Saturday, November 29, 2008

Giving Thanks

So much to post... so I'll start with Thanksgiving and go back. The week has been so busy with various events (happy & sad). Through it all there is still so much to be thankful for! SO MUCH!

Last minute we decided to host Thanksgiving at our house... the plans kept changing and thankfully everyone was flexible enough to finally decide on our house up here at Leo Palace Resort... which meant major pre clean-up on my part! Everyone who follows my blog knows I'm having major storage issues here- and I'm slowly going through all those boxes that were always hidden in my closets or garage or attic in my other homes. Those boxes & bins magically disappeared into our master bedroom for the time being... at least they're out of the hallways now! So bonus points for hosting a party... URGENCY to clean up! That's one way to motivate!


It was a great group of friends... the Morrison & Simmons came over with their little crew of kiddos. Everyone cooked so there was very little pressure on just ONE person - thanks Amy & Tori... everything was so delicious!!! Seriously... I've been eating the leftovers ever since Thursday!
Amy & Tori gettin' their grub on! There was so much food we couldn't fit it all on the table!

The kids table was "Japanese Style" - which worked out well for the kids since they ate and ran! Why are kids too busy to eat... play play play was on their minds!
After dinner the gamers got their game on... and Rock Band 2 was played by all! It was great to see the inner rock come out of all the parents... it was such a GREAT time! My kids all thought the adults were so fun! How many more years can we be considered cool by our kids... hmmm, I wonder!?
Amy was feelin' her song!

Nick - you've got a great voice... and Tori is quite the diverse rocker!




The MORRISON Family -
Logan, AMY, Ryland, Tyler & CHRIS
The SIMMONS family
NICK, Howie & TORI
... and us!
Mia LOVED having the boys at her house... she had many to chose from... she led Ryland around the house and constantly hugging him...
I found her on the couch holding hands with Rylands older brother - Tyler...
... and uh, I don't even want to know what's going on here... Mia, what are you showin' Howie?!

... six hours later - we all said our farewells!!! It truly was a very HAPPY & relaxing THANKSGIVING! In a few weeks this same group will be heading off to Hong Kong for 5 days... and we can't wait!!!!
We hope that you took time to give THANKS for THANKSGIVING!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Learning through FUN!


... that's what Jennifer's ASL (American Sign Language) Class is all about! FUN! FUN! FUN!

Our little peeps enjoy climbing the mats, hanging on the bar & of course the mirrors just as much as they enjoy learning new songs & signs... afterall, isn't this how kids learn best? This week we learned all about different animals!

Mia loves her buds - Howie & Ryland... and calls for them all the time! I enjoy the MOMMY time. SOCIALIZING, SINGING, DANCING, LEARNING... and then afterwards - EATING. This is how we spend our Monday mornings/afternoons! A great way to start our week!

... Jennifer is such a blessing and a fantastic ASL Teacher.

Our friends - Amy & Ryland
Our friends - Tori & Howie

How do you spend your Mondays?

Dance Partner

Shadow Hula Dancing... gotta love how my girl spends her days when her siblings are in school. She was thrilled to have found someone else who loved to shake their hips and dance! OOooh so cute!

Pig tails

She's SEVEN. She's growing every day. She's sweet, kind, thoughtful, helpful & smart. Of course, she has her moments - but overall, she melts my heart. She's always thinking of others... such a caring daughter, sister & friend! Would you believe I woke up yesterday to her sweet smile as she carried a tray of pancakes that she made JUST FOR ME (with the help of daddy)! Ahhhh.... Breakfast in Bed! The benies of having a sweet baby girl!

Hmmm... Baby girl... she's really not quite a baby anymore like the photos above (age 2 1/2). Yesterday, when I came home with hair bands she was hesitant for me to "play" and put her hair in pig tails. "Mommy it makes me look little". And I told her that's exactly why I love it so much! Not wanting to hurt my feelings she let me play... we tied 2 pig tails on each side up high - and then opted for the 2 low pig tails. Her hair is still short but growing so the back of her hair just hangs down. When we skyped my parents... Pop Pop saw her and commented on how pretty her hair looked... and she liked that!

So this morning, she wakes up and decides that she wants me to put pig tails in her hair for school. I agreed to do it but got caught up jumping in the shower, feeding Mia, washing dishes and straightening up the house. 5 minutes before the bus arrives I say, "Oooh yea, Dani - let's fix your hair". Quickly throwing 2 piggies together, the left side slightly higher than the right - there was no time to fix it. Staring at the mirror she smiles and says, "thank you, mommy".

