Just Sayin

Right this very second, Tamara is stabbing a baby spoon into a jar full of flowers. What do you think that means? lol its funny the things little kids do. Me and Mone had been chattin for a bit the other day and he asked, "I wonder what theyre trying to say, or tell us?" Referring to Hene and a little bit of Tamara. They scream, talk, blabber on all day long, but what is it that they want?.. lol all I know and believe is that kids will be kids and us as adults with all our frustrations, and especially overloaded to-dos need to sometimes CHILL and take a moment to simply LISTEN.

Every morning I go and take Willy to football practice and I love to roll my windows up and blast my music. Whatever songs I listen to sort of set my tone for the day and I let it give me the mood that I need to keep my head up and strong for my two little ones.

Well.. one morning after I dropped him off, I switched things up a little..

I rolled down my windows and turning the music OFF. And as I drove home, I LISTENED. Birds were chirping, cars were passing, sirens were sounding but above all, the wind was blowing.

It's cool when you make a small change that makes a change in your life and your perspective on it. That morning I filled my mind and heart with GRATITUDE. I promised myself I will be grateful for the little things that we as humans overlook so easily because of the way our world and society revolves.

Worldly things have take over. And we all know it. But how do we find our way back to the view of where things all began? I think this is why you sometimes hear people say, "I wish things were life before, like they were back in the day." And it's a comment like that that shows how much our world has evolved since "back in the day".. things arent so original anymore. Things now are just a step further or a newer or twisted version of what is already. Dance has gone from the hokie pokie to the cat daddy. I mean, I remember when they would bleep our cuss words on the radio, but now they've allowed some to fall through. Didn't they bleep those words out for the safety and innocence of the kids? Well whats the difference between kids ten years ago and kids now... absolutely nothing. So why the change? Children are more exposed to adult content that they begin living lives they shouldnt for years and years to come. So can we really blame them for decisions they've made? or can we be all accountable for pitching in to their decision making because of the things they are exposed to?

Tamara and Henele are exposed to kissing scenes on the Disney Channel. Immodest dressing through the singers and dancers they favorite. Attitudes and behaviors from children around them that pick it up from adults, both good and bad.

So when we hear on the news of young girls that are pregnant or teachers sleeping with their students or people committing suicide... is news like that really a surprise to us? It's not.

Aside from the things our kids are exposed to and the whole gammot, the question is and really makes or breaks the bigger difference is, "What do we as parents do?"

We have every bit of power to change this world. To really make things like they were "back in the day".. We say that we are limited to what we can do because we allow us to even have limits. If more of us believed we could do great things and work miracles like we see in the movies then our limits will be none.

To be inspired enough to do something. To do anything. Whatever is on our minds when you listen to something or see something. Inspiration that flows deep in our veins and runs throughout our entire bodies so fluidly that your mind captures images of the unimaginable. The indescribable. The magnificent. It's that moment when you see a beautiful picture. A photograph at angles the average eye couldn't see.

I as a parent will be inspired to capture that image of how I will make the change, for my kids to succeed.


Just sayin.

Certified Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day to all those amazing Fathers out there!

So this is what me and the kids did for Fathers Day... We wanted to get him an ipod touch.. but since were so short on change, we had think of something within our budget. So, I got to thinking about my Dad and what he's been up to lately...

Well... lately he's really into making him his "diet" fruit smoothies.. Every morning he will blend him vegetables and fruits whether separate or combined along with some ice.. And I remember him always having a different drinking bottle while come to find out, they belong to someone else.. So I thought... lets get him one of his own.. 

So I went to Big 5, which is the closest sporting goods store to home and got him a FILA Bottle... My idea was totally meant to be, cause if there's one thing you know about my dad, it's that he's a FILA MAN! haha seriously! He loves the FILA Brand. And as I was walking out of the store with the bottle, I thought, "Hey!, Why don't I fill it up with what he loves!!"... So His favorite candy is the Almond Joy, he never has any lunch money so I threw in a 20 dollar bill and last but not least an updated picture of Tamara and Henele for his wallet! haha "We make the front of the wallet once again!!" My dad's wallet is the only wallet in our entire family that has baby pictures of ALL THE KIDS including the baby pictures of me and my brothers and sisters! How about that for the PROUD DAD/GRANDPA AWARD OF 2012!! 

