A Ramble of Randoms

When December first started, I thought I had prepared myself for all the busy-ness that was going to happen. Well, I learned one thing [again...every year! I guess it's something I will never really "learn"!] you can't really plan out your end-of-the-year months! The only thing that you can really plan for these months is...crazy. I should just put that in my planner..."Today: Crazy"...*laughs* But no joke, it's been one hell of a ride this month. And it's not even over yet...but I have a few moments to write. I seriously have been meaning to write more in my blog...keep it more up-to-date, but it's more of, "when I get the chance to write, I'll write!"

I don't even know where to start. One person that is on my mind right now is Legend. I know I'm going to cry writing about this, but writing has always been therapeutic for me and I don't ever want him to be forgotten. And "they" say if you write about something/someone they will be immortalized forever. And Legend, you will never be forgotten...like that can even happen in my lifetime, at least.

Legend lived a few short wonderful 3 years. He was a child at my preschool and he was more a quiet one. He loved his skateboard, his shark backpack, his giraffe and his teacher, Mrs. A. He would nap in my classroom at times and he had "his spot" where he would want his bed to be and he was very particular about how it was set up. He had the tiniest shark backpack (which had to face him while he napped) that somehow his mom would miraculously fit 2+ blankets in with a random assortment of special things (one time it was blue party napkins another time his finger skateboards...it was a surprise every time). After nap time he would asked me to help him put his blanket away and as hard as we would try we rarely could fit his blankets in his tiny backpack the way his mom did. He was his teacher's opihi, always having an eye on her and/or always holding onto her somehow...holding her hand, her shirt, her leg.

He would come in my room and dance. His classroom is right next to mine and we have a "secret door" (that isn't so secret since Mrs. A and I like to keep it open during class hours)...and whenever we had music playing (which is all the time) and my class had another of it's many impromptu dance parties, Mrs. A's students would hear and poke their head in my class and join us. At first he would be hesitant to dance, and then he would warm up and you can see him jumping, spinning, holding hands, and twirling with the other kids.

Every morning he would call out, "Hello Ms. Charity" and give me a huge smile all the while clinging onto Mrs. A and whatever toy (most times his giraffe) he had brought with him that day. He was a beautiful boy with a beautiful soul...who unfortunately was born with a rare birth defect that went unnoticed until it was too late. Less than a week ago on December 23 his mom wrote, "Legend was born with a rare birth defect none of us knew about. He had a tangle of arteries and veins in his brain stem which caused his brain to hemorrhage. There was no surgery they could do because of the location so they tried their very, very best to stabilize him, unfortunately they were unsuccessful and he went to fly up to heaven." He was and is very much loved by his family. His sisters doted on him and his family is so close knit.

Legend, you will be very much missed by all those you touched. I will miss you.

Wow, that was hard to write.



I am glad that I am on winter break. More time at the beach for me! I still value my early mornings at the shoreline just watching the sunrise. Since it is winter break, there are a lot more people at the beach when I go. A lot more people with their cameras set up to catch the sun rising over the horizon. And I go pretty early as well. It's always confusing though...it's like the sun has a mind of it's own...there are times where I'll go to the beach at 6:30 and it's still super dark...and other times I'll go at that time and the sun is already up...well, not fully up, but up enough!

It's been too cold to swim in the water, but I will still walk the shoreline with my feet in the water...the ocean water is so healing! I can read all day at the beach...but like I said, since it's winter break, more people...so it's not as calming. But that's okay...everyday is still a beach day to me!



Christmas this year was HOT HOT HOT! We all went to my brother's house to celebrate and one of the first things I said to them was "My days, it's hot!" But the next day, it rained like the ocean was falling out of the sky! You can't really see here, but this is what it looked like right outside my front door. And it was like a waterfall coming down the roof...and I am right by the drain cannal to the sea...and it was like a river rushing by! I love the sound...and if you ever want the beach to yourself...this is the time to go. Not as much people there...and the ocean is a different kind of beautiful! I am so glad that the power didn't go out though! (Although I do enjoy lighting a scented candle when I'm home!)

