♥ Rubber Slippers in Washington ♥

Tidbits

2012-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

French pusher cup
Madonnna/Lady Gaga
Happy Birthday, Jennifer
Start a blog, Josh
Deriving joy
The rain falling on my windshield this morning looks suspiciously icy
This song should never have been remade

tid·bit

noun \ˈtid-ˌbit\

Definition of TIDBIT

1: a choice morsel of food

2: a choice or pleasing bit (as of information)

As it were, I guess these are not really choice morsels of anything; most are just little bits of the unrelated chaos that zing through my brain as I go through my day. No life-changing wisdom to be found here today; my brain is in a funny place this morning, and I seem to be having trouble developing thoughts in their entirety. :-9 If it's any indicator, I just tried to put the plastic wrap away in the refrigerator, and then I thought I could set a timer on our home phone, which has no timer function. (Hm. Should I be admitting these things?) Anyway....

Now, let's see if I can write a remotely interesting and relatable post out of these random thoughts.....

French Pusher Cup:

Yes--I, too, thought Malia was referring to an element of a Madonna or Lady Gaga ensemble when I heard her speaking these words. As it turns out, a "French Pusher Cup" is really just what she calls the handy little french-press travel mug Heidi gave me the other day. Thanks, Heidi. :)

Madonna/Lady Gaga:

Speaking of, these two are not often on my mind, but virtually one and the same in my mind--they carry a similar vibe, relative to their time. I heard LG's "Born This Way" for the first time yesterday, and I've gotta agree: it is reminiscent of a coupla Madge's songs, which I guess she's annoyed about. I wonder, is this "tribute," or "copycat"? I also wonder, "Why am I even thinking about this?" :-p

Happy Birthday, Jennifer:

Yesterday, my dear, wonderful, thoughtful, intelligent, shopping-savvy and multi-talented friend Jennifer turned onescore and 19 years. (I'm counting on flattery to save me from a beatdown for revealing her age. That, and the Happy Feet-makers I got her for her birthday. :-D) Our friendship, slow to develop at first, has over time become one I value tremendously. Jen has a weird sense of humor that cracks me up, and a thoughtfulness about life that has encouraged me to look at things differently than I may have otherwise. We also get a big kick out of being so physically different; we are oft stared at when spending time together, as people try and figure out how in the world that tall blonde Swedish woman, and that short round Hawaiianish person know each other. I think most of them end up concluding that I'm her adopted child. :-D (I am SO not earning friendship points today. I understand this. :-D)

Start a Blog, Josh:

My brother Josh is in Japan for a few months; I think it would be fabulous for him to start a blog chronicling his days there--just a pic or two, with a word or few, so we can see how it's going for him. I wonder if he doesn't already do this on Facebook, but I'm not there. So, oblige a loving older sister who thinks of you daily, Josh. :) Love you.

Deriving Joy:

Yeah--I definitely haven't thought this one through; just starting a running list of those things from which I derive joy--it's good for me to think of this. I wonder what would be on your list?

The Rain Falling on my Windshield This Morning Looks Suspiciously Icy:

My relationship with the weather has gone from merely observing it, to actually having an opinion about it. I wish I didn't; there really is as much loveliness to be found on a rainy day as there is on a sunny day. I just find that I am having a growing preference for sunshine and blue skies.

This song should never have been remade:

There are some classic songs that should just be left alone. Been there, done that, and (most importantly), nailed it. Now, let it be, and go make up your own song. :-p

Oh! I just had one more thought (aside from "What's up with this formatting?!):

Where did they get those eyes?:

Oldies, but goodies, and the effect is still the same on this mama; I really must strengthen my defenses. :)

One more:

A less-angelic moment that still makes me grin. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Kohala in Washington...

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official: Kohala is coming to the Pacific Northwest for the first time ever!

(In case you didn't know, that happy guy on the left is my dad... :-D)

Looking forward to it; these guys have strong ties to this area, so I say this tour is long overdue. Dad is excited to be coming back to the area, where he'll spend some time before heading home (again) to prepare for Kohala's Japan tour in August--busy guys. :)

I hear they'll have some pretty cute guest artists at the Bainbridge Island concert,

so you won't want to miss out:

I'm not biased, or anything. :)

Want to learn more about Kohala? Palm Records

Find tickets to the concert here: Brown Paper Tickets

(Do it. Right now. Don't wait. :)

See you there!

Storm

2012-01-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have access to Kiana's blog may have seen this before; I apologize for the redundancy. But, in the (modified) words of Lesley Gore, "It's my blog, and I'll redundantly post if I want to/redundantly post if I want to, redundantly post if I want to/You would redundantly post, too, if this poem happened to you." (Dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh.) Now, on with the show:

A poem by Oldest Daughter:

Storm

Rain drips
Sky rips
River rushes
Lightning flashes
Branches break
Deep Earth shakes
A storm is born.
--Kiana Arnall

Good stuff, eh? :-D

2012-01-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

Fine...I'll post. :)

Already 17 days into 2012, and nary a word from DoRe'ville--what's up with that? (Hau'oli makahiki hou, by the way; wishing you a joyous and prosperous new year, I hope all your dreams come true, reach for the stars, may the force be with you, and so on. :-p ) I've been more busy and less opinionated than usual, which makes for some pretty "blah" blogging, I think, and so I've been in hiding. This latest bout of writer's block has reached epic proportions--maybe an effect of the winter blues? Could be. But I hear people are getting tired of seeing Mana's face at the top of my blog, so I'll try and change things up a bit--no offense, Manz; you know we love you. :)

Hm...I seem to be in a mood. Let's try this again:

Gooooood morning! Long time no see! Ice on the lake, snow on the ground, and a sick Middle Daughter reading Archie comics in bed; winter is here. :) Let me see if I can scrounge up a few pictures...apparently, the honeymoon with our amazing camera is over, since we never seem to want to take her anywhere anymore. Poor ol' gal.....

"'Twas the night before Christmas...."
Kiana and Uncle Kale

They were a little bit excited about their iPods.

I just like this picture. This was a few weeks ago.
I miss blue sky.*

I miss pink sky, too.*

Crunchy grass.*

I've been meaning to post this pic of Malia, during her class'
Gingerbread Celebration. I'm not sure she enjoyed it at ALL.
:-9

Daddy-daughter date! Off to breakfast at the Pancake House.

Well, all for now. I guess middle school students are being released early due to deteriorating weather conditions, so Oldest Daughter should be home soon. Fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow; either that, or let's skip to summer already. :-9

Happy Tuesday!

*Naturally, the really cool scenic shots are Kiana's. But you already knew that, didn't you? :)

2011-12-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, the last week has been busy, crazy, and altogether lovely. My brain is in recovery mode, so I'll just post Noah's and Mana's latests and greatests. :)

The first is a video they created for Josh, to go along with the Old Spice they gave him:

The second is just one of those things they do when they're bored, I think:

Relive other holiday memories with them here: Rec. Life Project.

Oh, and don't forget to subscribe. ;-)

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Feet, and Other Smiley Things

2011-12-22T00:39:00.000-08:00

You know that thing where you go online to look for a present for someone, and you just aren't having any luck, but you keep finding stuff that you really love, and so you put it in your cart for later while you think about it, and then you log in to your account, and they already have your card on file so you don't even have to go downstairs to get your wallet, and then you accidentally hit the purchase button on purpose? Yeah; I was having one of those days on Monday, which made Wednesday a happy day for mail :D :

Comfiest ever. If I didn't care about the fact that they make me
look like one of Santa's elves, I'd wear them everywhere.

