My son is a fourteen year old... 1 4  Y E A R S  old!  Where did the time go? I haven't blogged in forever but I couldn't leave my blog without a tribute to the best son in the world. He saved my life in more ways than one and he is an endless blessing to me, every single day. No matter how old he gets, he will always be my baby. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with this wonderful son of mine. Every single day is a blessing. Here's to many more years to come!!

Mommy loves you Alaka'i!

Every year since my son was born, he's taken a Christmas photo. When my brother Peter started having kids, they started taking photos together.  This year Alaka'i told me he felt "too old" to take a Christmas photo even though he believes in Santa.  However, he said he would "graciously accompany" his younger cousins while they take photos with Santa. So cute.

Though I will surely write several times before Christmas is actually here, I just wanted to share some Friday Christmas cheer from our family to yours.  (Kaliko [my niece on the far left], Alohilani [niece in the middle] and my son Alaka'i [right])

xo,

Jean

I'm co-hosting an awesome Thursday party people!! Come hang out with us, share your old-er photos.  It's so fun to see what everyone looked like...you know... back in the day....

Today I share a photo of my son Alaka'i and I when he was only 1 year old.  That was over 10 years ago.  My how time flies!! I used to think I was soooo fat back then.  Not so much, at least not compared to now.
Come link party with us yo!

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

Saturday was just your average, ordinary day.  I actually got to sleep in an hour or so later than my normal wake up time which was a much needed and refreshing break for me.  One of the benefits of having a pre-teen is that they're able to wake up, get ready and make their own breakfast with ease.  By the time I woke up, Alaka'i had his bed made, his room tidy-d, his face washed, teeth brushed and he was dressed for the day.  He's an exceptional boy but usually not so eager to clean his room....

Right away I knew he had a plan.  Well, it's only natural that he be expecting something from me, he did get all A's and 2 B's on his report card, and boy he worked hard for them.  He's living proof that a teacher can truly make the difference in a child's grades and self esteem.  To go from mostly C's and a few D's in the 4th grade with notes from the teacher saying "he doesn't focus" or "are you sure the doctor said he doesn't have ADD?" (typical lazy public school teacher trying to deflect her deficiencies onto a child and diagnosing them without a doctor or an actual expert opinion)... to now getting all A's and 2-3 B's... really makes you realize how much a teacher can affect the attitude and excellence of a student.

I actually had Alaka'i tested for ADD and ADHD and learning disabilities last year because his lazy teacher was always saying he and 8/23 of the kids in her class had attention problems.  No, I think when over a third of your class is having issues, it's more about the teacher than it is the students.  Anyhow, doctors and specialists told me he was fine, normal, smart even and that they didn't understand why the teacher would say such things....  Needless to say, the Department of Education (DOE) in Hawai'i has some major kinks to work out.

Fourth grade wasn't Alaka'i's best year.  Fifth grade, however, has proven to be an amazing turn around for my sweet boy.  He went from being what his teacher called "introverted and scared to answer" at the beginning of the year to "excited to participate and hard working".  The confidence that Alaka'i's terrible 4th grade teacher had stripped from him and his classmates was finally starting to come back.  It gave me such gratification and relief to see my son excited to learn again.  He's gotten rave reviews from his amazing teacher and nearly straight A's every single quarter with notes saying he's consistently providing quality work and participating in group discussions with ease and efficiency.

I was the proudest mommy in the world to read that on his report card Thursday.  It was a sort of validation in knowing that my boy was just fine all along and let me tell you, I loved running in to his old 4th grade teacher at Safeway.  When she asked how he was doing with that snide little look on her face, I loved saying "as a matter of fact, I just got his report card" and pulling it out like a golden ticket from my purse and letting her see it and watching the color sink out of her face and her eyes get big as her jaw dropped ever so slightly.  She even had the gall to ask if I had him in special tutoring...no ma'am... he just has a teacher who actually likes his job and does it well.

In fact, if we're being perfectly honest here, I never appreciated her condescending attitude.  When he was in her class, she would insinuate that if he had ADD or ADHD, it was his fault or something he should be ashamed of and punished for.  No child deserves that, especially not ones who actually suffer from such things.  That's one of the main reasons so many kids today struggle and give up, because teachers like my son's 4th grade teacher cut them down before they even had a chance to try.  I'm thankful he doesn't have any of those challenges, although who wouldn't get bored to death in a class with a teacher who spent the majority of the day cutting you and your classmates down?

A group of us parents complained and the oh so efficient and diligent [note the sarcasm] DOE said they would follow up with her and never did.  Unions- not so good when children's futures are at stake.  Let's just say that when he was done with 4th grade, we both cheered when we got in the car and celebrated with ice cream like it was a birthday we waited so long to celebrate.  I saw such joy in my boy's face the day he was done with her class and as a mama, it made me so happy and sad for him because just imagining how terrible she made him and his classmates feel, imagining how bad it must have been to illicit such a joyous response, made me cringe.

