Bryce's Birthday Party

Bryce had a Toy Story themed birthday party. As usual, we did a swim party at Nanny's house. This year was much smaller than in years past. The same number of people were invited, but many people happened to be out of town, and others ended up sick the day of the party. I think there were only about 30-40 people, including kids. While it was too bad that some of his closer friends couldn't make it, having less people was nice.

Just like his 3rd birthday party, his party ended up falling on the hottest day in weeks. It was over 90 degrees. The good part about the heat was that the pool was thoroughly enjoyed.

My family convinced me to not go all out on the cake/cupcakes this year. We had so much going on the week prior to his birthday with VBS, a party for a friend at the house the day before Bryce's birthday, and Nathan still sore from his bike accident that it would have just added unneeded stress. So, I simply made a bunch of cupcakes and bought a small Buzz Lightyear cake from Safeway. Bryce was perfectly happy with this and I eliminated a lot of stress.

As usual, he received a lot of wonderful gifts. A big Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Toys, tickets to see Peter Pan 360, Franklin books and a stuffed Franklin and Snail (which he asked for) a stuffed Caterpillar (again he specifically asked for this), tractors, books, a Toy Story poster, chair, sleeping bag, lunch bag and thermos, and much more. As you can see Toy Story was the all around theme.

Bryce 4 Years Old

Bryce woke up on his 4th birthday with a terrible headache and a fever of 101.8. He laid on the couch sleeping, staring at the ceiling and watching movies all day. Nathan was going to take the afternoon off work so we could take him to see Toy Story 3. After Nanny and Faith were going to meet us at DePaoli - a great family Italian place where kids can make their own pizzas and eat free on Thursdays (his birthday happened to fall on a Thursday). I felt so bad for him. When I told him we'd have to celebrate another day he sadly looked up at me and asked if we could save him some cake.

Bryce's behavior has continued to be an issue the last few weeks. He gets angry so quickly and doesn't take no for an answer. He also loves to argue. He is a very head strong little boy. I'm hoping his tenacity, unwavering determination, and stubbornness can be channeled into positive things as he gets older. On the other hand, when he is not in a mood, he can be so sweet. He helps with Faith, gives me hugs, tells me how much he loves me, etc.

Bryce is also a very bright boy. He knows all his letters (names and sounds). He can sound out simple words in his mind. He can make letters by putting sticks, pretzels, or other things together to resemble their shapes. He can also count to 20, but sometimes skips 15. He can do simple addition and subtraction in his head with the help of his fingers. He also understands concepts and picks up on things that are well beyond his years. For example, when Nathan had his bicycle accident, Bryce told me that it was a good thing daddy was going to be okay, because if he wasn't then he couldn't go to work and make money. That would mean that I would have to go to work and then he and Faith would have to go somewhere everyday to be watched while I was working. Very insightful.

Bryce is also a sensitive little boy. He doesn't like to watch anything with people being naughty or anything slightly dark or scary. He has me fast forward movies, even movies like Veggie Tales when bad guys are there.

Bryce has a hard time turning his brain off at night, much like I do. He thinks and thinks and runs scenarios over and over and worries about things. At night we often ask God to quiet his mind so he can sleep. Sometimes he lays awake for over 2 hours, even when I know he is exhausted.

Bryce doesn't like to sing or dance because he tells me he is shy. However, he loves attention and being the center of attention (when he chooses to be). He doesn't like being the center of attention unintentionally. He also hates it when he thinks people are laughing at him. I find this strange since when he was younger he had class clown written all over him.

Bryce seems to continue to grasp biblical teachings to a level beyond his years. I love this about him and pray it continues.

He is such a wonderful, special boy. I can't believe we've been blessed to have him in our lives for 4 years. Time flies. I thank God daily for him and pray he grows up to be a man of integrity with a heart for God.

Faith 20 Months

Faith continues to be a little pistol. She completely knows when she is doing something she shouldn't. One of her newest things is running away from me as fast as she can as soon as I put her down when we are running errands. Sometimes she makes it halfway across the store before I catch her.

She is talking so much. She is putting 4 and 5 words together at a time. She can also repeat any word back to you. After getting home from Hawaii, if you ask her when she is going she'll tell you "Why - ee". She also learned aloha and ma halo. She continues to love to talk on her "hi" phone. She'll jabber on and on while holding a phone, calculator, or anything that remotely resembles a phone.

Just like Bryce, she is fearless in the water. She wears a tubbie in the pool and can go in all by herself. She likes jumping in and putting her arms straight up while spinning in circles. It is so cute.

She is still nursing before bed, but if I'm not around to put her down she doesn't mind skipping it. I still plan to completely wean her within the next couple of months. I just figure with how little she is, the extra calories and fat can't hurt her.

