White + Yellow = ♥♥

Long time no see!

2009-09-17T12:01:00.001-07:00

Wow, it has been so long since I have blogged here...the twins have been keeping me super busy! I have also opened a new blog almost a month ago, but it's not very "bloggy", it's more of a fanblog. Here is the link if you are interested, if not, that's cool too >.< http://rainlistings.blogspot.com I hope everyone is doing well! I would love to come back to regular blogging again someday, but time is short for me lately. I am going to keep this blog up until then... but I think I will be moving to wordpress next time. I will keep you posted! I will leave you with a few recent pics of all the kiddo's from this summer from our trip to Maine!

Saturday 6

2009-01-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Saturday Six - Green!

Do you recycle? Yes! GO GREEN BABY!
Have you fitted any energy saving light bulbs? yes, we replaced all the bulbs in the house
If you don’t have far to go, do you walk or still use your car? where I live we have to drive everywhere...but I love walking!
Have you turned down your thermostats by one degree? We keep our thermo pretty low most of the day...night time is when it gets cold enough for the heat...one of the great perks of living in AZ!
Do you leave your TV etc on standby or turn it off at the wall? I keep it on more then I should for background noise
Do you wash your clothes on a 30 setting or higher? I'm not sure...my hubby does the laundry! (I know, right!?)

*yes that's my Punky, she loves to GO GREEN too!

just because..... I LOVE IT! :)

2009-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

Kawaii

2009-01-13T12:12:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE huge fan of Kawaii {a japanese word meaning "cute"} and Kawaii art.

One of my favorite sites is called Kawaii Not , it definitly has a different twist on Kawaii, but still manages to be cute! Here are some of my fave icons from that site:

Another site I have recently stumbled upon with some really great Kawaii art is called
Bleuh Meuh Design , please visit the site...there is so much to see! http://www.bleuhmeuh.com

Autumn...not just my favorite season

2009-01-12T08:27:00.000-08:00

I have been asked by one of my readers who knows me outside of this blog why I have never talked about Autumn, or included her in my blog....so here goes.

For those of you who do not know who Autumn is, she is my 11 year old daughter. She is currently living with her father for the first time back home in Maine. For the first 10 years of her life she lived with me, although she spent the weekends with her Dad. For 9 of those years, I was a single parent, and she was (and is) my best friend, the light of my life...my Punky.

My husband is in the service and we got stationed here on an Indian Reservation in Arizona... if any of you know the area, it's no place for an 11 year old girl, especially one who has never been out of the state of Maine. The decision to have her stay with her Dad, friends, and the rest of her family was the hardest decision of our lives...but the right choice for her, and it was ultimatley her final decision, and she wanted to stay. We have never spent more then a week apart from each other, so every day away from her is excruciating ...but she seems to be adjusting very well. We talk every night on the phone, and even though it is not the same as holding her in my arms, it definitly makes things easier. Knowing that this situation is temporary and that we will be togther again soon is also what helps get me through this.

I never meant to keep her a secret, I guess I just wanted to respect her privacy since she is now a tween (going on 16!eeeek!). I also knew that I might be judged by some parents out there who just won't understand our unique situation and think I am a horrible mother ... but her and I understand it, and that's all that matters.

I will leave you with a few of my favorite (recent) pics of my Punky...

@ the playground

cute little chef making her famous "Autumncakes"

Big sister w/ Bella (and her BFF Cheyanne)

growing up fast!

Christmas '08

Saturday Meme's

2009-01-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

Saturday 9: The Phone is For You

1. Your phone rings. Who is the most likely caller? My brother Justin or my Mom

2. How long to you chat on the phone each day? Depends on who I talk to, sometimes 20 minutes, sometimes an hour

3. Who do you speak to the most? Autumn

4. Do you often not answer if a certain person comes up on your caller id? Just when telemarketers call or if it's a number we don't recognize...then we just screen it with our AM

5. Do you phone friends at work? no, but I chat on yahoo with my old roomate while she is working

6. Do you make personal calls at work? I would have to say YES, because my job is 24/7, I am a SAHM!

7. Who do you always say “I love you” at the end of the call? pretty much all of my family and friends...I'm a lovey dovey

8. Do you use a landline or cell more often? our cell's don't work out here, so we have to use landline

9. Who in the blogosphere that you haven’t chatted with but would like to? Kimber! We have a lot in common :)

Saturday Six - Blogging

What blogging platform do you use? I use Blogger...although I am curious about Wordpress
What is your blog about? It about my crazy life, random thoughts, and raising my twins
When did you start your blog? last fall
How did your choose your blogging name? I am Caucasian and my husband is Asian, hence the White + Yellow, and the 2 hearts stand for our twins of course :)
Do you blog for fun or work? just for fun...although sometimes it can feel like work,lol
Has blogging changed you in anyway? it's definitely helped me be more creative and expressive

peek-a-boo!

2009-01-09T08:33:00.001-08:00

"Port City P.D. Unleashes on Primetime Television"

2009-01-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have to share the latest press release for my big brothers show since turning into primetime television. It started out as an internet podshow and is now showing in several countries on t.v.....well done Stew!

"Port City P.D.
Unleashes on Primetime Television"

"Creative Entertainment & Media Inc.(CEM) and Global Broadcasting & Syndication Co., Inc. in association with Eleven Bravo Productions, LLC launch the television series, Port City P.D., overseas in primetime spot.
"

Wilmington, NC, USA (January 6, 2009) -- The episodic police drama, Port City P.D., produced in Wilmington, NC found its primetime home at the network, America Unleashed, thanks to Creative Entertainment & Media Inc.(CEM) and Global Broadcasting & Syndication Co., Inc. Beginning this January, 120 million homes in over 16 countries will discover this half-hour police drama. Countries include: England, Germany, France, Northern Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro as well as the United Arab Emirates.

CEM's Emmy® Award-Winning executive producers, Bidwell C. Tyler II (TLC's Overhaulin') and Susan B. Flanagan (Comedy Central's Win Ben Stein's Money) have joined forces with Eleven Bravo Productions and signed on as the executive producers of Port City P.D.

"We are excited to have Port City P.D. in our primetime line-up," says Bidwell C. Tyler II. "It's the type of police drama and action that has a global appeal.
"

Ms. Susan B. Flanagan is just as excited. "I am a fan of the show and I look forward to working more in depth with the show's producers, Shaun O'Rourke, Charles Stewart, Jr. and Sheila Brothers.
"

In April of 2008, CEM signed a Content Provider Agreement with Global Broadcasting & Syndication Co., Inc.: one of the four largest cable/satellite syndication companies in Europe.

