I have not written in a while.  Kids are doing great.  Little One starts Junior Kindergarden on Monday and Wee One starts preschool next month.  I am not sure how I will handle having all the time to myself.  I know, I have lists and lists of things that I want to do.  I plan on using the paddle board two times a week.  I plan on riding the bike twice a week.  The house needs to be FINALLY kept clean.  Maybe I will catch up on laundry.  I hope to travel the island more and take some photographs.  I really want to shoot, print, and sell my work.  I am good enough.  I really am.

I have thousands of photographs that I need to scan in.  My goal is to scan 25 images a day.  I think I can do it.  That is about an hour of work.

Other things that I plan starting this school year is get my Tang Soo Do studio going.  Joint Forces is just a breeze right now.  I want it to be a force that people notice.  I know, I don't know how long I will be here in Kailua, but while I am here, I will do my best to make it work.  Here is my plan.

Session 1:  Teach a class for grades 4, 5, and 6.  This will be an 8 week session.  Starting January, in Session 2, I will add grades K, 1, 2, and 3.  I hope to get one or two of the older kids to help with the younger kids.  I hope this plan works.

Hugs,
Leslie

My kids are UTD on all their shots!

My kids are UTD on all their shots!

So, for the most part, I am an attachment parent.  Yes, I used an epidural during both births.  I my defense, I did feel the pain of labor.  I got to 7cm with DD1 and 9.5 cm with DD1, but that was enough for me. Epidural made me more comfortable and there were no complications.

I am m part of an AP group and many of them are anti-vax and intactavists (anti circumcision).  It is strange, b/c many of these moms are Navy wives and G-d only knows what types of bugs their husbands will bring home after their deployment.

Anyway, one mom who's son has FPIES wants to find a sick kid to infect her 10 month old infant.  She says "because of his allergies, he cannot get the vax" and she wants him to get the "natural immunity"  GAH!  I just want to scream.  I am usually very quiet and I do not post my opinion on the touchy subjects, but when they started talking about a Pox Party, I had to step in.
Here is my comment:

"I totally understand why you would not want to give your son the vax right now. Evelyn was delayed withe several of her shots because of her allergies (not nearly as severe as his). But this is what goes on my my head. Is there any other childhood illness that we deliberately infect our children with? Why do we do this with chicken pox? Also, I would not want to infect a small child that does not understand what is going on and why they feel like poo and why they are so itchy and yet they can't scratch. By getting infected, you have no idea what the severity of the virus they will get. Will they have complications? Will they get the pox in their eyes, in their mouth, on their penis, in their vagina, in their anus ? Yes, 90% of kids are exposed to this virus before the age of 10, but, personally, I think it is cruel and actually 'anti-AP' to deliberately infect our children with any disease."

Did I say to much.  I mean, I AM pro-vax.  I like the Sears delayed schedule, but still, all vax by age 2.  I want my kids to go to a public school. We might end up in China or Guam or somewhere else that I cannot even think of.  We are already in Hawaii and there are so many people here from Asia that I have no idea what my kids are being exposed to.  

Remind me again how this works. If I make no changes to my diet/exercise routine I will have no changes.   If I add exercise and make no other changes, I should, eventually see a weight loss, right?  If, after exercise is established, change my diet, my weight loss should be greater.  Is this correct?

Testing for Master

(just found this in my drafts... originally written in May, 2011)

 I miss it. I really miss training in Tang Soo Do.  Yes, I have a tiny kids class that meets weekly, but, that is not really training.  That is parenting.  Anyway, I just have one more class of those Tiny Terrors --oops, I mean Tiny Tigers.  I need an adult class.  I miss lining up by rank.  I miss being yelled at to lower my stance. I miss having my finger position corrected.  I miss it.  I miss being called "Ma'am" and "Ms Flaum."   I miss the teamwork  working for a common goal with a group.     A few weeks ago, the Masters Clinic was held in Alabama.  I was just looking at the photos of the Master Candidate Class and I realize that I outrank about half of the group.  Kind of pisses me off that those that I instructed will be master rank before me.  Some of my students will probably test before me as well.  I have not trained, honestly, since June 2006.  Now, when I try to train, I pee in my pants (thank you, childbirth).  I also cannot remember my hyung.  I have no idea how the new sword forms go.  I cannot recall all 30 one-steps.  But, I do know the second verse to "make new friends..."

I get packages to my kids for every holiday from a family member:  Halloween, Chanukah, Christmas, Valentines, Easter, and Independence Day. In each box contains a few toys, some trinkets from a "dollar store," a stuffed animal, some clothes, and lots of candy. The clothes always REEK of smoke and I have to air them our or wash them before I can even try them on my girls. The candy is...well... candy. I have told her many times that I do not like my kids eating that much candy. It is a once in a while treat. She does not seem to care. One Easter she said to me "it is only on Easter, let them eat it all." Of course, I dealt with a 2 year old with a sick tummy that year. Then I get "It is Christmas, it is ok." Of course there is the "oh, it is Halloween, it is ok to have some extra candy." I mean, come on, your husband is diabetic, his mother was diabetic, I come from a family strong in diabetes. Both my husband and I fight our weight in order to stave off sickness, and she sends us bags and bags of candy (and smoke laden dresses). 

Thank you for letting me vent. I feel a bit better.

How to fart a baby.




By request, I am posting this video.  I had taken an Itsy Bitsy Yoga class back when Iliana was around 8 months old.  Wow, I wish I had taken it when she was younger, but the skills that I learned in that class were heaven-sent.  "Dinosaur walk" darn near killed my quads, but at 2am after a few hours of screaming, it would calm the savage beast.  But, farting the baby was the best thing I ever learned and I hope that you can learn from it too!

Hugs,

leslie

Well, we made it.  Everyone is safely in Hawaii. We are living on the windward side of the island of Oahu in an awesome town called Kailua.  Apparently, it is one of the best places on earth to wind surf and kite ski.  We do not go to the beaches that often, but I hear they are nice.  Husband is getting used to his new job and his new 'uniform' for work.  He went from wearing a jacket and tie to work every day to an Aloha shirt and khakis.  His old dress pants do not match his new shirts.  We will take him shopping sometime soon.  Little girl turns four in a few days.  Every day, she wakes up and asks "Is today my birthday?"  Since August, she has been asking for various toys for her birthday.  She has seen the wrapped gifts and she is starting to get excited.  The Wee One is now two.  She is cutting her upper cuspid teeth acting her age.  We are still breastfeeding and having some trouble with the night weaning.  A small part of me thinks, "maybe I should get pregnant so the milk will change and maybe she will want to stop breastfeeding."  But then I continue to think... then I will have another baby that will grow into a two year old that will grow into a four year old that I will have to pay for college. I just have to be strong. Husband is not helping much with the weaning process.  Honestly, I am not sure what I should be doing. She is SO demanding.  As I type, she is beating at my breast with her hands and pulling my shirt up and down to get to me.  SIGH....