WE "Heart" Creative Day Preschool

Day 1-3 looked like this...Sad and Scared, If you look at the top, Kingston is already at the top of the stairs.

Kingston thought it was his first day of school and didn't want to leave!

There he is racing up the stairs. He screamed when I told him he had to leave.

On January 17th Kienna Mika started Creative Day Preschool here in Kailua Kona! It was a very tough start. Weeks before beginning preschool she was very excited. She would make comments like, "I can't wait to go to the Big Girls Preschool"...

"Don't worry about me mom, I'm gonna be okay."

"I don't want mommy to come to school with me... I can go all by myself!"

So in my head I'm like, "HALLELUYER!!"

As we were driving to her first day of Preschool she said,

"I don't Mommy to leave me there."

"I want mommy to stay with me."

" I don't want to go to the Big Girls School." We walked up those stairs leading to Creative Day and for the first time in Kienna's life, I could tell she was scared. Scared of the unknown. She is very talkative, social, and confident around her brothers and I but she shuts down if we are not there. With us moving to 3 different cities in the past 4 years, the kids don't really have the opportunity to make close play date friends. They played a lot with each other.

Day 1,2, and 3 were terrible drop offs. She cried and cried. Teachers had to hold her back. I could see her running away from the teachers, hiding under the chairs and tables, while trying to dodge the teachers. The teachers had to literally corner her, catch her, hold her, and comfort her for those first three days. It was hard on our whole family. Kingston was fussy at home because for the first time in his life his sister was gone. It was almost like he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't want to play with Kelan either. As for me, I was filled with feelings heartache and anger.

The phrase. "Grrrrrrr..." pretty much sums up how I felt for these past three days.

I told Joe, " Should we just pull her out and wait untill the Falll to enroll her?

She might be ready if we wait till after the summer." J

oe told me to wait 2 more weeks and if she is still crying, screaming, and running away, we should take her out.

Day 3: One morning, I caught her staring down in her cereal and when I called her to look up her eyes were filled with tears. I asked her what was wrong and she responded...

"please don't make me go to school." And she continued to look down while all of the tears fell in her milk. She didn't make any noises while crying. ((Which is a first for Kienna!)

They were silent tears that broke my heart. So I did the only thing I could do...Hold her and pray with her. Something along the lines of "please heip Kienna Mika enjoy preschool and be happy again." "Please help her to remember she is loved."

Day 4: On Friday January 20th, she woke up feeling excited. We had a good morning and got her ready for school. She walked up the stairs and the teacher said,

"Good morning Kienna, guess what? Today we are making chocolate cupcakes because it's the end of letter C week!"

Kienna grabbed the teachers hand, smiled, and waved bye to me:) (What the heck?)

Before I left she gave me a hug through the parent huggie window. And since that day, I've been getting happy goodbyes and and big hugs. She loves preschool and is smiling every time I drop her off and pick her up!

Thank you Heavenly Father! HE does answer prayers.

And thank you Chocolate Cupcakes!"

Wow, it's been fun reading and learning from everyone else's posts for the past year! Thanks guys! IT's time I contribute!
2011 has flown by and was THE MOST challenging year of my 30 years of life here on this earth! lol...Along with the challenges I have done things I never thought I would be able to do.  For that, I'm proud of myself.  Within the past few months our family graduated from the 0-1-2 year old crew -- to the 1-2-3 year old crew.  It's great and the difference is huge.  A year makes a difference and things are getting easier.  Hallelujah for double strollers and our baby sling.  The kids started TUTU and ME traveling preschool.  It is on Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours a day.  They love being with other kids and especially going on feildtrips.

November feildrip to the Keauhou Firestaion

Maunalani Christmas Tree Festival Feildtrip

They love being together.  This is in their room hiding under their futon.