Ahhh....my feet are happy.

Told ya.

(I appear to be a girl with a lot of time on my hands.)

Let me just say this, though: taking a sharpie to my feet inspired awe in my children. They seem to have a whole new respect for me, and a renewed hope that, somewhere beneath my tough, steely, no-nonsense exterior, lies a mom who really, really
....likes art.

Or something like that. :)

This was Daniel's idea. :)

Happy Thursday!

December 10th

2011-12-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

Fast-forward to Saturday: we jumped on the ferry--well, drove onto it, really--and headed into the city for a day at the science center:

Welcome to my world--this is how it all looks to me, all the time. :)

Fabulous stylist.

My life as a Klingon. It was very brief.

Boys have cooties.

Love Abby's face; courage blooming.

I hyperventilate just looking at her doing this.

Lunch time!

World's largest Rubik's cube?

Joseph, trying to work his magic.

Group shot; waiting for the boy to make his way over.

There he is.

December 5th

2011-12-20T12:36:00.001-08:00

Back to the brothers' house on Monday, for dinner with Gretchen M. and Evan P.:

The Host with the Most.
(The most what, I don't know.)

Hi, Miki!

Good Mana.

Bad Mana.

Group shot...find your places....

Good one!

Best one. :)

December 4th

2011-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

The next day, off to the brothers' house after meeting for a little lunch, and a lot of naptime. Oh, and some Zumba, but you will never see pics of that:

Watching guys in helmets and tight pants.

Self-inflicted handwriting practice. Eh?!

How Daniel watches football.

The photog. :)

After this, up to the Hemmings for some piano-moving, and baked potatoes for dinner:

Jess' potato.
Why, yes, that is saimin-on-top-of-broccoli-on-top-of-
chili-on-top-of-cheese-on-top-of-sour-cream-on-top-of-a-potato.
This guy can eat.

Jennifer, making a spectacle of herself.

Getting ready for nap #2.

Snapshots

2011-12-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

The next few posts will be relatively wordless; it has been a busy month, filled with many privileges and opportunities for time well-spent with loved ones, and it's quite possible that I'm all worded out.

I'll start with Leota's surprise 90th birthday party, back on December 3rd:

Surprise!

The birthday girl.

Yummy cupcakes.

Up close.

With a picture of her late husband, Max. A good man.

Some of the littler guests (aside from myself). :)

Keeping themselves entertained.

Cheese!

2011-12-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

Included in an email I received recently from one of my nearest and dearest:

I love it, 'cause it's totally going to be like that. :)

Funny. :D

Off to the races again today, but let me share this vid of little Max, partly because his aunty thought I would have already posted this, but mostly 'cause he's so stinkin' cute. If I didn't have the good fortune of making babies that look like this,

then I'd hope they'd look (and sound) like this:

It's the weekend (and the start of winter break for this household)--smile!!!

Happy Aloha Friday!

2011-12-14T06:52:00.000-08:00

No blogging. More shopping. Have I mentioned how much I dislike shopping? I defy gender stereotypes with my disdain for it. (And how come all of the negative words in the last two sentences start with the letter "d" ? Random.)

But let me just share something I started the other day; an incomplete thought, really, but it fuels my happy, and I will definitely need that as I slog through the mall today:

"They said that it's all great and happy, and that it's magical, but it's not. It's creepy."

--Malia, on "The Elf on the Shelf" guy.

Hm. She may have a point.

As always, funnier to watch Malia say something like this--her facial expressions are always so entertaining--but no vid. (Just one of her hiding under the covers crying, and me laughing and sounding like a general "FAIL" of a parent, so we'll leave that one in the archives.)

Happy Wednesday!

2011-12-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I will blog.

Today, I will shop.

Wish me luck.

(And send Search and Rescue if you don't see a post tomorrow.)

Happy Tuesday!

2011-12-10T07:28:00.001-08:00

We're Seattle-bound today; taking our kidlets to the science center to see this film before it goes away.

In the meantime, just wanted to take a minute to direct you to my brother Kale's relatively new photography blog. Kale's the kind of guy who makes everything look easy: owning whatever sport he takes up; being class president; making chicken katsu; being handsome. And now, we add photography to the list.

In his more official capacity at his pinning ceremony in May.

(Not-so-random-aside: his name is pronounced "Kuh-lay." It occurs to me that some of you may read this and think my parents named him after a cabbage. It's Hawaiian for Charles. :-D)

Happy Saturday!

(And if anyone has ideas for a better sign-off, I'm taking suggestions. :-9))

(She's Rambling Again....)

2011-12-01T22:05:00.001-08:00

Eggs. Aw. Stead.

(The preceding is an alternative spelling of the word "exhausted." This is what results from the delirium I experience when I am, ahem....eggsawstead.)

Today, I attended the funeral of a man I have known since I first moved to this area. I appreciated seeing his family together--all of Maurie and Peggy's kids were grown and gone by the time I moved to Port Orchard. It's fascinating to see familiar characteristics in the faces and mannerisms of his children; though perfect strangers to me, there is no mistaking to whom they belong. I hope this is true for me, too.

Today also happens to be the birthday of one of my favorite 90-year-olds. (Admittedly, I don't know many 90-year-olds, but if I did, she'd still top the list.) I've also known Leota since first moving here; this spunky lady is a shining example of love and grace and kindness, and I am honored to know her.

We've got a few more birthdays coming up shortly, including one bestie on Tuesday, and another one in January. ("Bestie" is what cool people call their best friends; I don't think it upped my coolness factor at all...)

So, between funerals, and birthdays, and the fact that many of my dearest friends are the age my mother was when I decided I was too cool for her (we're the babies, Heather! ;-p), I'm reminded again of the swift passage of time, and the need to make the most of every moment. I treat my days as if I'll live forever, procrastinating, and wasting moments. A letter was shared recently where the writer, a dying man, makes it his purpose to find the treasure in each day--little things, gestures he wanted to remember to appreciate. I was humbled to be reminded again of the treasures I hold, both those easy to find (Hi, family and friends :D), and those hidden in the heart.

{Thankful}

Quick Abs Workout

2011-11-28T21:48:00.001-08:00

Those of us who don't do sit-ups can just laugh our way to washboard abs:

Too funny!

I usually do pretty well with keeping my giggles in check at the gym, but if I ever see something like this, I will probably lose it.

The guy in the orange shirt is my favorite. :)

Happy Monday!

Loose Ends

2011-11-26T23:59:00.000-08:00

Lot of little stuff:

First, a glimpse at the stuff that shows up in my email:

Nice.

Apparently, it's working. But I won't be back.

Now, moving on.....

It was a happy Turkey Day at the brothers' house, with the baby brothers. We chose not dwell on the fact that we were not with the rest of our family; this was made easier by the company we kept on that day--thanks, Hemmings and Robinsons. :) (But, no pictures! :-6)

Totally irrelevant aside: Marvin Williams of the Atlanta Hawks was hanging out at the Bremerton YMCA on Thanksgiving morning. I Zumba-ed with his mama. He is 6'9". No fair.

