hawaiian surfer girl story

“Howzit, brah!”

“Howzit!”

My husband overheard this exchange between two Hawaiian locals in a shopping center on our recent vacation. It was his first introduction to pidgin, the local lingo.

After experiencing pidgin, my haole (HOW-lay, meaning Caucasian, foreigner) husband has since tried many other pidgin-like phrases on me, most of them he made up himself. It’s quite funny to experience his variety of linguistic humor and/or imitation of different languages. Now, he texts me in pidgin even though it’s been at least two weeks since we’ve been back from our vacation.

This morning, he texts: “How’s it?”

Me: It’s spelled, “Howzit.”

Him: How u know?

Me: Looked it up on the internet. (Because everything you read on the internet is true, right?)

Back to our vacation…

Fresh off the plane in Honolulu on our way to the rented house in Kailua (which we shared with our family who arrived a few hours before us), we drove on the Likelike Highway, known as Route 63, pronounced LEE-keh-LEE-keh.

I practiced other street names on the way. I was trying to prepare myself so I wouldn’t look so haole. I was attempting, in vain, to boost my self-esteem by not displaying any blatant haole ignorance. Why? Because I’m Japanese. But I’m really a wannabe Hawaiian girl.

At the risk of digressing, I’ll share that I only remember a few pidgin phrases from my high school friends (yes, Todd, Craig, and Jodi). My favorite was “da kine” which can virtually mean anything. “The word you use when you don’t use the word,” is my favorite definition I found on the internet.

Back to our vacation…

“Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.” “King Kamehameha.” “Iolani Palace.” These words were the highlight of our conversation traveling one day from Kailua to the Ala Moana mall. It was our homeschool language arts lesson for the day, which included many other hard to pronounce street names.

A history lesson on King Kamehameha (kuh-MAY-uh-MAY-uh) and the Iolani Palace were the topics for Social Studies.

My haole (yes, Caucasian, white) husband and I taught homeschool math by explaining the time change on the flight over to Honolulu from the mainland.

The subject of science was the most memorable. The kids learned about two different types of sharks, let’s say, upfront and personal. The two older kids and haole husband paid good money for the thrill of stepping into freezing cold water in an 8’x8’ cage to view sharks. They saw Sandbar and Galapagos types.

We also toured Hanauma Bay’s historical museum before snorkeling. That’s where we learned that the unofficial Hawaiian state fish is the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa. (It's pronounced HOO-moo-HOO-moo-NOO-koo-NOO-koo-AH-poo-AH-ah; yes, it’s the name of the fish song in High School Musical.)

We satisfied the PE requirement through a few different activities. Sunlight and fresh breezes invited my son and me to run barefoot on the Kailua beach. The kids swam in the ocean. And the kids and haole husband surfed for the first time on Waikiki Beach. Yes, I was jealous. (Now vain and jealous.) Well, someone had to make sure the 2 and 4 year olds didn’t get swept out too far in the big ocean. But…I still got a nice tan.

And this is my wannabe Hawaiian surfer girl story.

But it wouldn’t be complete, however, without mentioning a few of the things I loved most. I loved sipping wine and hanging out with family on the lanai. I loved the North Shore coffee, cookies, and window shopping. I loved the long walks on the sandy beaches with my husband. I loved our shopping at the International Marketplace. I loved our family outing to the Outrigger to have appetizers with the tiki torches at Duke’s. And I loved the many memories that we captured and brought home to share.

But one very special trip was to get shave ice. It’s not everyday, when you live on the mainland, that you can experience it the way locals do. Cool and refreshing…. Make sure, however, that you don’t call it “shaved ice” or compare it to a snow cone, or you’ll be haole for sure.

*Since this is neither formal nor free of grammatical errors, I’ve omitted all okinas. That’s the backwards apostrophe that makes Hawaii into the more proper form, Hawai`i. 

locks of love

There was only one time in my life that I had my hair cut shorter than shoulder length. In some strange way, I feel like I can be more mysterious behind my long hair. Naturally, I've loved my girls to have long hair, flowing, glistening, and shining in the Southern California sun. 

A short time ago we talked to our oldest daughter about trimming her long, soft tresses. I mentioned to her an article that I had seen about girls donating their hair to worthy causes. She liked the idea and over time decided to take the challenge.

I am proud of her! She had a few surprises along the way...she didn't like the initial haircut, but endured the awkward stages. I thought she was graceful the entire time. And she gave up something for the sake of others. Not easy for any 10 year old.