Kienna Mika just turned 3 years old in August.  She will be starting a daily preschool in January.  She is sooo smart and witty.  By witty I mean that she can dish out some wise cracks. (Sometimes we laugh with her and sometimes we send her straight to time out.)  Just before her birthday she was able to accomplish our summer goal of potty training!  She loves to paint, sing Japanese children's songs, and loves the color pink.  Her favorite animal is a giraffe.  She loves to decorate Christmas trees and loves ornaments.  She is also a chocolate person like her daddy.  One of the silly things she likes to do now is pretend ballroom dance with Kingston.  She calls herself princess while wearing a crown and calls Kingston her Prince.  She is inquisitive and asks questions about EVERYTHING.  We are excited that she is starting preschool next month and hope that she make lot of new friends.  

They gave us reindeer hats for taking a picture with Santa @ Prince Kuhio Mall in Hilo.

Kingston just turned 2 in October.  He loves to play outside.  He loves to climb and jump.  He is probably the most social out of the 3 children and other kids love to be around him.  He loves fruits and icecream.  He is our snacker and not much of a meal eater.  He loves to eat ketchup with his food and sometimes that's how we get him to eat.  His favorite color is orange and his favorite animal is an elephant.  He can count to ten out loud and knows his basic colors. He loves to hug his teachers at school.  The funniest thing he does is one of his dance moves when he hears music.  I call it the "dog making shishi on the pole" dance move.  He basically gets down on all fours while kicking one leg in the air.  It's hillarious.  

Kelan is a full on MAMAS BOY!  He is killing me.  He always wants to be with his mom.  Hangs onto my legs while I'm washing dishes, follows me into every room I walk in, and crying for me for just about everything.  But I sure do love the little guy.  
  He loves to EAT.  He can grind.  I should have known he would eat anything after he ate chips and salsa with guacamole at 7 months old.  He is actually an early walker and talker.  He started walking at 7 months like Kingston.  I can't believe these guys try to take off so early!  
A few words he says now are, "Mommy, Tutu, Daddy, Nena(Kienna), Mine, Cookie, Drink, Onion, Carrot, Door, Light, Baby, Bye, No, Kaukau."  Kelan turned 1 in September and we had a Baby Luau for him in Laie this past Summer.  It was held at the BYU Stake Center.  He loves to dance, sing, climb, and pull out all the DVDS and throw them on the floor. On the bright side he loves to help with cleaning.  He's depressed if his sister and brother are not around.  He loves to watch real animals.  (Especially dogs and birds. )

Joe is a one of a kind amazing Father and Husband.  Geez...he's just the best.  I really don't know how he can separate work and home but he is very patient, loving, and hardworking .  We are really proud of him.  In July he was asked to step into the Vice Principal postion at Kahakai Elementary.  At first he declined because he didn't want to take more time away from our family.  But I made him call back the principal to accept.  And BOY have our lives changed since then.  His job is very demanding and he is responsible over SOOOOO MANY different things!  His leaves for work around 6am and comes home around 6:30 pm.  The kids go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 so some days they don't even see him.  He is still learning the ropes so his job requires alot of his time.  But I am sooo proud of him for all that he IS and all that he DOES.  He currently has 2 callings.  He teaches the Youth Sunday School class and is serving in the Elders Quorum Presidency.  

And there I am... Tired as HECK!!  I was reading my first post when Kienna was born about not being able  to bathe a baby and feeling uncomfortable with diaper changing.  Well I'm proud to say that those days are LONG GONE! 2 big accomplishments that I am able to see through this year are 1)  Cooking and 2)  Going out with all 3 kids anywhere all by myself!   First about Cooking...  I am now cooking every night.  Thanks to all my iron chef friends who share their recipes with me.  We still have Pizza nights, and hot dog and rice nights but I'm comfortable in the kitchen and getting more familiar with dinner in the crockpot.  Second about going out with the kids... It is me and them ALL day everyday so we are used to doing grocery shopping, errands, parks, and school together.  Our house is always a mess but it is clean in the morning and before dinner... all other times are just crazy.  Some days are tough and I lack motivation over the motherly/wifey duties but after a few hours of feeling sorry for myself I can usually swing back into the right mode again.  Thank goodness for the gospel and all u wonderful examples of motherhood... I can press forward with the day.  I love my  little family so much and thank them for being so patient with me.  My 3 children and husband are always showing love to me and I feel so lucky.  I've been serving in the YW Presidency for 3 months now and I love it.  The youth in our ward are awesome.  There aren't alot of members at the highschool here so they are  pretty tight with each other.  We love our ward!


