AROHA!

My first experience in Hawaii was when my parents took Matt and me as teenagers. The Polynesian Cultral Center was one of my favorite things we did. While we were there, a very enthusiastic man of asian descent stood up on his canoe, waved to everyone and said "AROHA!" Thus explaining the title above! Anywho, Todd and I took Katy and Jordan to Ohau during fall break to party and visit Skippy, Heather and kids. How fun to play with cousins in Hawaii! Skippy (Todd's bro.) is doing an externship at BYU Hawaii, so how could we pass up the chance to visit while they were there. We also gave the kids their b-day presents early--cameras! This was the best idea ever! I hardly had to take any of the pictures and it actually looks like I was on this vacation! Lest I ramble on and bore everyone to death, I will just provide an outline of the big funs that we had each day!


Thursday:
*Checked in at Turtle Bay (North Shore of Ohau)

*Plate Lunch (first things first) for dinner with Skippy, Heather and kids/Tour of their living quarters

Friday:

*Got right to the beach at the hotel. It is a bay that is so fun for swimming/walked around the resort

*Lunch at Hale'iwa Joes

*Ted's Bakery for the Pineapple Macadamia cheesecake (see the slideshow--especially Emily!)

*Found Magnum P.I.'s estate "Eagles Nest". Todd looked it up on the internet and had to dodge waves around some rocks to get to the title pool Magnum swam in below the estate. Sadly the house is torn down and a new something is being built.

*Liae Point-hole in a rock!

*Dinner with Skippy and Heather at the yummy Thai place. Jordan and Austin babysat the kiddios

Saturday:

*Jordan and Mom ran sprints on the beach and saw turtles

*Todd and Katy joined us for a morning swim in the bay

*Breakfast at the Hukilau Cafe (Like on 50 First Dates) with the cousins--delish

*Swap meet......Heather and I walked around in circles looking for the car. It all looks the same!

*Pounders Beach--picnic and big waves. The boys and the kids had fun on the boggie board. I am afraid, but I did have fun playing in the big waves. This was one of the favorite things! Funny how the beach is always the kids fav. and it is free!

*Back to the hotel for swimming/hot tub

Sunday:

*Pearl Harbor (seems like a quietish sunday activity) with the cousins

*Sunset beach for our sandwiches

*Back to the hotel for naps on the beach--heavenly

*Temple-visitors center and a very interesting "musical" fireside (the term musical used very loosley. We don't know who these people were. I think they were tourist that decided to grace the locals with their presence. They should stick to vacationing!)

*Dinner at Skippy and Heather's--Thanks Heather!

Monday:

*Todd went golfing at the Turtle Bay Palmer course

*Beach-snorkeling/pool at the hotel. Jordan loved the snorkeling, but Katy is more like her mom. We don't want to know who or what is playing in the water with us!

*Polynesian Cultral Center--Heather and the kids came to the villages with us and then we went to the Luau and Horizons night show. (We had to say goodbye there and everyone got a little teary. It was terrible to say goodbye, but we had a blast hanging out in paradise with you.)

Tuesday: (plane leaves at 9:40 p.m.)

We decided to fit in some of Mom's list of sights, and hit some favorite spots again!

*Breakfast at Hukilau....again

*Pounder's Beach.....again

*Bonzai Pipeline Beach--this one had the really big waves, almost too big for my liking!

*Waikiki Mall--looking for the Hilo Hatties and for Le Hing!!!!! Lunch at the food court--plate lunch of course for Mom and Dad...the kids wanted pizza!

*Drove to Diamond Head but it was closed

*Pali Lookout-Some say it is the most beautiful view in the world, me being one of them!

*Walked on Waikiki Beach in the dark then turned in the car and headed to the airport for our all night flight.

Wednesday morning:
*Arrived home at 7:30 a.m. and got the kids to school. Of course it was picture day for the girls so I had to figure out something in that department.

*Picked up Allyson from Melody's. She didn't want to leave. She said "There was a lot of baby holding" while I was gone. The girls are still talking about their "2 nights at each persons house."

Thanks so much to Matt, Cortnie, Jack, Nana, Papa, Melody, Jonny, and Julia for taking the girls while we were gone. They had just as much fun playing with you guys as we did with the cousins!

Anyway, we miss you Peck fam! Thanks for the awesomely fun time in Hawaii! Love you guys!

SOCCER!!