Well, I decided to change up my fish tank: TankTown. For the longest time I wanted everything (as much everything as I can) to be natural. TankTown (my 35 gallon fish tank) had blue and green marble as "gravel" and treated coral with small kine live plants on them. I wanted it to be a more natural look with driftwood and more plants...so I redid the tank...and I feel like my fish are much more happier!



I had to use a rubber band to hold the plants down until they settle and take roots...should be in a few weeks. But I can't wait until I can remove them! I still like the coral in the tank...but I added a few pieces of drift wood. Changed out the marble completely with a more finer, natural looking gravel and added more plants.



My favorite aquarium plant is the anubias...even though they are slow growing...I like the look of it and once they are established...they look real nice! Plus, when they get bigger you can propagate it! I also added some java fern and water ferns. More bubblers as well and, of course, lots of marimo moss balls (which I also love and have them in all my tanks!) It looks as though my fish are more active and I love watching them explore around the tank and swim up and down and through the bubblers that I placed around the tank. (You can't see the bubblers that I added in the tank since I took this picture before I added the bubblers.)

Oh, and I can't forget! I added another betta fish to my growing fish family!



Meet Mr.Glorious. I met and adopted him while at my favorite LFS. I was there to buy more Zebra Danios for TankTown and I saw him there...and I was thought to myself "what glorious fish!" and I couldn't pass him up! I was meaning to get another betta anyways...and so I did. No, this is not the tank that I have him in anymore. I just put him in there as I prepared his home tank. I wanted him out of his tiny little container that I got him in; he is currently my most active betta fish! I can see him swimming around happily in his tank and exploring his cave and other live plants that I placed in there with him. You can't really tell in the picture but he has a gorgeous, iridescent blue body with transparent black fins and tail. And I think he's quite glorious.

I also brought Mr. Blueberry home from school since he wasn't looking too hot there. Plus, three other betta fish died in different classrooms within two days at the school...and I am not chancing anything with Mr. Blueberry. He was starting to become real lethargic and unmoving while in the classroom...and since he's been home with me he has been swimming around like his old self again. I'm not quite sure what happened in school...but he's going to stay with me for the time being.

On to some exciting baby news! My cousin had her baby, my (sister's) sis-in-law had her baby, and my best friend had her baby! All on the mainland, so I'm super bummed about that...but I'm so excited for them! My cousin and my (sister's) sis-in-law had their baby on my mom's birthday (December 19)...so that was a wonderful birthday surprise and my bestie had her baby a few days ago on the 26th!



My sis-in-law is beautifully pregnant and I get a wonderful happy feeling when I feel Baby PeachNectarine (DollGirl nicknamed her!) kick and move! She had her very successful baby shower and since we all love our tea time, the theme was a "Tea for 3" theme. After our Christmas celebration at their house, all the men got together and cleared out the baby room and put together their baby crib...and I am getting SUPER excited!

And, of course, my adorable baby niece, RocketGirl (who makes 6 months this month) has everyone's attention for the moment! I think that it's so cool that her and her cousin will less than a year apart! And oh my goodness, look at her, she has discovered her toes!

This year for my preschool children's Christmas present for their parents, I decided to do something "easier and faster"...since I knew that a good portion of the children in my class would only be here for a few days before traveling for the holidays. I showed them several projects and the one that they chose to do was the mistle-"toes" feet painting!



I laugh at this because we had just did a paint activity where we went outside and allowed my children to paint their feet and dance on the bike path and grass. And now they think it's the coolest thing to do...paint with your feet! So, of course, they had to choose the painting feet project! I loved hearing them giggle as I painted their feet! We added glitter and laminated it so that it would last longer (and be easier to frame)!



And every year as gift tags I always do the hand print Christmas mitten. I'm real big on saving those tiny handprints and footprint of the children and so I'm glad that they chose the feet mistletoe project. I hope the parents liked it as much as the children did when they saw the final product. They even decorated their own wrapping/envelope for their parents!

Oh, and how can I possible forget?! I went to the Nutcracker ballet this year with two of my friends!