Months later, the short hair is only a brief memory. But it serves as a reminder of a small sacrifice. She complains when I try to fix her hair. "Mom, why do you make such a fuss about my hair? Can't I just do it like I want to??" Sigh. 

Go, beautiful daughter of mine...be free of mom's controlling hair issues...be free of mom wanting it to be perfect in every way! I'm just starting to understand that it's just right for her, without me getting in the way.

So here's a candid shot while we were on a field trip to the neighborhood dump. Isn't she confident? Radiant? Naturally beautiful? 

Up next...Do you know where your trash goes? Do you know where your recycled materials go? The trash site story is for another post, for another day. 

sweet valentine

Hope you had a terrific Valentine's Day! We sure did! Our kids made precious Valentines for us. Our 3 year old daughter decorated a card for me. She lovingly gave me this one...(ERSHP) and she said, "Here's your card, mommy!" How wonderful! I think it says mommy on it? 

We had a blast at the kids' homeschool Valentine's Day party yesterday. The mom who organized the party was so creative! She made a bingo game and had the girls decorate cookies and cupcakes, to name a few of the activities to keep the kids occupied. We were indoors because of the rain, but we made the best of it! I'm going to post some pictures on facebook so you can see the creative talents of all the kids who made tasty goodies!

You probably love music like I do. You'll have to check out Pandora for free internet radio. You'll love it! I'm listening to Pandora right now while I'm typing. You can set up your favorite songs to play with no commercials! Oh, just had a thought! And yes, it works! You can type in "Disney" and with just a click of a button you can set up Disney Channel songs that play with no interruptions! No bothersome commercials that sell the kids on stuff that they don't need but think they need because they heard it on the radio or saw it on TV. Thank you Pandora!

mommy intelligence

I have felt unintelligent before. I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and homeschool the two older ones. I put all my efforts into raising and teaching my kids, while saving some time and energy for my husband! Very little left for just me to do what I want to do. I mean, how much intelligence does it take to do a load of laundry or turn on the dishwasher or change a diaper?? If you have felt like this before, I have hope for you.

You need to read The Success Journey by John C. Maxwell. Books by him, in my opinion, aren't usually geared for the mom types. I used to think that they were mostly for the corporate business minded types. But lately I've been very glad to have them around. I was cleaning the living room (miracle!) and came across The Success Journey. He has a section on "Steps to Building a Strong Family." In this section, he states that there are certain tools for us to help us appreciate each family member's uniqueness and to enhance our ability to see each other's natural talents. One of the tools is Thomas Armstrong's book, Kinds of Smart.

There are seven kinds of intelligences in Kinds of Smart. Now, I do not have linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, or the few others that are mentioned. My husband is blessed with those! But what did catch my eye is the Interpersonal Intelligence. It is described as understanding and working with people. Armstrong says, "Those who have this intelligence are able to perceive and be responsive to the moods, temperaments, intentions, and desires of others."

I HAVE INTELLIGENCE!!! I know when my friends need someone to talk to. I know when my kids need a pep talk. I know when my three year old needs a spanking. (Ok, not rocket science.) I know when my husband needs me to be his sounding board for his ideas and thoughts. I am no longer just the housewife...I am MOM and I am INTELLIGENT! 

life lessons #1: top 5 reasons to have good friends

I believe that good friends keeps life interesting and enjoyable, as well as has health benefits. Relationships are not just important, they are necessary. Good friends are good for you.

1. Friends share all the stories of life – the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What about the time my three year old stuck a tic tac in her nose? I was distraught when telling my story to my friends, stricken with the thought that she would actually do such a thing. But I found out that a friend of mine has a child that, when he was young, stuck food in his EAR and up his nose. What giggles we had sharing stories!

2. Friends give support when life has its setbacks.

I was furious when my child’s homeschool test was erased after spending hours typing the answers (not really hours but it seemed to take forever) and I needed to vent my frustration. My friend was there for me. Needless to say that she told me that my son should do it faster the second time around because he already knew the answers. That didn’t help because typing for a 3^rd grader is almost a aggravating as trying to put a three year old to bed. She did help me by letting me vent and helping me brainstorm about things I could do to prevent it from happening ever again. That is a friend.

3. Friends are the sounding board in your life.

Personal growth is important not only in your business life, but also your personal life. I believe in personal development books to help shape your thinking, your habits, and your beliefs. But books do not take the place of those around you who can who can offer experiences that you can relate to…oftentimes better than a well-known author.

