TIME IS TICKING...

Well, the time is here....This year has been a goood year. I got married, got to take my baby to Disneyland....and best of all, she started school !!!! I began a new direction for work ( not quite sure if it's my DESIRE) , and have had family ups & downs.

I suppose without the "downs", the "ups" aren't so thrilling. I'm grateful for all the family & friends that I do have, and feel I don't search the "GRATEFUL" things often enough. With at least 3 New Years Resolutions ....I don't feel pressured, I feel that I'm lucky to be alive , to do my best at keeping them!

I wish you all A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May Gratefulness overflow for all this year!!!

ALOOOOOOHAAAA!!!!

DANCING QUEEN.....

Teri & tiki having a dance off...


On her own...

Auntie Camilla having her turn.

Christmas Dinner....

Sione & Tiki playing around. Went to Teri's for Christmas Dinner.....I cooked a Turkey & Ham.
Sione was yelling for me to come in the room. Tiki was play "surfing" on my sisters house decoration...it's made out of glass or something like it...NOT TO BE STOOD ON!!! She didn't know the difference, it was in the shape of a surfboard...that's all that mattered!
Neighbor Tau ( he's from Samoa). He is a fire knife dancer..we let him blow the kon shell when dinner was ready...how native are WE??!!!

SANTA WAS HERE !!!!!

Her dress up wear....the rings, purse and those beautiful shoes!!!

New lip gloss....I think she put ALL of it on it one sitting, it was sooo thick!
And yes....Santa came through with the bike she wanted. But "santa" put one of the training wheels on wrong, so it was alittle wobblie....

went to Dave & Buster's with Makana (..a grown up version of Chuck e. cheese)

Makana on the dance machine.
Tiki was struggling with holding this long gun up...in fact I came around the corner and she looked like Angelina Jolie with BOTH (see the other one in the holster?) of these in her hand trying to point at the screen. she doesn't play these gun games ( I won't let her) she just "pretends" because she sees her brother do it.

Makana did this one where you spin for tickets, he was ONE away from winning a thousand....he looked like we do when were one number off the lottery!!!

Good weekend!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND MAY YOU ALL BE SAFE DURING THE NEW YEAR!!!!

Makana is HERE FOR THE WEEKEND!!!!

Yea.......brother is here and Tiki is soooo happy!! we all are!!!!

Last day of school excursion...

This is her at school before we left for our excursion to see Santa Claus . There was a rainbow above her that they were all excited about...but it doesn't show in this picture.


















Tiki next to Rudolph the red nosed reindeer!!!

Final stop...Honolulu Hale...many different christmas trees ....decorated in many different styles.


class picture 2006
(she is last row , on the right)

update.....

Well thank you all for all the Birthday wishes!!! We had a great time @ Chuck E. Cheese. I really feel for those people in the costumes when my girl comes around. She DOESN'T LEAVE THEM ALONE!!! How many HUGS CAN CHUCK E. STAND??!!!!!
The pizza is good, the salad bar is pretty good....and the kids just LOVE IT!!

Today is my last day of school!!! I'm on VACATION FOR 3 WEEKS! A good reminder WHY I chose this job...best part is Tiki STILL IN PRESCHOOL. ok that sounded mean, but MOM sure needs some "ME" time!! But I have already picked a Hooky day for me and my girl and (like my friend in N.Y.) I will make it a "Ferris Bullers " day off and cram in as many little things we can!! It will be a GREAT DAY.

I'll be sure to show n' tell.

3 years ago...We received thee BEST GIFT EVERRRRR...

30 hours of Labor and WORTH EVERY SECOND OF IT!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIKI MARIE!!!!!

She has been soo excited for this day. I woke at 4am and decorated the whole house, balloons and streamers....went to longs for wrapping paper, got coffee for Alika & I and we sit here in anticipation, waiting for our little angel to wake up!!!

She's going to scream with delight...

Tonight it's off to Chuck E. Cheese!

we love you, Mom & Dad!!!

What our Elementary kids are saying.....

As usual, a girl comes in with the "sore stomach". As she layes down, she becomes more "talkative".

Girl: "I had a fun B-day party this year!"

Me: "oh yeah, when's your Birthday?"

Girl: "August Twenty toonth" (22)


Another girl, 3rd grader comes in and is a DOLL. Beautiful features....high cheekbones, slightly slanted eyes ( with of course eye lashes that is hitting the top of her eyebrow...oh yea, and her eyes are green! Her name is Ocean.

I cleaned her wound.

Me: "You're soooo PRETTY!"

