Random Facts and Travel Pillows

Well, thanks to my friend Amy, I was awarded with this today:

According to the rules, I am supposed to list 10 Interesting Things About Me. Really? I feel like I'm an open book anyway, to friend or foe!

However, I've accepted this award from her and therefore here are the 10 Things. I hope you find them Interesting:

1. I robbed the cradle; I am 3 years and 11 months older than my husband. It's great :)

2. I wish I could move to Ireland.

3. I can't say "Bob's Big Boys" (a restaurant here in Hawaii). When I try, it comes out with an "s" on the end of Big.

4. I would LOVE to watch an autopsy. I think the human body is so cool and I want to see inside of it!

5. I still sleep with my baby blanket. Its name is Banky and it's threadbare, but don't TOUCH it or you'll lose a finger. My husband and kids are aware of this rule.

6. This list is tougher than you'd think. But anyway... oh, I wrote a column in the town newspaper when I was a senior in High School. Campus Comments, baby!

7. When I was 19 I rode a train from Sacramento, California to Denver, Colorado but I'd lost my wallet and had no money, so I had no food for 3 days. I had just enough coins in my purse to get a little carton of milk one day, and that's it. When my sister met me in Denver she brought me a foot-long Subway and I ate the whole thing before I even got my luggage...ha...

8. Celebrities I've seen in person: Cate Blanchett, Billy Bob Thornton, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon, Renee Russo, Evangeline Lily, and a few other minor ones I'd have to wikipedia to remember their names. They were all surprisingly shorter in person.

9. I've read the entire Bible through about 5 or 6 times in my life and every time I do, I learn so much that I never knew before. I highly recommend you do this, and try a different version than you're used to reading!

10. I wish we still dressed like they did in the 'olden' days where men wore suits, ties, and fedora hats every day.

Whew...OK...done!

On another note, I completed another little sewing project today. I will be HONEST and confess that I did this sewing instead of these other high-priority tasks that I'm SUPPOSED to be working on:

1. Designing the syllabus for the Hawaii District Ladies Conference

2. Listing items on eBay for some family members

3. Cleaning the house

4. Doing the dishes

Ugh...there are always demands on your time, aren't there? But I promised myself I'd do items 1-4 this week, even if I have to stay up late.

It was fun to make little travel pillows for my kids though. They love holding pillows in the car and I was tired of seeing big pillows being tossed around in our vehicle. These are perfect because they can use them all different ways to get comfortable. Today on the way to Costco Olivia put hers to good use and napped comfortably.

There is 8 ounces of fiberfill in each one so they are very soft but full.

Below is my sweet Liv with her new pillow.

Toots and Tu-Tu's

Ahhh, boys and girls.

What are little boys made of? "Rats and snails and puppy dog tails..."

What are little girls made of? "Sugar and spice and everything nice..."

I love how God created us so differently; it's like the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang. Two opposites that are actually designed to go perfectly together.

I love the stories that I read on Facebook about the lives of my friends and their children, especially when the antics are demonstrating the differences between boys and girls! I believe it was my friend Janelle with the story of finding a dead gecko from her son, in the washing machine, AFTER she'd washed a load. So she had to pick out the pieces before re-washing the load. My friend Amy has a son, Jake, who is my son's age and I think they are non-biological twins. Hectic, hyper, crazy....their stories are never-ending and they are only three. I think it's funny how my friend Cheyenne had such a sweet and nice little girl to fool her into a calm complacency and then BOOM - Huck arrived and from the sound of it, this little ball of masculine energy keeps Cheyenne on her toes.

I am sooooo not an expert in the psychology of children! But I do have two; a boy and a girl, and have learned some things so far.

Boys are hyper, more energetic, and in my opinion, more destructive in their play. Oh, they may not mean to be destructive but it just comes out that way. They take things apart, throw things, and are loud.

Girls seem to be calmer, quieter, and more focused in playing. They make a mess too, but it is usually with more purpose.

Here are some examples:

Samuel (my three year old son), thinks it's hilarious to toot loudly. He'll laugh and sometimes even point to his rear. This is embarrassing to me. I hope he's not doing this when he's a teenager. Olivia quietly poos, usually while hiding in the closet.

Samuel hears someone mowing outside and almost kills himself getting to the door so he can watch. Olivia hears the loud noise and almost kills herself running to the safest place in the house, far away from any doors or windows.

Messy. Loud. All boy.

Samuel hurls his toys around the room as he's playing; is this to see how they land? To hear the sound they make as they crash? I don't get it. Olivia selects a few toys and carries them around before finding the exact place to put them; the hamper, cabinets, or toy box. Yes, she already picks up our shoes and puts them in the closet. She picks up clothes and puts them in the hamper.