It was a lot of fun to dress up and go with friends. I remember seeing the Nutcracker when I was younger and this one was a little bit different from the one that I remember when I was younger since the one that went to had a Hawai'ian take to it! I should have paid more attention to that because I was quite confused when the turtles and clownfish came out to dance!



But it was beautifully done and I feared to blink my eyes else I might miss something! The Cavalier in Act II: A Lush Tropical Garden was amazing...but everyone EVERYONE did such a breath-taking job! One of the persons that I went with happens to also be my school boss and classroom aid...and then next day in school during our impromptu dance parties you can bet your bottom dollar we were doing our various of ballet dancing with the children! It was an amazing event and I am so glad that I went this year!

Well, enough ramblings for now...I must go and do some productive things today! But here is one more beautiful picture of my favorite beach...doesn't it make you just want to lay down on the powder soft sand and cloud watch to nature's musical sound of the waves bubbling on the shore?!

Beach Day on Love Day.

Happy Valentine's Day all! I hope that all of you are enjoying your day of love and friendship! Remember, though, everyday should be a day that you show those you love that...you love them! But hey, its fun to know that there is a day set aside to celebrate love, right?! So enjoy it all!

Today, I woke up super early...like 5:30AM kind of early...why?! I don't even have to go to work...well, maybe that's because it's the time that I usually get up to go to work (well, at 5:45AM, I do...oh well)...so because I didn't have to go to work, I lounged up in my loft for 30 minutes before coming down and making my life productive! You wanna see what I made for myself...to tell myself that, "I LOVE YOU, SELF?!"



Oh okay, I know that it' doesn't look that appetizing...but it was...! My very own Blueberry Cobbler...oh goodness, it was definitely so ono! I actually made two that size since it did call for a bigger batch...but I only had my tiny toaster oven to do any baking with so I split the recipe in half and back it in two separate bread pans, and hey, now two for me. Don't worry, I shared! But I got the recipe here: Click for yumminess! And it was really so yummy!

Right after I took my yumminess out of the toaster oven, I set it on my counter to cool down...but oh my, it smelled so heavenly! And since it was super early I decided that I would go and do something that I love to do...go to the beach. It was super early so I knew that I would miss the holiday crowd...and then I remembered that they are doing this new pilot study here in Lanikai where this whole weekend starting yesterday until Monday, no one can park here in Lanikai (unless it is in your own driveway)...so that was going to make the crowds even less. So I got ready to go to the beach and off I went!

 

I love where I live. I love that there is all nature all over the place. I need to one day take a picture of the rain river that runs right by my house when it rains...and just outside my place there is a lot of trees and it's so peaceful and I love it!



(Sorry, it's a blurry picture!) As I left the house, I saw that it was a beautiful day already and so I wanted to take a longer walk and decided to walk to the beach access that was further from my house. I love Laniaki...it's such a nice neighborhood...and every single person that I passed by smiled and said "Good Morning"...such nice people that are here...and I am so lucky and blessed that I live here.

 

So, this is the beach access that is a little ways from my house...like three beach access down from where I live and it is far enough from the entrance of Lanikai that there wouldn't be that much people.



I just LOVE the sand of Lanikai...it is sooo soft and so fine! Hey, can you see my slippa tan line?! *laughs* I think that it's a permanent tan now. *laughs*

Look at that...! The first glimpse of my beautiful Lanikai beach...and it's SO perfect. Blue skies...blue waters...and white, powdery fine sand...and check this out...



No people! But the occasional dog walker or beach stroller...but at least for now...at 7:30 in the morning the beach is all mine! I love it!



It's hard living in Hawai'i. The cost of living is ridiculous and sometimes I wonder what the hell am I doing?! But then I just come the beach...walking distance away...in a beautiful neighborhood, with beautiful people...and then I know why I do it. To some people, it might not be worth it...working three jobs, living alone, away from family...but to me, it is worth it. I don't know for how long I will be able to call Hawai'i my home, but for now...and hopefully for a long time yet, this is my home.

 

Oh yeah, check out the "third moke" that someone created in the sand!



Cute little, bugger, ya?!