"Helped" the Hemmings move to Kingston. I didn't really do anything, except clear my husband to go over and donate his muscle power. Oh--I guess I watched their kiddos. But I do that every day, so what? :-9 Their new place is right on the water--YES! I don't know why the thought of sitting in the living room of one of my best friends in the world, drinking coffee, and watching the ferries come and go is so appealing, but it really, really is. Kingston's about to become my 2nd home.

I don't really know why they're so cool; they just are.

The girls got it in their heads that they wanted to go Black Friday shopping this year--ugh. I agreed to take them out, on condition that I could call the thing off without complaint if I deemed the situation unsafe. Hm...let me think about this...what about this wouldn't be unsafe?

Walking through dark parking lots in the middle of the night.
Standing out in the freezing cold for hours on end without adequate cold-weather gear.
Entering a building with frenzied masses willing to whip out the pepper spray if you can't figure out where the end of the line is.

(What is up with this formatting?!)

I went in my pajamas, confident that once they saw the lines, and the distances from the car

to the line to the door, they'd be over it; they did not disappoint. (Sigh of relief--my pajamas are ugly.) :-p

Well, there's more, I think, but it's past this girl's Saturday night bedtime.

Happy Saturday-turning-into-Sunday!

Thanksgiving for Dummies

2011-11-24T20:52:00.001-08:00

This might be my favorite one yet.

They're a tough act to follow, so I won't even try. :)

Happy Turkey Day!

Rambling (Again)

2011-11-22T12:50:00.001-08:00

Be you a planner or a procrastinator (I'm somewhere in between), Thanksgiving is upon us. Yay!

Yay! for time with family and friends.
Yay! for delicious meals.
Yay! for tryptophan-induced slumber parties in the living room; just find a comfy spot on the floor.*

*I am aware there is some debate over the whole tryptophan-sleep connection; for the purposes of this post, however:

1. I like the word "tryptophan," and
2. I like the idea of being able to attribute my desire for an afternoon nap to some legit-sounding amino acid, versus plain old pigginess and overeating.

But, first things first: grocery shopping. (Seriously. Again?!?)

Yesterday was a rainy Monday morning (of course), so Shilani and I threw on our raincoats (and snorkels and masks and fins), and set out in search of the perfect turkey. I guess we got confused about what turkeys look like, and came home with these:

Dancin' shoes.

That's right; we both got these.

(To be fair, I spotted them first.)

Now we're matchy-matchy Zumba twinsies.

(Hm. I typed that with heavy sarcasm, but it kinda has a ring to it, no?)

Look at these:

Some sassy boots I found on Sunday.
They are still in the box in the hallway, as I try to decide whether I
will ever have enough attitude to pull off wearing such a thing.
I'll keep you posted.

Speaking of sassy boots, check these out:

Littlest Daughter.
Proof that, sometimes, it's just a matter of finding the right outfit
to go with the shoes.

Middle Daughter, workin' those sassy boot covers like a rock star.
Or Supergirl, as it were.

Oldest Daughter, in her sassy boots.
I swear I just took this pic last week,
but date stamps say it's been closer
to 10 years. Wha--?!

(Because it never feels like a proper post without mention of the cutest people in this household. :D)

Happy Tuesday!

History in the Making

2011-11-21T13:31:00.001-08:00

We turned 12 yesterday.

It's pretty exciting stuff. :-D

Seriously, though, "We" did.

(He's always been way better at the whole card- and gift-giving thing. :-p)

Mr. & Mrs. Arnall. It's the best we could do, early on a Sunday morning. :p

I'm sorry to have this sort of effect on him some days
(it's just one of those things that happens when you decide to
live in my world of crazy...)...

...but I think he kinda loves me.

As I've said before:

"...And he will love her, and protect her, and annoy her, and forgive her, and hold her, and make her laugh, and give her a life sweeter than her bratty self deserves, and she will understand a comfort, and have an unfair advantage, that comes in knowing there is almost nothing she can do to make him stop loving her (I haven't figured out what quantifies the "almost," and I don't plan on finding out.). And she will love him more than even she knows..."

And it is (still) so.

Love you, Daniel Wayne.

Happy Monday!

Promises

2011-11-17T16:56:00.001-08:00

It was one of those days yesterday.

Should I clean house, or go grocery shopping?
Take a nap, or go to the gym?
Put my left sock on first, or my right?

So many decisions, so many things to think about, even the weather couldn't make up its mind. And while my indecisiveness generally leads to a complete lack of productivity, the weather's indecisiveness sometimes leads to rainbows. :)

This is not the rainbow I saw yesterday. If it was, it would
have been super cool, though, 'cause that would mean I
was on a boat in Hawaii. :-D

When I see a rainbow, I think, "an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere."

Or something like that, anyway. (Thanks, Wikipedia.)

My reading yesterday morning gave me pause for a minute: "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."

I often forget this.

I forget that it's a reminder of one of God's promises, made and kept since the days of Noah. (How's that for honoring your word?)

Reminded of a poem I came across a few weeks ago, on the blog of a friend of a friend. :)

The Devil's NOT In The Details
The details are holy.
Wholly
life-affirming,
life-saving,
attitude-adjusting.

How can you not be recharged by
constellations marching
sun glinting
blue skies blazing
trees changing
hawks soaring.

The details are holy.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2011

Thankful.

(Oh, and Happy Friday!)

The Good Life

2011-11-16T14:29:00.001-08:00

Last time we had weather like this, I kept a stiff upper lip, and braved the gray in pursuit of sustenance. (In other words, I went grocery shopping.)

Today, I went the self-indulgent route, which led me straight home. :)

Much cozier than a Costco warehouse.

Crackling fire, steaming cup of coffee, fluffy comforter, the Good Book, laptop.

Nap. :)

And because The Good Life is often full of laughter, enjoy this with me:

Happy Wednesday!

Veteran's Day Assembly

2011-11-12T13:05:00.001-08:00

On Friday, the girls participated in Pearson's Veteran's Day assembly, their first since returning to public school. Malia was so jazzed, she tells me she spent the bus ride home wishing she could "make the time go back, and just do the assembly all over again!" There was a huge parent turnout, many of them dressed in uniform--very fitting for the occasion.

A few of our favorite performers, all dressed in their red, white, and blue:

Abby, suddenly feeling bashful.

Showtime!

Malia, scanning the crowd. She spots Dad, uncles, and Bethany, but four-
foot-six Mom was a little harder to detect. :)

Singing her heart out.

Miki performs with her choir.

She sounded about 24-years-old when she took the mic; proud mama.

A classic Miki smile.

All of the kids did a great job with this musical tribute to honor our veterans, and those who continue to serve and protect; we thank you.

Happy Saturday!

:)

2011-11-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

I just got a kick out of this one and thought I'd share:

Happy Tuesday!

Quick Post

2011-11-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Shilani and I packed up the girls and headed to the land of all things pink and pricey--the American Girl store at Alderwood. This has been a much-anticipated event in this household, since receiving the invite to l'il miss Aurora's birthday party at the Bistro, located in the store. :) (Sidenote: We're not new to the brand, but I never fail to have the wind knocked out of me whenever I glance the price tags; someone should tell them that printing the prices in tiny little font on tiny little tags is not fooling the rest of us. :-p) Still, despite the recurring bouts of hyperventilation, it's hard not to enjoy yourself in this wonderland of pinky happiness, where everyone floats about smiling bubbles and sunshine, and my daughters, full of wonder, are thankful again to be made of sugar 'n spice, and everything nice. :)

Birthday girl!

