Sunday, August 31, 2008

A video for you!

After spending months searching the entire island for a video camera battery charger to replace the one I left at my parents house in Tennessee, I finally gave up. So I have resorted to taking mini video clips with my digital camera :) Here is Isabella running into her daddy's arms. Hmph...I do all the grunt work and I sure don't get a reception like this! no fair! mommies are such the underdogs!

The video quality is awful...I'm sorry. I think we have spent over a hundred dollars trying to find the right battery charger to that stupid thing...of course none of them will fit. I'm still holding out for my mom to find it stashed away in one of her "safe places" :-D

Friday, August 29, 2008

Isabella's Crafts

First of all, I'm feeling Fallish...I've got a serious case of the ho-hums. Autumn is my absolute favorite season and it's still sunny and 80 here...not a red or orange leaf in sight, not even a hint of crisp Autumn air...no bite or promising chill in the wind...no smell of wet leaves or dying foliage... just Hibiscus, Hibiscus, HIBISCUS!!!! Humph. Notice my new blog description? it's meant to be kind of a dry play on words. I just want a dark jewel toned sweater! a pair of boots! a...a...dad blamed beanie cap and scarf!!! Paradise shmaradise. Get me outta here!!! (insert googly eyes and crazy hair now)

On a lighter note! I just noticed something...Isabella and I hang out in our mu-mus a lot. Oh well, at least we don't wear them to town :) (although sometimes I would like to) Does anybody else hang out in their mu-mus when they're at home? (please say yes so I don't feel like such a complete bum. Perhaps I should...put on a little lipstick? yes, yes I think I shall)

I recently got Isabella some of those little marker/crayons for toddlers, they are made by Crayola and I think they are called Tadoodles...LOVE 'EM!!! I bought a roll of white paper and I covered the kitchen table with it, I taped it down and I put Isabella in her booster, then I let her go to town. Oh, she just loved it! she made some absolutely beautiful Isabella originals and yes indeedy I will be framing and hanging them in the kitchen/dining corner! She was very content with this for, oh...about 10 minutes, pursing her lips and leaning down for a closer look at her work :) I couldn't stop snapping photos and I could hardly get my homework done!

Now I just I can't wait to get her some finger paint!







Monday, August 25, 2008

Thwarted plans






School, too much work, not enough play and stress don't make for a happy couple o' parents. So this weekend I planned a big beach picnic outing, complete with a stocked cooler and beach balls...we packed up our wagon (Isabella supervised) and we headed to the lagoons...an hour later we were on our way home in the midst of a downpour. The beach was full and then it started to pour down rain, so we had our picnic at the kitchen table instead. Today we decided to make some different afternoon plans and we headed out to the biggest mall I have ever been to in my life. It was four stories and outside...I popped on over to the Louis Vuitton store...and nearly had a heart attack over the $256 ipod case, so I popped right back out again and settled for a dorky picture in front of the sign. I got a lot of weird and pitying looks, I didn't mind, I just cheesed my way through that section of the mall...I tried to get Tyler to take my picture in front of the Chanel sign too, but I think he felt a little awkward after that, what?! a stay-at-home momma and sailors wife has to get her jollies somewhere!

The other random shots are of Isabella's new shoes! :) I finally found those pink Converse sneakers I had been looking for, and I also got her her first pair of real blue jeans...my little girl is all grown up and full of herself!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Sending my birthday wishes


Here's a glimpse at the contents of the box that is on it's way to a very special 6 year old! I tucked a trifle in there for her mom as well, and also Granddaddy's VERY late birthday present. Sorry Granddaddy! Aside from this box I have two others I am working on...one for my brother-in-law and his sweet girlfriend, and one for my dear friend Kelsey...it takes me awhile to get things together...but soon I will be finished, I promise!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Mid-morning tantrum...a typical thing.