Well, I actually stayed at the beach for a few hours. I was wearing my swim suit, and I had brought a book...so I was good to go!

I did take dips in the water...it was more on the cooler side, but it felt so good on my skin. I love how I am weightless in the water...and I love just kicking my feet up to the surface to just float and float and float...just looking up at the sky...and if you listen real carefully you can hear things in the water. I remember when I first experienced that it scared the shit out of me...but now, it's more of a comfort thing...it's like ticking and sound...you gotta just come here to experience it. The water is so clear you can see straight down...sometimes scares me because I'm not a fan of swimming on top of coral...but it's so beautiful to see as well.

 

And after that initial dip in the water, I came out, spread my towel out and just laid down and read my book. I am currently reading, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti as a recommendation from my friend, Jade. It's a captivating book, that's for sure! I would get lost in it and then get jolted out of it by a dog running by and wanting to be friends. Then I would talk to the owner of the dog for awhile and then they would continue down the beach while I stayed on my towel to get lost once again in my book.

 

Do you like my DIY bookmark?! 'The sweetest moments in life are many times the simplest: a deep breath at a stoplight, a daydream during a favorite song, a gentle touch during a scary movie (btw, I do NOT watch scary movies! Nope! Nope! Nope!), a whisper under an apple tree, standing on the line where the ocean meets the earth, dancing with the wind." It's a good reminder sometimes to just stop and enjoy the simple moments. :)

I did bring my spray sunscreen/block that I would spray on when I felt like I was burning...and then when it got too hot, I would just put my book down and take a dip in the water...oh, how I love the healing waters of Hawai'i!



 As the day went by, the clouds started to come...and the beach became more brighter...and people started to arrive...but not too much that I felt like I had to leave right away. It was still a lazy kind of day. :)




Every time I would just laze around in the water, floating with my feet up, I would loved looking up at the clouds...they were SO beautiful...and there was so much!

 

So beautiful! I don't think that I can ever get tired of this view...If I had a choice, I would never leave. :)



Here are my beach essentials...my bathing suit cover up (top left of the picture, kind of hidden), my water bottle (the red "thing" peeking out from my bag), cut up apples for my snack (only Envy! You should try it, it's so ono!), my favorite sun glasses (from my best friend!!), my spray on sunscreen/block has to be spray on when I'm alone, since it's harder to reach my back...just spray it on!), my book, my hat (I adore my Mermaid hat! Amanda gave me that one!) and my towel...all in my beach bag!

There were several people who would call out "Hello Mermaid! Happy Valentine's Day!" That was really sweet of them! :)

When the beach was getting more crowded at around lunch time, I knew it was time to go. Plus, I try to avoid the beach at the peak of the afternoon since that is when the sun is at the top of the sky and it's the most hottest. I am NOT about skin cancer...and so I know when it's time to leave.

 

So, I just throw all my things in my bag, roll my towel up so that I can just shake it when there are no people around (I hate when people just shake their towel not carrying where the sand will fly too! So I try to be courteous about it when I shake my towel. I just wait until I am leaving the beach and on the way out of the beach access...that way no one gets hit with the sand), and make my way home.



The sand is so powder fine that it will just stick onto you! I forgot to bring my baby powder, which helps remove the sand...oh well, I'll just hose down when I get home.

 

It's a bit hotter now, the walk home...but it's still very beautiful in the day. I love how there are no cars blocking the bike lanes now that the pilot study is in progress. I wonder how long it will last though. I know that a lot of people are not happy about it; the fact that they can't park in Lanikai now. I overheard someone say that they parked their car, got a ticket and they just left their car there since they already got a ticket, they couldn't get another one...so sad. The reason why they are doing this is because on the weekends and the holidays, it would be jammed packed with cars, and there is only one way out or in...so it can take up to two or more hours just to get out of Lanikai...when in reality it takes less than five minutes. Residence of Lanikai have complained about it...and I totally understand...coz I've been in that traffic too, and it's not fun. Two hours just to go less than 2 miles is kind of ridiculous. And it's also a safety hazard when there is an emergency and the emergency vehicle can not get through and out in a timely manner. That's really sad. They do have a shuttle going from Kailua Beach Park going into Lanikai...and you can still walk or ride your bikes...but I do like how the roads are clean though.