He really is an amazing dad! He treats my mom like a true queen! And I do mean QUEEN! Whatever my mom says goes.. and that's how it's always been between them. I totally envy my Dad for that. Not a lot of Dad's will truly dedicate their entire lives and selves to their wives the way he does for my Mom.. But.. What's great about all those years of dedication to my Mom slash BOSS... is that now that us kids are all grown and much older.. The seven of us totally spoil him like crazy! So all those years of him being totally selfless is now paying off.. =)

He literally is at the Lake fishing right now.. lol But he deserves it!

I LOVE YOU DAD!!

I am now a CERTIFIED Nurse Assistant!!

So that 3 weeks of extremely boring class time has now paid off! I got my Certificate in the mail sometime last month but failed to blog about it.. haha

As I updated my resume adding my newest certificate.. I overlooked it and thought to myself.. "Damn, I have some good timing!"... And what I mean by that, is my Unemployment dates are very short time periods and my reasoning behind my short time with Sunflower Farmers Market is undisputeable, thank you Maternity Leave and Single Status! After having Henele, I go right into school and then into Homewatch!! My resume just keeps getting better and better... I am currently on break, MOMMY break that is.. and then right into Fall semester at slcc with that FULL TIME STUDENT Status!! oh yeah baby!! 

Sorry im blabbering on... we all have proud moments right?

Is that the T.V. on and Tamara is ready for church?.. haha

His shirts never make it past 12 pm... Life of a Hot Boy... and I do mean HOT! lol

Thoughts Fizzing In The Mind

So I've been thinking.. "Why don't I take over the World?" I mean if Oprah can do it.. why can't I.. Did you know Oprah was a teenage mom?.. But she lost her child at an early stage of life. And I'm not saying that because I'm a teenage mom and have high hopes that one day I can rule the world... Or am I? pfft! WHATEVER! hehehe

No but really, I have been thinking a lot lately about my life. What do I want? Where am I going? What do I do? How do I get there? Where are my answers?... Have these questions ever crossed your mind?.. I think my problem is that I'm not embracing the present.. I'm so caught up in finding my next step or my next move that I'm letting the present pass right in front of me without me even grasping it. I need to CARPE DIEM! Like.. for real. I'm always looking at my calendar to see what's coming up, so I can be prepared or looking at sticky notes on my phone in case I might forget something important. There are even times where I'm on the phone with a Financial Service and I'm scheduling payments ahead of time and in my mind I'm thinking why can't I just fast forward to that day so that the payment goes through and I don't have to follow up on it.

I'm so pathetic right?

So.. For now.. I will be taking a very large chill pill and I'll relax. Tamara and Hene aren't gonna be so little anymore and I can just see myself 10 years from now asking myself, "Why did I worry so much?" haha... Here I am living my present and my future..

Now, onto another note.. Love..

Love is so mysterious! It's one of those words you can describe with thousands of other words. But still, it's something more then that. You all know what I'm talking about. I'd like to introduce to you all, T.R.P.
ha ha.. gotcha there with the abbreviation trick huh?

I wish to not disclose any other name that has not already been presented on the actual blog.

How about that for some fine print.. hahaha... (not so fine really)

Anyway.. T.R.P. is what I call "a best friend".. I know what youre thinking... if he's just a best friend why won't you tell us his name... blah blah.. =) We've talked for about two months, he's 23, Full Laos (I know I know, he's tall and skinny, I'm short and fat... opposites attract right?haha jk)... Just your standard text and call.. Nothing more, nothing less.. He assures to me quite a bit that my kids won't live their lives without a father "figure" in their life... now that's where I pumped MY brakes... What was he trying to say by that?.. I've told him time and time again.. I will not fail my kids and I do not want to bring men into their lives like Little Caesars Pizza.. maybe not actually putting in the little caesars part into that sentence.. i sorta just threw it in cause that stuff really does come in and out of their lives, like QUICK.. haha But I can tell where he is going with all this mess.. and the sad thing is, I'm not. At least I don't think I am..

