Kobe's "Christmas Eve" Birthday

Kobe always loves telling people about his birthday since he was born on Christmas Eve. This year at Halloween he even dressed up as a Christmas present and came up with saying that he was like "an early Christmas present" to us when he was born since it was on Dec 24. Which means our family spent the day celebrating Kobe's birthday with a trip to the bowling alley (one of the few places that is always open on Christmas Eve) and lunch at Portillo's (one of Kobe's favorite places to eat in Chicago.) People always ask if he gets "jipped" on the presents since his birthday is so close to Christmas and the answer is definitely NO. If anything he makes out like a bandit since everyone--especially Grandma--makes sure that Kobe get plenty of birthday presents. He even got a cool Guitar Hero game from the Cynthia & Ken and Raymond & Kelly...which the whole family played the rest of the night while we were waiting for Santa to come (I'm pretty sure Santa played a few sets before he headed on to the next house.) Anyway, Happy Birthday Kobe and thanks for being the best present ever!!

To Do List for Chicago...

Most of our trip to Chicago has revolved around doing things that we can't do in Utah. This means that today we spent the first part of the day at Woodfield Mall shopping. Probably not Kobe & Tehani's idea of fun but the kids did at least get to check out the Rainforest Cafe and the Lego Store so we didn't get too much complaining from them. After the mall, it was off to Portillos for lunch--another MUST for our trips to the Windy City. Even the kids have gotten to saying how much better "Chicago hot dogs" are than what we have in Utah. What can I say...we're raising our kids with a taste for the finer things in life! Once we were home, we tried to send the kids out to play in the snow (part of my plot to tire them out). Tehani didn't fall for it and opted to stay in the warmth of the house. We bundled Kobe up and he spent the next hour (we had to chase him in when it got dark) playing in the snow...10 degrees and all. And to top the day off, Cynthia and Baby Charlotte finally arrived from Champaign. The baby is so big Kobe & Tehani almost didn't recognize her. Hopefully they're ready for some fun 'cause we've got tons more things to cross off our "list" before we go!

The first day of winter...Chicago-style!!

So our long awaited holiday trip is finally here! With all of the snow and storms this week I've been worried about the airport and if we would actually even get out. But I am happy to report that our flight was only delayed once and we are now in THE COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH! When we landed it was only -6 degrees. And while that is definitely cold enough don't forget to take the windchill factor into account which means it felt closer to -30 degrees!! Needless to say, we will be spending a lot of time indoors over the next week. On our way home from O'Hare we did stop to pick up a pizza from our favorite place--Rosati's Pizza. I'm sure you've heard all the talk about how Chicago has the best pizza...it's true. And we finished the meal off by roasting marshmallows in the fireplace. Nothing like giving your kids sharp metal spears to stick in an open flame for a night of fun! And as if we hadn't had enough to eat already, we also snacked on the dozen different varieties of cookies that Crazy J made for Christmas. As my mother has already told me, I'm going to have to "watch it" or I'm going to gain 20 lbs while I'm here...thanks Mom!

Christmas Greetings from Syria

So Kobe's class had their special Christmas program today. He was pretty excited to do this since he actually had to miss Meridian's Christmas concert on Monday night because he was sick. Well, a few days ago we got a note home asking us to bring treats for the program today. No biggie--until I realize it's a big "Christmas Around the World" type of thing and it needs to be ethnic food from the country your child is performing about. And Kobe's country was Syria. Lovely--the one country in the world that I know nothing about. After searching the web, we opted for pita chips and hummus (in case you were wondering.) At least now I know I like hummus. Overall, it was a very nice program--and I have a the pictures to prove it.

So, if you want to know anything about Syria or are interested in hearing his poem and "chant'" that he had to do, just let us know. Milad Majid!! (or Merry Christmas for all you English speakers!)

