I'm back!

I'm buried under a load of dirty laundry.  It rained the whole time we were there, so our duds are muddy!  I don't have a whole lot of time, so I'll post pictures later, but I did want to say we had a good time and the boys loved it.  I'm so glad we went.

hairdressers

I've been feeling bad about my $35 comment.  I don't begrudge hairdressers money well earned.  I think they are a hard working group of people, and I admire them and their ability to transform a person.  (and stand on their feet all day)  You couldn't make me cut someone's hair.  I just would not do a good job and I'm afraid of making someone cry.  Plus, I just don't have that artistic vision.  I"m also intimidated by hairdressers and never really tell them what I want and always hope for the best and usually go home either crying, fixing or fuming.  And I'm sure that's my fault for not piping up.  A lot of that stems from the fact that I'm not confident about my looks, especially my hair.  They are doing the best with what's in front of them.  I've really liked the last two gals I've gone to.  They did good haircuts and good color.

Anyway, I also wanted to say that I've come to see what a valuable, useful, skill they have.  When my parents went to Thailand to teach ESL, they met a missionary who was a hairdresser.  Her mission was to minister to ladies trying to get out of, ahem, prostitution.  They had a home for them to live until they could get respectible jobs and support themselves.  And part of this missionary's thing was to do their hair.  As you can imagine, a loving, hands on touch can really heal a heart.  It helps the girls feel clean and respectable.  She also cut the hair of missionaries as a part of her ministry.  When I went on my trip to Morocco, one of the ladies in our group was a hairdresser, and the spouse of our leader was also a hairdresser.  They both were needed in a big time way when dealing with the lice issue.  Of course, so were the mamas in the group who had already dealt with lice in their own children.

I just wanted to put that out there.  I don't begrudge someone $35.  But I just can't afford that every 6 weeks.  Especially if I didn't like the cut and don't feel like I can talk to them.  And that's MY issue.

what ever happened to bar soap?

I'm packing for our trip tomorrow.  Yay, a couple of days on the Big Island (Hawaii).  Cabin on the volcano!  And I realize that the boys' shower gel is a foam that I can't transfer to a little bottle.  So they are getting some of my shower gel.  Then I think, how spoiled we all are.  We don't even use soap!  (well, we do, but in the shower, we use shower gel - except when I shave I use soap)  Somehow, everything in my shower smells like fruit.  And kids stuff - EVERYTHING devoted to kids is either fruit or bubblegum.  I have the Apple mango tango laundry detergent.  Lemon in the kitchen for dishes.  And then there's the candles.  We are one good smelling society.  And spoiled rotten.

The last time I thought about this was when I was in Morocco using a squatty potty desperately wanting to wash my hair.

Top Chef is getting on my nerves.  Everyone is picking on Marcel.  If you know me, I'm the person that always roots for the underdog.  So, as annoying as Marcel is (if you believe what the challengers say), I feel sorry for him and am mad at all of them for being so mean.  I find it especially annoying that they say his dessert wasn't sexy and blah blah blah.  I hate people picking on others.  Especially as stinging as these remarks must be.  Debbie Mazar was no help...

I walked 6 1/4 miles Saturday.  I tried out a new route.  I'm so glad I found a potty and water fountain.  That really refreshed me.  How on earth am I going to walk 26.2 miles????  I was wiped out afterwards, but had that good tingly feeling for a long time afterwards. 

I'm gaining weight.  I have stopped trying to watch what I eat.  christmas really killed me.  I'm trying to be good about grains and vegetables - but I have too many sweets in the house and we've eaten out too much.  I tried on jeans the other day and they are tight.  And I have to wear them on this trip!  I guess it'll keep my poor eating down to a dull roar.

the other man in my life & avacados

I have a confession.  There is another man in my life.  And I"m not going to get all spiritual on you - that other man is a given.  But I haven't told you about this one.

Last night I went for my walk.  I had not walked the day before and I could tell on this walk.  Because his hand had a tight grip on my booblet.  Yes, when I vacuum, scrub the shower floor, or some other vigorous activity it feels like a mans hand has a tight, but not painful grip on my bosom.  LOL!  Had you going.  But it's true!  That's exactly what it feels like.  When I get a fill, it feels like his hand is laying heavily on me for a day or two.  And there's something about my position sitting in the car.  That hand is laying on me there too.

My DH is so jealous.

well, not really.  He just rolls his eyes when I talk about him.

*giggle*  I'm so goofy.

