eva's hula concert

The wahine (women) group of Eva's hula halau (school) got invited to Merrie Monarch this year.  I guess it's like the olympics of hula. It's kind of a big deal and on the Big Island so that means a lot of fund raising.  So, they had another hula concert.  Smart, right?  Family, friends, and even tourists always seem more than happy to shell out money to see some hula.  

She did her Puka Puka Pants dance, again.  Puka means hole.  So part of her costume was old jeans with patches on them.  We hadn't lived her long enough to have old jeans yet.  Eva hadn't grown out of anything or worn anything out yet so I picked these up at the thrift store for ten cents.  And though I know that the make up makes them feel all fancy and seems to help them put some drama into the performance and make their faces show better, it still kinda freaks me out to see a little girl with make up on.  

 There is my Eva in the middle of the photo.  

This dance was called the Green Rose. I felt so lucky to actually see her at this performance.  It is so fun to watch that girl move.   

 I love this photo of her.  This pose is very Eva.  Her facial expression, too.

 Maximus was very supportive during the show.  He slept for half of it.

Samuel was very supportive, too.  He fell asleep about two songs into the show. We had hiked a couple of miles in the sun earlier that day and it must have worn him out.  And since that kid runs circles around us when we hike he probably hiked about five miles.  He's so cute when he's asleep.  And very cuddly.  And never hurts anyone.  And never argues.  And never breaks anything.  Sleeping kids are so cute.   

At the end of the show, everyone comes out and holds hands and sings E Hawaii, a song that I love hearing my kids sing.  

Eva sneezed... 

 ...and then held her friend's hand again with her gross hand.  You can see her cute friend wiping her hand.  Poor thing.  It cracked me up.  

 Hula.  It's on my list of reasons why I am glad we live here.  It is so fun to watch such a graceful, meaningful dance.  I am glad that Eva gets to experience this.

the kids came this way

Tonight at dinner at my parents' house we started talking about Halloween. The conversation then turned to scary stuff. Then we started telling scary stuff or times that we have been scared. I have been scared a lot. It is funny. Now. Brother in law told about a scary You Tube video. Now, I am kind of a little bit scared. I can't even think about it. If I think about it too much, I will have to quit posting and go to bed. But now I am kind of scared because I have to pass a lot of doorways to get to my bedroom. Now my heart is beating fast. Dang it.

Eva loves Halloween. She is not creeped out by it. Here is her tribute to Halloween:

"Halloween in fun. Thes are my cusins jrest (dressed) up."

Last year we had a Tinkerbell, a football player, a sock monkey and Speed Racer.

This is Eva's tribute to the dollar store:

I don't know why I think this is so funny. My kids love that place. Samuel will do just about anything to go there (and buy stuff that only lasts about 20 minutes, tops. But that is for another post). I guess the topic was something that she does with her dad. They go to the dollar store. At least it isn't Wal Mart (for a quick, cheap laugh, click on it).

Here is an example of the stuff that Eva does for her brother:

She made him a Bat Man mask. I loved watching her work and come up with this.

Okay, and while Eva seems to be developing her artistic skills lately, Samuel seems to be expanding his verbal boundaries. I made note of a few things:

Karl (trying to explain that you need to have ice cream in an icecream sundae): You can't just have hot fudge.

Samuel: Okay, then sprinkles.

(then we kind of think, why are we trying to make a kid eat ice cream, right?)

Samuel (marching in his underwear): I am a naked army.

Eva (pointing to an awesome Airstream on the freeway in the lane next to us): What is that called?

Samuel: It's a house-car.

Karl: If you say that one more time you are going to be in big trouble.

Samuel: Can I say it two times?

Samuel (at a time when I really needed his compliance): No-kay.

Samuel: I had a dream that there were pigs at the playground and one pig went down the slide backwards and I was really mad at the pig.

Oh, and I have kind of already shared but just so it gets recorded that this is the month that Karl had to teach Samuel that people don't like it when you tell them they are fat. "But she is," Samuel argues. "Even if she is, you can't tell her that, it hurts her feelings." Samuel, I am sorry. I know it is kind of confusing. But trust us on this one.

