The Botanical Gardens

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens

Recently on a trip with the kids to the public Library I grabbed a free copy of a local magazine called "Island Family", I love free stuff...who doesn't? I was pleasantly surprised with a calandar of events at the back of the magazine FILLED with free, or cheap activities to do with your kids! I mean filled. So yesterday I was looking at the list of things and noticed a listing for a children's story, craft and nature walk time in these Botanical gardens. I hopped online and found instructions on how to get there. It looked pretty easy so I made some last minute plans to go and I am so glad we did! It was on the East side of the Island, all the way from our shore to the opposite side and well worth the drive. We dropped off Gracia and picked up Bella and headed out!

Today the kids learned about spiders. They heard facts and learned all about them, then got to play some games about being different kinds of spiders, look at real spiders, color spiders. Then make a quick spider out of playdough and pipe cleaners. We had lunch and I wanted to go on a walk but it started pouring rain so I decided we'll do that another day. I think they have these keiki days every month, maybe even more often. It was a lot of fun and educational! and FREE!

I can't wait to try out everything else I have highlighted on the calendar, it's pretty exciting to have well behaved children't to take places and actually have an enjoyable, stress free time with them!


My 3 monkeys!


Pretending to be net casting spiders


Catching insects in their webs


Fishing spiders catching moths


Coloring



My favorite photo of the day! Them looking at me with the magnifier gave me a good laugh!

Next time I will include some photos from a nature walk!

Weekend update

Monday, April 20, 2009

We've got a butterfly, a pupa and 2 caterpillars!

Ellie was the first to find her this morning and came upstairs over joyed with the discovery! I can't believe how wonderful this experience is for the little ones AND for myself. I've never seen the transformation before!

Now we need to go on a walk and find some flowers so she can eat!

And we found 2 tadpoles this weekend, though only one made it home with us.....many photos and more stories about that to follow!

Weekend update:

Wow.....I'm not sure we've had such a busy weekend in a long long time. Every weekend is jam-packed but this one was particularly filled! Friday evening we rode our bikes down to the beach, kids in tow and had a wonderful few hours playing in the shore break.

I had a moment here and there to snap a few photos.....


The tide was very low leaning lots of rocks and tide pools to explore


This baby made it all the way to the shore with no help from anyone!


Out of all 3 babies she loves the water the most, even more than Jonah I think!


And eating sand is always a treat!


SO sweet to see 2 sisters together


My little firecracker enjoying herself!


I made a quick attempt at all of them in one photo....someone was ready to go home!


The love these two share is amazing, they are the best of friends right now!


Uh oh! We're tipping!


The sound of their laughter fills my heart with such joy!


Then Saturday we started the day off searching for tadpoles in Moanaloa stream. What a beautiful day and a beautiful park, we had the best time, even with the mosquito bites.....
I don't know if Pua knows this yet but she's my new best friend. We get along so well and she is so easy to talk to. We have the same faith and goals for raising our children and providing them with tons of great memories and experiences! I love her to death....she's been a good friend I've been praying for for quite a while now....


Me, Gracia, Pua, Phoebe, Jonah and Ellie looking at the Koy fish!


I borrowd the nets from out "Elefun" game, they worked perfectly!


Such a beautiful view of the Pagoda, the arching bamboo and the bridge....



We also had a softball game to go to for one of our Youth group kids, Gymnastics and then Dave's softball game for the Church league....phew, a super busy day!

Sunday we had the privelegde of going to luch with Pua, Carlos and Phoebe and the we met an AMAZING family. If you are interested they have tons of music videos on youtube... if you look up the Ron Artis Family Band, I'll try to find a link when I have more time. They have 11 kids, and are raising them in a very artistic musical, homeschooled, ministry setting. They are all so talented, they all play a number of instruments and write their own music. IT was such a blessing to be around a family who has the same values as we do and have the kids enjoy being kids, playing outdoors and making up their own kids and being surrounded by a family that genuinly loves each other. There was no fighting, no problems taking turns or sharing. They were all so kind and full of joy. It was wonderful!

And finally the new addition to our little family.....drying her wings as we speak.....


The kids have named her Joy.......

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

• knitting fancy

  So this is all i've felt like doing lately even though I can't touch the needles until 9 at night! So I work slowly....
  
  
  This became........
  
  
  This little skirtie soaker
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Orange and sorbet stripes
  
  
  I am a mess lately. I've got emotions coming out the wazoo. I am overwhelmed, exhausted, BEHIND, my house is a serious wreck, unmotivated and lazy, sad that my little 10 month old is walking instead of crawling these days and leaving the baby stages behind her more each day, wanting another baby even though the above emotions speak for themselves! I feel so......complicated lately!
  
