get shave ice everyday
Veda's soccer team "The Purple Geckos" had their first game on Saturday morning. Travis is coaching and had just gotten off work in time to get to the game. The team consists of four 5 year old girls. They are SO CUTE! They played their little hearts out but were defeated by the Unicorns 3-0. Veda seems to be the strongest player and dribbled the ball down to their goal several times; we just need to work on getting the ball IN the goal. 
I tried with all my might to persuade Monique to stay in Hawaii with us. But she is just too level headed and decided to go back and finish school. I guess Hawaii didn't permeate her as much as I thought, as she seems to have maintained a sense of responsibility. We saw her off last week. It was a sad day for all of us. She stayed for the whole summer and the experience surpassed all my expectations.
Top 10 reasons we love Monique (aka "Aunty")
10) She is an awesome runner and has buns of steel.
9) Her always-ready pocket full of awesome Chuck Norris jokes.
8) She was raised on a farm but screams like a little girl when she sees a toad.
7) For placing my precious toddler dangerously close to a flesh eating Monk Seal for this photo and never telling me about it. I just found this picture to prove it.
6) She "Brings It" when it comes time for P90X.
5) For diligently watching every episode of The Bachelorette with me.
4) Her BUCK dance moves - especially immediately following So You Think You Can Dance. FUR REAL, MO!
3) She tells it like it is - even when it's something I don't want to hear.
2) For feeding Eve a sucker for breakfast on her last day in Hawaii.
1) For always tending to and loving my kids like they were her own.
We love you Monique! To say we will miss you is an understatement. Love and Aloha!
You are looking at the sweetest baby born on the earth. This is our little Eve at 2 months old. She was absolutely angelic. She rarely cried, would wake up smiling, loved to cuddle, and you could just tell that she was happy to be here. I never knew when she woke up in the morning because she would happily lay in bed cooing until I went in to get her. I would walk in her room when I had Veda taken care of already, to find her wide awake, smiling at me.
Not a lot has changed about this one, except that she is 3 years old now. Eve is one of a kind. She is the sweetest, most precious child alive. Eve is always happy and content. She is the most loving child I have ever known. She tells me she loves me randomly throughout the day several times with a hug and kiss. She entertains herself, makes no demands, and rarely disobeys. When she does something she feels might have been wrong, she puts herself in timeout. When she is done, she says "Mom, it's my fault. I'm sorry." I'm not kidding!
Eve wanted a princess party this year so we delivered. We didn't want to surpress the tomboy somewhere down in there, so we served up "worms and dirt" as a snack - chocolate pudding, crushed oreos, and gummy worms.
Making princess hats.
Even the boys loved the princess hats!
Eve hugging the special blanket her Nana made her.
girl opens princess dress
girl strips naked in front of birthday guests
girl transforms into princess!
Finally, a REAL violin!
Saturday morning, the day after Veda's first day of kindergarten, we were having violin class. As I'm teaching the class Veda says "Mom look!" I looked at her with blood dripping down her chin and she held up her tooth to show me. The whole class broke into cheers and applause for her. It's not very often that you get an audience when you lose your first tooth! 
Later that day, I made her this cute little tooth fairy pillow to put her tooth in. The tooth fairy left in it's place a gold dollar coin and a pack of sugarless gum!
Friday was Veda's first day of Kindergarten. She is attending a public school one town over. She woke up early and came into my bedroom already dressed with hair brushed and said "I'm ready Mom!"
She said heart felt goodbyes to Choco and Haui
First thing in the morning we all had breakfast together in the Cafeteria. They had parents say their goodbyes and wait outside for the kids. Then they announced the kindergarten classes and had them walk down the red carpet to their classes. The parents and teachers clapped and cheered them on. It was so cute and they felt so special. I thought that was such a great idea! They were so excited, they didn't have a chance to get sad. 
Veda and I got back a couple days ago from our trip to Oahu for the summer Suzuki Institute. We spent much needed quality mommy/daughter time together and learned a ton! Suzuki is the method of teaching the violin I use to teach my own kids and my other students. Part of the method is to go to these "institutes" during the summer where the kids have intensive classes, lessons, and concerts. Although intensive, they are SO MUCH FUN. I have some of my fondest memories of time with my own mother when we would go to these institutes together each summer. Bare with me people - I have a butt load of pictures.
All in all a great experience. I was quite empowered by navigating around the big city, and making all the travel arrangements etc. without a hitch. I did feel a bit like a country mouse in the big city. I was a little out of my element having lived in rural Kauai for so long. We will definitely do this again!