I am always fascinated by the escalation of Isabella's tantrums. she's got my number and she knows just what to do. I'm not sure why she throws them...it can be something as simple as me walking into the kitchen to fetch a sippie cup...the sound of the baby gate closing just sends her into a frenzy. I decided to document this mornings episode. I feel kind of like a scientist :) She starts out doing this little, jog in place thing...she screams and jogs in place, it reminds me of Richard Simmons. Then she throws herself onto the floor, usually on all fours, then on her back, and continues to pump those legs, typically this is when I walk away, at least that's what the books say to do, she follows me. She likes to grab onto my legs for good measure...which kinda breaks my heart to be honest with you, but if I try to hold her she just gets mad, so I have to let her run her course. After a while, she gets exhausted, and sits on the floor snuffling and hicupping. Then she wants snuggles and all is well with the world again.

My poor blog, so neglected...Starting school has kept me busy, if I'm not spending special time with the fam. I'm cleaning, doing homework, or sleeping. I'm actually supposed to be working on a "speech" right now, but after my morning, I thought I would blog instead.


The morning starts off like any other, we're feeding Gi-Gi, we're having fun when...


Uh-Oh...I know that face...my armpits start to get sweaty at this point...I desperately hand her Gi-Gi's bottle... to no avail.


Boom. Here it comes. Even the birds stopped chirping when her Gi-Gi hit the ground.


Following me from room to room. After I took this picture I hid in a corer and stuffed my face with birthday cake.


Throwing herself on the floor. I can see now that her feet are nice and dirty. Sigh.


Making sure I know she is mad. Don't worry sweetie, I know.


Getting quieter....


Snuggles with mommy. I'm not pretending to be asleep I'm simply hiding my face. I don't look too pretty right about now.


All is well, back to her goofy self. Just like that!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Bloggers Block







Talk about bloggers block...I've had a pretty serious case, I'm still suffering some mild symptoms but I will try and overcome them long enough to write about something...anything.

First off, my daughter is a bona fide diva/ham. Lately she has been having a love affair with her sunglasses. She wants to wear them EVERYWHERE. She puts those suckers on and it's waves and smiles to anybody who is caught looking in her direction. Like it or not, the unsuspecting individual will be trapped into a conversation of baby gibberish, she typically ends these conversations after a few minutes by slapping her thighs and doing her "fake laugh" then dismisses her prey with a very decided "Bye." no ceremony, no nothin!! just "Bye." and it's over as quickly as it started. You can see her trying desperately to get some one's attention in this picture...probably some poor guy just trying to check his mail. What am I going to do?!

On another completely unrelated note...I've had a real problem with birds flying into my bedroom window early in the morning...one poor guy does it about twice a day...usually he has to hang out on my sidewalk for the rest of the afternoon before he can regain his little bird senses. We've learned to just walk around him. I'm surprised he still has his beak! ...Anybody got any tips on how to prevent this? it's a pretty rude awakening at about 7 am.

So did this post make you crave cheesecake? eh...eh? I finally sprang for the springform pan I have been wanting...HA! get it? sprang?...springform?....bad pun. Anyways...I got this lovely springform pan and I made a beautiful home made cheese cake...it was amazingly divine. I will NEVER make a boxed cheesecake again. My masterpiece came out of the pan perfectly which made me giddy for the rest of the evening...I also made my own strawberry sauce that I could seriously pour over anything...I'm really not trying to toot my own horn here...but that sauce made me swoon. I have decided that I am going to attempt to make every cheese cake that I have tried from the Cheesecake Factory. I really am quite obsessed with that place. I tried their Godiva chocolate cheesecake a few months ago and...oh my. When I attempt this cake I will have to find someone to pawn off the finished product on since my weird hubby doesn't touch chocolate, it makes him "gag" *gasp*

Well, I apologize for my slightly ADD post...but I warned you I had bloggers block.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

