DAY 1: Photo of yourself with 10 FACTS

1. My color is CRIMSON and my blood bleeds it.


2. I used to sing made up songs whilst dancing around the park pretending I was in a musical. I still sometimes pretend that life is a musical...


3. I think it's ironic that in my profession I expect clients/students to open up about their deepest fears, feelings, thoughts, etc. but I avoid talking about that stuff like the plague.


4. Some would say that I have a competitive nature...[that may or may not be an understatement...]


5. I've been knee-boarding since I was about 9 or 10 and I still think the best way to spend a summer day is out boating on the lake! [That is one of the few downfalls of living in Hawaii- no fresh-water lakes!]


6. I tend to smell unfamiliar food before I taste it.


7. I document my life through pictures and scrapbooks [and now a blog] but don't worry- I definitely experience through my own eyes too!


8. I want to have a plum-purple room in my house one day.


9. I'm eternally grateful that I know where to find true peace and joy.


10. I'll go to the gym when I have to, but I'd MUCH rather exercise in ways that don't feel like exercise- running outside on a perfect day, playing sand volleyball, park hopping, basketball, hiking, swimming, frisbee golf, football, surfing, boogie boarding...

i'm a sheep!

Yes...I am giving in to the 30-Day Photo Challenge. I really love pictures and doing unique things with them. [Although this 30-day challenge isn't so unique...] Seeing as my scrapbook stuff is stuffed in a boxed holed [stuffed? haha] away in my parent's garage on the mainland, I need another creative outlet in which to display my millions of pictures. Granted, this is supposed to be a 1 picture a day sort of thing, but I tend to overdo things in the photo department. So here goes...

My Day Job

I'm a full-time nanny for the next couple weeks for a 16-month old girl [Baby]. I usually only watch her 3 days a week, but Grandma is gone. I'm also watching a 3-year old boy at the same time 2 days a week for the month of May. Whew...never knew staying at home could be so exhausting! Some things I've learned [that stay-at-home Moms and Dads know very well, I'm sure] about Baby:


1. Sleep when Baby sleeps
I've heard this saying before and understood it from a theoretical perspective, but now I understand first-hand. The only time to rest is when Baby isn't constantly pulling books off the shelf, getting into the dog food, or playing 56-card pickup...and the only time Baby isn't doing those things is when she's sleeping. And I don't even experience the sleepless nights! I can't imagine having to get up every 2 hours to feed a newborn and THEN taking care of her all day.


2. No means no
Granted, I've learned a lot about this concept in my psychology and child development courses and have put it to practice in the classroom. However, when you're watching only 1 child who is the cutest thing on the planet, the temptation to give in to her "peese?" is a lot greater. BUT I know it's a lot easier to "say what you mean and mean what you say" rather than give in to Baby's manipulative fake cries. [That sounds a bit harsh, but you know what I mean!] Then they learn that no amount of crying or fussing is going to get them what they aren't supposed to have.  
Although I have to admit, when I'm on an important phone call trying to schedule an interview and Baby is fussing and crying because she wants my water-bottle, I give in. Oops.


3. Always eat before or after Baby eats
Otherwise, Baby inevitably wants what you're eating and won't eat her own food. [Tune-in the vigorous shake of the head, "NO!" when offered yummy vegetables.] One time I was eating pizza. Rather than giving her a "bite?" of the good part, I tore off a piece of over-microwaved, chew crust. That turned her off and she happily enjoyed the rest of her green beans. 


4. Clean up at the END of the day
If I was a neat-freak, I probably would have anxiety about the millions of toys littering the floor...and be constantly picking up after Baby, straining my already bad back [at only 26! ugh.] and testing my annoyance level. Thankfully, I'm definitely not. While that might not be the best non-quality to have for an office job or other of the sort, it's ideal for this sort of pseudo-parenting I'm doing! Clean up at the END of the day when I pass Baby off to Mom & Dad and it's time for me to go. 


5. It's all worth it
LOVE when Baby runs up to me and gives me a great, big baby hug. Enough said. :)

As It Turns Out...

...summer is NOT here- unless you view the past week or so as "Summer Storms"...

It was a crazy thunderstorm with just as crazy lightening. The streets were flooding...this picture doesn't do it justice since it was taken from my phone.

Again, you cant really tell from this picture, but I had my wipers on full-blast and I still could hardly see. Reminded me of Washington! :) It's REALLY not fun driving in the rain here, though...nobody knows how. Kinda like driving in western WA when it snows ;)

April Showers...

