30 August 2011

princesses...

some more from the disney store..

sent from daddy's phone.

today was a spouses' thing for the officers in hawaii. it's hawaii, and everyone says how laid back and casual everything is here. so, i wore a nice maxi dress, thinking i might be overdressed a little, but casual. NOPE! there were NO LESS than 3 lilly dresses (retailing at $250+) there. hello......

but, really it was fun. i got to meet a lot of neat women and sign up for some cool things. and, it was at a SWEET house! it was chester nimitz's house during world war 2. (he was one of 4 five-star admirals ever.) such cool history!

that's one of the things i love about hawaii. i feel like there is so much history. it's wonderful! and beautiful. and i am so thankful that i am married to david. (although i told him that i wouldn't complain if he wanted to be the commander of the pacific fleet and live in the nimitz house... which by the way had a koi pond and FOUR culinary specialists to serve! david told me NO!)

29 August 2011

soul...

nora and daddy, boogie boarding...

so, watched soul surfer a few nights ago. lessons learned: should watch it AFTER i have lived in hawaii if i EVER wanted to get back in the water again. (or since my daughter wants to learn to surf. and be carrie underwood, who's also in the movie!) i LOVE dennis quaid. and his chemistry with helen hunt. don't watch movies that will make me cry when i am pregnant. ever!

but seriously, GREAT movie, if you haven't seen it. not only is there AWESOME scenery, but the story is AMAZING. and TRUE!

and i realized that i want my daughter, and son for that matter, to not be afraid. of anything. i don't want to shape those fears. i only want to encourage them to dream. like my parents did. i believed i could do anything! (except maybe dance team in high school... but i did that anyway! just kidding mom!!) and i want my kids to grow up like that. with parents who believe they can do WHATEVER they want to do!! what a gift. (and for that, truly, thanks mom and dad!!)

so, i let nora watch "soul surfer" the other day, and with the exception of one bad night's sleep, she LOVED it. she's obsessed with the movie, with surfing, with bethany. in fact, routinely now, she is "bethany" in pretend play. not a princess, not carrie underwood. it's precious. what a great role model. and, it's been great to talk about God being in control!

sooooo... we are looking at surf lessons for the girl! aaaahhhh... here's to embracing it and not fearing it! when i called one of the surf schools, they said that when the kids have no fear and are super stoked about it, it goes better than when the kids are okay and it's the parents pushing. (BELIEVE YOU ME... i NEVER thought i would have a kid who wanted to SURF!) i told them she was, in fact, super stoked, and i would like her to have a decent fear of the water!! and, yes, she's a GREAT swimmer. so... here we go!

jamey, on the other hand, is the opposite, still! we were at this dinosaur exhibit at the museum today, and he kept saying, "i'm too scared". of the dinos, the dark tunnels. (appropriate for his age, i get it!) it's just amazing to see two kids, raised the same way, be so different. (again, not rocket science!) we just have to find the things he's into!! (which is, currently, in NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, water sports!!!)

28 August 2011

a weekend in review (disclaimer: a TON of pics!!)...












playing with dayton's cars the other day... (asked to play with barbies today, though... gotta work on that!)











waiting to watch daddy's ship pull in!











there it is!!!

















some food to entertain!

















my blondie!











getting closer! (james was YELLING: "daddy, i love you and miss you!!")











chasing after it...











nora colored me a picture, and wanted to hang it on the wall...











at the beach. she wanted to learn to surf. we started with a boogie board...

















and my land lubber wanted to be buried!











the man of my dreams....











making sand castle!











our "nudibranch" that we found in the ocean. we brought it in for a minute to look at it, then david swam it out and set it free. SUPER COOL!!!











posing on the boogie boards...











out with daddy...











my two kids could NOT be more opposite... nora hates getting out of the water, and jamey hates getting in. (he's hiding in the bundle in my arms...)










the incredible marble maze that daddy set up!












playing hide and seek... the kids went to an event at the disney store, and jamey wanted to get dressed up, too. he wore his tux! it was so precious. he didn't want to take it off!!

















i figured, we weren't using it again... he might as well!











playing hide and seek...

















chasing sissy...











driving daddy's car...

















my hibiscus! it's the most beautiful pink. i wish i had put it out front, not around the corner.











at the pool this morning...

















on a tour of his ship. doing what he does best. he's so handsome, and good at what he does!!











pearl harbor.











"shooting" the 50 cal machine gun. dad, aren't you jealous???











the ship.

















the 5 inch gun.











looking towards the arizona memorial.











again, talking about his job, the ship, etc. he's so cute!!!











david's room!

















