It's never too late

Here is my adorable IRON MAN- Today he was saying he wanted to go Trick or Treating again.
I tried to explain- it was a ONCE a YEAR kind of treat.

Well- he and his friends went out to prove me wrong.
They came running back 10 min later... with candy...
"Mom we trick or treat again!"

Looks like-- if you are 4 you can trick or treat even into Nov!



I took this picture and then - noticed my living room floor.

I know- Last post I said I was a flybaby... and look
at this conflicting photographic evidence!






But this is the culprit-
why my floor is never clean.


I pick them up- and then he just dumps them back out.

They need to be out and about- you never know when you are going to want to make ships and such.


It's funny because after I clean them up...
he comes back in ...
and sighs a big frustration....
as if to say...
"who keeps putting these away! I always have to dump them out!"





Here is our pumpkin..
and his pumpkin face....

Play of the Dawn Treader highlights

I've got to run---
but I wanted to post some pictures of our
AMAZING
Play in a Week
Production of
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
(a Narnia story)


My youngest was a "Sea Warrior"
(My husband was opposed to the term mermen.)







Second son-- one of Caspian's sailors

the only Sailor who didn't wear the right color pants.
(what a flaky mom! How did I NOT read the email I wrote and sent out... about costumes!?!?)


















Another one of my youngest...
he practiced
all week-
and then
when it came down to performing... he had no interest!
(dang- stubborn 4 year olds!)

But he was the cutest Sea Warrior of all...




and then the last picture is of a friend of ours...

actually
Anjeny's son..
He was Aslan.



He helped create his costume... that is just cut brown butcher paper/ brown paper bag.. type stuff..

more details to come..
like I said..
I gotsta run!


Oh- Oldest son was the head of a Sea Monster
and third son was a slave...

It was a fun- exhausting week.

We had a birthday this month!

All my son wanted for his birthday was this skateboard.so... we ordered it a few weeks before his birthday - so he could have it in time.
Then a few days before his birthday-
he was playing soccer... and goofed up his foot.

On crutches for a week...
Just so happens-- the week of his birthday! Here he is going off to school ... poor, poor birthday boy.

Poor guy has waited months for his skateboard...and had to wait a few more days before he could use it. Isn't that how life always happens?

Family Tradition:

Birthday boys always get to pick dinner and dessert.

It was a fun- low/key/family birthday of board games and pizza with chocolate chip cookies.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Long Awaited Puppy Pictures!

We've had Bauer for 3 weeks now.

Here is my son... exhausted from me trying to get a cute photo of Bauer...

I was not exaggerating.

This is a non-photogenic pup.

Here my son is-- waking up early to walk the dog.

What a good son.

Over- all... Bauer is adorable.

He can sit and lay down... (if we have a treat)

He is great on walks...

he is a hesitant running companion...

(he's still young)

He is friendly and good with other dogs and kids...

He'll fetch for two throws.. and then he wises up and wont chase the ball.

(He just lays down and rolls over... and gives me a look like, "I know all you are going to do is throw it again- once I get it. So what's the point?")

He's so cute.

So far... so good.

Homework Blues....

It's only August and we are already back to school... my kids are suffering a little from the "homework blues".

I can tell because besides the usual side effects my kids have added an extra
complaint to homework...

"He's looking at me!"

"Stop Looking at me! "

and " He's started it!"

I didn't know how distracting that could be ... when trying to write spelling words or while working on a math sheet... but the gaze of a brother has some kind of drilling effect that burrows into the brain and causes all kinds of confusion... so to keep the peace and my sanity.. I made some dividers out of file folders.

I simply snipped off the tabs of one folder... and glued two together to get a nice tri-fold.

I even added pockets that can hold weekly spelling lists... or flash cards of multiplication facts...

Honestly- it has worked out nicely.

It's still new... so we'll see if it is a long term solution...

but for this week... it has helped.

And lets face it- I am working day-by-day.

My clever son

A week or so ago my two oldest sons went to the movies with their friends and watched Toy Story 3. Son #3 was sad he couldn't go... but without an adult going... I told him he couldn't tag along.
Then a few days ago the boys wanted to go to the theater again and see Karate Kid, this time as a family and parents paying...
We told them we want to save our money for our upcoming family trip.

All the boys were a little disappointed- but didn't put up too big a fuss. They are too excited to goto Mainland and visit the cousins and grandparents.

But last night- my son #3 approached me so sweetly and asked, "Mom, can you and I go on a date? Just the two of us?"

I was so flattered - I quickly agreed and asked "So, what are we going to do... on our date?"
Guess.
Can you guess?
He suggested we go see the movie Karate Kid. (And said for it to be a real date we should share popcorn and soda too.)

The other boys are a bit deflated that he gets to go to the movie-- but at the same time--- kicking themselves that they never thought of that!

I predict in the future, my date schedule is going to start filling up fast... my husband might have some competition... (tee heee)

My husband is going to stay home with the other boys tonight- while I have a one-on-one with son #3. I know he just wants to see the movie- but I thought he should be rewarded for his clever thinking.

Kids! What can you do when they start outsmarting you?

Champions!