The sharpest pencil in the box

Well, Tehani came home from school today with her "Letter to Santa." I'm sure if I had majored in psychology in school (instead of being a broadcast major) there would be a lot that I could tell about my little girl from her letter. Here it goes:

Santa,
for Christmas I want a cell phone. Then I want some sharp pencils.
From Tehani

The cell phone we already knew about (It's not happening but we know she wants one--'cause every 7 year old needs one?!?) But sharp pencils? Our house is apparently "sharp pencil" deficient. And I've come to find out from the sharp pencil expert (Tehani) that the only good pencil sharpeners are the electric ones. I had her call my mom to read her the letter. Of course, my mom found this funny but was also aghast...Can't you buy your daughter some pencils? And a sharpener? What kind of mom am I? :)

If my daughter ever drops out of high school, I'll just know that it was because of the "sharp pencil" shortage at our house...

The Birthday Boys

Well, December is a pretty busy month for us because we have TWO birthdays to celebrate and the first one is already here...
The kids were very excited to wake up their dad early on Thursday morning so he could open his presents--some new "threads" (and he even sported some to work that day.) Speaking of work, I did manage to surprise him by dropping off some yummy cupcakes at his office. It's funny because I had been worried about maybe embarrassing him (but like the good wife I decided to do it anyway.) Well, after I made my special delivery to his work I come to find out that they actually have cake (and ice cream) every time there is a birthday. I'll know not to be worried next year!!

And now all I have to do is plan what we are going to do for Kobe's 9th birthday at the end of the month. (Yes, this is an old, old photo with this post) So if anyone has any party suggestions for a rowdy group of nine year old boys, I'm all ears :)

Grease Lightning

Well, there's nothing like a little grease fire to get your evening started...I must point out that my cooking was not the cause of this little kitchen mishap. As most of you know, my husband is a wonderful cook and he does a fair amount of the cooking in our home. (I'm not too proud to admit that he is a better cook than me. I am not bad cook--he is just better.) Anyway, the fam had called me on my way home from work and asked me to pick up some vegetable oil because Norm was going to make his famous pupu chicken. If you haven't had it before it is the best. The kids ask for it all the time (along with everyone else) so I was actually looking forward to this deep fried concoction. The cooking started off fine and I was in the kitchen too doing the usual (trying to look "busy" even though I wasn't actually doing anything) when the next thing I know there are flames lapping up the side of the microwave that is over the stove. Other than making a big mess no one was hurt. Kobe missed out on seeing our indoor bonfire and I'm sure Tehani won't soon forget this set (well see if she still like cooking after this) and we even finished the evening with our meal of pupu chicken (a little grease fire isn't enough to distract this family from their deepfried meal!) Just be warned that if you happen to get a whiff of anyone in our family for the next day or two, we haven't taken up smoking (even though we smell like it)--we just like pupu chicken!!

I'm thankful for...

1. The extra time that I had off of work this past week. The kids only had school on Monday (which I thought was kind of weird) but I guess that is what happens when you go to a private school--you can make up your own schedule instead of following a normal one that the district comes out with. The kids and I managed to get in a trip to the library to get some new books and a trip to the movies to see Bolt in 3-D (my first 3-D movie) which the kids thought was pretty cool.


2. The fact that I am ready for Christmas. All the presents are bought and wrapped and we put up the tree this weekend. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go shopping on Friday morning and I did score a deal on a new washer and dryer. Yeah me!! Even with that, it was not the same since my usual shopping partner Cynthia has moved away :( Though I did somehow manage to spend money without her.)
   
3. The turkey that I cooked on Thanksgiving and that it came out ok. I don't usually stress about cooking a turkey when it is just for us but I was cooking the turkey to take over for the big meal at the Kalaniuvalu's...luckily for me everything turned out ok including the stuffing and gravy--(how can anything that is cooked with a cup of grease drippings not taste good!) We had a great Thanksgiving with Nofoa's family--and Kobe and Tehani were in heaven playing with all of the kids.
   
4. Everything else!! I've got a great family and great friends--and tons to be thankful for. This is definitely not how I thought my life would turn out when I first moved to Utah 18 years ago (at that time my plan was to get out of Provo as soon as I could!) but I guess everything happens for a reason so here I am....and I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Our little social butterfly

Well, we just got Tehani's progress report from school. Overall, she is doing great but the teacher did have one thing she would like Tehani to work on..."She is very social, sometimes during lessons or work times. That is the only area where I'd like to see improvement..."

