Family Home Evening
This is how it has become...
Boys...ANTSY!!! Lavea'i...crying/doing his own thing AND Kalena...(usually good) but this time pouty cause she didn't get to hold the signs.
I will continue to push through them and try to teach them the fun of being with family and how important it is, but MAN THERE ARE TIMES I WANT TO QUIT!
Kids will definitely play!!! This is for my sisters-in-law, Traci and Maria. While you were off at the General Relief Society Broadcast, this is what your little kids looked like. That is until the Dads gave them a bath.
We have just recently finished most of our basement, but the bedrooms still have some dirt, drywall, and dust in a box that Cliff cleaned up from the rest of the basement. Well, these two little ones found the box and decided to play in it. I think they look really cute, but I was glad it wasn't my kids because I was getting ready to leave for the broadcast. Anyway, thought you might like the pictures and how can you get mad at those faces?
On Sunday I went to church with only Tula'i. Kalena had a stuffy nose and been sneezing and Maika was coughing. Lavea'i...well, he was just left home because he is a terror at church and I had to help with the primary music.
So where do scissors come into play? While I was at church, Kalena decided to color and cut. Mind you, she has been really good lately about only cutting paper...until this day.
After eating dinner, I was holding Lavea'i and noticed a bald spot on the back of his head. Right then my thought was "Kalena left the scissors out and he took them to his own hair and I am lucky he didn't cut himself." BUT, then I noticed more cuts on the top of his head and knew right away that he didn't do it. I proceeded with the questioning of who cut his hair. Both Tula'i and Maika confessed they hadn't done it. Kalena didn't say anything...there is my culprit. Then Cliff had gotten out of his chair and found a nice chunk of her hair lying on the floor. She fessed up to that and he scolded her a tiny bit for cutting her own hair. At this point I was mad because we are trying to grow her hair out again. Cliff knew I was mad too because I had that look on my face and he reminded me that at least she told the truth. Then here is my BUT, she shouldn't just get away with it because she told the truth. Kalena knew I was angry and now wouldn't fess up to cutting Lavea'i's hair at all until Cliff said that whoever cut Lavea'i's hair was the champion. That was all it took for her to say she did it.
Now, I laugh. I know that his hair will grow back quick, but gosh darn it...QUIT THINKING YOUR A HAIR DRESSER AND STOP CUTTING YOUR HAIR AND NOW THOSE AROUND YOU!!!
I wish I had a camera at church then everyone could have a laugh, including myself. I told Cliff last night on the phone that I would just probably sit out in the foyer, but we got to church a little early so I decided to brave it and sit in the chapel on the soft pews. Then I could keep Lavea'i contained. BOY was I WRONG!!! I can't believe how wild it gets when the kids know there is only one parent and they can't reach them to knock them on the head to be quiet. As soon as we got there and sat down, Maika asked for treats. I had them today because the kids woke up late and ate breakfast around 9:45a.m. So, kind of pointless to feed them breakfast and an hour later feed them lunch, at least this is what I thought. When I told him to wait a little bit, he didn't really like that answer and almost started to cry and then pout. Luckily for me, the greeter at the door always has tootsie rolls for the kids. Each of them followed and got their own. That satisfied him for a little bit longer.
It wasn't until Lavea'i started screaming for treats that I busted out the gummy worms. Then it all went downhill from there. The worms...finished within a minute, and Lavea'i not happy about it, screams his head off. I take him out leaving the other three to fend for themselves or play and be as loud as they wish (party time cause Mom isn't here). When I came back in with Lavea'i, my friend, Alice Coombs, was sitting by the kids and surprisingly they were ALL very quiet. As soon as I sat down though, the noise started up again. After the sacrament was done, Alice took Lavea'i out for a bit and came back with some matchbox cars. That didn't make the other boys very happy. Lavea'i quickly finished with them and left them on the floor so Tula'i grabbed the car as quickly as possible, so there went Maika beginning to throw a tantrum because he wanted it as well. I told him to leave Tula'i alone and it only got louder and louder. So, up I left with Kalena and Tula'i sitting by themselves to solve the issue with Maika.
