A Proud Mommy Momment

Today I went on a school trip with my oldest son- It was an Engineering competition. They had different events... our school was there for the bridge contest and solar cars. This bridge to the right- wasn't from our school- but it was amazing! All the bridges were made from Popsicle sticks! Our submission held 45 pounds!

This bridge on the right- held OVER 450 pounds!
They ran out of weight! What an amazing bridge!

It twisted like a pretzel under the strain but it never broke!







Here is my son and his group.
They were given a baggie with parts and had to put the solar car together-
with out any directions!



















And no help from any adults....
not that I could help if I wanted...

They had an hour to build the car and then they were going to race them.

Our boys had it done in a half an hour... and it worked!

I was so happy! So proud! So impressed! What a bunch of smarty-pants! (And our school was the only group of 6th graders... all the other schools were Middle School classes. We had two solar car teams.)

So then they started sanding the wheels and doing other things to "improve" it's speed... and come race time...

the car didn't work.

:[

I know these pictures

the car is in the shadow....

but even in the sun it didn't work.

My proudest moment ever was watching my son cheer his fellow classmates, the other solar team race. And his classmates won FIRST PLACE!

I was so impressed that even though he was disappointed

he was able to put that aside and

be happy for his classmates.

He's a pretty awesome kid. Today was his birthday too.

Happy Birthday!

Blast from the Past~

Thanks to Amanda my sister-in-law for sending me this picture.

It has been so fun to see all these old pictures- I don't know if it is helping with my homesickness though.

What style?

What grace?

Did your mom make you pose each year- outside- in your FRONT lawn..so all neighbors and random passersby could see you in ... all your dance costumes?

This is actually my favorite costume- there are a few from Jr. High that were very scary- my dance teacher really embraced the neon-trend.

Flash from the Past

We were really about turtlenecks back then... and sweatpants outfits- obviously. {photo - of my siblings and cousins.)

Frog Story Time

This was last weeks story time theme. We had a huge rain a month or so ago and we still have some big puddles hanging around. The local toad population has supplied us with lots of tadpoles to play with!

Last week- we even went for a walk and watched as THOUSANDS of baby frogs hopped their way to new homes. That was really fun to watch the boys chase and catch and love these baby frogs.


Look how little!













I started our Story time- playing a modified version of "Pin the Tale on the Donkey"- except it was more like, "Put a Frog on the Log"












Then we straightened them up and sang the song: 5 Little speckled Frogs














After the we sang the song a few times- I read these two books about frogs and then a few more stories that had frogs in the pictures. (visit bookclub4boys.com for full outline.)
It was so much of fun!

I think the best way to think of story time themes- is to look around you. What is happening in your world? I know- many of you are knee deep in snow right now, but this spring when your toads and frogs are laying their eggs... this will be a great story time! The boys and I really enjoyed ourselves!

Interviewed

Anjeny interviewed me. I thought this would be a challenge for her- because she already knows me so well. Here are her questions for me:

1. You are back in school again after all these years. How's that coming along? It has been fun so far. I started off slow. Just two- one credit classes.

2. You've become quite the blogger and of course, I love reading all the ideas you have on your blog. Tell me, what motivates you to start blogging? I've read blogs for a year or so and really enjoyed reading& meeting other people. I love how blogging connects "would be strangers" together and now... I have some dear friends that I never would have known! (Also- reading the blogs of my friends helps me get to know them better too!)

3. The sandwritten deed you're doing for your sister was a really sweet and generous thing. How did you come with idea to write these kids' name on the sand and taking pictures of them to send to your sister? My sister and I try to be very close- (It can be a challenge living millions of miles away.) I honestly don't remember the exact details of how I got the idea. But every year I try to honor my nephew: Angel Gabriel on his angelvsersary. Writing his name in the sand - taking a picture- and sending it to my sister was one small thing I've done. I am so glad I can share this simple gift with other grieving moms. I am so glad my sister had the idea to share this with other mom's.

4. You have just been featured Mom of the Month for the month of February. In the article, it mentioned your BookClub4Boys and what you're doing to help motivate boys to read. Has the featured article been able to bring more people to your BookClub4Boys website to get help/ideas on how to either start their own boys book club or how to get their boys to read? You know- the article has... but I am eager to get word out! Hosting a book club really is such a great way to motivate reluctant readers! Another testimonial:
My neighbor started a book club for her daughter and they hosted their first book club meeting and had a blast! In their group- each girl gets to host the book club and pick the book. (A great idea!) Well- yesterday her 3 year old son was rounding up other 3 year old boys in our townhouse complex to come to HIS book club! It was all his idea! It was adorable to see him go door to door and invite other kids to bring a book and come to his house for a story time. His mom ran inside to grab the video camera and tape as he gathered his friends- she was just speechless! It was adorable! (And chalk up yet another eager reader!)

5. Last but not least....I know that your family would love to make Hawaii a permanent place to live but if you ever ended up leaving... what would we miss most? Wow that is hard. I don't want to think about leaving... I would miss the weather, beach, the laid back feel of the culture ( you can be 5-10 min late to a dentist or doctors appointment and they don't rip your head off. I'm from the East Coast- if you are 5 min late- you better just plan on rescheduling.)

I would miss meeting and making friends from all over the world! My kids being exposed to so many different cultures...
I am sure I am forgetting something.

If you are interested in being interviewed simply:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions, so make sure you leave me your email address. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
You post them in your blog and link it back to mine and at the end of your post insert the rules...

Can't wait to get to know you better!

Thanks to my sister!