Girl: (very humbled) "Thank you"
her high cheek bones resemble Elvis Presley when she smiles.

Me: "What Nationality are you?"

She shrugs her shoulders..

Then it clicks..

Ocean: "My Mom is Korean....and my Dad is Hawaiian"

Beautiful mix...then she adds...

Ocean: " and my cat is.....Korean!"

Last but not least...two 4th graders in the room @ the same time...BIG MISTAKE!!

Boy #1: ( to boy # 2) I got bit by a fire ant!!

Boy #2: "Not!!! If you did you can get Diabetes!!!"

Do you remember Buckwheats face when he's scared??!!

When the MAGIC existed....

I think this was my FAVORITE Christmas. I was ( and embarrassed to say STILL am ) a BIG Miami Dolphin Fan!!

My sister Teri ( who resembles Marsha Brady in this photo...), Me, my brother Greg, and Nana.

My brother Greg & I were like 2 peas in a pod!! I didn't have much in common with my sister, she was too "girlie" for me. I wanted to play in the dirt, play football....skateboard...anything for a good "knee scraper". This was the house we grew up in, my Mom would do all the decorations..I always wanted to help but was too impatient to make it look so nice, back outside I'd go.... I miss these days...

CLOSE CALL??!!!! OR A CALLING CLOSE!

It's Friday morning yesterday. Tiki & I have a routine. I get my coffee (McDonald's) and while I'm mixing my coffee,so it's "just right" she begins the routine.

Tiki: Mom? what song do you like?
Me: hmmm.....(we have about 5 songs we ALWAYS sing in the morning). somewhere over the rainbow.
Tiki: ok. Mom?
Me: yes.?
Tiki: let me sing...K? you don't sing.
Me: ok, ok....I like when you sing.
Tiki: soooomewhere over the raaaaainbow.....(till its over)
(clapping....)
Tiki: now what song do you like?
Me: hmmm..Jingle Bells!
Life is goood, were singing xmas songs...suuuuper happy to be alive.
My phone rings.
My boss informs me of a High School I need to go to. Another one that I was warned about. My heart skips a beat. I was having such a good day. Drop off Tiki.
When I get to work it was slow. so I have NO IDEA what possed me to call my husband.
I said " If for ANY reason I call you & don't say anything...LISTEN CAREFULLY... if you hear me arguing with anyone..CALL THE COPS TO COME TO THIS SCHOOL." Alika was kinda quite...like "what tha???did you drink this morning??!"
Then I get a bit emotional and say...."Tell Tiki I love her". He LAUGHS. " Honey, I will..but you'll be just fine".
My day went smooth, turns out I know one of the security guards....I felt safe. Ten minutes before the bell rings to GO HOME, my early "gut feeling" walked in the door.
This boy is a Samoan ( and on the smaller side). Right away I can tell his on "something". He asks if the Principal or VP was in her looking for him. said no, why? His story begins. I notice the tattoos...all "Gang" kind.
His best friend (a girl ) had been KILLED , thats why he's late. she's only 17, her boyfriend is 30 and he killed her...abuse had gone to far. This boy was blaming himself...that he had not been "there" for her. I just listened. when he stopped I did the best I could to convince him that ITS NOT HIS FAULT. Then he begings this story about "spiderman" ( top gang leader)...how he looks up to him sooo much and wants to be like him! He said to get into the gang, you have to KILL SOMEONE, they call that 'GRADUATION & GETTING YOUR DIPLOMA". he went on to say he wants to "Graduate". NOW I"M FREAKING!! but trying not too. As he talks, hes moving around, licking his lips, biting his cheeks...very nervous..and on something. He's also wearing baggy clothes and constanly putting his hand up his shirt while he describes the "last time" he was in jail for ATTEMPTED MURDER WITH A MACHETE...as he's talking my mind drifts to the call I made to Alika this morning.....Why did I tell him that??? Did I know my fate??? I picture Tiki at school and SOMETHING SNAPPED IN ME...I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE...NOW!! He was blocking the door. Still being nice and supportive to him I casually get up and say let me see your pass. I move past him to open my door. He kinda looked at me like "Dont open the door" . I just kept thinking...if he tries to hurt me, I AINT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT. I will get hurt or die TRYING. He saw a security officer (thank GOD) and his whole demeanor changed. He had told me that 2 gangs are going to fight over this girls death tonight...it was sooo terrifying for me that these kids have NO GUIDANCE...that their MENTORS are GANG PEOPLE WHO SNUFF PEOPLES LIVES TO GRADUATE.
Now...I don't know. was he a boy suffering the loss of a dear "friend" and talking out of anger?? Or was I his "Graduation Project??" I look back and can see it COULD OF gone both ways. I prayed before I went to this school and asked God for 2 things. PROTECTION, and GUIDANCE...that if someone needed "HELP" in ANY WAY...give me the right things to say to them.
I picked up Tiki from school and again we began our driving routine.