  

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Easter Fun and Catepillars

Belated Easter photos are here...the first half of them anyway. Always a little behind of course but hey, better than not at all! Last Wed. all the kiddos dyed their easter eggs and made quite a mess and had even more fun....


We dyed, we painted, we glitterized.....yes that is a word!


cousins working side by side


Bella made some beautiful eggs dipped in all 10 cups of dye!


Jonah was very planned and artistic about it


They all made their share of the mess!


That is art in itself!!


This only lasted a few days.....


So very colorful!

Guess what I got for my birthday??? Well I got a bike from Dave so now I can hook up the trailer to the kids and take a ride to the beach or around the block which is great for my mind, my heart AND my butt.....and.....

my friend Pua gave us these......





Monarch Caterpillars! I LOVE butterflys.....always have and have never had the experience of watching all 4 stages of it's life! So WOW...is this interesting for all of us! Yesterday we borrowed some books from the Library on Monarchs and other Butterflies and we are all learning a LOT...funny it fit in perfectly with our "Insect" theme we are working on now! We've now got 2 Crisali hanging from the Bugville home! I'll try to take a few photos of those as well!

This Saturday we are going to Muanalua Gardens to catch Tadpoles and watch them grow into frogs! Yipeeee!

Our Little Gymnasts

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Little Gymnast

I signed Ellie and Jonah up for Gymnastics recently. Yes both of them. It all started when Lisa signed up Bella.....your kids can take a free class and of course both Jonah and Ellie loved it. At this age it is a really fun obstacle course and I thought some great practice for different gross motor skills. Dave wasn't too thrilled about Jonah taking Gymnastics, but we won him over. Besides the deal is he only gets to take it until Soccer season starts and then Jonah will get to be in Soccer and Ellie in Gymnastics. Once Ellie gets old enough for Ballet I'll have a whole new battle to wage, as Dave is very opposed to her being in Ballet. But i've got time to work on him.

I have many reasons actually for getting them involved in Gymnastics. Socially I think it's great for them to learn to be around other kids, learn to interact and make friends. It's wonderful for following directions, copying and listening skills. And Gross motor activities as well....and it's just plain FUN! There is a rope wall and a rock wall, uneven bars, balance beams, a trampolene, hula hoops, and all sorts of other fun gadgets! Both of them love it so much. And overall that is the most important factor at this age. I do want them to have some activities outside the home that are theirs to enjoy and experience. April has been the first month they are taking classes and they are only once a week so far (though you can have them in up to 6 times a week!) Once Jonah starts soccer I think I will use the money for Jonah's lessons and let Ellie take 2 classes a week. And let me tell you for the money it costs for the classes it's worth the amount of giggles I get from watching them! It is so adorable and funny to see them attempt new things.

I was only able to get some good shots of Ellie this last week, I'll work on Jonah and Bella this coming Saturday. It's hard to get some of the photos because of all of the equipment they have to learn on!


Balancing a star on her head across the Balance Beam


Stepping over the cones


Bear walking!


Stretching out time


Through the tunnel!


More Balance Beam

Ellie's 3rd Birthday

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

This is my Ellie. I know there are a lot of photos to look at, it's hard to choose when your baby girl is growing too quickly into an adorable little girl! It's been a wild ride these 3 years. I can say with assurance that having Ellie has changed my life, my heart, my mind. I struggled after she was born with PPD but we are troopers and we made it through, not without a lot of help!

Having Ellie has brought some of the most frustrating moments as a mother as well as the sweetest most precious moments. This little girl has a personality unlike anyone of earth. She is the sweetest, cutest, most spunky and most stubborn girl you'll meet. A little jokester and clown, even at an early age she was messing with Jonah, and she hasn't stopped, it's only gotten worse! She loves to laugh, and make others laugh. She's also a sweet little Momma herself and loves to take care of others. Her imagination is so huge it astounds me to watch her play pretend as she names the family of airplanes, or animals or dolls.....and her love of books reflects my own. Late at night we can hear her through the baby monitor reading to herself all the books she's piled in her bed. or often we find her sprawled out on our bed with books surrounding her, the little sleeping princess in the middle of it all.

She is a girlie girl who loves being the princess and ballerina as well as the tough girl out playing with the boys, pumping those skrawny little legs to keep up. She loves skirts and dresses....and being naked. She is a cuddler and a sweet marshmellow that just melts into you when you hold her. A firecracker when she's lit up and excited. Her energy is practically endless, until she collapses into a sugary snoring pile when she need a recharge. She can bat those long dark eyelashes and cock her head in a way that will make you hand over your entire heart. She runs like Phoebe in friends and sings with the vabrato of an opera singer.

She is my Elliett Anne.

My life would never be the same without her.

Happy Birthday Princess!