Pretty pictures for this blog. I got them off pinterest the other day.. Thought they were so pretty and thought if I put them on my blog they could inspire me to blog all that's on my mind...

Plan To Kill The Bill

Bills Bills Bills....

If it ain't both my kids being fussy that's giving me a migraine, then it's bills... For me, what gets me all worked up and stressed to the max, it's one of the two.. and lately, it's my bills...

Let me give you a simple outlook of it all...

$2500 in debt from an extremely dumb, what-was-i-thinking marriage.. PERIOD!
 ohhhh.. one more thing.... I put in a two week notice with Homewatch and am currently UNemployed! lol

Now.. $2500 is not actually a lot... but to a single mom of two REALLY young kids that is unemployed, it can be a challenge.. Since I've been out of work, I have lately been reorganizing my life.. I'm a pretty organized person, (i would say) and I like things done in order. So, I've introduce Math back into my life and committing it to simplicity. And I have to say, I'm pretty awesome at math.. Huge thanks to working for Discover Card for almost 3 years, I can calculate my own interest, finance charges, fees and so long as I'm consistent with my PLAN TO KILL THE BILL, I'll be in the green in no time! lol

So what am I doing for money might you be asking?.... lol... Well.. My good friend Lasa was telling me about "the babysitter program"... I'm like THE WHHHAATT?? hahaha... I'm thinking a daycare job or babysitting peoples kids... but no.. it's -i think- a government paid program that reimburses you for the food you pay to feed the kids you babysit.. took me a bit to catch on to it.. but I now understand how it works.. So for money... I babysit my little Monster Crew and will get cut a check from the government that reimburses me for feeding them...

It's a big help and as much as id love to collect that on top of a check from homewatch, i cant... I resigned from Homewatch because Henele is not very good with the warm weather.. or at least he has developed strong enough lungs to comply with it. He's doing much better now.. plus, Ill be going back to school full time in the fall. Which by the way, I am waaaayyyy nervous about... But you have to take the hits somewhere right?

 I didn't know that was illegal! hahahaha

Now in this pic, is Christina on the left holding Henele (you can't see them), Tamara, Sunshine holding Coco, Jay and Teta. 

Did you count? lol THAT'S 7 KIDS!! blaahahahaa The only one we didn't have was baby Luseane or we would have the ENTIRE monster crew in the back of A CAR... let me emphasize that one more time... A CAR!! hahaha..  Have I ever showed you guys my car?... let me show you what it looks like..

Not too bad ya?

But picture 7 kids in the back of that car.. lol I was driving, Mone was in the passenger seat..

This pic was just 2 days ago... I had fun watching them all.. Luseane got dropped off a little later.. =)

Me and Coco ran a few errands together.. He's a very good helper!

Little Buster!!

 The whole family went to a West Valley Ward Dance last weekend to support these four on their program. They did such an awesome job!

That same weekend we went to that dance, we had our TA'AI Reunion.. My mom's side.. It was ok.. minus the extremely cold wind that eventually forced me and my kids to leave early.. But here are a couple pics..

Kuips, Sunshine and Annselina.

Les, Me, Inga holding Baby Bet, Loisi and one of the twins.. don't know which one that one is..

Kuips, Loisi, Mack behind Jay, Sunshine and Sela

My whole family, but missing THE SIR, and THE BABYS... Last time I ever take a pic standing by Aki! lol She's done such a good job on her weight loss, I'm a bit emotional about it all cause I'm usually the skinny one.. but whatevs.. I'll get back eventually.. She's my motivation! =)

June and Loisi

June and Madre

Les, Me, Sela, PREGO Anaseini and Singa

Never fails that you'll find me by the food! haha

We get bigger every year!

Our theme this year I feel was a good one...

WE ARE WHO WE ARE CAUSE THEY WERE WHO THEY WERE

Mone did great on the banner! =)

 

Well, there they are.. the reason for everything I do. I couldn't be happier!

