Here's to February

 While January is a great month and all, we are ready for February.  We had too many "have to's" going on in January and not enough "want to's" happening so hopefully February will allow for some play time.

 We did take care of one last "have to" in January though. We had to have frozen yogurt.  Without it the month would have been completely ruined.

 Here's to a new month full of (hopefully) warmer weather, hearts and kisses, more basketball, and of course-another trip for frozen yogurt.

Peace out January.

Seriously?

Seriously????

Jason left his room like this for the housekeeper this morning.

I hope she didn't die of fright.

It is funny though, right?

New Beginings 2013

 Last night we had New Beginnings.  New Beginnings is an activity at the beginning of the year to give the Young Women in our ward (and their parents) a fresh start for the year. We also got to meet our new Beehives coming in this year. Emily spoke about Personal Progress and it's importance and Tab about our new teaching curriculum, "Come Follow Me."  I had the chance to speak about our theme for this year. It's Stand Ye In Holy Places and Be Not Moved.

We went with a shoe theme and talked about the types of places that we stand and the kinds of foot wear with you will be wear. 

* Church Shoes: you are standing ready to represent the gospel.

*Sneakers: my work shoes. I need to stand worthy of my blessings even outside of a religious environment.

* Rain boots: with repentance the mud washes right off and they are good as new.

 *A wild pair of high top sneakers: 1.Those bad boy's are Braley's and 2. sometimes you find yourself in wild situations and its your job to create a holy place for you and those around you to stand strong and steady. *Slippers/flip flop: No matter how casual the situation you need to remember that you stand for something.

*A pair of men's shoe's: There are times when someone else will help you find your Holy Place and will help you fill your shoes. 

*Finally from behind the podium I brought our 3 pairs of Temple slippers. Those shoes, though plain and simple and more purpose than all of the other shoes combined.

 Each Young Woman was gifted one of these cute woodblocks with this years youth theme decorated in the value colors.

 And of course we had yummy dessert.

I love being in Young Women's!

Frrrrrrrreak out

For the past month or so our seemingly sweet, easy-going little man has been incredibly high stung and nervous.   It all started with the tragedy in Connecticut.  His poor little mind had such a hard time comprehending why someone would do something so mean and scary. I am so grateful we talked to him before he heard about it from someone else.  As parents we talked to him about what he was hearing at school from classmates. We talked about safety and we talked about listening to grown-ups in emergency situations.  We thought we calmed his nerves but then he got "lost" at WalMart over Christmas break. It sent him into a tailspin.

For the past month he has been freaking out (like for real) whenever he is not able to be with his whole family. At the grocery store if we aren't all in the same isle there was instant tears and crying. If Jason wasn't home from the airport at the exact time I said he would be, Ansen would begin calling him over and over until he answered his phone. At a stake activity I had to be out of his sight for about 20 minutes.  He was sitting with friends of mine that he has known for years, as well as Kahau, and he lost all control of his emotions because there were "too many people for me to safely get to you."

I have to be honest. We all were trying to be as understanding as possible with him and his shot nerves but man alive the panic attacks were really starting to wear us down.  The girls were especially getting overwhelmed with him constantly keeping tabs on them.  They literally could not use the bathroom without him quietly waiting out side the door wondering if they were really in there and if they were alright.

My mother-in-law thought he needed to talk to a counselor.  While I didn't think that was a crazy idea I knew that most likely this was a phase and we just had to make him feel safe and let him know that we understood he was scared.  We made sure not to tell him he was being ridiculous or make him feel stupid for being worried.

I read up on Post Traumatic Stress in children and  started applying some coping skills.

1. We would make him keep track of his own time.  If someone was going to be gone for 1 hour we would say, "Dad's going to the store.  He will be back in 1 hour.  You can ask me about him 3 times and make 1 phone call to check on him.  You decide when you'd like to call."

2.  We would make him go run errands with one of us. Leaving us and returning to find that were all okay while he was gone was huge.

3.  Praying.  This probably worked the best and obviously it made me happy that it did so.  We have had lots of extra prayers this past month and it has been really special to hear him pray for his family members by name.

This past weekend was insanely busy.  We had 2 basketball games, 2 funerals (with accompanying family dinners to help set up and serve at), car shopping, a craft night, a missionary farewell, ward conference, and New Beginnings.  All of us would be running in different directions.  Ansen and I said a prayer on Friday afternoon and asked for Ansen to feel calm and safe.

