Have a great weekend everyone! I’ll be on Maui with John … we leave in 2 hours … we’re flying up there to check out a boat he wants to buy and plan to stay overnight. We’re also going to check out a couple of nude beaches ... hehe.

Well … I found out yesterday that I ‘flunked’ my glucose test. Now I have to be on a special diet (starting today) over the weekend. I go back on Monday to retake the test only this time I have to hang out at the hospital over the course of the morning to draw blood 4 times, once every hour for three hours. This test will determine if I have gestational diabetes or not. I also got the results of my HCT and HGB test … as usual I’m anemic again so I have to double my dose of iron until the end of the pregnancy.

Chris found out he’s going to Canada in March for concert band. He’s also going to Maui for marching band. There’s a general band booster meeting next week Tuesday to discuss the upcoming trips as well as fundraising. This year, the marching band will be performing at one of UH’s football games. I’m going to try and get a gig for that performance as a chaperone.

I have a busy weekend to look forward to … especially with graduation and chauffeuring Chris all over the place. This diet I’m on came at a stressful time … I’ll be a bitch all weekend, but it’s for a wonderful cause and it’s only three days ( I keep telling myself that). But hey … at least it’s not a restricted diet.

Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend … see ya back here Monday!

I feel loved ... thanks for all the well-wishes!The following is a conversation I had with my 6 year-old niece the other day:

Nicole: “Aunty Nancy, does the baby inside you get scared when you fart?”

Hapa: “what?”

Nicole: “does the baby get scared when you fart?”

Hapa: “I have no idea Nicole … by the way, where’s your dad?”

Ahh … the minds of little ones …

I survived yet another glucose screening. It tasted pretty good actually. I didn’t feel it until about 15 minutes later. I’ll get a call in a few days if it turns out that I do have gestational diabetes. I now see my doc every three weeks. We had a long discussion today. Despite being highly uncomfortable this pregnancy, there’s still a part of me that would like to have another one … a girl. Then reality set in by what I was told. Because of all the scarring I got from the previous c-sections, miscarriages, and the laparoscopy two years ago, this time around posses a threat. I was told that the placenta is low-lying … or a condition called placenta previa. There’s still a slight chance that it could get higher as my belly grows, but the ultrasound I had weeks ago shows that the placenta is practically touching my cervix. This led into the next discussion. There’s a possibility that I may need a hysterectomy … that would be near worse case scenario … because of the hemorrhaging. We’ll be setting up appointments for ultrasounds to monitor what’s going on and if worse comes to worse, I’ll be spending the last several weeks in the hospital.

It’s 11:30pm and I think I’ll head out to John’s boat. It’s a lot cooler than it was earlier this evening.

I gained 5 pounds this past month … ugh.

I don’t like being sick … especially being sick while I’m pregnant. The worst part is when gravity takes over and the runny nose you once had goes into your throat and ends up a nasty sore throat. That’s where I am now. It started early Wednesday morning. What makes it bad is that at Tuesday’s workout, I over did my biceps and it feels like crap right now … it’s like I tore muscle, which I probably did. So now I hurt all over and I have this nasty cold. Oh well … whatcha gonna do?

John has been busy at his boat the past few days because there’s a boat show all weekend at the marina where he docks it. It sounds like fun, but being sick and all I probably won’t make it. I might surprise him and do a barbecue there Sunday. Speaking of Sunday, there’s going to be a ‘Movie in the park’ at Blaisdell Park on both Sunday and Monday to kick celebrate Memorial Day. Festivities start at 11am until 10pm. They’ll be showing two movies on both nights; ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Harry Potter’. Blaisdell Park overlooks Pearl Harbor and Ford Island. Oh yeah, the State Fair starts this weekend as well. Fun, fun, fun.

Chris will be performing at his last function for band tonight at the Spring Concert. He has an awesome mallet solo that I can’t wait to hear. It’s also the Senior’s last day of school so I’m sure they’ll have something for them tonight as well.

It’s time to blow my nose so I’ll wish you all a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! Be safe …

Hey WryGuy ... here's another good show to watch on the Discovery Channel ... 'Maternity Ward'. It's on late here ... at midnight ... so I'm not sure what time it would be on where you are.

It's been said tonight that you have a better chance of being killed by a falling coconut than be killed by a shark. Who the hell does the research for these things?

It looks like Kilauea volcano is at it again.

Take the What
animal best portrays your sexual appetite?? Quiz

Starting pay for translators (mainly courtroom people) from what I understand is $35 an hour. They are in need of Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Ilocano and Laoasian speakers. Nice chump change.

WryGuy … you’re the 2nd person to make that same comment.

As I am half way through my 24th week, I have come to the realization that I am not going to make it at work. I was hoping to work up until the 24th of August … it looks like it’s going to be sooner, much sooner, than that. Tonight at work, I had 5 contractions within the second hour of work. If I remember correctly, I look much bigger now than I did with the other two when I was this far along with them. I have this strong feeling that I’m going to give birth to a huge baby. Let’s see … John is 6’1” and weighs about 205lbs. His mom recalls him being about 9lbs 8oz at birth … and I thought Chris was huge at 8lbs 6oz. I’m not too worried though … at least I’m not going to have this baby naturally.

I got statement from a credit card agency that I cancelled a little over a year ago. They say I have a credit of $55. I cancelled this card because customer service there sucks ass big time. All of my bills are taken out of my checking account either electronically, or I go to their website and pay it from there. Out of 8 bills that I pay, for some godforsaken reason, this particular company could not seem to get it right. Twice I was charged for over the limit fee (which never happened), and twice I was charged for NSF … in actuality, they had problems taking the monies out of my account. I never have less than a certain amount in my accounts … this is to make sure I never get charged for anything. We’re talking $29 a pop … that’s $116 they have taken from me that was never a fault of mine in the first place. I have had my bank write and fax them letters to show that I always had sufficient funds and that it was THEIR mistake in inputting my information. Well, it’s a year later and I guess they finally decided to send me my money back. But wait … the credit was for $55, not $116. As I looked further down on the statement, I noticed that they charged me an annual fee. Needless to say I was irate. Why the hell did they charge me that fee when I cancelled my account over a year ago? The card was paid off and was never used since Christmas of 2000. I’ve worked extremely hard all my life to establish an excellent credit and it gets tarnished all because these people don’t know how to input correct and accurate information. Mother fuckers! Anyway, I’m supposed to call them back tomorrow to see of my request to get back all the monies was approved … as if. Just send me the damn check and be done with it already.

On that note … I’m off to bed.

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mums out there!

I’ve decided to brush up on my Japanese. I’ll be taking classes after the baby is born. I still remember the hiragana, but the katakana and kanji still kicks my ass. It’s part of the business deal I was talking about last week. More on that later though.

We’re supposed to have thundershowers today … I hope not … I wanted to visit my mom’s grave on the other side of the island. If it does rain, her birthday is on Thursday, so I’ll make it out there for sure by then.

Have a great week!

I just love my digital cable.

I was chatting with some friends a few months ago and we were talking about some of the shows we loved growing up. One of my favorites was an educational show called ‘Electric Company’. I found out a few weeks ago that one of the newer stations on cable was a station called Noggin that had just added said show to their line-up. I just need to either coordinate my schedule to watch it, or have the kids video tape it for me. They also have the old time ‘Sesame Street’ … the ones from the 70’s and early 80’s … pre-Elmo days. I can’t stand Elmo. It used to irk me when those ‘Tickle-me-Elmo’ dolls came out.

I’m reaching the end of my 23rd week. See what the baby should look like here.

Speaking of baby … we’re pretty much down to two names; Jonathan and Jacob. Me and the kids want Jacob and we’re trying to convince John to go our way. We got a lot of work ahead of us. I really wanted Joshua but John already has a nephew by that name.

Well, I’m tired so I’ll catch you all later …

Hope all of you had a swell weekend. It was pouring here the past 24 hours or so. We’re now on flash flood watch until 7pm tonight. This does not affect me cause I live on higher ground. Chris had to cancel hiking plans so he and his friends are going to watch a movie today.

It just dawned on me that I made a year with blogger this past week.

It appears to me that I have created three monsters. Now that everyone has had a chance to feel the baby move, they want to feel him ALL the time. I can’t get any rest. They all have assigned times throughout the day to try and see if baby will kick for them.

I’m going to crawl back into bed … it’s too gloomy of a day to be at the computer. I love rainy days like these.

Have a great week!

WryGuy – sorry to hear about your cruise plans … there’s always Hawaii! = )

Interesting week …

Sianna was at camp … she left Wednesday and came back Friday afternoon. She’s such the mother hen. One of the first things she asked was how the baby was doing. I picked her up and took her for some ice cream. We got home and she was out for the rest of the evening.

Chris decided not to run for any office for his Sophomore year … instead he opted to be chairman for a couple of activities. He was offered to be Student Government representative and was recommended by several teachers and peers. He’s thinking about it. He plans on running for class president his Senior year just so he can give the welcome speech at his graduation.

I had an interesting business offer this past week and I’m seriously considering it. The timing of all of this could have been planned better … with the baby and all … but compromises can be made to satisfy everyone involved. I’ll keep you guys posted.

