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C-Man: How I spent my summer of 2008...
In the sun:
In the shade:
Making cookies:
Making snowmen:
Lounging:
Standing in the pool on my own (finally tall enough!):
Celebrating the 4th (Bad Mommy, why don't I have my shoes on?!):
Hanging out with family:
Body surfing like a future president:
Enjoying my cousin:
I am so scared that the republicans will win, McCain will have a stroke (please he's as old as my great grandpa) and Palin will kill all our polar bears and arm all our children with guns. Yikes.
Please let it be a good election year. It's almost scarier than a third term of Bush. Speaking of scary, I was checking out 3 books for our lovely Siani and she was kind enough to open the books up to the barcode page for me. I scanned the books one by one and often comment on the books that the kids borrow. When I closed the last book there was GWB staring at me. I was so startled I dropped my stamper and it hit my foot. Scared the crap out of me. Anyway, Siani had a good laugh about it.
McCain needs to realize that not ALL women are Hillary Clinton (although she certainly looks like Bill's type-- former beauty queen) AND I think our governor would have made a better vice president (at least she's pro-choice).
My mood: sooooooo looking forward to my looooooooong weekend!!!!!
So I was talking to my children's librarian and she found out that the church preschool where I send C-Man has famous (sort-of) clergy-women. Cool. Cool because they are married women (to each other) and both hired by the church. They were on the reality show the Amazing Race. Never watched it, but I think Sis does.
Today I asked him what he learned in school (today was chapel day with Deacon Pat). He says Jesus says that fighting is bad. I asked him if he was going to stop fighting. He said "No, because I'm a bad guy and bad guys have to fight and shoot people. Mommy can I shoot you? I'm only pretending to shoot you with my finger, oh, wait... where's my gun?"
What a lovely child.
My mood: headachy, itchy, and not looking forward to work tomorrow.
This is for Aunty J and Sis, sorry no picture yet. Next time I make it I will be sure to post! Recipe from C.Matsuda.
Crust:
¾ cup butter
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cup flour
½ cup chopped nuts
Filling:
24 ounces of sour cream
2 boxes instant vanilla pudding
½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
8 ounces of Cool Whip
2 cans mandarin oranges
Crust: Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and nuts and mix well. Spread dough in 9”x13” pan and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool
Filling: Combine sour cream, vanilla pudding, powdered sugar, liquid from one can of mandarin oranges, and ½ of the cool whip until batter looks smooth. Fold in drained mandarin oranges. Spread over cooled crust. Cover top with remaining cool whip. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Optional: sprinkle top with chopped nuts.
I am sad that I missed the cutoff date to register my dad for the primary election. I will definitely get him to vote absentee for the general.
How can a person not know how many homes he owns? Seriously... You'd need to be 1) too rich to be in touch with the general public therefore you would make a crappy President or 2) too old or senile and therefore you would make a crappy president or 3) too stupid and probably a republican running for President therefore you would make a crappy president.
I have held my tongue about Biden for a few days, but I just have to say that Biden is a copout. The key to get all those votes he's lacking. But I guess if you want to be the President you need to make sacrifices and choosing a whiter than white, Catholic Senator with experience and foreign relations is good political choice for Obama. So I won't complain. He's a better fit than Clinton (thank you!).
Anyway. That's all I have to say about his VP choice. I still love him! I still hate politics! I'll be glad when the world returns to normal and I can be politically ignorant and blissful.
Bought gas today at $4.29 (temporarily going down)!
My mood: good, despite the fact that I still have a full day of work ahead (just had a spam bun and some milk-- I know I said I didn't like spam, but I love those buns!)
Waipio's #1! World Series Title! Undefeated! Great Job. 2 Gold Medalists in Soccer and the Decathalon. Woohoo. Very cool.
Very moving speeches tonight at the DNC. As a mother, Obama's speech brought tears to my eyes, she's a great speaker and did an excellent job of portraying her husband as a normal, humble, loving, working man who just happens to be running for President. I was pleased to see some of our Hawaii Delegates during her speech. Her dress was distracting to me, I kept watching the brooch-like decorative bling on her dress and how (when she was standing perfectly centered) it encircled the microphone to form a "sun" shape (was that on purpose?). And those daughters are just gorgeous!
It's a great time to be from Hawaii (even though we're still foreign and exotic-- yes I will let go of this soon, like after November 4 when our Hawaii native becomes President of the United States of America!!).
