Potty Training Successes

We have been patiently working on potty training since January - careful not to push it too much yet praise and reward when Gavin decides to go. Today, he had a great day! He had no accidents all day at daycare and this afternoon had no accidents either (in his pull-up that is...)

After dinner we were all in the living room when Gavin disappeared into the toy room (so we thought). A few minutes later we hear him cry out and say "No poopies stay in!". We jumped up to see what he was up to and found him standing naked in front of the kitchen trying desperately to "hold it in" while mother nature took over. Apparently, he had to "go" so went to the bathroom all by himself and pulled off his underwear. Before he could climb on the potty, things started to come out.... I guess this is when he panicked and started to run into the living room only to poop on the floor on the way there.

We praised him for his efforts and rewarded him with a piece of chocolate for trying to go to the potty on his own. I took this picture after he was finished eating his chocolate :) Hopefully tomorrow will be just as successful and maybe he will make it to the potty a little earlier next time!

Kokua Festival

Gavin attended his 2nd concert this past weekend- the Kokua Festival at the Waikiki Shell. The Kokua festival is an environmental benefit concert with Jack Johnson headlining every year. This year he played with Ziggy Marley. When Gavin was 4 months old, he went to this same concert - that year Jack Johnson played with Dave Matthews.

Every year we look forward to this concert - spending the day in the park and letting the kids play then going in to enjoy the music. All the kids that went inside did great and none of us had to leave early (we were all a little unsure if the "bosses" would allow us to stay until the end).

Gavin, Makaela, and Abby

These two were having a GREAT time wrestling around on the blankets - the last time they were here they were just little peanuts asleep during the show in a sling!

Playing in the park before the show

Gavin made it until the very last song and then decided to pass out ;)

A video of the last song - all the performers came on stage to sing one of Bob Marley's most popular songs "Three Little Birds" by Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley & Taj Mahal

Polynesian Voyaging Society

This week I had the opportunity to see the Hokulea sail into Nanakuli and Pokai Bays. The Hokulea is a canoe that sails around the Pacific using the stars as their only navigation. It is part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. The students at the high and middle schools I work with (Waianae H.S., Waianae Intermediate, and Nanakuli High and Intermediate) were given the opportunity to sail on these canoes overnight. On the first day, they sailed into Nanakuli Bay and were greeted by students from the Hawaiian charter school and community members and the following day they sailed into Pokai Bay (in Waianae) to be greeted by community members there.

Living in Hawaii doesn't mean everything is Hawaiian. I think a common misconception of many people that do not live here is that everyone "local" is Hawaiian - but actually there is a mixed plate of cultures here. As far as Hawaiian culture goes, we've been to the luaus, but this experience was a true cultural experience.

When the boats sailed into the bays each day, there would be a protocol of events. First, the members of the boat would announce who they are, then the crowd would respond with an invitation to come ashore. This is all done in the Hawaiian language.

The boats coming into the bay (they were towed in to anchor by the yellow boat on the right)

Students from the charter school announcing that the boats were coming in by blowing the conch shells.

The Hokulea

Check out this website if you want to read more about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Hokulea: http://www.hokuleawwv.org/

Gavin's Words of Wisdom

I am truly amazed at the vocabulary Gavin has. He remembers everything that we tell him and that he overhears! Here are a few of his recent "words of wisdom"

He notices wedding bands now and knows that it means you are married (actually any ring is a "married") The other day he saw Lisa's rings (she has her wedding set and a ring on another finger) and later that night said to me as I was reading to him at bedtime -

Gavin: "Mommy Aunty "Isa" has 2 marries". Me: "Do you know who she is married to?"

Gavin: "Uncle Rich!"

He has asked us when he will get married so we told him that he must be older.... you know accomplish all the important things in life - college, career, potty trained, etc...

Last weekend we went to dinner and Mark ordered a beer. Gavin asked if he could have a drink of Daddy's beer and trying to think of a quick answer, I told him he can't drink beer until he is married. (Which means when he is older).

So...yesterday when all the parents were here to pick up the kids, Mark offered a beer to the guys. Brian was playing around and asked Gavin if he wanted a drink and Gavin's response was:

"No Uncle Brian I can't drink beer until I am married! I have to be older to get married!"

Brian: "Who are you going to marry?" Gavin: "Mommy!"

School Time

Claudia sends home the work the kids do during the day so we can see the things they work on during "school time" (that is what Gavin calls it). Here are a couple of my favorite...

The caption says "He got this right and added if you "ooze" milk you gotta "ooze" a "poon".

Caption: "I'm gonna write my name - Gavin Richard"

Trying out his finger paints from the Easter Bunny on something more "permanent" than his arms and belly!

