50 degrees and Sunny!

It has been nice these past few days. All of you in nice sunny places might think that 50 degrees is cold, but here it is quite warm. Tuesday, we went to Tula'i's 18 month check-up at 2 p.m. (Let me tell you, I have one big boy on my hands). After his apointment, I decided to get 1/2 price drinks from Sonic and head to the park. I should have gone home to get the camera, but didn't. So, I took pictures yesterday while we were at our neighborhood park. Poor Tula'i kept getting hit from Kalena and Maika at the bottom of the slide because he is too slow getting off. The first time he got hit by Maika and fell off the slide doing a face plant in the wood chips becasue he had gone down the slide face first. The second time he got kicked by Kalena in the stomach for not getting out of the way quickly. The kids could stay out so long, but I decided we best get home to Lavea'i. So, here are the pics of our day at the park.

My smile bug!

I love it when Lavea'i smiles. His whole face smiles. He is so dang cute!

You Rock!

So, Cliff would bother me about getting a Wii almost every day. He would say, "It is for the kids." I would just laugh and tell him no. Well, I gave in on Valentines day and let him do it. But, there was a stipulation...he had to get guitar hero rock band. So, he did. Needless to say, the day we got rock band, the kids broke it fighting over the drums. I wasn't so happy with the kids about that one. But after Maika having a fit every time we told him he had to be done playing the Wii, I decided to be done with the Wii. Besides, they couldn't really play any of the games right now at their age cause of coordination of pushing the buttons and letting them go just at the right time. So, I had Cliff take it back and just get the rock band for his Xbox 360. MUCH BETTER idea!! We can still all play the game, but now we can even have challenges because Cliff's brother, Jethro, has a set. They brought it over last Saturday night and challenged each other. It was great fun!

Postings?

Well, I have some videos to post, but I can't find the cord to the camera for downloading. As soon as I find it, there will be some more posts.

Anyone have extra socks?

Warning: LONG STORY

Kalena spent the night over at her cousin's house last nigt. She was so excited to go she had her bag packed, shoes on, coat on, and ready to go withing 5 minutes. We tried to tell her that her Uncle Jethro wouldn't be over for at least a couple of hours to pick her up. After a couple of times of telling her this, she finally took her coat off and decided to stay a while longer at home.

Well, I took one look in her bag to see what she had packed and realized she didn't do a very bad job. She had all her necessary items for the night and next day. Even though her pants are too big and would fall right off of her, they didn't match her shirt and her shoes were ones that didn't need socks. So, I unpacked her socks, got a different pair of pants, and a warmer pair of pajamas. I did this all while she was playing around and so she didn't know that I had taken her socks out of her bag.

When I went to go and pick her up, she was ready to go and didn't argue that part. But, the part she did argue and scream about was her socks. She swore up and down that she had her pink socks. I kept trying to convince her over and over that I had put them back in her drawer. It didn't help any. After running back and forth from me to Ana's room about 3 times, I told her we just needed to go and she could put some of her socks on when we got home. That wasn't a good enough answer, so what was? Uncle Jethro tried to give her a pair of Ana's socks to wear...did that work? Absolutely NOT!

So, what will work? I have decided I need to carry a pair of extra socks for her in my diaper bag for occasions like this. You guessed it, this isn't the first time this has happened. It has happened once before and I didn't learn my lesson from that...so at least the second time is the charm and not the third time for me learning to put extra socks in my bag. So, if you have socks you would like to donate for the cause, it would be much appreciated.

Have some BLING, BLING!

Maika just giving a little bit of lovin' to his sis.


Yeah, bling, bling is usually sparkling jewelry, but could it not be all the glitter used on her face. My mom got her this make-up case with a bunch of glittery make-up in it for her birthday. She loves to put it on and be a princess. So, here are some pictures of all the glitter. Maika just watches, but knows it is only for girls....THANK GOODNESS!

Steve Urkel?

Cliff loves to do this to all the kids. He pulls their pants up just for kicks all the time when he gets them dressed, but the reality of it is the kids end up always doing it to themselves because they think it is fun...Funny looking that is! But this one of Tula'i cracks me up the most because of the way he is hunched over.

Trying to do things right...