Samuel finishes the day covered in dust, scrapes, and dirty fingernails. He looks like he's been doing construction in mud. Olivia looks like an angel as she floats around the house in one of her tu-tu's. Her toes are kissably clean.

Little girl dancing in her tu-tu at church.

Samuel stomps through the house. Olivia prances and bounces on her tippy-toes.

Samuel has a Cars backpack that is already missing two straps from him dragging it around. Olivia has a purse collection and they are carefully stored in a drawer. She loves to go select one to carry around the house, looped over her crooked elbow.

Samuel marked on his Curious George and there are bite marks on George's nose. Olivia keeps her dollies in her bed or carries one around cradled in her arms; handy for the occasional hug.

Don't you love your little tooting boys though? And your angelic tu-tu angels? God's way of balancing the Universe.

A Boy, A Pillow, and Yes....the Saints!

The world of 3-year olds is unpredictable. Especially 3 year old boys with a tendency to be hyper and impulsive. But occasionally, the stars align and the results are surprising, to say the least!

Samuel did great during the rehearsal on Saturday, so on Sunday we were cautiously optimistic. We fed him his favorite chicken nuggets on the way to the hotel, but after eating he fell asleep in the car. Oh no….too early for his nap! But about 15 minutes later we were there and we had to force him into his 3-piece suit, socks, and shoes. A rose was pinned to his lapel and his hair was styled and sprayed. All of this is obviously torturous for a tired preschooler. We barely got him to cooperate for a picture with the bride, and then it was over as far as cooperation was concerned. He was absolutely NOT going to be in any more photographs, so finally we gave up and went up to the empty hotel room belonging to family. Family who were downstairs getting family pictures made with the bride and groom…pictures without a certain tired toddler. All of the offensive, evil clothing was removed and we tried to get him to take a nap, but to NO avail!

Waiting until the last possible minute to redress him, we finally made it back downstairs for the ceremony. He was thirsty. He was antsy. He was restless. Mommy was nervous! The ceremony started and everyone was beautiful. I could see Elton in the back as I sat near the front feeding Olivia coconut M & M’s as a way to keep her quiet. When the time came for the ring bearer to do his job, I could see Samuel slowly walking out to the aisle area. Hundreds of faces turned back to smile at him. I turned my camera on and quickly snapped a picture, fully expecting him to bolt off into a mad dash, probably into the muddy grass for a nice mud bath. But with an almost audible snap, the stars aligned and a miracle unfolded: that crazy boy did exactly, perfectly, what he was supposed to do! He carefully cradled the pillow. He slowly placed one foot in front of the other. He mildly smiled and sweetly looked into the eyes of many of the hundreds of faces staring at him. And slo…www….ly….he walked up the aisle, past the staring faces and distracting rose petals on the grass. At the front, he paused and gave me a confident look before walking over and taking his place by the groomsmen.

I nearly fainted. I almost cried. I couldn’t breathe.

Mr. Handsome coming up the aisle.

Standing in place. Can you believe it?!?

Granted, he fiddled with the pillow. The rings got loose and the pillow was held backwards. And 5 minutes into the ceremony he decided he was done and came back to sit by Daddy. But oh, what a performance up until then….my heart was bursting with pride and hope. Hope that yes, one day he won’t be such a crazy, hyper child. One day, he will do what he is supposed to do, a majority of the time!

So miracles do happen. Because on another note, in the midst of this unfolding drama, another drama was wildly being played out thousands of miles away in the New Orleans Superdome. Elton and I (and dozens of guests….I saw you and you know who you are!) were watching the Saints game on his iPhone. One of the groomsmen (they were all Vikings fans, ugh!) agreed to send me hand signals during the crucial last 2 minutes of game time, since Elton had his iPhone in the back and I was temporarily in the dark about the game. And right around the time that the happy Bride and Groom shared their first kiss, the miraculous dream of the Saints going to the Super Bowl became a reality! The groomsman reluctantly greeted me after the ceremony with the agreed-upon 2-thumbs-up gesture, which meant overtime play, with the Saints victorious! Awesome! Loved it!

Miles and Keri Presnell with my Olivia Sunshine

Prayers for Samuel's Bride

My husband’s cousin is getting married tomorrow, and has asked my son to be her ring-bearer. It is his first wedding! Today at the rehearsal, we had him practice going up the aisle, cradling his pillow, over and over. He’s three, after all, and a bit on the hyper side normally. So you can see why we insisted on the practicing! But he performed like a champ and all fingers are crossed; if he does the same tomorrow then his first wedding participation will be a success. His mommy has her fingers AND toes crossed!