...not in Hawaii! Summer is fast approaching. Yes, it's summer year-round, but once you've lived here for at least a year you can tell the differences between the seasons. The rain, milder temperatures, and the cloudy days are slowly disappearing completely and is getting HOT. Which means lot's of play time outside! Soon I'll be begging for the trade-winds to come :)

Bellows is probably my favorite beach, especially on a non-windy day like this one.  It's gorgeous AND good for boogie-boarding. It's a military beach, though, so it's only open to the public on the weekends.

Brody- Sarah and Kyle's dog. Dug himself a hole down to the cooler sand.

April is also my BIRTHDAY month!! 

First stop- submarine tour!

I had an entire weekend of festivities planned. Friday was dinner and night out in Waikiki. Saturday was filled with kayaking....and I left Sunday up to Tim. He was a good boy and planned a whole adventure for Sunday 4/10, my actual birthday.

On the boat that took us to the submarine. I got pretty seasick even though I bought the "seabands" that are supposed to use acupuncture to alleviate symptoms.

One of the man-made reefs. The reef in front of Waikiki is wearing away so the University of Hawaii and some other organization were funded to sink man-made reefs including ships.

I stealthily captured a picture of this professional picture that was taken as we boarded the boat...or not so stealthily since I got caught red-handed. "You're no allowed to do that!" And the photo was swiftly taken away- she never asked if I wanted to buy it :)

The second part of my birthday surprise was a dinner cruise! I've been wanting to go on one for a while, so I was quite pleased :D It was part of the Atlantis Submarine package. This is us on the ship out in front of Honolulu. 

Appetizer- shrimp in cocktail sauce!

I'm scared of my lobster. Part 1 of 2 main dishes. The other was a prime roast something or other.

How do you eat this thing? The waiter was quite amused my all of us "unrefined" folk. He was graciously helping all of us twist the tail off and poke the meat through...whilst laughing in our faces :)

Gorgeous view of Honolulu.

Diamond Head. We (sailed?) (cruised?) (rode?) from Aloha Tower in downtown Honolulu around Diamond Head and back.

This bona-fide cowboy was from "Oklahoma, ma'am" and a 6th-generation one at that! Notice his walled strapped to his back, knife in the front, green boots, and green handkerchief to match!

Diamond Head to the right with Waikiki and Ala Moana to the left.

Since it was my birthday, I got a candle in my dessert.

Also since it was my birthday, I got called up to do the hula :) I've never danced hula before [except random moves during trainings at Kamehameha] so it was interesting!

Haha lucky Tim was asked to go with the waiter. Little did he know that he was volunteering to dance in the finale!

I have other pictures of Friday night and Saturday- I'll post them later...maybe :)

Back again...

Welp, I'm back in Hawaii, yet again. Round 4. Not sure how long this time, but probably at least until August. I came to visit Tim- was only supposed to be for 10 days...but within the first 3 days of being here, I got 2 house-sitting requests and 2 babysitting job offers- and a third yesterday! So, rather than just getting to lounge around all day basking in the sun, I'm keeping busy this time being a nanny/babysitter 3-5 days a week. But definitely still enjoying the year-round sunshine and summertime! I feel a contentment in being back- not sure where I'll be a month or 6 months from now, but right now I'm where I'm supposed to be :)

 Tried crab legs for the first time- delicious!

 The result of being in WA for so long + no sunscreen...oops.

 Riding the bull @ Mardi Gras! People would gather round every time someone rode, so I had quite the crowd cheering me on.

 Go COUGS! I got this water bottle for Tim in WA as a "surprise"- we love surprises :)

 Keeping hydrated at Lanikai Beach

Date night at Haleiwa Joe's, Kaneohe, HI

 I [and Tim] can check another first off the list!

back on the good 'ol mainland

Ironic that as soon as I finally get my HI license I decide to move back [yet again] to WA...although I have to admit, I did see it coming. But now whenever I flash my id I get collective "oohs" and "aahs" and "WHY did you move back to rainy Washington?!" Haha. I've been back for 3 weeks exactly. Here is a photo montage of all the holiday festivities [including HI]:

Every year Tim's company [Watt's Constructors] throws a mean Christmas Party. I love them because I get to buy a new dress! :)

Holiday Party @ Brent & Amanda Barr's. 

[Tim, Sonja, Sarah, Rachel, Amanda, Matt, Ryan, Karla]

Ok, just kidding. I'm too tired to write/post more. But I shall continue this holiday posting at a later date! Hopefully I don't procrastinate like I usually do...it could get bad. I'm already about 3 years behind on my scrapbooks. Why did I start a blog again?