I had my prenatal visit yesterday and all is well. I gained 3 ½lbs. in the last month … a total of 12 1/2lbs to date. Next visit is the dreaded glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. The syrup they give you to drink is sweeter than drinking straight juice syrup, and it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth. Then you have to wait an hour before they can draw blood from you. Today was the first day you could actually see the baby’s kicks on my tummy. I think he enjoys teasing his siblings, or John for that matter. Every time the baby kicked, I would call them over to feel it. As soon as they would put their hands on me, he would stop until they left the room. I keep cracking up. I tell them that the baby is laughing at them and they get pissy. The baby does recognize their voices though. He would be quiet most of the day then as soon as one of them come home, he starts kicking up a storm. I can’t wait till he gets here.

Stepdad is out of the hospital and is now in rehab. He’s doing really well. We’re going to go and visit him tomorrow.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Why Barbie can't be a mom

My deepest sympathy to Skye and UIM for the loss of their grandmothers. My prayers go out to you and your families.

Not much to say tonight … I have about 20 hours of sleep to catch up on. My son has been using my bladder as a trampoline all night and he’s finally settling down so I need to take this opportunity to get some sleep.

Have a great weekend!

Just got back from the ultrasound ... my baby has a third leg. That's how the doctor said it. He decided to open his legs at the last minute just when the doctor was about to call it quits. The baby is currently about 61/2 inches and weighs 9 ounces.

Update on my stepdad … he’s out of ICU and is now in a regular room. He still has a bit of pneumonia which has left his speech a little slurred, and is on dialysis for his kidneys. Overall he looks great and Sianna doesn’t have to worry about him … she’s been a wreck all week.

It’s just 10 hours before my ultrasound and I can hardly wait. I hope this kid cooperates so we can see what it is. Then again, I was told Chris was a girl …

It’s late and I need to get some sleep. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Hapa

Thank God Chris is done with Final Fantasy 10. He did pretty well, it took him about 2 months to get to the end of the game. He got the PS2 and FF 10 for Christmas from John and Sianna got that Tony Hawk skating game. He was gung ho for the first month then he took some time off from the game because of school. Then when he was out for Spring Break, he decided to finally finish the game ¡¦ which he did ¡¦ after watching him play the damn game 4 days in a row at about 4 hours at a time. This game was a lot shorter than FF 8 and they already have FF 11 and 12 in the works.

I think I have a football or soccer player living in me. The past several days have been excruciating for me. Last night I was kicked in my ribs twice while taking an order from my customers ¡¦ it was so bad I was crying. Then two days in a row before that the baby was kicking my back ribs near my spine. The baby is currently about 8 inches in length. I can imagine how it¡¯s going to get when I¡¯m further along.

The rest of the week we¡¯ll be having winds from the South ¡¦ which means more hot and muggy days. They expect the trades to come back by Saturday along with some rain early next week. I can¡¯t wait ¡¦ it¡¯s been really miserable.

I hope the rest of you are having better weather than we are. I¡¯m off to bed ¡¦ John made plans for the morning.

Until later ¡¦

Hapa

WryGuy – it’s not that I’m smarter than you … I just guess well. BTW, if they’re boycotting you … screw em I say!

Update on my stepdad – he’s still in stable condition but he’s also been awake and somewhat talking. We’ll probably go visit him tonight or tomorrow night.

Well, after a month off from work because of the fall, I finally went back Friday. It feels really good to have cash in my wallet again. I really hate budgeting.

I signed my divorce papers today and got it notarized. Now if only the jackass will do the same sometime soon.

I went and chopped the hair today. The last time I saw my hairdresser was back in late December. Between then and now, my hair grew just about 5 inches. Up until noon today, my hair was down to my waste. It’s just below shoulder length now. I look more motherly now … I guess I gotta look the role, eh?

Hope all of you had a great weekend like I did. It’s naptime for me …

Until later …

Hapa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICIA!

Congratulations!
Your general IQ score is 168.

A person whose IQ score falls in the range of 161 and above is considered to be a "genius".

Take the test here

I got a little bit of a scare yesterday at my prenatal checkup. Almost 10 minutes went by as my doctor was trying to find the baby¡¯s heartbeat. I could tell he was a little nervous and I started crying a little. He left the room to get the ultrasound machine and then came back to proceed to look for the baby. Come to find out we couldn¡¯t get a heartbeat because the doctor was looking for it in the wrong place! He commented that for someone who is 17 weeks along, the heartbeat is usually still found below the belly button. My kid was above mine. Practical joker. The baby is doing fine. We saw the heart beating, as it should. This kid already has a set of hair on its head. I also got the results of my triple mark screening. Everything was normal so I won¡¯t be getting an amnio. The real ultrasound is on the 15th. Hopefully I¡¯ll get to see what the sex of the baby is.

I found out yesterday that my stepdad was admitted to the hospital Saturday morning after a neighbor found him passed-out in his garage. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and an infected liver and kidneys that left him in critical condition. He¡¯s now considered in stable condition. We went to see him last night along with my brother and his wife. Although he is in stable condition now, he still can¡¯t really respond. He¡¯s aware of his surroundings and the nurse told me that he follows instructions when given, he can¡¯t talk or really open his eyes yet with all the tubes and everything going in and out of him. His liver has gotten better, but he still has fluids in his lungs and there¡¯s still some infection in the kidneys.

I¡¯m off to my workout so you guys have a great week ¡¦

Hapa

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who lost a loved one these past few weeks.

I lost my mother when I was 25 years old. She passed away on December 7, 1991 ¡¦ 9 days before my birthday ¡¦ of a cerebral aneurysm. My mom was only 47 years old. Four days earlier we were at her restaurant celebrating Sianna being 10 months old. It was an early dinner and we left pretty much early before the dinner rush started. That was about 5pm. I got a phone call from my auntie at about 9:30pm saying they rushed my mom to the hospital. My mom had always had high blood pressure issues. Her father passed away from a stroke when he was 61. Six months before she died, she saw a doctor who pretty much did nothing for her. In fact, this was the same doctor who she was seeing for about 4 years. I remember this last visit in particular. Her headaches were getting to the point where it practically blinded her. All this doctor did for her was prescribe more medication. He should have ordered at least a MRI. The doctors who saw her the night she was brought in all shook their head in disbelief when they read her files. While they were waiting for her blood pressure to stabilize to do surgery, she had 3 more strokes over the course of the night ¡¦that¡¯s what did it. By late Friday night, all of her organs gave out. If you were to look at her, you wouldn¡¯t even recognize her. Her body got so bloated after her kidneys failed that it was estimated she gained about 30lbs in water weight ¡¦ at the least.

I don¡¯t know much about the circumstances where it comes to my father¡¯s passing. We were never close, and I practically disowned him a few years before he died. My father passed away of throat cancer in the summer of 1998.

Here¡¯s another site for you WryGuy and Rain: coolsavings.com. Go check it out.

I went to watch ¡®Panic Room¡¯ with Chris and one of his friends tonight. It was ok. I didn¡¯t care too much for the ending. Two weeks ago we saw ¡®Resident Evil¡¯ ¡¦ the movie based on that Playstation game. That was a good movie. Another movie with a bad ending, but something I would watch again. They had posters up for yet another ¡®Friday the 13th¡¯ crapola. I guess Jason is supposed to be high-tech, or something this time around.

Rain is the forecast for the weekend ¡¦ how much ya wanna bet it¡¯ll be sunny?

Have a great weekend ¡¦

Hapa

As I am writing my entry for the day, I look outside and it’s raining. It’s been said that we might have thunder as well. We’ve been getting some pretty freaky weather lately. All last week it was freezing … down to as low as the high 50’s. Most of you guys, especially you mainlanders, think that that is nothing. You have to remember that living in Hawaii, where the temperature averages in the mid 80’s, a drop anywhere up to 30 degrees is going to be considered freezing to us. Then all of a sudden, over the weekend it got really hot and muggy. That’s not good for my sinus. It got a bit cool last night and now with the rain I’m hoping it will get a lot cooler as the day progresses.

John should be on his way here soon. He spent most of the week fishing and caught three mahimahi yesterday. They averaged about 25-30 lbs. each. He’s bringing a nice slab over so I can cook it for dinner tonight. I usually like to cook mahi tempura style, but tonight I think I’ll prepare it by stuffing it and then baking it.

Nothing much to say so I guess I’ll go back to looking for more baby websites.

Hey WryGuy and Rain … have you checked out Pampers.com, Gerber.com, and smartsource.com yet? Just for signing up they got some free stuff you’ll get in the mail … like samples and coupons. I got a list of other places to look up and if they are worthwhile, I’ll send them your way.

Laters,

Hapa

And God created woman and she had 3 breasts. He then asked the woman, "Is there anything you'd
like to have changed?"
She replied, "Yes, could get rid of this middle breast?"
And so it was done, and it was good.
Then the woman exclaimed as she was holding the third breast in her hand," What can be done with this
useless boob?"

And God created man.

No … I haven’t given birth yet …

I swear to God I must be having a girl. It’s true what they say about pregnant women being somewhat clumsy. Last week Friday I lost my balance and fell on my tailbone … I have a nice bruise there as we speak. I am out of work at least until my next doctor’s visit on April 1st. I am having a messed-up time this time around being pregnant. Not only do I have this bruise on my ass, I am congested … which is leaving my nose and upper lip raw from blowing the snot out. I’m also having these awful migraines and I can’t take anything but Tylenol. I want my percocet, dammit.