The co-creator and star of Port City P.D., Shaun O'Rourke, is elated. "It hasn't been an easy ride, but on behalf of the cast and crew, we are excited about this joint venture.
"

Co-writer/producer Sheila Brothers agrees. "It's been really great to breathe life into these characters and to know our actors will be seen globally on primetime television.
"

Working extensively in both principle photography and post-production, co-creator/director Charles Stewart, Jr. is thrilled. "All of our hard work has finally paid off, but there is more to come.
"

Eleven Bravo Productions gears up for more episodes to go into production later this year

All media inquiries, contact Creative Entertainment & Media, Inc. : 310-301-6206.

the latest news on the case of Casey Anthony

2009-01-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

I have been following the search for Caylee Anthony since the beginning, and was heartbroken to find out that the worst had happened...I can't even imagine a mother doing what was done to that beautiful little girl...Casey Anthony is a heartless, soulness monster...I hope that justice will be served for what she has done. With that said, here is the latest article on the case against her.

Experts Establish June Time Frame Of Death
ORLANDO, Fla. — Sources close to the Casey Anthony case told Local 6 News on Thursday that they have overwhelming evidence showing that she intentionally killed her young daughter, Caylee, and was solely responsible for the toddler’s death.

Anthony, 22, remains jailed on first-degree murder charges in her daughter’s death. Caylee was 2 years old when she was reported missing in mid-July, a month after she had last been seen. Human remains discovered last month in a wooded area near Caylee’s grandparents’ home were identified as the missing girl.Sources also said investigators have now established a time frame of death that dates back to June, according to reports returned by forensic botanists and entomologists brought in to anaylize the terrain and insect growth where Caylee’s remains were found. Sources said plants were growing through the skeleton and bug evidence was also recovered, both of which helped scientists reach their conclusion.Orange County sheriff’s detectives believe Anthony took actions that led to her daughter’s death June 16, which corresponds to the June time frame of death, Local 6 News reported.Investigators believe Anthony dumped Caylee’s body around June 18 in the wooded area where the remains were found, sources said.According to test results conducted on the trunk of Anthony’s car by the Oakridge National Laboratory, the girl’s body spent at least two days there before it was dumped, sources said.A hair which showed signs of decomposition was also found in the trunk. Sources said the hair matches hair taken from Caylee’s remains.Sources said the time frame coupled with other evidence — duct tape found over the mouth of Caylee’s skull, high levels of chloroform detected in the trunk and cell phone pings from Anthony’s phone that place her near the crime scene in mid-June — points only to Anthony as the killer.Sources said although a cause of Caylee’s death may never be known, Anthony will be convicted based on extrememly strong evidence.Investigators who initially thought that Caylee’s death could have been an accident have changed their minds, sources said.Anthony on Thursday was required by a judge to attend a hearing that centered around autopsy photos of Caylee. It was the first time Anthony had been seen in months.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.

Sources for this article:

Facebook is killing my BLOG!

2009-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

I have been severely neglecting my blog lately...I can blame most of it on the craziness of the holidays, my mother-in-law visiting, hubby on vacation, work for Luca, the twins 1st birthday, and my husbands grandfather passing away, but the real blame must go to FACEBOOK! The little time and energy that I have had to go online lately goes to Facebook...I think it is because I can easily interact with friends and family on there, but I am thinking of going on hiatus from it, or deleting it all together. I love my blog, and I really enjoy blogging about this, that, and everything else, I just need a kick in the pants I guess. Thank god for Thursday Thunks to keep the ball rolling in here...slowly but surely. I have so much to blog about and lots to share, so my new year's resolution...as much as I hate to make one, is to get back to my blogging!!!!

Thanks to all of you for hanging in there with me! Please stay tuned ...

xoxo

Thursday Thunks

2009-01-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

1. Are you a celebrity news junkie? TOTALLY...I have always been interested in the gossip, and I buy In Touch every week....partly for the crosswords, but I love my celebrity gossip! I also watch TMZ, they really show you the true colors of some of the celebs out there. The funny thing is, if I was actually a celeb, I'd be the person cussing at them and flicking them off,lol
2. Have you or anyone in your family ever had braces? yes, just me!
3. Name 4 things in your garage that you don't think anyone else has in theirs. 4 things? wow, I can't even think of one...we have a very boring garage...and we even keep our car in it... maybe that will be my 1 thing....I don't know many people who actually put their cars in their garages,lol
4. Do you order Girl Scout cookies? I used to get the thin mints, and those graham cracker things with chocolate coating on the bottom, YUM! Oh, and the shortbread ones are yummy too...damn, now I want some cookies :(
5. If you have a cat or a dog, what brand of dog/cat food do you feed them? We give Purina...I think? I don't know, but he loves it!
6. When you cook, do you use measuring cups/spoons? Measuring cups! I have tried just winging it, and that's never a good thing...now I need to do everything EXACT!
7. If you were stranded on a desert island, how many sand castles would you build? Probably a replica of NYC...I mean, I have all the time in the world, right?
8. Whats one thing you own too many of? clothes! half of which I never wear...it's just really hard to part with any of it!
9. If given the chance to go to the moon, would you? No thanks, I think I will stay here!
10. Talk radio - listen or not? I love Opie and Anthony in the morning...I used to listen to it every morning on my way to work, always put me in a good mood...cept when they diss on Miss Tyra Banks! Then I just change the channel :)
11. When you put silverware in the dishwasher or in the drainer to dry, do you put the handles up or down? Interesting question! I only put the sharp knives facing down
12. Video Games for kids - good or not? I think that if they are limited to maybe a half hour or an hour a day, if they have their school work done...but no tv if they play video games! They'd have to choose which activity they'd rather do. I'd prefer they use their imaginations though and draw or paint, or even make up a play or something!
13. Share a website with us. http://sweetestdaydream.blogspot.com ...a cool new blog that I have just stumbled upon on Thursday Thunks! She is just getting started like me, but she seems very cool, and her blog is inspiring me to use more color on mine!
14. Water - bottle or tap? bottle, definitely! I heart fiji water! but soooo $$$$
15. Have you ever eaten a giant jawbreaker, the ones that are the size of the palm of your hand, all the way to the end? No, I was always afraid of those, I didn't want to break a tooth...but the movie Jawbreakers was pretty entertaining!

New Year's Prayer

2008-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday Thunks

2008-12-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

1. Have you ever started your Christmas tree on fire? eeeek! not yet *knock on wood*
2. How many rings do you wear? none at the moment...I have kids, so I wash too many dishes to wear my rings!
3. I say "dog barking", you say _______? SHUTTY!
4. How many pictures are in the room that you are in? 2 frames but 5 total pics....all of the kids of course...oh no, I am becoming one of THOSE moms! Time to go through the photo box :)
5. Do you decorate the outside of your house for Christmas? I usually only decorate outside for Halloween
6. What's your favorite Christmas song? "All I Want For Christmas Is You", and "Santa Baby"
7. What do you fill your Christmas stockings with? candy, scratch tickets, and little things that are too small to wrap
8. How many times a week do you charge your cell phone? my cell phone doesn't work out here, but I used to have to charge it every other night...it was my main phone, so it got a lot of mileage :)
9. Do you own any exercise equipment? What are they? my hubsy has the total gym thing, he wants ab's like Jason Statham he says...I am not objecting :)
10. What's your cookie jar look like? it's a big glass chinese take out box!

