Five Years!

Happy Anniversary to us!!  We celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary last night! We gave the little one a bath and put her to bed, then our first babysitter (ever!) came over to sit with her while we went out (thanks Kollette!) We went to Michel's.  A PHENOMENAL restaurant on Waikiki Beach (french cuisine.)  It was so beautiful...

It was the prefect evening, perfect temperature, perfect winds (open air restaurant), perfect wait staff, PERFECT FOOD. 

Oh my, let me tell you about the food!  Lobster Bisque (flamed in Cognac at the table) and Arthichoke soup for appetizers.  Kurobuto Pork marinated in homemade guava BBQ sauce, seafood risotto, lobster, steamed asparagus & broccoli blend in a pineapple salsa, fresh Mahi Mahi with sundried tomatoes and prawns for entrees.  And for dessert? Wine and fresh Bing cherries marinated in Cognac and Amaretto flambeed at your table over vanilla ice cream with white and dark chocolate shavings!! TO DIE FOR. For those of you on island, I HIGHLY recommend going to Michel's at least once while you are here. Fair warning, they are $$$$$ but it is worth it.  I didn't even flinch at the bill, it was money well spent. Indulging once in awhile is good for the soul. Happy, Happy 5th Year to US!!!

Marshmallow Mateys

Daddy tends to spoil his daughter (shocker) and he snuck her "two" dehydrated marshmallows (pink ones) from his bowl of Marshmallow Mateys (generic Lucky Charms) when Mommy wasn't looking. Yeah, she was flying HIGHHH. She wouldn't take her nap, she ran around like a freak of nature, snapping her fingers, walking on tip toes, rockin' out to the music in her head (apparently) and although it was funny once I figured out what her deal was, it was ugly trying to put her down for a nap that she just WAS NOT going to take.... just thought I'd share. THIS is why we don't feed her sugar!! 

Cora Meets Cohen

We managed to get to Arizona finally!! And I have to say, Cohen and Cora are the cutest little things ever!! Are they not?? We had such an amazing time with Jenn and Matt and I couldn't have needed it more. It has been almost six years since Jenn and I have got to spend more than a couple hours together and I realize now how I've missed her and how much I need her in my life!! 

Seeing our children play together (and fight with each other) was such an incredible blessing... we WILL NOT wait another six years to get together again!

Our vacation time there was wonderful I tell ya... 115 degree weather and all.  We laughed, we ate, we drank cosmo bitches! We swam at night in their private pool (with beautiful sunsets and amazing lightening in the distance) while watching Sideways on our own private drive-in theatre screen (aka a projector and a white sheet duct taped to the side of the house.) We drank wine and played cards. We met great people and played Bocce. Mel and Matt went to the Harrah's and blew some hard earned money. Jenn and I shopped our hearts out at Ikea. Cora and Cohen fought over who was going to ride which tricycle and shared wonderful hugs and slobbery kisses... really, it was fun had by all.  I am so so glad that we decided to go! I only wish we could have stayed longer *sigh*

(This was my attempt to get the AMAZING sunset and the pool, but my camera sucks and didn't cooperate and everything is muted and weird.)

(The guys, Bocce, and beer... they are in heaven)

July Is Gone

I haven't written in a minute so I thought I'd catch all my (imaginary) readers up. July just blew by. It was a month full of big deals. First of all, Mel was detached from the USS Olympia (thank God) which brought such an amazing sense of relief to our entire house. He is less stressed, which helps me be less stressed, which is always good because, as they say, "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" (they do say that, right?) So yeah, that was cool. Then Cora turned one, what a huge milestone! Then (dun dun dun!)  Cora started walking (less stress? Yeah, that was short lived) and the girl does not stop. She. Just. Does. Not. Stop. It has been mentioned that we should put a pedometer on her and see how many miles she goes in a day. I think everyone would be amazed. She doesn't even take the time to play with her toys anymore, she'd rather just walk laps around the house. She tires us out just watching her.  

Ok, so what else happened in July?.... Mel's friend, Scott, came to visit. He stayed ten days and we had a lot of fun hitting the beaches with him. And, uh, what else? We took a couple trips. We flew to Indiana for a few... saw the Grandparents and Cora's Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Jennie, and cousins, Noah & Ali. That was nice. 

No one had any idea that we were flying in so it was a big shock to everyone and a fun surprise. I had never been to Indiana in the summer before; it was a big change from 15 degrees and snowing! Hot, humid, and lots and lots of corn and soy feilds! In some areas the smell of corn was so strong it almost made me queasy. But we all had a good time. Cora had a blast playing with her cousins even though she was teething and bit uncomfortable (she got her first molar.) She thinks she's so grown up now, with eight (almost nine) teeth. And I must say for the record, even though she was teething, she was a complete angel during our flights which was so so much appreciated (remind me to thank her someday when she's old enough to comprehend.) 