Smile!

Special guests. :)

She thought this was pretty cool.

Rory's mama, Arica.
She makes the Favorite People in the Whole Wide World list.

Happy Birthday, Rory!

Group shot again.

After lunch, a visit to the doll hair salon. :)

A few shots from the Hemming girls' (mom, too) first ferry crossing...(thanks, Kiana)

Watching train from ferry--very cool.

Mount Rainier in the clouds;
reminded me of home, and seeing Maui in the distance on our drives home from Kona.

She keeps this smile well-hidden. :)

Abby Cadabby!

Happy Monday!

Dual Citizenship

2011-11-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

Papa is homeward-bound again.

I suppose that could be a matter of opinion; after several extended visits here, Washington is starting to feel a bit like home to him, as well. So, maybe "returning to our roots" is a better expression. It's a tricky thing, having your heart in two places at once; being "here" often means wishing I was "there," wherever "here" happens to be at the moment. But there's a certain comfort in always knowing you're going home, no matter the direction in which the plane is heading.

We gathered at the brothers' house last night to spend the evening with Dad, and drown our sorrows in (more) sushi and poke. And portugese sausage and rice. And chocolate chip cookies. (It's hard to be sorrowful after chocolate chip cookies.)

My favorite pic of the evening:

They love their Papa...

It will be an adjustment, not having him around for a few months, but I'm definitely getting warm fuzzies picturing the moment he and my nieces lay eyes on each other; there will be lots of running, and hugging, and soulful looks from Kawena as she absorbs the fact that her papa is really home. :) *Happy tears*

Happy Thursday (again)!

Stolen Effects

2011-11-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yet again.

I would love to know what kind of effect these productions are having on the vehicles that drive by during filming. :)

More from my brothers here. If you like what you see, subscribe, like, watch; they really need friends. (And 2nd jobs :-p)

Happy Thursday!

Hello Wean Fairy

2011-11-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

My brothers are at it again. :-p

My husband found this particularly funny; am I concerned that he and my 19-year-old brothers (yes, you, too, Mana) share a similar sense of humor? Sorta, yeah.

Happy Tuesday!

Exhale

2011-10-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Fall Birthday season has officially ended here in the Recaido-Arnall-Campbell households. The 3rd week in September marks the beginning of a long stretch of seemingly never-ending birthday cake in this family:

Malia--9/17

Joshua--9/20

Daniel--9/23

Keala--9/29

Mikela--10/9

Kale--10/17

DoRe'--10/29

It gets progressively harder to fit into our pants/skirts during these weeks; the collective sigh of relief heard on my birthday is really just us giving up on trying to suck our stomachs in anymore. We then have 3 weeks to hit the gym and recover our normally flawless physiques, before it starts all over again at Thanksgiving. Haha.

Closing ceremonies took place all day Saturday, starting with a leisurely cup of coffee, some early-morning blogging, a quick workout, and then some general laziness. Then, off to lunch at Hakata for sushi? Yes, please.

They made me share. :-)

Abby's face is classic in this group shot. :)

After lunch, home to address the kanak attack, before the guests started showing up for birthday cake:

The early birds get the worm.
Or sit outside in their car and debate going home because
no one else has shown up yet, and maybe there isn't really a
party here tonight. :)

Middle Brother, doing the usual. :)

These two came all the way from Hawaii for my birthday.
Okay; not entirely true, but they did come from Hawaii,
and it did happen to be my birthday.

Talking story.

We have more seating in this house than this picture would
indicate. We're a cozy bunch.

The very cool pumpkin cake Oldest Daughter
made for her mama's birthday.

It was a good day to get older. :)

Happy Sunday!

Trial Run

2011-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

My former roommate and dear old friend Heidi will be turning oldy-years-old in a few days; in honor of this, her mama threw her a "You're-Turning-Old!" party last night. (In case you have the mostly good fortune of knowing me only from afar, I am typically a sweet and respectful young woman who honors my elders--thanks, Mom & Dad, for raising us well. :) However, I do get a kick out of teasing my friends on special occasions, or on days that have vowels in their names, as a subtle reminder that I am "The Baby" amongst us. )

The party was costume-optional, but in this household with three li'l girls, an opportunity to dress up was not going to be passed up:

Cleopatra II. Her cousin had this same
costume last year, and she gave her due
credit all evening. :)

Miki, getting into character.

Zombie School Girl.

Super Abby!

Heading out.

Still trying to leave. (There were 207
images on the memory card; most of them
looked like this. :-9)

Birthday Girl!

Party guests.

They are fast turning into their daddys' worst nightmares.
Next year, they can just walk around with sheets over their heads.
If we even let them out of the house.

Thankfully, their dads can look pretty scary
themselves.

"You lookin' at my daughter?"

"N-n-no, sir; I was staring at your wife!" I
think my Granny really does have this dress.
Really.
The hat, too, come to think of it. :)

Party Planner.

Maxwell the Lion. :)

This was Katelyn's 2nd costume of the
evening. By the time we left, she had
transformed into a little dog. Her parents
are always prepared for her
ever-changing moods. ;-)

Sweet Khiana. She was over the whole
costume thing before we even got there. :)

Corban, insisting on having his picture taken. Fine.

Doting. :)

Jen, and her little bat.

Jen, and her cool cat.

Mama, and Zombie Girl.

Hi, Mom.....

Aaggh!
(She took a really long time coming back out of character. ;-9)

Psst....I'm 34-years-young today, and not afraid to talk about it, unlike my deflector brother. :)

Happy Saturday!

What Not To Wear

2011-10-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

Seriously--don't wear this.

Hawaii's a beautiful place, and this sort of thing messes up the landscape. :)

Happy Saturday!

Creepy

2011-10-27T22:03:00.001-07:00

The company my brother keeps:

I'm thinking about taking out a restraining order.

Happy Thursday!

Deflector

2011-10-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is classic Kale: I try to show him kindness to make up for the fact that we forgot! to sing Happy Birthday to him on his birthday (October 17th), and all he can do is complain that his birthday was LAST week, and try to insist that we should be singing to me, since my birthday is technically closer.

Whatevs. Big sisters always win. Even when they're little like me. (And rock the double-chins like me. Ugh.) :)

Happy Wednesday!

In the Studio

2011-10-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

We're out at Dad's today, laying a few tracks for his next album:

Checking the mics

Testing, 1,2...

Here we go!

...And it's good one!

Dad, in The Zone

What Recording Day looks like for the less gifted among us;
I can't really complain. ;-)

Happy Saturday!

Checking in...

2011-10-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

...'Cause when you have video of your brothers being weird, it just seems like a good time to update the blog.

I'm so glad it's not genetic. =D

Lots to write about, minimal brain capacity with which to do it, so I won't. Looking forward to a laaaaazzzzy weekend.

Happy Friday!!!

Rambling, in a Purposeful Sort of Way

2011-09-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning brought with it what most consider typical Seattle weather: wet, cold, wet, dark, wet, gray, wet --you get the idea.

