The Meyer Monkeys

Nature Boys

2010-12-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

Scotty and Brett somewhere in Lone Pine, California (you know, the place where the movie tremors was shot). Scotty LOVES fishing with his daddy. And he actually can cast out his own line and reel in his catch! This was actually their second trip out there within a month - I actually went with them the first time...and probably my last...just kidding. It was a great time and I got to eat the best pancake EVER up at Mt. Whitney portal.

I am a Swag Bucks Fan

2010-11-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

I just found out about a cool way to earn rewards just by searching the web! My friend (Sene) told me about Moneysavingmom.com and it had some awesome and simple ways to get free rewards and even earn cash by doing practically nothing...well, except using the web. Try it out for free! Click on the Sign Up button on the side bar. Hope you like it =).

Medieval Knights

2010-06-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Medieval Knights at the beginning of this year, thanks to the Moalas. It was a dream come true for Scotty! haha. He got to play sword fight with Rocco and watch the knights battle to the death. And our knight won! We had such a blast - and I loved watching the look on the boys' faces because they seriously thought the fighting was real. Good times!

Doodley Dee

2010-05-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

So I guess I found a new hobby! I've always wanted to do photography, but since I don't have the money to spend on a nice camera I've been dying for something to fill in my creative gap. I even thought about taking up sewing, but who am I kidding? I'm not that crafty. Okay, you'll probably think I'm weird...I found out that I love creative writing! (you're probably thinking, "so what?")

I've started to seriously think about writing novels just so I can feel some sort of personal pride =). I've been writing for the last two weeks obsessing over possible stories. I've come upon two stories that I think are interesting enough to write about.

Of course I'm a loooooooooooooong ways away from actually seeing a novel come to fruition, but I find that creative writing makes me happy =). Even though I've already put creative writing as one of my 101 things to do I wasn't really inspired to start. I can't say exactly what made me want to start writing. Alls I know is I can't stop!

Speaking of writing, my friend Alexis is an awesome freelance writer and she has a blog called Depressions and Confessions. Check it out here. She would love for you to stop by and "have a few laughs at her expense".

If any of you would be willing to, would you like to read my writing and help me to improve my storyline, characters, etc? And don't worry, I'm not concerned with grammar or punctuation. Not at this point anyway =). This will be extremely uncomfortable for me, but I know that by having some one critique my writing would only help me get better. Don't worry, I won't bog you down with pages and pages. It'll be just the first 20-30 pages. If you want to read more by all means let me know!

But I won't get ahead of myself because I haven't started the actual writing. I'm still in the research and outline phase. Oh, and if you are interested, could you tell me what your favorite fictional genres are? Thanks gals.

Just a passin' it along...

2010-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been bored lately so that means two things:
#1: I eat more than I should...and
#2: I'm on the computer looking at STUFF

Therefore I thought I might give this a go and you may be interested too =).
http://beyondtherack.com/member/invite/B141703C
(I found it via here...I think she has really great style and knows a thing or two about style!)

Since I'm doing a little bit of chit chat nonsense I'll tell you about somethings I watched on t.v.

- General Conference (the last 30 mins of the first session and all of the 2nd).
- A short movie on the byu channel called "The book and a Rose" (or somethin lydat). So cute!
- A byu channel reality t.v. show called Food Nanny...thought the lady was kinda too cheerie.
- Half of another byu movie called "One Good Man" (couldn't make it all the way through)
- And one of my favorite movies Pride and Prejudice, but I saw the version w/ Keira Knightly - I think I love this version than the older ones...but I'm sure there are those of you who would beg to disagree =).

My Dream Come True...

2010-04-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

For all my life, I've wanted to have

perfect, soft, flowing, shiny, smooth hair.

like yours.

Perfect hair that I could wake up to and run my fingers through

and look into the mirror and smile....

Hair so perfect that I could let it loose.

Set it and forget it.

I've always said if I could change

one thing about myself --

it would be my

hair.

(then my boobs)

I've always HATED my hair for it's

stubborness.

It's lack of SUBMISSION to my demands.

My prayers have been answered people...

thanks to the creators of the

BRAZILIAN BLOWOUT

my hope is restored! lol.

I just read about it in Allure magazine

but apparently it's been around for a few years.

It's supposed to do wonders for unruly, untameable mops

such as mine.

I am putting it on my list of NEEDS instead of wants

(and no one can convince me otherwise! haha.)

Yes, it will cost a heavy arm and leg

(of which I do possess)

with a price tag of $350 +

But I believe this is my salvation.

I BEELIEVE people.

Don't change that dial!

I will be accepting donations shortly...

Then the work of miracles shall be performed

as proof that dull, devilish hair

can and WILL be redeemed.

hallelujah!

CAKE BOSS Wannabe

2010-02-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Oh my, another post!

Last Sunday was Scotty's 4th birthday! Before his birthday we saw the movie "UP" and being a movie freak that he is Scotty asked me to make him an "UP" cake. First off I thought it wouldn't be such a big deal. I thought that making his birthday cake look like Mr. Fredrickson's house would be the easiest (instead of making a horribly misshapen replica of one of the characters). I didn't want to decorate with frosting so I remembered seeing one of Liko's posts she did with fondant (think of wedding cake frosting) and she was absolutely right about the arm workout when kneading - especially when coloring fondant. I have a new found appreciation for cake decorating! I started making the fondant around 7pm the night before his birthday and forged through until about 4am and this is was the end result:

Scary huh! Don't worry - those who ate it all survived!

Hours of work + look on Scotty's face = priceless

Mr. Cheesy!

I give you a cross between an old man and a tiki statue

FYI: Never attempt to make a replica of Mr. Fredrickson's house! Too many colors, windows, shingles, etc!

Monkey business part 2

2010-02-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

Last week we were at Brett's family's house and it was at night when I decided to give the boys a bath. I got them in the tub and let them play around for a while. I remembered to get my camera because it's always fun to catch bath tub moments. So, while they were playing Scotty reaches his hand into the water and pulls up something. Then he yells at me to look at what he had in his hand. It was about the size of a quarter and brown and then Scotty yells "its doodoo!". I didn't believe him so I took it and smelt it...it WAS doodoo. Then we started noticing more little brown things in the water. Scotty swore it wasn't him so the next suspect had to be Matai. The little squirt was squirting his quarter doodoos in the tub while I was filming them. He is too smooth, that guy!

The little sneaky poo.

More Monkey business...

2010-02-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

Hello again! I finally got a chance to put pictures on my poor blog. Our boys are growing up so fast. Scotty will be 4 years old in less than a week...and Matai will be a 1 year old in a month! Matai is already walking (and has been since he was 9 months). Moms I'm sure you know this when you have your second child - all he/she wants to do is copy everything his/her older sibling is doing. Matai learns something new practically everyday from Scotty.... My favorite thing is when they play chase - Matai loves to be chased and loves to chase. He will try to roar like his big brother does...goes down the slide all by himself at the park (feet first)...doesn't eat baby food because it's not what we're eating...drinks from a cup (since he was about 7 or 8 months)...plays with cars and trucks and makes the little engine noise...takes big boy baths...eats a whole banana no problem...has no problem eating period! Just like his big bro.

Scotty is now a Sunbeam! I am always so proud of my big boy. He is such a great helper and I know that I can trust him to watch his brother for a few minutes while I'm showering...or sleeping...haha! Yesterday, he told me after church the story about Daniel in the lions den without forgetting the details of the story. He's an expert at spelling his name and knows how to write a few words like: bed, hit, fox, box. He'll know how to write a word by me sounding it out. I know he'll be ready to go to school in a year. And yes, he is still absolutely infatuated with dinosaurs and still watches all three Jurassic Park movies. Every time I've asked what he dreamt of it is always dinosaurs. Oh man this guy is practically a dinosaur and sure does eat like one...every spare moment he has he is ALWAYS asking for food. So, beware! Well, I could go on and on but I wont =).

Here's what we've been up to lately...

Brothers taking baths together...

Chewing on all the DVD cases...

Our apartment (kitchen/dining area)

Kitchen/hall. Got the rocking chair from garage sale...

front room...

We put our little baby boy in a pink stroller now and then...haha! Hey, it was free!

Daddy when he had long hair...walking to trestles...

Kodak moment...

My brown boy...after taking this I noticed that everything was brown...haha.

Tai Tai smiling at dada...

My beautiful babies...

Sucking on a dino tail for dessert...

Constantly chewing on things...

Playing with da big boys at the park...

Following mommy everywhere around the apartment...

Love this little man!

We're Back...For Now...

2009-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! Just thought I'd post these up while I could. I wish I could say more but I'll let these pictures do the talking...(matai is screaming his eyeballs out).

did you see it?

2009-06-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

if you didn't here it is!

i'm sooo excited that i just can't hide it! so excited that instead of posting pictures of my babies i'd rather post this! haha.

Update...

2009-05-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

So...

Matai is now 2 months. Wow.

He loves to eat (as you can see)...

Drools non-stop...

Smiles whenever you raise your eyebrows...

Laughed for the first time the day he turned 2 months (thanks Aunty Lia!)...

Coos, screams, cries, gurgles...

Looks mad most of the time (or maybe he's just in really deep thought, haha)...

Fits into 6 month outfits...

Enjoys making everyone hold him standing up (or else the mad-dog comes out)...

Makes mommy happy all day!

Photo Shoot

2009-04-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aunty Sondra and Uncle Brad for sending me these awesome clothes!!! Now I can look good for all the ladies =). The clothes fit PERFECTLY!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter to all!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Easter today.

Scotty had fun looking for eggs and eating yummy food.

Diaper Time

2009-04-10T21:03:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd post some pictures of Matai's many faces. =)

The Love Monster

2009-04-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Matai is 1 month today! We went to the doctor yesterday to get him checked and he's doing great. He weighs 10lbs now and has grown to 22 in.