My life is so dull, this is all I have to contribute.  Oh, I'm sprouting an avacado seed.  You know how crazy I've been about guacamole lately, so this makes sense.  Too bad I won't be around when it produces.  That and the pineapples.  The next resident at this house is gonna be one lucky person!

hoomaluhia gardens pictures

We had a good time and got the car really muddy.  Ryan was a basket case at one point because I took them on a trail and it was not a well-marked trail.  It was muddy and cloudy and windy.  He said, "if it rains, it's your fault!".  I told him not to worry about it.  That he should trust me, and to stop worrying because he wasn't enjoying himself.  If it rains, we won't melt and I won't get them lost!  We passed a little shelter at one point and that made him feel better - we could huddle there if it rained.  And then, we drove to a spot where we could walk to an overlook.  We had to walk up a big hill that had a chain going across it.  I figured the chain was to prevent cars from driving up there and it wouldn't hurt just to go look.  He was so worried that we would get in trouble!  LOL! Poor guy.  I *do* understand him.  I'm just like him.  And I was a little worried, but I'm old enough to know that I can explore just a little bit to find out what the deal is - as long as I'm not putting us in danger.  And, we discovered that the overlook was actually there way up top around the corner.  It was a great view, but didn't translate well in my pictures.  The weather was too cloudy for good pictures.

Of course, when we got home I had to wash shoes and vacuum the van.  And make popcorn and unwind.  I'm still unwinding, 2 hours later!!  LOL!  On the other hand, Jake and Ryan are hyper.  THAT'S why kids are so skinny.  Endless energy.  Jake is literally, at this moment, running circles around the house.

Anyone wanna give me a haircut?  I'm not going back to Earl and pay $35 for a stinkin hair cut!  That's crazy!

I can't wait until tonight.  Top Chef is back!  I'm sick of the reruns.

 

enjoying the break

I'm enjoying having the kids home.  They don't go back to school until AFTER MartinLutherKing Jr. day.  Tomorrow I plan on taking them to a botanical gardens for a little fun.  They've been playing with the neighbor kids, which is a nice break.  Gary's been home a lot, well, Monday and today.  He had to go in to work on Saturday - grrrr - and Friday which was supposed to be a holiday.  But he's taking this Thursday and Friday off and Mon-Wed off.  We are going to the Big Island Monday through Wednesday.  We are going to take a helicopter tour of the volcano.  I'm so excited!!  I hope the boys cooperate.  They get so scared over things.  They've been concerned that the doors would be open.  The last time Gary and I went to the big island we tried to get a helicopter tour, but it got rained out.  We are going to stay in a little cabin on Kilauea (I know I didn't spell that right).  There is so much to do in just the few days we will be there.  I need to get right to planning it.  I'm really excited about being able to wear warm clothes.  It's going to get down to the 40's or 50's!!  I need to see if my jeans still fit.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love being a mom and I love these boys.  They are at such a good age.  They really crack me up!

Happy 2007 Y'all!!

I've tried before, but I can't figure out how to add music to my journal here...

This morning I got up and downloaded some songs and the current J. Vernon McGee lesson and went for my walk.  I did 5 miles today.  (I didn't walk at all yesterday)  One of the songs I had downloaded was a song that was used at Vacation Bible School 2 years ago - and I remember that I liked it at the time and it was peppy, but this time, the words stuck out to me.  It's not a difficult song, not a whole lot of words, but they just fit.  A great start to the new year, I think.  Here are the lyrics:

It's called Trading My Sorrows and it's by Darrell Evans

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord

Chorus:
And we say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning

**************************************************

Last night we ran out to a local store and bought a few fireworks for the boys.  They were sooooo excited!  When we got home it was already dark and it was like driving through a firework display.  Hawaii knows how to ring in a new year, I tell ya.  So when we got home, we had to immediately set up and shoot the fireworks. 

We first got warmed up with sparklers. 

Then a fountain, more sparklers,

then a tank, more sparklers,

another fountain, the racecar, sparklers - you get the picture. 

The grand finale was a large cone fountain.  Anyway, our fireworks stank.  It was nuttin I tell ya.  We live at the end of a T intersection, so we got a good view of several neighbors fireworks.  There was a group catty corner to us who had some pretty spectacular fireworks.  They must've spent several thousand dollars.  We watched them for 2 hours, then went inside to put the boys to bed.  It died down a little until midnight.  Anyway, the boys usual bedtime is 8:30 - and they lasted until 9:30.  Well, Ryan specifically.  He's a stickler about rules and such, and kept a watch on the time.  By 9:30 he couldn't stand it anymore and asked to go to bed.  So we put the boys to bed.  Somehow they slept through the ruckus.

I watched a little tv, played a little gameboy, and Gary had gone to bed by 10:00 and was snoring at 10:30 when I checked on him.  I mosied into the bedroom at 11:30, and 45 seconds left in the countdown I shook Gary awake.  All h-e-double hockey sticks was breaking loose outside.  So I had to get up and watch the events.  It was mostly firecrackers and you could hear them from miles away.  There were two large displays, one on Waikiki beach and one downtown Honolulu.  I don't know if that was what I was hearing, but I heard something huge and far away.  I was in bed by 12:20.

I forgot how smokey and fun new years eve is here.

We saw Charlotte's Web Saturday.  It's very cute.  And of course I cried.  Ryan cried a little bit and the lady in front of us was blowing her nose.  I rate it 1 or 2 tissues.

Another Shrek movie is coming out - gag.  A Nancy Drew movie is coming out too!  Yay!  Now, if only they would put out a Hardy Boys movie!

Happy New Years everyone.