I had the same problems while I was pregnant with Sianna. I fell on my ass when I was 12 weeks along, I had the migraines and a bunch of other discomforts. Chris on the other hand, was the picture perfect pregnancy. So, that’s why I came to the conclusion that I must be having a girl. Oh yeah … the baby pool is now up to $1160.00, or so I’m told. Some lucky winner will cash in on that loot ( I get a percentage of that) if they guess the correct sex of the baby, the exact time of birth, AND the weight. In the event if a tie, the tie breaking questions will be: 1)length of baby, 2)the exact length of hospital stay w/time of discharge, and/or
3)the measurement of my waist on the day I go in. Not bad chump change for $20 a block, I might even get in on the pot.

Sianna is really getting excited about this baby. At first I was really concerned about her. She’s been the baby for 11 years, I didn’t think she would give up that title to anyone. She’s been real mother-like to me these past several days. We would be sitting on the couch watching TV and she would tell me to put my head on her lap and she would brush my hair. She’s been very helpful as well. She makes sure I don’t carry heavy things and she’s been cleaning up her space without having me to constantly remind her too. She’s a good girl.

I overheard plans for a surprise baby shower. I guess John doesn’t know me THAT well yet that you can’t surprise me. Of all the parties that has ever been thrown for me over the years that was SUPPOSED to be a surprise, I ALWAYS found out before most of the guests did. I was going to mention that I overheard him when he was on the phone, but I'll let him think he has one over me for a little while.

It’s naptime and I’m about to pass-out.

BTW … welcome home Ghost.

Until later,

Hapa

My deepest most sincere apology goes out to Rain for a comment I made earlier. What I said in an earlier blog was in NO WAY directed at her, it was in fact an inside joke on my part if you will. I should have elaborated more on what I said, and as I read it again I did sound a bit sarcastic. For this I am truly sorry.

I’m a bad girl.

I was specifically told NO SEX for a month … I couldn’t even last a week. Well … actually I could … it was all John’s fault. He says I seduced him. He’s weak, what can I say. Poor thing, he felt really guilty after that. He is really worried about the baby. One good thing came out of it though; we got some pretty neat new positions out of it … hehe.

Thanks to all of you with your kind words and concern for baby and me over the last week. I feel so loved! The bleeding has stopped as well as the cramping. I take the triple mark screening next week Tuesday, which I am kinda antsy about.

Chris had his songfest this past Saturday. I may sound prejudice only because Chris is a Freshman, but they should have won. I noticed that the songfest has changed over the years since I was attending that school. Back then judging was based on how well words were pronounciated, how well you could differentiate the various octave levels, tone … basically everything judged were all singing related. Now days it’s more like a talent show. The Seniors, who performed first, really sucked. These are the same people who I heard took first place last year. I wonder what the hell happened this year cause they really wreaked. They sang swing music and dressed in 50’s apparel. They sucked. They were off beat many times, their choreography was never together, you name it, they sucked. It was the longest 25 minutes of my life.

The Freshman class performed next. Their theme had to do with the many different languages of love. The first song was a Japanese love song, conducted by Chris. The second song was a Hawaiian song sung in English. They had about 8 girls doing the hula for that number. And the last song was called ‘Seasons of Love’. They were awesome. There were several Seniors sitting in our row next to me who even said they should have won.

The Juniors performed next followed by the Sophomore class. The Juniors were fun to watch. Their first song was ‘Hakuna Matata’. They had the audience rolling. I laughed so hard I started crying.

I swear, When it came time to announce the winner, I wanted to kick the Principal in the nuts. Usually, you would normally announce the 4th place winner up until the 1st place position … to build up suspense. The dumbass Principal only announced the winners … where’s the suspense in that? Apparently there was a problem in judging … because the judges needed clarification in a certain area, or there would have been a tie for first place. Come to find out later in the evening, the Juniors were tied with the Freshman. We later found out that one of the judges, who was a voice teacher, gave the Freshman a first place vote. The other three judges were ‘show’ judges and place them elsewhere. The Freshman class were behind only two points. People were speculating that the announcement was made that way as to not to embarrass the Seniors. Who gives a rip. They didn’t deserve to win in the first place. Next year Chris will be the class Chairperson for the songfest and he already has plans for it. They will be contenders for the trophy then.

Well, I’m off … I promised Chris that I’d pick him up some sushi for lunch today and his lunch break is in 45 minutes.

Until later …

Hapa

The past 30 hours have been a nightmare for me. I woke up yesterday to some minor cramping … didn’t really think anything of them. Throughout the day I had some tightening around my tummy … no biggie, I knew it’s the uterus growing. I go to work and within half an hour of starting I get this uncomfortable feeling in the lower region. I go to the bathroom to find that I’m bleeding … about a teaspoon worth. Along with the bleeding came the cramps and some mild contractions. They take me off the floor to get me to the emergency room. Since there were no Obstetricians on call, they sent a regular doctor to check me out. The only thing he did for me was check my cervix and order urine and blood samples to be taken from me. My worse fear, an incompetent cervix and/or miscarriage was ruled out … I was surprised he knew what THAT was. He was nice and all, but he didn’t even order an ultrasound nor did he listen for the baby’s heartbeat. I was told that everything was ok and to make a follow up visit with my OB the next day. So, I saw my OB today and we heard a healthy heartbeat … whew! The down note is no sex (or self-gratification) until I get an ok at my next visit in 4 WEEKS! It’s going to be a long ass month. I’m supposed to be in bed right now getting rest. Screw that … I rested enough today.

I gained two pounds since Tuesday … crap ass!

Baby is moving so I’m going to go and sit back to relish this moment. Have a great weekend … and have a fantastic trip Ghost!

Aloha,

Hapa

Well … Carmen sucked … very …

We left during the beginning of the third act where Carmen is getting bored with Don Jose and his whining about missing home. Chris kept dozing off in the second act and it was just as hard for me to stay awake so we decided to leave after the second intermission. Besides, he had a ton of homework and I wasn’t feeling so great.

I got some stuff accomplished today. I finally got my divorce rolling again. If the jackass doesn’t fut around and sign the papers, I will be a single woman once again 3-4 weeks after he signs … woohoo!

Man, I wish I were there to see Ghost get sucker-punched. Not to say that that was a good thing … I just miss a good ole bar fight and I would have been all over that guy… ahh, memories. You should have smacked the guy Logi … hehe.

Sianna says goodnight and I guess I’ll do the same. Chris is eating ice cream and John is getting ready to do some night diving. Hope you guys are having a good week thus far …

Hapa

The amnio is put on the side for the time being …

After much discussion with my doctor yesterday, he has recommended that I undergo a triple mark screening in place of the amnio. I go in on the 19th of this month to have it done. As far as I know, they’ll be taking a urine sample, then take my weight … which by the way, I have gained a whopping pound since my last appointment almost 5 weeks ago … then they send me to the lab for extensive blood tests. I have agreed to an amnio ONLY if the results shows a higher than normal count. Other than that, all is well. I got to hear the baby’s heartbeat for the first time, which got me excited. I’m also back on a low impact aerobic routine.

It now looks like the baby will be born on September 4. My doctor is booked on August 28 which means I’ll have to carry the baby another week … ugh. Who knows, I might just go into labor on my own and just have the baby early as planned.

Tonight I take Chris to see the opera ’Carmen’. I’ve been looking forward to this since I bought the tickets 2 months ago. We’re planning on going out to an early dinner first … that’s the original plan … we’ll see thought … I might be taking as much of a nap as I can before we go.

My son is quite the stud. He had his Freshman Banquet this past Saturday. He went to this event with a long time friend of his. Although she already has a boyfriend, she wanted to go with my son to at least one event before they graduated. He got her long stem roses and she got him a maile lei with kukui nut. They did the portrait thing, as did all the couples that went. I find out later that night that he also took two other portraits with two other girls that went solo. All of his life he has been surrounded by females. His best of friends are females. My brother made a comment, which I find kind of true, at their birthday party last month. All of the parties in the past there were a majority of girls there. This was the first year that there were actually about the same amount of guys as there were girls which led to the comment my brother made. He mentioned that Chris has a lot of guy friends now because the guys know where all the girls are at … lol.

Well, I am off to buy my digital video camcorder. I found one that also takes still digital photos that can be uploaded directly to the computer. Maybe now I can finally get some pictures up on my site for all to see.

Until later …

Hapa

I have officially made my son feeling grossed-out. For about the past week and a half I have been feeling movement within my tummy and I have discussed this with Chris. For a kid who once enjoyed watching my moving belly every night is now grossed-out by the very thought of an actual tiny being living inside of me.

I even got his friends talking to my belly over the phone … hehe.

I’ve been talking about the amniocentesis with John over the weekend and he doesn’t want me to do it. He is looking forward to this baby so much that anything that even has the slightest chance of a miscarriage, he doesn’t want me doing. An amniocentesis has a 5% chance of miscarriage when done in the 15th-17th week, or about 1 out of 200 pregnancies. I’m already considered at high risk, and at first I was all for having this procedure done. Now I don’t know what I’m going to do. My next appointment is on Monday, and I’ll have ended my 13th week. My doctor has a lot of convincing to do and my final decision will be made then.

Until later …

Hapa

I wanted to welcome Rain and Cerebral Flatulence to my site ... go check them out by clicking onto their links to the left of this page.


Who's Your Inner Buffy Bad-Girl? Find out @ She's Crafty

I saw the grossest thing, or at least one of the grossest, on TV tonight. The Glutton Bowl. I had just come home from work already feeling sick only to watch something that made me feel even worse. Why do people do these things? I mean, c’mon … consuming 8lbs of mayo … 7 sticks of butter … 41 pieces of cow brains – that was how many the overall winner ate. I thought I was gonna lose it at several points of the show. The things people do for 15 minutes of fame.