Despite my island roots, I love days like that--days where the only sensible things to wear are sweats and fuzzy socks; when my thoughts suddenly turn to those books I've been meaning to pick up again; and I entertain the possibility of doing nothing but swirling coffee (makes it much more enjoyable), and writing to my heart's content.

Coincidentally, Mondays also usually happen to be my grocery-gettin' days, and after much back-and-forth, hemming-and-hawing, and a realization that I lacked the general creativity to throw together a decent meal with the last three cans-of-whatever in the pantry, I decided to brave the weather and fulfill my wifely/motherly obligation to gather food for my family. (Run-on sentence if ever there was one.)

As I sloshed into Costco, my phone rang, and it was none other than Mr. Arnall, "just calling to say hi." Actually, what he said was:

"Hi, babe. Whatcha doing? You're already out shopping? Oh--nice! What am I doing? Oh, I'm just (sitting here on my dry, comfy chair, in my nice, warm office, at my big, pretty computer, looking at your fantastically awesome blog, and) wondering why you haven't posted video of our daughters singing yet?"

(That may not be verbatim, but sometimes things get lost (or found) in translation.)

So, because I'm all about making my husband happy, and just a tiny bit about showing off my daughters, here are a few shots and videos from the concert on Bainbridge Island this past Saturday (be sure to hit the "pause" button on my playlist to the lower right):

The theater.

Getting ready for the show.

What Daniel would look like if he was beautiful.
(according to my sis. :D)

Practicing "Grass Shack" one more time.

Perfecting "Pupu Hinu Hinu."

Running off some of the pre-show jitters.

The Little and the Middle.

Waiting to sound-check.

"Check, one-two...check, one-two."

They miss each other.

Theater starting to fill with friendly faces.
Hi, Jean & Darin!

Dad starts off the evening.

Dad started off his set with James Taylor's "One Man Parade." It was one of the most solid vocal performances I've heard from him, live or recorded. Wish I had video of it; instead, watch this video of him performing his classic original, "Forest," a song he penned at the tender young age of 15 :

The girls joined Dad onstage after a bit, and sang "Pupu Hinu Hinu" before

Uncle Josh joined them for "Little Grass Shack":

The girls' turn!

Eddyville took to the stage shortly thereafter, and strutted their stuff; very talented musicians, with good chemistry, and enough energy to hold the crowd's attention for a couple of hours.

Welcome to Eddyville.

Dave

Bruce

Jason

Darren

There is one more band member--Kyle, Eddyville's saxophone personist. (Only Miki can come up with stuff like that. :-D) Apparently, my camera moves too slowly to catch him--he's a blur in all the pictures.

(Admittedly, I needed to check out their Facebook page to make sure I got their names right.)

Darren's drum solo, and some of the more energetic fans: :)

Tired, happy girls. Papa was far more excited about how the
evening went than this picture reveals.

It was a great evening, as good friends and good music often make for.

For more info on Eddyville, check out their website: www.eddyvillemusic.com .
Don't forget to "Like" them on Facebook, too: www.facebook.com/EddyvilleBand.

And if, for some weird reason, you are my friend, but still haven't looked my Dad up yet :-D:
www.ReverbNation.com/charlesrecaido
www.myspace.com/chasrecaidoproject

Happy Tuesday!

Lend Me Your Ear...

2011-09-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Or better yet, let me lend you mine. :)

I'm sort of famous. In an anonymous,
face-on-a-flyer-in-my-anaplastologist's-office
kind of way.

I write this with the presumption that you know what I'm talkin' about; if you don't, here's a link to an informative, written-while-under-the-influence-of-painkillers post: I wish to be informed so I can understand the rest of this post.

Now that we're all on the same page: I headed over to Seattle today to continue work on my next ear. I've had my current one for a couple of years, and it has served me well; I sort of got the clue that it was getting ready to turn in its retirement papers when it just kind of...fell off the side of my head in the middle of Fred Meyer's a few weeks ago. I kid you not. When I come up with an entertaining way to tell THAT story, I'll be sure to post, but for now, join me in a fit of laughter as I recall that day!!! I'll have some pretty funny stories to tell my grandkids someday, for sure. :-9

Composure now regained, I just want to share a few shots from my visit. It's interesting for me to think about what people envision when I speak of going to see the anaplastologist; that word in itself sounds so...medical, when, in fact, her part of the process is more like art. She does amazing work, and I'm so glad to have access to things like this.

I'm not feeling confident enough to label anything in these pictures; suffice it to say, these are the tools with which she works the magic. :)

A couple of other shots from the day:

This is actually a shot Kiana got yesterday morning before
school; too pretty not to share.

Feeling random and juvenile on the Kingston ferry:
I got a kick out of my GPS saying my car was driving on water.

L'il Miss arrived home today with the best goose egg I've seen
in a long time. Apparently, she was playing tag, and couldn't
stop herself from running into a fence post. A tough girl, this one.

Tomorrow is hubby's birthday; yesterday was brother's birthday.

Will post pics from both occasions this weekend.

Happy Thursday!

Ketchup & Relish

2011-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

Every night, we set aside some time for Ketchup & Relish; the idea is to give the girls (and Mom & Dad) an opportunity to finish up any of their daily responsibilities (Catch-up), and then spend the rest of the time before bed doing something they love (Relish! :D)

I love ending the day like this; happy girls, doing what they love most. I always look forward to seeing how they choose to spend this time:

Bubble-blowing has been a favorite
with Malia lately.

Dancing in the garage.

Card-Making.

Nice job, Nanz!

Playing with dolls-always a favorite.

Their expressions crack me up.

Malia doesn't realize the show's over.

This is what "Ketchup" often looks like. :-9

Happy girls!

Happy Wednesday!

Checking in....

2011-09-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

Short on words this evening; suffice it to say it's been a busy month. Feeling the need to post, but too exhausted for any attempt at cleverness.

My baby girl turned 7 on Saturday; my baby boy turns 37 on Friday. :-S Not feeling old enough for either of them to be those ages.

Here are some pics from the birthday party her sisters and cousin put together for her; I think I've been officially removed from my position as family party planner--no complaints here! :)

Birthday banner.

Miraculously, no one was injured in the hanging of the
decorations. :)

She was a bit overwhelmed; I think she's more shy than I realize.

Make a wish!

Working on Mana's Halloween costume. In the middle of
Malia's birthday party.

I don't know. He just wanted me to take the picture again.

I like to post pictures of things that make me smile. :D

If you were hoping for something that looks more like this post, I've got to admit: so was I. I'll get my flow back again at some point; until then, we'll let the pictures do the talking.

Happy Sunday!

When the Sister's Away....

2011-08-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

...the brothers steal her camera, and play. Lucky me--they're good at what they do:

The bunkers at Fort Worden.

An amazing old structure.

Getting cozy.

With eyes that crazy, I'm glad for THAT sort of handgun.

Love this shot--the wall is awesome.
(I guess the boy's cool, too.)

Side-by-side.

Another cool one.

Shots from the Slug Project.

Can you blame their nieces for adoring them?

Love my brothers.

Yep. Still love them.

But, in the interest of keeping it real:

Haha--maybe that's a little too real.

Check my brothers out at

Rec. Life Project

Happy Sunday!

The Camping Trip I Make Everyone Take Each Summer

2011-08-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know; maybe I take too much credit with that statement.