My sister posted these pictures of us on facebook. Thanks Em!

Look at how adorable we were!

This was the tree at our neighbors house. We had lots of pictures taken under it.

So if you ever wondered what Swirl looked like when I was actually a girl... and not a mother of four.. I'm the one in the orange dress.

I was thinking... when I'm 60 will I still be blogging here at Girl in a Swirl? or will I have moved on to a new blog ... "Flushed" "Down the Drain"

When I'm no longer caught in the swirl..

Don't forget to enter my give-away!

If you build it... it will come....

DON'T Forget to enter MY GIVE AWAY!

Okay...
MONTHS ago my son#1 was wanting a dog so ooooo bad.
It was all he would talk about, all he thought about, all he read about, he watched Dog Whisper on TV and other dog shows. He was a boy obsessed!

(Never mind that my husband is allergic to anything furry.)

But we conceded that we would be open-minded to having a dog- IF we could find the right kind of dog for our family.

So in the meantime I encouraged my son to "prepare" our yard for a dog.

So he and his friends built a dog house.

We tried finding a dog from the Pound- with no luck.

We tried finding a dog from Craigs List- we got one snappy dog that bit 3 kids in a weeks worth of stay- so that didn't work out. (It was really strange- he didn't bite my kids, just kids who came over to the house, and those that walked by us on walks. )

My son was was so sad and disappointed. I know he was hoping for a puppy at Christmas.
Can you see the vision of puppies dancing through his head??

Well- last night the "community stray" Princess
found her way in our back yard and slept in my sons dog house!

BOY! Were we surprised this morning.. while eating breakfast... we saw her peeking out the dog house opening. He was so proud that she liked his dog house!

{this is Princess.}

Rock Band- the bridge that spans Language gaps!

Here are my Chinese daughters... just for a week.
It is strange having four girls in the house...

It was funny- my boys were playing Rock Band and at first, they didn't want to try. ( I guess it looks hard or intimidating maybe.) Then slowly they agreed to take a turn with the drums or guitar, but now.. that is all they want to do!

Their parents will be so proud when they return home. They may not be able to carry a conversation on in English but their daughters can sing American songs like Eye of the Tiger and Hungry Like a Wolf.

See in our house - we use a little different teaching method to get our guest to use English.

Easy- Yummy After- school snack

I'm sorry to say- it's not a "healthy" after school snack. But if you want to be the mom on the block that "ROCKS!" this is the snack to fix. (Especially for those of you who are in the middle of deep snow and wish for warmer summer months. Indulge yourself with some S'mores.)

Today for my son #4 play group / story time. I did a favorite theme: Camp Out. (Here is a link to my Story Time Outline.)

It's not really a Camp Out - but a "Camp In" as we make a fort/tent out of blankets and chairs.
Kids play with stuffed animals, bears, wolves (dogs),etc.. we read some books

(We also made a simple owl/headband.)

Books:
If you give a moose a muffin.
Jam Berry
Camp Out

And then I made S'mores. (pictures below.)

The S'mores were so yummy - I made more for my school age kids when they came home.

Chocolate Chips on a graham cracker with a big marshmallow

Microwave for 40 seconds

Place another layer of graham cracker on top

and enjoy!

The Road from 4 to 8

I remember so clearly- my first Sunday with 4 boys. We were having our son #4 blessed.

As I sat down, Anjeny's 4 boys came and sat in our row- happy to greet our new son.

I looked down the row and had a small panic attack. Just a glimpse of what life with 4 boys REALLY means.

I turned to my husband and whispered, "We don't just have 4 boys... we have 8." He looked at me and didn't get it.

But I knew- our house will never just hold 4 boys. If each of my sons invites a friend over- we have 8 boys with us. The road from 4-8 happened so fast! And it really has been that way.

When our family was younger, my first two boys... played together so well. Then as the oldest got older... #2 and #3 played well and #1 would invite a friend. Well now.. it's all about bringing a friend along- so no one feels left out.

Just a gentle warning to those mom's thinking about trying "one more time" for a girl.

Not that I regret in any way...

but

yeah...

8 BOYS

On a side note no one is happier tonight than me.

The kids were back in school and I was able to get a handle on the house today! It has been grand central station these last few weeks with 8 - 12 kids in my house at any given moment.

It was nice to just kick around with son #4 and get some chores done. ( without listening to Rock Band.)

( Like cleaning the dust off the ceiling fan! Talk about gross!)

My White Picket Fence...

I'll admit- I have dreamed of having a house with a white picket fence.

I think the lucky lady who lives in this house dreamt well.

What a beautiful view!

We went fishing - again- today.

Last day of the boys vacation.

Son #4 was sneaking up people's walk ways.

I was chasing him here and there...

Son #3
warming up. The water was chilly today, I was in a sweatshirt!

BRRRrrr these harsh Hawaiian Winters!

Son #4 Loves the fish bucket.

I was so glad I figured that out! He was content to just watch the fish while the older boys waded out and scooped them up.


Well- off for FHE. I'm treats!

Went Fishing

Our favorite fishing hole might look a little different than yours.

I took the boys fishing yesterday and bless her heart -CRASH took the boys today. (Really - Bless her!)

I just got back from Dentist appointments with all four boys and I needed a break/quiet moment to re-group.

(I hate going to the dentist.)

Anjeny came too.. which means we had 10 boys and one little girl with us yesterday!

Thanks Anjeny for meeting us! It was so nice catching up with you!

I love it when older brothers help younger brothers.








Looking for the next catch.