We went to the city park in Tipton and let Cora play in the grass (something she doesn't get to do in Hawaii because of the forsaken centipedes and roaches!)  Here's a photo:

She swang on the swings ("just a swangin'... SWANGIN'") and played with leaves (and ate rocks) and had a BIG nap afterwards. 

It was nice to see the family for a little bit. And it was good to get out of my house because I was feeling really, really cramped and edgy. I've returned home with a much renewed respect and a fresh outlook for which I am very grateful. Anyway, there is more July fun, but this post much be cut short, I need to eat before the Miss Lue and her Daddy wake up! Stay tuned....

Happy Birthday Cora!

Cora turned one year old!!! I cannot believe how time has flown. It was a great day. We rented Hokulani Community Center and she partied her little one year old feet off.  She ran around, played in the sprinklers, swam with daddy...

She opened lotsa gifts, played on the swings and slid down the slides with Grandma...

She got packed around by all her grown up friends and played with her new toys with her little friends, and had a blast! She ate some potato salad, Auntie's chicken wings, Couture cupcakes, cake, ice cream, and fruit balls.... really, what more can a little girl ask for!  

It was a great weekend! Thanks to everyone who came and everyone who thought to send our precious little "toddler" a gift!! Happy Birthday to my beautiful little girl!

Say Cheese!!

I used to get so frustrated because Cora had this beautiful little smile and I could never catch it on camera. She would be smiling all over her precious little face and as soon as I pulled the camera out she would stop smiling and start studying me and what I was doing. Now I have a whole new problem!! Meet Miss Cheese Face....

Every time I point the camera at her she has to strike a cheese face! There is no such thing as a candid shot with this girl. She's gone from one extreme to the other... oh well. :)

On another note, she has been playing with her shapes the past few days. She has a star shaped pig, a circle-bear, heart-cow, triangle-mouse, and square-chicken and she's been working on getting them in their appropriately shaped holes. She's a pro after only three days! The heart still gives her a little trouble and she gets mad at it and slams it down when she can't get it to go in the heart shaped hole. We are trying to teach her that its ok to get frustrated but she doesn't need to slam things around, haha. It's so cute though and hard not to laugh!

PBS Kids

Ok so, if you are ever bored and looking to be creeped out, check out PBSkids's Jay Jay The Jet Plane. I happened to catch this show today and I am still, hours later, feeling a bit "off" from it. I can't quite put my finger on why it gives me the heeby jeebies, but it does. It could be the Chester Chester face on "Big Jake" or the tweaky girl that just doesn't "belong" in TarryTown, any way it goes, I'm not a fan.  

Word World though, now THAT'S a show. We record them for Cora (she loves Dog) but in reality, I probably watch it more then she does. So again, if you're bored, check out PBSkids, its got a little somethin' for everyone...

That's all I got.  So, peace be with you (and also with you).... I'm out. 

Her First Hair Cut

Yesterday was a big day for the Turner fam. We took Miss Cora into Pigtails & Crewcuts for her very first hair cut!! It was an event, lemme tell ya. She LOVED the store. She loved her little airplane seat. She loves all the toys and bright colors around her. But as soon as that strange woman put that strange thingy on her and she couldn't lift her arms she got P.O.'d!! She screamed and fought through her whole cut. Needless to say, it wasn't a great hair cut, at all. But it served its purpose, her hair is no longer hanging in her eyes like a shaggy dog!

Besides all that, we are doing great! Mel only has 11 total days left until he is off the Oly for good, yayayayaya!! He will have 45 days off and we have some great family outings planned that we are really excited about!! Cora is standing alone all the time now. You can set her down in the middle of the room and she'll just stand there and watch cartoons or whatever, no problem. She is still being resistant to walking by herself though. If she has one of your fingers she can run all over the the house, she's just scared to try it solo I think. Anyway, that's it for now. Stay tuned...

An Interesting Milestone

She is her father's daughter! Last night at bathtime Cora decided it was funny to lean forward and dunk her face under water. My first instinct was to scoop up my poor drowning baby, but when she lifted her head, smiled, giggled, and did it again, I realized (scared on oh so many levels) that my baby was really growing up!! Is it normal for an 11 month old to want to dunk her head in the water?? Anyway, Mel and I were cracking up at her, she thought it was the coolest thing ever and my cheeks hurt from smiling by the end of her bath (I'll amend this entry later with a couple pictures from her bathroom escapades this evening. Maybe I can catch the nutjob in action.)