Apparently, it runs in the family. I've heard stories from my mother about getting called to my school when I was little because I wouldn't stop talking during class. I already knew that Tehani takes after me in this area because she is a little chatterbox. She is ALWAYS talking and she never runs out of stuff to say. It's funny to think about this now because Nofoa and I were so worried about her as a toddler since she was very delayed with her speech--so much so that she actually saw a speech therapist for about two years. Weird, huh? Well, that must have been one good speech therapist 'cause Tehani hasn't stopped talking since then.

So if you're ever in the mood to talk, just give Tehani a call!

Kobe & Tehani's Favorite Things

Call me a copycat (and hopefully I don't get sued by Oprah for copyright infringement) but I'm posting a list of our "Favorite Things." I guess technically this isn't a favorites list in true Oprah fashion, but every year I get lots of calls and questions from family members about what the kids want for Christmas. My usual response is "That's a good question?" To help out this year, I had them mark up WalMart Kids' Holiday book so if you could care a less about what the kiddos want, feel free to skip this post but for those of you that are interested...

TEHANI'S "FAVORITE THINGS"

1. Littlest Pet Shop VIP pet--She didn't actually specify which "pet" she wanted. (I was tempted to remind her that she already has a million stuffed animals, but I suppose it is her list after all)
2. FurReal Cat--Again, we already have a REAL cat--courtesy of my brother and his wife. I did hear Tehani talking later that she thought it would be funny if the FurReal cat scared the real REAl cat.
3. Giddyup N' Go Pony--I guess it's better than asking for a real pony...
4. Easy Bake Oven--My mom never let me have one but apparently enough kids didn't burn down their homes the last time these were "hot" (literally) 'cause they are back again.
5. MP3 Player--Someone should really remind her that she is 7 (not 17)

KOBE'S "FAVORITE THINGS"

1. Pokemon Region Playset--I'm thinking her may actually be a little old for this particular toy but he is a HUGE Pokemon fan (for reasons I still don't understand.) Must be a boy thing...
2. Neopets Jumbo Plush--At first I thought that perhaps this was a 'Tehani" pick (it is a stuffed animal after all) but its marked in the book with Kobe's messy handwriting and everything
3. More games for the Wii--Right now we only have MarioKart (thanks Uncle Ken) and then Wii Sports and Wii Play. Apparently, that is not enough "Wii" to go around...
4. Nerf Tech Target Set--A toy that involves shooting projectiles through the air at unsuspecting eyes...how could this not make the list!
5. K'Nex Amusement Park Ferris Wheel--Kobe loves anything that involves a little million pieces (that can easily get sucked up into my vacuum when I bother to do so)

And I'm sure you've all heard the old wives tale about how THE NUMBER 4 & 5 are unlucky...and that you should never purchase ITEMS on a list with certain numbers...something to do with things that ARE NO LONGER NEEDED. As a side note, by some strange coincidence I actually finished my Christmas shopping today too. Funny how that works...

So for those of you that like suggestions, there you go. Just remember, kids LOVE surprises so don't feel confined by these lists. Anyway, my next project is to tackle my Christmas cards. (I know, I'm almost as bad as the radio stations that bust out the Jingle Bell music before Halloween!) But there are only 54 days left to go so I better get crackin'!

Our Halloween dress rehersal

Technically it's called Trunk or Treat but for me I like think of it as my dress rehearsal for Halloween. I am happy to report that Kobe and Tehani (and their costumes) both made it through the night unscathed. Our church held it's annual Trunk or Treat on Thursday night. The kids liked it because they get a head start on building up their candy stockpile for the next year (just don't tell them that every time the came back to the car, I took candy out of their buckets and passed it back out!)

I was also glad that Kobe and Tehani didn't have any complaints about their costumes. Being the cheap mom that I am, I put my sales skills to work and somehow managed to convince both of them on using "free" costumes this year. Kobe's Christmas present costume came from an old box in the crawlspace (I only posted pics of Norm in the box but it was really Kobe's costume.) And Tehani used a clown costume that could be classified as an antique as it is almost as old as I am. The bozo gear comes compliments of the queen of all pack rats--my mom. The Jungle Lady (aka Auntie Bernadette) is the one that actully sewed this get up which has been worn by my cousins Diane and Monica and my sister (and probably many other unsuspecting youth over the years.) And I'll be sure to put the costume away for Charlotte to wear--we'll just have to wait and see if Cynthia has the sales skills to pull it off...