Well... hope I was able to catch everyone up.  Thank you Mary Latu, Harm Kahaialii, Tali, Hafoka,  BrennaJean, Hardy,  and Crystal Hafoka for the uplifting posts over the year. I enjoyed reading your posts and always learn something new.  I've been a frequent checker-outer of your blogs this past year.  Happy Holidays everyone! Love ya!

Welcome Baby Kelan!

Kelan Yushin Kalamakuhikuhiokaman'olanamaikalani Pi'ikeha Ha'o

Excuse the crimz picture...

Joe and Kelan

This one is by far...NOT our best picture... but it is my favorite because there is a story behind it. This was taken immediately after my emergency C-Section.

I thought a lot about how I would write this post. I finally decided to record the scoops by taking it straight out of my journal. The Journal Entry was written on September 16th while I was still recovering in the hospital. It's long and personal but I still feel like sharing so here it goes...

September 16, 2010
"It is now 2 days after Kelan's birth. He was born on 9-14-10 at 2:51pm. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz and he was 20" long. He is very hairy! This little boy saved my life. It is quite an experience that I want to remember in detail so I'm going to write it down.
We checked into the Hilo Hospital around 10am but we weren't having any more contractions. My contractions were growing further apart and I was already dilated 9cm so Dr. Hirata broke my water bag at 2pm. He broke my water and went to feel the baby's head. He looked a little worried and said, "something is blocking the head, an arm maybe?" We found out that it wasn't his arm or his head, it was his face. Kelan was trying to come out face first. Dr. Hirata said, he can't come out face first and there was only one way to deliver the baby--C section. The baby's face would be smashed and he wouldn't make it if I delivered natural. Dr. said he has a C section team assembled and ready to go. I cried a little because I was scared and didn't know what to expect. I was also scared that it would be too painful and healing would take FOREVER.
By 2:40pm I was on the operating table and ready to go. Joe was in the surgery room with me. They put a sheet up and made a wall between us and the actual surgery so we couldn't see what was going on. Joe held my hand during the whole process. I felt super loved by him during this moment. They pulled Kelan out at 2:51pm. I could hear him crying and crying. He wouldn't stop crying until they handed him to Joe.
We found out soon after that the C section was a huge blessing in disguise. My placenta had abrupted by 50% causing blood clots and internal bleeding. It wasn't even connected to Kelan when they took him out. Had I delivered naturally, I would have started hemorrhaging without the doctor knowing. So because Kelan was coming out face first we were able to have a safe C section where the doctor could see what was going on inside and both of us would be safe.
The healing is so sore. 15 unexpected staples across my lower abdomen. But I still feel healthy and blessed! Thank you Heavenly Father for always taking care of me and for looking after my family!"

That is the journal entry guys! I wrote it while on painkillers so I'm sorry if the whole thing isn't cohesive. Anyway, I'm still recovering in Hilo and everyday I feel just a little bit stronger. I can't wait to play with my children and pick them up. The hardest thing is not being able to hold them yet! But I just have to be patient. I'm so grateful for Tutu Gramma Akoi, Aunty Haulani, and my Mom who are taking care of my 3 babies while I heal. I love you guys, thank you so much! Kelan is doing great. Sleeping, Eating, and Pooping all day long. His cry is like a squealing pig which makes him very unique. hehe We love the little guy and we are so glad he is finally here with us.