2009-03-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

Here's what Scotty's been up to...
He had his 3rd birthday last month. Here's some pictures of him celebrating his little heart out! He loves to be outdoors and is always looking to have a good time. Scotty got to celebrate his 3rd birthday in the snow at Mammoth with his daddy and family. I wasn't sure how he would handle the snow but of course Scotty took to the slopes and loved every minute of it. We're with my family now and uncle Bristol suprised Scotty with a spiderman cake and spoiled him with gifts. My little man is growing up so fast! I love him soooo much!

Matai

2009-03-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken so long but there are more to come! Matai is such a trooper...he was really sick this past week and the doctor said he was developing ear infections in both ears and he has bad congestion due to a cold he got from me, Scotty, and Brett. I feel terrible that my little guy has to go through this. He is feeling a lot better and is steadily gaining weight. I am amazed at how he is growing - he will be outgrowing the 0-3 month size clothing within the next week or two. Scotty is a great big brother, and always wants to kiss or hold his little brudder.

He's Here!

2009-03-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

He came a week early on Monday, March 2 (on my mom's birthday =).

We named him Matai Brett Meyer.

I don't have a way to put pictures up yet but I'll find a way.

He weighed 7lb 5oz and 20in.

Labor was quick and suprisingly easy compared to Scotty's birth.

From the way I see it he looks like Scotty did except more hair and has darker skin like his mommy.

Matai is healthy and active and we love him sooooo much!

5 Weeks and Counting

2009-01-31T17:54:00.000-08:00

There's nothing really too exciting that is going on but several things to look forward to:
1. Scotty's 3rd Birthday!
2. Giving birth in March
3. Weddings in 2009 (Jordan, Caryn, Granny you know who you are! Yaaay!)
Sorry there's no pictures...I haven't been taking any. My pregnancy is going great. I'm just a little worried about the big day...I know what to expect now! haha.

Happy New Years!

2008-12-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Savani,

I finished the Twilight saga a while ago and it was wonderful! I seriously couldn't put the books down. Now that I'm done reading them I feel like I can't get interested enough in another book, but that's how I was with all my other books. haha. I took Brett to see Twilight for our 4 year anniversary on monday (which was actually supposed to be on Sunday) and he liked it. Now he understands why I liked the books so much =). Watching the movie for the 2nd time around wasn't as great as I thought it would be...I didn't think Bella (in the movie) was very good. She studders too much and when she says her lines it comes off as a little too rehearsed. But who am I to judge? I stink at acting PERIOD. But Edward is still HOT. hehe.

We spent Christmas in Las Vegas and Brett got to go to the BYU Bowl game. Too bad they lost but it was a good experience for him to stand in the freezing air. Scotty, my mom, and me got super sick (yacking and all) and that was no fun. But Scotty was able to go to Circus Circus and go on the fun rides. It was really fun seeing my family.

Guess what I get to do now? Go to the dentist and get my wisdom tooth YANKED. yippie!

Uh Oh

2008-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to tell all you Twilight freaks out there that I've joined the club! haha. I was totally not going to read the books. I went to see the movie just to find out what the hype was all about. The movie was really cute and I immediately knew I had to start reading the books because Edward is soooo amazing!=). Since I'm done with reading Twilight I NEED to read New Moon, but someone is stopping me -- Brett! He hates when I read books because I get so into them and forget that he exists. haha. I'm not exaggerating.

Tagged

2008-11-23T22:43:00.000-08:00

by Harmony...

1. Link this post to the person who tagged you

2. Post the rules on your blog

3. List 6 random things about yourself

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post

5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up

6 Random Facts about ME.

(I just want to warn you that you could get majorly grossed out)

1. I can dance hula, but I can't dance Samoan. Well I guess it's cuz I never really tried. Pretty sad huh! The first and only time I've ever danced Samoan was at my wedding.

2. Since I became pregnant this time around, I got the curse of the vericose veins. I heard it's hereditary and I know that I got it from my grandma. The good news is that I only have two huge veins popping out on my thighs and they are likely to go away after I give birth. But, the bad news is that with every pregnancy from now on I will have more and more! Ewwwww.

3. Content Warning!!! I hate having big boobs. I hate it, hate it, hate it! They just get in the way. period. I threatened Brett that I will get a boob reduction when I turn 40, haha. How I wish there was a magical pill to shrink these two problems away.

4. I get really freaked out when I go snorkeling. If I try hard enough I can last for 20 mins. but if I see something that even looks a little scary I'm done. I also get paranoid that a shark will appear out of nowhere and eat my leg or something. Surfing is different because I can't really see what's underneath me. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

5. I hate eating mixed fruit. I stay clear of fruit salad because all the fruit is mushed together. And, I can't eat oranges as easily as other people because I hate the smell of it as it lingers on my fingers or clothes and breath. Plus, it's super messy and I don't like the sticky feeling after I eat oranges. I have to totally be in the mood to eat an orange and it usually has to be cold. So picky huh.

6. I've gotten pretty random comments about my looks or the way I speak. Some people have said I look mauri, or tahitian, or hawaiian. When I tell them I'm Samoan some of them are in disbelief, but usually they just shrug and say "oh." I've also had people ask where I'm from and when I tell them Hawaii they say something like "you don't sound like how they talk" like I'm supposed to talk pigeon. I guess I just switch it on and off. I usually feel more comfortable talking pigeon to people I've known for a while and can speak pigeon. Otherwise, I feel it's no use.

I tag anyone who hasn't done this...

Gone Fishin'

2008-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Scotty the Fisherman

Here are pictures of Scotty at June Lake...I know, I was supposed to post these pictures like 6 months ago. Everytime I look at these pictures I remember that this was the week I found out I was pregnant. I'm so amazed at how much Scotty has grown and how much better he talks, but I miss the way he used to talk (as you'll see in the video).

MOded.

2008-11-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

7:30 am

Here's another one of my infamous substitute experiences.

I got to my job site (a local high school) and got the key and attendance folder from the secretary. She warned me that the room I would be in is very SMALL. When I got there, I immediately think she forgot to mention CLAUSTROPHOBIC and STUFFY because there were absolutely NO WINDOWS. Oh and it looked like a storage room (as you can see from the picture above). When the last bell rang I had NO STUDENTS in class. On a day like this I actually wanted students to monitor! So I waited and waited and waited. When 15 minutes of nothing got to me I busted out my camera and documented my torturous experience. Then about 15 minutes til the next class began a security guy opened the door and said something like, "You're in the wrong class. The students are waiting for you in another class." I guess I should have known because there was NO LESSON PLAN to be seen anywhere and I was in an empty room. I felt like a DORK. AGAIN. Even though it wasn't my fault.

Tagged + Halloween Part 2

2008-11-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Malia

Basic rules....List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts, and then tag 5 other people. Leave a comment for the people you tag so they know they have been tagged.

3 Joys:

1. My 3 boys - Scotty and Brett and Baby Jr. (nah, that definitely won't be his name!). I wouldn't be able to function properly without them...*sniff*

2. I must say that I find so much JOY in eating really good food. Like when I ate taro, chicken, rice, lupulu, pankeke, and chop suey. It brought me true JOY. mmmmm....

3. Surfing. Even though I don't go anymore. I know that when I do surf again it'll be pure bliss. I have so many JOYFUL memories of surfing.

3 Fears:

1. My kids passing away. I am so paranoid when Scotty leaves my sight or goes with someone somewhere without me. I have this inner debate with myself. One half is saying, "Don't worry, be happy he's having a new experience without YOU," but the other half is saying, "Noooo! That's my baby and I want him back!"

2. Driving our car and something really bad happens, like the wheels fall off.

3. Going bankrupt or getting into major debt. Can't tell you why I just got a loan for many thousands of dollars to go back to school though. But mostly not being able to pay for medical bills if anyone of us gets really sick and then having to file for bankruptcy.

3 Obsessions:

1. Looking online at homes for sale. Everyday I open up my email just so I can scan the MLS listing of homes for sale in Costa Mesa. But, after a 3 minutes I remember that I can't afford one right now and stop looking. It's a perpetual cycle.

2. Looking at the same Canon SLR for sale on Amazon. Wanting one but knowing I can't is such a BUMmer. Then again, Christmas is coming up!

3. El Ranchito. I ate there twice and LOVED the salsa there. It was really spicy and had chunks of tomatoes and onions. Sooo good!

3 Suprising Facts:

1. I've never gotten a traffic ticket even though I've run red lights, almost hit other cars, and forget to turn my headlights on occasionally.

2. I've never made spam musubi. I would buy it or bum it off someone but I don't think I've ever made it myself. Rachel Johnson and Makana Whitford made da best spam musubis.

3. Every now and then I will randomly cut my own hair. I just did it a week ago and it's about shoulder length. I hate going into hair salons and having the lady look at my huge afro and start to cut it in front of people. This one time I got my hair thinned out and by the time she was done we were both standing in a black cloud of hair from my bush. It was embarrassing to say the least! haha.

I tag anyone who feels like sharing!

HALLOWEEN PART 2

I know Halloween is over but I want to add a few more pictures of from that night. Scotty was such a great trooper. He wasn't quite sure what to expect when we ventured out of the house and started walking down the street that night. It must have seemed odd to him that he was the only kid out there dressed like batboy. Since our neck of the woods was BARE we headed over to another side of town. Scotty was probably the first trick-o-treater in the whole neighborhood. Anyway, when Scotty knocked on the door to the first house and said "trick-o-treat" and got free candy he was so pumped. He immediately said "let's go to the next house!" My little batboy caught quick on to this age old tradition. I kept on asking him if he was tired and he refused to go home because the thought of him missing out on free candy was unimaginable. Yet, when he and daddy came to this one house they got a pretty good scare by a man pretending to be a mannequin that jumped up and spooked them when they got too close. After that incident, Scotty was over it. He's such a scaredy cat like his daddy.