Hi to Sis and Family (in famous Myrtle Beach)! Better there than in hurricaneville.
My mood: really proud of my state and country and the idea that a Black man from somewhere foreign and exotic (but still American) could be our new President! Ooh, and looking forward to UH football and wahine volleyball (which starts this week!)
Okay, no cooking required, but looks ono yeah? It was.
I did bake some chocolate chip cookies yesterday. I didn't take a picture because they're just boring toll house (from the bag of chocolate chips) cookies. That's okay, still taste yummy. Will take some to work and save the rest for home.
After nap, C-Man and I went for a walk (he rode his bike) down the road to the library.
My mood: better
Been in a slump for the last week. Mini-post-Billy depression. We've been mostly just trying desperately to get back onto routine. Not quite there yet. C-Man has had the worst time adjusting to his new preschool schedule. His sleep pattern is all wonky and I don't know what to do. I can't seem to get him to nap and then he spends the evening all cranky and defiant which makes me cranky and yelly. For example, he just fell asleep for his nap which means he'll be up until late again. I've tried getting him into bed early, but when I go in the room an hour later, he's still awake.
Have had a sort-of productive and yet extremely boring weekend. Trying not to spend too much after Sis is gone. Especially since we've got Disneyland in 7 weeks. Woohoo! It'll be my turn for vacation. Deflated the air bed, got the hutch in place in C-Man's room, figured out what was wrong with his DVD player, & got more stuff in a pile to give away (am sad to be giving away much baby books). Need to go to store, guess I'll do that now while he's sleeping.
My mood: blah
What is normal?
Normal is quiet. Normal is just me & C-Man. Normal is also lovely.
We still miss Billy, even his evening bathtime banshee wailing. C-Man said he had a dream about Billy last nite (it was a good one).
My mood: enjoying life
Today a woman checked out a book of Halloween fun. I said "Is it almost Halloween?" Then realized that the books would be due in September (near my birthday).
Tonite I received a call from Habilitat (I'm hoping) asking if I wanted to reserve my CHRISTMAS tree for Dec 6 pickup. What?>>?>>? So I happily handed over my credit card number (on the phone, what am I dumb?) and now I have a Christmas tree. Woohoo.
Holy Crap.
My mood: dizzy from the year blitzing by me, sorry to hear about the luggage woes of my beloved and family, happy to hear that Greg will bless us with his wonderfulness in October, THRILLED that in 2 months I will be on vacation myself --back in the land of Disney
I feel like a mom who just sent her child off to college. I always feel that way when Sis leaves or when I leave her. The house is quite silent compared to hours ago and I have that familiar aching in my chest which will dissipate as the days go on. She did, however, leave a crapload of food behind... thanks, sis.
My mood: weepy
Have been seeing the commercials for Pickens and his energy plan. Sounds fishy, but I guess if he's now trying to redeem or absolve himself by saving the world, then I shouldn't complain (and I'm a huge fan of wind energy). And if we save ourselves a planet in the process of him becoming even richer, then all the better, right?
Hot link:
Pickens Plan
My mood: sad (Sis & co. go bye-bye soon)
Residual political angst in play...
I am from the exotic and foreign islands of Hawaii, so I tend to eat exotic and foreign foods. YUM for me, pooh on you Cokie!
Since Sis and family have been here, I've been indulging in all the fun and exotic local foods (much of which I take for granted since I live in this foreign place). For example, we've had pickled mango, li hing mui, spam musubi, Bale sandwiches, plate lunches, manapua, taegu, kim chee, melona bars, healthy rice (w/nametake, edamame and wakame chazuke), Portuguese sausages, Jack in the Box (there's none in FL-- what are they in a foreign country? No wait, I am...), McDonald's fruit punch, and one bite of natto (only to reconfirm that I absolutely cannot eat the slimy beans).
Despite all the gluttony on my part (it's a great excuse to eat all that stuff) we still have a lot to go. We still haven't eaten Zippy's chili or gone to Island Snow or Waiola Store. Who could come to Hawaii and not indulge in shave ice? Even a future President of the U.S. could be seen slurping down the sickenly sweet goodness from Hawaii (oops, I mean potential future president-- don't want to jinx him like I did those Yankees) on his recent vacation to the land of the unknown, foreign and exotic to all who are not born and raised here... or to those without any sense of geography.
Ooh, tangent-- my bad.