38 WEEKS... I'm almost there! Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

This pregnancy is FLYING by me literally. We have been so busy this summer moving into a new apartment, visiting Laie for the summer, and we are just barely situated into our new place. Now I have to prepare for this baby to come! I'm feeling nervous that it will come early without everything being in place yet. (I'm having mild contractions, as I type. Yikes.) I've been asking Joe, "aren't you just a little bit scared?" He always says, "nope!" Gosh I wish he could be the pregnant person for atleast one of my past three pregnancies. I was starting to feel reluctant if I could really make it this year. (Make it emotionally and mentally.) I have a few friends that have 3 under the age of 3 but in my eyes they are super moms and always have their stuff together. When people ask me if I'm ready for baby #3 to come, I'm thinking "Ready or Not, Here he comes! And he's coming real soon!". We have chosen the name Kelan for him. (It is pronounced like Helen with a K.) I still haven't figured out the spelling yet. (Kelan, Kellen, or Kelen.) He has been super active since the beginning of the second trimester. At my last ultrasound he was 6 1/2 pounds so he will probably be a 7 1/2 pound baby. Hopefully not anymore than that... We still have to set up his crib, wash his clothes, set up his drawers, and get his travel system ready. I am hoping that he and Kingston will be Best Buddies. Joe and all of his brothers are each others Best Friend and I'm hoping for the same thing.



This is what Kienna and Kingston have been up to while Kelan prepares to make his entrance into our family...

Kingston just made 11 months yesterday! His favorite show to watch is our HA Breath of Life DVD. He watches it once everyday! His favorite part is the Maori Haka. He gets all excited and starts slapping his thighs and chest. His 3 distinct phrases are "Mama" "Papa" and "Ay ya yay ya". He loves to kiss his sister, mom, and dad by leaving his mouth wide open and falling forward into us. He sleeps next to Joe every night and sleeps through the night. He is down to 2 bottles a day and loves his sippy cups. His favorite food is Macaroni and Cheese and soft fruits. He loves papayas, bananas, mangoes, and grapes. For comfort he sucks his thumb and holds his green zebra blanket. He started walking at 7 months and he is running all over the place now. He is still a little wobbly running around in his slippers or shoes. He weighs the same as Kienna but he is shorter and 13 months younger. My favorite thing he does is laugh and smile! The most impressive thing he has done so far is push our heavy Costco Cart while we were grocery shopping. He is a messy eater and is known to take a bath after every meal.


Kienna just turned 2 on August 28th. We are trying to potty train her but she is not ready at the moment. She loves to play with the toilet paper though! She can speak in sentences and loves to read. Her most impressive thing that she does right now is tell us about some of the Book of Mormon prophets from her book. She loves to sing and remix her own songs. Her favorite food is hotdogs or cheese pizza. Her favorite snack is Otter Pops and Mochi Crunch. She goes to timeout a few times a day which is in her room at the moment. She is a dynamic 22 pounder and excited for her new little brother to come. Her favorite stores are Target and Safeway. Target because of their toy section and Safeway because she gets to drive a buggy attached to the grocery wagon. She loves to shake the missionaries hands and likes the DVD "The Best 2 years". Hopefully she can serve a mission someday. Kienna has a favorite blanket too. Her blanket has hole in the corner and she calls it "finger hole" and gets her finger stuck in it all the time. She loves to swim in pools but fears swimming at the beach. She is more of a sand person like me.


Well Kelan... we can't wait to meet you!

Family FUN Days...

I am not an outdoor person but I do like to go out. I like socializing and just being out and about. Sometimes being a stay at home mom with an almost 2 year old, almost 1 year old, and a big pregnant belly limits me to going outside of my apartment. (okay not just sometimes... try everyday I feel limited!) But I still try to go out as much as I can and make sure we get some outdoor family fun time in. Here are some clips of some outdoor fun. Outdoor just means "outside of the house".

We went walking around the Hilton Waikoloa. There are so many cool animal statues to take pictures with that we couldn't resist but throwing Kienna on these horses. Thank goodness we didn't get kicked out after taking these pictures. The statues were only supposed to be for display.

I never thought I would match in a mermaid costume for Halloween and I was right! After eating dinner at Outback in Kona we walked around Alii Drive in. What a scary looking mermaid! Kienna made an awesome looking turtle though!