Well, I made it home...and I feel so refreshed...and the days is only half way done! I can still get other stuff done! :) Or, I might just lay down on the roof and continue reading my book...away from people and out in the sun. :)



My beautiful plants on my porch! :)

I hope that everyone had a beautiful day...and I did end up reading on the roof for a few more hours...took a nap, now I am just finishing this post and about to get ready to go to my sister's house to watch her kids while she takes her hubby out for their Valentine's date! I love spending time with my niece and nephew...my DollGirl and my 'Lil Chunks!

 

Tea Traveler.

I have a new "darling" who started today at the preschool...and I am so glad that I didn't really have much trouble helping him settle in. I am so proud of my kids, they really helped him feel welcomed and they did pretty well in modeling "correct behavior." I told them that he didn't yet know the rules of my classroom and of the school and so he was going to be watching them to know what to do...and  know that I have a classroom full of potential leaders, because they did a very good job in making sure that he knew what was going on. I am very proud of "my" kids. :)

It didn't rain today, but it was gray overcast the whole day. The sun was hiding behind all the grayness and in all honesty, it felt like the approaching of the holidays! Although, it LOOKED gloomy, it felt like home. And I was happy that it was like that because I have been feeling homesick lately. It's been awhile since I've been home, and so I think that I should make a trip out there soon before I go crazy.

I have a confession to make. I did something that I thought that I wouldn't do. I added "friends" on Facebook. I had deactivated my "old" account a few years ago and told myself that I was not going to be sucked into that place again, but every few days I would get a message, a friend request, a pop up on my wall of my past...and I got me really missing home and all my family and friends back there. The only reason why I had made this new account about a year ago now was because my sister was giving me so much grief about how I didn't have an account anymore. And then she said that she would send me pictures of DollGirl anymore and the only way that I can see the pictures is if I joined Facebook! What?! Who does that?! So for a long time I did have an account, but I literally only had 5 "friends" who were my family. My sister, brother-in-law, my daddy, Mandy, and DollGirl. But today I just went through all my friend request and added all those who were family and those who I am mostly still on contact with.

I have to remind myself to not get "addicted" to that place...but for the most part, I'm pretty good about it now. I don't really do anything on there, except to check out the pictures my sister posts up...but I can see the pro's about the place. It really does keep you connected with your family and friends when you are away from them. I have moved around so much that I have friends and family in all kine places...so I have decided to stop "hiding" from everyone and if they have asked me to be their friend and we actually know each other, then I will accept.

I miss home. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my "comfort zone." But I got this. :)

Well, when I got home today, look what Mandy had put on my study desk!

Mandy was fortunate enough to have fall break and so she didn't have school on Monday and today and so she was able to get my package for me...and right away I knew what it was! And I was extremely excited to open it!

And I was right! I finally received my Tea Traveler! I am always drinking tea and so this is a good way to bring my tea with me. I like loose leaf tea too, so this will be good. And then to, when I finally start the Fit Tea I can use this. Ash wanted me to do it with her so I told her I will wait for her and she has been meaning to go and get a strainer for the tea, since it is loose leaf...but I just told her an hour or so ago that will just meet her after work and hook her up with one of mine since I have plenty. I'm telling you, I have a lot of different teas and accessories for tea, so I don't mind sharing with her.  

But I think that I am going to buy her one of these as well. If I order one tonight for her, it will be here next week and so I think I'm going to. I will get her that strainer though so we can start already. 

But I am excited for my new Tea Traveler! I love, love drinking tea (Irish Breakfast and Peach Ginger are my all-time favorite!)...and this is so that I can bring my tea with me! I am going to try to figure out how to make the microwave work in my classroom so that I can bring some tea to work and have my tea at work as well. :)

Fit Tea.

Look what I got in the mail today! I am actually excited to start this...