An empty jack-o-lantern waiting to be filled.

Scotty was so excited to celebrate Halloween!

"Where's the other trick-o-treaters, Mom?"

Scotty's Jack Pot!

Fast Food - Mmmmm Yummy!

2008-11-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

A while ago, I went on a little fishing trip to June Lake. On the way there, my mother-in-law stopped at a fast food joint to get a soda; as we waited for the drink, this is what I saw above the cashier's window. GROSS! After reading this, it definitely reconfirmed my feelings of disgust for nearly all fast food chains. I will not touch anything that comes from McDonalds, Jack-in-the Box, Wendy's, Taco Bell, or any other chain of this sort. I was not always anti-fast food, but it's been years since I've touched anything from these places. I've just heard too many horror stories. And honestly, the food tastes horrible and you feel worse after eating it! I just think it is freakin outrageous to be buying food from a place that has a label warning people about birth defects, cancer, or reproductive harm! Yet, I will admit that I do occassionally cruise over to Inn-n-Out to have a burger. Sound hypocritical? My only rebuttal is that they they don't have a warning sign above their window and their food is fresh-n-natural, I hope. The same goes for Chipotle; however, I don't frequent either one of these places any more because the taste isn't the same for me. My hubby says it's because I'm pregnant and he's been noticing irregularities in my food preferences. For instance, I love spaghetti. I made spaghetti 3 or 4 times in a week! I know I'm probably sounding a bit on edge and I'm not baggin' on anyone of you who eat at these places. To each his own!

It's Batman!

2008-10-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN 2008 : PART ONE

Last week, we took Scotty to a ward Halloween party. He enjoyed himself so much! On the day of the party, I had to rush to find a batman costume because when I looked earlier that week all the stores I went to had soldout of batman costumes for his size. Luckily, I found Batman pajamas at Target that could pass for a Halloween costume =). Atleast it's comfortable, hehe. We got him a mask and gloves to fit the part. There'll be more pictures when tomorrow rolls around and he's out scavenging with the rest of the kids looking for treats! So stay tuned for Halloween Part Two.

here we go again

2008-10-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

it's a BOY. and i'm poppin' him out on MARCH 9, hopefully.

about a week before we knew what we were having, brett had a dream of our little baby. in his dream he saw a little boy about one years old hitting scotty on the head and giving us a run for our money. after brett woke up he knew that we were having a boy - and he was absolutely right. gosh, why don't i get to have those dreams? i'm the one giving birth here! and it's not fair that he knew scotty was going to be a boy even when the ultrasound specialist told us he was going to be a girl.

Flashback

2008-10-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

PHOTO FLASHBACK:

I thought it would be fun to do a flashback from last year's Halloween. Scotty was so fun to dress up - he actually kept his costume on the whole time. There was a little costume contest for the TVA kids, and my pirate won 1st place in his age group =). For this Halloween you'll see what Scotty chose to be in my next post! But don't worry, I won't be lame and post it next month, hehe. I'll actually post it this week! I can't wait to see all of your darlings dressed up to trick-o-treat this year.

p.s. thanks Ashley and Liko! I'm going to have fun blogging now...

Think POSITIVE

2008-10-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

Karen here.

I am feeling LONELY.

I need FRIENDS.

Come visit ME.

Or pay for my FLIGHT

back HOME.

WAA WAA.

Kay, seriously, I wish I could come over and hang out. There comes a time when a girl just needs to have girl talk - and this is it for me. haha. Since I can't now, I guess I'll have to just talk and pretend like we're hanging out.

This past week I've been GLUED to the computer. The reason: I have this growing obsession that I need to buy something or do something worthwhile. I have never ever been the type of girl to want to buy a car but all of a sudden I totally want a car. I totally blame it on Hawaii. For the longest time I could just WALK anywhere; the bank, the beach, the store, friend's house, school, subway, ohana video, grama's house, surf. Now that I'm in Cali, everything requires a freakin CAR. So I've been doing some car research, mostly on used cars, and I see just a few cars that I like. But, when I look at the price tag, my head starts spinning. Having one car isn't enough!!! But I guess I have to live with it. Waa Waa.

Well, when I said that I feel like I need to do something worthwile I meant business. I going back to school!...once I get accepted, that is. haha. I've spoken to a counselor and now I just have to get the dang thing done! But it all falls back to MONEY honey. Geez, can't I escape this never ending cycle? Why does it nearly ALWAYS involve MONEY! So I'm going to apply for another Stafford Loan and hopefully everything falls into place. I'm going to get my masters in education with a single subject credential so I can teach high school english. Imagine that. The reason: I need money so I can afford to purchase a home, car, and pretty things. haha. And being a mommy should fit nicely with the work schedule and benfits. Then when I'm about 5 years into teaching I want to look into teaching at the junior college level. But that's a ways away. When I was in college, I thought I'd DIE before I ever became a teacher. I guess I suffered from major boredom so I never associated myself with the classroom. However, as I grow older, I realize that teaching is where I can make a start for myself. I can be with my kids all summer and winter during breaks. Medical benefits is also a major reason. But, if I get sick of dealing with teenies then I'll go a step higher and teach at the college level.

Besides all this, I'm totally back to NORMAL. Thank GOODNESS. I am about 16-17 weeks, according to my doctor. I was totally going to go to a guy doctor but I got weirded out so I canceled my appointment and found a woman doctor. Good thing I did cuz I felt totally at ease - just like I did with my doctor in Hawaii. I get my first ultrasound in 3 weeks and I'm stoked.

My Scotty is such a crack-up. I LOVE this little guy. He totally makes me smile even when he's asleep. Here's the lastest development with Scotty:

1. He's POTTY TRAINED! Okay, only during his waking hours. When he sleeps the diaper goes back on. Nooo way am I waking up to take him to pee. He wouldn't like that either.

2. He knows how to put his spiderman undies, shorts, and shirt on. Sometimes he needs a little help putting them on the right way, but hey it's progress right?

3. He speaks very well and is a great friend to other kids. I'm always getting compliments about him when others hear him speak. I love it when the nursery leader tells me, "Scotty is so quiet, is he like that at home?" Ohhh nooo ma'am.

4. One night he sat in the living room doing his 'homework'. I had nothing to do with it I swear. Then he shows me what he'd been working on. It was a page full of T's that he wrote from top to bottom (I need to post it). He's doing great with learning his letters. I think I wont have to worry too much with him at school =).

Okay that's enough. More than enough. Probably enough for another month. haha.

Scotty's Prayer

2008-09-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

I bought Scotty the book of Mother Goose Rhymes a couple months ago and lately I think he's been getting a particular rhyme confused with his prayers. Here's how his prayer goes:

"Dear Heavenly Father,
Thankyou you for Grandpa, Grandma, Sister and a Wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.
Thankyou for the food.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen."

Now here's the nursery rhyme he's alluding to:

"The Three Blind Mice"
Three blind mice, three blind mice;
See how they run, see how they run!
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.
Have you ever seen such a sight
In your life as three blind mice!

How he got that part in there is a mystery to me! =)

LOLO HEAD

2008-08-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a lolo brain. Just felt like saying that. Okay, this blog is going to be pretty strange because that's how I've been feeling these days. Here's a brief update of my life since I've abandoned my blog (starting with today):

- Scotty made me SUPER proud. He got over his anxiety of swimming without holding onto to me in the pool and now jumps into the water all by himself and can kick and paddle and hold his breath like a big boy! He lasts for a good 3 seconds =).

- I made an attempt at getting insurance so I can finally see a doctor but we'll see how that goes. Apparently I failed to realize that I only had a hospital certificate of Scotty's birth and not the real thing - that will probably delay things even more.

- I haven't been working. Feel like poop. Today I actually had hardly any barf/gag attacks. hehe.

- My baby daddy turned 31 in July. And our guests of honor AUTUMN and KENDALL and ALEMA came to celebrate! Sorry audz for not posting pictures yet. (Brett's probably gonna kill me for showing this picture!haha. Isn't he so babelicious haha. Okay maybe just to me.)

I'll probably think of more things later. Oh! I really need help from those of you who can. I NEED TO LEARN A SIMPLE HULA DANCE BY NEXT MONDAY. I was asked AGAIN to dance for a ward luau, but this time it's in front of single adults 30yrs. and older. LUCKY ME. I feel so UNPREPARED. I don't dance hula very often and so the only song I know is THE HUKILAU. pathetic huh. So all my keiki hula friends HELP A SISTER OUT! Anyone remember the song "Hene Hene Ko Aka" I don't even know if that's the title. I would love you to the moon and back if you could make a little video and post it on your blog so I can rehearse before monday. It can be of any song but I was thinking of that particular song because it kind of is meant for couples. Holla at your girl. =)

Funny Story.

2008-07-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hey people! I'm back.

Scotty and I got back from a little getaway to June Lake with Grandma and Aunty Katie. We did a LOT of fishing, oh boy...I'm still recovering from staying out in the sun for 8 hours every day trying to catch trout. I'll have to post my pictures from our trip in my next entry because something SUDDENLY came up that I want to share with you all.

If you'll take a look at my BUCKET LIST for a second...scoll down to #67. There was a REASON why I put that toward the end of my list: I was trying to prepare myself PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY, MONETARILY, and so on. I guess I was taking too long to prepare myself. I can't believe I'm saying this, AGAIN: I'M PREGNANT!

It's really funny that just over the past week or two Brett and I have told some people that we weren't ready for another baby. The best part of it all is that I probably was pregnant while we were saying it! How's that for a punch line.

I'm in that dreaded first phase, you know, the one where you constantly want to barf all day long and the only relief is when you're past out. I shouldn't complain because there are mother's out there who've gone through HELL and I'm pouting over this little episode I'm having. I'm sure it'll go away in two weeks...I hope. ha!