Finally, Maika calmed down enough to head back in and Alice still had Lavea'i out in the nursery playing waiting for sacrament meeting to be done. By this time, I had it! I just picked up the kids and we left the chapel to take the kids to there classes.
Oh, but this wasn't the end. I thought I was going to lead the music in primary, but the lady I was filling in for came back. So, this meant that I could go to class. LITTLE DID I KNOW, I still wouldn't be attending class because of Lavea'i. He is seriously so loud. I couldn't even hear anything so I finally took him out of Relief Society. We were sitting on the back row and as we were passing all the women, he would wave his hand and say "bye" really loud. But if that wasn't enough, the last lady on the row got a "bye" and a kiss. What a trouble maker I am going to have on my hands...he already is one though. He keeps me on my toes that is for sure.
That wasn't the end of the day though...we just finished our great room down in the basement. Brand new smelling carpet and oh it is so nice, Maika doesn't listen to me when I told him to lay down and take a nap. Instead, he and Tula'i decide to get up and play while I am upstairs going to the use the ladies room. I get back downstairs and he is screaming. I look over and he has blood running down his face onto his clothes and onto the brand new carpet! Oh, what joys!!! I did get the blood out and now you can't even tell there was any on it. Thank goodness or else he really would have gotten it. Needless to say, both him and Tula'i listened to me after that and went to sleep.
What a day and now I am tired from canning salsa tonight. But, I have accomplished 2 major things today...mopping my kitchen floor that was so nasty I wouldn't even let my kids pick things off the floor to eat them if it dropped and 7 jars of homemade salsa canned! Now, if only Cliff ate Mexican food.
I know everyone will post on their blogs about their kids first day at school which I like to read about. I was always anxious for the day to come when Kalena would leave for those short few hours...not because I wanted her out of the house, but because she LOVES to learn. I just hope it continues throughout all her years in school. She would much rather be in reading, drawing, coloring, or writing rather than playing outside.
Whenever I was asked when she started school and I told people it was this year, they would follow up with the question "Are you going to miss her?" Of course I would! She is my HUGE helper around the house. I have found myself always asking her to go and do things for me because I have already plopped myself down on the floor and it takes too much energy to get myself up again. BUT, I was also very excited for her because it begins a new, little chapter in her book of life. She has been ecstatic for this day to come. She was bummed she wasn't going to be able to eat at school for breakfast and lunch. She has also wanted to ride the bus, but I took that dream and ripped it in half as soon as I heard we live to close to the school. So, she didn't expect that at all on the first day.
So to sum it all up, it was a BITTERSWEET day! Cliff wanted to come and go with me to take her, but ended up not being able to leave work. I didn't mind. So, he promised her he would pick her up. So, by the time she got to me and I had all the questions her response was "I want Dad to tell you all of it." I have a hunch that she is going to be a Daddy's girl. She will talk to her dad like nothing. But when it comes to me, she would rather not talk.
Thanks to her Aunty Nezhone, who felt sorry for her because I didn't want to buy a backpack at the regular store, she bought the one that Kalena had picked out she wanted. I thought she would definitely get a princess one, but it was a "Hello Kitty." I think she just likes the cat on it. She keeps asking me if we could either get a cat or a dog. She knows that I would never get a cat so she settles for a dog.
The boys kept lining up with her and she would tell them, "Get out. You aren't going to school." My poor boys love their big sister and are bored without her. It is like pulling teeth to get them to play while she is gone. 
I did good and held back the little tears in my eyes as I kissed her good-bye. But, as soon as I got in the van to drive to the store without her, I shed a few of them. It is definitely different without her around for those few short hours, and I have plans of putting the boys down for naps, but who am I kidding...only MYSELF! Anyway, that was the first day and the second was much easier.
I am amazed at how beautiful this day turned out! Tunoa has not been excited to be baptized at all until he had his interview with the Bisho...