Thanks for the Christmas questions Berleen!!!

Thursday Thunks

2008-12-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

1. If you had to have a brain transplant and had to choose between a cat brain and a dog brain, which would you choose? Oh wow, that is a surprisingly tough question! I think I will have to go with a cat. It's a pretty simple life and people would leave me alone for the most part.
2. Why do you think bananas are shaped the way they are? so it's easier for monkey's to hold onto as they swing from vine to vine...DUH !
3. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip? I like them both on different things...mayo for salad sandwiches, and miracle whip for a turkey and cheese :)
4. Do you use keyboard shortcuts? no, that's way to complicated for me...although I do use copy and paste from time to time.
5. Are you a member at InsanityCafe Forums & Arcade? If not, you should be. no, I got enough to keep with as it is...look how much I have been slacking on me beloved blog, eeep!
6. Where I live it was a low of -19 degrees this morning - what was your low last night/this morning? this winter I am in Arizona....last winter I was in Maine...do you really think I am paying attention to that thermometer?
7. Do you like hard boiled eggs? yes please
8. Have you ever drank green beer? do you mean like Heineken ? it's disgusting! I am such a girl when it comes to beer...pass the Michelob Light please!
9. Whats your favorite cleaner? pine sol
10.White or whole wheat bread? wheat! man...with all these food questions I am starting to crave an egg salad sandwich!
11. Everyone has some type of phobia - whats yours? what the phobia where you are afraid of everything? ya, that's the one I have!
12. Aren't you glad there weren't any Christmas related meme questions? boo, I was actually hoping for some Christmasy ones! I am trying to work on my holiday spirit here! but thanks for the thought anyways :)

Almost a year....

2008-12-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by! The twins will be a year old in just a couple of weeks... it seems like just yesterday that I was pregnant with them. I thought I would post some of my favorite photos of them over the past year...there are so many! Here is some of my fave from the first few months....

This photo is my favorite of them together at the hospital! I love Bella's smile here, even if it wasn't a real one, lol. I don't know if you can see Brayden's name tag, but when he was born, his name was Devon. We saved that tag and his hospital bracelet for him for when he is older. We changed his name to Brayden the day we left the hospital, talk about confusing! I have since been "introduced" to a special little girl named Devon, it has so much more meaning to me now when I hear the name, because I think of her.

This is hands down, my all time favorite baby pic of Bella. This was also the day they were born...she looks totally exhausted, but so adorable! I am planning on editing this pic and framing it for her room once we move.

This is my handsome little dude... even though he looks like an old man here, I could already tell he was going to be a heartbreaker.... or maybe I am just partial? :)

I miss the days of when they could sleep together, it was always so cute!

This one is Brayden and Oma, he has been very attached to her since the first time she held him...I am almost jealous!

Bella all bundled up before getting strapped in... that winter in Maine was brutal! brrrrr

Their first Valentine's day.... and Brady power!

Some early male bonding

First trip to Chinatown in Boston! Oma was with us too, so much fun!

A very chunky Bella, and Brayden threatening to beat up the bullies...or maybe he just likes waving his fist :)

Twins 1st Easter...we went to a friends house for dinner and she thought it would be cute to put them in the easter basket. They actually kinda liked it despite the looks on their faces,lol

I will post more when I get some free time!!!

Friday's Meme's

2008-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have been so super busy lately with an exciting new project for my friend Luca, so I haven't had much time to keep up with my blog lately :( For now, here are some Friday meme's...maybe you will find out some silly stuff about me you didn't already know :)

1. Snow angels.

2. I'm looking forward to Oma Lani coming for Christmas.

3. My coffee this morning is the best coffee ever! (it was a loooong night again lastnight)

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Magnum P.I.

5. I'm done with cheese balls.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is everything! I love this time of year, especially since it doesn't involve snow this time :)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include getting up early and going shopping out of town again (am I crazy?!) and Sunday, I want to be lazy and watch movies all day!

http://fridayfillins.blogspot.com

"This year, the economy in its current state has really hurt a lot of people. So this week’s meme is about spreading holiday cheer on a budget!" ~ from Friday Fun

1. Did you do the so fun Black Friday shopping? No, but we did do some online shopping!Did you get any really good deals? Yes, I think so! And, it is so much easier then fighting the crowds, that's for sure!
2. Does your family do gifts for everyone or do you draw names? We have been meaning to do the name drawing thing, but we all live in different parts of the states now! I wonder if there is a virtual way of doing it? hmmmmm
3. About how many people do you have to gift this year? Too many! haha (j/k!)

4. How about that big holiday meal? We don't know what we are doing for a holiday meal yet, but it is just going to be me, Dave, Oma, and the twins this year...so whatever we have, it won't be too big or pricey.
5. What are your top 5 tips for saving money this year on gifts? Well, my advice is a little bit late...because I did most of my Christmas shopping this summer! If you see something on sale that you think someone would like for Christmas, grab it, even if it is only May or June :) They also tend to jack up the prices right before the holidays too, so shop early...that's my advice! That is my top 1 tip, I got nothing else, sorry!

http://www.multifacetedmama.com/FFun

Childhood Indulgences

When did you last have a mid-day nap? Oh wow, ummm, maybe a couple of months ago? I try to have one every day while the kids are napping, but it never works out!
When did you last have milk and cookies? Ohhh, the other night....love the Oreo's :)
When did you last have a bubble bath? Not since I was pregnant
When did you last jump on the furniture? I was probably 6 or 7?
When did you last play in the mud? When I was 4, my brother and I used to make mud pie's and we actually took a bite once...it didn't taste like brown sugar :( soooo disappointing!

http://www.friday5.org

Manic Monday

2008-12-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

Manic Monday #144

It's "Cyber Monday" today, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season in the United States. Do you do much online shopping, holiday or otherwise? Yes...I am kind of an amazon.com addict! But it's cool, I got most of my shopping done earlier in the year, so it's a much less stressful holiday this year!

Are you a Mac or a PC user? Why? I am a pc user just cause I can't afford a Mac! I would love to get one someday. I love the one my older brother has....very cool :)

What website do you spend more time on than you care to admit? Facebook! It's quite addicting :)

Is he Korean?