The Big Race

Well today was the "BIG DAY" for Meridian's 5K Fun Run. As you can see from the photo, I don't have my running gear on since it was back to work for me after the race. (That's my excuse for not running--and I'm sticking to it!) Anyway, I think all of the kids had a great time. The lower school kids ran laps in the parking lot (pictured behind us) while the upper school had a police escort for most of their run since all of the roads around the school are just too busy. No one got run over (which was the main worry I had helping with the run) and Kobe even managed to finish 3rd place with the lower school. Tehani opted to take is easy and didn't do the whole 5K but had fun running none the less. And the school has done well for the event and is almost up to $7,000 so far. This is definaltey my kind of 5K--one where I don't have to run!!

Thanks again to everyone who donated for the 5K--Kobe and Tehani both met their fundraising goal of $100 each (so we will think of you when they use the miniature golf passes they got for meeting their goals.) Which means they will be bugging me about this until I take them there. So if you're in the mood for miniature golf just let me know--I've got some kids you can borrow...

You're fired

I've decided that if my full time job was as a blogger...I would definitely be fired! (though I supposed if this WAS really my job, ideally I would actually have time set aside each day to "work.") Anyway, I'm always feeling bad that I don't do a better job of updating my blog. I mean, its not like I don't have stuff to post about...so luckily the kids are in bed and I'm done watching Desperate Housewives so I figured I would squeeze out a few minutes for an update.

One job I have not been fired from is chaperon and field trip driver for Kobe and Tehani's school. Tehani's class took a field trip to the Red Barn on Friday so I took some time off from work to go for the fun. The kids learned all about apples and we got to pick a pumpkin. You can see Tehani's choice in the picture--though she was a little disappointed that we couldn't find a "smaller" pumpkin (I think that is why she is not looking in the photo--she is still trying to scan the pumpkin patch to make sure that we didn't miss a smaller one somewhere along the way.) And it's a good thing that she did get a pumpkin from there since the ones we were growing at home are still green. We'll see if we actually get around to carving it (I'm not a fan of carving pumpkins.) I know, what kind of mom doesn't have their kids carve pumpkins. I don't know if it is the smell or just the mess. I also don't eat pumpkin pie...so I don't think the kids have ever had pumpkin pie either--which means I should definitely be fired from Halloween as well! Good thing I have my day job.

PS--Thanks to everyone that has donated for Kobe & Tehani's fundraiser for their school. They are both very close to the goal and we will all be running on Wednesday for the 5K --thank goodness it is still supposed to be relatively warm. Wish me (and the kids) good luck!!

Kobe & Tehani and their upcoming 5K

Before you think that this must be some crazy form of cruel and unusal punishment, I should let you all know that both of them ran in this 5K last year at their school. Meridian does this as a fundraiser each year and you know me, I'm the fundraising queen so here are your two options...

• Come out on Wed, Oct 29 at 2pm and run 3 miles with 200+ kids at Meridian school or...
• Cough up a few bucks and get a free pass from running (along with a tax deductible donation and the good feeling that comes from knowing you've made a difference for...oh sorry, I thought I was at work there for a minute!)

Anyway, if you're a fan of Kobe, you can donate to help his class: http://www.firstgiving.com/meridianschoolclass3

If you like Tehani the best: http://www.firstgiving.com/meridianschoolclass2

Or if you're like me and you can't decide, you can donate a little to each. :)

I'm still trying to figure out if I will run the race with them this year. I know I should, but I just don't know if I'm up to being out run by a 7 year old and a soon-to-be 9 year old. Oh well, at least I know I'll always beat them when it comes to fundraising.

PS--I also wanted to report that after much debating WE HAVE NAMED THE CAT. I liked the name Mozart but I was outvoted by the kids with Neko (which means cat in Japanese). Now if I could just figure out a way to get the cat to donate to the 5K...

The newest member of the Tevaga Family!!