Can I hear a "Whoot Whoot!" ?
My three oldest boys just finished their hockey tournament.
Whew-
all that hard work
came together....
and most importantly---
I survived.


My third son played up an age group and competed on my second sons team... He was sooooo adorable! Half the size of some of the players... he would skate right at the other team members and try to take the puck from them.

He did a great job- holding his own.

My second son- goalie- had a SHUT-OUT and was given Most Awesomest Over All Goal Tender Award. or something like that... he had the best stats of shots blocked/goals saved.

My oldest scored the game winning goal in two games.
The final game score was 1: 0.

What will I do for the next week with no practice?
(5 extra hours 4 days a week?)

Possibilities endless.....

May DAY!

Here are my boys- in their May Day costumes.

My fourth son enjoyed running around the stage-- performing the LIMBO and the Mexican Hat Dance.

Then I don't know what it is about my third son.

People look at him.. ... and just envision muscles.

He does have the heart and attitude of a warrior.

His class performed the New Zealand Haka

My second son-- strutted his stuff... performing

Rag Time to represent United States.

How dapper he looks in a hat- what a stud!

What a fun performance.

It is always great to see the community out supporting

the kids.

Always amazing to see the costumes

and dances the parent helpers come up with!

Like I've always said- we live in an amazing community.

I know you friends and family are ASTOUNDED I got these pictures posted so fast!

Neither my camera, nor my computer gave me any trouble! It's a miracle!

highlights of Peter Pani Po Po

Here we are at a Hukilau... a huki- huki-huki- huki - huki- huki lau...

Here are the warriors doing the Haka- and threatening to throw pirates into the sea.

Here are Pirates... singing "yo ho a pirates life for me..."

Mermaids tempting Peter to swim with them... they had a really adorable dance with streamers etc.. but Micheal scares them away-- by doing a cannon ball dive...



Peter Pan was a stud. He was brilliant! Here he is with his lost kids...

A funny thing happened... Beth T offered to take care of the program, so she forwarded it to Crash on the mainland. (since Crash helped with the original script). Crash didn't know it was a school wide production-- she thought I had asked her to just write a skit for our townhouse kids to perform in my living room.

Poor Crash-- she has already forgotten how BIG and OVER THE TOP we are here in Hawaii....

no small production... no no no... that would NEVER do!

It was wonderful!!!

Thanks to all the parents who helped! ( not that I really think they visit my blog... but if they do.. or did... I want them all to know how amazing I think our small community is. )

{Whew!} It's over...

Kids are wondering... What play is next?

But I think we'll let parents regroup and rest before we spring another play on them..

No Poem as lovely as a Tree

At one of the hockey rinks we play games at
there is this
AMAZING
tree!


So perfect for climbing and hiding in.



This tree me and my siblings would be all over!









I love how it reaches it's branches down.. inviting kids and the young at heart to crawl in it's arms.











If only I were small again!


I could fit in it's trunk--




what a great hiding place....









I took some time to play with photo shop and enhance a portrait of this beautiful tree.
When I say beautiful-- I acknowledge- it's kinda mangled and ugly
with all it's twists and knots...
it looks like an old dinosaur almost..
it's probably as old as a dinosaur...
but it's the LOVE...
that makes it beautiful.

If you stand next to it--
you cannot resist it

to hang off it's odd shaped branches


I don't even know really what I did...
I just kept trying different techniques..
until I got this ..
But I love the texture... it kinda looks like a Seurat Dot painting... especially the background.
Yeah! I really like it!
I might have to get a hard copy and frame it!

Art

 

Years ago- I gave up doing art.. because I expected everything I did... be frame worthy. I want a frame-able product when I was done.. and I lost the joy in just playing and experimenting and creating.

So I try to play with art and just play. I also try to encourage my kids to play with art.

The concentration...

 

son two is was inspired by our surroundings-- this is the scene as we drive to hockey every day. And it was funny-- at the time.. I thought, "why is the WHITE on the bottom?" When I think of clouds-- they are in the blue-- or above the blue....

But this weekend- we were driving and I said, "SON! There's your painting!" The clouds were low above the mountains with BRIGHT blue sky above.

My oldest son is inspired by hockey....

while my youngest is inspired by.... ketchup?

Just kidding.

It was a fun painting session as we all played with paint and color.

This is my second painting-- trying to capture the rolling hills as we drive home from hockey through the pineapple fields.

Turning into a TEENAGER!

My oldest just turned 13!
ThirTEEN!
a teenager- am I ready for this?


Here he is - 5 years ago when we first moved here to Hawaii.


This was at Ward Camp and these two rascals became

best buds.


(awe anjeny- aren't they adorable?)

How did this teenager want to spend his birthday?
Having a HUGE day of Nerf dart gun wars and playing Hockey.




Here they were rearranging teams and gathering ammo....
Nerf guns-- what a life saver!

Our ORIGINAL plan was to
go on a hike,
play hockey,
eat pizza
then walk to the beach




come back and have brownies and ice cream.
But as my luck has it-

it rained.

They were able to get in a short game of hockey.

It was hard core- half the kids had roller blades and the other half ran around barefoot!
luckily no toes were lost in the process.



Here he is ...
in his element..
sharing his love of hockey
with his friends.

Happy Birthday!