will be a nice time to just be together. still wont let me upload pictures for some reason... well, picture a cute photo of my family- and remember it while we are gone! haha- ALOHA!!!!!!!!

dear everyone i have talked to recently,

THANK YOU for listening to me!!!!!

we had a couple of hard days where ambrose was all thrown off and i was healing and hurting and tired and it was a little rough and he was so hard to deal with and you let me COMPLAIN and complain i did!

and then you all jumped in and either listened to me, gave me advice, picked up my child for play dates, set up play dates, made me food, shared similar horror stories so i didnt feel like a bad, abusive, crazy mom...etc.

so to: my in laws, matti parker, melissa crosby, sara frantz, liko miller, ashley moffat, my sister brittany, my parents, THOMAS ROBERTSON, my sister natalie, dee kauwe, cassie lee, echo allred, kim howard, shanae jones, i feel like i am forgetting like 50 people, but know that i am grateful for you too.....etc....etc...etc... THANKS!

i feel like i am starting to get the hang of this all of a sudden. maybe it was the mini-van, maybe it's the fact that i feel so much more healed this week, a little more well rested, or that asher is an angel baby and ambrose is starting to be his old self again- but mostly i just think you helped me.

THANKS!

love always,

stephanie

ps- one particular play date yielded some awesome results- if you want to see the cutest little video (it's only 11 secs. long so not too much of a time commitment) of your life (who doesnt love two toddlers dancing gleefully?) go here

pps- and this includes all you thoughtful people who sent me well wishes and treats on my birthday- what fun! if that's the way birthdays go- i hope to have one every year. ;)

remember that recipe book we all made????

the lovely sheila rich has emailed me a major change to her coconut mochi recipe!! it's in the back of the book- kindly write in the change please. and echo, liko, rachel....etc. remember when i was all sad about the mochi i tried to make for amby's 2nd birthday party???? this is why it didnt turn out!!! haha- apparently you need 2 cups of WATER for the recipe to work (as opposed to no water at all). what a relief.... i was SO CONFUSED as to what i did wrong. haha. ok, here it is:


Coconut Mochi (Pink kind)
4 c. mochiko
2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. water
1 can (12oz.) coconut milk
red food coloring

Combine dry ingredients. Combine liquids and add to dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Mix in food coloring. Pour into lightly greased 9x11 pan. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hr. Turn off oven and let sit another 15 minutes. Cool, cut into strips with plastic knife. Roll in cornstarch. Cut strips into pieces.

dear middle aged men and women of the world,

i really hate to let you down, but no, no i do not watch american idol or dancing with the stars.

please stop asking me.

all of you.

i know you are just trying to make conversation, but i feel like i am failing you miserably every time i have to break it to you... i am not interested in either of those shows.

the idols are the same thing every season in my opinion (a bunch of tools) and the "stars" are NEVER ever actual stars.

in fact, when ever i do catch a glimpse of a commercial of the show or something i usually recognize the dancer they perform with more easily.....

sorry.

but you continue to enjoy it all. that's fine!

it's not like i'm too cool or anything. i like to watch the hills and so you think you can dance... so i'm no better really. :)

take care of yourself.

love always,
stephanie

aloha friday beach day location change

big waves at ke iki tomorrow so we're gonna go here:

instead (alligator pond 9:30am-whenever). hopefully the tide will be this low and we can have our very own sid the science kid tide pool lessons. :)

spread the word and see you there!!