Oh the joys of motherhood. 9 months of bliss. yeah right. HELP!

Attempt at #11 of My Bucket List

2008-07-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

My Little Water Boy

I am so proud of Scotty. He's learning how to hold his breath under water. I took a little clip of him holding his breath underwater with Daddy. He's showing alot of skin in this one (hehe) because he made doo doo in his trunks outside of the pool. I guess we have a long way to go before we'll ever see any progress with #6 of My Bucket List. But, atleast we're making a little headway with teaching him how to swim.

My little Fishy.

Tell me if you think Scotty looked like the girl in Whale Rider when she's riding the whale at the end of the movie. haha. Brett doesn't think it's funny becuase he thinks I was calling him a whale. lol.

My Bucket List

2008-07-01T02:18:00.000-07:00

I spent the last three hours creating 'My Bucket List' of 101 things to do. I got the idea from Malia's very own 101 list of things to do. At first, I was reluctant to create any kind of list because I have this natural fear of failure. But, tonight I realized that it's not so bad because I'll have about three years to complete my list. Thanks for the idea Malia! This will definetly help me to be a more productive person in the end. In case you're curious, my list is located on the side panel under labels. I'll be checking them off bit by bit. I'm so excited to get started! Wish me luck.

Work It!

2008-06-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

L.A. FITNESS

So I finally got my act together and got Brett and I gym passes at L.A. Fitness. Today was my second day going and it feels great. I can feel sore muscles that I didn't know still existed! I've never been a member of a gym, except at BYUH, haha. My goal is to go every morning except on fridays and saturdays (friday is work day and saturday is beach/yoga/surf day). If I were to make one of those lengthy 101 things to do, this would surely be one to cross off. The best part of it is Scotty gets to go to the kids club at the gym for FREE.

hooraay!

Monday Thoughts

2008-06-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

I've been completely submerged in my new book, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, that I've forgotten to blog! So sorry. I got this book as well as THE LAST LECTURE for Brett. Scotty got the classic book that all kids should have, MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES. Previous to Pillars, I read THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. That is a really satisfying book to read during the hot summer days. All these books were recommending by my aunty and I'm so glad! Reading is way better than watching T.V. if you're reading something great - instead of boring textbooks, EW! This book rave I'm on is wonderfully refreshing for my soul. I would love to hear about the books you're reading =).

The weather in Southern California has turned from warm to blistering hot! Brett, Scotty, and I went to Newport Beach on Saturday and had a fun time soaking in the rays and running in the ocean for an occasional dip. Even better, Brett and I got to surf! The waves we're about 3 ft. I had no idea about "black ball" that when Brett rushed out of the water and gave me the board he told me to float down to the other jetty because they weren't closing it just yet. That was all to fast for me to understand so I quickly paddled out and tried to catch something but I had the feeling that the lifeguards were watching me. They eventually announced on their speaker phone that they wanted all surfers out - which meant me and this other guy. So instead of floating down to the other jetty I got out. Then we waited for about 5 hours for black ball to end and I got to surf again. Let's just skip the details and say it wasn't pretty. Okay, I give. The current was strong and I went over the falls on one wave and came close to hitting the jetty. Persistance and fear kept me out of harms way as I paddled through the current to safety! haha. We totalled about 7 hours in the sun and Brett got badly sunburned and poor Scotty had sunburned eyes for 2 days. Luckily, Scotty has my skin tone and he didn't get scorched like his daddy. We know better now to buy a beach umbrella, sunglasses, and better sunscreen.

We just received our rebate checks from the Governement today. Not what I was expecting but I am nonetheless grateful.

Just out of curiosity, have any of you tried that lemon detox diet? I know Malia and Stewart have. Was it effective? What was the main purpose for you trying it? Brett and I may try it but will probably fail quickly being that there's always food cooking. Well, these are just my thoughts on a monday night. Hope all is well in your part of the world.

My Dream Boys

2008-06-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Dream, Dream, Dream.

I've been dreaming alot lately. Mostly about these two bad boys. If you have one of these, I envy you!

Brett's Aunt is visting and she owns a Westfalia Volkswagon (1971 I believe). I wasn't that keen on it until I went searching for Scotty and found him in her van up in the roof! From that moment, I was in loooove. What a perfect camping van and perfect 'home' for the not-so- perfect times when you're suddenly homeless...(been there, done that. haha!). What do ya think guys? Isn't it the cutest!

photo: google.com

Westies, I learned, are like mini RV's...there's a small stove top, mini fridge, bed (seats that fold down), and the driver/passenger seats turn backwards, and we can't forget the roof that pops up into a tent! Fun!!!

~*~

Here's a car that I've been thinking about...especially since gas prices are heading up to $5.00! Arrrgh! The Aptera is such a geekie looking thing but I'm totally for it! Brett had the priveledge (or so I would call it) of seeing one on the road the other day and I missed it =(.

photo: google.com

So my question is: If you knew that this car goes miles on hardly any gas (I'm talking like a HUNDRED miles), would you still drive it?

NAMASTE

2008-06-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hello Again! Ketchup Time.

Saturday:

Woke up at 7:30am.
Skipped breakfast.
Went to YOGA! with Aunty Annabel, Jordan and Mua.
Ate ACAI BOWL! afterward.

I had such a good time on saturday. I've never been to a Yoga class before so this was a huge treat. We went to a place called YOGA WORKS in Newport Beach. The instructor was probably in his late 50's and at first I thought "Gee, he doesn't look like he can bend and flex like I imagined yoga instructors can do". He just had shoulder surgery so that probably added to my thoughts toward him. During the 1 hour 30 min. of class I kept my eye on him as he walked around helping people do the poses correctly and I noticed how easily he kept his balance on one leg with the use of only one arm. I was suprised that the music he used was a "yoga version" of Bob Marley's songs -- totally made me want to steal it. At the end of the class, we laid flat on our backs and listened to the music and his voice washing over us, "tell your feet to relax...tell your legs to relax...". It was so peaceful I could have stayed like that all day. To top it off, Aunty Annabel took us to get an ACAI bowl and it was delicious. Perfect way to start the day.

Sunday:

Woke up at 9:30am.
Got ready for Church.

Went down to Hollywood for Brett's cousin's mission farewell.
Sat down in sacrament.
Looked behind me.
This is who I saw.

Of course he didn't really look like this.
He looked more like this (picture below).

It was so fun to see Jon Heder a.k.a. Napolean Dynamite haha. He looked so happy sitting there with his wife and baby, actually he got up to chase his baby down the hall. While I was watching the speaker I noticed him again, but he didn't have a beard like I saw on him just minutes ago. I thought it was strange that he jumped from the back of the room to the front in a matter of minutes. I seriously thought my mind was playing tricks on me until I asked someone if Jon had a twin. How cool was that! Two Jon's in the same room. haha.

2008-06-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Burning Rubber

Here's a funny little blooper of Scotty learning how to ride -- the hard way.

Scotty got a new ride from Papa. It's complete with 1-wheel drive, custom rubber handle bars, and speeds up to 2 miles an hour. Get this bad boy at your local Wal-Mart.

Helmet and cute little boy not included.

2008-06-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Scotty's interpretation of a PAD-LOCKED-DOOR.

Saturday Fun

2008-06-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Night Out in Huntington Beach

After a magical day at Disneyland, the cousins went to Newport Beach on Saturday to relax and enjoy the California sun. After they returned to the house, they took a quick snooze only to return to the beach two hours later. Grandma Alice decided she wanted good mexican food at her favorite mexican restaurant in Huntington. So we went down to Huntington Beach and played a few matches of beach volleyball just before the sun set. We had fun joking and laughing at the expense of those who ate sand in a sad effort to keep the ball in play. The waves were small but definetly rideable and I told my husband that this is where I want to go for my first surf sesh since we've been here. Being there brought back alot of fun memories for Brett because he practically lived at this beach during his senior year at HB High while on the surf team. He hadn't been there for over 5 years, I think.

After the sun set, we headed down about a mile to eat. When we parked, I noticed that Scotty needed a diaper change badly. Well, I'm sure those of you with baby boys can imagine what happened next...Scotty started making neat little rainbows with his pee. I think he stoped and started about 4 times and poor daddy got a big wet spot on his shorts. Scotty always knows how to liven up the party. Anyhow, we ate good mexican food and the guys working there were super cool. Here are some pictures of that night out in town.

Uncle Allen. Half way between his dance moves.

The loosing team.

My cousin Tumua. Scotty.

Aunty Salia. cousin Famika. Scotty.

Mom. Grandma. Uncle Allen. Dad. Aunty Annabel.

Max. Jordan. Lio. Bradley. Dominic.

The cousins. In back of Uncle Allen's sweet ride.

Friday Fun

2008-06-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

FAMILY DAY AT DISNEYLAND

My grandma had planned this family outing about 2 months ago and it came and went by too fast! She had paid for this little getaway for Bradley to go to Disneyland for the first time and to bring my sister back to my parents. Papa and Grandma (my parents) drove 10 hours to pick up my sister who flew in from Hawaii after finishing up her Junior year at Kahuku High. But, judging from their actions, I think Papa and Grama's main purpose was to spoil Scotty rotten during their three day stay. When we got to Disneyland our entourage, consisting of 10 cousins and 5 adults, immediately got separated. So Papa, Grama, Scotty and I went to the kiddie rides. Scotty enjoyed going on dumbo, pinocchio, jungle cruise, pirates of the carribean, the train, and merry-go-round. Scotty's favorite was probably the train because he got to see dinosaurs! My camera gave out an hour after we got to Disneyland so these pictures are mostly all I've got. I'm not sure if Disneyland raised their prices but it's around $66 for Adults and $56 for kids 3-9. Pretty steep for my little budget (but then again, I didn't pay. ha!). Yet, what's a few bucks versus a day filled with priceless memories. Thanks to grandma Alice, my mom, dad, uncle Allen, Aunty Annabel for making this past weekend so much fun! (Stay tuned kiddies if you want to experience the dumbo ride for FREE -- I had trouble uploading my video clip of us riding dumbo so I'll try again tomorrow. I know, terribly exciting isn't it).