I find myself analyzing the kids actions probably more than I should. I wonder if this or that trait came from Karl or I. But, for now, I am thinking and kind of hoping, that they just came with their traits and tendencies.

first day, take two

Been busy, haven't blogged as much as I like to. Here's why:

If I had to choose one word to describe my family, it might be change.

Last year I went and put Eva on the waiting for a charter school that I had heard great things about. Didn't hear from them and kind of forgot about it.

On Monday, they called and said they had an opening. The timing was right for all but Eva.

She was happy at her school. Happy with her friends, happy with her teacher, and she loved riding the bus. I took her to check out the school and Eva being Eva, she liked it was ready to start right away. But, she didn't want to leave her old school either. So, we brought it to her level.

If you go to this new school and have a good attitude about it then you can to anywhere you want.

Chuck-E-Cheese?

Yes.

Everyday?

No.

Two times?

Maybe.

Okay.

Playing dirty, right? We don't feel bad. We had lots of reason to do this.

And maybe one of those reasons might have to do with doing worksheets to the "big machine" everyday. I stopped by the classroom (on the wrong day. Oops) and it turns out that the "big machine" that Eva had been telling me about was a recording of the teacher telling the kids how to do write numbers. Yep, just a recording. Who knows when she made this tape? I know a little about education (degree, years of experience...) and from the little I know, I know that a) first graders already know how to write their numbers and b) if by chance, they don't know their numbers, they will learn them better if the teacher interacts with them. And maybe I should have brought this up with the teacher but I am a wimp, so I will just post it on the internet.

Me, being me, my first thought was about shopping for uniforms. I asked around and posted about it on facebook and got lots of good advice.

She looked so cute in her school clothes. I am kind of sad but I will make the best of it. Want to know something that I think is so cute? Eva has no idea that she has uniforms. She hasn't noticed yet. She hasn't noticed that everyone is wearing the same stuff. She asked if she could wear her jeans. When I told her she couldn't, she wanted to know why.

Ssshhh.... nobody tell her, okay?

Eva seems to like her school. But, the sweet thing likes almost anything. Which means that she still likes that darn bus that she can't ride anymore. I really like the feeling I get when I go to the school. Everyone seems to really want to be there. I have also run into several people that I know... my kids' pediatrician, a girl I grew up with, friend of a friend... all great people that make me feel comforted that they choose to send their kids to the same place.

Tonight Eva says, "Everyone at my new school is so serious."

We feel good about it. Let's hope things lighten up a little.

Oh, and one of the things that makes this food freak really happy. They have actual COOKS. No, they don't just have box cutters. Two ladies that actually MAKE the school lunch. A rarity these days.

Nothing to do with school, but everything to do with Eva. I am always talking about how bendy she is. Was going through some old pictures and came across this one. For how much it has made me giggle tonight, I thought I should probably share. I loves how you can see her smile and how she embellished the bed sheet with a black marker.

been dreading this day

Eva's first day of first grade is coming up.

Makes me think about little Eva Bean.

Makes me think about the little girl that she is.

These photos are from her last dance class in the spring. Lost the photos because the card crashed. Used a company called Stellar photo to recover them. Didn't get them all back but I got enough. It was worth the money just to see Eva with her tongue sticking out all focusing on her little ballerina form.

She got sick of dancing last year. But it was mostly that she was sick of wearing that too little lavender leotard. Wasn't going to sign her up for this year. But she changed her mind at the last minute. And we ordered her leotard 2 sizes bigger.

That photo in the middle? Karl took that one of her. They were at the beach in Chicago. Eva saw a bug and so she didn't want to stand on the sand. She stayed on the towel. I think she is so smart.

One night I went into peek into Eva's room and I saw this tent. She built it to sleep in.

So, looks like our circus has a couple more acts.

Eva set up a tea party complete with centerpieces and graham crackers. Then she got bored with it and chose to watch TV. I think the anticipation was the best part.

Sometimes in the morning, when I don't hear fighting, I can find the kids doing this. Eva is reading to Samuel. It makes me happy.

This picture makes me happy, too.

Eva will come up to me and ask for string, or paper, or ask me to cut something or get something for her. It is so funny to see what she ends up with.

Oh, Eva.