There is a cool children's park that we go to about 15 minutes away from our new apartment in Kona. I like it because they only allow children 5 and under to play in there. I hate when there are 12 year olds trying to jump over and around my little babies. Here is Kingston climbing up the slide. He likes to put all those little rocks in his mouth which can make enjoying the park a little frustrating. He just made 11 months yesterday!

The next 2 pictures have a story behind them. Joe and I took the kids running on the football field one day. When Kienna wasn't paying attention, this little girl comes along and tries to play with Kingston. She wanted to walk with him, hold his hand, and pick him up if he fell down. Kienna finally realized that someone else was trying to play with her brother and ran to him. At first she stood back to observe the girl. Then she ran towards them and said, " NO TOUCH BOO BOY! No carry Boo Boy! She tried to tell the girl off but unfortunately, the girl ignored her.

So Kienna ends up rescuing Kingston by grabbing his hand and running away with him. Practically trying to drag him away from the girl! Way to go Kienna! Joe and I just stood back to see what both of them would do. I am hoping that this is some kind of foretelling that Kienna will lead Kingston away from older girls... or just girls in general and help him to stay out of trouble. hehehe...

Happy 30th to my Sweetheart!

I have a young looking husband. In his Senior graduation picture he honestly looked like a 12 year old doing a photo shoot with a cap and gown. In his mission pictures he looks like a mini-missionary. (You know, one of those young men in the ward that go out with the missionaries to help them out.) He is a teacher and depending on what he wears he could pass for a student. Anyway, this past May 13th was his 30th Birthday! I wanted to make it super special for him but I had to be creative because we live on a "super special budget".

It ended up being awesome and I am learning that money blesses us with convenience, comfort, and the basic necessities. But it is we who determine our happiness. Yup... it's all up to us!
This is how we celebrated his Birthday...

We started the morning off by cuddling with him while he ate his FruitLoops before he went to work. The kids sang "Happy Birthday to Papa".

He opened his present form my parents. Kingston and Joe got matching hats from my parents. They modeled it together!

During Kingston's nap time, Kienna and I baked 30 cupcakes for Joe! Half of them were chocolate and the other half were yellow. His favorite icing is vanilla. It was nice to spend time with Kienna in the kitchen.
The next day was Saturday and we invited Gramma Akoi and Aunty Haulani over for some Homemade Juicy Lucy's! Pretty much it is a stuffed cheeseburger. It is made with 2 sealed hamburgers that are stuffed with American Cheese. Fries, Potato Salad, and some Watermelon helped to make his Bday meal complete. My cousin Aukai baked Joe a Red Velvet cake that is a winner! I don't even like Red Velvet but I can eat half a pan of Aukai's Red Velvet Cake.

Happy 30th Bday Joe! Thank you for working so hard for our family. Thank you for giving your 100% and especially for loving me. At first I use to think that Joe was a lucky guy for marrying me... But the longer we are married I am realizing that I had it backwards the whole time. I'm the lucky one. Happy Bday Sweetheart!

Happy Mother's Day??

Some Mother's Day it was this year! I ended up throwing up, crying, and sitting on the toilet for the most of it. I got hit with the stomach flu but was still able to make it to some of church. Even with all of that there were a few highlights that made me feel appreciated.

#1: The most awesome breakfast ever! It was great. My favorite was the brown sugar bacon with the homemade hashbrowns. It didn't matter that I had the stomach flu... I ate as much as could. My excuse being my pregnant craving self would not hold back!

#2: I have pretty awesome in-laws. I'm very grateful to belong to such a wonderful extended family. I love the HAO's and I love being a part of them. Jordan and Jesse were the cooks for this awesome breakfast. They are the 2 youngest HAO boys in the family. I love these 2! Here they are pretty happy to present their breakfast to me. Thanks guys!


#3. Although I was very frustrated for being sick this Mother's Day, I was still grateful to be appreciated by Joe, Kienna, and Kingston. I love you 3! Thank you Joe for the Prime Rib Dinner that I couldn't eat. But it's all good... the thought that counts. Hope everyone else had an awesome Mother's Day!