Here's Grandma, Scotty and Papa.

Scotty diliberately looked away from the camera.

I guess after taking hundreds of pictures he's finally had it.

I chose to wear my new lifeguard hat (or as my mom calls it

the pineapple picker hat). I thought it would be practical but

as you can see it wasn't. haha.

Papa and Scotty on the Merry-go-round.

In Toontown. Breaking free.

After all those years of lifting, you'd think my dad

would be able to lift this...kidding!

Where Have You Been All My Life!

2008-06-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

image: amazon.com

Just got done watching this movie. During the show, I kept asking myself "have I been living under a rock (technically, no. On one, yes) because this was my very first time watching it. For anyone who hasn't seen this, I would definetly suggest this as one to rent over the weekend. I couldn't stop laughing. Steve Martin and Michael Cane are a HOOT! And for those who've already seen it, you dirty rotten scoundrels -- why didn't you tell me! lol.

Splash! The Return of The Duckies...

2008-06-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

"DUCKY DOO DOO"

Here's another addition to our ducky files. We took the duckies out for a swim in the jacuzzi today. They absolutely loved it! Scotty wanted to join in the fun so he put on his trunks and got in. I think Scotty was having a little too much fun...you'll see what I'm talking about. You'll probably notice something else beside my silly nilly Scotty -- the duckies have TRIPLED in size! They are looking more and more like their mother. It was fun to see them dipping their heads in the water and even sometimes diving down to swim under water. Soon I'll be able to release them into the wild so they can fulfill their little ducky lives migrating and such. ENJOY!

2008-05-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

Take Me Out To The Ball Game Mommy!

The day couldn't have ended better because we got to go to an Angels Game! About 1pm, I answered the door and it was the neighbor across the street, Bill, who was so kind to drop off 4 tickets to the baseball game tonight. So, Mom, Dad, Brett, Scotty, and I took the free tickets and headed down to the stadium. It was my first time ever going to a professional baseball game and Scotty's SECOND! And get this ~ this weekend he's going to Disneyland for the THIRD time within the last five months...SPOILED! When we arrived at the game, I was blown away at how many Angels fans there are. It is even more amazing that people spend so much money on season tickets (about 20-30 G's). Of course, those people ususally go in with a few others and split the cost but it still is alot of money to someone like me! Just so you know, I hate it when Brett watches game after game after game on T.V., whether it is baseball or basketball.... I don't even like watching sports period! That may come as a shock because my whole family loves watching sports. Yet, when I watch it LIVE I really enjoy it. I don't "get" baseball more than half the time so I'm constantly asking Brett "what just happened?".

Luckily, my husband is patient, more than half the time, with explaining a certain play or call.

Tonight, I guess the ump made a bogus call

(fans would probably call it worse) and the fans

were furious ~ he called Reggie Willits out when he should've been safe. Don't ask me about details because I'm clueless. Just how clueless am I? Ok, I'm watching the ump and in my head I'm thinking "man that ump is really buff. He looks so strong...." Then while I'm telling my husband this, suddenly I realize that it's padding NOT bulging muscles under his shirt (for protection against 90 mile an hour pitches). And that folks, is how clueless I am about baseball. My little Rally Monkey loved watching the Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays. Although, he probably loved eating french fries, pizza, peanuts and a chocolate milkshake even more! We were all impressed with Scotty for being a good sport for 4 hours. I think we may have another Angels fan to add to the Meyer fan club! Some of Scotty's favorite things at the game was:

1. The fireworks everytime the Angels hit a homerun.

2. The waterfall on the opposite side of the stadium.

3. The Rally Monkey!

4. Clapping when everyone else clapped.

5. The cuisine (mentioned above).

6. Cheering for Willits when he got called out.

GO ANGELS!

Crest Whitening Challenge

2008-05-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

CREST WHITESTRIPS

I noticed about the beginning of the year that my teeth are looking very yellow. lol. So last month I bought the Classic Crest Whitestrips, just to see if it would make a difference.... I was good for three days but then I noticed my teeth becoming SUPER sensitive and I had to stop. Today I resumed my Crest Whitening Challenge--but I'll use more caution and space it out every other day to avoid sensitive teeth. This may alter how 'white' my teeth could get but I'll take it over being miserable every time I take a bite to eat something. Before I went out and bought the strips I made sure to take a candid photo of my yucky yellows (slash crooked chompers) in hopes of comparing them with my ultra whites in the near future. Okay, maybe they won't come near being ultra white--wishful thinking I guess.

~ Word to the Wise: It's probably not a good idea to eat something right before taking a picture!

2008-05-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Cop

Today, I sub-taught Kindergarten at Lampson Elementary. Teaching today reminded me of a scene in the movie Kindergarten Cop. Remember when all the kids were sitting on the floor and Arnold was teaching them and then one kid broke out saying something like, "boys have penis's and girls have vaginas". Well, I had all the kids sitting on the floor and was teaching them the "SH" sound. I asked them to tell me words that begin with "SH" and called on all those who had their hands raised. When I called on one of the boys, he excitedly said "Sh*t!" So, I immediately ignored what he said and called on other kids, trying to make it seem like I didn't hear him. Making matters worse, he didn't give up and kept saying it so I would write it on the board. Finally, I looked at him and said "what?!" and he said it again but this time showed me with his hands, mimicking a door and said, "you know, when the door SHUT'S". When I realized that he was saying "shut" the whole time I felt incredibly sheepish! These kids are so precious--made me think of how innocent and pure they are. I'm looking forward to sub-teaching them again tomorrow!...until then--CIAO.

A Tribute...

2008-05-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

"To My Trusty Old Friend"

Dear trusty, rusty old friend of ours,

You've made us proud! Keep on chuggin along....

I am so thankful that we didn't sell you. But

I'll be honest and say I was the one who wanted to

before we left Hawaii. Now that I think of it,

you haven't given us ANY trouble since we've been here.

The only trouble we've had before was because of our

neglect--not changing your oil, getting you tuned up, etc.

We've enjoyed going to the beach and cruising the streets

of Laie. And now, I'm very impressed that you've kept up

so far on the busy 55 Freeway!

After all these years, we still haven't given you a name....

T.B. Scare

2008-05-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Tuberculosis Hits Close To Home

About a month ago, I was going through the process of becoming a substitute teacher for the Orange Unified School District. As you know, one of the requirements for being accepted is to show clearance for Tuberculosis. While sitting in the lobby of a small medical clinic, I kept pondering about an incident during one of my years as a college student (try to imagine one of those cartoon clouds, representing my thoughts, hovering over me as I tried to remember what happened several years back--lol). Before the next school semester started, I needed a T.B. clearance to register for classes. Unfortunately, I'm one of those unique individuals who barely make deadlines for assignments and it was nearing the deadline for my T.B. clearance. So, I rushed to get tested and returned two days later to the same nurse who administered the shot. I expected to hear a quick "Ok, you're good to go! Here's your slip." But it didn't happen like that. The nurse kept checking and rechecking my forearm. She even brought out a ruler to measure the red bump. Finally, she said my results showed a 50/50 chance that I was positive. But, when she decided to go ahead and give me the O.K. I was relieved (not because I tested negative, but because I got the slip which meant I could register for my major classes). Now back to my story....

During the 20 minutes I waited in the lobby for my T.B. test, I was asked by the receptionist if I ever tested positive for T.B. I said a firm "no" but in my head I was extremely doubtful. Besides knowing that I'm really great at procrastinating, I think you should also know that I get majorly freaked out from needles to the point of fainting or barfing. Not wanting to make a big deal about my needle fobia, I still wanted to give the male nurse a heads up just in case. He reassured me that everything would be fine--and it was.

The two days came and went and I was back at the clinic, ready to get my results. I was praying that the same nurse that gave me the shot wouldn't be giving my results. He asked me right before he gave me the shot if I ever tested positive for T.B. and I told him no. I did NOT want him to be the one to tell me I was positive and that I also lied. Thankfully, he wasn't there. However, I was still VERY worried. It didn't help that the doctor, who checked my bump, told me that I tested POSITIVE. And it made it worse when he told me that I am probably a carrier of T.B. and I need to get a chest x-ray to determine if I had active T.B. (which is really, really bad). I immediately got an x-ray right after I received the bad news. The results for my chest x-ray wouldn't be ready for another four days. Those four days seemed like forever and during one I was at my breaking point.

I am actually sharing this experience with you now because I can honestly say that I don't have Tuberculosis. Otherwise, I would have struggled with the thought that if I did infact have the disease, I would be at the mercy of every single person I've come in contact over the last seven years. Tuberculosis is a very sneaky and extremely contagious disease. Without knowing, you could contract it just by walking past someone who has active T.B. and coughs in your direction and you breathe it in. Tuberculosis usually affects your lungs, but it can also infect different parts of your body too. There are people who have active T.B. and aren't aware of it simply because it can disguise itself in the form of a cold, pnemonia, or other illnesses. If you can recall months ago, there was an incident with an American man who had a drug-resistant strain of T.B. aboard a flight to the U.S. in Europe. When the authorities found out, they seized and quarantined him. During a video conference, he expressed how sorry he was for putting everyone on the flight in danger. What a grievous thing to bear....

My title for this post actually has two meanings. For one, I personally felt the effects of how devastating it feels to know I could have infected possibly everyone, including my husband and son. The second is due to news I read online having to do with recent Tuberculosis scares in Oahu public schools including Kahuku, Roosevelt, and Ferrington High School (click here for story). I was shocked to find that there was 3 Tuberculosis scares all within about 8 months!