Samuel and Bride Keri at the rehearsal brunch.

Samuel in place (after handing the pillow to Seth!). On the right is Miles practicing "getting" Keri from her dad. Look at the love on his face...awwwww!

Being an emotional Mommy, I will probably cry as I watch him come up that aisle in his black tuxedo, complete with tie and a fuscia silk pocket square to match the bridesmaids. It will be my first time to see him coming up a wedding aisle in a tuxedo, but hopefully it will not be his last! I’m sure the tears will blur my eyes, and in that moment I will not see an impish three year old ring bearer…but a grown man who is a nervously excited groom. One day I will once again be on the front row in a church hearing wedding music, but this time I won’t be biting my nails and praying that he won’t just happen to pick his nose and decide to taste the salty delights discovered on his stubby fingers. I’ll be watching a youthful man taller than me and praying that God will pour out His blessings as he recites eternal wedding vows.

Speaking of praying for God’s blessings for that day, I’ve always thought those prayers should begin now. When my children are babies. My parents always taught me to pray for my future husband, whoever and wherever he might be. I did so; throughout my childhood, teen, and single adult years. When I met the man of my dreams and married him, it became clear that there were certain times in his life that were surely a better result or protection because of those prayers. Say what you will; prayer works! And why not pray earnestly for years about something so vitally important as the future marriage of your children?

So today during the wedding rehearsal brunch, the mother of the groom stood during all the speeches. My eyes began to automatically fill; after all, I am a Crier. Funerals, weddings, births…if I don’t know the people involved I cry. If I DO know or am related to the people involved, I sob. Looking across the tables at Denise as she looked across the tables at her son, the tears began to sting my Crier eyes. One day, I thought, that will be me. I will stand there as she is, wishing my son the best as he sits beside a girl. Today the Mother of the Groom smiled at Keri, her son Miles’ bride, and told her that she’d written a poem for her as soon as she knew that Keri had told Miles “yes”. Those familiar with the popular Christian song will recognize the tune, but the words are for Keri. And as these words flowed in love from a son's Mother to his bride, it just reminded me again of the importance of praying for Samuel’s future bride. One day, with God's blessing, I will feel the same amount of love flowing from me to her.

Thank you to Denise for allowing me to reprint the poem here; may it bless my friends and remind all of us to pray for the spouse our children will select.

“Keri, Did You Know?”

With love and prayer always, from Denise Denardi (soon-to-be mother-in-law)

to Keri Tamanaha (soon-to-be Presnell)

Keri, did you know

That someone has been

Faithfully approaching the King

On your behalf?

Keri, did you know

That someone has been

Praying blessings over you

Throughout your life?

Keri, did you know

That someone has

Been falling in love with you

Over the years

As she prayerfully anticipated

The wife God has for her son?

Keri, did you know

That you complete

The secret desire of someone's heart

Besides Miles'?

Keri, did you know

That someone is me?

Flower girl Rachel leading Samuel back down the aisle.

Tiger Woods and the Saints

I can't believe I'm going to blog about sports! But I guess, maybe it's not too weird. I never thought of myself as being a sports fanatic, because to me, a sports fanatic is one of those guys who come to parties and spend all their time spouting trivia details such as the winner of the 1976 Super Bowl or who had the best batting average in 1992. A sports fanatic has jerseys for all their favorite players, spends hours watching live and recorded games, and turns blue in the face if you dare mention an 'enemy' team. And since I don't have any jerseys (yet), don't know who won which Super Bowl, and can't tell you how to calculate batting averages, I don't consider myself a sports fanatic.

HOWEVER, does golf count as a sport....ha...just kidding, of course it does. And I LOVE golf! Before marrying my husband, I thought golf must be the most boring thing in the world. But in the early days of our marriage (before kids, of course), I loved to sit and watch him play his golf game on the PlayStation. He'd explain everything from pars to putting strategy. I guess in a way, it was a bonding experience, and as a blissful newlywed I wouldn't have cared if he was talking about golf or stock exchange rates as long as we were spending time together. A weird thing happened; I started to be very interested in golf. I went with him to the driving range and learned about clubs. I drove with him in the golf cart as he played, and as I breathed in the scent of open air and grass, I fell in love with the sport. It was so fascinating to observe...and that's what I should clarify; I do not play golf myself, but rather I love watching it and knowing about it! I absolutely love watching it played, and trying to figure out what the player is thinking and how he's gauging his putt. To me, it's incredibly interesting because it's a game played so much in the mind, as well as in the physical. There are no team dynamics; other than the player, his skill, and his brain. So cool!