I mean, it is possible that these people I call friends would choose, of their own free will and accord, to spend a couple of nights in the wilderness (barring a few luxuries like motorhomes and water hook-ups) with

little old (4 feet, 6 inches, people),

stinky old (2 days of 3-minute showers),

bossy old (perhaps it's the curse that comes with being the eldest?)

me.

Right?

Whatever the case, we all somehow ended up together again one long weekend in July, braving the rain, soaking in all the goodness around us, and reinforcing bonds that I hope are never broken.

Thanks, friends.

Laying the groundwork.

Progress.

Oldest Daughter making mental progress,
while Daddy & Uncle make tent-al progress.
Haha. :)

I think she heard something.

Supervising from the sidelines.

While we were waiting for our other humans to show up,
these non-humans meandered over to our camp.

So cool to see....

...but a little too close for comfort for SOME of us--the girls
made a mad dash for the safety of Daddy's truck. :-9

Kicking off camping with video games. (groan) We've got
a lot to learn about this "roughing it" business.

The humans finally showed up:

Super Sam!

This really cute guy I met at camp.

A handsome brother o' mine.

I'm loving the toe kick.

Princess Kya. :)

Darin and Jean's oldest. :)

Maria, an exchange student from Italy. She thinks our version
of camping is wimpy. I can't argue with her.

Sweet.

The nightly debriefing--moms only. :D

After a wet sort of Friday evening, which may or may not have involved a Mexican restaurant and ice cream shop in Port Townsend, we were glad to take advantage of the clear-ish skies on Saturday, and get our beach on.

It's not Hawaii, but water is water,
and I love me some ocean.

Miki in her happy place. :)

Finnigan!

One of my favorite pics of these two. This is actually the final
photo in a series of five; in the interest of preserving an old
& cherished friendship, I refrain from posting the other four.
But I will keep them on hand; you know--just in case. :-9

I'll close with a few shots courtesy my brother, I think:

Happy Sunday!

Lazy Days

2011-08-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous Pacific NW day, perfect for getting out with some friends. We left a sick-y Miki home with Papa, and met Tanya and kids at the Waterfront to soak up some Vitamin D.

First order of business:
running to tell Mom she fell off the swing.
And she's okay.

The big sisters, trying to keep cool.
In every sense of the word.

An Abby smile: rare, and wonderful. ;-D

Lookers looking.

An increasingly rare moment of goofiness.

Danny, git yer gun.

Happy girls!

Happy cross-eyed girls.

We headed back home, armed with ice cream sundaes, and a plan that involved swimsuits and slip'n'slides.

Abby Ca-dabby.

Jophus.

In an estrogen-dominated household,
anything the boy does is foreign,
and generally more interesting.

Waiting their turns. I suppose now would
be a good time to start locking them up.

Joy bubbling over;
I love seeing her this way.

Rockstar Miki got to join in the fun. :)

Whee!!! (That's pretty much the only
caption this picture could have.)

Savoring these last days of summer...

Happy Thursday!

Mellow Monday

2011-08-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Home again, after privileges at both Olympia conventions. We heard about how going into battle requires both foresight, and a willingness to die; those are two things I need to know more of. So much to work on, and already so much to be thankful for. (I've been reminded that thankfulness is also something I need more practice in. :-S)

Settling back in with our California transplants; this week's mission is to find them a place they can finally call home. These poor kids have been displaced since their house sold in...July? The 13-year-old, especially, is anxious to have a room of her own again. We love having them here, but definitely understand the desire to set down some roots; we don't want to wake up one morning and find they've drifted back to California! :)

I wish I had some pictures to share, but kept forgetting the camera. :(

Hope all is well where you are;

Happy Monday!

Snap Apple Rapple

2011-08-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Abby, Malia, and Miki, performing an original written by Miki and Uncle Noah. :D

For the record, seeing my girls busting out their "gangsta" is as foreign to me as it is to you.

Happy Monday!

Look, Ma...No Training Wheels!

2011-07-26T01:01:00.000-07:00

...-some. That's how that sentence would have ended, if my battery hadn't died mid-word. :)

Daddy getting her started.

Off she goes...

Getting back on the road after her first crash. :)

Cruisin' with her homie.
"Hey, Miki, I thought you said this was going to be hard."
"It is; you're just a weirdo."

Happy girl....

Because it's just not right to leave the
biggest sister out of the post.

As you can imagine, Youngest Daughter is thrilled about her latest accomplishment. And, just as I'm picturing all three of my lovelies riding off into the sunset together on their bikes-without-training-wheels, the melodic sound of their laughter tinkling through the air, Oldest Daughter swiftly jerks me back to the reality of time marching on, by offering, ever-so-sweetly, to move the Flex out of the driveway. As in, my 11-year-old wants to drive my car. And I can't even argue the point that she can barely see over the dashboard, because she can, in fact, see over more of it than I can. LAME!

Enjoying some sweet summer days here, as well as some good sweatshirts-and-coffee weather. Check back later for some pics from our camping trip at Fort Worden last weekend.

Happy Tuesday!

Quatre 'o Iuali

2011-07-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

(That's the French-Irish-Hawaiian version of "Fourth of July." Duh.) A few pics from another day in the life of these Hawaiians, and our redneck patriarch:

We started out our day at Island Lake,

celebrating Linda G.'s 60th birthday:

A perfect Pacific northwest day.

I didn't get any pictures of the birthday girl, but here are a

few shots of some of her cute grandchildren:

Khiana, one of the funniest little girls we know. Smart,
creative, independent; I imagine she runs circles around
her daddy on a daily basis. No worries; he's got the
"I'm confused" look perfected.

Khiana's little sister Katelyn. I suspect she's as
precocious as her big sister, but I can never manage to
catch her long enough to find out. :)

Jacob, a man of little words. The longest
sentence I can get out of him is,
"Hey, I'm taller than you now." Yes, Jake;
you, and all the other kids over the age of 8.

Some of the other kids:

Hannah B.

I don't know this girl. Kiana thinks she's beautiful,
and used her mad photo skills to capture that.

Finnigan!

Check out these baby blues.

Group photo.

I tried to get a picture of my brothers, but you can't
see them too well in this pic. Oh, yeah. That's 'cause
they weren't there. :-9 Funny; same thing happened
when I tried to get a pic of Jamie.

Headed home after Linda's thing to address the kanak attack, then headed out the boys' place for dinner and

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or in this case, just one.

Grabbed our Slurpees, and hit the road.

Cruising on Uncle's Ultimate Lounging Chairs.

Some of the characters Josh allows in his home:

Blonde People.

People with Kids.

People Who Carry Guitars Around with Them Everywhere They Go.

People Who Are Cute Babies.

People Who Are Handsome Baby Brothers.
(He lets these types live with him, actually.)

People Who Get Carried Away With Nail Polish.

People Who Wear Capes While Riding Dirt Bikes.

Super Uncle.

Yes, actually; he IS that awesome.

Game Time:

Kale, reminding us why he's known around here as "Uncle Favorite."

The Youngers, getting their "Taboo" on. And can I just say,
Kale takes this game VERY seriously. :D

The Not Youngers, +2, "Fluxx-ing."
(I'm SO gonna get disowned.)

Street Time Togetherness.

Then, of course, the

Again with this picture. Heehee.

