differences

are you just in awe of your children? i was thinking this morning, it always amazes me how different our girls are from each other. do you ever wonder about that? all three of the girls came from the same 2 people, with the same genetics, but somehow they are so different. the girls look a bit different but you can definitely tell they are sisters. but where i mostly notice the difference is in their personalities. is it because they were born with different personalities, or is it their order of birth, or is it that we parent them different because of their personalities. i know that it is a combination of all of those, but it is just interesting to think about.

what got me thinking about it was something that happened this morning. i had asked nani to take a shower after she made her bed. she went into the bathroom and came back out all ready to get in and asked me to turn on the shower for her. i reminded her that she knew how to turn it on (it is a bathtub shower so you have to turn on the water and then pull up on the little knob on the faucet to route the water up through the shower head). she began to whine that it was too hard for her to pull up on the knob and that she wanted me to do it. again, i reassured her that she could do it and that if it was hard for her all she needed to do was practice. more whining from nani. while all of this was taking place, lala, unbeknownst to us, had gone into the bathroom, turned on the water and pulled the knob up to get the water flowing through the shower head. she went back into her room and started playing again with her bristol blocks. i looked at her amazed and she said, "it's because i knowed how to do it!"

so, the three year old just went and did it, while the six year old "needed" mommie to do it. i think it is because nani is the first child and we did a lot more for her when she was little and so she has come to expect more from us. lala, on the other hand, has a big sister and hasn't had that one-on-one help like nani got at her age. so, in that aspect it is the parenting. however, nani is cautious and thoughtful, whereas lala is independent and curious, which would be a personality difference.

i love the girls and their differences, though it does lead to a bit of frustration at times and a need for some creativity when parenting. what works for nani does not always work for lala and vice versa. it definitely keeps us on our toes! it will be interesting to see what type of personality kawena brings into the mixture!

omsi

yesterday we went to omsi with our friends, the dimit's. for those of you who don't know what omsi is, it is the oregon museum of science and industry. we bought a year pass to the museum last may and it expires in 2 days, so we decided to take one last trip to the museum. we had a great time exploring the exhibits and learning through play. here nani and lala are learning about air propulsion rockets. they filled an empty water bottle with air and then released it. they learned that the more air pressure that builds up inside the bottle, the farther it would go up the wire.

one of nani's favorite places to play is in the water exhibit. they have boots and aprons for the kids to wear and they can learn how water works as they play and splash around in the water. as you can see in this picture she watching the water spiral around as she pours it out of the watering can.

by far, lala's favorite place to play is the sand. the moment we arrived she asked me where she could put her shoes and asked me to roll up her pants so she could go play in the sand. she was in there for at least 1 1/2 hours. we asked her if she wanted to eat, the answer, "no!" when nani and alexis went to get their faces painted we asked if lala wanted to do it too, the answer, "no!" she was enjoying herself way too much in the sand. when she was done she told me she had made a new friend in the sand who she help get sand for. what a sweet girl!

like i mentioned above, nani got her face painted with a purple flower. they also had a soft little leopard gecko that nani was brave enough pet.

lala and i found a fun area of the museum that was dedicted to water. she was able to build a sailboat using different boat peices and sails, to see what worked the best. then she put the finished sailboat in the water where a fan was blowing so she could see her boat go.

and little kawena was so good the whole time. very good, considering that she didn't get her nap due to all the fun her sisters were having! i though she might fall asleep in her stroller, but she never did. she was just content to snack and chew on her stroller seatbelt strap. how did we get so lucky?!

we all had such a fun day! the girls were great! they didn't throw any fits and when it was time to go they left without a fight or a complaint! surprised me! they each were rewarded with a long, rubber snake, (much to elizabeth's dismay! sorry elizabeth, i didn't know of your deep dislike for snakes!) who would have known that would bring them such joy! thanks girls for a wonderful day!

favorite sis

my sister came out for a week about 2 months ago and it was super fun! we stayed up late every night! one early morning before we finally went to bed we were so deliriously tired that we were super loopy. we were talking about our family and the things we remembered from when we were growing up.

i told her a story of when my older brother and i (we were like 8 and 11 years old) had seen these "his and hers" watches on tv, the kind with the digital hands. well, we thought they were the coolest things and we had to have them. so, we called in and ordered a pair, paying by c.o.d. (do you remember back when we could do those?) when they arrived we were so excited and we gave the delivery guy our cash and we were just happy as can be. they were totally cheap and were broken within a week!

well, the combination of our lack of sleep and the very late, or i guess i should say very early, hour sent us over the edge. we were laughing so hard we were crying at this silly story that wasn't even really all that funny! i love it when that happens, our faces were streaming with tears and we couldn't even stop laughing long enough to talk which made us even laugh/cry harder! when we finally gained some composure our stomachs were hurting and we just had to let out a big sigh and catch our breath! and then wonder, "why was that so funny??!!"

anyway, i came across this adorable picture of her with kawena and it made me think back to that trip and how much i wish we lived closer so we could have more nights like that! i love my sister so much! she is such a sweetheart. she is such a great example of genuine kindness and love. i wish a had more of her sweetness in me.