Hey Chynakatt … I like your new layout. I miss that cursor thingy you had awhile back though.

For some reason I am having a hard time falling asleep tonight. I guess I have a lot on my mind and some major decisions to make within the next several weeks. I don’t like being stressed, especially not right now.

Oh well … I guess I’m going back to watching some movies … maybe they’ll be too boring and I’ll eventually fall asleep. Wish me luck!

Aloha,

Hapa

Subject: Does it make you feel old too?

Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things. Each year the
staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the faculty a sense of the
mindset of this year's incoming freshmen.

Here's this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation
were born in 1983.
They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.
Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic. !
The CD was introduced the year they were born.
They have always had an answering machine.
They have always had cable.
They cannot fathom not having a remote control.
Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.
Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.
They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.
They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.
They never heard: "Where's the Beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a
Camel", or "de plane Boss, de plane".
They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.
Michael Jackson has always been white. <~LMAO
McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.
They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Emotionally retarded … hehe … that one still cracks me up.

WryGuy – I did have MSN Messenger at one time and I need to redownload it again anyway for Chris.
Give me your user name and we’ll talk. How’s Alicia doing by the way?

I am so psyched to hear that that bastard of a human being was found guilty of manslaughter this week.
I wrote about this case last year … the one about the police officer who was on the verge of retiring, got all ripped one evening and ran a red light onto another vehicle killing the 19 year old female who was inside.
This punk refused to take the Breathalyzer test, which would have proved he was intoxicated. As the trial was going on, he kept insisting that she was the one who ran the light and hit him … and dumbass knew there were witnesses. He then had the nerve to file a lawsuit stating that her family should be responsible for the damages to his car … what an ass! The defense attorney then had her body tested for street drugs. How low can one go? If you’re interested in reading the article, go here.

I got a busy day today, so I’m out of here …

Hapa

Once again, another successful party has come and went. Once again Chris and Sianna scored big time in the money/gift department. I did make too much food though … oh well … makes for good leftovers!

I do have to apologize to Ghost on behalf of my friends. They got a piece of my mind over the weekend. For one, they came to me to bitch about something I had no control over. When I asked them if they wrote to Ghost about their opinions, all 4 said no. Instead, and I’m not trying to make an excuse for what my part is in this, taking how I was feeling at the time I heard the messages and I immediately went online and said what I said. For one, what was said to me was not meant for everyone to read, and yet I advertised it on my site … for this I apologize for.

I am a bit confused though …

For someone who speaks his mind and makes no apologies for … even welcomes comments or even a debate
on a topic … you sure got defensive yourself Ghost. I totally agree with you when you say to go elsewhere
if you don’t like what you see. This year will make 5 years that I will know Ghost and I have always
respected his opinions … I may not agree with some of them, but all in all, I respect him because he tells it
like it is. What I don’t like is when he makes idiotic comments like it’s a punishment if he ends up with a fat
chick for the rest of his life. I also don’t agree with him when he says fat people are lazy and are fat because they
don’t exercise. At my thinnest, I was still considered a little overweight. But you know what? I was benching
170 lbs., I was running at least 10 miles a day along with doing at least 45 minutes of aerobics 6 times a week.
I was still considered overweight because I was not wearing a size 4 (I was a size 6 at the time). Sure, if you’re
lazy and don’t exercise, you’ll get fat. A lot of it has to do with genetics as well. All my life I had to work extra
harder to reach my goals when it came to weight management. I was diagnosed with inactive thyroids at an
early age. With most of the medical problems I had, especially in the last 10 years, I couldn’t take my thyroid
medications because of the other things I had to take. It has taken me a long time to feel happy about myself
in my now size 9. My exercise routine has decreased, only because I’m pregnant. But as soon as my doctor
lets me, I will step it up a bit. As I see it, if someone doesn’t want to be with me because society thinks I’m fat,
then it’s THEIR loss.

On a much lighter note … I’ve already started to plan our Spring Break vacation. As I mentioned before, we decided
to go to the island of Kaua’i. We’ll be staying at the Radisson Kaua’i Beach Resort. So far, we’re going to go
up to Waimea Canyon Lookout … it’s been called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific as well as the Little Grand Canyon.
I’m still debating if we’ll take the Fern Grotto boat tour. The tour takes you to the wettest spot on the Earth. On
the boat ride they make everyone get up and do the hula … that always cracks me up to watch the tourist. Of course
we’ll have to take in a Luau. There are several other things I want the kids to experience. Neither of them has been to
this island. The last time John and I have been there was back in ’92 right after Hurricane Iniki. This will probably be
the last trip I make in a long time.

It’s that time again … you got it … naptime …

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Hapa

I wasn’t planning on making an entry this weekend because of the kid’s party and the preparations for it … BUT … I come home from work earlier tonight and I listened to my phone messages … there were a total of 8 messages, but 4 of them stood out. They were calls from my friends who all had to make a comment on what Ghost had mentioned in his entry. I see you did it again Ghost. You have made lifelong enemies from 4 of my friends that pretty much worshiped your site. They pretty much said the same things other people said in their entries at other blog sites. For me, I have a shit load of things to say to you on this matter, but I’m not going to waste my energy at this time … I can’t afford to raise my blood pressure.

Well, I am off to bed; I need to take it easy … I have been cramping like crazy the past few days. Hope you guys have a great weekend … I have to look forward to babysitting about 80 kids on Sunday … wish me luck!

Hapa

Which Buff Girl Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

It was a miserable past 5 days … sore throat (thank god it wasn’t strep), coughing, running nose … just plain yucky. I’m doing better now, and I think the cold took away what was left of my morning sickness.

Congratulations auntie Boogie Shoes!

My prayers go out to you and your family UIM.

WryGuy … hope all is well on your end.

I feel this burst of energy all of a sudden. I’ll probably hit the gym again starting next Monday. Since finding out I was pregnant, I have lost 1 lb. I have this big fear that I will gain a whole bunch of weight. I better not … I have worked too damn hard to get back into shape over the last two years. With being sick most of that time, it was really hard motivating myself. Besides, all the medications I was on didn’t help either. My goal is to gain 30 lbs., maybe 35 … I guess I’ll be fine as long as I can get out 4-5 days a week to the gym. Chris has a membership with me so he said he’d give me some support.

Well, my show is on – Birth Day – I watch it faithfully Mondays through Fridays. Hey WryGuy, if you have the Discovery Health Channel, it’s two half hour shows back to back at 1pm EST and then again later in the evening. Good show to watch … gets you prepared for THE day.

Until next time …

Hapa

Which drink are you?

Have a great trip Ghost … you’re gonna love England. In my lifetime, I have been to England three times; the last time was in 1985 for a family reunion. Hey … maybe I can set you up with my cousin Cecilia. There’s talk about a family reunion there in 2005. I won’t be able to go if it’s in England … that’s the year Chris graduates from high school. Maybe I can persuade them to come here.

I just got back from my prenatal visit and all is well. No blood was taken today, thank god, but I did have to give a urine sample to test for glucose and proteins in it. The glucose was normal and the proteins were negative. At my next visit on March 4, I will get to choose the surgery date for the c-section with my doctor. We’re going to have the baby on either August 28 or September 4 since he only does surgeries on Wednesdays. I’m hoping to have it done on the earlier date. We discussed the amnio today and I told her that I was leaning towards it but will discuss it with the doctor when I see him. Other than that, the visit today was pretty good.

It’s time for that afternoon nap

Until later …

Hapa

Well, it’s done … Sianna now knows. It wasn’t all that bad either. I think she’s in denial or something. Either case, there were no tantrums flying or crying or anything. She was a little upset that she was the last to find out. She’s happy because she finally gets to boss someone around. I’m happy because I have one less thing to shop for. My sis in law is giving me her less than a year old crib cause my nephew can now climb out of it.

I had the ultrasound today … right on the ball. I even got to have a picture of it. My first question was how many heartbeats. The nurse laughed and said only one. What a relief. This kid is taking after Sianna already. All the time it was being monitored, it was moving around like crazy. I can see it now … some 3 months down the road … no sleep once again. If you click here, you can see how I am progressing.

I ended up in the emergency room last night. They say it was some stomach virus, possibly food poisoning. Ugh. I was in so much pain at work that I had to leave early. They gave me tonight and tomorrow off as well. I go in tomorrow for a follow-up as well as my first prenatal check-up.

Hey Logi, I feel for you. I am real happy that you’re up to your happy-go-lucky self once again. I remember when I had Chris. I stayed home with him for two years. I did however go on jury duty when he was 4 months old, and let me tell you, it felt extremely good to be out of the house. Currently I work nights, but it looks like I’ll be going back to some day shifts when I get off of maternity leave. At John’s job, they have a 24-hour daycare, which is a good thing. He works the late shift, 3pm-11pm, and the baby will probably go with him to work for a couple of nights until I get my full strength back. We still have to discuss this.

So far, Chris wants it to be a boy while Sianna and John wants a girl. I’m leaning towards a girl as well. They’re so much cuter to dress up. Either case, as long as it is healthy and thriving … and sleeps through the night by the time it’s 2 months old like it’s other two siblings. One can wish … right?

I’m off to take my afternoon nap, have a great weekend …

Hapa

Thanks for all the well wishes … you guys were so sweet!

Hope everyone had a terrific weekend. Part of my weekend was spent going through packed boxes of old textbooks. I finally found my Trigonometry and my second year Psychology books and I have already started reading to the baby. It is never too early to read to them. I even got Chris talking to my stomach.