You would think that since I live here, I would eat foreign and exotic stuff all the time, but I don't. This morning, I made a batch of spam musubi, but I haven't made it since the last time she was here (or the time before that) and I don't ever buy it. The truth is that I really don't like Spam all that much (Oh-oh!). And the only reason I have pickled mango or any of those other things is because she's here. I eat normal people food like Pop Tarts, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and apples. I also eat pizza -- yes we have real ovens here to cook food, they're amazing.
My mood: snarky
Oh, yes. I have the day off today! Why? It's a STATE holiday called STATEHOOD DAY or ADMISSION DAY -- admission to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, not some other foreign country.
What are (non-work) things on my to-do list?
1. Exercise
2. Make an eye doctor appointment and an appointment to get my car serviced
3. Get a birthday card for my momma
4. Pay C-Man tuition for next month
5. Get some rest so that my almost-cold doesn't turn into a full cold
Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Salty and crunchy stuff (chips, crackers, popcorn, arare, etc.)
2. Fruit (currently cherries and apples)
3. Ice cream (of course)
4. Cottage cheese and pineapples (can't seem to stop eating it)
5. Pickled mango (from the lady with the green wall in Haleiwa and Aunty Berna)
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Travel a lot and take friends/family along
2. Start a wind and hydro energy plant in Hawaii
3. Buy a couple of houses for my family (one condition is that they gotta live here-- he, he, he Sis!)
4. Adopt a poor library system (hmmm, can I think of one???) and spend buckets of money Carnegieing it up
5. Create my own private school that focuses on learning, NOT on test scores
Places I've been to that I'd like to go back to:
1. Canada
2. San Francisco
3. Yellowstone
4. Boston
5. Seattle
Jobs I’ve had:
1. Library Student Helper
2. Library Student Assistant
3. Liberty House Sales Associate
4. Library Assistant
5. Librarian
On the August 10 edition of ABC's This Week, ABC News political analyst Cokie Roberts criticized Sen. Barack Obama -- who was born in Hawaii -- for "going off this week to a vacation in Hawaii," which she said "does not make any sense whatsoever." Roberts stated: "I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state, but it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place." Roberts continued: "He should be in Myrtle Beach, and, you know, if he's going to take a vacation at this time."
And you can tell I'm from Hawaii, I don't even know where the hell Myrtle Beach is... Oh, it's in South Carolina (just looked it up on the Internet). Why the hell would anyone choose to go to South Carolina over Hawaii?
So Obama's staying down the road from where I live. Keep hoping to run into him at Longs or something, but so far, no such luck. I read in the paper this morning that he went to my gym on Sunday morning. Crap! Do you know how long it's been since I've been to the gym on a Sunday morning? If I had stuck to my old schedule, I would have seen him. Now I'm sad. Oh, well. I could still run into him at Island Snow...
My mood: foreign and exotic
Only when one becomes a mother does one spend 10 minutes contemplating in Longs about whether to buy the new triangular shaped Crayola crayons for her son or stick with the Walmart purchased $0.25 box of 24 Crayolas with the classic 8 pulled out and labeled neatly for her newly preschooled son.
On with the weekend...
My mood: fabulously happy
Oh, and guess who now owns crayons that will help with his grip? :-) :-) ;-)
Okay, I'm the first to admit I've been lazy and not wanting to think of anything clever to say (was there ever anything clever?)...
Mostly been dragged down by work and a little sad that Sis has so much to do that we hardly spend time together during her stay. Children suck up a lot of time and energy (although they are worth every bit of it). Now I have a slight cold on top of everything. She'll be here for another week and a half, so I hope to get to do more things with her (shopping?). Time really flies by, I can't believe that another school year has begun.
Speaking of school year, did I mention that my child LOVES school? He did tell me today that another boy yelled at him that he couldn't be Spencer's friend because he was Spencer's friend. He was sad. I was mommy-mad. I told him to tell the other kid that Spencer can pick his own friends and that he can have as many friends as he wants. Then I told him to tell the other kid "You're not the boss of me." And then I told him to stay away from that other kid cause he's a big bully and now I have to fight the urge to seek and destroy. Will my advice get him into trouble? I hope not. But he does love school. Yesterday was his first day of Chapel and he even enjoyed that (they learned a song) and he says grace before eating lunch every day. Cute. Now if God could only smite the bully child with some manners I would be extra super happy.