LOVED this! might try to hunt a replica down.

















my sweet husband.











and his cool ship!






sweet girl... thought she was so funny with her sweatshirt!

reading with the kids this morning. i LOVE the voices he does. when the kids "read" stories to me, they use daddy's "voices"...

playing marble maze... daddy helped set it up. not sure who had more fun. okay... david did!

snuggling with my girl!!!

25 August 2011

a good night song...

jamey singing before bed tonight!

better now...












jamey tuesday... fell asleep trying to eat his lunch. sweet, tired, sick boy!











as promised... some of nora's photos... her shoes all lined up.











the living room.











getting to the zoo...











a favorite attraction...











elephants.











check out that peacock SO CLOSE!

okay, so kids are in bed. crying and playing in rooms, but tucked in and threatened about coming out. i hope i didn't ruin james by letting him sleep in my room last night (he's already asked for my room tonight!). nora is SO TIRED. and jamey, despite a 3.5 hour nap is SO TIRED. and i think more sleep would do them good. especially since they don't usually sleep in.

i feel much better after my rant today! sorry if it bored you... i am getting ready to enjoy a night to myself... and an early night!

customer service...

since this is my blog... i am going to vent today. i am tired. my 2 1/2 year old was up ALL night. i saw every hour on the clock. i am EXHAUSTED. and, because he spiked a temp, low grade, again today, he can't go to school and won't go back to sleep. so you get to hear my customer service frustrations. because it's not just one company/person.

dmv... seriously? this shouldn't be so hard. why do you make a new title for me, never tell me, take FOREVER to send it to the lien holder, so when i am trying to register my car, they won't register it for me. oh, and when i call... i can't actually talk to a human. i have to leave messages, most of which are NEVER returned, and stalk you. and when i do talk to (the wrong) person, you are all rude. why can't it be dmv to dmv? oh wait, that would actually be WORK for you... and since you close your doors and kick everyone out at 4pm, regardless of how long they have been in line... i am sure a phone call like this would be OUT of the question!

cpk... you HAD gluten free pizza for, what, six weeks? and it seemed to be the only place ON THE ISLAND i could find gluten free pizza. oh, and when i call to order a gluten free pizza and ask how long it will take, your first answer should NOT be: "20 minutes, but we don't serve those anymore". WHY even tell me 20 minutes??? and why only sell them for 6 six weeks. and it's great you have other gluten free options. so do a MILLION other restaurants. we came to you because of your PIZZA. so, we won't be coming back. (yes, this did get conveyed to corporate!)

cable... you were SUPPOSED to bring us hd boxes. but it printed out wrong, so when the technician called, after setting everything up, he was told it WAS supposed to be hd boxes. but he didn't have any. so he told ME to call. so, when i call, i am told to unhook my two boxes, bring them in to any of their "stores", get two new boxes, bring them home, hook them up myself, and go on with life. AND, send me a $350 bill while you are at it!!! seriously? how is THAT customer service???

people in general... if you get an email/phone call/babysitting request on a service YOU signed up for, is it TOO MUCH TO ASK that you respond? (there might be a small log in my own eye, here, and i am TRYING! can i blame time change???) seriously... it's just rude. and when you are paid to babysit, is it unreasonable, that if the majority of the time you are here, kids are in bed, that you CLEAN UP what you played with/ate off of? that's how i was taught? and i KNOW that's not just me. i have talked to other mothers, and it's the same. or craigslist people. RETURN A PHONE CALL. and, if i am the first to call, and you tell me i can come get it, don't sell it before i get my two kids loaded in the car and get there!

phew... i feel better. gotta go get the boy who is rolling on the floor crying. (and screamed in his bed for 2 hours straight last night. at least when he was in bed with me after that, i could sleep periodically!)

24 August 2011

what i wore wednesday...












nora was fascinated with taking pictures yesterday. i will give you more tomorrow. but, one that she got of me!
shirt: gap outlet... like $6, and i have worn the HECK out of it!


















shirt: free at santee's old navy grand reopening two years ago... we waited out in line forever, and i got two free tshirts out of it! (stef got a pair of jeans and a shirt!!!)
skirt: target maternity. see a theme?

nora: dress from mom mom, a necklace she made... had to get dressed up for dayton and the zoo!

to church on sunday...

shirt: old navy maternity, from when i was preggers with nora

skirt: target maternity

and, hubby said i looked cute! made for a good day!!


so, we went to the zoo today. it was so much fun! dayton is over for an impromptu playdate and he brought his cars. jamey is in heaven. don't know why he doesn't like our cars this much.

david is back out... and hopefully having a better day than the past two have been. thanks for your prayers.

just got stef's wedding video from jules. it's AMAZING! i love watching it over again!