I’m really anxious about telling the news to Sianna. I know for a fact she is not going to take it well. Eventually she’ll get used to it and accept it, but until then it’s gonna be heck. I guess because she’s been the baby all these years, she might feel threatened, for one. Wait until you have your second and third kid WryGuy … the real fun doesn’t start until then … lol.

So, I’m in my 10th week now and nothing fits anymore. John and I went out to dinner last night to Chili’s and I was forced to wear maternity pants that were falling off every 10 steps I took. John thought it was funny as shit … I showed him funny. All weekend I was craving nachos and I finally got my nachos last night. That was one of the best meals I’ve had yet (since being pregnant) … funny, I never really liked Chili’s food either.

Well, I’m off to take a nap before I pick up Sianna from school. Have a great week …

Hapa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!

My little boy turns 15 today. He’s getting ready to go out with some of his friends as we speak. I’m taking him out for sushi later tonight.

Like his sister, Chris was always a happy and friendly baby. When he started school, he never had a problem making friends. Growing up, he was always around females. The friends I hung around all had daughters making him the only boy. I think that’s why he gets along so well with girls. In fact, his best friends are girls. For as long as I can remember, they all have been calling him for advice. He doesn’t mind … as long as they stop telling him that they’ve started their period … lol. I raised him well … he’s gonna make a wonderful husband one day.

Chris has never really been the athletic type. He is more the intellectual. He does have a black belt in Kempo and is on the wrestling team, but that is the extent of his athletic interests. He speaks Spanish and Korean fluently, and will add Japanese to that list later this year. He’s my buddy … we share just about everything with each other. There are times, however, that he can get on my nerves. We know how to push each other’s buttons, and sometimes we try to see who can irritate the other the most. His friends think I’m the coolest mom … only because they say I let him get away with anything. I don’t let him get away with everything. It all comes down to trust. He doesn’t really have a curfew, as long as I know where he is and as long as I know and have met his friends and their parents. Once he starts giving me reasons NOT to trust him, then that will be when I get down on him.

As we speak, he’s getting on my nerves so I will end here.

I love ya, ya butthead ...

Hapa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POOKY!


11 years ago today my daughter Sianna was born. She came two weeks early … she’s a stubborn kid. I had a very interesting pregnancy with this kid. She was a source of entertainment for Chris while she was in my tummy. There would be nights where Chris would sit next to me just to watch her move around inside. Up until she was born, he could name the body part that was floating across my stomach. And did she move around a lot. There were many sleepless nights, especially in those last two months.

From the time Sianna was almost a year old, she was the biggest flirt I have ever seen. She hated women with a passion. I take that back, not all women, just certain ones. But she loved men, and they all loved her. I used to work out of my mother’s restaurant to do my catering back then and they had the office set up with her baby things … a portable crib, playpen, toys, etc. While I was working, Sianna was with grandpa usually taking a walk outside during the down time. The restaurant was across the street from a newly built Costco and we knew all the people that worked there. Just about everyone that worked in the area knew Sianna. If there was ever a day that we didn’t come in to work, they would all ask if she was ok. There was always stuff bought for her when she returned. Thanks to her, I got to go one some nice dates … hehe.

Overall, Sianna was a happy kid. She got along with everyone, and everyone loved her. She’s got a bright future ahead of her if she stays on the path she is on now.

I love you Pooky,

Hapa

When it comes to keeping someone’s secret, I take it with me to the other side. When it comes to my own, I couldn’t keep it if my life depended on it … especially this particular secret I’ve been keeping for about two weeks now. I’m sorry but I can’t hold it in much longer … and thanks WryGuy for not saying anything.

Here goes …

I’m pregnant!

You heard me, I’m pregnant … 9 weeks on Sunday. I’m due on September 8. They say it was conceived on my birthday … remind me no more sex on that day … just kidding.

The plan was originally to wait until the sonogram next week on the 7th to announce the news, but I said screw that shit. Now everyone knows except for Sianna … I’m waiting until the sonogram to tell her. I’ve been hinting to her, rather asking her ‘what ifs’ and I’m getting that she won’t be too happy having a younger sibling. She was perfectly fine with it three years ago, and I guess a lot has changed in three years. Chris, on the other hand, is thrilled … as long as he gets a brother. John wants a girl real bad. Now he’s saying that Sianna is his little girl so he wants a boy. Everyone has been asking me what I would like. I just want it to be healthy. The odds of having problems with both the pregnancy and the fetus go up in a woman over 35. With that in mind, I have decided to have an amniocentesis done later in the pregnancy. They usually do the procedure in the 15th-18th week of pregnancy. Besides, I’ll get to know the sex of the baby. I gave away everything after having Sianna and now I have to start all over from scratch. I’ve already bought a few unisex outfits, and I’ve also bought some maternity clothes for me. John is getting a kick because I’m already in D cups. Please … no requests for before and after boob pics … that especially goes out to the guys at Pfizer & Dean Corp.

So, now the secret is out and I feel better. This makes me about a month behind Spark’s pregnancy. For some reason I have this feeling it’s gonna be a long 7 months. I’m gonna enjoy every minute of it!

Hapa

First off … a big mahalo to some of you who managed to make me smile with your e-mail over the weekend. Speaking of which, for those who asked, Chris wants to get into Forensic Science/Pathology, or possibly into the field that studies viruses and stuff like that (I forgot the official name … he got interested in that after reading the book ‘The Hot Zone’ several years ago). He’s considering looking into the University of Maryland as one of his choices for school.

I didn’t have to check myself in over the weekend because my fever went down below 100 degrees. I still have that nasty nasal drip which is getting on my nerves. I don’t like to take medication for it so I’ll let myself suffer a bit for the next couple of days. Chris has been a sweetie all weekend. I had him massaging my back, with very little protest, and he’s been catering to my every need. I’m starting to get my taste back, which is a good thing … now I can enjoy eating again … not quite fully yet. We’ll see … the big test will be dinner tonight. I’m making spaghetti with meatballs and if I can manage to get a few bites in without gagging, I’ll know I’m on my way.

The weather has been crap all week. Nothing but rain for the most part. At least it has been really cool and not muggy. It’s gonna be like this for the next month or so … it’s our rainy season.

Ok, I was planning on writing a few more stuff, but I’m getting extremely tired all of a sudden and I don’t feel so hot. I need to go sleep or something.

Until next time …

Hapa

Thought I’d take a break from my throwing-up to put in a few words, or so, here. I am so freakin bored I don’t know what to do. Chris is playing his PS2 – Final Fantasy X, and Sianna left for the weekend. I have a temperature of 101.2 degrees and if it gets any higher I am told to check myself in at the hospital. I think I over did it this past week … I’ve been to the gym everyday since Monday and I finally have a day off from work.

I think I need to be heading back to the bathroom soon, so I’ll end here … thanks for listening …

Hapa

I have got so much on my mind lately that it is affecting my sleep. I’ve also found myself to be a bit forgetful these past few days.

Chris is registering for classes for the next academic year. Since he’s been getting excellent grades in Math (he’s currently in Algebra 1), his teacher has recommended that he take Geometry for the summer and skip onto Algebra 2 for his Sophomore year. The high school he currently attends will NOT be offering Geometry for the summer session so I’m going to have to find a nearby high school that will. Since all the schools in our district have gone to a year-round schedule, Chris is looking to cram a years worth of Geometry into about 5 weeks of summer school (4-hour classes … yuck). If Chris continues to take Math during the summer, he should reach Calculus by his Senior year and may be able to take a semester of college Calculus at the University of Hawaii’s Leeward campus (about a 10 minute drive from where we live) as well. That’s a lot of hard work, and I know he can do it.

Sianna, on the other hand, blew whatever chances she had in getting into Kamehameha. She brought home a C her first quarter. She did bring that grade up this 2nd quarter, but it might not be enough. For some reason she having issues this year. I got her seeing a counselor at her school once a week, and that seems to be helping her tremendously. Besides, I think she didn’t really wanted to go to Kamehameha. I’ve come to realize that between the two kids, I expect more from Sianna. I think that only added to her stress level. We had a long talk recently and I told her I would take it a little easier on what I expect from her … just a little.

Well, I am off to the mall … I seem to be growing out of my clothes for some reason and I need to pick up some stuff.

Laters,

Hapa

Oh Logi my dear sweet friend ... you'll just have to wait 16 more days like the rest ...____<~insert evil laugh there.

18 more days ... I can't wait 18 more days ... I feel like I'm gonna burst!!

OH MY GOD!!

It’s that time of year where I start planning for the kid’s birthdays. Chris is on February 3rd, and Sianna is on February 1st. I usually let them pick what they want to do on that day, and then I throw them a party on a separate day so that they can invite their friends. For the past several years it has been at a park overlooking Pearl Harbor. Last year about 70 of their friends was in attendance. Last year for Sianna’s night we took her out to dinner of her choice. Chris on the other hand went with a suggestion I gave him. We went to see ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ at the Neil S. Blaisdell Concert Hall put on by the Hawaii Opera Theatre. This season, the Opera Theatre is featuring 3 operas … La Traviata, Salome, and Carmen. Chris chose to see Carmen. I wanted to see Salome, but it’s his birthday. Once again, we got awesome balcony seats (not bad for 70 bux a pop). We usually dress up a bit and go to dinner before the show. I like this bonding experience I share with Chris. We both love classical music and what a great way to share our interest. Of course, we would ask Sianna to join us, be she’s not into the classical stuff yet. I give her a year or two … that’s how Chris was at her age.

