Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I don't know about you but my 2012 wasn't the greatest. I am looking forward to 2013 and new beginnings. However, I need to stay positive and look at the great things that happened in 2012. Dwelling on negative things only bring negative!!

So here's to a fresh start and an amazing 2013!

Happy New Year everyone!

(New Years resolution post coming soon!)

BJ and Santa's Cupcake

BJ woke up the morning of Christmas to discover that Santa had eaten his cupcake. His reaction was priceless; he started to cry and say that he wanted his cupcake... He didn't want Santa to have it. Hahaha... It was pretty cute, and after we told him there was plenty more and Santa thanked him for being a nice boy with presents, he was completely fine. It was an expected and hilarious reaction. Christmas is extremely fun with a toddler in the house!

Hope all of you had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! This year is the first year BJ might actually start remembering things about Christmas, so I have been trying to think of some traditions to start. I was browsing Pinterest and I realized I almost forgot to make milk and cookies for Santa! I think we will try to beat the mad rush at the grocery store and go pick up some ingredients to make some cookies.... Other things to make on the menu include reindeer cupcakes and jalapeño cupcakes. Better get going to the store.

This little man loves to help me cook!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

BJ Went to the Dentist ~ Pedodontic Associates (Maui)

Pedodontic Associates (Maui) - A Personal Review

BJ went to his first dentist check up 2 days ago. (I know what you're thinking.  Huh? Isn't he almost 3 years old? Why hasn't he gone earlier? Yes, I have slacked in that department. lol)

Just a mini-review for any readers I have on Maui.  They haven't asked me to review or anything, but I thought it was important to share with you some things I learned about their company.

Pedodontic Associates is in Kahului, Maui.

1.  When you first walk in, there are a lot of colorful paintings of sea creatures on the wall, and the staff is extremely friendly.  If it's your first visit, they ask you to fill out two applications, so be prepared to wait a little while.  The only difficult part for me was that I went by myself, so I had to watch BJ and fill out paperwork, which would normally be fine, except BJ was exceptionally hyper that day... My only suggestion for Pedodontic Associates would be to perhaps have a mini-toy station where kids can play with toys while parents fill out paperwork.  They had one TV, that was up near the ceiling, so BJ couldn't see the TV anyway.  He just kept running around laughing and jumping on their    chairs and wouldn't sit down... I even tried giving him my iPhone but that didn't work! Oh well, what can you do? haha.


2.  Finally done with paperwork, they called us into the examination room, and the hygenist we had was extremely nice and great with kids. She let BJ know that if he was good, she would give him a toy at the end. There was a TV in the room to help him be distracted too.  She asked BJ to brush his teeth to see if he knew how to properly brush... and phew, BJ was great throughout the whole process! The dentist came in to check him and he suggested that we need to brush his back teeth a little better (woops) but that everything looked great. He did say, however, that BJ might need braces when he's older, so we better start saving. (eep)

3. BJ was really happy in the end when he got his stickers and toy car, haha. He's signed up for a cleaning in six months, so we'll see how that goes.

Overall, Pedodontics was great.  BJ likes the dentist because it was such a positive experience. He likes showing off his teeth now, and bragging that he brushes his teeth... lol...

1,000 Origami Paper Cranes

My body is healing...It's been a week since Jedi and I'm now back to pre-pregnancy weight. My body has pretty much healed, except when my legs get tired because I was bedridden for 36 hours, but my mind hasn't quite healed.

I have no idea what the grief cycle is supposed to be like but I have my ups and downs. I have been making cranes; in Japanese culture, it is believed that if you make 1,000 cranes, you will be granted one wish. I'm making my cranes to wish for Jedi to be eternally happy, wherever he may be, what ever religion heaven he is in. HJ says that he has the purest soul, and I believe that he will be waiting for us.

I'm sorry my blog have been depressing lately, but quite honestly I have no idea who reads these blogs anyway and it's a part of the healing process for me. I will have better days soon I'm sure.... Being with BJ really helps... and the crane making really helps. Buddhist heaven, Christian heaven, wherever... As long as Jedi is happy in the purest of heavens, I will be at peace.

Baby Jedi

Just something I posted on FB...

Dear FB World,

I just wanted to share with you that Josh and I lost our second son, last week Tuesday Dec. 11, 2012, and we named him Jedi. I delivered him at 19 weeks gestation and he was too small to survive. I don't normally share personal information on FB, but I wanted to share this with you because this situation has made me realize just how special it is to create a life, raise a child, have a family.  In my eyes, it doesn’t make sense to complain about petty moments, because we had a chance to live, while Jedi didn’t. 