So, now your off to a full day of school. I am afraid of the first grade homework, papers to sign and hope I don't lose, gross school lunch, and getting you off to the bus one time. But, for some reason, I know you are going to handle all of it just fine.

been hosting

Many years ago, this Utah girl found herself in the big city of Chicago. My first year teaching and I decide to take on a class in the Chicago Public Schools. 33 students, 23 of them boys. I am telling you, it was loud and it was hard. No recess, no playground, 20 minutes for lunch, and a big-city-used-to-be-a-cop-and-proud-of-it boss, and, well, it was quite the reality check for this thought-teaching-was-supposed-to-be-like-a-fairytale-because-she-went-to-USU girl.

One of the reasons I was able to get through it was my mentor teacher, Elisa. She lent me supplies when I showed up with almost nothing. She handed me the box of tissues when I showed up in her classroom crying. She helped me get through it and eventually succeed. I am so grateful. Oh, and she also taught me how to make the tastiest Mexican rice ever.

Elisa recently came to visit. I was so excited.

We took her up to Moss Ledge for a picnic dinner and s'mores.

The kids had so much fun climbing and finding sticks and rocks (seriously, remind me why we keep going to Chuck-E-Cheese). Eva found the cutest rocks in perfect shapes. A heart, a diamond, a square, a trapezoid, a pentagon...

This is what Eva looks like when she finds out that Samuel threw her rocks into the stream. That kid is so fast. None of us saw him do it.

Elisa and I have a lot interests in common. She loves to scrapbook. Can you believe it? I go all the way to Chicago and I find a scrapbooker. So, in the short time she was here, I showed her "my Utah."

Zumba class

Creme Brulee French Toast

Hip and Humble

Koo de Ker

Lunch at Mezza

Heartland Paper Co.

Roberts

the Quilted Bear

Dinner at Tin Angel

Elaines Quilt Block

Pho Green Papaya

Just a few of my favorite places to go. We both had a great time.

I decided I love having visitors. Family? Friends? My guest room is open!

spring... fevers

First, I need to say how grateful I am that we had beautiful weather for Easter.  

Two days later, we had this:

And this (yes, this is how we store our bikes.  Just keeping it real):

 

 Girls and boys are different.  I get that.  First and second kids are different.  I get that, too.  But this?  This just cracks me up.

Eva with a fever:

 

Samuel with a fever:

  

Eva was obviously sick.  Samuel?  He showed no signs.  We took his temperature as an afterthought.  That kid slows down for nothing.  Which is why he is just a blur in the photos.

Prepared

We are going on a trip (Beaver Creek, CO.  Karl's work wanted him to go.  The kids and I wanted to go, too) tomorrow.  Yep, still packing.  

So, before the kids went to bed, I asked (told, demanded, bossed, whatever) them to put a few toys and books in a bag for the trip.  I opened them up to do a little editing and this is what they came up with:

 

Samuel's essentials:

1 Leapster 

3 Leapster games (he used to have 5.  Must not sweat the small, kind of expensive stuff, right?)

1 Rocket ship

6 Cars

1 Camera

2 capes

1 half gone sheet of stickers

1 Speed Racer coloring book

1 black crayola marker (no frills, huh?  Why do I think that is so freaking funny?)

1 woobie

1 (precious, he made it for us for Christmas but won't let us have it) handprint framed in macaroni

1 baggie full of tiny plastic weapons

1 bicycle bell

1 pair of goggles

1 set of fake car keys that keeps making car noises ever time the bag is bumped

2 DVDs (please don't lose them on the trip, they are from the library.  Note:  I had to talk him out of the Megatron fighter guys Robot things or whatever testosterone movies.)

He also called me in his room three hours after he had been asleep and let me know that he needed a flashlight.  "Right now or for the trip?"  "For the trip." Check. 

 

These are Eva's essentials:

1 (giant. Like 10 lbs) Treasury of Bedtime Stories book (that got edited out)

4 other (much lighter) books

2 DVDs 

1 camera

2 flashlights (1 with batteries, 1 without....?)

1 Nintendo DS 

1 diary with a lock

1 pencil

1 4 color pen

1 pair of goggles

3 Polly Pockets 

1 Bitty Baby named Maren

1 suitcase that holds Maren's stuff (but was empty, huh?  Edit)

1 silver slipper.  It's Maren's.  Just one?

1 set of pajamas for Maren

1 big teddy bear

1 orange toothbrush

So prepared.  How would it be to have that be all you had to worry about?