Father's Day

Father's Day was a lot of fun for everyone.  I faked a headache in the morning so Melvin would take Cora down for breakfast by himself... she and I had a mini scavenger hunt set up for him (thanks Jenn).  It was really cute (all rhymey and such) written from Cora's perspective. The hunt ended in our car, where his new Garmin GPS system was waiting for him in the driver's seat. It was cute, I shoulda taken pictures of the two of them going on the hunt.  After presents, we got baby Cora dressed and went out to breakfast.  Later in the day (after morning nap) we went to the Waikiki Aquarium. Little Miss liked the jelly fish tanks, the BIG fish, and the Monk Seals the most. Parts of the aquarium seemed to scare her a bit though.  I think it was probably because it was dark inside. She wouldn't let us put her down and she didn't want to touch the glass. We will definitely go back again however, with a camera (which I had forgotten... again.)  Later in the evening we went to La Mariana's Sailing Club for dinner.  They are the oldest tiki bar on the island and one of Oahu's best kept secrets. We loved it and will definitely be going back (and bringing you all when you come to the island.)  They've got great food, great live entertainment every night, great atmosphere, and really low key and quiet feel.... couldn't ask for more on Father's Day.  Mel had a great day with his baby girl which is all that really matters.  I hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day as well!

ZOO DAYS

We took Cora to the zoo today!!  It was her first visit.  She LOVED the turtles.. and the monkeys. Really, who am I kidding, she loved everything!!  The Keiki Zoo (aka Petting Zoo) was a lot of fun for her. She got to pet goats and see chickens and ponies, llamas, and duckies, guinea pigs, and hogs (she wouldn't touch the hogs though!) She is so cautious; even with the goats she would just pinch their little ears, and pat them lightly (with a death grip on dad's arm so he couldn't get too far away!)  She wouldn't get too close.  She's very interested and observant, but cautious. Adorable. Really, what else can I say, each and every moment with her is priceless. 

Things have been going really well, Mel's new chief seems to be an ok guy, that's good... it will make this last month on board a little easier. Yay for that!  Uhmm, what else? We found out a great friend of ours is expecting, she's wanted a baby for a long time so we are happy for them. Uh, what else?  Father's Day is tomorrow, Mel's first.  Yay. We have a fun day planned.  Don't tell him though, its a surprise.  Cora bought him a cute little gift that I think he will like... I'll keep ya posted.

Anyway, that's all I got for now... 

Nightnight

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Pumpkin (the cat) isn't supposed to scratch at the screens of our windows.  We know this... Pumpkin knows this... and apparently Cora knows this and decided to take it upon herself to take care of it for me.  I can't help but wonder, is that what I look like when I yell at the cat??? Poor kitty.

Sleepless Nights

"If people were meant to POP out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters."  

I'm exhausted.  Cora didn't sleep at all last night. My poor baby (who normally sleeps peacefully through the night) had me up on three or four occasions. She wasn't feeling well at all, and this morning she had a 101 temperature. She's been really restless and uncomfortable all day.  I hate when she doesn't feel good (and I loathe all-nighters) I was so worried about her, even when she was asleep I was wide-eyed, waiting for the next cry.  And of course, Mel had duty so I had no help.... Murphey's Law at its finest.

I just put her down for the night. Let us all hope and pray, for her sake (and mine), that tonight is better and she kicks this little virus' ass while she rests.

So anyway, we reserved the room for Cora's Birthday!  I can't hang anything on the walls with tape or nails or staples or glue (damn them for covering their bases)... this could make decor a small problem. I will overcome though! It will be cute. Only one month away... can you believe it. She's almost A YEAR. Where does it go? Everyone tells you how fast it flies by, but wow... like the blink of an eye.

Foogo... where are you??

Isn't she just the sweetest?  

Today was a day.  Sometimes this island can be so frustrating.  We are so isolated. All I want is a freakin' Foogo Straw Sippy Thermos, how hard should that be to attain??  We looked everywhere today, aaand the search continues.  You mainlanders take things like this for granted, fyi.  I bet I'm gonna have to order it online and pay a ridiculously inflated shipping rate... ugh.

Congrats to Terry!

Terry (a friend of Mel's who we haven't seen in YEARS) called us this weekend telling us he's on island and MARRIED!  We are very happy for him.  His wife is an absolute gem.  He scored!! We got to spend a couple days with them, which was very nice.  Apparently Shauna (his new wife) is from Canada, Ottawa maybe?  I forget exactly, but I'm very excited at the prospect of getting to go there.  I've never been Eastern Canada and I bet it is just beautiful!!  Anyway, it was a good weekend, spent with old and new friends.

Cora took her first step today!  It was just one step, but she took it with confidence!  It was a little practice step, very cute.  She was standing, holding onto the couch and she let go and took one step toward the couch.  Very concentrated. I just LOVE watching her little brain work. I've tried calling Mel to tell him that his baby took an unaided step, but he's not answering his phone... I'm very bummed that he wasn't here to see it! 