2008-12-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to the commissary @ a "nearby" AFB ....we go every other week or so and stock up on baby food and whatnot. Anyways...most of the people who work the check outs are older Korean women (I think I have mentioned them before?), and there is this one lady who says the SAME thing to us every time! We go often enough for her to remember us, but she still acts as if she is seeing us for the first time...and she always points to my husband and asks, "Is he Korean?", and I say no, he is Chinese....I don't even go into the whole Indonesian thing now cause it just confuses her. Then she will say to him, "You look more Korean then Chinese!". He just smiles and nods and we try to get out of there as fast as possible before the other ladies come over and hijack Peanut from us and show her to the other ladies. She did look at Brayden this time and said he looked more asian then Bella. That's a first, nobody says that! I think it's true though...Bella looks like her dad who is asian so they just think she looks more asian...when really, she is just a white version of Dave. Brayden has the same coloring as Dave and his eyes are definitly more asian....Bella just looks like an Anime character, hehe.

So, next time she asks, I think I will just say...why yes, he IS Korean....good eye!

Thanksgiving MEME

2008-11-27T15:00:00.000-08:00

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere? I like going somewhere else, it's less stressful!

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? well, considering that up until last year all I ate was TOFURKEY, I haven't had much experience with turkey, so we get frozen.

3. What kind of stuffing? cornbread!!!! I am a southern girl at heart :)

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie...which we FORGOT, omg, I am heartbroken

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? Who doesn't love thanksgiving leftovers?

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu? Green Bean Casserole.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock? EW, carcass? seriously? why on earth did I stop being a vegetarian?

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier? my mom and nannie...this year it's just me, Dave and the kids

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour? I like late afternoon

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring? Green Bean Casserole or Broccoli Casserole
11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house? sweet potatoes, yuck!
12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see? At my mom's house their is always drama, Thanksgiving or not,lol

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu? it's a toss up between stuffing and broccoli casserole

14. What are you thankful for this year? My children

photo fun with picnik!

2008-11-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

The one thing I might love more then blogging is photo editing...I am not a professional, but it's so much fun! I have a few programs on my pc, but my newest fave is one I can use right online, it's called picnik ! Here are a few I did today {can you tell I love Polaroids?}, I am actually going to incorporate them into the banner for my "first year blog" for the twins!

These are just a few options....there are 1,000's of other things you can do with your pictures. Let me know what you think of picnik... if you use it, I'd love to see your photo projects too!

p.s., the white borders around the pictures are not apart of the pictures themselves, blogger just adds them to the pics I post for some strange reason....argh!

Monday's a Bitch

2008-11-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

Pop

1. If you had to join a pop band, which one would it be? NKOTB, I would be their water girl :)
2. Go back to the early 00's. Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera? Why? C.A., she is far more talented
3. Hanson or Jonas Brothers? ew, neither!
4. Backstreet Boys or N'Sync? Why? I love my Justin Timberlake, so I'm gonna go with N'sync
5. What's the most embarrassing CD or song you own? (BE HONEST) I don't think I am embarrassed by any of my musical preferences

Sunday Stealing

2008-11-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday Stealing: The Favorite Meme

Fill in your favorite for each of the following:

1. Political show: SNL

2. Picnic food: egg salad sandwiches

3. Mixed drink: one I made up myself! I call it the Zinger...it has Malibu, Raspberry Vodka, and Coke (or Pepsi)..it tastes just like a Raspberry Zinger! *yum*

4. U.S. President: nobody has stood out as really great since I have been old enough to know better, but I have high hopes for our president elect Obama

5. Kind of student to teach: my little ones

6. Hobby you do or wish you still did: scrapbooking...I'd love to start again when I get some free time AND free space!

7. Sports commentator: I have no idea

8. Sport to watch on TV: baseball

9. Animal to have as a pet: my akita, Ziggy

10. Halloween costume you have worn: my Geisha costume a few years back, that was fun!

11. Kind of dessert: Cherries in the Snow...google it, it's delicious!

12. Comic strip: Garfield of course

13. Ice cream flavor: mint chocolate chip

14. News source: CNN

15. Vacation spot: any at this point!

16. Wine: the sparkling kind

17. Way to waste time instead of working: blogging!

18. Reality show: Jon & Kate plus 8...of course

19. Childrens movie: Brave Little Toaster

20. Celebrity you wish would retire: Tom Cruise

Weekend Pix

2008-11-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics of the kids from this weekend in a photobucket slideshow. No special occasion, just some candids!

Saturday 6

2008-11-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

1. How often do you visit a coffee shop? If you do, do you drink coffee there, or just pick it up to go? I don't get to go as often as I like since we now live in the middle of nowhere. I probably go once every other week when we are at the airforce base shopping. And I always take it to wander around the stores with.

2. What is the latest time of day you can drink regular coffee (or tea) without messing up your sleep? I can drink it anytime.....for me, when it comes to bedtime nothing keeps me from falling asleep.

3. What is the highest number of cups of coffee (or tea) you’ve had in a single day? I had a couple of pots...it was a bad day, haha

4. Take the quiz: What flavor of latte are you?

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are always up for a celebration. You are a very festive person.

You look forward to every holiday, and you are nostalgic for good times after they're over.

You appreciate the small things that make life special. You love little treats.

You often look at the world with childlike wonder. There's so much to enjoy!

What Flavor Latte Are You?

5. Consider the highest price you’ve ever paid for a cup of coffee and the highest price you’ve paid for a gallon of gas: which of the two items was more expensive? Sadly, I think it was coffee! But that's my bodies fuel, so it's as important as gas :)

6. What is your favorite holiday-flavored coffee? I don't like Holiday coffee, it always tends to have too much cinnamon in it for my taste.

once bitten twice shy

2008-11-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a bite that I got yesterday on my arm...Gross, isn't it? I was hoping it would look a little better today, but it looks worse!

What horrible little creature would do such a thing you ask?

Yes, that would be my son Brayden! He has bitten me 3 times now...this one being the worst. I don't know what to do...the sad part is, I think he is doing it out of affection, cause that's how he "kisses" his stuffed monkey. Either that or he is practicing for the sequel to Twilight!

*ouch*

under construction!

2008-11-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! My blog is going to be under construction over the weekend...so I apologize if things look out of whack the next few days :)

Friday

2008-11-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

1. The last band I saw live was Chris Cornell in Audio Slave.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is PIE!!!!!!
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is half done!
4. Thoughts of coffee fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear cute shoes...my feet are too big! They don't make them in my size :(
6. Bagpipes are cool...I'm Scottish, so I have to say that, haha
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with my hubby, tomorrow my plans include shopping in Mesa and Sunday, I want to watch Tropic Thunder!

Feelings...

What made you happy this week? my kids
What made you sad? The Twins board
What made you angry? The Twins Board
What are you looking forward to in the next week? not much happening, just hanging out with the kids! OH, and looking forward to House as well :)
What are you not looking forward to? cleaning and organizing the house!

