Uh oh coconuts Middle son broke his finger...peeling open a coconut by smashing it into a rock. Unfortunately for him, the rock can't tell the difference between his finger and a coconut and it did its job.
There was no obvious dislocation and whenever he comes home hurt he always yells "I broke my leg!" or "I broke my arm!" so I took no heed this time to "I broke my finger!" and just calmly washed and bandaged his finger. The next day it was so painful, swollen, and blue I took him to get an Xray and sure enough, it was broken. There ends his soccer season.

The twins have become lots of fun. They keep each other company, can console each other even when I can't, and are so talkative now. They often see when I am getting overwhelmed by them and stop to ask "Are you happy?" Just the fact that they are concerned about my wellbeing cheers me up.
The other day I got them matching snow hats for our Spring Break trip and they put them on. Z asked where a mirror was so he could see and I said "Just look at your brother, he's your mirror!" So they checked each other out and giggled. lol.
Z has a new habit of putting his finger to his teeth when he talks, he looks coy and it's cute, but I have no idea where he got that from or why he does it.
E has a new obsession with winning, especially races and that is really difficult because if you recall, he is the one with left sided weakness (from mild Cerebral Palsy) so him running full tilt is lopsided and as slow as Z jogging. But he'll do things like start a race without warning to gain the advantage so it's kind of funny but at the same time I am so sad he will never win a real race.

Oldest son is nearly done with Basketball season, and I feel so bad because I hardly go to his games. He practices so hard everyday and is even a starter for the team, but each time I am either working or too lazy to go with the twins so hubby goes to watch alone. Each time I think "next time." Terrible. This is something I have looked forward to all his life as he played in Summer and Fall leagues ever since he was 5 years old--I couldn't wait for High School and here it's happening and I'm totally flaking out. Bad bad bad.

Meanwhile, I've found a deep love for Joint Compound. I had no idea it was a cure-all for any nicks, holes, dents, or ANY imperfection on walls. I never knew that all that walls were made of was a chalky board nailed onto wood and all the smooth loveliness that we see is owed only to joint compound. If only fixing life's imperfections were so easy, huh. It's fun to "mud and tape" though I am quite an amateur at it and more ends up in my hair and on my clothes than on the wall, probably. But I find it totally amazing that something so simple can make a room look so much more "done." After working really hard on filling in all the nail holes (Who's idea was it to make a high ceiling again??) I was all proud and ready to paint already, when FIL gave the bad news that it has to dry and be done over three to four times, EGADS. So if you are wondering why I have not dropped by your blog in a while, this is why. And also, the new french doors that were installed? Straight view path to the computer desk, so I can't sit here all day reading blogs while my FIL and nephew sweat their butts off making me a new room! It just ain't right. (Though if it were out of sight it'd be alright, lol)  ¶ 6:45 PM 11Mana'o

  Sneaky Buggers Anything credit card related that comes in, I just glance at and toss, unless it's a bill. Because #1, I already have enough credit cards. And #2, I can't stand to read all that boring legal mumbo jumbo in tiny print.
Well, one day I had time on my hands and I actually read something that came in and it said something like "Notice of change in rates and right to opt out" I've seen lots like these and tossed them without a second thought. (Well, have YOU read them?!?) What I hadn't realized is that everytime this particular one was sent, they were increasing my APR and I have a RIGHT TO OPT OUT. All it takes is a written response. I checked my old bills and saw that over time, my APR has gone from a pretty reasonable 6% to a dismal 10% and now they are trying to raise it to 12%! All because I haven't paid attention to my mail! Those sneaky buggers! Twice already I've written to decline. If only I had paid attention from the first time, I could have kept it my original rate. Just a warning to all you who are like me and toss boring mail. (and a handy hint, I just use that same letter they sent me which already has my name and mailing address to write "I choose not to accept these changes" on and add my acct number and send it back to them)  ¶ 10:01 AM 4Mana'o