The party is set for Sunday, February 17th. The part I dread is planning a menu. I finally figured out what I’m making. This year I’m thinking of doing an array of ethnic foods. Since we’re Korean, I’m having John barbecue some kalbi … marinated shortribs. I’m also preparing beef broccoli (Chinese) and chicken long rice (Hawaiian). All I need now is a chicken dish. I was originally planning on ordering orange chicken, another Chinese dish, but I’m missing a Filipino entrée. I was thinking of making chicken adobo which is marinated chicken with vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, bay leaves, patis (fish sauce), and some other good stuff (Logi, you would love this one). Then there’s the other usual stuff … the pasta salad, rice and/or sushi, vegetable platter with ranch dip, and the fried noodles or yakisoba. All this talk of food is making me hungry already. The guest list for Chris is he’s invited 70 of his friends and Sianna has invited 30 of her friends. This was about the same amount as last year with just a little over half of that showing up … and that’s not including my friends.

It’s off to find an outfit for this Saturday. Chris is performing and I want to get something new to wear.

Laters,

Hapa

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Here is a stress management technique recommended in all the latest
psychological texts.

Picture yourself near a stream. Birds are softly chirping in the crisp,
cool, mountain air. No one knows your secret place. You are in total
seclusion from that hectic place called "the world."

The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of
serenity. The water is clear. Really clear.... so clear you can easily make
out the face of the person you're holding under the water...

There now... feeling better?

Amazingly, this has actually worked for me in the past.

I'm out,

Hapa

I am in the same predicament as Ghost. I really need to get away and the opportunity actually arose a few weeks ago. I have a few friends that, twice a year, go rock climbing and they’ve invited me to join them this April/May. The last time I’ve been off this rock was back in June of ’98 when I went to visit Ghost, Logi, and Skye. Actually, I have been to Maui for Christmas the following year, but technically it’s the same rock. John and I are taking the kids with us when we fly out to Kauai on their Spring Break in March. What I really need is time for myself. The rock-climbing gig is tempting, but it means that I will need to start training for it now. I need to get my upper body strength back. Three months is not really adequate time to train, but it’s something. I dislocated my left shoulder at work 15 months ago and it’s still bothering me so it might play a factor in my final decision to go. This trip, they plan to go to New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. The trip will be about a month, if I go, I’ll probably only join them for a week. Oh yeah, another factor in my decision is the company that’s going … if Riley the bitch goes (he’s a major pain in my ass), my decision will lean more towards no.

I’ve been playing Upwords at games.com since last May. I love that game. I bought the board game some 6 years ago. Anyway, I’ve been kicking ass for the longest time. I took about three months off from it because of all the kids that has been playing … well, actually quitting in the middle of a game. That shit really pisses me off, if you’re losing, suck it up and play till the end. I started playing again the past two weeks. The last two nights I got my ass kicked, not too bad, just enough to lose my status. My level, up until two nights ago was a Red. I am now down to an Orange. I think it’s a 60-point difference, it’s still a kick in the ass. I am determined to get my Red level status back and I know I will do it within the next week or so. Anyone wanna challenge me?

I’m gonna get another game in before I hit the hay … have a great day!

Hapa

I was supposed to go in for an operation tomorrow, but because a blood test revealed I’m anemic … again … it’s been postponed to a later date. Nothing major, really, just to take samples of my uterus and to see the extent of the contents inside. Besides, I’m over a week late so now I have to do some other tests. I’ll keep you posted.

Hey, where the heck is Logi? Hope all is well with her.

Chris started his own blog, but it’s not a blog … it’s a different site. He won’t give me the address and I know he’s talking some mad smack about me. I’ll just wait until he makes an entry to get the address … aren’t I sneaky?

Speaking of the boy, he got his Winterball pictures back today. Some really nice stuff. I got two different 8x10 pictures in a frame on the entertainment system with the rest of the other stuff. Which reminds me, I have to order the Homecoming Court pictures. It’s a double frame with the whole court on one side, and the Freshman couple on the other side. I’m kinda bummed cause my video camera decided not to work on the day of Homecoming so I couldn’t get the parade nor the half time festivities on tape. There was a guy who was further down the street from me that looked professional and it turns out he’s a friend of one of Chris’ friend’s family. I really want a tape! Chris looked really grown up in his tuxedo waving to everybody sitting on top of the Mustang convertible during the parade.

I’m off to bed cause I don’t feel all that great. I hate taking iron supplements because they make me constipated. Too much info, huh? On that note, I’m off to la la land …

Hapa

WryGuy – good to hear that Sparks is feeling better. I hated that last month of the first trimester. I threw up all the time, in the mornings, with Chris but I always felt better the rest of the day. With Sianna, however, no matter how nauseous I was, I could never make myself do it that resulted in feeling like crap all day and night. It helps to keep an assortment of crackers next to the bed. For some reason, wheat crackers made me feel worse … go figure.

Just wait until Sparks start having those cravings. I kill myself just thinking about what I used to have the fathers do when I was craving. With Chris, it was almond cookies … the kind from Chinese restaurants. I would get my cravings at night. One night, we were shopping for Christmas and the mall we were at had this food court that had a Chinese restaurant. So, I asked my husband to go and buy me a cookie. He came back a minute later saying they were out. Damn hormones, I started crying and people around me thought I was in labor. We left and all the way home I cried and cried. I still wanted that cookie dammit! So, at almost 11pm, I made him go out looking for a Chinese restaurant. He came home about an hour later with not just one cookie, but TWO cookies! I was overjoyed. I took one bite and went to bed. He was sooooo PISSED! I didn’t say I wanted the whole damn cookie, I was just craving it. I had my bite and went to bed, what’s wrong with that?? Hehe.

Another advise I can give you is read to Spark’s belly. I used to read my college texts books out loud when I was pregnant both times. I also used to listen to classical music while I was driving or resting. To this day, both kids are musically inclined, Sianna is in honors math, and Chris is just a plain smartass … just kidding … he gets excellent grades in everything he does. He’s already thinking about which Universities to attend … he wants to be a pathologist or something within forensic science.

As Sparks gets bigger, perhaps the 7th or 8th months, find a really nice spa that caters to pregnant women. They pamper you like crazy! A bunch of my friends got me a package as an early baby shower gift, and I loved it. They did a total body massage with an organic wrap, a facial, a manicure and pedicure, a couple of other little things and lunch was included.

Lower back rubs and a nice foot massage every now and then will win you points all the time. One last thing … since it’s your first pregnancy I assume you will be taking Lamaze classes. I’m warning you now, it’s all a gimmick … don’t fall for it … it will NOT come into use! When things start happening with active labor, you’ll FORGET everything … trust me, I was there once. Then again, she’ll probably be one of the lucky many that has a two-hour labor and the baby pops out. I had two friends like that. Anyway, keep us informed with her progress, I look forward to them.

Laters,

Hapa

It’s been at least 6 years that I have chosen NOT to do the New Years resolution thing. And what the hell for? It gets broken by the end of the month anyway. I don’t like to quit, so I don’t set myself up for a fall and feel like crap afterwards. I just make resolutions for other people (and you should see the lists) … just stuff I think THEY need to change … heh. I got a lot of bitching from the kids and John last week … lemme tell ya.

My past resolutions have always been mainly for self-betterment. The big one having to be more in control of my temper … I’m half-Korean … I can’t help having a short fuse. It makes me laugh to think about how I used to be way back when. I was holy terror back in the 7th and 8th grades … especially the 8th grade. You even looked at me the wrong way; I was in your face. I must have been called into the VP’s office just about every week for being in some fight. I grew up around boys, so I learned to defend myself because other girls started a lot of the fights … knowing kempo helped as well (I would never purposely use kempo on anyone, it was mainly having the reflexes to block punches and the bitches pulling my hair). I even have a few fistfights with boys under my belt. I hated fighting with the prissy Japanese girls who thought they were all that … lemme tell you, they were NOT all that. They were the ones that pulled your hair, slapped you in your face, or tried to bite you. They used to talk their shit, but one good punch to the face or torso usually did the trick. Looking back, I’m not proud of what I did. Later in my high school years I came to apologize to some of then for what I did … and THAT is what I’m proud of. I usually do well when it comes to sucking in the pride … it may take awhile, but it’s a mighty good feeling when I finally give in. I have done extremely well to control my temper over the past 25 years … I still have a quick fuse, but I know how to control it.

I can’t believe it’s 2002 already. It feels like I had my 10-year reunion just a few years ago. My 20-year reunion is next year. It’s true what they say about reunions. All (or most) of the pretty girls got chunky or had at least 4 kids already, the football team was going bald (hehe), and the plain Jane’s blossomed … just to mention a few. I ain’t saying which category I fell into … I’m going to say shut the hell up in advance to most of you. My last reunion was a two-day affair. The first night was the banquet, you had the option to bring your significant other. The next day was the family picnic and at night was stag night … you came solo. I had so much fun then. The circle I hung out with at the reunion were a bunch of lushes. On stag night after the party we all kept looking for places to close down. I finally got home at around 6:30am. Last I heard they were thinking about having the reunion in Las Vegas. I hope not … Vegas is more like for your 30th or 40th reunion. If they decide to have it there, I’ll still go … in protest kicking and screaming. I just don’t think there will be a huge turn out if it’s out of the state. All I know, I’ll be in first class.