Thursday Thunks...and an evil Bella!

2008-11-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

1. Do you like potatoes? What kind?Yes....I like garlic mashed potatoes, baked potatoes,potato chips, shredded potatoes...I could go on.
2. If you were dressed up in a fish costume and you went underwater and a shark saw you, what would you do? YIKES! First off, I wouldn't be in the water where there is a potential for sharks...but to answer the question, I would take off the costume, DUH, and try to punch it in the nose if he tried to eat me!
3. Does Jello make you happy? jello shots, YES
4. If you could have any animal, exotic, extinct or other type, what would it be? I have thought about this since I was little, I want a Panda!
5. Would you fill up a pool with pudding and jump in? of course
6. When you are feeling icky with the sickness feeling, what is your first choice for feel-better medicine? ginger ale
7. Do you count with your fingers or in your head when it comes to mathematical equations? BOTH
8. Do you have any key chains on your keyring? How many? What kind? I used to have too many, now I just have one of Autumn from school pics
9. What do you dunk your french fries in? BBQ sauce from McDonald's, yes, I save them and keep them in the fridge! But I don't really eat fast food these days.
10. When I say "Moo I'm a duck" do you think of a cow or a duck? I think of a cow
11. If you had the chance, would you go to the very bottom of the ocean? No, I think I like the mystery of the ocean, I like to think the bottom is where the mermaids live and I don't want to be disappointed!
12. Would you rather be spiderman or batman? The Dark Knight baby!
13. Would you rather be in a hurricane or a tornado? hurricane, definitely , I've been through many of those.

13 is bad luck...

14. Do you like pumpkin pie? Do you cheat and buy a premade one or do you make it from scratch? Heck, do you even make pumpkin pie at all? I love pumpkin pie, I don't care if it's homemade, store bought, in ice cream, whatever...it's DELICIOUS! I have never made one from scratch myself.

Now onto my evil little Bella...she is not evil so much as she loves to give us the evil eye lately... it's really creepy when you catch her doing it behind your back too! I managed to get a pic of her doing it...this is not as evil as she usually does it, but you get the idea:

I think it's all in the eyebrows...I'll try to catch her in full evil eye mode next time!

Martabak keju

2008-11-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

So, I have a new guilty pleasure...and it involves pancakes and cheese! OMG, can you imagine the calories? I don't even want to know! My husband ordered some Indonesian food from a place in Maryland, we just got two big packages yesterday. The "cheese pancake" is actually called Martabak keju , and it's considered to be a crepe. I don't know any crepes that look quite like that! They also have one called Martabak Manis, which my husband ordered for himself, it's filled with CHOCOLATE instead of the cheese. No way am I even touching that one, i'd gain 20lbs just going near it!

The place is called Indonesian Food Mart, here is the link: http://indonesianfoodmart.com
They have a lot of other great stuff....and he ordered some things I haven't even looked at yet, but I'm sure I will be eating them....and posting about them soon Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ !!!

Wednesday Media Mix

2008-11-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Wednesday Media Mix, 11.19.08

Listen: Name an album that makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

"Till the Sun Turns Black" by Ray Lamontagne

Watch: Is there a movie you disliked at first, but then your mind was opened to it? If so, please explain.

I would have to say Rush Hour 1 & 2...I had never really gotten into them until my husband bought Rush Hour 3, and I thought it was funny.So he made me re-watch 1 & 2, and I realized that they were pretty hilarious. I think I just half assed watched them before because I wasn't open to "guy" movies at that time. Anywho...when Chris Tucker sings, it cracks me up. Here is my favorite moment:

Read: Same for books or stories: anything you didn’t like when you first read it, but eventually had a different perspective? Catcher in the Rye...I read it in school but I didn't appreciate it until I read it again a couple of years ago.

PJ'S!

2008-11-18T13:17:00.001-08:00

We got the kids some new pj's this weekend, and I couldn't be more excited. We have been struggling with them keeping warm enough at night since they love to take off their socks & they hate to keep a blanket on themselves. The footie pajamas we had put them in previously would over heat them, so we didn't know what to do. We finally found some fleece footies that were PERFECT, and perfectly priced too! We got the Carters pj's at Sam's club for under $7.00 each {we ended up getting4} and they had the most adorable prints , the kids have slept all warm and snuggly soft since :)

Thanks again Sam's Club, you are awesome!

10 on Tuesday

2008-11-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

10 Things You are Thankful for This Year

Brayden
Bella ...those 2 were easy :)
Discovering my love for Vietnamese food!
Obama being voted as the next President of the USA
my ipod, for those moments that I need to escape
reconnecting with old friends
my new nephew
Cheerios
Oma Lani
my family & myself being healthy

Happy Birthday Jeff, we miss u still

2008-11-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

November 17th....

Today is your birthday, and it's hard to imagine you anywhere else but here with us... we miss you eternally. Today we will not think of you in sadness....today we will celebrate your life and what you gave us for the short time you were here.

We love you...always

Jeff Buckley
November 17th 1966 ~May 29th 1997
"You gave me more to live for...more then you'' ever know"

To find out more about Jeff and the birthday celebrations, visit:

Jeff Buckley.com

to meet other fans or to light a candle, stop by my sites:

JBC: The Official Jeff Buckley Community

Light a candle in memory of Jeff Buckley

Sweet Rain

2008-11-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me knows that one of my favorite actors in the world is Takeshi Kaneshiro...and surely if you have seen any of his movies, you are a fan as well. I think it's safe to say he is the Johnny Depp of Asia?! He is definitely one of the most versatile actors I have ever seen... it's too bad in a way that he does not want to be a "western" film actor, he would probably be very big in the USA, but I respect him for wanting to remain faithful to Asia as well. At the moment I am trying to find his latest film, Sweet Rain, on dvd ...I don't think the english subtitled version is out yet though :( How much longer will I have to wait?! That's one of the bad things about being a fan of asian cinema...waiting for the US releases {boo}. But, this movie is a must have since I have managed to collect all of his films thus far, and this one has a dark theme to it which I tend to love.
Here is the trailer with English subs from you tube:

Synopsis of the film from amazon.com :

"Sweet Rain" is the recent most popular movie in Asia. The story is about the life of a handsome shinigami (Japanese for "death god") whose sole purpose in life is to be the deciding factor between those who die in the mortal world and those who deserve to survive. Over the years he has barely ever met anyone whose life he has spared, and his outlook on human beings is one of disinterest. The only thing he likes about the mortal world is music. However, that is all about to change when one day the shinigami meets a young woman...

It is hard to say which of his films are my favorite, so I will list my top 5

If you'd like to know more about Takeshi, these websites have the best info:

*And did I mention he is the new face for Armani? Move over David Beckham! Stay tuned for the winter ads coming to a magazine near you...

