When Alaka'i does really well, when he works hard, when he puts a lot of effort into accomplishing something- there is little he can't do.  That's true with almost everyone, really.  If we all put 100% into the things we do whether it's work or family, how much better would our lives, nay, the world be?  Mind boggling stuff guys... Anyhow, Alaka'i woke up yesterday early and was especially eager for something and I was expecting him to be... He did get all A's and 2 B's on his report card and he worked really hard for it and I love rewarding him for hard work.

A little praise, a little fun, a little self-esteem building, and a lot of smiles can make a child feel so good about themselves that they have the urge to try hard at everything they do.  I like to give Alaka'i positive feedback as much as possible because it's so important for him to know he's worthy, he's competent and he's capable. He gets corrected when he does wrong but it must be balanced out when he does well otherwise, why bother trying right?

Well, one of his rewards for working so hard was a surprise lunch at his favorite place to eat, Hana Sushi.  In Hawai'i, raw fish is a staple and we love it.  My son has a deep love for sushi, it's a comfort to him and now that I'm working so much, we don't get to eat out very often so this was an especially nice treat for him. I think it was more of an "icing on the cake" type situation though because he was really looking forward to camping at the beach with my brother and his family.  My boy loves the beach so much and my brother loves spending time with him.  It's some much needed guy time that my boy doesn't get enough of because he doesn't have a dad- perils of being a single mother...  It's been a pretty stinkin' good weekend for my Alaka'i.  To first see a movie with grandpa, that alone time with the ultimate alpha male in his life and then follow up with some sushi, some allowance, some football cards and some camping- pretty sweet if you ask me!

Back to the sushi.  It was a rather impromptu affair, unplanned and last minute- those surprises are sometimes the best though aren't they?  We were out running errands and I asked him on the fly, what about Hana Sushi, you think we have time?  And the surprised expression on his face filled my heart with joy.  Simple things...simple that give him joy make my life all the more enjoyable.  So we went in to a just opened, almost empty restaurant and sat in the booth with a conveyor belt of fresh sushi going round and round.

Most of the pictures are of the sushi I ate as he demolished his before I could snap an iPhone picture.
As you can see from the demolished remains above, my son had a spam roll, a few tamago (egg) sushi plates and some chicken karaage (fried chicken).  He was very happy as you can see, the surprise made his day all the more enjoyable and seeing such a happy smile on his face gives me a deep sense of purpose in my life.

It's so wonderful to have just mommy and me time with my boy, even though he's growing into a young man just reaching into his pre-teen years *cringes*.  We so often have my nieces with us when we eat out because on my days off, they're usually around because my brother and sister in law work on the weekends. It was nice to have some quiet mommy and Alaka'i time before I sent him off to camp with his uncle and cousins while I spent the better part of the afternoon catching up on paperwork and chores.

Gosh, I love my son. Thank you God for blessing me with him.  More than I could ever ask for.

This is one of the songs I sang to him the last couple of years and sometimes still do when he's laying in bed after saying his prayers.  He's still so innocent, so much my baby still and I treasure every moment because before I know it, he'll be too cool and so into his friends and being a big man that he won't have time to let me cuddle up to him and sing him a lullaby.

You mamas will love this tune by Mindy Gledhill called Hourglass. Although it's about a little boy, you could really apply it to little girls too.  It's a soothing and precious song that I know you'll enjoy as much as I do.


Aloha,

Jean