I’m still looking for a scanner. I have a bunch of pictures I need to scan. I was thinking about just going to Kinko’s and doing it there and pay the fee they charge per hour. We’ll see … I’m also in the market for a new computer. The computer I have now is a P2. They person who built it for me has offered to soup it up to at least a P3 … I’d rather go that way than to purchase a brand new one. I’ve heard so many horror stories from friends about their computers … especially Gateway and Dell. I’ve had mine for a little over two years and I have never had a problem … my only complaint is that I want more memory and speed. With Chris downloading his music, I need a lot more memory. I’ll have more of an idea of what I’ll do by March.

Seinfeld is about to start so I’m ending here.

Have a great day,

Hapa

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a nice of a time as I did.

Well, the buzz of this past week has been the raising of the State minimum wage. As of December 31st, it was $5.25 an hour. For the past several years they have been trying to get it to match the Federal minimum wage of $5.75. I found out when I went to work last night that as of the 1st, it did go up. A year from now it will go up again to $6.25 an hour. Not bad for waitressing … not only do I make tips; I get a nice paycheck as well.

Check out my new friend's place, her name is Chynakatt. Just click onto her name at the left.

Nothing much to add today, just relaxing with Sianna … Chris just left to go to the beach. I’ll probably take her shopping. Have a nice weekend you guys!

Hapa

Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Aloha,

Hapa

Just a little post, my last post for this year.

As I reflect back over this past year, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have two wonderful children. Chris and Sianna have brought me nothing but joy and laughter and I cannot even begin to imagine what my life would be like right now without them. I am also fortunate to have wonderful friends who have been there for me, especially this past year. I have never been really all that close to anyone, but there are a handful who know me inside and out and they are the ones that have been my life support through what has been the most trying year in my life. I love you guys for that. I am also thankful for having John in my life. He’s been nothing but great to me and my children since we met on August 10, earlier this year. With all the issues that I am having he has stuck by me … even during my bitchiest (my best … haha). I have put him through a lot, and he knows most of the time it’s not really me behaving the way I have. The medications and mood swing due to the hormones I was on didn’t make things easy at times. Hell, most people would have given up, but not John. He keeps telling me compared to his last marriage; my mood swings are a piece of cake … that says a lot about that relationship! Lastly, I want to thank Logi and Skye for introducing me to Blogger. This has been a magnificent tool for me, especially back in May when I first was introduced to it. I had a lot of choice words to say about the soon-to-be ex husband, and by coming to the site to vent has been therapeutic. More importantly, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people. If things go well for me (with the health issues) this New Year, I plan to fly back to New York and would like to get together and meet my new friends (and the old ones). I know we’d have a great time.

It’s that time that I have to run … gotta get ready for the boat ride. Hope all of you have a safe New Years eve, don’t get too crazy and remember to give the key to someone else if you had too much to drink.

See ya next year!

Hapa

It’s now 1am and I just finished watching ‘Silence of the Lambs’. One of the gifts John gave me for Christmas was a nice DVD/VHS player. On the way home from work I decided to head over to Blockbuster and buy the movie since Chris had gotten me ‘Hannibal’ for Christmas … ya gotta have the set. This version had an additional 20 minutes that was not in the original release.

Not much left to say, I just needed to do something before I head out to bed. If I’m not back to post before the years end … may all of you have a safe New Years Eve and a prosperous 2002.

See you all later!

Hapa

A BIG congratulations to WryGuy and his wife Sparks! They’re expecting a baby next year. You can go to his site and check out the sonogram pictures.

I tell you, everywhere I turn it seems someone is pregnant. The last time this happened I was pregnant. I kid you not. For some reason, when you’re preggo, you tend to notice ALL the other preggos out there.

I remember when I was pregnant for the first time. I found out I was pregnant with Christopher in late June of 1986. I was 20 years old. I was in the Air National Guard getting ready to leave for my two weeks active duty on the Big Island. I had my ultrasound on September 5th. I remember I had a first year resident doing the ultrasound. She told me I was having a GIRL … HAH! She kept insisting that the “penis” was the umbilical cord wrapped between the legs. Terrific … I kinda wanted a girl first although any sex was perfectly fine. So, with my husband being a licensed painter, he painted the baby’s room a light pink. I bought a whole bunch of pink accessories, clothes, diapers … I believe that year was the first year they brought out the colored diapers … pink for girls, blue for boys. I ate right, I exercised like it was a religion, and I made sure I looked exceptional when I left the house. I was extremely proud to pregnant. I never broke out with acne, in fact, my complexion was the best it ever was … and I rarely broke out in my teens.
My due date was January 25, 1987. Nothing happened on that day. MY doc said not to worry because I had up to two weeks to deliver on my own. The evening of February 1st I started having contractions. They were about 15 minutes apart. I was told only to come in when they got 5 minutes apart … since it was my first. The contractions died about 2 hours later. They started up again the next night about a half an hour into sleep. That was a nice awakening … NOT! This time around I had to go in because my mucus plug discharged and the contractions were 10 minutes apart. This was around 9pm. I’ll cut to the chase and skip the boring part. My contractions were 5 minutes apart all through the night but I was only dilated at 2 centimeters. They sort of hinted that if I didn’t progress, I would be induced. So, they gave me some Demerol to help me sleep because I was in a lot of pain and they wanted me to get my strength. 2 hours after taking the Demerol, the games began. This was at 7:45am. I was still stuck at 2cm. They induced my labor at 11am and all hell broke loose. The contractions came right after the other with no breaks in between. My friend Mary came to visit and she said she could hear me screaming as she got out of the elevator … and the elevator was a nice walk from my room. A nurse had to come in to help me breathe because she said I was scaring the two other women in labor next door to me. With Mary’s help, I was able to control my breathing, but that didn’t last long. Within half an hour I was screaming obscenities. I remember asking my husband for something, and he came back with something else. I called him some godforsaken name and kicked him out of the room. Another nurse came in later and was telling me how to breathe. I was later told (cause to this day I STILL don’t remember) that I asked this nurse if she was ever in labor and she said no. I then proceeded to slap her in the face and I told her to get the fuck out … hahaha … sounds like something I would have done. After being induced for 4 hours, I only dilated to 5cm. I was begging for a c-section an hour earlier. I got my wish. At 2pm they said I needed a c-section because my pelvis could not accommodate the baby’s passing. At 2:50pm, February 3, 1987 I gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. Hell no … it was announced that I gave birth to a boy! I passed out as soon as I heard what I had. I woke up 4 hours later with my mother, brother, Mary, Malia, and a nurse telling me if it was ok to let the husband in … I was laughing. Within 10 minutes they asked if I was ready to feed my baby. I said sure and they brought him in. I refused to feed him at first because I was arguing that I had a girl. The nurse said no, I had a boy. Finally I came to except that I had a boy and proceeded to feed him. Christopher James Alesna was 8lbs 6oz and was 21 inches in length.

I found out I was pregnant with Sianna in late June in 1990. I was going through so much this time around (a pending divorce, and issues with my boyfriend) that I hated being pregnant. I didn’t care what I looked like … I wore no makeup, my hair was always in a ponytail, and I continuously broke out with acne. The original due date was for her was January 29. I know what you’re thinking … and yes, I pretty much ovulate the same time every year. When I took my first ultrasound, it showed that she was too small to have an early due date. They took measurements and whatever it is that they do, and came up with a new due date of February 14. I remember taking a 2nd ultrasound and both times they could not tell what I was having … even while she was in my womb, she was hardheaded. On the morning of February 1st, 1991, I started bleeding. I called my doctor’s nurse and she said to come in anyway, even though I had no contraction, just for observation. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention that when I was two months pregnant, I almost lost her. I was at work and I fell in the refrig walk-in … I fell on salad dressing that someone forgot to clean up. I was in there for 45 minutes before a cook found me. Back to the story, I called my mom because I didn’t want to drive in case something happened. So, she picked me up and we left for the hospital. This was about 9:30 in the morning. After they hooked me up on the fetal monitor, it showed I was having contraction 3-5 minutes apart. That was news to me since I couldn’t feel anything. Long story short, since I had eaten before I came in (juice and crackers), I had to wait 8 hours before they could operate. Sianna Brieann Kauilani Mangus (she took my maiden name)was born at 3pm that day. She was a whopping 8lbs 2oz, and was 18 ¾ inches. She had a set of lungs on her, let me tell you … she STILL does to this day.

So there you have it … the story of how the kids came to be. Sorry it was so long, but I like reminiscing about them.

A few advises for WryGuy and Sparks … take a lot of pictures … and when you think you took enough, take some more. They change in appearance everyday. On potty training – you HAVE to be consistent! This next thing sounds gross, and I couldn’t believe it when the pediatrician told me this, but when you see the baby picking up small things from the floor and putting it in their mouth, be reasonable of course, but let them. They will build immunity to germs that way. Sensible things … of course you’re not going to let a bug in their mouth, or sharp objects. Lately, I’ve been hearing this a lot so I know the doc was not a quack. Good luck and once again, congrats!

Keep enjoying your weekend …

Hapa

So, blogger was down the past 24 hours or so. That was a bitch.

Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, I surely did. John spoiled the kids and me. The kids left Christmas morning and won’t be back until next year … my home is eerily quiet now. Looking back to when the kids were younger, all I looked forward to, without sounding mean or anything, was when they got older and was gone for than a weekend at a time … quality time for myself. Now that it is happening on a more frequent basis, I am bored as shit. Sure, I get my quality quiet time, but there’s only so much things one can do while they are alone. John has been spending more time at his boat getting it ready for New Years Eve. I have already taken the Christmas stuff down, took out the tree, and cleaned like I have never cleaned before. I think I’ll wait until next week to do the returning of the gift thing.