  Truth is in the eye of the beholder? My mother is not conventional in any way. She's definitely not your typical mother. Growing up, I spent some summers at her place.
She was always telling me things that were totally off the wall, but being young, I believed them. As I would think back to those things, I would scratch my head and wonder "What was with all the lies??" I mean, was it really necessary?
An example is, one day, I was putting lotion on my legs and my mother said "You have to be careful, if you put too much lotion, your skin cannot breathe and you will die of suffocation." I was terrified that one day I would put too much lotion and die. I mean, is there any way dying could be worse than in such a mundane way?
"She died of lotion overdose, and so young...so sad."
I had wondered if it would be painful or if I wouldn't even know it was coming and I would just suddenly keel over.
Older and wiser, I recalled that admonition and wondered the purpose behind the lie...was it that I was using too much of her lotion and she wanted me to stop? Why not just say so?
Fast forward to today. We wake up and she tells me "I have a project for you, I want you to clean oldest son's room." I was like, nuh uh, that's his responsibility. She replies "The dust in there is too much, it's not good for him, he will breathe it and it will get into his brain!"
That's when I realized, she wasn't lying to me all those times...she believes these things! lol.
It's much easier to forgive simple ignorance than intentional deceit, huh?
And now that I can think for myself, I can also let these things go in one ear and out the other, like when she says the twins don't need a nap. Yeah, uh huh. I don't care what you say, I need that nap!  ¶ 10:44 PM 12Mana'o

  *Sniffle* Wish I could tell you all the fun we are having since my mom is here...but I spent three days sick in bed and this day mom spent in bed, so far we've done nada.
Last night I had a burst of energy (fueled by 36 hours of sleep) and started on the twin's quilts. While I was sewing like a maniac, the twins ate a snack that made their hands sticky, so I told them to go in the bathroom and wash their hands. A few minutes passed and I realized they were taking too long and were too quiet. What do I see when I check up on them?? They filled the sink with water & toilet paper, and E was scrubbing the sink WITH MY TOOTHBRUSH!!
(That's not the worst of it, I have often found my toothbrush on the counter instead of on the holder, but have thought it was because I always lay my toothbrush across the holder instead of in it so it might have gotten knocked off. Now I am paranoid that they have been using my brush as a toy of some sort and I may have inadvertently brushed my teeth POST-sink-scrubbing. Or worse, toilet scrubbing? ewwwwwww.)

Work on the extra room is going quickly now. We've had to run out and buy a shower stall yesterday and the french doors we wanted today (so they'd get the correct measurements to cut stuff) I hadn't realized things would cost so darn much though. I had big plans that while mom was here I'd be able to do the works to my hair (cut, color, highlight) and take the time to do a laser treatment on my face, something I've been wanting for a long time. Just to get rid of acne scarring. Well, my laser treatment went circling down that new shower drain. But that's okay, I can wait a couple of years and it can treat the wrinkles I'll grow by then too. A two-for-one special.  ¶ 4:10 PM 14Mana'o

  Too Smelly We were headed out to dinner and saw hitchhiker on the side of the road, we pulled over and after finding out that he was headed the same way, I said "Hop in the back", indicating the back of the truck with a wave of my hand. Which the man interpreted as the BACK SEAT and opened the door behind me. I'm not going to be rude and kick him out to the back, so oh well..

His non-deodorized, unwashed-for-several-days smell wafted towards us and I was like, whew! But after a minute HE was the one who asked "Do you mind if I crack open the window a little?"
After dropping him off, I couldn't stop laughing because he was the one that was offended by the unidentified odor in the backseat that had mystified me for days. It turns out that hubby had some leftover chicken that got lost under the seat for a WEEK and he couldn't find it. (I felt like that girl in the movie Girl, Interrupted whose father kept bringing her rotisserie chicken and she kept all the carcasses under her bed which made everyone who entered into her room say "WHAT is that smell??" ROFL)

Yeah, so Z found it the next day when searching for a toy he dropped, and we all had to wash our hands...P.U.!! <-- what does that mean anyway?

In other news, my mother called yesterday and said she's flying here, like, TOMORROW. For ten days. I am so excited because that means yummy food, an extra pair of helping hands, and an enthusiastic babysitter.