Well, it's nothing as exciting as us having a baby...but we did finally break down and let the kids get a pet. I guess I should correct that and point out that my brother and his wife are the ones that got the kitty for the kids. Either way, Kobe and Tehani were very excited. They've been bugging us forever about getting something--and being that I had my golden retriever growing up, I really wanted them to have a pet too. And since we don't have a fenced yard the cat was really our only option. There were a million cats at the shelter so it was hard to pick just one but after bringing her home and seeing her with the kids, I think we made the right decision. We are still in the process of choosing a name. I told the kids they would have to write what name they wanted and why. So I am sure there will be some debating for the next day or two so stay tuned. And thanks again to Uncle Raymond and Auntie Kelly for the kitten (if she rips up our furniture, I'll just send you the bill :)

Who won the Battle of the Alamo?

It apparently takes a trip to San Antonio for me to get around to updating my blog. I mean, it's only been over TWO WEEKS since I've last posted. And it's not that I haven't had stuff to write about--I've just been too busy! So luckily for me (and my blog) I had a trip for work to San Antonio. And just in case any of you are wondering, here are some things I've learned...

• Even with the bad economy and everything else, overall philanthropy is still at an all time high--I realize that most of you could care a less but these are the things I worry about for work :)
• Do not buy new shoes right before leaving on a trip--I have blisters on both feet to prove it. I'm almost tempted to go barefoot tomorrow...
• Karaoke + Laura = BAD IDEA--I've never sung karaoke before (and at least now I know never to do it again.) The group from my station went out for dinner last night after our flight got in and the next thing I know, I'm at a microphone singing "The Love Shack" with two of my co-workers. Which leads to my next point of...
• Don't let your waitress pick what song you are going to sing. I HATE the B-52's!!

Well, that's about it so far (unless you want me to go on more about giving and fundraising stuff.) And since I still have a ton of work to do before I can go to bed, that's it from the Alamo!

TGIM

That's right, Thank Goodness It's Monday--because this weekend totally wore me out!! There should really be a rule against having "a schedule" on your days off...

• Fri 5pm--Tehani just started taking hula lessons with a new teacher so I rushed over there after work to check it out.
• Fri night--Clean the house, wash dishes and try to get ready for Saturday
• Sat 9:30am--Eyebrow wax (because unlike Bert from Sesame Street, a unibrow is not sexy on me)
• Sat 10am--Pump class at Gold's Gym. This is my favorite class to go to but I was a little dissapointed because there was a sub. Just not the same (but a workout none the less)
• Sat 12:00--Shopping at Sam's Club. The kids enjoyed lunch, err... I mean samples as I stocked up on enough go-gurts and other necessities to last for the next 8 months.
• Sat 1:30--BYU 59 UCLA 0--It was about this time that Nofoa called to say he had gotten us tix to the BYU Game. Nothing like a change in plans to to throw your whole day into chaos. I do love going to the games though, so we rushed home and got geared up in our BYU blue. Tehani and I had to leave early though because...
• Sat 4:30pm--Tehani's 7th Birthday party--A house full of 7 year olds girls is all it takes to make you realize that boys are so much easier. Anyway, Tehani got tons of presents and I think all of the girls had fun.
• Sat 11:00pm--Threaten to send the kids back to Grandma's house if they don't go to bed
• Sun 8:30am--Find wedding ring in bathroom (luckily it wasn't down the drain :) I didn't take it to get it resized yet but it is on my list for the week. Hopefully I don't loose it again before then.
• Sun 10:00am--Teach sunday school. The good thing about this is now that Nofoa has been released from YM, I now have someone to teach with me. And they moved us to the 12&13 year olds. (I've only being doing the 16&17 year old class for 2+year so I am ready for the change)
• Sun 2:00pm--Take nap/read paper/and help Tehani make a poster for school

Like I said, I'm definitely going to enjoy a little "R&R" now that the craziness is over with (at least until next weekend :)