malia, miss you, love you and wish you were here. can't wait to see you in july! yea!

thank goodness for neighborhood pools

today was beautiful! sunny with a few clouds and a light breeze. the best part is that we were invited to bridget's neighborhood pool! thanks b! the girls had a blast swimming with their friends and splashing around in the water. lala had one of those floaty swimsuits which was great so she had greater freedom around the pool. nani is an excellent swimmer now which is a relief for me knowing that she is safe when swimming.

however, she had a little scare this afternoon. one of her friends, A, jumped into the pool where it was a little too deep for her and nani was near by. i think A panicked. she grabbed onto nani to try to pull herself up, but all she really was doing was pulling nani down. luckily, one of the ladies laying out on the pool deck saw this as it unfolded. she acted quickly and jumped in pulling A off of nani. nani was a little shaken but after taking a little break on the steps she was back out in the water playing again.





kawena looked so cute in her little swimsuit. i love babies in swimsuits, so adorable, and her little sun hat was too cute! all in all it was a great day at the pool! love the tongue baby girl!


when we got home the girls ran around the yard in their suits eating shrek push-ups and spraying each other with the hose. i love warm sunny days and spending time outdoors with our girls!

my 100

i've read several of these lists on other blogs and i wondered if i could come up with 100 things. so, here is my attempt.

my 100:

1. i am the first daughter and second child of four. i have 2 brothers and 1 sister. i always wanted more siblings
2. my dad is filipino, hawaiian, chinese; my mom is from idaho. people always laugh when i tell them this
3. my dad is 3 inches shorter than my mom and i don't think it's weird, but when i see other couples where the husband is shorter than the wife, i think it's odd
4. i am 5' 7", but have always wanted to be taller
5. i like things to be organized and for everything to have its own place
6. i don't like to be late, but have found that i will be as long as i have children at home
7. i am the mother of 3 beautiful girls and still can't believe i am old enough to be the mother of 3
8. i want to learn to play the guitar and the piano
9. i wish that i loved to run
10. i love sundays because that's when mitch cooks
11. i am a triathlete
12. i love the smell of grapefruit hand soap from bath and body works, it's so refreshing
13. i'm a good listener
14. i have a testimony of Jesus Christ
15. i have to sleep with my hair in a ponytail
16. i am the only one of my siblings who didn't marry someone from california
17. no matter how hot it is i have to have a sheet over me when i sleep
18. i am the only sibling that does not surf
19. i am an excellent swimmer and love to swim, but have a horrible fear of waves that i wish i could get over
20. i ran a marathon in alaska and it hurt
21. when i was a little girl my brother and i crashed our dad's friend's car into a restaurant. we were parked on a hill outside my dad's work and gavan released the emergency brake. i was perfectly innocent. boy were we in BIG trouble.
22. sometimes i suffer from insomnia (like right now), it drives me crazy
23. i have great pregnancies and actually love being pregnant until about the last month or two, then i'm uncomfortable
24. i gave birth to all 3 of our girls without any drugs and wouldn't have it any other way
25. i wish i could sleep in late every morning
26. i wish i lived closer to my family and hope to very soon
27. i love to lift weights, i feel so strong afterwards
28. some of my nicknames have been: haners botters, hina, mango toes, pocahantas, hermana typewriter, haners, mahi mahi
29. i got married in 1999 to my best friend
30. i'm whiter than i've ever been
31. i like to be tan
32. i want to have at least one son, hopefully 2
33. i was the first one in my family to get a college degree
34. i served a mission in san antonio, texas and spoke spanish
35. i went to byu-hawaii and loved it
36. i love to bungee jump
37. i want to sky-dive
38. i was a contestant in the miss byu-hawaii pageant and i won the speech contest and the modeling contest
39. in the winter i always have to wear socks to bed
40. i swam with turtles
41. i get sea sick and wish i didn't
42. i love roller coasters, but blacked out once on a ride on senior ditch day at magic mountain and i still love them
43. we just bought a fifth wheel and i can't wait to take a trip. i love to see how incredibly excited the girls are about the fifth wheel
44. i never thought i'd own an rv
45. we are taking an 8 week sabbatical in two weeks and i am beyond myself with joy. i can't yet imagine what it will be like to be able to travel for longer than a week without having to rush back home so that mitch can get back to work
46. i don't like to shave my legs
47. i love to drink water
48. i moved 6 times before i graduated high school, but stayed in the same city, the same schools, and the same ward
49. we named our houses; the red house, the yellow house, the green house, the white house, the flora house
50. i grew up in newport beach, ca
51. my first car was orange and i loved it
52. i wanted to get a bellybutton ring, but didn't. thank goodness!
53. my second toe is longer than my first toe
54. i have impossibly wide feet that are hard to find shoes for
55. i love to watch lala's facial expressions while she is talking
56. my favorite restaurant is macaroni grill. that was mitch's and my first date. i drew a portrait of my family for him on the table with crayons.
57. my favorite fast food is in 'n out burger
58. i love ketchup
59. my new favorite flower is a hydrangea, we have blue ones and pink ones blooming right now in our back yard. beautiful
60. i am addicted to blogging and love the connection i have with all of you
61. i want to learn to dance the salsa, the tango, and the swing, but i am not very coordinated
62. when i was in 7th grade i got pantsed in foods class and i got sent to the principal's office, i still don't understand why i got sent to the office
63. i took modeling classes in junior high school and have walked the catwalk
64. i want a blue eyed baby, but i doubt i'll get one
65. i want to take a trip to fiji with no kids, just me and mitch
66. i don't like to clean, but love a clean house
67. i've never cooked thanksgiving dinner
68. i love watching as nani becomes more independent and more responsible
69. i miss my sister and wish we lived closer
70. i love sunday naps
71. i love that my husband thinks i'm funny
72. i love that i have 3 girls and look forward to girls nights out when we are older
73. i love to take pictures and want to be a better photographer
74. when playing games i am highly competitive
75. i went scuba diving on our honeymoon in cancun and loved it, didn't love throwing up all over the boat once we surfaced. that was embarrassing. thank goodness mitch didn't get a picture of that!
76. we don't own a television and haven't since we've been married. don't really miss it
77. i love listening to my girls play happily together and to hear them laughing together
78. i am always amazed at the simple innocence of my children and wish i could be like that still
79. i love being home with my kids and am so grateful that i can be
80. i still think i am 21, maybe 22
81. i've never been back east, but would love to go someday
82. i love to hear my girls sing
83. it breaks my heart when my girls are sad
84. i love costco
85. i'm easily intimidated
86. i'm a perfectionist, but mitch is helping me to relax some
87. i have a new found love for dark chocolate, midnight milky ways are heavenly
88. i don't like clutter
89. when i was pregnant with nani i chopped off and donated 19 inches of my hair to locks of love
90. most of our furniture has been given to us by friends and family who don't want theirs anymore. one day i dream of actually picking out the furniture we have in our home
91. i don't like getting older
92. if i have driven somewhere once, i can always find it again
93. i do not like being in front of a group of people, i am a behind the scenes kind of person
94. i love white water rafting
95. i miss rock climbing with mitch
96. i look forward to serve several missions with mitch when we are older
97. i wish i had a better sense of style when it comes to clothing and decorating
98. i love getting advice and ideas from other people
99. i only dated mitch for 6 weeks before getting engaged. i swore i would never do that.
100. i love my life!