There was a sweet little spot right across the street from the boys' place, perfect for watching the fireworks across the entire inlet; hope it's still available next year. As for our own displays, well, let's just say we're still working on our fireworks photography skills. I'll post what we got, and leave the rest to your imagination:

Trying to take lessons in shutter speed and aperture.

No comprende, apparently. I'm a slow learner.

Best Shot #1

Best Shot #2

Best Shot #3

None by me, of course.

Hope your Fourth was a happy one!

Happy Wednesday!

*Photo credit to Kiana, Kale, and Bethany.

Summa' Time

2011-07-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

It feels like summer has officially arrived, with temperatures soaring into the 80s, glorious sunshine, and the delicious smell of grills firing up everywhere. Dad had us out to "his place" on Thursday for some good old "Nasty Chicken (Noah's coinage)," steaks, and root beer floats. Yum....

Dad working his magic on the grill.

The natives, getting restless.

Needless to say, they don't mind getting close.

Posers.

The shoulder-sitting wasn't impressive enough;
let's kick it up a notch.

The mother of 1/2 the craziness.

"Ooo!!! I know--let's do a PYRAMID!!!!"

Wait for it....

Ta-da! Well, sort of.

A little safer.

Trying to make like models.

A good old-fashioned regular picture.

Grindz.

Aunty Karen!

The post-dinner campfire discussion.

Josh and Blake, getting cozy.

Happy Saturday!

Rosemarie's Memorial

2011-06-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Not too much to say this morning, but just wanted to share a few pics of Rosemarie's memorial (especially for you, sis). It was a beautiful day, filled with expressions of love and gratitude for a woman who, herself, loved so unconditionally.

It was shared that she "believed what she received, and lived what she believed."

So thankful for her faithfulness, and for the care and kindness she has shown our family for many years. She came into our lives after two of her children had the good sense to move to Hawaii; her grandsons are our other brothers. :) Admittedly, I have often forgotten that we're not related by blood.

The beautiful old building where the
memorial was held, at Manchester.
I think a former torpedo warehouse?

The uncles.

Malia girl.

Daniel Jr.

Mini Me. Who is actually taller than
me, so maybe that's a misnomer.

Getting their grub on. Unfortunately, I think this is the
best shot we have of the inside of the building,
which was decorated beautifully with many special items
from Rosemarie's home. Wish I had pictures of the displays.

Dad, always looking like he should
have a guitar in hand. :)

Love these boys, and love watching them just be together.

Kiana has mad photo skills. :)

The oldests.

Trying to stay grounded, hanging onto the huge mass of
balloons I was tasked with helping to distribute. :-9
(Thank you, Kale, for capturing proof of a jaw
under all my double-chinnedness. :-9)

On the beach, waiting to release the balloons.

Rosemarie's baby boy.

Handsome Mitchell.

Koral Rose!

Uncle Don.

Up....

....up.....

...and away.

Me ke aloha pumehana, Rosemarie,

until we meet again.

Happy Days

2011-06-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Happy days, lazy post.

Here is a tiny sampling of our last...week-ish or so around here, in no particular order:

(Photo creds to Kiana, Daniel, and Bethany)

Making good use of Papa's shipping boxes. (Why do we even
bother buying them toys?)

Afternoon yoga on the back deck. "We need to meditate so we
can find inner peace," says Kawena (...and KungFu Panda). :D

A well-used family room. :)

Fishing with the uncles, out at the McFarland's/Papa's new digs.

Waiting in line for the pinata.

Birthday girl!

Hiding from Uncle Terry?
I don't know; I just got a kick out of this one.

Being bullied by Uncle Noah's...backside. A classic "Malia" face.

Love having 92.857% of our family here; missing our mama. Looking forward to a busy week, getting in last bits of time with my sis and family, getting Dad settled into his new place, and partying at Uncle Josh's house this weekend! ;-D

Happy Monday!

4 a.m.

2011-06-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Just got in from picking up Agents #1 and #4 (and their handler, aka "Mom") from the airport; the Hawaii contingent of the Fabulous Five has arrived. :) Looking forward to a houseful of happy girls for the next few weeks!

Now, it's time for sleep; the sky is getting light, there is a very enthusiastic bird chirping outside my window, and I know my own little Agents will be awake soon, wondering how long they should wait until attempting to wake their cousins.

Sweet dreams, and Happy Thursday!

Another YouTube vid

2011-05-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Let's all just try to live in the moment, and not try to forecast any effect living in the media will have on the future of these two:

You gotta admit: That was pretty cool. :)
(Can't find your glasses? Get the bigger picture here .)

Happy Tuesday!

:)

2011-05-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

We came home this week to celebrate this guy...

(Isn't he beautiful?)

...and have been enjoying perhaps the best week ever with some of our favorite people on the planet:

Back to Washington today; more pics to come once we get settled in.

Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention:

Terry turns 30 today!

Happy birthday to the family's younger Haole Boy Twin! ;-D

Happy Wednesday!

Anya's Hippo Birdy

2011-05-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

Anya turned 8 on Saturday!

The birthday girl, reading a card some of her classmates
made for her.

Bustin' a move (or two).

Presents.

Yummy cake pops that Toby refuses to be associated with.
(He's Jen's nephew, and works at a real bakery.)

Finnigan, enjoying the ~~fruits~~ cakes of his parents' labor.

Malia, doing the same.

The Dad.

Happy Mama.
(Forgive me, Jennifer, but I happen to like this one. :-9)

The littlest Spotlight Stealer.

Getting my weekly baby fix.

I guess Daniel needed his, too.

Quiet time for the grown-ups after the kidlets went to bed.
Admittedly, we're a rather mellow bunch.

Back to packing--Happy Monday!

Happy Mudder's Day

2011-05-08T23:38:00.000-07:00

I'm often a day late and a dollar short, and today is no exception. I've been hoping to come up with some meaningful thoughts to share concerning the glory and wisdom of mothers, but, alas, 'tis not to be.

My sister, however, has shared some truths about our mother on her blog, and, really, I couldn't have said it any better; check out her post here .

Our girls with their mamas, and us with our mama... ♥

My lovelies successfully executed Covert Operation:Photoshoot, and had new photos taken to give me for Mother's Day:

I don't know how I got so lucky.

You can find the rest of the shoot, as well as a guest post by Oldest Daughter, on Bethany's blog.

(Thanks to all who encouraged my children in the otherwise reproachable habits of sneakiness and deceit, and helped this mission come to pass. ;-9)

Hope your weekend was lovely;

Happy Sunday!

Meandering...

2011-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Malia in her Happy Place
(it usually involves fruit and fresh air).

Not much to say this morning; we're looking forward to

a busy weekend of slumber parties and birthday cake x 2--

I guess I should get my workout on.

Birthday girl, and one of Miki's "BFFs." :D

Birthday twins. :)
aka, some of the cutest 3-year-olds we know.

Also looking forward to a trip home next week;

my brother Kale is graduating from college--so proud of him.

He's a little taller now.

Happy Friday!

Sport Girls

2011-05-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

I can't remember which one of my girls coined that term in this household, but I like it.

So much less intimidating to this girl, who was always best at ~~loping~~ plonking (let's be real here) ungracefully up and down the field/court/whatever, praying that the real athletes wouldn't pass me the ball.

(See? Just typing "athlete" brought back old feelings of inadequacy.)

Here are a few pics of our Sport Girls; finally remembered to take the camera. Miki and Malia just finished up another session of gymnastics, and Kiana continues to aspire to be like her

Uncle Kale on the volleyball court.