Year of the Rat....or Pig?!

2008-11-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

With the twins 1st birthday approaching, I realized that I didn't even know what their Chinese Zodiac is?! How could this be? I think time tends to get away from you fairly easily when you have 2 little babies, not to mention the first 2 months of their lives is kind of a blur! So, I went on my favorite resource, Wiki, and did some research. I found out that the kids sign was the Rat. The Year of the Rat is also considered The Year of the Mouse, because of how it translates in their language :) I also found out that the Rat is most compatible with Dragons and Monkeys...which is mine and my husbands signs, so this is a good sign, right?

Now for the plot twist... upon further investigation, I found out the kids are actually born in the year of the Pig/Boar! WTH?! The year of the Pig goes from Feb 18 2007 - Feb 06 2008, and the year of the Rat goes from Feb 07 2008 - Jan 25 2009 . So, if you think just because you were born in a certain year that your are automatically the sign listed on your Chinese menu....check the dates carefully, especially if you were born in the months of Jan/Feb! It's funny because we bought the kids golden Chinese pig banks months ago, now they have a little bit more meaning to them :)

According to the Chinese horoscope,the Boar type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person.

Ideal Job for the Pig: Researcher, Scientist, Chemist, Technician, Musician, Restauranteur, Social worker, Fundraiser, Builder, Chef, Delicatessen owner, Personnel manager, Administrative officer, Civil servant.
Lucky Numbers: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 16, 18, 34, 41, 48
Equivalent Western Sign: Scorpio
Element: WATER
Color: BLACK
Yin/Yang: YIN Direction NORTH-NORTH-WEST

Positive & Negative Capability

Positive: The Boar can be sensible, sensual and sensitive, sweetly naive, caring, self-sacrificing, erudite, talented, open-handed, candid, outgoing, amusing, charitable, obliging, graciously hospitable and virtuous.

Negative: The Boar can also be hot-tempered, pessimistic, outrageously epicurean, earthy to a fault, sardonic, snobbish, snide, authoritarian, competitive, know-it-all, stingy, victimized and sometimes downright criminally mad at the world.

Pig Compatibility
Compatible with : Rooster, Ram
Less Compatible with : Pig, Rabbit, Horse, Ox, Rat, Tiger, Dog, Dragon *sniffle*
Least Compatible with : Snake, Monkey

Oh well, the compatibility is not so great news, but we will do our best to make it work for us!!!!

{the above pic and info found at http://www.gotohoroscope.com/chinese-zodiac-pig.html}

Baked

2008-11-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

I think that I have mentioned the Manila Bakery in a recent post? My hubby went there while me and the kids were waiting for our food at Pho Van (btw, the kids had their fried tofu for appetizer, they loved it!) . He brought back some really tasty treats! Is it possible to be in love with food? He got the pan de coco, which looks like a dinner roll but inside is a mix of coconut and brown sugary goodness. I am drooling just thinking about it....how could he buy just 2?! Is this his way of torturing me? I will certainly be going there next weekend to stock up on some more. It looks pretty easy to make, but I think I will wait for Oma to get here over the holidays to assist me! He also bought some Chicken & Pork Empanada's....it was very tasty, but I would've preferred it without raisins! This one I may try to make on my own...I found a recipe for it at http://www.pinoyrecipe.net {see below}. I would definitely leave out the peas too, blah! I don't know what a good replacement would be though? I will have to think about that one....

Dave also got some coconut and raisin bread at Lee Lee's, thankfully the raisins are on top so I can pick them off! The kids really liked it, but it was not very exciting for me after just having eaten the pan de coco! Also, it is not freshly baked right there like at Manila, so it was only so-so, not anything I would want again. I think I have been spoiled now....

For those of you in the Arizona area, check out the Manila Bakery, you will not regret it! It is located at :
2095 N Dobson Rd in Chandler # (480) 917-2350

Chicken Empanada Ingredients:

Crust

* Pinoy Empanada300 g (2 1/2 cups) flour, plus extra for dusting
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 65 g (1/3 cup) chilled solid vegetable shortening
* 125 g(1/2 cup) butter
* 6-7 tablespoons iced water
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon water

Filling

* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 medium onion, minced
* 3-4 cloves garlic
, minced
* 450 g (1 lb) chicken breast or thigh meat, deboned and cubed
* 1 small potato, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 250 ml (1 cup) water or chicken broth
* 100 g (1 cup) green peas (thawed, if frozen)
* 100 g (1/2 cup) raisins (optional)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Chicken Empanada Instructions:

To make the Crust, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Cut in the butter and shortening with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the iced water, a little at a time while gathering the mixture to form a soft dough.

Form the dough into a ball. Sprinkle some flour onto a sheet of waxed paper and wrap dough in the waxed paper. Chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

To make the Filling, heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add onions and saute about 1 minute, then add garlic and saute a further 1 minute. Add the cubed chicken meat and stir-fry until the chicken browns.

Add potatoes and carrots and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in water or broth and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Add peas and raisins and simmer a further 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. With a slotted spoon, drain ingredients and transfer to a bowl, letting excess liquid drip. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

Preheat oven to 200° C (400° F). Remove chilled dough from refrigerator. Lightly flour a pastry board or clean table top. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough on a pastry board until it is 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Don’t roll it too thin or it will break when baked. Cut 10 cm (4 in) circles using a cutter and a small bowl.

Gather the scraps and re-roll them so they can be used again. You should get about 20 pastry circles.

Spoon about 1-2 teaspoons Filling into the middle of each pastry circle. Fold the circle so the edges meet and filling is sealed. Press the edges of the pastry with the tines of a fork.

Combine lightly beaten egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush surface of each folded puff with egg mixture. Arrange on a greased baking sheet. With a knife make 2-3 slits on the surface of each puff to allow steam to escape while baking.

Bake puffs in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside for a few minutes to cool before serving.

OBAMA town

2008-11-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

During all the Obama hooplah today, I learned something pretty interesting...there is a town in Japan named Obama...and they are celebrating this win as much as many Americans are.

{Obama (小浜市 Obama-shi) is a city located in Wakasa Area of Fukui Prefecture}

Here is a snippet of an article from Reuters (By Toshi Maeda) :

Hundreds of residents in the sleepy Japanese fishing port of Obama sang and danced on Wednesday to try to cheer up Barack Obama after his winning steak in the U.S. presidential primaries stalled.

Wearing colorful T-shirts and headbands with the logo "I Love Obama", residents gathered at a public hall, singing songs and shouting "Obama, Obama, Obama!"

Around the town, businesses are selling everything from T-shirts, fish burgers and cakes to chopsticks with Obama's name.