Yesterday while we were getting ready for dinner Ansen looked at me in his sweet little voice and said "Mom our prayer worked perfect.  I haven't felt nervous all weekend."

Answered prayers are awesome.  I don't know that we are completely out of the woods yet with his freak outs but I think we are successfully on our way. 

Get thee hence

 It has taken us almost 2 full school weeks to get back to normal around here. Last week someone was home each day except Friday suffering from this horrid cold/cough/bug things that has been hanging on at our abode.  Not cool. We have gone thru obscene amounts of popcicles, orange juice, oranges, EmergenC, cups of cider and medicine. Oh, the medicine.  There was no possible way to go without it.

 The old me would have pumped the littles full of medicine and tried my hardest to send them off to school but this more relaxed me......I just don't know about her.  I liked having them home. I liked having someone to care for.  It was nice.  Except for the part where we were all feeling like junk, then we were just miserable.  At least we were miserable together.

Jason was able to avoid whatever this was and we are happy he didn't get it.  He has had a very busy, very exciting few weeks.  I'll fill you in on it later.

So to the germs in our house we say "Get thee hence" and "someone get me another Popsicle!"

#33's season

 7th grade basketball is officially over and we are kinda sad to see it go.  The season was fast a furious and Kahau enjoyed it. I'd love to show you awesome action shots but you are just going to have to deal with the blur in the center.  Yep, that's her.

 Her coasch was newish and the players were too so it made for an interesting season but all in all I think Kahau would do it all over again.  I know she is really looking forward to 8th grade basketball and is really enjoying watching Ansen and Braley's basketball season get underway.

 Great job this season Kahau!  You did awesome!

Pardon

Pardon my complete lack of enthusiasm for today's "big" inauguration but to be honest I don't see the big deal.  The man has been in office for 4 (looooooooong) years already. So why, pray tell, is the United States throwing a party we can't really afford?  Oh wait.  I forgot.  Our taxes went up.  Never mind.  Party on Mr. President.

Sick as a dog

That was Ansen at the beginning of the week. That's me now and I think Braley is next.

Wednesday afternoon at Kahau's basketball game I could feel that I was getting sick by 2 hours later, during mutual, I just wanted to die.  We were having a stake activity so I just kept telling myself  "Suck it up, you're fine."  It hit fast and furious so I'm hoping that it leaves just as quickly. Cross your fingers for me.

After Kahau's last basketball game last night the kids were super sweet.  Kahau ran a bath for me, Brays decided on dinner and set it all out for me, and Ansen got his jammies on and did his reading homework without being asked.  After they ate dinner they tucked me into the recliner and put themselves to bed.

It stinks being sick but I appreciate all the big help my lil' helpers are giving me.


*****UPDATE*****
I totally screwed up.  This bug got me all confused.  BOTH Braley and Ansen missed their team pictures this morning.  I feel awful.  Time to come up with a way to make it up to them.

Baller

Watch out world, Braley's playing basketball this season.  Yep, that's right, she's hitting the court. 

Over Christmas break she decided that she would really like to give basketball a try.  This meant giving up swimming for the moment (sad face) but it also meant learning something new and taking on a new challenge (happy face).

She had her first practice last night and Jason said she did a great job.  Her first game is Saturday and she can't wait.  Way to go Braley!

Meet Zorro

Meet Zorro, the newest member of our family.  Wellllll, to be honest, the newest member of our extended family.  Grandpa and Grandma got a new puppy.  Isn't he to die for?

He's so small and feisty. I just love him.

 The kids just love him.

 And Rammy does to.  

Look at those eyes!  He looking and me and saying "Please can we have a puppy?!?!?!"

Now if we could only convince Jason to love him too!

Uni-brow no more

This girl has been asking to get her eyebrows done since she turned 12.  Why?  Don't really know and she really didn't need it, until like a week ago.  All of the sudden she had a pretty impressive start to a uni-brow. Thank goodness her hair is blonde and she has bangs. This morning I announced that today was her day to get her eyebrows waxed.  Zero excitement, only nerves. To her credit she marched right in there and did it.

She was a champ.  She laid still and let her new bff work her magic.

All better!

  Her redness disappeared quickly and she had a little ice cream to celebrate her survival.