Together we walk outside with about a minute to spare. In that quick minute the girls who had already been waiting for the bus were huddled together. One gave Dani a look and whispered to the others - they all looked at Dani. Dani just stood by my side. I wonder if my babygirl felt at all self-conscious about her "new look", the pigtails that I SO LOVED yet at that moment I felt the urge to fix that lopsided piggy. There was no time, the bus was coming any second. Flashbacks of my own insecurities during times when I wanted to FIT IN and the awkwardness of change. I'm so blessed that I always had a GREAT support system with my friends and family.

As she stood by me, my arms around her. Protective. There's a few life lesson I'm sure... like BE TRUE TO YOURSELF and how life will always be changing! To ALWAYS BE BOLD AND TRY NEW THINGS... to not feel like she has to change just to fit in. We can't control what people say or do... but you can CONTROL HOW YOU REACT to whatever life throws your way! But the lesson just had to wait. The bus was here.

Staring out the window she signed "I LOVE YOU"... and the bus slowly drove away. I wondered would she take out the pigtails before she got to school? Was she even thinking about her hair... and am I completely over-analyzing this. Who knows? For all I know the girls could've been whispering how cute Dani's hair looks! It's funny how we can easily jump to conclusions about things... never getting all the details. How important it is to not assume.

.... 8 hours later ... she walks off the bus smiling - talking with all the girls - pig tails still in. I ask her how her day went. Then I ask her about this morning and if she felt funny about her hair today. Her response, "I felt so happy today mommy, I felt like my pig tails made me look cute!" She said she was standing by me before the bus came in the morning because she sensed something and felt UNSURE. It was a long day apart... and I was happy to squeeze those last moments together... to be her strength when she felt unsure. To pray with my kids every morning to be good examples, to shine GODS love in every way possible. I love my babies so much!
PRAYERS PRAYERS PRAYERS... always praying!
.
Whatever anyone thought about my girl today - she came home smiling! I worried for nothing. I can't help that the Momma Lion came out today... the over-protective mommy watching over her cub! Always anticipating.
Every day I'm learning and striving to be a better mommy. Always asking other mommy's what I can do differently or what I can do better. Afterall, I'm new to being a mommy to a growing SEVEN year old girl!

Dani with her friends... such sweet & beautiful faces!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

It's how you get up!

"I've never had a child score 100% in every subject... I just wish he'd take MORE risks"
.
"He's Crazy! But crazy GOOD! He needs to slow down and take his time"

"I'm so glad she's in my class this year!!! She likes to help out in the class and loves to read!"
.
We were so please to hear the teachers comments on each of our kids. Living here for over 2 1/2 months I'd say the kids have adjusting JUST FINE to all the changes. New School. New Teachers. New Home. New Location. In fact, they were all selected to TEST for the Gifted Education Program offered at their school. Yeah!

Sept 2002
I snapped this photo of Morgan on his first day of school (Montessori Laboratory School in Chesapeake, Va). "C'mon Mommy, let's go to school now" as he motioned for me to follow him into the classroom. His smile was forced here as I'm sure he was anxiously figuring out that he was staying there without me. He cried and reached for my hand... and I cried as I walked away. THAT WAS HARD! I couldn't wait to pick him up 4 hours later!

Sept 2003 -
One year later... Ryan also cried on his first day of school... but he was fortunate enough to have his big brother with him to help him transition to Montessori Life!
Sept 2004 -
Yes, Daniella also cried when I dropped her off on her 1st day of preschool. By then I was used to the drama and couldn't figure out why each one of my kids cried on their 1st day. Amazingly when we switched over to "morning car drop off's"... she confidently walked away from ME. I'm sure it has to do with her leaving me and not being left! Of course, when she didn't even look back at me in the van... I drove away with tear filled eyes!