I finally remembered to sign the girls up for soccer! They ask me about it every year, after the season has already started--thank you Mother of the year! We have had a nice long break from soccer since we made Jordan narrow his extracurriculars to merely 3 sports per year! That's when I put it out of my mind forever. I actually thought maybe the girls wouldn't be so interested in the sports side of things, but Katy loved softball in the summer and who knew she could run like the dickens!! Man, when she kicks it in she can get down the field in a hurry! Katy made quite a few goals for her team, and by the end they had even learned how to pass to each other. After Jillian's first game, I asked her if she liked it. In her ever so dramatic way she answered "I don't like it....I LOVE it!" I loved how she came over to the sideline in the middle of the game to give me a kiss, and her thumbs down if the other team scored. She was always interacting with me during the game which is a fun change from the more intense games of the older kids. It reminded me of the end of One Fine Day, when the kid was playing soccer and he was just excited to kick the ball! That was Jillian, just happy to be there and have fun. The highlight for her was having Melody, Jonny, Lili, Jeff, Matt, Cortnie and Jack come to her last game. Thanks guys--what awesome aunt and uncles! So, good exercise and fun times had by all. Football is still in session, but what a relief to only have 1 game a week this month instead of 3. Katy's and Jordan's games were on the same night so things were pretty hectic during Sept. What do people do? Only let one kid be in a sport at a time? I don't think that would fly around here, but I certainly don't want to be one of those parents running around with thier head cut off! I finally got prepared last week and carefully planned out our meals so we didn't have to eat tacos at 9:00 for dinner. Maybe when they talked about overscheduling our kids in conference last time it was for the parents benefit. How can we do the important stuff when the trivial things are taking over? Hopefully things will calm down now, but surely something else is right around the corner--never a dull moment round these parts!!!!!

Please continue to ignore the black spot on every picture. Apparently I have dust on my sensor and will be paying 35.00 to have it cleaned!

Did you say kittIES?

It all started at the annual cousins picnic at Frisby's house. I excused Todd from attendance because I needed the swingset put into the ground(preschool was starting the next day). After the yummy food and the Karoke, out come the darling tiny kittens! That is when the begging began as it always does when someone has kittens. At first I said "Not on your life!" etc. Then Stacia chimes in about how cats are the best, and they will be all litterbox trained and whatever and all the sudden I was agreeing to let the kids have one! They wouldn't be ready to leave for a few weeks, which gave me some time to convince Todd--YIKES! He is generally opposed since the previous attempts to have a kitten haven't worked out. Tunces (very hyper, jumped up on everyone) was run off by a cat with no tail who tried to become our pet. Our next attempt was Max(whined constantly at the back door trying to come in). His mom from across the street kept coming over to take him home. Both times we only ended up having the kittens for a few weeks. Also, Todd hasn't been happy with how the kids have taken care of the kittens, and he always ends up taking over. But, the kids cried that they are pet deprived, and this time will be differnt, we will do everything to take care of it.... I caved! Well, it was finally time to get the kitty, so I called Aunt C. to see if she was home. Somehow, I still don't know quite how it happened, I got talked into taking 2. One calico and the one that looks like Hitler! The kids coudn't contain their excitement and the kitties do play so cute together. When Todd (still not thrilled about the kitty thing) got home from work I said "come see the kitties." He started walking toward the garage and then realized what I said. "Did you say kittIES, as in you brought more than one?" But as soon as he saw how low maintenance and good natured they are he was OK with it.

So far it has been GREAT! I think Maisy and Courgar are doing so well because they have each other. I haven't heard them once whine at the door (which takes away the guilt of making them "outside cats") and they are so good with the kids. It's true they are litterbox trained and already used to not coming in the house. The kids are also keeping up their end of the bargain cleaning out the litterbox, keeping their food and water full, and playing with them. Jordan has even introduced them to the alleged garden area in the backyard where we saw all the mice scurry around when we tilled the dirt! He said they already have the scent! I guess we have a year to worry about the two cats reproducing (I think we got one of each). Someone will have to get fixed! Anyway, thanks to the Frisbys our kids finally have a pet--at least for now....

The Bluetooths!