Forgive me for any panic attacks I may have caused. Rest assured, I do not have T.B. and if I did, I would have sent a notification through email or called you asking you to get tested. This story is actually intended to keep you aware of the possible threat of tuberculosis and that you should always protect yourself by getting vaccinated or checked just to make sure!

Ideas UNDERload...

2008-05-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

For My Fellow T.V. Buffs

I thought tonight would be a good night to make a list of my favorite t.v. shows for this reason: I can't come up with anything else! For those of you without a t.v. this probably will not inspire you to jump up and run to the nearest electronics store just so you can have your own 40" plasma screen t.v. to watch all my favorite shows. But hopefully, this does inspire you to try and post something...even when the ideas department is running low. Since I've started blogging, I made a mental note that I would try to write something, anything, because it keeps me thinking! I'm sure you don't need a blog to keep thinking but I found that for me, blogging is an outlet, an online journal, a format, for me to express myself. Without it, I would be one of those people who randomly sends emails ONCE in a blue moon asking, "Hey how are you? Long time no talk!". One of the many highlights in my day is to read about what goes on in your lives...probably sounds weird, huh? I absolutely LOVE reading or looking at pictures of events, family, random stuff, that you post. Forgive me if I sound needy or stalker-like. lol. Without much ado about nothing, opps! I meant FURTHER ado about nothing, I present the one, the only...

TOP TEN T.V. SHOWS OF ALL TIME!

(ok maybe just to me)

1. Top Chef - love the drama..."if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen, MAN!"

2. Project Runway - I wish I could sew things out of thin air! Such a cool gift to have.

3. The Dog Whisperer - Totally makes me want to get a dog...watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about. Love it when Caesar starts immitating dog behaivor.

4. The Alaska Experiment - Immediately gets you thinking "what if" I was stranded in Alaska with no food and grizzlys around...do I know how to shoot a gun and gut a beast?

5. American Idol - I totally wanted Cook to win and he did! Oh, come on, I know you watch this show religiously too. lol.

6. Heroes - Way cool. Can't decide whether I would rather be Hiro Nakamura or Claire Bennet.

7. Medium - Creepy but interesting...made crime investigating interesting again.

8. So You Think You Can Dance - I do actually, but I really can't. lol.

9. American Gladiator - Toa is representing! Love when he comes out doing the sasa. lol.

10. Ugly Betty - Very funny. Has lots of twists that keep things interesting and humorous.

So there you have it! I know you were just thrilled to read this as much as I was about typing it. lol. I'll promise to come up with something interesting on Monday - Memorial Day!

2008-05-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

MY HUSBAND a.k.a THE "SURFER"

Since this isn't just MY blog, I feel like I've been focusing too much on myself...even though Brett probably will NEVER write anything here (Ladies, when will our husbands finally figure out that blogging isn't just a girl thing?). Therefore, I would like you to know some things that I've come to love about my husband and what my husband loves the most -- you'll be suprised to find out it isn't ME! Just kidding...I think.... Let's see, when we started dating, we went surfing ALL the time. For the first week, during Spring break, he took me surfing everyday! Then he tried to impress me by taking me to Cholos, where he witness my remarkable capacity to scarf down everything ordered (I think it was the chicken chimichanga plate). I loved that even though he got stabbed in the shoulder by some kook's board on the very first day we surfed together, he still wanted to wait on the beach for HOURS, until I was ready to go home.

Brett has and always will love the ocean. I think he just says he loves me the most but whenever I ask him what his 3 favorite things are in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD he lists them in this order: Surfing, Traveling, and then Me. He made an oath that we will never live too far from the ocean by giving me two options, either Hawaii or California. No problem for me!

I've always been facinated at Brett's talent as a surfer. Even though I can be his worst critic, I truely do admire his ability to blend in with the ocean and ride waves the way I wish I could. The one of many things I look forward to is watching Brett teach our son this great hobby. I'll be frank, there's a love-hate relationship between us when it comes to surfing. Since we both love to surf, we constantly argue who gets to surf first or who's day it is to surf. At the same time, we love the fact that we both surf -- ironic?

I thought to put some photos of the "surfer" on here. Just a little side trivia, I didn't photograph Brett in these shots (though I wish I could claim the credit!). Brett was surfing Gas Chambers/Rocky Point and this random guy was taking pictures of the surfers that day. I'm really glad Brett got them because they're pretty cool.

Part II: Every Substitute's Nightmare

2008-05-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

"MRS. M"

Oh what a day, what a DAY! Got the call at 6am and accepted a job at Lampson Elementary. I was excited to go because my mom-in-law teaches 1st grade there. It just so happened that I was substituting for another 1st grade teacher. I get there around 7:45am and walk into my classroom to find a HUGE pile of worksheets and FOUR pages of class instruction for the day. I read through the instructions and at 8:25am the madness begins.

First off, this class was mostly made up of mexican kids, with the exception of 2 asians and 1 caucasian. Plus, I had 2 hard heads (as most classes do). Time for ROLL CALL. I was good with most of the names until I said "Josue" and I pronounced it with the "J" sound instead of the "H" sound. Everyone in the class yelled together, "Nooooo that's not how you say it! It's "Hosue!" For some reason, I had the hardest time pronouncing his name. I kept wanting to say "Josue" with a J.

After I wrote my name "Mrs. M" on the whiteboard, IT STARTED. "Mrs. M, Mrs. M! He said she was my girlfriend". "Mrs. M, Mrs. M! He took my scissors". "Mrs. M, Mrs. M! He said I was a liar and my nose is bigger because I lie and my eye's are huge". "Mrs. M, Mrs. M! Look at them, they're not supposed to be sharpening pencils cuz we're not allowed to". I'm at home and all I hear is "Mrs. M, Mrs. M" still ringing in my ears.

Since I was their sub, they instantly took full advantage of me (and probably my inexperience as a sub teacher). One student kept bothering the rest of the class and I constantly had to be the referee. But I did learn, from the students, that in order to get everyone to calm down I could ring the cow bell. That did it--for 3 seconds and it was back to mayhem. Then I tried holding two fingers above in the air and it worked--for 3 seconds. When those were unsuccesful, I kicked it old school. This time I gave them 3 seconds to sit down, be quiet, and listen or their name would go on the board. I must say, it was a hit! But there was one incident when I wish I wouldn't have done it. I went up to the board and started writing names of those I saw standing up but, this time, without giving a 3 second warning. (I did this little behavior excercise about 4 times. I was totally suprised they fell for this. They did NOT want their name on the board because it meant something really bad. Whenever I put someone's name on the board, I made sure to erase it after I saw they started to behave again.) So, this time, I didn't give any warning and I wrote 3 kids' names down. But it was my bad because one of them (an asian girl) was simply putting away her glue when I wrote her name down. I didn't know it at the time, but then the whole class told me. They also told me that she was going to cry--which she did immediately after. I felt soooo bad!!! I told her and the rest of the class that I was going to erase the names once I saw they were in their seats again. Then I went and spoke to the girl and tried to console her by saying I was very sorry and I didn't know she was only putting her glue away. I ended by telling her she was a very good student (and she really was!). She felt much better a few minutes later.

Now that I've reflected over my day, I must say that I got a kick out of the very same girl I made cry. Here's what she said when she approached me right before school was out: "Mrs. M, I have to drink this! (holding an 8oz plastic bottle of juice)". So I opened it up and gave it back to her. Then she said, "Mrs. M, I can't drink it all!". So, I said to drink as much as she could. Then she says, "No, I have to drink it all before I go home or my mommy is gonna hit me!". I seriously thought she was kidding until she was on the verge of crying again because she couldn't drink any more juice. I had to think fast because school was almost out and the poor thing couldn't finish her juice. I definetly didn't want her to get hit by her mommy so I told her to dump the rest out in the sink! What else was I supposed to do? And why would anyone hit their child for not drinking their juice? Very odd indeedie.

Those kids I had today were complete and TOTAL opposites of those kids I sub-taught my first day. The majority of kids at Lampson Elementary come from really tough homes and neighborhoods. When you see a kid lifting up his sleeve to show his very own, one of a kind, peel and lick tatoo on his arm, you know chances are he will probably grow up and get the real deal. I really felt sad for some of those kids because I could tell that they were being raised around violence, gangs, and other non-sense. Overall, I think if I can handle this, I can handle anything...*knock on wood*.

Are You Smarter than a Second Grader?

2008-05-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

MY VERY FIRST DAY SUBSTITUTING 2ND GRADERS

Today started off with a bang. Since I'm an officially certified licensed substitute teacher (hmmm, do you smell sarcasm?) I was expecting to hear the phone ring at 5am. That call I was expecting never came. So I fell back asleep and woke up (thanks to Brett) to the phone ringing at 8:45am. It was my first assignment and I was going to sub-teach 2nd graders! The only problem was that I needed to be there by 9:30am and that's a little tricky because I can take fooooreeeverrrr to get ready (for some odd reason). But I made it and the teacher was apparently in a rush because of an emergency at home. She quickly explained what lessons I needed to go over and did I mention she did it very quickly? Man, I was in for it.