{Obama means "little beach" in Japanese}

This is what Wiki says about the towns relationship with President-elect Barack Obama:

After the city of Obama noted the rise of Barack Obama as an American politician and as the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, they decided to use the common name to boost publicity for the town. It began when the U.S. SenatorTBS where he noted that, when passing through customs in Narita Airport, an official looking at his visa noted that he was from Obama.The Obama City Hall heard about the interview and the then mayor, Toshio Murakami, sent Senator Obama a set of the city’s famous lacquer chopsticks, a DVD about the city and a letter wishing him the best. As Senator Obama's 2008 United States Democratic Presidentialmanjū gave a 2006 interview with Japanese television network campaign began to grow, more local businesses began to organize primary parties and post "Go Obama!" posters, sell "I love Obama" T-shirts, and produce with Senator Obama's face on them.

Senator Obama has since thanked the town for their gifts and support, saying "I look forward to a future marked by the continued friendship of our two great nations and a shared commitment to a better, freer world".

There are a number of Japanese with the surname Obama though the American Senator is of Kenyan Luo heritage; it is not uncommon for Japanese and East African names to sound alike.

{above photos from wiki.com, welt online welt.de }

I do not normally get too into politics, but I could not be more excited about the turnout of the election. After what our country has endured for the last 8 years with that greedy little redneck running things...we need this change. I think it will be a positive one at that :)

DẦU CHÁO QUẢY

2008-11-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we went to our favorite Asian market called Lee Lee Market {located in Chandler, AZ} . We go at least once a week to stock up on our favorite goodies, and it's amazing to us that no matter what day of the week, or what time for that matter, the market is ALWAYS buzzing with swarms of people! It's not just the market there either, there is a strip mall next to it that would remind you of a mini China town. You can go shopping for some BOBA tea, asian dvds/music, kawaii gifts, eat some Dim Sum , and go to the Manila bakery for just about anything you could imagine.

As far as our goodies, this time we got some fresh DẦU CHÁO QUẢY , which the twins had for the first time and LOVED, also some pork filled buns, fresh baked cheese bread, frozen dim sum {which is soooo not as good as the fresh stuff btw!}, and of course some pork potstickers {my fave}. We buy our meats here as well, they have a great selection, and the fish and produce sections are just as big! I love that the aisles are seperated by country too, it makes finding things a lot easier.

Also located in the strip mall is our favorite Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Van, where we usually grab some lunch. Not only is the food drool worthy, the place is always so clean and the staff is very friendly, they always remember us. I have yet to try the Pho because I am stuck on the same Bun dish every time, I love it, and can't bring myself to order anything else. I will probably miss this place the most when we do get re-stationed . I have looked up the recipe for Bun Thit Nuong Tom Cha Gio as it does not seem to be too difficult and Lee Lee's has everything I need to make it, but I know it will never taste quite as good.

{Lee Lee's photo from yelp.com & Bun photo from pho-van.com}

Hungry Ghosts

2008-10-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Halloween is absolutely my most favorite holiday ever { even though some will dispute that it is not a holiday at all }, I love everything about it....from decorations, costumes, candy, spirits and of course the history behind it. This year is the first year that I am not going to be able to do too much, so I thought I'd pacify myself with some good old fashioned ghost stories and also read about the Chinese traditions for the "holiday" as well.

My favorite site that I found in my travels is called Lost Laowai , it's actually a blog that I will continue to follow after Halloween is over. I really enjoyed their Chinese Halloween Vocab and learned some great things to teach the kids in the upcoming years! Some words of note {the pīnyīn versions } :

wànshèngjié kuàilè // Happy Halloween
guǐjì huòzhě tángguǒ // trick or treat
xīxiěguǐ //vampire
guǐgùshì //ghost story
hēimāo //black cat

*if you would like to see the full list, go here: http://www.lostlaowai.com/chinese-halloween-vocab

The two Halloween festivals celebrated in China are Teng Chieh and Yue Lan { or The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts}, although Halloween itself is more like a money making and party throwing event there rather then a true recognized Holiday. The Yue Lan festival is celebrated a few weeks before Halloween and it is tradition to not only have picnics at the graves of loved ones lost, but also to burn paper versions of items they used when they were living, and also gifts from today that they may have liked {even ipods? }. Teng Cheih is a bit similar, as it involves the spirits of our loved ones. Instead of going to their grave, they place food and water infront of their photos as well as lighting bonfires and lanterns to light the way for the spirits to find their way back to earth. Nury Vittachi , a cultural commentator in Hong Kong, is quoted as saying,

Ghosts are very big in Asian culture and there is a deeper understanding and interest in their place in society. You can have a relationship with them, you can make friends with them. In the West, ghosts are nearly always bad things, but here they are on your side.

Websites of reference

Also, during my search I found a few notable sites for Halloween as well

One of my own Halloween traditions that I am able to follow this year will be watching The Crow, probably one of the best movies I have ever seen! I have always and forever been a fan of Brandon Lee and I blame him for planting the seed for my love of all things asian :) The Crow was actually filmed in my hometown of Wilmington, NC, and Brandon tragically died there as well { in the same hospital I was born infact!}.

I will leave you a classic ghost story that has been retold a million times through the years called Late Night Ride, Happy Halloween everyone!

Late Night Ride

Jerry was driving home late one night when he saw a young lady waiting by a bus stop. He stopped his car and told her that he didn't think the buses were running so late at night and offered her a ride. The fall night air was getting chilly, so he took off his jacket and gave it to her. Jerry found out that the girl's name was Mary and she was on her way home.

After an hours drive, they arrived at her home and he dropped her off by the front door. Jerry said goodnight and went home himself.

The next day he remembered that Mary still had his jacket.

He drove to her house and knocked on the door, an old woman answered.
John told her about the ride he had given her daughter Mary, and had come back to get the jacket he had lent her. The old woman looked very confused.

John noticed a picture of Mary on the fireplace mantel. He pointed to it and told the old woman that that was the girl he had given a ride to.

With her voice shaking, the old woman told Jerry that her daughter had been dead for many years and was buried in a cemetery about an hours drive away from there.
Jerry ran to his car and drove to the cemetery....

He found his jacket, neatly folded on top of a grave...the name on the gravestone was Mary!

hapa pake

2008-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

A fellow twin mommy {who lives in Hawaii} told me about the Gosselin kids wearing Hapa tees last week on Jon & Kate...of course the one episode I forget to watch, right? It reminded me of the whole Hapa controversy that is going on out there. So I have been surfing the web trying to figure out what the real deal is since my children have been referred to as Hapa on several occasions.