Hawaii - Day 7

We spent our last morning on Oahu cleaning up the room, re-packing and admiring the view from our room one last time.

The concierge told us they'd have a taxi or limo waiting for us to take us to the airport. We thought he was joking about the limo. Sure enough a limo was waiting for us. Even though the limo was old, it was still fun and it cost the same as a taxi.

We got the the airport over an hour before our flight. While we waited to board, the kids watched the planes and we enjoyed Starbucks and a muffin. The plane ride was only about 40 minutes gate to gate. Faith spent most of her time cleaning with a baby wipe. Bryce was content to look out the window as we passed over Molokai and Lanai. When we arrived in Maui we took a shuttle to get our rental car. When Nathan was putting the car seats in he noticed that Bryce's latch system strap was missing, it had been ripped off. After an impossibly long wait on hold, being transferred numerous times, and having to call again, we finally talked with someone that was able to locate the strap. They held it for us until our return flight.

After getting the rental car we went to Costco to stock-up on food and then to KMart to buy a port-a-crib for Faith. By the time we arrived at our condo at the Maui Eldorado it was about 3 pm. Our flight landed around 11:45. We were hungry and tired.

As soon as we started to unload the car, Bryce had to go potty. When we flushed the toilet, it was clogged and overflowed all over the floor. Yuck! Nathan found a plunger and unclogged the toilet, but we had to wait for a cleaning crew to come and disinfect the floor. What a fun welcome. After unloading the car and eating lunch we took a quick dip in the pool. Faith then had a late nap and Bryce watched a movie.

That evening we went to Lahaina for their weekly Friday Night Art Night. All of the shops and galleries stay open late and many serve appetizers and drinks. We saw some beautiful artwork of which our favorite was the Peter Lik gallery. We also toured an old mission house by candlelight. The tour guides were dressed in period clothes and acted as though they were the missionaries.

By the time we made it back to the condo it was around 10 and we were all wiped out.

Hawaii - Day 6

We decided to spend our final day on Oahu relaxing. We started off the day with a trip to Waikiki Beach. The beach was very crowded but we managed to find a spot in the shade. We took the kids in a man-made lagoon area, watched surfers, and people watched. When lunch time came around we headed back towards our hotel. We grabbed sandwiches at the Subway across from our hotel and went back to our room.

After lunch and naps we went down to the pool area. They resort had a music/food social that evening. After swimming we relaxed in the hot tub while listening to the music. When they served the food we grabbed some fresh fruit, veggies, little sandwiches, and some cheese and crackers and headed to our room. This food, along with all our leftovers from the past few days made a great dinner.

After dinner we went to Cold Stone for a treat. The kids received coupons for buy one signature creation get a kids ice cream for free. The signature creations are filled with 4 or so mixes, plus a ton of ice cream. Nanny and Nathan got these fancy signature creations, while I opted for my favorite - sweet cream ice cream with Snickers. Bryce had his first real experience with an ice cream cone. He wasn't thrilled with how quickly it was melting and dripping down his hands and arms. Nathan ended up having to hold it for him. Faith managed to make quite a mess all over Nanny, herself and the sidewalk.

Hawaii - Day 5

We work up early, dragged the kids to the car in the pjs and headed to Hanauma Bay. We arrived at 6:30 and made it in before the park officially open, saving money and not dealing with crowds just like the officer had told us. Hanauma Bay was beautiful. We didn't snorkel but we still saw a few fish. There were some that just kept circling around us.

Since we didn't eat breakfast before leaving, the kids had granola bars and cheerios on the beach. Faith spilled some and the pigeons came right onto our towels, with us sitting there, to eat the crumbs.

Back at the hotel we had a big breakfast. Nanny and the kids stayed at the hotel for nap time while Nathan and I went to Pearl Harbor. We arrived shortly before 1 and thankfully were able to get tickets to the last tour of the day at 3 pm. Instead of waiting around for the tour, we walked to a huge swap meet held every Wednesday in the Aloha Bowl Stadium. The walk was just over a half mile. The swap meet was great. They had hundreds of vendors selling all types of tourist things, including jewelry, hats, tee-shirts, soaps, bathing suits, food, etc. We found some great deals.

The tour of the Arizona was something that every American should see. They shuttle you by ferry to the memorial site, which is above the remains of the Arizona. You can see parts of the ship sticking out of the water. There is also a huge wall listing all the names of the soldiers that lost their lives on the Arizona that day. The magnitude of the loss really hits home when you are there.

That evening we went to Aqua Cafe for dinner. I tried a Hawaiian specialty Moco Loco. Traditionally this dish consists of rice topped with a ground beef patty and a soft-cooked egg on top covered with gravy. My version was rice, grilled salmon, a well-cooked egg, and miso sauce. The combination of the flavors was actually quite good. I also got a Blue Hawaiian, which was very good.