It started off smoothly because the kids were at recess (like the first of twenty it seemed like). After recess, I had only 9 students for the first 30 mins and it went by smoothly. When that was over, I got a taste of what it was REALLY like to be a teacher for a day. The students were awesome-it was I who was not so awesome! Let me pause for a sec and ask you if you've ever watched the show, ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? If you haven't, I suggest you take the online quiz and test yourself (just so you know, i don't think anyone has won yet!). I think for me it should be: ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A SECOND GRADER. The answer: N-O. Back to my story. It was "grammar time" and I had to explain what a PRONOUN was. I thought I would be cool and ask the students what a pronoun was to see if they knew. So this kid, Matt, raises his hand and says "blah, blah, blah, it's something that can take the place of a noun". And my response: "Yeah, I'm not so sure that's it". Then it seemed like total silence took over. So I looked at the text book and he was 100% right on the money. They must have thought-- man is she really our substitute? And that wasn't the end to my humiliation. There was another kid, Mikey, who was very outspoken. Right after I corrected myself, I tried to do an example of what a pronoun was BUT, this time I was gonna play it safe and use an example right off their worksheet. ERRRR! MODED! I did the example backwards and Mikey pointed out what I did wrong. But stupid me didn't even catch on and I repeated myself because I thought I was right. Then I looked closely at the example on the worksheet and I was "WRONG AGAIN" (as Rafiki would say). I felt like they should've taught themselves! Wait! I'm a COLLEGE GRAD. Boy, does that look pointless now...haha.

If any of you ever want a week of laughs, go and substitute the 2nd grade. I must say, though, that I had way more fun than I anticipated. Out of all the things I expected substituting to be, I never thought it was going to be FUN!

Turn back time

2008-05-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

~*~

Where did my baby go?

He couldn't have gone too far.

For his tiny feet and chubby cheeks
would surely slow him down.
Where did my baby go? Oh!
look at the time,
it turned on a dime,
my baby is TWO years old.

~*~

For some reason, I started to type a sentence and somehow this is what I ended up with. I wanted to express how much I too wish I could freeze time or turn back the clocks and keep my son from growing up. I will miss these days when they are finally gone and all I have are pictures and videos of him as a baby. Of course I'm excited to see him develop and grow but I will truely miss having him as my little baby that I can cradle and hold. Oh no! Am I coming down with a bad case of infantitis? Just a friendly warning: Keep your little ones away before I snatch them and keep them for my own! Just joking around...maybe...not. =)

Sweet or Sour

2008-05-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

MY DARK LITTLE SECRET

if you didn't notice this about me i'm going to tell you now. i have the WORST time trying to find a DRESS (just ONE for goodness sakes!) that fits me. which explains why i NEVER wear dresses. i think the only times i've worn a dress was for prom and my wedding. pathetic. so tonight i felt like browsing online at some dresses i thought might be worth a second look. just so you don't think i would actually wear them sleeveless, i'm not. haha. i thought an undershirt or jacket would go nice with them...i don't know!

HELP! i'm a damsel in distress. not really. lol.
tell me if you'd consider buying any of these, or just say the magic word: SWEET or SOUR next to the letter A,B,C,D,E and so forth. thanks sooo much!
found at: asos,jcrew,gap,macys,coldwatercreek,lizclaiborne.

dress:A dress: B

dress: C dress: D

dress: E dress: F

dress: G

Tagged TWICE

2008-05-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Autumn.

I guess I'll start with the 6 UNIMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. I wake up around 10:00am (hehe) and have an egg, toast, and sometimes bacon!
2. I take up most of the bed at night (sleep diagnally, sorry honey).
3. Love watching TOP CHEF on Bravo...even though that one dude cusses ALOT.
4. When I eat too much sugar I feel like barfing...happened on Mother's Day.
5. I look ghetto fabulous in the morning with the fro.
6. I take way too many trips down the cookie isle in Trader Joes...just can't resist those
oatmeal choc. chip cookies!
Oops, you're it! Line, Alexis, Jess, Noelle, Ashley, Malia....

On to MOVIES I DIGG:

1. Total # of movies I own: 2 - Stardust & Hairspray. ok 3 only if Barney counts.
2. Last movie(s) I got: Stardust & Hairspray at the same time.
3. Last movie I saw in the theater: College Road Trip starring Raven and Martin Lawrence. Saw it with my mom, dad, lio, lauren in Prescott. Nice family flick.
4. Five movies that mean something to me:

a) Stardust - I give this 5 stars!!! Just something about fantasy and magic that captivates me. Just by chance, my mom-in-law picked this out on PPV and it instantly became my most favorite movie.

b) Hairspray - Again 5 stars!!! Funny + Great Acting/Singing/Dancing = Awesome movie. Watched it on PPV. Taught me that chunky is sexy...oh yeah baby!

c) Wild Hogs - 3 stars! but I must say I've laughed really hard during ALL four times I watched it. Rented this from Ohana video and I didn't like it at first. But then I watched it the second time with Brett's family and loved it - i guess because the movie pokes fun at the "wannabee" bikers like someone we know...haha. j/k.

d) Lord of the Rings - Another 5 star!!! Fantasy + Awesome special effects +
Action/Adventure = Major Classic Film. It was all Brett & I watched while we dated.

e) Music & Lyrics - 4 stars!!! The beginning cracks me up + the songs are so catchy. I think the reason it cracks me up is because Brett dances very similar to Hugh Grant in this movie. hahaha.

Food for thought

2008-05-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

ORGANIC FOODS

i've always enjoyed talking about the benefits of organic foods to people in my family. yet, whenever the subject comes up and I offer my opinion they give me the strangest looks! if only they knew....ha! don't worry i still love u!

i wonder if you (yes, my fellow bloggers) are into organics too. i'm not a hard core organic girl but if i could afford it i would be. i guess what attracts me most to organic food is quality. i read stuff here and there about the gross pesticides, hormone cocktails, and junk big farming companies use on their crops. boy, if i could only see the toxic residue left on fruits and veggies i would swear never to eat anything non-organic again in my life - well, okay maybe i would if i was starving or too poor. wait a minute - i AM poor! i guess i won't be going hard core anytime soon =(.

here are the top eight reasons why i love organic foods:

1. no toxic chemicals, hormones, additives, pesticides, preservatives, or fillers.

2. tastes incredibly rich.

3. helps the environment/wildlife by using safe farming techniques and practices.

4. supports local organic farming industry - helping the community.

5. promotes healthier lifestyles and eating habits.

6. more nutritious (ok it's debatable).

7. growers practice safe and humane farming techniques (no animal cruelty).

8. strict guidelines and policies in order to be labeled 100% certified USDA organic.

call me a hippie. but i think if more people could take a good look at these benefits they would buy a few organic products to help out the farmers who strive to make food safe for us and our children to eat. and just maybe the honey bees would make a come back!

Ducklings

2008-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Being a mom of a two year old isn't so hard. But when you throw EIGHT baby ducklings in the mix, things start to get crazy! I was a little hesitant to write about my little ducky adventure because my emotions would get the best of me. OWELL!

About four days ago, I woke up to the sound of a duck quacking and didn't think much of it. When I went in the kitchen a few moments later, I was greeted with the most adorable site - A mother duck with eight little ducklings in the pool! But, as I kept watching them I started to worry. I wondered how long the babies had been in the cold water. Then I noticed the mother duck trying to show her babies how to get out of the pool by flying to a nearby ledge. Unfortunately, her babies were too young and couldn't fly. My stomach tightened -- I needed to help the ducks get out of the cold water and back with their mommy FAST. There was no way I could peacefully get them out and back to their mother without scarring them to death. Frankly, I knew this was a dire situation for the baby ducks. So, my dad-in-law grabbed his pool net and scooped every one of them out only to have them run back into the pool (ugh!). Then I tried a second attempt. I hurriedly scooped out as many as I could but they were so dang quick! One, two, sometimes three at a time would get into the net and I would safely place them on the ground. By the time there was only one left to catch it was so terribly frightened and I was having the hardest time catching it. It was probably the most agile of the bunch - plunging as far down as he could to escape the reach of my net. I finally got it, but only to find that the other seven were out of earshot. I kept the little guy with me the rest of the day hoping that his mother would claim him soon. By mid afternoon, I had to leave it with Brett and clean my aunty's house (I do this on fridays + I love it!).

When I came home later in the evening, I was hoping that the mother had come to save her young. To my utter amazement, I had left with only one duck and returned to find ALL eight ducklings together again and in the house! Relief came as I thought how glad the one duckling must feel to be reunited with his brothers and sisters. Being totally new to this, I had no clue as to what ducklings needed. So I went online and found really useful information on how to care for them. I was doing good with providing them with food and water but I lacked the most important fundamental thing - a heat lamp. I tried wrapping them in a warm towel but it felt too foreign and they scurried out. Being that we had no proper cage to put them in I kept them in the bath tub. I tried to keep them warm but it wasn't nearly as warm as they needed to be. By the next day, I wasn't sure what I would wake up to. Suprisingly, all of the chicks had survived. Yet, there was one that didn't look quite right. The weakest of the bunch was listless and barely hanging on. I tried to tend to it as best I could but it came to no avail. Right when I thought it was pulling through, I snapped a few photos of it. Then moments later, I watched as it swung it's head back and fell down. I couldn't believe my eyes. I held it in my hand, watching closely to see if I missed it take a tiny breath of air. The harsh reality soon came over me as I held the tiny body, completely still, in my hand. The joy I felt just minutes before it's passing was gone as I sat contemplating the death of this little animal. My sadness was compounded, doubled to be exact, when two more ducklings died. I buried their tiny bodies on the hill above the pool and placed a stone, about the size of their bodies, over each grave. Death is such a hard thing to grasp, even when it envolves loosing small animals as those. With the help of my mom-in-law, we were able to get a heat lamp. I am so lucky to have such a caring, thoughtful mom-in-law! I knew that the only way these ducks were going to survive was to kick the snake out of it's glass cage and get it ready for the baby ducks. Don't worry, the snake is fine - he/she is in a temporary container doing what it does best - chillin'. It all worked out in the end and I'm happy to report that the five remaining ducklings are doing well. Here are the pictures I took of my little troopers.

This is what I woke up to...aren't they cute!

All eight of them swimming in the tub

The first of three to go. Taken just moments before it died. =(

Five happy campers!