Hogan's Bridge at the Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia, home of The Masters

And of course, I've always been a fan of Tiger Woods, because of his game. His drive and ambition. His goals and determination. The way he could block out so much and play the game with his mind, and how the other players fall like chess pieces when Tiger is in the zone and hurtling down the back nine with a steel-trap focus glinting in his eyes. I mean, how can you not stand back and be amazed at that sort of playing? Those golf-record-shattering statistics played out in front of our eyes? Even his competition begrudgingly admits their admiration. I know all about his recent personal drama, and as a woman, wife, and mother I am very ashamed and disappointed in him. In all honesty, I truly hope he gets everything repaired as much as possible because I'd love to know that his marriage and family are doing well. And then as a golf fan, I eagerly anticipate his return to golf because I want to see him continue to play well, and to continue to set golf records.

And then...there are the SAINTS! Oh my, when those SAINTS go marching in! I grew up in Bogalusa, near New Orleans, and whether you liked football or not, you lived in the Saints Nation, Under God. Don't bother telling me about their less-than-stellar record; I lived in the years of bags over heads and sad Sundays with disappointing trumps by other teams. However, being a fan doesn't mean you stop liking a team (or golf player) just because they are losing! A true fan loves a team even when they are down. A true fan is faithful. And the reward for that, is that when the team is WINNING finally, you can rejoice even more fully!

I remember going to my friend's houses on Sundays (we didn't own a TV) and watching the games. I've been to the Superdome countless times. I could play "Oh When The Saint's Go Marching In" on the trumpet. And even though I've moved away, I've never cared about any other NFL team. I've always loved the Saints, even though I didn't follow them as closely as some of my friends have. I couldn't tell you the first and last names of most of the players, although I admired Reggie Bush and his talent for reasons I can't really explain. But this year my attention was certainly jerked back to the Saints Nation as Drew Brees and his mighty arm began to gain national attention. The American nation, not just the Saints Nation, that is. The wins have piled up and I have breathlessly watched, dancing to "Who-Dat" (much to my husband's amusement) thousands of miles away from Louisiana, here in Hawaii. My friend Kari Jordan and I texted our game commentary to each other during the entire Saints VS Falcons game. And now I am finally ready to move on to the next level of fanhood and buy a jersey; I just can't decide if I should celebrate Brees and his leadership or my loyalty to Bush.

So there you have my sports thoughts on Tiger and the Saints. Here's to the Super Bowl for the Saints and a soon return, with stellar wins and an improved personal life, of Tiger Woods.

Jen's Blog and Giveaway

Don't you love it when you discover something COOL? Ha...my friend Amy is awesome and she has an awesome blog: http://miraflorfamily.blogspot.com/

Through her, I've discovered so many other awesome bloggers (have I overused 'awesome' yet?) You've got to see this Giveaway on Jen's blog today, it ends tonight though so hurry on over! http://thelifeaccounts.blogspot.com/2010/01/domestic-goddess-giveaway.html

I look forward to getting to know Jen!

Samuel's Tattoo Shop

Someday soon, I'll blog about our journey through the world of developmental delays, Samuel's early diagnosis of speech delay and the therapies, and his recent diagnosis of PDD-NOS on the Autism Scale. Whew! That's a whole 'nother story. It's been a challenge but God's blessings have been evident throughout the entire experience.

It's a painful experience, however, but I am a firm believer in using your own trials and lessons, no matter how painful, to help someone else when you can. If there is anyone else out there going through a similar trial...I can only hope that in some way, I can give them encouragement or at least, let them know that they aren't alone.

I'm just trying to gather my thoughts about this issue. Still.

But for now, above is a picture of my sweet (some of the time) baby boy being dapper while out shopping with Dad. I'm pretty sure there's magic marker remnants on his left cheek, which wouldn't be unusual since he has often been known to liberally self-tattoo. Here's proof of that; the first day of Hawaii Family Camp he obviously felt like he should apply some tribal tats before heading out to the more rural-Hawaiian area of the island:

And recently, he was discovered decorating his abs. Oh yeah, and his beautiful baby sister's face.

Can you imagine what she was thinking as he sweetly marked all over her face?!? 'Hold still, Oh-whi-wa," (how he says her name). "This won't hurt a bit. You'll look like a princess, I promise. Don't you trust your brother?"

OF COURSE he gets into trouble for this; time and time again. Sigh.

In the mean time, we are trying to learn to hide our markers. It's a fine line; encouraging your kids to have self-expression....appropriately!