fun times...

movie with our friends!

kids.  

all the kids.  

besties.  i love that they love each other!

so stinking sweet...

baby boy... waking up!  he's the best at waking up.  

new toes...  thanks to a gift certificate!  a fun date day with a friend!!!

i am working on several sewing projects this week... LONG, LONG overdue.  but that's been fun.  and one of them is sewing new patches on my hubby's uniform because he gets promoted this week!  i am so proud of him.  you may hear that a few more times soon...  

so, there you have it...  

not qualified...

more on our elmo obsession!

found him a new little one... cause he was terrified of the big one.  except, now he's not terrified of the big one, just loves them both!

ohhh....  

maiking silly faces!!!  waiting for coco to answer!

spiky hair!

brothers....

faces...  oh that face.  he can have pretty much whatever he wants!!!!

and this girl.  how on earth did she get so big?  and after 4 years, she finally LOVES the doll i made her!  yay...

this boy.  loves his fishies.  and his elmo!  

this sweet 19 month old of mine had a speech evaluation today.  it was recommended that we at least look in to the early intervention here in hawaii (supposed to be great!).  so, we started the process...  and he had his assessment today.  we don't find out the results until thursday, but the testers told me they don't think we'll qualify.  (which is a good thing... he can speak too well for intervention!)  because he had an auditory neuropathy and is my third kid and a boy, it was worth a look...

c did amazing in the assessment... which was basically play time for him!  it was fun to watch these therapists and how they work.  what a cool job!  i, however, feel like i failed the assessment!  they kept asking if he could do certain things... and my answer was, "he's my third and i just don't know... probably!".  poor thing.  i don't want my third to feel neglected!  (or the fourth for that matter!!!)  

that said, i am so enjoying our mornings at home.  last week, we didn't have much going on, so we just played together.  it was a blast...  he's such a fun kid (it didn't take time alone to figure that one out!)... and he LOVES, LOVES, LOVES doing just what the big kids are doing...

nora is reading like crazy.  it's her favorite pastime.  and, she loves american girl dolls...  combine the two and it's a match made in heaven!  she wants to change her name to "saige mckenna felicity copeland *something* merriman".  that's three ag dolls names.  

james had a few rough days at school...  he did want to leave me.  once he gets there, it's great.  it's just the peeling him off of me.  but he loves it.  and is doing so well.  it's so fun to watch him.  he is also loving the time in the afternoon (when i can stay awake) and chris is asleep and nora's at school still.  we have so much fun... legos, board games.  he's such a sweet kid, and such a middle child!!!

i taught nora how to play "egyptian ratscrew" this weekend.  it's a take on war kinda, a card game.  we had so much fun!  i love watching her be excited about those games... and james really wants in on it!

someone at school today taught her how to play "mash"  (the game where you "find out" who you will marry and what kind of house/car/job you will have...  )  it was so cute... and scary.  i mean, it was like yesterday that i was playing that with my friends!!  ahhh... how am i the mother here???  

glow run glow...

getting ready... before the glow sticks!

running into friends!

smiles!

all glowed up!

matching...

more friends!

ready to go...

we were not in the first wave...

more waiting... stealing kisses!

baby's first race...  all done!  

much to my surprise, i RAN the whole thing.  even up the twisty things at the stadium!  it was a very fun race!  but, not everyone took it seriously!  i mean, we went to cross the finish line, and we had to push through the crowd that was just standing there, taking pictures!  

and the people in flip flops didn't really love when we passed them!  even at my slow pace!!!  but, it was such a fun race!!!  and fun to have another cool date with the man of my dreams!!!

sorry i have been so delayed in posting...  i have been napping every day.  and i discovered "downton abbey".  which takes up every evening!!!

elmo!!

he saw elmo on a package.  

how do i NOT buy it for him, when he is clutching the frozen pizza to his cheek.  (or was it just stuck there because it was so cold??)

"facetiming" on his phone...  

lunch with daddy!

does life get better than that???

or this?  I LOVE THIS BABY BOY.  and his daddy!!!  

he found the stroller for elmo and just pushed him around all morning!

i mean, elmo is like baby crack for him.  he is addicted.  i can get him to stop crying, or do just about anything for elmo!  it's kinda cute...  (and our only elmo dvd is "elmo singing with the stars", which is elmo singing with the likes of sheryl crow, jason mraz, hootie and the blowfish, etc.  it makes it so much more tolerable!

today is hawaii statehood day.  which meant no school!  and a beach day and burgers and shakes for lunch.  it was such a fun morning!  c's trunks were a little big.  and i didn't realize it.  they stayed on just fine till he got wet.  then, they didn't stay on.  when i finally stopped fighting them and just took them off (for our last 5 minutes at the beach), he was so happy!  it was funny to watch him enjoy the nakedness!!  

it was one of those mornings life is made of.  not a cloud in the sky.  three ships leaving and entering the harbor.  a sub.  the f-22's.  the turquoise water.  and friends galore.  people just kept showing up.  kids played.  moms sat and chatted.  i love days like that!  soaking up this sun, before we move off this rock!!!

hello family...

our new family picture.  six pairs of slippahs.  an adventure!

snuggles with a tired baby...

sweet baby boy.  on the first day of school.  you wouldn't know this was actually a cry!  he was just so big and handsome!

the new nugget.  

cute, spikey hair!

handsome boy in my sunnies...

soccer with friends!

lunch.  cheeseys.  

there you go.  happy monday!

art...

my artist in her smock...

shark attack where i surf...

her finished pot....

i had a mops (mothers of preschoolers) leadership retreat this weekend and it was so refreshing!  and, d had the kids all day!  on saturday night, we had a "stay at home" date night.  we do it about once a month, and really, it looks just like a saturday night at home.  but, i go get dinner (usually pf changs, cause that's d's favorite) somewhere downtown and he puts the kids in bed.  i walk in and he's rented a movie and we just sit and have a date.  it's a regular saturday night with purpose!

i used to be against the idea of stay at home dates.  i am here ALL. THE. TIME.  the last thing i want to do is look at my messy house, or feel guilty about the amount of stuff i have to do.  but they have really changed for me here!  first of all, a sitter for 3 kids gets pricey!  and sometimes we have a hard time finding one.  or there just isn't anything we want to do.  or we want to make a normal saturday night a little special!  they have become so much fun!  and, it's half the price of a regular date, because we only pay for food!

so, anyway, we had a great date night!  and a great weekend.  and school is back today!  can't believe it's the second week already!!!

first day... on thursday!

getting ready for pics!

my sweet babies...  all grown up!  (1st grade and pre-k)

my pre-k-er.  he's so handsome!

his backpack!!!

my sweet girl!  her shirt was a birthday present from a friend!!!  her mom makes them...

check her out!  sweet keiki boutiki

and her backpack...

i can't believe how fast this week has gone.  and how cranky my kids are after school!  i didn't really expect it.  they have LOVED school.  and i have completely loved their teachers.  i am so thankful for the teachers they have this year!!!  

nora wanted to write a note to her teacher tonight, saying thank you for being such a great (nora wrote "grate") teacher.  i am so proud of her sweet attitude!  

and, on the flip side, james keeps saying when he gets home how much he misses chris during the day. so sweet...  i can't believe how much bigger the kids seem already!!