Huddling together...safety in numbers!

A Very Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

MOTHER'S DAY.

what more could I want?

the best gift of all

couldn't be bought and

wrapped up in knots,

nor mounds unfold

of silver and gold.

a smile so pure.

hands so small.

a voice saying,

i love you

is the best gift of all.

LoVe,

Mommy.

Scotty.

Sweet.

Silly.

Superstar.

Me & My Boys

2008-05-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

OXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

MONEY 101

2008-05-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Revised 5-9-08

Here are a few things I found VERY interesting regarding financial services. If you knew this already, click here.

Why am I blogging about this? Good question. ha! Okay, no really, there's a reason for this. It started out like this. I met Brett's father who is a Financial Wiz...really smart with money...and has been a Financial Advisor for about 30 yrs. Anyway, he is always willing to share his knowledge about different ways people can save money, grow money, and more importantly, how to PROTECT themselves and their loved ones. And besides this, Brett has been attending traning meetings at Mass Mutual for the past month and learns a few things here and there. So, this is just what I've gathered from discussions with Brett and his dad.... Disclaimer: don't quote me on anything, please. I'm NOT an expert, nor do I claim to be. As with anything -- do your research. Sidenote: I would love it for anyone to add to this blog and divulge their wisdom with everyone. Come on, I like know! =)

1. Life Insurance. Seriously? I know, I know. If you were like me, you probably cringed at the very thought. Well, as it turns out, my complete ignorance and unnecessary apprehension regarding Life Insurance served me wrong. I am so grateful to have people who enlighten me everyday! Who? L.I. (life insurance) is for everyone! Seriously. Married, single, young, and old alike. You may not think so now, but stay with me. Here's a common situation I think we can all relate to:

Sione and Kuipo have been married for a year and are looking forward to their baby's birth. Sione and Kuipo have jobs and both contribute to paying their monthly expenses. Now that they'll be expanding their little family in a few months with the birth of Sina, Sione and Kuipo are looking to protect each member of their family, just in case.

Options. You have basically TWO options: "Term" or "Perm" (as my husband puts it). It's common for the majority of younger people to invest their money in Term Insurance. Why? Because premiums (payments) are cheaper than premiums for Permanent Insurance. BUT, Term will protect you only for a specific amount of time, as long as you pay the premiums. In addition, the premium's are not guaranteed, meaning they may increase. Oh, and we musn't forget, there's NO cash value. Cash Value? Here's how I understand it. Paying your monthly premiums ensures you have continued protection. With that, you accumulate cash value because the money you're putting into premiums is being invested in the market (stocks, bonds, etc.). So, the money you put into your plan ultimately grows between 4-6% (probably more than you would get in a regular savings account) and can eventually add significantly to your death benefit. All the money you are growing is never taxed! (meaning you never have to pay taxes on it. yay!!) Plus, you may take out a loan from your policy if you so wish; however, you must pay any interest on top of putting the money back OR you don't have to pay anything back. Period. The only downside to taking money out is you lessen the total amount of your death benefit that could decrease the amount of money left for your loved ones. Bottom line, it's like having your own bank. Flipside. On the other hand, Perm Insuance is lifetime protection and doesn't expire, well only if you turn 100. The best part of it all, drum roll please...you add CASH value along with protection (a.k.a. death benefit). So, here's the continuation of the little adage I mentioned above.

Sione: Kuipo, what chu tink? Perm or Term.

Kuipo: I tink we should get Perm cuz it sounds mo' betta.

Sione: Why?

Kuipo: What chu mean why! What if you went ma'ke (die), den what?

Sione: Ok, ok.

(Perm may not be for everyone, mind you.)

Perm Insurance. Protects you for the remainder of your life. This is a long-term investment. If you chose this over Term, you may thank yourself in the long haul. Simply put, because you are adding cash value to your investment. Not only are Sione and Kuipo getting protection, in case one of them are to die, they are growing their money within their Perm Life Insurance Policy. They have the option to withdraw money, take out a loan, or keep it there and let it continue to build.

Personal application. Brett came home one day and told me he learned something he never considered before. So I asked him what it was. He said he learned that parents have the opportunity to take life insurance policies on their children. "Okay...," I said, apparently not getting it. He continued explaining that we could take a policy out on Scotty. At first I was appauled. How could he even think of that! What an aweful thing to say! But I kept quiet so he could finish what he wanted to say. He told me if we did that for Scotty now, the cash value would grow by the time he was ready for his mission, or college, or both! Then it clicked and made complete sense. If we did that, all the money we put in would grow significantly by the time he turned 19. And remember, this is a 100% complete tax advantage so you never have to pay a dime to the IRS. How great is that!

Alright I'll stop here. I am sure there are details that I might of left out or overlooked. You are more than welcome to add to this or correct me if I was misleading in anyway...and remember to check this out for yourself. because it mattereth.

Purely For Entertainment Purposes Only

2008-05-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Be careful what you let your kids listen to.

Between thinking about what I should post next, I thought this would serve as a good intermission. Pardon the messy apartment but what can we do?? Watch this video and you'll figure it out. FYI: this was a while ago when we were living at TVA. Scotty loves rockin out! =) Oh, and before you view this video pause my playlist because this video has music in it.

My Secret Weapon

2008-05-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Is your kid out of control? Need help getting your kid to listen? Okay listen closely, here's my secret weapon: A REAL SNAKE! Snakes are wonderful creatures, especially when you have a wild kid running loose. All's you got to do is let um know there's a really hungry snake in the garage and SNAP just like that they're ready to behave...true story!

Get one of these guys and your sure to have a well mannered kid...or maybe he'll grow up being one of those expert snake handlers on t.v. Whichever the case, your kid will be A-OK. Guys, I'm not kidding. It works on Scotty ever time! haha. Don't worry the snake is never harmed...oh, and Scotty is just fine!!

Heart Warmer

2008-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Embraced by the Light, by Betty J. Eadie. Honestly, I personally wouldn't have picked it up simply by looking at the cover because I thought the title was a bit corny. My hubby was the one to recommend reading it because it's definetly not my type of book (or atleast I thought it wasn't). I'm into fantasy, witches and wizards, that sort of book. Anyhow, the book is about the author's spiritual journey in the afterlife while being considered clinically dead for 4 hours. Let's just say it's a great conversation starter and heart warmer. The main message of the book is that "Love conquers all" --way cheesy but so true!

A Special Day

2008-05-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last week, we got together to "suprise" mommy Deb for her 30th birthday (okay, she's a bit older than that but who can tell??). Kurtis and Destiny came up with the perfect idea to rent a little duffy and cruise around Newport harbor. So saturday came and it was a gorgeous day! We all got on the little boat and had an awesome time. We also had sandwiches, fruit & cheese platter (yum!), and huge slices of chocolate cheesecake! Good job everyone for making this a memorable day!

Birthday Mommy

Grandma & Scotty putting out the lights

Uncle Drew & Scotty

Dad & Mom

Our friendly host came out to greet us!

Aunty Maddie & Scotty

Skipper Scotty & Uncle Kurtis

The Crew

Tagged by Autumn!

2008-05-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the tag Audz! Here goes:

1. Four jobs I've had in my life:
- Tongan Village at PCC (got fired!)
- BYUH Registrar's with my buddie Salote
- BYUH Special Events with my pal Vai
- Palm Terrace Restaurant at Turtle Bay
2. Four Movies I'd watch over again:
- Stardust!
- Hairspray!
- Lord of the Rings
- Dumb & Dumber
3. Four places I've lived:
- Grama's House
- Rented from Mali down the street
- TVA (yeaaah!)
- Orange, CA
4. Four of my favorite foods:
- Penne pasta
- Pepperoni pizza
- Enchiladas w/ spanish rice
- Shrimp & veggie tempura
5. Four place I'd rather be right now:
- North Shore, HI surfing in the sun
- New York City watching a broadway show
- In the gym "workin on my fitness"
- At a 5 star spa getting a full body massage!
6. Four things I'm looking foward to this year:
- Getting my tax rebate!
- Loosing weight that I've been packing on for too long!
- Surfing good waves!
- Going to Disneyland with Scotty and family!
7. Sorry I don't know anyone to tagg (lame, huh!)

Funny Little Kid

2008-04-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Today, like most other days, Scotty got up before mommy and turned on the bedroom light and quietly opened the door but I woke up right in time to give a last ditch effort to keep him in the room by saying "Close that door, now!" But of course, he didn't listen and ran away.... Scotty is a pretty unique little kid! I must constantly keep watch over him because he's becoming very independent. But I do notice that most times if he's not near me he's either with someone else in the house. Yet, there are times when he will open the front door and decide to take a walk. Yikes!

On a good note, Scotty is very helpful, especially when it comes to unloading the dishwasher. I let him help me because it keeps him busy. He's very good at picking out all the sharp utensils first, like the steak knives, because he knows he's not supposed to touch them. He also likes to help mommy fold the clothes and he's almost got the hang of it--he starts to fold something but ends by rolling it up =). But I think his favorite thing to do to help me is by taking a wipey and dust everything from the floor, the walls, his foot, and then mommy's face.

I'm sure that by the end of the day, Scotty will suprise me with something new. He'll come up with something clever to say. IE, Grandpa was outside grilling and he told Scotty to go back into the house. Scotty's responded by saying, "Don't worry, be happy Grandpa". For a two year old I'm very suprised at his vocabulary and his ability to recall names, phrases, and words. So for fun, I'll probably post a quote of the day by Scotty just to get in a quick laugh.

The Late Bloomer

2008-04-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got bit by the blogger bug today...and yes I consider myself a "Late Bloomer" in this crazy digital world. I hate to admit it but I just got my first ipod last month! Well, better late than never, right?! So to my fellow bloggers, I'm glad to have this place to share my day to day momentos with you (whoever you are!).