We're a couple of misfits





This weekend, our friends generously offered to keep Isabella for the afternoon so that Tyler and I could enjoy a little time to ourselves before he leaves, for another week. We decided to branch out from our usual dinner/movie and instead, tossed a few towels and some snorkel gear in a bag and headed out on a beautiful and scenic drive to the famous North Shore of Oahu. We stopped along the way for shave ices in the historic downtown Helieva (pronounced: holly-va) We waited in line for at least 20 minutes at one of the more popular shave ice stands, it was well worth it! Tyler got the "surf special" flavor and I got a mixture of cherry, pineapple and blue Hawaii. Yummers! We left very happy and with very blue tongues. After our shave ices we ended up at one of the 6 most popular snorkel attractions in the world, Sharks Cove. (don't worry, there were no sharks, I balked too when I heard the name)

I'm not a very graceful person...I do not swim very well...and I'm freaked out of large fish, especially eels. However...my dear husband is in love with anything to do with water, so for him, and only him, I donned the hideous and unflattering snorkel mask, and I tried. I tried REALLY hard. I'm not going to lie, getting me out into the middle of the ocean, surrounded by nothing but lava rocks and local professional snorkelers, took a considerable amount of tugging, yelling, tossing of snorkel gear, one very volatile argument, and finally, a disgusted husband stomping through the water to go back to the car, meanwhile leaving me standing knee deep on a rock, in the middle of everybody, looking a little sheepish and clutching my gear for dear life. I was terrified to move one inch because there were sharp sea urchins EVERYWHERE and if you step on one...well you're going to the hospital. I'm trying really hard to forget that embarrassing moment...but I think I kept yelling "TYLER! there's SEA URCHINS!" ... or something to that effect. A young Hawaiian boy finally took pity on me, he told me how you can hold one in your hand and they won't hurt you, it's when you apply pressure to their spines...well, you get the picture. Anyways...after the show was over and people figured they could finally go back to their snorkeling, I decided I would give it a whirl...anything to get off that stupid rock.

Tyler later told me that when he was on his way back from the car all he could see were two very long, bony white legs flailing wildly in the air with arms flapping desperately to boot. He knew it was his wife. People kept their distance from us that day. I did see lots of beautiful fish though, and we ended up having a very enjoyable date after all...but I ruined my manicure and next time, we're going to a movie.





Friday, August 1, 2008

I've Been Tagged by the Lovie!

My mom over at Lovie's Cotton Candy tagged me, so now I must list 5 things I love the most (only five?!) and then tag five other peeps. I could list you about three million...but I'll try to narrow it down...I'll try.

1. ALL my family of course! I love how I have so many inside jokes with my mom and sister, and all we have to do is make eye contact and we bust out laughing. Isn't that just the best?

2. Baking and creating...nothing makes me happier than a loaf of home made bread with home made butter and honey. (It makes hubby pretty happy too!) Coming out of my craft room with a little pink pretty or a new scrap book page is a cure all for ANY bad day.

3. The smell of Isabella's bed time breath. I know, I know, WEIRDO! but whenever I go into her room at night I like to pick her up while she's asleep and giver her a little cuddle and a rock in the ol' rocker, it just melts my heart the way her little baby breath smells...I love it and I don't care if I'm weird!

4. Hearing the sounds of my husband's and my daughter's laughter coming from the other room while they play. Bliss.

5. After Isabella is nestled in her crib, settling in for movie and popcorn with my hubby. It's our little night time ritual, we pop some kettle corn and settle in with a good movie sometimes old, sometimes new. We even do this when we're angry with each other, and always end up not-so-angry afterwards. I sometimes feel like we're on a date tee-hee!

Ok, like I said I could go on and on....maybe I will! maybe one night I'll just go nuts and write about all the things I love...that'll be a long post.

Ok well I am tagging:

Frenzied Mother of Three

Strawberry Blond Moments

A Glance at My World

The Little Bluebird Diaries

THE B HIVE