When he started 5th grade, I went in with worry and low expectations but was pleasantly surprised that his teacher loves his job and puts the children's interests first.  Hearing how he was once berated as a kid and thought he could never be good at math because of a bad teacher and how that experience motivated him to encourage his students was really so refreshing.  He allows them to talk out loud, discuss how they came up with their answers and if the answers are wrong, they discuss at which point they went wrong so they truly understand how to do it right.  The orientation was like a choir in angels singing a melodious "ahhhh" at once.  When I went to my first parent teacher conference and his teacher said "good, that means I'm doing my job well because you parents are my bosses", I was so shocked I swear I had to literally grab my lower jaw off the table and lift it up to my face.  That's the kind of attitude a teacher should have.

Hey, I'm not saying all teachers are lazy but it's those that are that ruin it for the truly good teachers out there.  I don't understand how or why a person would take a job as an educator if they hated it or didn't have a passion for it.  The contrast between my son's 4th grade teacher and his 5th grade is so vastly different, it astounds me.  To see a teacher care about his students is something I shouldn't be so shocked to see.  It should be the norm but isn't... And hey, I'm sure there are a ton of bratty, disrespectful kids out there but they shouldn't be discarded and thrown away any more than a kid with a disability.  It's all about attitude and approach and let me tell you, I thank God every day for my son's 5th grade teacher... Oh what a difference a year makes!

Have any of you mama's had bad experiences with teachers?  Were you the victim of a bad teacher growing up?  I know I had a few and like I told Alaka'i, you have to cope and adapt even in the worst situations but man, imagine a world where every teacher loved the job and did it right.... The potential of excellence for the youth of the world... Teachers really shape a student's life and they could change the world if there were fewere lazy ones and more amazing ones.

Share your stories and experiences with me!!  Have a Blessed Sunday!

Aloha,

Jean

Curly Top is about a talented little girl in an orphanage who enchants one of the orphanage's benefactor's, a young millionaire who adopts her and takes care of her and her older sister (whom he later falls in love with).

It's a wonderful movie, Shirley is an expert at playing an adorable orphan.  My nieces absolutely love her.  Her talent, dancing, singing and vibrant presence onscreen is truly a wonder to behold.

Don't you just love those oh so precious moments with your child or children? Oh you know, those  moments...frequent or rare as they may be, where your kid does something precious, something adorable, something sweet...without even realizing it or knowing anyone noticed.  My son has many of those and though he doesn't realize I'm watching, I mostly always am... well sometimes...no always... and he doesn't even realize I'm watching him. Those are my favorite moments.

Alaka'i frequently has moments like these, where he's doing something quirky, cute or interesting that I find utterly precious, though he rarely notices that I noticed.  Sometimes it's just the way he plays in the sun.  When we hike or are outside, he often reaches for the light when he's playing.. It's something he's done since he was little and still does, and something I find utterly precious to watch.

Well, my Alaka'i got the flu that we've been fighting for awhile. Everyone we know and love has it or had it and boy did my son fight it valiantly.  Sadly, it got him...my poor little guy....who's not so little anymore.  What a way to start your Spring Vacation weekend?  He had a fever so it was a day of rest, hydration, nutrients and sleep.


It's so hard to watch your baby, no matter how big they've gotten, get sick.  Poor boy just fell asleep on the couch during movie time.  He slept through most of the day... he needed the rest though.


While he slept, my chihuahua Buddy decided to be adorable and actually not run away when I pulled out my iPhone to take quick snaps of him.  He's giving me that oh, come on...not again look as he sat on our window sill by my son's baby cactus. Buddy gave in though, smiling, licking, glancing out the window pensively.

Buddy is such a soulful little chihuahua.  I was shocked he even did his smile.  Then he yawned and went back to being a dog but I love the adorableness that I was able to capture with the iPhone.  Love that little doggie.


Oh the little blessings in my life.  I'm so thankful to God for every moment of life, especially those with my son, my nieces and Buddy the Chihuahua.

Had some fun with my fave iPhone apps and Buddy's Photos.  You can pin my photos clicking the "Pin It" button on the bottom left of the post. My old blog design never had that option and people always asked about it...

Am I the only one going through headaches after over eating sugary treats during Christmas?  Oh, the agony...  It hasn't seemed to affect my son Alaka'i or my nieces much... although... they were quite rowdy yesterday after all the sweets they consumed from Alaka'i's birthday and Christmas.

It's been a crazy, fun couple of days here in our home though... I didn't take many photos because I was so busy prepping for the birthday and for Christmas.  I literally stayed up 24 hours straight wrapping everything and putting together all of the bikes for the kids and a Disney car I bought my nieces to drive around in.  Perhaps that contributed to my "holiday hangover" more than anything else.  I was lucky enough to catch some sleep after the morning presents were all opened and boy oh boy did I need it!!


I miss the days where I had an endless supply of energy like my silly son and nieces do.  Up and down the run and fall and recover so quickly.  Meanwhile, merely watching them play seems exhausting to me! haha.  


Here are some photos from Alaka'i's birthday celebration at home.  He got to spend the day at Dave & Buster's with some friends playing games but we had a quiet family night at home with cake and ice cream.  What a wonderful day.  My boy is growing up before my eyes so quickly I can barely keep up!