May I never see any baking ingredients for a long time. I have no choice in the matter. As of a few minutes ago, I have a few orders for Monday night’s festivities. I have several cheesecakes to make as well as a small catering gig. Doesn’t hurt to make a few extra bucks when you can.

The kids just dropped by to pick up some clothes. Looks like they’re having fun at Chris’ dad’s place.

Over the years I have become pretty good at swallowing my pride and making amends with people I have lost contact with. Last night I added another name to that list. I’m not sure as to what happened, all I know is that a little over three years ago I get an e-mail from this person blasting me for something I was not aware of doing. He then cancels his AOL account so there was no way of responding to him. For me, I need closure of some sort. I was not able to do any of that and it has bothered me over the years. I was fortunate to come across his new screen name and I got to write that response, with a few other choice words and well wishes, and got my closure. I told him that I would still like to stay friends, and that I would leave it up to him. He’s read the e-mail, with no response, so I’m taking that as a no. No loss to me. I know I didn’t do anything wrong. He blew a comment I made out of proportion and never gave me the chance to explain, rather clarify, what I meant. He chose to take the childish way out, like a kid having a temper tantrum. Who cares, all that matters is that I got to say my peace. End of story.

I was going to head out to the North Shore … they got waves of at least 15-20 feet. I woke up late and decided that I wouldn’t have enough time to enjoy myself out there. The drive there from my place would have been about 45 minutes to an hour. Times that by two and that’s almost two hours of driving. I have to be at work by 5pm. I like to relax for an hour or two before I leave for work, so I would have been rushing. I don’t particularly like to rush. It’s still early in the big surf season, I’ll just head out there on a day I have off from work.

I got a meal to plan, so I’ll end here. Have a great weekend!

Hapa

Mele Kalikimaka!

Aloha,

Hapa

As we speak, Chris is at his first official school social ... Winterball. In fact, it should be getting out any minute. He ended up taking a fellow percussionist, Megan, to the event Chris wore a really nice dark gray dress shirt with khaki pants, and I’m not sure what Megan wore cause as of a few days ago she didn’t have anything to wear yet … I’ll just have to wait to see the pictures. As for the flowers, they went with white roses, so I ordered her a French bouquet. Megan got Chris a maili lei with a strand of pikake. They’ll be spending the rest of the night in Waikiki with everyone else who sat at their table, and a few others.

In a few hours, I will be finishing up my baking. I got the day off from work, which is a good thing cause I am exhausted. I was going to deliver all the baked stuff Monday morning, but I think I will do it today instead.

Logi – I wish I was there to help you with what you are going through … my prayers are with you, and I hope things get better real soon. Love ya sistah!

Well, I got a turkey to cook, so I’m outta here …

Hapa

Thought I would do a short post while I am on a baking break.

As some of you noticed, I have figured out how to add links to other people's sites. Now, the question is, how the hell do you make links to archives?

Clueless in Hawaii ...

Hapa

I think being a single mom is one of the hardest things in the world. For one thing, the odds of your kids having issues, whether it is drugs or some kind of emotional trauma are higher than kids with both parents in the home … or so the statistics say. I have been on my own with the kids since Chris was 2 years old. I raised my children by myself. Sure, Chris sees his father every other weekend, but I raised him and I have done everything possible to ensure a bright future for he and his sister. I know Chris’ dad loves him with all his heart, but he has no sense in raising children. If something had happened to me that would have left Chris to be raised by his father, I know for a fact that Chris would not be where he is today. Let me fill you in on the morals of his father’s side of the family. Chris’ dad has 4 sisters and 3 brothers. Combined, Chris has about 20 or 21 cousins. The ages of his cousins range from about 40 years old down to 8 years old. Of all of his cousins, there are only 4 of them that are younger than he is, one is a senior in high school, and the rest are 19 and over. Of all of his cousins, only two went on to further their education … one went to a business college, ended up being a stay at home mom, the other went to a community college but didn’t finish. You might be asking ‘what happened to the other cousins’? Let me tell you. All but one of the female cousins had a kid either their junior or senior year in high school, and the male cousins got their girlfriends pregnant around the time they graduated. As for GPA’s … from what I am told, they all averaged 2.0 or below … some graduated by the skin of their butt. I’d be rolling in my grave if Chris turned out like that. Sianna’s story is a little complicated, she never knew her dad … it’s a long story that some of you already know. Perhaps one day I’ll talk about it. One of the few things that Chris’ dad did that I admire him for is that he took Sianna in as one of own. Despite all the fighting and battling we did in divorce court … for almost 4 years … when the dust settled, he treated Sianna like his own. Now he’s become one of several important male figures in her life.

Going back to what I was talking about …

For the past couple of years Chris has been complaining to me that I have been butting in too much where his social life is concerned. Not so much about going out with friends … he just wanted me to butt out where his school life is concerned. From the 5th grade I have pushed him to get involved in extra curricular activities. I have explained to him that in the long run it will look really well in future college applications. So, to shut me up (as he put it) he joined several organizations and ran for office when he entered intermediate school (middle school). In the 7th grade he was class Treasurer. In the 8th grade he was Student Government Vice President. Now he’s 9th grade class Vice President. He wants to take a break his sophomore and junior year to do other things … I really don’t want him to, but I think I need to let go and let him make decisions for himself … and let me tell you, it’s really going to irritate me if he doesn’t run for anything. He will run for Class President for his senior year … and he will win too. He has been in band (percussion) since the 7th grade and is one of the top players in his age category in the state. He has always maintained at least a 3.8 gpa, except for this year … his first and second quarter gpa has been about short of a 3.5. He’s on the wrestling and judo team and wants to go out for cross-country next year. Overall, as you can see, he’s a really good boy … he just has a mouth on him.

Sianna is only in the 5th grade and there’s not much extra curricular-wise that she can do yet. She is enrolled in honors math and does really well in her science class. She’s still trying to figure out what she wants to do for a living. She’s already telling me to butt out … we’ll see.

I have always been proud of my kids, but what I got in the mail today really made me proud of Chris. In the last couple of years, the high school he attends has this program called Natural Helpers. From what I gather, and I’ll find out more at the January 15th meeting, it’s kinda like a mentoring/counseling type thing … where the students can go to their peers for help with their problems. They assists the grade level counselors in helping students. Anyway, earlier in the school year, a survey went out to all grade levels and some of the questions on the survey asked if anyone they know were having issues and was afraid to seek help, if they felt comfortable going to others with their problems, and to name a student they felt they could go to for help. Well, according to the letter I received today, it mentioned that, overwhelmingly, Chris’ name came up many times. His peers said that they could trust and turn to him if they needed help. If he accepts, he will be trained on specific concerns and resources. The initial training will be in a retreat setting, then will continue with ongoing sessions. For as long as I can remember, friends have always gone to him for advice or to settle a dispute. After I showed him the letter, I reminded him of how proud I am of him and he actually thanked me for ‘butting in’ all of these years. He finally realizes that the things he does in school, especially the things I nag him about, will look especially well on any college application.

I’ve worked hard and made some sacrifices … all for the sake of my children’s future. Even with the odds stacked against me, my kids are turning out pretty damn good. I love them with all of my heart, and there is really nothing I wouldn’t do for them.

On that note, I wish all of you a great weekend!

Aloha,

Hapa

Cookies!! … cookies!! … cookies!! This house smells like a freakin bakery. And my feet hurt from standing all day. In the past couple of days I got a few more pie orders, so now I have to head back out to the grocer for more ingredients … blah!

My children, both, of whom I carried in my womb for 9 months, are conspiring against me. Chris, as a freshman in high school is taking his first year Spanish. He insists that he won’t be taking anymore Spanish after this year. He plans on taking Japanese for the next three years he will have left in high school. He’s pretty good at Spanish, speaks it well for a first year student. He is already teaching himself some Japanese along with the help of his friends. In the last year he has taught himself to read, write, and speak Korean. This is where the conspiracy comes in. He’s been teaching Sianna a little bit of Korean, and they both want to take private classes together. Their plan is to talk crap behind my back. I never learned Korean. I do know all of the swear words though. There was no one around to teach me. Sure, because my mom was pure Korean you would think she’d be the one to take the task. Frick that … the only way I was to learn was by figuring out myself what she was saying when she had her friends over. So, I ended up taking 4 years of Japanese and two years of French when I was in high school. I do not recommend taking on two different languages at the same time. I worked DAMN hard in those classes … and I was still able to maintain my ‘A’ average … barely. I still know Katakana and Hiragana (I forgot all of the Kanji), so I’ve been able to help Chris with that.

Well, the kids officially started their winter break. They have a month off from school. They are going to drive me nuts! Sianna is, anyway. Chris is pretty good at going out with his friends. Speaking of Chris, the high school’s Winter Ball is on this Saturday. He and his date have been at the mall all week looking for her clothes. I have already ordered flowers for Chris and I’m taking him later today to get his hair cut. Chris practically bought the first thing he saw. He’s wearing a nice gray shirt with khaki pants. I know what you’re thinking … gray?? That’s what he and his date decided on, gray. The flowers I ordered for his date is a French bouquet made of white roses. Gawd, I’m starting to feel my age. I can still remember my first Winter Ball … some 22 years ago.

As much as I would like to stroll down memory lane … break is over and I have to get back to my cookies.
Think of me when you eat your next chocolate chip cookie, ok?

I’m outties …

Hapa