The last days at the MacDonald house

The MacDonald family will be moving to Germany at the end of May, which means the loss of great friends to our family and a wonderful childcare provider to our children. When the military moves you, they do two shipments and the first round of movers came yesterday for the MacDonalds. Luckily, they have rented their house out for next year beginning in May so they have made arrangements to stay with neighbors for the month of May and Claudia will come to our house everyday to watch all the kids.

Here are the last few pictures I have from daycare at Claudia's house...

Daddy Time

A couple of weeks ago several of the dads took the kids to a UH baseball game. It was Gavin's first live sporting event and I'm sure having all his friends there made it a good time! Claudia posted a funny video of the kids and the theme of her post was "clearly there were no moms there". Although we know that Dads take great care of the kids...it is just very different than how moms do things ;)

Gavin and Hailey

The crew - Gavin, Hailey, Collin, and Makaela

I'm impressed that Mark fed him the snacks I packed! (raisins!) I assumed Gavin would be eating hot dogs, cotton candy, and ice cream for dinner.

Shopping Finds

Couldn't resist buying these outfits! I found several other matching outfits and pj's for the boys...guess they will be matching often ;)

Hiking Wahee Falls

This past weekend we went over the Windward side of the island for a hike. We rarely make it over to this side of the island, but it is so beautiful. Part of what makes it so beautiful is how green it is there - as soon as we got over there Gavin said "We are in the jungle". Guess the reason we don't go that often is the same reason it is so green - the rain! This hike was in Kahalu'u - the trail was actually a gravel road used by the board of water supply. For all of you Lost fans, they have been doing some filming here as well and the day we were there, they were creating a set.

This was the first time we went on a hike that Gavin was able to walk on his own - at least we let him try. He walked very slow because he stopped to look at or pick up every rock, stick, or leaf along the way ;) Mark carried him for part of the way in the hiking backpack carrier.

When I tried to take this picture and asked Gavin to smile, his response to me was "I'm walking!" (in a sassy tone)

The bump is growing bigger! 18 weeks

The water was pretty cold, but I guess Marley girl didn't mind. She was splashing around and drinking the water. Mark and Gavin weren't happy in the cold water - and I didn't even attempt!

The best attempt we got at a family shot - Marley is covered, but at least the rest of us are looking

We had lunch at the waterfall - when I tried to take this picture, Gavin said "I'm eating!" (in a sassy tone) I think he is starting to take after his dad and not like me taking pictures all the time!

Here is a memorable first....Mark showed Gavin how to pee in the woods ;)

This is the set Lost is working on. Basically there was a small waterfall here, but they are building fake rocks to make it look like the water is flowing out from the rocks. They have dammed off this area to make the water deeper and we had no idea what the big styrofoam container had inside! What I didn't get is why they were "creating" sets in such a naturally beautiful place!!??

After the hike we drove around the coast to the Kualoa beach park. The view of the mountains from the beach.

Chinaman's Hat island in the background. Gavin was entertained with finding sticks and throwing them into the ocean, Marley entertained herself with digging holes in the sand, and Mark and I were content to just watch ;)

Gavin is going to be a big brother!!!

We are very excited that Gavin will be a big brother in September! The boys (yes, another boy is coming our way) will be 33 months apart. So far, #2 is very healthy and I am glad to be over the first trimester of feeling tired all the time.

I never pictured myself as a mother of only boys, but the thought is warming up to me. I think the boys will really enjoy having each other....just as long as they take care of their mom and dad when we get older ;) Guess I've got a life of attending sporting events and possible broken bones ahead of me.... The good thing is that we have plenty of boy clothes and toys! Now we just need a double stroller and to get his room ready - but we've got plenty of time for that!

15 weeks here. We are 18 weeks now...will update a picture soon.

We had an initial ultrasound at 13 weeks - it is something we didn't have with Gavin, but it is to compare to the ultrasound in the 2nd trimester to test for birth defects. All was healthy and we even figured out the gender (easily!)

Gavin showing off pictures of his baby brother.

It's a boy!

3-D shot of his face

Gavin talks a lot about his baby brother in mommy's belly. Several of our friends are also pregnant, so there are lots of babies in bellies ;) Gavin generalized this to strangers as well and one day we saw a woman, who was a little bigger than me and Gavin yelled, "Mommy, she has a baby in her belly too!" (she was NOT pregnant!) ;)

Easter '10

Easter was a big deal for Gavin this year because he decided he would give all of his binky's to the Easter Bunny in exchange for goodies in his basket. Well, the Easter bunny came through! And I thought the Easter Bunny only gave candy!!!

Gavin's bag of binky's and the letter the Easter bunny left for him ;)

This posted out of order.... coloring eggs the day before Easter.

Gavin got finger paints from the Easter Bunny - this is what happens when you take your eyes off him for a few minutes!!

We tried to go to the Kanehoe Botanical gardens again this year (we went the past 3 years) but it was raining, so we headed over to the only place it wasn't raining on the island - Ewa Beach. The Hoffman's back yard made a perfect place for an Easter egg hunt!