In case you’re wondering, our family is doing okay.  If you try to contact me by phone, and I don't answer, I'm sorry. I respond quicker to texts and e-mails. Please understand I'm not trying to ignore you.

Thank you for your support of our family during this time.

BJ Doesn't Like Santa

*Sigh* BJ doesn't like Santa... Since he was small, he never liked large mascots like the Easter Bunny or Santa, but I thought that since he's older, it would be different. Well, I was wrong. Lol.

We bought semi-nice clothes for BJ so he would look nice in the picture but we didn't get anything for ourselves because we didn't think we would be in the picture. Notice our clothes? Notice HJ holding a brown paper bag?

Haha, Oh Man. Needless to say, we did not use this picture for our Christmas Card...

Two Year Old Drummer in Training

I know many of my FB friends saw this already, but just in case you missed it... This is BJ playing the drums for the first time. His daddy decided to get him an early Christmas present. :-)

We Take Things For Granted

There are certain events that occurred recently that have caused me to reflect on the purpose of life, and reasons why things happen the way that they do. Up until recently, I had been so caught up with everyday life, that I took things for granted... Took life and Earth's beauty for granted. Never gonna happen again! Life is truly precious and I am grateful for every day that I can enjoy a new day.

As I read the first paragraph of this blog, I realize how corny this entry is starting to sound, but it really is how I feel at the moment. I haven't been blogging for so long, that I don't know who reads my blog anymore. All I know is with recent events, I have learned how special life is, and I hope this blog finds you well wherever you are.

Bj slept over his grandparents house the other day, so HJ and I got to take a spontaneous trip to see Haleakala's sunrise. It was an amazing and healing experience. Definitely worth the 1 and 1/2 hour drive and suffering in the freezing cold!

The Cute Things BJ Says...

Happy Holidays everyone!  Hope you are well.  It makes me sad every time I think about how little I've been blogging.  There are a lot of things I will be sharing in the next couple of weeks, but I don't think I'm quite ready to share the news online yet!   BJ will be turning 3 in March, and I can't believe how fast time has flown by!  People used to warn me that the "Terrible Twos" are difficult, but actually, it's been extremely fun.  BJ talks a lot, and says the absolute cutest things.  Sure, sometimes he is a rascal and gets into trouble, but what kid doesn't?

Today, I'd like to share with you something cute that BJ said this morning...

I was leaving home to go to work, and BJ had just finished eating some dry cereal in a thick plastic bowl.  He picked up the bowl and held it like a Captain America shield, but I guess his grip wasn't strong enough. *BOOM* The bowl fell, it dropped on our kitchen floor, and a piece broke off.


This is what BJ said to his daddy after I left:

"Sorry daddy for breaking the plate"

"I was just pretending I was captain america"

"Because I wanted to be captain america for Halloween"

"Sorry for breaking the plate"

Too cute, right!  :-)

Had to document this...

BJ just hugged me and HJ and said, "you're the best you guys!" Awwwww

Something I Will Never Do...

I have a confession:  I people watch.  All the time. It's not like I do it obviously where I stare at people and make them feel uncomfortable, but I do it naturally, and it's fun to observe human interaction to see what "other people" do in various situations.  My part-time job gives me many opportunities to people watch because it's a little cafe and there are 10 - 20 people at any given time. Sometimes, I get to witness the most amazing things, such as a little toddler hugging his older sister, or a couple in their 70's holding hands and spending time talking to each other.  Seeing positive relationships comforts me, because all I see on the news nowadays are stories about fighting, guns, wars, etc.  Most of the time, people watching is fun...

Today, however, I witnessed something horrible.  There was a mom and her two children (teenage girl and a little boy) who came up to the counter to order breakfast from me, and here's how the conversation went:

Mom:  Do y'all have smoothies?

Me:  Yes, here is our menu for smoothies.

Boy:  Mom, can I have french toast?

Mom: No. You are going to share a smoothie with your sister, and we'll see from there.
(turns to me)
We'll have the Paradise Power Up.

Boy: MOM! I want french toast! I'm hungry.

Mom:  No. You will share a smoothie for breakfast.

Boy: MOM! Please! I'm HUNGRY.

Mom: No. We'll have the paradise power up.

Boy starts crying.