4. Friends make social activities are more fun.

I have met some friends through our kids’ activities and sports. Part of the fun is experiencing them together with other parents! Our son’s football team just had their end of year banquet. That marks the end of a tremendous undefeated season! They were league champs, division champs, and won the Superbowl! Go Cowboys! I miss the trials and tribulations of the moms and dads. We either had practices or games 4 times a week! You get to know the other families when you see them that often! Phew!

5.   Friends help reduce stress.

Let’s face it. Women are emotional. When we are sharing time with our friends, we think less of ourselves. It is my personal experience that the less I think of myself, the less critical I am about cleaning the house, my parenting skills, my need to exercise more, etc. In fact, the less I am alone with my own thoughts, the better off I am! Reducing stress has heath benefits.

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Friendships are to be savored…each memory together is like a chocolate cake with heavenly rich frosting and sweet chocolate shavings on top. Each honest comment (that you may not want to hear) is like sinful empty calories, unwanted and hard to bear. But each helpful word of encouragement is like a mouthwatering bite of sugary bliss that you cannot live without.

Friendships take time. Meet for coffee. Email each other, text each other, or mail a card. We are often busy with life but don’t be too busy to say I’m thinking of you! Give of your time, energy, and most of all your heart.

thankful for my family

There is a story about blueberries on my daughter's unit test for homeschool. It has been said that American Indians picked blueberries and turned it into tea, dried them in made it into a powder, and drank the juice to cure sickness and prepare the people for the long winters. It is possible that blueberries were on the menu at the First Thanksgiving.

My daughter learned that the blueberries were mixed with cornmeal and water to make blueberry mush. There was even a recipe for mush on the test...and she suggested that we try a little mush of our own this Thanksgiving feast. My DH and DD made it for breakfast and it was a yummy treat! Thank you, my little chef!

Thank you for coming to our site! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

feeding the hungry

Recently we took a school field trip to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Orange County, California. It was an eye-opening experience for the kids to see the amount of food donated and the number of volunteers who were lending a helping hand. The huge house-sized freezers and the gigantic warehouse with flats of food were fun to observe. All the kids had a great time learning together.

At the end of our field trip, the tour guide (for lack of knowing her title) communicated a personal story of helping someone in need. Some time ago, she noticed a woman who seemed like she was confused and lost. Because our tour guide had once experienced assistance from the food bank at one point in her life, she was able to relay that message of hope to the woman she just met. Over the course of time, the helpless woman was back on her feet after the care and nurturing instigated by our tour guide at the Second Harvest Food Bank. It was a real story of one person helping another to help themselves.

There are many ways you can help. The idea is to do what you can. We learned that a $1 donation can go a long way. By giving a $1, because of the bulk purchasing power of the Second Harvest Food Bank, you can effectively provide $12 worth of food for the bank. But there are many other ways you can help.

Here are some facts about feeding the hungry in Orange County, one of the world's most affluent places. Right now, many families need to choose between buying enough groceries for the month and paying the rent or mortgage. 

• Over 456,000 people are at-risk of going hungry sometime every month.
  
• For 6 cents, the food bank can feed a family of four.
  
• The food bank feeds 80,000 children every month.
  

Every time you are given an opportunity to clean out your cupboards and give away food, please do. Let's help end the hunger in Orange County...and continue Feeding America. 

what we did this summer

In addition to many mainstream activities during the summer, we caught a lizard. We saved her (he?) from the wrath of our dog, who was about to pounce on her and play with her. We only kept it for a day and let it go, but it was fun to peer down on her. There are interesting things that you can see, find, catch, and investigate right in your backyard. 

We tried to find out what it eats. After much research (very educational), we determined that we would not want to keep it as a pet. Well, I guess I determined that. 

The kids named her Lizzie. When we let her go, she hung out for a while, just starting at us. The kids thought she was saying thank you for rescuing her from the dog. Maybe so. Even if you don't like lizards, she is kinda cute, don't ya think?

homeschool forever

My 9-year old daughter told me the other day that she wanted to be homeschooled forever. When I asked her why she said, "Because I get help from you when I need it, I don't have to pay for school lunches, and there's no detention."

homeschool creativity

A friend just told me that she bought a dance game that hooked up to the computer. It could help with the PE requirement for her son's homeschool curriculum. This particular one was one that you could dance to Christian music. I haven't tried it yet but I bet it's loads of fun for the whole family. If I got it, I may just get some exercise myself while rocking out to some hip tunes. The box that it came in portrayed a girl dancing...and the picture was funnier than the pictures of people playing the Wii.