... first time for all 3 in school! WOW!
.
FLASH FORWARD and here we are... 5 - 7 years later from the kids first days of school... Where did the time go?
.
As we sat down with Mo's 5th grade teacher - she is amazed by how well he is doing and scoring 95 - 100% in all subjects. Then she said, "... but I just wish he would take more risks and speak up and step up as a LEADER in the class".
.
Then she said (which surprised me) "I bet you don't let your son climb trees". Coincidently, just that morning Morgan was climbing the tree in our front yard and all I kept saying was, "Morgan get down, you might fall!" Then she points at me and says, "I feel like I can talk to you like a sister... YOU'RE HOLDING HIM BACK. You have to let him go... let him FALL... allow him to take risks - because when you do that he will be MORE CONFIDENT!"
.
What? Let my baby fall? But my job is to keep him safe, right? But what she's saying makes sense to me, too. Are my words of protection holding him back? Am I sending him a message saying, "I don't believe you can do this, so just get down!"
.
She drew a pyramid on a piece of paper and circled the top and said, "This is 10% of what we teach our kids... the bottom 90% is learned by "doing"... research, hands on, standing up front... being allowed to FAIL and learn from experimenting!"
BE A LEADER TODAY is what Dale tells the kids every morning. As they look out into the world... I want them to know that they can do ANYTHING if they just BELIEVE! They have to GET IN THE GAME... and TAKE THAT SHOT if they ever want to score!
We have 4 amazing kids... and they are all so different! And I LOVE THAT about them! Everyone wants to be heard and have a say... and the one that seems to always quietly observe is my MO! He never rushes into anything... even when he was young. Quick example... when I would take the boys to the play area in the mall - even before we could get there and find a place to put the stroller... Ryan's shoes and socks are off and full speed ahead! He's quickly playing with all the other kids... while Mo stood right by my side and waited and observed everything around him until I would say, GO PLAY! Sometimes I'd even have to push him to go...
.
Morgan still talks about our summer in Michigan at FAMILY CAMP at Camp Au Sable. My parents came with us to help watch Mia who was only 5 months old. As I looked back at some of the pictures... they are very telling! There is confidence in my boy! Look at the picture below... BIG SMILE, in the center, confidently standing with his arms out - and this was an impromptu picture taken of the kids with my parents!
He loved his woodworking class where he got to spend time with PopPop and build a step stool, which is wide enough for him that he does his homework on it. He is so proud of that stool and the fact that he helped make it!! ... hmmm, hands on and doing...



The Zip Line and the Swing and Climbing Wall were all HIGH RISK adventures. But it also builds confidence and trust! Even though you have a helmet and ropes to hold you... the climb up is pretty scary... look how high it is! Again... doing, learning... building confidence!!!!


We are literally HALF WAY done raising our boy! He is 10 years old. He will be an adult before we know it! Half way! Dale says that by the time we leave Guam - Morgan may be just as tall or taller than him!
There are benches along the nature boardwalk around the lake at Camp Au Sable. Each bench has a bible verse engraved... Here my boys are reading, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON". Can you imagine having to GIVE up your child? It reminds me of a story of a mom's decision during the Tsunami a few years ago. The story/interview told: Water was everywhere and she was clinging tightly to her two sons. She couldn't hold much longer to both of them and had to make a quick decision of who to let go. My heart feels ripped just thinking if that were me having to make that decision... she decided to hold on to the younger son hoping & praying that the older son would somehow survive. She and her youngest son survived. She mourned the loss of the one she let go... 2 weeks later they were all miraculously reunited. HE SURVIVED, held onto a floating door, alone. For God So Loved the World... man, as a mommy now - that verse holds so much meaning! God's love is so amazing!
Let him take risks.... Let him fail so he can learn from his mistakes... This picture of the kids on the boardwalk is one of my favorites at Camp. Hmmm... and look who's walking confidently in the front. LEADING. That's my growing boy... my man child! (Ryan is on the left, my god-daughter Sabrina is in the center & Dani is on the right)
.
After a full week of campfires, daily worship & praise, woodworking, learning archery, fun canoe trips, exploring & the excitement of HIGH ADVENTURE. Confidence was built without even trying... all because it was hands-on learning. Morgan's teacher had the guts to tell me how it is... to CUT THE CORD and reminded me that it's okay to let him FAIL. Let him fall!
.
... afterall, it's not HOW you fall... but HOW you find the strength to GET UP and try again!
.
Thank you Mrs. Santos for that reminder! I so needed that!

Time flies when you're havin' fun...

We moved to California


VISIT our OTHER BLOG (cut and paste)

http://everyday-joshua1nine.blogspot.com/

Dales return from deployment - WELCOME BACK
July 2010 - March 2011

Our Gift of A Day... in beautiful Hawaii

Our Gift of A Day... in beautiful Hawaii
click on our photo to read about it!

7th B'day


"our growing family"