Tiki: Mom? what song you like??
Boy, I thought I'd never "hear" that again. My eyes filled with water.
Me: Tiki...ANY SONG....SING ME A SONG!!!
Not knowing what just happened to her Mommy, she happily blurts out "JINGLE BELLS....."
I am the luckiest person right now!!!

singing

singing..till suddendly..

WINTER WONDERLAND...SORT OF

Went to our local mall, and they had a train that Tiki has been wanting to go on as soon as it was here. so ....she finally gets the "ride".

She "just" learned how to make a "shaka" sign. shes been surfing with her dad since 8 mos. old, and now at (almost) 3 , she figured it out!!! It's usually the other way around.











They have a really cool production at the center stage....at the end, snow began to fall...it was QUADRILLIONS of BUBBLES!!! Tiki was jazzed. She got to be in the snow in California, and hasn't forgotten it. She's ALWAYS SAYING "Let's go to the snow" that, and "Lets go DISNEYLAND"!!! The train will have to do for now my dear!.

I THINK I CAN...I THINK I CAN.....

We did it !!!! Tami & I signed up for a 5k run. Now to alot of you guys, sounds easy...I DON'T JOG/RUN. or at least I haven't had ANY training. IT WAS TORTURE!!!! My mind is 23, but the body isn't having any part of that!!!
Tami was to pick me up @ 6am. I woke at 4:30am ( to BEGIN ANY TRAINING I WAS GOING TO DO....STRETCH). I realize...I don't even know HOW to stretch properly. It was quite pathetic, and funny at the same time. Tami picked me up and all we could do is LAUGH....that we were even ATTEMPTING THIS!!! This race was a PRE RACE for the runners who are doing the Honolulu marathon next weekend. Kinda gives you an idea WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE were there......REAL RUNNERS. The horn blows, and OFF WE GO, as though we have trained just as hard and for many years as those who were BLOWING RIGHT PAST US...we kept up....for about 100 yards. Last place was suddenly 2 people behind me. My face is burning, oh yeah, was I suppose to be drinking water alot lately?? It suddenly dawned on me....I don't think I'm hydrated well enough for this. Tami was being a dear friend and looking BACK to see if I was ok, sometimes giving up her jog to "walk" with me. I tell her please continue...I'll be ok, but I don't want the pressure of holding her back!!!
I see my husband & Tiki in the middle of the race to cheer me on & give me water ( he KNOWS it would be hard for me..) I tried to pick it up a notch, just for my supporters...I couldn't run anymore. I walked real fast and the last tail end I took a slooooooww jog. Tiki on top of Dad's shoulders smiling " gooooo Mommy". Tami had crossed the finish line already but wanted to cross "with me". Its over. I did it. I felt good , once the chest pains and the breathing got back to normal. Now, my muscles are slowly stiffening. It made me realize that I need to keep my BODY feeling 23 so it will match my mentality. I couldn't of done it without Tami...a true friend, a terrific runner and our humor "matches". we had alot of laughs today. Tomorrow will not be sooo funny.

life of a Preschooler......

Tiki comes out of school wearing this....aah, the firefighters were visiting the schools!!! They got to go in their truck, listen to the horn blow....
She was sooo excited that now everytime she see's one in hot pursuit....she screams "FIRE, FIRE!!!, I was ON THAT TRUCK MOMMY!"

Her B-day is approaching and I just STARE at her and love to watch her in ACTION. We watched "Polar Express" on TV last night and just her eyes in AWE of this fantasy movie....as though she was on that train with all those kids....she really is fun to watch. Thank you God, for such a beautiful, healthy child...:) !

THOSE WERE THE DAYS !!!!

The summer of 82 !!!! My Dear friend Penny who is originally from Buffalo N.y. was going to school in California. Her & I hit it off. This summer she invited me to stay with her sister in Cheektowaga N.Y. I did and I LOVED IT!! Loverboy was the "Hot" band at the time & when I hear it now it brings me all the way to Buffalo! I have sooo many fond memories....met awesome people, who still are my friends!!!
Although it was hot & MUGGY, I look forward to returning one day.
I've ALWAYS wanted to see N.Y.C. , but Buffalo's as close as I got....