FCH

 A little over a month ago I had a brilliant idea.  Brilliant, I tell you.  I was tired of trying to squeeze in house cleaning at the end of a long school/sports/young women's/work day.  Even though I am a "stay-at-home-mom" that does not mean I am the Widing family maid.  So I started Family Cleaning Hour, aka FCH.  Every Saturday morning from 9-10am we would unite in happiness that our house would soon be clean.  In my head I pictured Jason and the kids singing my praises. The rules to Family Cleaning Hour are very simple.

1) Everyone participates.

2) We only have enough chores to last each person 1 hour.

3) We get it done and get on to something way more fun than cleaning.

Perfect, right?

Wrong. Wronnnnnnng. Wrong-o.

Just look at these faces.  These are not the happy faces I pictured.  Not even close.

So far we have yet to reach our 1 hour limit.  It's been like 2 1/2 -3 hours each week due to weeping and wailing, and general gnashing of teeth.  It's been ugly folks.  I just don't get it.  Wouldn't you rather clean for 1 hour once a week then drag it out for hours and hours during the week? I thought that my lil' crew would figure out that if they kept things generally picked up there would be less to do on Saturday mornings.  I thought that.....well, it doesn't matter what I thought cause friends, I thought wrong.

The last 2 weeks Jason has mysteriously disappeared with "things" to do.  But I am committed to this and we will continue on with FCH until I am triumphant in achieving my 1 hour goal WITH zero uprisings.

I'm in the trenches and I'm not coming our til I have success.

Resolutions?

The kiddos were talking about resolutions in the car the other day.

Kahau: "I am not going to eat fast food this year.  Except for ice cream.  I need ice cream."

Braley: "Oh! I don't want to eat fast food this year either and I want to make sure we have Family Home Evening every Sunday night."

Ansen: "Well, I'm going to eat fast food and I am going to grow 50,000 inches."

Pret-ty great goals/resolutions if you ask me. 

I have never put anything down officially as a New Years resolution.  I think this year I might change that.  I'll really have to think about it.  I don't want them to be trivial things that I should be doing anyway.

I have already chosen a word to focus on this year.  The word is KINDNESS.  I need to be more kind. I want to be more kind.  I want to raise kind children. I want my actions to be a force for good.  I think kindness is becoming a lost art.

So starting now I am going to be more kind.  I'm counting on you to call me out on it.  Remind me when I am not being kind....you don't even have to remind me kindly.

As for the kids Resolutions, Sunday night we are having Family Home Evening with ice cream for dessert which should provide enough calories for Ansen to grow at least 1/4 of an inch.

Happy New Year

 
It's 2013 and since we didn't send out a Christmas letters I knew you'd want me to take a sec to recap our awesome 2012.

Kahau:

*Sailed through 6th grade and currently powering thru 7th

*Lover of basketball and volleyball

*Discovered the art of Living Aloha while playing in Hawaii for 2 weeks

*Surfing natural

*2nd Councilor in Young Women's class presidency, girls camp attendee

*Babysitter for hire

*Katness Everdeen/Hermione Granger wanna-be

*All-around good girl with a great wit

Braley:

*5th grader, top dog, chomping at the bit to start middle school next year.

*Sweet as honey

*Lover of any and every Disney princess

*Swimmer extraordinaire

*Read-a-holic......she'll read any series she can get her hands on

*Taylor Swift obsessed

* Hawaiian local at heart. 

*Easy going, fantastic girl

Ansen:

*Busy, busy 2nd grader

*Sports obsessed (basketball, baseball, soccer.........)

*Knows what he likes and don't try and change his mind 

*Grew and few inches and his feet grew too!!!

*At home with his toes in the warm Hawaii sand

*Family clown, always making a joke

*FINALLY sleeping thru the night

* Excellent kiddo and a boy thru and thru

The Dream team:

 

 Jason:

*Another very successful year with Precoa

*Biggest fan at the kids events

*Life of family and friend get togethers

*Finished his massive project of turning our garage into an awesome family room/office/nook

*Shower singer

*Mastered the art of embarrassing our children in public

*Re-established his love for O'ahu

*Excelled in the husband and father departments

Dana:

*Won the vacation lottery this year with trips to New Zealand, Georgia, Tennessee, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Florida

*Family chauffeur and cook

*Group fitness instructor

*Transitioned from Young Women's pres member to Young Women's president

*Created a scene boarding a plane home from Hawaii by refusing to leave.  Not really, but I sure wanted too.

*Event Planner

*New iPhone owner

*Wife, mother, and friend

Happy 2013!