This morning I thought I would try and do things right. BUT, this is what happens instead...I decided to read our of the Book of Mormon Stories, sing a song (usually a primary song that the kids have learned at church), and say a prayer before heading out for the day to do some grocery shopping. We sit down on the couch and get ready to sing a song. Maika wanted to sing "Sunbeam." The song was chosen and we bagan to sing. Kalena wouldn't sing because she is too into her "colorling" that she did at church yesterday. So, Maika, Mommy and somewhat Tula'i sing the song.

Heaven help me that she won't even pay attention when we are reading (usually she is the only one that does). Maika is being good for once and actually listening to the story of King Lamoni's father. About half way through it, I mention to Kalena that she needs to listen and ask her what is going on. Of course, she has no clue of who or what we are even reading about. I just ignore it and finish with Maika.

Now that we are done with scriptures, it is time for prayer. Prayer is mostly a success when Dad is around to make sure they sit still, but when it is just Mom...no worries. So this is how it goes...

Mom: Let's say prayer.
Maika: No, I don't want to.
Mom: Ok, I will just say it then.

I say the prayer while Kalena is crying because she still has her picture and wants tape for it right then and I tell her no. After I finish the prayer;

Maika: I want to say the prayer.
Mom: I just said it.
Maika: No, I want to say it.
Mom: It is done.
Maika: just cries from here on out

So, now I have both of them crying while Tula'i is just doing his own thing as usual...being quiet. I don't mind them crying and just ignore it until Kalena starts druelling all over the floor and has snot just forcefully coming out of her nose. I get ticked off and tell them to get in their beds. This makes them cry even louder and once again they don't listen until I begin to spank Kalena on her rear. Maika sees that and makes a beeline straight for his room to his bed. Kalena gets up and goes to her room and slams the door. I get more upset and impatient with her and walk to the room with both of them sitting on the bed crying. I yell at them to get in bed. Maika finally listens and Kalena is just stubborn and cries, "I want my dad." "Too Bad," is my reponse to that and spank her once again. She still doesn't get into bed until I yell at her. When she starts to get into the bed...this is when I begin to calm down and realize how impatient I was and how all of this could have been resolved very easily if I wouldn't have been so stubborn myself. So, it is a lesson learned over and over again for myself not to be so stubborn and to remember they are just innocent little children entrusted to my care from my Heavenly Father. I did apologize over and over to them because I felt so bad for yelling and spanking Kalena when all I needed to do was get a small piece of tape for Kalena and let Maika say a little prayer.

Sick again?!

Man, I feel like it is New Years all over again because I had kids throwing up and sick the whole time. And now, we are back at it again. Tula'i has been coughing and I need to get him checked out because it sounds like croup. Well, I thought he was the only one, but Lela got sick and stayed home from school Tuesday running a fever and aching all over. Wednesday, she went back to school and then I started feeling weak and running a fever while I was cooking dinner that night. Thinking that was it, that is what I get for thinking. Cliff ran to the store to grad some vitamin C, milk and an air filter. While he was out, Kalena was helping put the toys away and I hear her start to scream/cry. I come out to look and there is a little bit of throw up on the floor. As I am trying to comfort her, out somes some more...all over the carpet. So here I am not feeling too well with 600 mg of ibuprofin down me to help out with the fever cleaning up the puke on the floor. We get the kids to bed, except Maika had taken a late nap and decided to stay up later with Dad. Thinking all is well now...I hear Maika screaming/crying, so I decided to go and see what is going on. Cliff was holding him over the toilet in the bathroom because he had thrown up as well. Cliff went to lay down with him and got him into the bathroom almost in time. There was a little bit in his room on the floor, but he got most of it in the toilet. So, needless to say...still not feeling well and all sweaty from while I was sleeping, I got stuff ready to clean it up. Cliff tried to get me to go back to sleep and he began to clean it, at least the chuncks. I went ahead and started trying to wipe the carpet where I thought I had seen the throw up. Looking at it today, I missed a lot of it. I am just lucky to say no one has thrown up yet. So, it has been a good day.

8 weeks already

So, I decided I better get some pictures of Lavea'i seeings how I haven't taken many of him at all. It is sad how there are tons of pictures of the first child and with every one it gets less and less. So, these are probably the 3rd set of pictures I have taken with him. I haven't even gotten any of him sleeping or taking a bath. What a shame on me!! So, here is what he looks like now.


Day he was born with his Daddy. In comparison to...


yesterday with Kalena holding him.