Speaking of parents visiting, my folks are coming from NC in less than 30 days. We started an extension to our house four years ago when I was pregnant with the twins. The project has been stalled FOREVER until recently, with talks of finishing it in time for my parents to stay in there.
So I came home today at noon and see my nephew and his friend in there, putting nails into the drywall. I ran into the house and give them $100 for motivation. Then I went to put the twins down for their nap (and mine, since I work tonight) When we woke up, I tell hubby about it and he said "What? I don't see that they did anything!" And then MIL said they left after that. Fantastic, give them partying money and that's what they'll do, silly, not WORK.
  ¶ 12:41 PM 8Mana'o

  Just A Simple Letter Yesterday the mail came in and while looking through the pile of the usual bills and credit card offers, I came across a personal letter addressed to me. Yay, I love real mail!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw who it was from...my very best friend from high school. She'd already met her keeping-in-touch-once-a-year quota with her annual Christmas card so I wondered what it could be about.
See, we have had a very up and down relationship and quite recently I had decided that no relationship was worth the angst this one has caused me over the years so I decided that I wouldn't bother at all anymore, and I almost didn't even send a reciprocal Christmas card this year.
(You may think that's mean or childish, but really, shouldn't the girlfriends you have be people who you love and trust? Do you need examples of how she's broken my heart? Once, I flew back for a mutual friend's party and when that friend greeted me she said "Oh, it's so good you could make it, I was surprised I didn't see you at ***'s housewarming party. In a room full of people, I was so humiliated as I was clueless about a party my so-called best friend had, I said "What party?" She later explained the reason she didn't invite me was because she thought that I wouldn't be comfortable with the people there.
Or how about the time she emailed to tell me that she was coming to my island, told me the date, about what time she'd be available and that she'd call. I spent three days cleaning my house until it was spotless. The day came and she didn't call. She didn't even email until a long time later to explain that they cancelled the trip, without even bothering to tell me. And one more for good measure...another very good friend was getting married and *** was in charge of invitations for the bridal shower. Another friend had called to see about the details of my flying in for the party and I said I wasn't going because I wasn't invited. She said of course I was invited, I was on the list. I told her I most certainly WASN'T invited so that friend called my so-called friend who said "Oops, I forgot to mail it" or something to that effect. This, my friends, was way after high school and we were not in any disagreement.
The last straw was two years ago at a friend's first baby party, where we were arranged to sit at tables next to each other, she pretended to be excited to see me, kissed me hello, and that was absolutely it. I tried to talk to her and she said yes or no or uh huh, kind of thing and so I was like, whatever already. I'm so over it, why do I even bother?
Though, in her defense, I do need to add that she was there for me when we were going to her island to have the twins, she offered and lent us the use of her car for the five weeks we thought we would be there, and when we were real best friends, she was really a great best friend.)
So, I say all that to say, I really did not know what to expect when I opened her letter. This is how it started:
"My Real Simple magazine listed this as the #1 alternative to New Year's Resolutions:
1. Write a bona fide letter to someone who won't expect it. Think of a person who really matters to you and recount a memory...
So I chose you! Here goes--"

She went on to talk about the good times we had, the things we did. Tears just rolled down my face.
All I can think is, what timing....and WHY??? When I had finally resolved to just let this one go. Are memories enough to make a friendship last? I don't think so.
We made up a code symbol for every letter of the alphabet so when we wrote each other letters, no one would know what we were talking about. She talked about that and wrote down all the symbols she remembered and asked me if I remembered anymore.
I was tempted to reply just to fill in the blanks she forgot. lol. But in all honesty, I don't know if I should just NOT reply and let the "friendship" go like I should have long ago. Or should I?  ¶ 11:08 AM 13Mana'o

  Quilting This is a Hawaiian quilt I started 10 years ago, while pregnant with middle son. I'm HALFWAY to checking off another Thing To Do Before I Die, but it's such a daunting task, ya know, all hand stitched.

(Tee askedwhat the difference was between a Hawaiian quilt and a regular quilt, and I'll tell you what I've heard: The missionaries were trying to teach the Hawaiian women to quilt and the Hawaiian women didn't understand why anyone would waste energy cutting cloth into squares only to sew them back together again so they devised their own way of quilting by making designs on one cloth and sewing it on to another.)

So, while trying to think of something meaningful to get the boys for Christmas, I decided I would make them each a "regular" quilt using a sewing machine, since that would be faster. I bought a TON of different adorable prints, cut them into squares and....quit. Again.
(these are prints for the younger two)
Is it just me? Why do I have no stick-to-it-tiveness? What keeps you motivated to complete a project you've started? I really do want to finish these quilts. Maybe they'll be done in time for my grandchildren, lol.  ¶ 5:26 PM 8Mana'o