MISSING: Two teeth and a wedding ring

Well, Kobe and I started the day off at the dentist office. Apparently, bad dental hygiene runs in the family--I was going in to get a wisdom tooth pulled and Kobe has managed to already get a cavity in one of his permanent teeth. Anyway, I always try to schedule our appointments together as our dentist, Dr Stucki, is in Alpine so it is quite the trek anytime we need to go in for a visit. Once we got there, Dr Stucki found that Kobe had a baby tooth that was also infected...hence the two missing teeth (one for each of us :)

The ring is a whole different story. On the way back from the dentist, I noticed that my wedding ring was not on my finger. I had just commented to Nofoa last week that I probably needed to get the ring resized as it was very loose. I've finally lost some weight (over 50lbs just this last year) and recently the ring has gotten to the point where it can slide off my finger...which is apparently what has happened. In addition to tearing up the house, I've already called the dentist and checked everywhere that I've been today. The good news is I know I had it last night (it's pledge drive time and I went back and watched the tape and I had it on last night.) So it went missing somewhere between 10:30 last night when I left the studio until now. I'll have to tell Kobe and Tehani that there is "reward" if they can find my ring. I'm sure it's around here somewhere...I'll just feel better once I find it. :(

The Birthday Girl

Before anyone thinks that I am posting about MY birthday again, I have to point out that our family (being as efficient as we are) managed to coordinate all birthdays into just two months of the year. Both Nofoa and Kobe have their birthdays in December and Tehani and I do our birthday celebrating in September--with Tehani's "Big Day" being today, Sept 10.

Tehani has been counting down the days until she turns 7 for at least the last month so when she sleepily crawled into our bed this morning (like she does every other day) and ask "What day is it today?" I was happy (not about her being in our bed) but that I could finally reply--It's your birthday (...And then thought, now can Mommy go back to sleep for awhile?)

Now that going back to bed was not an option, Nofoa gave Tehani one of her presents before school--some new earings that you can see her sporting in the b-day pic I posted. She lost all her other pairs over a year ago so I'm surprised her holes hadn't closed yet (either that, or i just re-pierced her ears this morning :) When I asked Tehani what she wanted for breakfast her request was to MAKE her own breakfast. She's been quite the little sous chef lately--we made Crock Pot Lasagna the other day and last night she helped with the Zucchini Parmesan (we're eating a lot of zucchini lately as I am trying to get rid of the veggies in the garden--they grow too fast!)

Anyway, we managed not to drop or burn any pancakes and no one got syrup on their uniform before school (they are only allowed to get their clothes dirty AFTER they get to school) so all in all we had a great birthday breakfast. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEHANI!!

Happy Birthday to me...

Now that I'm another year older, you'd think I would be to the point in life where having a birthday would not be a big deal. Now, I'm not one of those people that stresses over getting older (in fact, I keep wondering when I'm actually going to start feeling more like an adult!) Anyway, we celebrated my 36th birthday (I told you I was getting old) in grand style. There was birthday cake and cards at work. And, I even managed to sneak away on my lunch break for a present to myself--a hair cut (I'm a strong believer in always buying yourself a present too :) But my special present came after work. Here's a pic...
















Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything weird like "my family is the best present I could ever have..." Although it's true:
A. I'm not that cheesy and
B. I actually am the type of person that expects to get presents for my birthday. Blame it on my mom, but that is just how I am.

Anyway, my REAL present was having new family photos taken. It's been a few years since we've had this done and the studio did a fabulous job. We even got to take all of our prints home that night along with a CD with everything on it (they did tons of poses!!) Anyway, I've loaded them up into our Flickr account so feel free to take a look at our album on the left--luckily I picked a gift that keeps on giving (and that we can all share!)

Gettin' schooled

Now that the kids are back from Chicago it can only mean one thing...it's time to get schooled!! Most of the other kids in town (ok, every other kid in the entire state of Utah) started hittin' the books a few weeks ago. Needless to say, these two have been looking forward to the first day of school for quite some time.

