pool day with cousins. again.

So, if I posted a picture every time we hit the pool...there would be so many pictures, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart!

I know this.  

But still, I continue to take pictures after pictures...

Since this was just after the cousin sleepover, I had all the boys with me!

My sister Elika came down to join us on the super hot Saturday afternoon for some pool time.

Pool time with cousins is SO much more fun!

pajama jammy-jam!

This doesn't happen too often...so when it does, my girls live it up!

My brother had an appointment early the next morning and with his wife away for work...my girls got to have a sleepover with their cousins!  

They stayed up way later than they were supposed to, but how can you put a value on some fun time with your cousins! Sardine-like sleeping conditions, notwithstanding.

solar eclipse

May 9th 2013

I had heard about the solar eclipse happening in our islands and decided to find some way to catch a glimpse of it.  I mean, solar eclipses (partial or otherwise) rarely happen, right?

So, after some Googleing...came across this simple and rudimentary way to safely view the eclipse without buying any special lenses or expensive telescopes.

So, this Pampers box was ALL I had to work with...but after attaching the requisite foil and poking a tiny hole in it and then taping a piece of paper on the inside of the box, voila!  

Wouldn't you know it, it actually WORKED!!

Sure, the image wasn't crystal clear, and since the clouds came and went, there was some hit and miss and waiting around...but our patience paid off and we got to see the solar eclipse! In a diaper box!  Ha!

We felt a little silly standing outside with a diaper box on our heads, but it was well worth it!

Yay for science!

is my driving that scary?

The other day while I was driving to town, I looked in the rear view mirror and saw this.

Really kids?  

Your Mama has ZERO accidents and ZERO speeding tickets to her name!

it's a hot one!

Summer is OBVIOUSLY approaching because the temperatures have been near scorching lately!

Thankfully, the pool isn't too far away!

 I told Jolee we'd go to the pool after we picked up her sisters from school...but that didn't stop her from soaking up the rays in style while waiting!

 Kela and Anna.  

They're fish in the water.  I shudder to think of what we'd do if we ever moved some place that doesn't have access to a pool!

I considered myself brave for coming to the pool without Mitch to help with the little ones.  Since Jolee and Kaden cannot swim yet, I have to split my time watching both of them in the water.  Thankfully, Jolee tends to stay on the steps..which is fantastic because Kaden likes to be held in the water the whole time.  

zoo field trip

Every year, the Tiger Tots preschool has one field trip.  

They take the kiddos the zoo!  And since I was asked to help chaperon, I got to go too. :) 

 We rode the school bus down to the zoo.  Apparently, Kaden preferred to sit with his teacher instead of me.  Which was totally fine by me!  

I mean, he's only my youngest child....and my only son.  Nah, I was completely fine sitting all by myself on a crowded school bus surrounded by tons of high school kids and toddlers all chatting happily while I sat in silence...*sniff, sniff.  

 Ok, so we arrived at the zoo but had to wait a few minutes for a couple straggler parents who decided to drive separately.  Which means photo-op for everyone!

Here's Kaden's group of zoo explorers.

Lame side note:  since they were short handed with parent chaperons, I had to walk with a different group than either Jolee or Kaden!  Hence, hardly any pictures of them while inside the zoo.  Kinda lame...but what can you do, right?  It's not like Kaden was attached to me or anything...(note bus picture above).

 Here's Jolee with one of her teachers.

 Sorry for the butt photo-bomb next to her...we were in a rush and I had to choose between a photo-bombing butt or no photo at all.  I chose the lesser of the two evils.

 And here's Kaden walking with one of his teachers.  

Just a side note:  I am SO proud of how much Kaden has grown in the few weeks he's been attending Tiger Tots!  He's totally come out of his shell and become so much more animated and independent!  He still doesn't talk and gets frustrated when he can't express himself with words...but he has been having fun around other kids and has shown so much improvement with his separation issues!  Yay!

And we ended the field trip with some playtime at the playground...where Daddy caught up to us after going jogging.  We stayed for a few minutes and then headed home in our car instead of the rickety and bumpy school bus.  It was a hot day, but the kids had fun and Kaden survived his very first school field trip!

homemade slip n slide

What to do on a lazy Saturday when the weather isn't great for the beach but you don't want to stay indoors all day?

You make do with what you got!

We drove up to Hau'ula to spend the day with my sister and her kids.

Really, my kids would be happy doing anything (or nothing at all!) with their cousins, but since we couldn't let THAT happen...my sister busted out her kiddie pool and tarp and we decided to get a little (ghetto) creative.

 First off...the pool.  Which happens to be much larger and nicer than OUR kiddie pool.

We filled it up and the kids jumped in and out of it onto...

 ...the ghetto slip and slide!

Haha, basically a tarp with lots and lots of dish soap.

But in our defense, it was Melaleuca lemon dish soap so it's totally non-toxic and earth & kid friendly.  :)

 The little ones liked the pool better, I think.  

 While the older ones had way too much fun with the sprinkler and soap...

 It was pretty slippery. 

(Anna's dancing, by the way.  In case you were wondering.)

 But they all took turns slipping and sliding...

 And jumping over the sprinkler to wash off.

Hey, no need shower after this, right?

Good, clean fun on a cloudy day!