This conversation broke my heart! I don't think I'm describing the heartbreak this boy had in his face, and it's hard to convey on the internet, but I felt terribly for him.  It didn't help my sanity that he was very skinny...and maybe(?) his mother was trying to get him to eat some fresh fruit, but he honestly looked starved. 

Sigh.

Right then, in that moment, I promised myself I would NEVER get to the point of BJ begging me for food.  It was so sad.

I guess I shouldn't try that hard to people watch too much... I don't like seeing negative situations.

Blog Re-Design

Any bloggers out there know good sites to re-do my blog for free? As you can see from the picture, BJ is 4 months old in the current blog design, and he's almost 2 and a half now. I think it's time to re-decorate. lol...

 I remember when I first designed my blog, it took FOREVER, and even though it took me forever (and a day), it still doesn't look the most professional. I'm not exactly the best at photoshop. If anyone has any tips, please share. :-) Time-saving tricks make me happy.

Random Conversation with Daddy

HJ:  (Watching tv) "What the heck?"
BJ:  "Don't say that Daddy!"
HJ:  "Huh? Don't say what, Jacob?"
BJ:  "Don't say, 'What the heck', Daddy."
HJ:  "Oh. Don't say what the heck?"
BJ:  "Yah.  Don't say 'What the heck.'  That's a bad word, Daddy."
HJ:  "Okay, Jacob. I won't say that."
BJ:  "Yah. Don't say that."


haha talking to BJ can be so much fun!

Size 6 Diapers

Size 6 Diapers.  The maximum size that most manufacturers make diapers is size 6, and at two  and a half years old, BJ is currently wearing this maximum size. We are planning to potty train soon, but it's quite unnerving to think that he's reached the max.  I don't understand how some kids remain in diapers until they are 3 or 4 years old.  Where do these parents get their diapers from???  BJ isn't necessarily the skinniest child, but he's not the chubbiest either! Ugh.

I guess it's time to get serious about potty training.  We've started to introduce the idea of "sitting on the toilet", and he has peed once or twice when actually sitting on the toilet, but he hasn't figured out the concept of letting us know when he has to go.

If anyone has any tips for potty training little boys, please let me know. I would appreciate any hints and tips!

I Bribe My Son to Eat Veggies

I never said I was the perfect parent. In fact, I'm not anywhere near it.  My son is almost 2 and a half years old, and his favorite foods are Mac and Cheese, cheeseburgers, and McDonald's French Fries. lol...

Lately, I've been trying to include more veggies and fruits into his diet, and trying to cook more at home. It's definitely not easy.  I was told by several people to learn how to hide more veggies into his food (by blending, etc.), but I've been trying not to do that because I want him to appreciate vegetables; actually learn to like them.  It's been a slow process.  When I first started serving veggies to BJ, he pretty much refused.  Then, I got him to eat a couple of raw carrots (*gasp*) by serving some chive & onion dip with it.  He mostly ate dip but hey... a couple of carrots is better than nothing. haha.

Tonight, we ate sausage and squash with rice, but BJ was only eating the rice!

I didn't want to force squash down his throat, because I think that would be considered child abuse, lol, so I bribed him instead!  For every bite of  squash, he got to eat a small potato chip.  lol... Like I said, I'm not the perfect parent... but the fact that he's eating veggies at all is a small step towards healthy eating!  He even ate a banana for dessert!  If you have any suggestions on healthy eating, please let me know... but don't criticize me. I'm trying!!! :-)

I don't think it's procrastination... It's a Teacher's Life Cycle

It's June, and all teachers know what that means... SUMMER.  In fact, it's the end of June, which means it's that much closer to the END of summer. *sigh*

After six years of teaching, I've realized that I have a teacher's life cycle.  In the beginning of the school year, my entire focus is on teaching, so I stop doing other things that were once important (such as a blog). Then, as school breaks come, I become motivated to do things again. (So I re-start my blog...) Lastly, as class starts up again, I stop all things but school related things.  My reason for saying this is that it is summer vacation, and that's probably why I'm making an attempt at re-starting my blog. I really hope it will last, but unlike other times, I am not going to make promises.

I've realized my mistake from past attempts.  Unlike before, I am not going to promise to keep updating.      I can't promise to read other people's blogs, although I will as much as I can.  And I WILL NOT sign up to write promotional blog entries unless I truly feel comfortable that I can continue to blog long term.  It's not fair to the companies who send me products to try.

I've erased all unread mail messages, and will write when I want to, because once I feel this blog is a chore, I will stop.

So here's to starting fresh!!  I missed this. :-)