My mood: a little sucky and a little sicky
I have come to realize that my son's outgoing personality is not from me. He is a constant flirt and always finding someone to talk to when we go places. For example: we went into Sephora and he finds a cute Japanese girl to talk to who works there. She ends up giving him a strand of "mardi gras" type beads. I ask him if he said thank you. He runs up to her and gives her a hug. She says "Aaaw, that's the best thing that's happened to me all day." Then when we get to the register, he gets a balloon from the lady at the counter. She cuts one down from the register (they were not giving out balloons, they were just on display) and hands it to him. At Old Navy, he managed to get some worker bee to fetch his shoe out from underneath the stroller. He throws a ball and someone fetches it. This happens at almost every store we go to. The register people are always entralled by him. His head is easily inflated by hearing people ask me (over and over again) "He's sooo cute. How old is he?"
He is also the little manipulator. For example: when I'm mad at him he says things like "Mom, you're so cute. Why don't I give you a kiss?" and "Your're so pretty mommy." and "Mom, I love you."'
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I've recently discovered ebay and all it's bidding glory is quite useful for a mom trying to update her child's toy tastes which can change as often as a woman's taste in shoes. I've been to chicken to bid on anything, but in the past, other people have bid on stuff for me. So my latest dive into the realm of online bidding is (of course) Transformer toys. I have sis bidding on a few things for me. But I am just amazed at what people sell. For example: one can by transformers Vintage starscream fists. They're currently going for $3.75 with $1.50 shipping. Who would buy fists? I dunno, but apparently there are a lot of body parts for sale. They even have lots that are comprised of various parts. Very strange, although as a recent buyer of such toys, they do come apart quite easily and I can see how one can lose fists. Our Brawl currently is missing his right arm and one of the missles of someone else blasted off into the atmosphere of Hurricane C-Man and his domain and has never been seen again. Maybe I can find one on ebay? Or maybe someone can learn not to break off limbs of his toys when he gets frustrated transforming them... [sigh] Or maybe mom could get a clue and stop buying the ones that are so hard that even she needs to use the instructions to figure out how to turn them back into a vehicle... [more sighs]
Of course, I'll never learn that lesson. Our most recent Transformer buy is a Transformer crossover w/Marvel. It's a Spider-Man Transformer. It is so complicated, that I can't figure out how to change him one way or another without looking at the damn instructions.
But he's cool. I couldn't help myself... I'm such a sucker.
Here he is converted to motorcycle.
My mood: hot (been traveling upstairs and downstairs trying to find ingredients for some dessert to make)
PICTURES of Angelina and Brad's new babes will fetch 14-million for a charity set up to help children around the world. When did the world get so ridiculous that one would have to pay outrageous money for the rights to photograph a person? I mean most of the planet will never see that kind of money in their entire lives times ten. It is a sad world we live in. At least they're using the money well (or so we hope).
My mood: bewildered
For the summer reading program the theme was bug related. One of the prizes (which is his favorite) is a plastic bee. It's about 1-1/2 inches long and has clear plastic wings and most importantly it has a stinger.
He spent part of one evening stinging me, which promted me to put the bee on a time out for the rest of the evening. The bee came down off the refrigerator tonight along with the threat of additional time out for repeated stinging of mommy. So the bee happily came down and proceeded to sting the trains, sofa and cousin. The bee did not sting me once.
C-Man says "Mommy I'm not stinging you." Then he begins to shoot me with the bee's antennae accompanied by loud laser gun noises and spittle.
My mood: sore feet from retail therapy. Did not do much damage, which is sad but good for my bank.
About a year ago, I bought a top on one of our girl's day outtings. It was from this boutique and had boutique pricing, so I hemmed and hawed about it and decided that it was worth the $45 price tag. I am a sale rack shopper, so a $45 regular-price top is something to hem and haw about (not that I don't buy expensive things, but they need to be on "sale" for me to have that ooh-I-found-a-treasure-feeling similar to that of druggies and other damaging addictions).
I know, it doesn't look like much, but I love the top..... Anyway, last night we went to Ross to putz around while Uncle N went to get his phone fixed. As I was browsing around the store, what should I see? A chocolate print on a t-shirt that cost $8.99 -- what a deal. I was thinking that it looked familiar and digging through my pile of tops, I find my expensive top, same front print but different rhinestones and the back is solid on the t-shirt. My I-got-a-great-bargain high was quickly deflated.
It can be quickly remedied with a trip to the mall.
Am I sad or what?
My mood: happy that I'm getting a long weekend!!!!! Thanks sis!!!!!