phew! that was harder than i thought. well, actually i thought it would be hard and it was, but it was fun digging into the recesses of my mind to come up with 100 things about me. now, let's see your 100!

biter biscuit face

you know those biter biscuits that you can give your babies when they are learning to eat finger foods? well, have you ever given them to your baby? we decided to try them with kawena and she loves them. the only problem... the mess! every time she eats one, somehow she manages to get it not only around her mouth and on her hands, but ALL over her face - in her hair, on her forehead, in her nose, between her eyes, she's even gotten it in and behind her ears (don't know how she managed that?!)! not to mention the mess that she leaves on the highchair!! so why do i keep giving them to her?! they keep her occupied for, at least, 30 minutes, minimum!! the mess is sooo worth the time!! plus she is such a cute mess!

look at me go!

uh-oh! get everything up off the floor because kawena is mobile!

yup, we have moved into a new stage in the life of kawena and the girls are learning pretty quickly that if they leave something of value on the floor it will get crumpled up, slobbered on, or just plain ruined! apparently, they are not learning fast enough! there have been some tears shed as a result of the littlest mason girl.

she is very quick these days and i believe she is loving this new found freedom! she loves taking laps around the couch, pausing only to look at a book or two as she passes the bookcase and maybe stopping again to suck on some plastic food in the play kitchen or a doll from the dollhouse. another favorite place of hers is under the desk playing with the cables to the computer. bad! i have seen mitch many times sitting at the computer working away while surrounded by a couch cushion barracade in an attempt to keep the baby out from under the desk! it's quite a sight, let me tell ya!

here is a glimpse of our little one in action.



she's quick, and i'm afraid she is only getting quicker. watch out!

flyin' high

lala is a thrill seeker! one of her favorite things to do is have mitch throw her up in the air. and when i say "throw", i mean really high! for lala, the higher the better! here is a little slide show i put together of lala "flying high":

library fountain

we have a great park next to the library that has this fun fountain that the girls love to play in. we went there this week after stopping in at the library and i snapped some great shots of the girls. they had to have their goggles on, which i thought was just to funny. of course, they were the only ones with goggles on! they had a blast!

messy blowout

today kawena had a lovely blowout! don'tja just love those!? mitch likes to throw her in the kitchen sink to get her clean after a blowout. so, that's where she went. here is a video clip of her bath. i loved watching her try to grab the water as it came out of the faucet. notice how big her eyes get. it was too cute. also, notice her tongue as she feels the water on her face. (click twice to get it to play)