I guess people are getting sick of seeing the back to school pictures on my blog (I have recieved an editorial comment!!! It was actually funny if you want to look) Well, I'm sick of it too--boring! I've been meaning to post about Katy and Jillian's new imaginative craze. One day Jillian came in the room talking to herself like..."What...oh ya....I know...mmmhumm" etc. I thought she was trying to talk to me, but then she pointed to some thing hanging on her ear. I think it is a keychain of sorts with a charm hanging off of it. She was talking on her bluetooth of course. Then I looked outside to see katy sitting on the jungle gym talking to herself with something similar hanging off her ear! I thought that was pretty funny since Lili and Papa are the only ones they have ever seen with such a thing! They love to take them to Nana's and it was a crisis when Katy left hers there! Jillian is very stalwart about hanging hers on a tack next to the lightswitch in her room. Maybe she won't be the kind of Mom who can never find her phone, like me! Anyway, that's the closest they will get to a bluetooth for a long time!e!

Now We're all Back to School

Today was the first day of preschool! If you can believe it, it is my 7th year and Melody's 4th. Allyson has also had about 7 years worth of preschool already, but this is the first year she is actually enrolled in the T, Th morning class, and it was Julia's first day too! Melody and I rearranged the room, so we'll have to see if we like it. We have 15 darling kids in the morning class(T, Th) and 13 darlings in the afternoon class (T,W, Th). They were so cute and relatively good for the first day. They were already making us laugh and it seems like we will have really fun classes this year. Julia was also very cooperative! Hopefully the kids don't maul her to death, and drive Melody nuts! Anyway, here is a slideshow of all of our first day back!



Allyson has been so excited for preschool to start and to have all her friends coming. I asked her how her first day was and she said it was fun! She liked the toys and putting stuff in her cubby! Funny, she isn't totally sick of it all! This is totally unrelated, but yesterday Ally asked Nana if they could look at the things in her "Julia box" (jewlery box). Funny!

Back to School, Back to Reality

I have been dreading this day all summer. I love having no homework, a break from preschool, swimming, camping and just general freedom from a set schedule. Yes, it's true, the kids are driving me nuts with their fighting and messing up the house. But, the biggest reason I didn't want summer to end was that I had to send my precious boy to the arpit of the earth....Jr. High. I can't believe he is that old. I don't feel old enough to have a kid in Jr. High. I still feel like I'm 20, just starting out my family. Of course, he lost his schedule (boys! I had mine highlighed and placed securely in the front of my trapper keeper!), so I had to go with him on the first day to make sure he got another one and knew where to go etc. As I walked with him toward the locker hall I said "I guess you probably don't want me to go down there with you." he said "If you need to Mom, you can come." I guess he doesn't hate me quite yet. I left with my eyes filling up with tears. I almost couldn't leave him there. I'm worried about so many things--8 classes to keep track of, bad influences, girls, drugs, teachers teaching wierd things, etc. Todd gave him a really nice blessing which actually helped calm me down a little too. Anyway, I went straight to my running which really helped. I had my music and I tried to concentrate on my breathing as to not burst into hystarical crying. It's just that the world is so scary these days and I can't be with my kids every second anymore to protect them. Hopefully they make good choices and talk to us about things that go on in school. Also, people have told me to volunteer at the school so I feel like I know what is going on. Nonetheless, Jordan is loving it so far and he is already getting better organized.

I am also a little concerned about Katy's teacher. He is kind of weird and just got moved up from P.E. specialist to 4th grade a week before school started. He called her "Katy bug" in P.E. and it made her embarassed, so I told her to let me know if anything happens to make her feel uncomfortable and I will switch her to another class. So far she is liking school, but I will be keeping a very close eye!

I guess I'm sounding a little "dooms day" about Jordan and Katy. Jillian, on the other hand, is loving 1st grade. She loves her teacher and was excited to be the first "Star Student" and pick a prize out of the box. Lunch is, of course, her favorite part of the day. It's been weird to have her gone all day, but Allyson and I are having a blast with each other. Sept. 4th preschool starts and Allyson will finally get to go to school too. She can't wait to have all her friends over at once! So the new year is underway and it's back to gride kidios! And back to the grind for Me too!

Tracy Aviary

As it turns our, I have never been to the Tracy Aviary in SLC. My friend Heather called to see if I wanted to do something fun with the kids since summer was almost over, so we headed up. We went to the Liberty Park(I think that is the one) that is right next to it and ate lunch. The kids loved to water fountains and the Saratoga like rides. When we finally went to see the birds Heather and I were pretty much wiped out and dying from the heat. The girls followed around a peacock and liked feeding the ducks. It seemed like we couldn't get enough water to cool us down, so we stopped at the 7-11 on the way home for Slurpees. That seemed to do the trick! I'm sad that summer is coming to an end, but I do love the cool fall weather!