Changing Children

Ok. So I'm sure that with all the pictures you guys have seen of my kids you have noticed by now that Tamara has Bluish/Gray eye color. And it's funny... Cause everywhere I go with her, hands down, someone is bound to say something about her eye color. I've heard it all.

"Omg, she has such pretty eyes!" / "Look at those eyes, is she half white?" - uh sure.. lol

I could go on.. It's starting to get pretty annoying to be honest.. At first, I would go on with people about how unique she is with how she turned out "white"... but after awhile, lets just say it get a little old. I'm sure Tamara is sick of herself. As attention-needy as she is, I've noticed lately that when people stop us and ask about how fair she is and her eye color, the way she reacts to it, is she turns away so people can't see her. Almost like she's embarrassed.

Anyway, I was at the NPS Store earlier today and the cashier lady was all like, "I just love your guys's eyes!" At the register was Tamara, Lee and Me. I look at Lee like, who is she talking about 'your guys'... and I say, Thanks! Then she says, "You guys have color eyes.".. haha

And in my mind I reply, Uhh duh genius, EVERYONE has color eyes! lol Even the Albino's that shouldn't have any color, but still do. You know, technically, Albinos should have red eyes. But Tangiloto has VERY LITTLE pigment in his eyes that they were able to turn out greenish/blue.

But I just think it's funny how people respond that way.

A couple sundays ago, my Mom was holding Henele in Sacrament and she turns to me and says. "Via, Henele's eyes are starting to lighten up."... I think to myself, Oh no!.. lol And don't think that it's something I don't like or appreciate. I absolutely love that my kids are unique in a different way that separates them from other full Polynesian kids. I guess, it's safe to say that it's one of those things that you won't understand unless you actually experience it. So it's hard to explain from my perspective for you to view.

 

Is it just me, or does it look like her 'blonde' is coming back? One thing is for sure, she doesn't look like a baby anymore.. (tears!)

The other day, I was playing with the both of them, weeellll, it was more like, they were playing with eachother and I was the side bust. But I caught a couple pics since I got kicked out of the game they were playing.. (jerks)

Here is Tamara pretending to be a Doctor and telling Henele that his stomach is too big!

Tamara's Review goes like this...

Patient: Henele O'Vikster Unasa

Symptom: Bloated

Diagnosis: Toomuch'similac'fatbellysyndrom

Perscription: Stop eating diet for a week!

That's a 12 month onesie.. He's only 6 months.. 

We went to Drewby's 4th Birthday party on Monday! It was such a blast! Tamara didn't want to leave but had to. =( Thanks Drewby for inviting us! 

Drew's Birthday theme was SUPERHERO! I dressed up Henele as Superman cause I had something he could dress up as. So adorable huh? Him and those abs of steel! Not to mention that full diaper! lol 

Taking A Step Back

She's grown up so much since this picture.

I've been keeping an eye on Tamara and I watch her do things. Not at any particular time or anything, I sometimes just sit back and watch her do whatever it is she's doing. And I ask myself if, with Henele being around and with my attention on him instead of her at different points in our day, if it affects her in any way. 

I had cried my heart out one morning.

I was busy giving Henele his bath and dressing him and also giving him his "asthma" treatment.. All of which would be a good hour of "mommy" work. Throughout all that time, she had been crying for me to fill up her sipi cup of juice. Later that night I watching her sleep I cried thinking back on it and remembering my perspective of Tamara while my full focus was on Henele. And I had remembered her constantly saying, "Pees, pees!" or sticking the sipi cup in my face and I had took it from her and threw it to the side saying, "go watch tv." I was so frustraded with Henele not in a good mood and Tamara in my face. 

This is one of those times a Mom wishes she could duplicate herself, or simply have another 2 sets of hands.

Finally after I give Henele his treatment and give him a bottle, he falls asleep and I put him in his crib. I go out to the living room to check on Tamara and I find her sleeping on the couch with her empty sipi cup and tear trails had dried on her cheeks.

I remember as I watched her sleep, not even in a comfortable position, I fell to my knees and cried to her. I said, "Im so sorry Tamara!" I put her in a comfortable position with a pillow and one of her favorite blankets and I sat next to her and just watched her sleep. With a too late filled sipi cup I tucked it in with her to sleep with and gave her a big hug and kiss. 

