Valentine Prepping.

So as I a teacher, I like to give my Lil' Darlings a treat for certain holdiays, and of course, this Valentines day is no different! This year, I saw these CUTE and adorable robot valentines at Target and I couldn't help but get them for my kids! I also observed that my keikis have a thing for bubbles, so I couldn't help but buy them miniature bubbles. And I have to say that I love love love Sweethearts candy...and so I feel that because I love all these things I hope my keikis love it all as well!

And I just had to post this cute little guy! I had to drop my DollGirl off at home after school and when we opened the door, this little guy came running up to to us and this is him waiting for us as we were opening the door. I love it. I just love this cute face!

Happy 2nd Birthday, KaiBoy!

Today is my KaiBoy's birthday! I love this little guy so much and even though he has only been in this world for two years, I feel like since he arrived here the world is a little bit more brighter and happier when he is around. He is one of the most happiest little guy ever! He doesn't really walk because he loves to jump, gallop, or run...it's so funny to watch! He is always just so happy and he loves to make other people smile! I can't get enough of my KaiBoy and I love him, love him, love him so much! :)

I didn't get much pictures of our little family/friends gathering for his birthday because between this little guys activeness and his older sister's rascal-ness, you have to always be your toes with them! :) But always in a good way! But I did get a few...

My amazing sister with her baby boy! I will forever be thankful for my sister for giving me an amazing nephew! :)

Life dealt him a difficult hand when we found out he was allergic to nearly everything that you can think of...(and when I say allergic...I mean DEATHLY allergic)) but my sister, being the amazing mother she is, researches and comes up with her own recipes to make things that are safe enough for KaiBoy to eat and today was no exception. She found a recipe that was allergy-free to make him cupcake for his birthday! And you know what!? It didn't taste all too bad!

I forgot to mention that we had a make-yourself pizza party for KaiBoy with tater-tots and (allergy-meat-free) pigs-in-a-blanket (since those two are KaiBoys absolute favorite!) and so I was STUFFED from the pizza alone!

But in saying that, if I wasn't already filled up, I would have devoured another cupcake...as it was, I could only down one and I already knew that these were going to be a yummy treat for KaiBoy in the future! He loved it too! :)

It was so hard to get a clear shot, both these little rug-rats move TOO MUCH! *laughs* But this is him opening his presents! I wish that I was able to take more pictures of the amazing gifts that he got...but I was too busy laughing from him expression from everything! DollGirl was so proud because she had gone to the store with her dad to pick out a gift for her brother and he loved it so much he didn't want to open anything else! I love he loving chemistry between these two! These two love each other so much! DollGirl knows everything that KaiBoy is allergic to and she makes sure that he will stay safe. You know how I mentioned that we had make-yourself pizzas?! Well, we had cheese that we could have on our pizza as long as you didn't touch KaiBoy or kiss him without washing up and gargling after you eat. (Think DEATHLY/anaphylactic shock quicker than you can say cheese). And DollGirl LOVES cheese, but she knows that she can't eat it when he is around. Her mom said that she could have some cheese on her pizza but she didn't want to because she said that it was KaiBoy's birthday and she wanted to play with him and she knew that if she had some cheese she might accidentally miss some cheese somewhere on her and then uh-oh. KaiBoy, too, gets so excited to see his sister when she comes home from school or when he sees her at all. I love how they love each other! :)

I had fun with friends and family celebrating the 2nd year of our little KaiBoy! :)

Merry Christmas!

This is another holiday party where I failed to take any pictures! But I would much rather live in the moment than trying to find moments to take a picture of. :) Today we had our family Christmas party at my brother's house, and his wife (my sister-IL) cooked an amazing meal and I loved it! I had a lot of fun...and the food was amazing...and the company was even better! :)

This picture was taking a few minutes before we left to go home. My brother-IL and my sister had to take KaiBoy home since he was getting sleepy, and so they left my DollGirl here so that we could finish the Gingerbread house that we were making and decorating sugar cookies....and then we had a little bit of SUPER yummy, homemade apple pie and cranberry cider!

I love my family. I know that no matter what happens in the years to come, we will always have each other. My prayer is that I will find someone that I can spend the rest of my life with that my sister and brother can be happy that he is their "in-law." I love my brother-IL and sister-IL...and I want my sister and brother to be able to say that about the person that I will marry into the family. But for right now, my family, is my family and I love them.

Honolulu City Lights 2016.

Today was a ridiculously exhausting day, but it was SO worth it! I really was contemplating whether or not I wanted to go to the city with my family to go see the city lights. I really didn't want to, but then because I like spending time with family, I really wanted to go. I love spending time with my DollGirl and KaiBoy and I love going on adventures with them...but today was a real rough day at the preschool! It was crazy! The kids were crazy! If ever I forgot that we had a break coming up, I just needed to look at my kids and their behavior would remind me. *laughs*

I decided to go. It didn't take much convincing really, just I needed the energy to go...but anytime I think of my little ones, I somehow muster enough energy to LOOK like I have energy. *laughs*

Even though it was still light out, I'm glad that we went early. There wasn't that many people there yet, and we had really good parking! That was what I was worried about...the whole parking dealio! It can get pretty crazy...and sometimes you can spend a lot time trying to look for a place to park. But not this time, we drove up and got real good parking!

"Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say, on a bright Hawai'ian Christmas day!" I couldn't leave without taking a picture of this! (Keep in mind, a lot of these pictures were taking one handed since KaiBoy decided that he wanted to stay with me. I like to think it's because I don't ever believe rushing kids if they don't need to be rushed. So we took our time walking around. I would only carry him if there was a huge group, or you could tell he was tired...but for the most, he loved walking everywhere. But yes, I would be holding his hand...so one handed pictures here! :))

It was funny because it looked like KaiBoys head was going to fall off while we walked under the trees with the lights because he couldn't stop looking at the lights! :)

And there is the official sign of the Honolulu City Lights!:)

Every year they would have a Christmas Wreath contest...and there were some really awesome wreaths! SUPER creative! I really liked that Dream Catcher wreath!

This one was my favorite wreath this year! I love how everything was made from the beach!

These wreaths always make me laugh! I swear that we can make one, or two, or three! at the the preschool, because the kids always leave their slippers at the school and then forget which one is theirs!

Christmas trees all decorated with lights just makes me smile! I love it! I makes me so happy to see this!

This little guy could not stop looking at the tree! The lights would change colors and KaiBoy LOVED it! I love watching his face when he is super interested in something! :)

And here is Santa and Mrs. Clause just chilling...:)

See, even Santa likes to go barefoot! :)

I love my family. I super love my family. And I am so glad that I can call them mine. :)

Right when we got to the cars, DollGirl said that she needed to go to the bathroom...and so while Papa took her to the bathroom, my sisters and I stayed with KaiBoy in the car...he's so cute. I love him. :)

They are my world. I love them. My DollGirl and my KaiBoy. I'm glad that I went. Any time spent with them is so worth it. :)

Random Family Beach TIme.

I usually go to the beach early on the weekends. I like going to the ocean in the mornings when there aren't that many people out and I can have the beach sort of to myself. It's nice going out to the ocean. I love the ocean. The problem with going so early is sometimes my family will text me and ask me if I want to join them at the beach...when I just got back! Today was one of those days. It was good that I still have my beach attire on so I told them to part at my place and we can walk over.

They didn't really go into the water, KaiBoy and I walked the shore some and DollGirl just played in the sand. It was pretty cold out and there were a lot of people at the beach already. (Another reason why I like to go early. When the crowds start to come, I leave.)

I love the fact that I live so near to the beach. I honestly believe that it's my soul place and I can't fathom the idea of leaving it. Thinking about it just makes me go blank.

Although it sprinkled some, the day was gorgeous. I love the weather here in Hawai'i. It's perfect weather! Look how beautiful it is! Hey, a random thing I learned today! When I come here early in the morning, I always see that boat! (The one in the in the left of the picture in the middle.) I ALWAYS see it there...and I never really thought about it...until I saw one of my preschool parents run past me and jump in the water and get on the boat! Well, now I know who the boat belongs to! :0

I hope I never take this beautiful place for granted. I wish that my family would come here more. I love the beach and I love being near it. I love it so much...and I know that my DollGirl and KaiBoy love it too. I hope we stay here for a long time.

DIY Advent Calendar.

I think that it is a well-know fact that I love love love stickers and so I decided to make an Advent Calendar using stickers from my sticker collection and also some Christmas stickers that I bought from Target (I just LOVE LOVE the dollar section of Target! You can get some awesome stuff from there, you know! :))

Things needed (to make 1 Advent Calendar--I made two in this post)
3-whole sheets of construction paper (you can choose whatever color you want)
25-5"x3" burlap pockets
ribbon
as many stickers as you want (to fill up the burlap pockets)
tape
a pen
a ruler
scissors 

I first took 3 regular construction paper and cut them in half lengthwise and on one half sheet I marked two inch boxes and then on all of the half sheets I drew a line 1/2 inch from the bottom. (I only need 2 1/2 sheets of construction papers though)

So it ends up looking like this when you are done.

I did the same thing to the green.

So when you are finished with all the measuring, I had them out like this, then I put this part to the side.

Then with any colored ribbon, I put tape on the end and then I....

started lacing the one set of 25 burlap pockets with the color green.

Yay! I'm finally done! I might be easier if you had one of those large craft needles, but I didn't and so the tape on the end helped.

Then I started lacing the other set of 25 burlap pockets.

I continued this until I was done with all the lacing!

Here are the two sets of 25 burlap pockets all laced with their ribbons. Then I put that aside

and brought back the stack of half construction sheets and cut out the rectangles.

Fold where the bottom line is. (For a faster folding experience, use a ruler)

Here are all my green squares all cut and folded.

Then I tested it out to make sure that the rectangular fit in the pocket! It does! :)

The I started to write the countdown on each sheet of paper started with "24 days until Christmas!"

All the way down to Christmas day! :)

So here is another reminder...START at 24 days of Christmas and end at Merry Christmas.

Then you do it all over again with your other set (if you are making two, like I am!)

I then went through my sticker collection and chose stickers that I thought that my niece and nephew might like...

And then placed each sticker where they should go in each pile. (in this case, my nephew had the red cards and my niece has the green cards.)

For me, I paired the red cards with the green ribbon...you can choose whatever colors that you want...

Then stick them in the burlap pockets! Remember to start in the correct side, depending on what side you want the ribbon, on the front or the back...I chose to have the ribbon on the back.

Did that with both sets...

And I thought that I was all done with that part! But....

But I ended up going to Target the next day and saw this adorable Christmas stickers that I HAD To add to the Advent Calendar! :)

Put pieces of the sheets out for the stickers...and

divided the pieces among the two piles so that they had a Christmas themed sticker in each pocket.

(optional) Then I made a count down chart for the keikis to place whichever sticker they wanted on the countdown day. I laminated it so that I can use it again next year and for years to come...

And there it is...my DollGirl's and KaiBoy's Advent/Count Down Calendar for Christmas! I hope that they will like it! I love those two so much...and I love doing things like this for them! :)