Malia on the rings.

Work those abs, girl!

Sloooowwwly....

Her "I'm concentrating" face.

Talking story.

Listening.

Get ready!

Serve.

Breathe.

In other news, today is my baby brother's birthday--Happy 19th birthday, Snowshoes!

Hahahaha. :) Let's try that again:

Love you, little brother.

Happy Wednesday!

2011-05-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the video I mentioned leaving out of the last post; I figured out how to edit, so my apologies for the abrupt ending, and not sharing our address with our entire audience of 4.

If you know my daughters, you'll recognize this as classic Kiana and Mikela.

Happy Tuesday!

Sunshine and Bubbles

2011-05-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

Yikes.

Sorry about that last post; I am, indeed, a pessimist (really, I prefer "realist") by nature, but Idon't want that to be the nature of my blog. Let's try this again, and watch some very random oldies-but-goodies that bring me back to my happy place:

I don't really remember what we were talking about here (maybe Oprah?), but Josh's hair was classic.

Also, note the voice cameo by Jennifer D.

My baby girl. I love how I'm correcting her poor grammar (calling Kiana a "he")

with my speech impediment (I don't know how to spell my mispronunciation--"sche," or something like that); they've all picked it up at one point or another, but Daniel's been able to counteract the effect. :)

There was another video of Kiana and Mikela that I really wanted to post, but it seems 7-year-old Kiana was in the habit of signing off all of her videos with a complete recitation of our home address and phone number, and so I leave those in the archives. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Doom and Gloom

2011-05-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

Let me just say this:

This little man will be entering the final year of his teenage-dom on Wednesday.

The sweet little girl on the right turns 11-years-old

about a week after that.

(And now despises being called cute.)

And, finally, the mom and the dad in this picture

turned 56 and 57, respectively, last month.

I have a sense that this latest bout with writer's block is related to the lack of discussion regarding the birthdays of these people, punctuated by the recent passing of a dear, dear woman we have considered family since I was a child. All have served as reminders of the swift passage of time: unsettling, lump-in-my-throat-inducing, wow-I-guess-I'm-not-the boss-of-everything reminders.

Happy Monday! :-p

(Just kidding. I mean, do have a happy Monday,

and maybe check in later to see if I've come up with some way to properly end this post. :)

Miki Mouse

2011-05-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

To see Mikela's blog, click this awesome, radical link that will take you to the best blog ever!

This has been sitting in my drafts since July; not sure why I never got around to posting it. I may have set up permissions for it, so if you're interested, message me, and I'll decide if you're worthy (and stable :-9) enough to keep up with Middle Daughter. :)

In other news, we had another fabulous weekend, and I've got nothin' to show for it. Well, maybe a better tan; today was amazing, a lucky-we-live-Washington kind of a day. (I just annoyed a few Hawaiians with that sentence. :-9)

All for now; have a great week!

Horsing Around

2011-04-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Words don't always come easily, and I guess it's one of those weeks.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of horses, and a few converted horse lovers:

Ready to go!

Who wants to halter Darlynn?

The usual volunteer.

Waiting to begin the real work...

The Real Work.

Patient, patient horse (as they stick labels on body parts).

Buddy, not quite as patient, wondering what's going on.

Horsey Hairdresser.

A moment of sweet, from my little Miss Sassy.

Checking out the latest horse fashions.

Learning how to tie up the horse.

Brushing Darlynn.

Kiana lunging Darlynn, helping to get the friskies out
before they ride.

Miki's turn.

Malia calling Darlynn over after lunging her.
A bit apprehensive?

Learning to fall off the horse.

Trying to stay ON the horse.

The real horse lover in the family, confidence slightly shaken.
They're so....BIG.

My favorite part of the whole day. :)
Teaching Kiana how to show the horse who's boss.

These pics are from a 3-day Beginning Horsemanship series* the girls did this week; so much fun, and a valuable learning experience for each one of them. It's interesting to see a shift in confidence, after learning they are capable of being the boss of a 1300 lb. animal. I trust they won't try to use any of the methods learned on their mother.

Happy Thursday!

P.S. Thanks to Heidi for all the pictures in the roundpen.

*This program is offered by Tina Meekins. The following is her description of the program:

"This will be a real life horse experience in which your child will experience all aspects of horsemanship, starting with stall cleaning, grooming, ground manners, riding, and everything in between. A trail ride may be possible, depending on the confidence of the rider, the weather, the horses, and whether mom or dad is willing to side walk alongside your child. I will use a modified version of the 4H Horsemanship Manual as a curriculum as much as possible in this limited time period.

Please note: I am not teaching lessons, but rather, this is a chance for your child to experience having their own horse, with my oversight, for a short time.

I can take two children per week, extra siblings can be an exception depending on if mom or dad can stay and help me, since the safety of the children is the first priority. I have had children as young as two riding Darlynn, so I will leave it up to you as the parent to decide if your child is old enough for this, ie., their maturity level, and what you feel your child can handle."

For more information, contact her directly at gilligansginger2@gmail.com .

Last Weekend

2011-04-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of busy weekends around here; much to talk about, but maybe when things quiet down. In the meantime, a few new pics, just to make it look like someone's home:

Friday

We watched this little ball of cuteness, while Jen and Adrian took a few hours to breathe; that's their other ball of cuteness in the background.

Little Miss Tori, and Finnigan.

Saturday

We took in our first ice-skating competition at the Sprinker rink in Tacoma; I fear I see lots of ice skates and sparkly outfits in our future.

One of the skaters.

Three of the other skaters, taking notes.

After the competition, we stopped in at Heidi's, to help Jake celebrate his 11th birthday; any excuse to eat cake, you know. :D

The birthday boy, and his cool cake.

Licking their bowls clean.

Sunday

After gospel meeting, we had the usual suspects over for dinner, plus some new ones. :)

The kids.

These guys aren't afraid of babies.

Evidence in Finn's case against The Big Boys. :-9

And, finally, the amazing next-day results when you become a charter member of the Haselwood YMCA:

I imagine the results will be even better once it actually opens... :D

Happy Saturday!

♥ ♥ ♥

2011-04-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

My posts, as of late, have been decidedly self-centered, with nary a mention of the truly interesting people in this household;

let's come back to center now:

We picked up a new camera, and the girls are having fun with it, both behind, and in front of, the lens:

Malia entertaining the troops, while Kiana tries to set up the shot.
Miki being cooperative, as usual.

All right, little sister; our turn....

My heart.

Happy Aloha Friday!

Good Stuff (Sir Ken Robinson)

2011-04-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

I'm getting tired of facing my failed attempt at coolness, so let's change it up, and hear what this guy has to say:

P.S. This "clip" is 20 minutes; long-ish for a blog post, but he has some good stuff to share, particularly for this mom, who also has a tendency to "live inside my head."

Happy Thursday!

One More

2011-04-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Check this out.

I have no idea what it is, but it makes me feel cooler. See?

(I have no idea what this means.
My little brother throws it as he walks out the door and
tells me he loves me, so I hope that means it's not something
I'll get beat up for using.)

I'm so cool now, I figured out how to work a webcam.

All by myself.

Just kidding; still the same dork I was 5 minutes ago.
Thankfully my kids like me that way.

Back to work!