It's times like that, that really make me take a step back and it refreshes my mentality as a mother. My patience was tested that morning and even though that morning I totally bombed it, it actually is my reminder every time I run into the same situation. 

It happens, when they are both fussy at the same time, but now, when it does, I remember that morning I dropped to my knees and pleaded with Tamara saying, sorry and I just push myself harder to tend to the both of them at the same time. 

It's a skill and I believe, I'm not too far from mastering it. =)

She's a huge huge huge help to me! She's so smart and the one thing I love the most about my Tamara Leethee, is how independent she is. She likes to do things on her own and when I try and help sometimes, she tells me no and does it on her own. I'm blessed with such an amazing angel. She has shined so much light in my life that things now are so clear!

I LOVE YOU TAMARA!!

The Child First And Always

You know... if I had my laptop, blogging would be so much more fun and a lot easier. As much as I'd love to blog everyday, I unfortunately have to use the computer in the Big House that is shared by everyone. Which is fine with me, don't get me wrong... it's just that my chances of getting to the computer when no one else is on, is quite a challenge.

But anyway, lots has happened since my last entry. So lets get started!

Work has been quite a challenge. Having to watch the kids, get them up and ready in the morning and fed is a whole kinda process. It's not as hard as people might view. But there are those times when they are both crying and I can only do so much within my power. But all in all, we get through those rocky times.

I've only been working about a month, it's an on call job and technically, I'm only part time. The pay is good, the work is work. But when you hit those times when you are stuck with having to take the kids here and there to be watched after while I work is where things get a little tough.

Now that spring is in full bloom, I have recently learned that Henele is allergic to the pollen in the air. It's what triggers his airways making the muscles around his air pipes to tighten and it lessens is intake and out take of breathing. Then to add the fact that while all this allergic reaction is happened, he's sick with the flu. That adds mucus to his respiratory airway and mind you, a little baby can't cough up all that mucus so it helps by clogging his already tightened airways and makes it that much harder for him to simply breath.

I know right? POOR HENELE!!   

Theres Henele Friday night on May 11. Grandma gave him a warm bath and we slowly added cold water to get his temperature down. At the time he was hovering 100 degrees give or take a couple degrees.

Not really having a fun bath time. But there they are.

Soon after his bath, me and my mom finally decided that we should take him into the hospital and have him checked out. So I wake up Lee who is only 2 minutes away from us and we are on our way to Primary Children's Medical Center at about 2 am. 

Hoping that everything was ok, we are admitted into the hospital with RSV and Paraflu. 

"Ahhh shucks!"

I keep these things and put them in their baby books. But theres Heneles very second tag. =( I really need to keep these tags to a minimum though.

From May 11 at about 2 am to May 15, we were there for about 4 close to 5 days. By far the longest time I've been away from my Tamara Leethee, but definitely enjoyed every bit of mommy-son time! Just wish it didn't have to be in a hospital setting! =)

Boy were me and Hene so excited to leave the hospital. As nice as the nurses and aids were, it just wasn't home. And he was doing fine the last two days we were there anyway. 

A couple days after we get home from the hospital, Tamara and Henele are back to the same old. They laugh forever long and then they are mad at each other... I know right? I don't know what the deal is with it, but that what they do.

 

This one looks like Henele is telling Tamara, "Thats what you get." hahaha.. Even though she did nothing wrong..

Now Henele is giving me the rocks eye brow... 

But soon after there little ignorance, they will go right back to laughing and playing again..

Kids huh?..

So while I was in the hospital, I watched an episode of Dr. Oz. And one of his segments was on this juice drink that if you drink it before every meal, it helps you burn fat. It's called the swimsuit slimdown juice and consists of...

1 cup of Grapfruit Juice

1 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp of Honey

Me and my dad have been drinking this goodness for about a week now and let me tell you, I really do believe it burns your fat! So try it out.. If you need it or are just curious.. =)

Welp.. My son is doing A WHOLE LOT BETTER.. its been going on a week since we left the hospital and he's been a tough little one and I'm proud of him!