There will be more steps.

Until next... I'm off to fold laundry (because that is what I do)

Mary

Figures...

I sit down to write in my "journal" and guess what?... Cora is stirring.  So this will probably be short.  I think I found a venue for Cora's 1st birthday party.  It's simple, "free," (I can never remember if the comma goes in or out of the parenthesis) and close to home; but its a huge room and could get spendy to decorate.  Who knows... I have all these grand plans and big ideas (bigger than my budget) so we'll just have to wait and see what happens when the time comes.  

Oh, we finally got our car!!  We purchased a 2009 Toyota Camry (Hybrid) last month but it had to be shipped to the island so it took awhile.  We got to take it home last night, yippee!  It is really nice.  I'm very happy with the purchase (especially since they gave us an upgraded version when we bought the standard, no bells or whistles version.) 

OK, this has to be it for now, Cora is ready to get up.  I wish the girl would nap longer then one hour!! 

Duty Days...

Ugh... tell me, military wives, am I the only one that eats like a starved pig when hubby is on duty?!  I don't understand this compulsion.  I'm NOT hungry, yet, I find myself standing, fridge sprawled open, scrounging for something (anything) to munch on.  Boredom compels me!  I hate it.  Luckily, (and to my utter despair) we never buy any junk food, so my options are an apple or 100 calorie packs!

So, besides the headache and the duty day munchies, things are good... Cora is an absolute riot.  I was watching The Perfect Man (catching up on my girlie flix while Mel is gone) and I laughed out loud at something and Cora, propped up against me sucking her thumb, starts belly laughing right along with me!  I start laughing harder (at her) and she laughs harder, it was a wonderfully vicious cycle. Who knew being a Mommy would be so completely hilarious? :)

On another (ugly) note, those wackjobs from Kansas are on island today.  What's their "official" name??... Westboro Baptist "Church" (quotations are mine, they don't deserve to be able to use that word.) These people make me nauseous. They are here to "protest" at Hawaii's Churches and military locales (Schofield, the Arizona Memorial, etc.) Their people rival the KKK for being the most vile, ignorant, and evil people on the planet.  I plan on staying home; far, far away from the ugliness they will be spewing into our atmosphere (as if the Vog wasn't bad enough!)  I weep for the mothers who bore these people, what shame and sadness they must feel.... anyway, enough energy wasted on crazy... moving on.

I hope you enjoy the pictures... littlemiss just woke up so I have to go retrieve her from her bedroom.

Love and aloha,

Mary

Pre Mother's Day Hike

We had a great morning today... the three of us got out and went hiking up Makapu'u.  It's a Beautiful (with a capital B) area of the island.  I won't discuss how out of shape I am, I will just express how incredible it was to spend a stress free, no monkey on the back day with the family. Mel finally finished his BioOrganiChem so we can have some semblance of a family life again... woot woot for that little nugget of change.

After the hike we drove into Aina Haina for a little brunch (I had a (phenom.) Mahi Sandwich.) We found this little dive diner that we WILL be going back to... every one was so friendly in the diner, oohing and ahhing over Cora.  Too cute.  

After brunch, we moseyed over and had a little (Cup)Cake Couture which is nothing short of divine.   I've decided (if they ship) some of those near (not in miles) and dear to us will be getting a cupcake soon! I feel selfish not sharing the yum.... and to those that live on the island, go get one yer damn self!

Anyway, it was a great morning, yay!

I'm clued in

I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO UPLOAD PICTURES!!  yeah, I'm a bit slow, we've established that.  But be excited nonetheless, because now you all can see little tidbits of our life in picture.  Don't act like you're not excited about that... I know.  You are.  

Cora is silly.  Enough said.

Post #2

So, its been a few... months probably. I get busy and forget I start things. I hate the word "blog" so from now on this is my journal. I'm journaling.

Cora is so funny! I have been having so much fun with her in the past month. She is really talking nowadays. She will repeat almost anything (if she's in the mood)... that "lovely" father of hers taught her how to say s.h.i.t. I have to spell it because if I say it she will repeat it (yes. Even on here! I'm not taking any chances.)   

The other day Mel kept saying "momma is full of shit" and then that evening Cora just comes out with it!!... not "momma," not "full," not "is" or "of," but SHIT!... plain as day, sitting in her car seat, talking to her ducky. As funny and absolutely adorably innocent it is, I still had to punch Mel for it!  

I want to post a couple pictures of how cute she is and how grown up she is looking at ten months old (tomorrow!) but I haven't figured out how to post pictures on this thing yet. I'm a little slow on the uptake, so bear with me.

Anyway, I have to put littlemiss down for her nappy.  

... 'til next time... it's been a slice...

Mary