So, last week I was talking to Ashley and she asked me if I would try something with her. I told her it all depends on what it was...and if it wasn't harming anyone or myself...I would. Then she told that she wanted me to try this Fit Tea detox thingy with her to help her stay motivated and just so that she can have someone to do it with. 

I have to say that I have never really tried any kind of "loosing weight" program thingy...well, no, I take that back...long time ago when I was still in Jr. High...my mom wanted me to join Weight Watchers...which helped me loose weight, but I was very active in sports back then and I did have that eating problem (dark past that I don't really like to revisit if I don't have to)...but I think it was more because my mom wanted me to get in the habit of actually eating again...but that is a different story...but that was the only weight "loss" thingy that I've ever tried. Other than than, I would just do the whole exercise and try to eat more healthy dealio...but, my mom actually wanted me to go on a detox/juicing diet thingy with her. But I like food...and I like to eat...and I do have the biggest sweet tooth ever! But I also know that if I wanted to, I can be "more healthy"...but I would need a lot of motivation, moral support, and a very good reason. 

I do want to do the whole juicing/detox thingy just because I know that it's healthy and I do want to get in better shape before my brother gets married. I have been running and boxing more...and I am force myself to be more aware of what I eat. I still love my smoothies and I always tell myself to eat salad everyday. So I am more conscious of healthy eating and all. But juicing is SO expensive! I know that is just an excuse or whatever you want to call it...but it is what it is. I am a teacher...a preschool teacher and we get JUNK PAY...and I would go broke in a quick second if I had to buy fruits constantly to juice it. Coz if I could have it my way, I would eat all the fruit ever! I love fruit...apples are my favorite..I LOVE all kine berries...I can eat dragon fruit all day long, mangoes...oh my days, I love mangoes and I miss, SUPER miss white nectarine! That is one thing that I'm sad about living here in Hawai'i...the fruit here are so mad expensive! I kick myself now for taking for granted all the fruit that surrounded me when I was growing up in CA! We a kickass garden with fruit trees of all kind...and a vegetable garden with the best tomatoes ever! And cucumbers...oh mandope...I would LOVE to have a garden like that again! I remember always climbing and just reading up in the apple trees and peach trees in my backyard. And I could always just reach across and grab me some plum...oh my goodness plum! I LOVE plums! So yeah, I'm not against juicing, it's just...if money was not an issue, I would do it. But it is an issue and it is something that I would probably have to save for and not do for long amounts of time. 

So, when Ash asked me if I would do this detox thingy with her...I said, "why not?!" It's only a 28 or so day thing...and in the grand scheme of life...it's only a drop in the bucket...and so why not?! I think that we have decided that we will start on Sunday, if not sooner...but I have yet to tell Ash that I finally got it! :) At least we can start on the beginning of a new week...and we'll do it do together. 

I got the Super Fit Tea pack from here. And this pack came with everything that you see in that above picture. One thing that I looked at was that all the ingredients was natural and I am always drinking tea anyways...and so that is a good thing...I don't have to change that. I have to get used to taking the pills 30 minutes before breakfast and lunch though...I'm not the biggest fan on taking pills...and if I can help me I don't take pills for ANYTHING...but it can try it. 

The reviews that I have read said that the tea was a pleasant taste...and like I said, I love my tea! I have a pretty impressive collection of tea, but my #1 favorite tea is Irish Breakfast (with milk and sugar!) :) That and Peach Ginger tea are my go-to tea. (I still love my cup of black coffee in the morning though :)). 

I think the thing that sold me on this detox thingy is that it's basically tea...and I love tea.

The only thing that I could do with out is the stevia. (And we all know that I don't like CORN! *laughs* But it won't kill me to consume that!) I'm not the biggest fan of stevia...but in moderation, I guess it's okay. And...HONEY POWDER?! I have never heard of that before...but it's powdered honey, I guess. Can't go wrong with that...just it sounds weird. I love honey. :)

Well, I'm excited for this...we will see how it goes. I'll talk to Ashley and it will be pretty cool to document this journey of this Fit Tea Detox tea. Hopefully, it will be a good experience...can't hurt, can it?! :)