Here is what Wiki says about Hapa:

"Hapa" is a Hawaiian term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial/ethnic heritage

Etymology

In the Hawaiian language, hapa is defined as: portion, fragment, part, fraction, installment; to be partial, less. It is a loan from the English word half. However, in Hawaiian Pidgin (the creole spoken by many Hawai'i residents), hapa has an extended meaning of "half-caste" or "of mixed descent". Mary Pukui & Samuel Ebert's Hawaiian Dictionary define hapa as: "of mixed blood, person of mixed blood as in hapa hawai'i, part Hawaiian." [See: Pukui, Mary Kawena, and Samuel H. Ebert, Hawaiian Dictionary, Revised and enlarged edition, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu HI, 1986] The word "hapa" has moved into Hawaiian and mainland English via reborrowing.

Used without qualification, hapa is often taken to mean "part white", and is short hand for hapa haole. The term can be used in conjunction with other Hawaiian racial and ethnic descriptors to specify a particular racial or ethnic mixture.

Then it goes on to list several examples of what is considered to be "Hapa", part chinese is refered to as hapa pake . After reading this one would think that calling their child who is half asian and not half pacific islander is OK, but then I found this site called RealHapas.com , here is what part of her intro says:

Around 2002, I noticed that many people of mixed Asian descent were disrespecting Hawaiians and part of our culture by misusing and misappropriating the Hawaiian word "hapa." It became evident at Alvin Soltis' www.Hapas.com that there was an assault and an attack on part of our Hawaiian culture, a culture that I would hope is respected like other cultures are. I noticed this elsewhere online. It became my personal mission to ensure that I do what I can to protect this gift that our kupuna gave to us which future Hawaiian children should be able to have as well. This is one of many ways that I use to protect this gift as well as other gifts from our kupuna such as the iwi (or "bones") that all Hawaiians share.

As someone of English, Chinese, Hawaiian, and Portuguese descent I was shocked that so many mixed Asians were unknowingly and/or unwittingly disrespecting the Hawaiian culture... thus disrespecting its people...

So, I am more confused as ever, I mean... do think that she might be taking the angry hapa thing a little too far ? I am neither of asian or pacific islander descent... so maybe if I were I would feel the same? Probably not , just because I tend to be a laid back person, but I'd love to hear what others think ...if you have an opinion about Hapa's that is? If so, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

♪ jingle bells ♫

2008-10-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that Bella's jingle anklet FINALLY fits her!
{the pic on right is Bella's chubby little foot, hehe}
We have been trying it on every month and we almost gave up...guess she had a growth spurt. Oma, {my mother in-law Lani} got both Bella and Brayden these gold jingle anklets when they were born...it's an asian tradition that she has followed since she had her own kids. Sadly, Bella will not be able to wear it for long, but we will enjoy it for now as she runs around with it on. I think Brayden loves to chase it more then anything since it makes a noise when she walks. It will still be a little while before he can wear his own since he is so tiny :) I did look up the purpose of these anklets on google {of course} and this is what one website says:

A centuries old tradition stands behind these darling jingle anklets.... For thousands of years Asian mothers have adorned the feet of their babies with these anklets that have small bells attached to them. Traditionally, it is believed that the delicate jingling sounds would protect young children by warding off bad spirits. They also served a safety functional purpose by providing auditory clues to their children's movements, activity, and whereabouts.

Whatever the purpose, they are freaking ADORABLE! I might even be able to get a little video clip of her walking around with it on so you can hear it.. we will see how our day goes tomorrow!

Sushi Luv

2008-10-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went for lunch at a really great sushi place called Sushi Ave ...really delicious food, atmosphere could use some work, but it's also probably not meant for people like us with a herd of babies {ok, 2 babies, but it feels like so much more!lol}. I got two of the Las Vegas Roll which consists of salmon, crab, cream cheese and avocado...and it's tempura fried *drool*. I know it's probably not the healthiest choice but it's ohhhhhh so good :) The twins were totally fascinated by the bright red chopsticks, which of course made me google baby chopsticks when I got home. Now this is totally unpractical for their age, but one thing you have to understand about me is that I am a research junkie. So, while my intentions are not to purchase them right now, I have to know where to find them when I do want to buy them in the future....this is a very self annoying quality of mine, but I have learned to live with it :)
During my googling I came across this really fun wooden play sushi set at a place called Oliebollen . If you have children, or are looking for some great gifts ideas for one, you should check out their website.They have some very original kids toys you'll never find at stores, and the prices are very reasonable as well. I will definitely be ordering the sushi set for their birthday next year!

Ni Hao

2008-10-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

A few months ago during a crazy addiction to amazon.com, I stocked up on some dvd's, cd's, and books to start the twins off with some early Chinese for when they started talking. Of course, after spending a small fortune, I discovered the most adorable tv show on Nick Jr. called Nia Hao Kai Lan...it's supposed to be a Chinese Dora I guess? It teaches them basic Chinese as well as some Chinese traditions...for free! I love it, and so do the kids...how did I not know about this show?! Oh well, at least now they have a variety of things to learn from...but next time I will spend more time researching before going too crazy with the online shopping {maybe?}. I think next week I am going to start introducing them to the dvd's since they are trying to communicate more with words as of late,

although it is soooo adorable when they look at you

and are rambling on with their baby talk
like they know what they are saying
*blink blink*

...stay tuned

Costume fitting....

2008-10-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

We decided to try the kids Halloween costumes on since we bought them before they were born :) I think Daddy had more fun then they did...

waiting....

2008-10-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

So, I am anxiously (...and nervously) awaiting the news about whether my DH is going to get commissioned into the Air force. He had his interview which went very well, and his packet was sent out this week, so now ....we wait. I am pretty confident he will get in, he is prior Air force and is currently an Officer in the PHS, and he has a lot of really great accomplishments....it's the where that has me so crazy! I want to know where we will end up, ya know!? I am also ready to get off of this Reservation and back into civilization.

He had to make a list of 8 bases that he would like to be stationed at, so we would be going to one of these places:

Hawaii *aloha, I LOVE Hawaiin food!*

Virginia this would be ideal since we have friends who will be stationed at the Navy base nearby around the same time

Ohio ugh, my DH has friends here I guess

Washington would love this, they have a great Chinatown I hear, and my DH's mum lives close by

North Carolina no objections, this is where I am from and I have family all over the place

Japan how cool would that be?! my DH was born there and I love the culture *and food!*

Maryland I have no opinion either way

Germany seriously? no thanks! why did he pick this? oh yes...the cars

where to start...

2008-10-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

I have tried several times, unsuccessfully might I add, to start a blog...and keep up with it. At this point, I have a lot of time on my hands...and at the same time...not enough time...so we will see what happens. I make no promises :)

I am a SAHM {stay.at.home.mom} of 9 months old twins... they are 1/4 Indonesian 1/4 Chinese and 1/2 plain ole white American me. My goal is for them to know all of their cultures....traditions, food, and fun. This blog is about my adventures (...and misadventures) in trying to do so, as well as the usual ramblings of a mom in need of some venting.

Wish me luck!