Here is a quick pic of our two pupils before they headed off to Meridian this morning. This is the 2nd year that they have both attended this private school and they love it--uniforms and all! When it was announced last year that the school would be moving up to Orem, I wasn't sure if we'd be willing to make the trip each day to drop them off. (I also didn't think I could make them walk the 6 miles to school each way without getting a call from DCSF!) But when Meridian had their "Back to School" night last week, I remembered why we choose to send the kids there in the first place--super small classes and extra good teachers. I was also happy to have the kids start taking a foreign language in 1st grade. So next time you see the kiddos, bust out the "Parlez vous francais?" on these two and see if their schooling is paying off :)

Bobcat Badge

Kobe got his first cub scout patch!! He's only been in scouts since he turned eight last December so if you do the math you can see that we are definitely NOT on the fast track with badges and stuff. I'd blame it on the den mother or something like that but I'm actually the den mom (that's what happens when you ask at church why your eight year old son hasn't had a den meeting yet after he's been eight for a few months--next time I'll know just to keep my mouth shut!)

Anyway, our whole pack is kind of new at this so we're learning as we go along. It's taken us quite a few months to kind of figure out what we are even supposed to be doing anyway but we had our first pack meeting tonight and the boys had fun. Kobe got his Bobcat Badge (along with all of the other boys) and I got a Bobcat pin. We also had another Cub Scout come that has earned all of the pins and badges that are possible to speak to the pack. The boys really enjoyed hearing about all his badges, etc. so now it looks like Kobe and I will be busy over the next few month before he turns nine getting caught up with badges...and obeying the law of the pack!

I'll just know that I'm doing good if I ever start reciting boy scout things in my sleep...I , Laura, promise to do my duty, to God and my country....

The party's over!

I'm here to post that we survived yet another year of the Anderson Annual Luau. The party was a huge success--due largely to the fact that everyone pitches in to help...

Kobe & Tehani: I'm sure we're in total violation of numerous child labor laws (and probably some health codes as well) but Thing 1 and Thing 2 were formally inducted as official luau workers this year. These two cut all of the rhubarb (you can't very well have strawberry rhubarb pies without rhubarb) and all of the veggies for the tahitian raw fish. And, I am also very happy to say that they finished their job with all of their fingers in tact!
Cynthia: Cynthia's job is to boss everyone else around and tell us that we are behind schedule--even when were not. She also makes the invites for the party (which is a project in and of itself) and updates all of our shopping lists, guests lists, and schedules. She's also the head cleaner. On top of that, she's also in charge when we do our post-luau debriefing. Yes, there is seriously something wrong with a family that does a formal written post-party assessment. If there's a treatment program or an intervention that can be done to help us, please let me know.

Raymond: Our resident cop wears several hats on the luau committee:

• Lime Juicer--I'm not sure why, but this has always been his job. The limes are used to marinate the raw fish my mom makes. Also, don't ask why my mom doesn't just use lime juice from a bottle. She won't.
• AV Specialist--You can't have a luau without a full sound system and speakers around the whole back yard. DJ Ray always spins it up island style for luau goers to enjoy!
• Security consultant--Basically this means that Raymond is in charge of calling my parent's home security company and turning it off during party prep. We assigned this to him after several years of having fire trucks show up at the house after we'd set off the fire alarm. For some reason, my dad doesn't like getting a charge from the security company for a fire call when there isn't really a fire. Go figure?
• Tent puter-upper: We've decided that we can't really make our 70 year old father do this by himself (or set up the tables and chairs for 100+ people) so we usually all end up helping with this job. And if you're a tent puter-upper that means you are also a...
• Tent taker-downer: The only bad thing on this job is that the tent, tables, and all chairs have to come down the night of the party after it is done. And this isn't a rule from the rental company or anything--it's a Ray & Jackie rule. Hours after the party is over, everything is back where it belongs!

Laura: My main job has always been to try and avoid as much luau work as possible. This year I was assigned as a baby wrangler--aka Charlotte holder. I also had the very important job as the head "We forgot something can you go to the store?" person. They're tough jobs but someone's got to do it.

Oh, and here's a lovely picture of me making the chow mien noodles for the luau--proof that I DID indeed do work for this year's party (even if Cynthia says anything to the contrary.)

Just think, only 301 days left until next years luau. And I'm sure we're already behind schedule!

You call this a vacation?!?

I've officially decided that I am going to need a vacation to recover from this supposed "vacation" when I get back home. Tomorrow is my parent's big luau--it's the 10th year that we've done this so you'd think I would have learned by now that there is no rest or relaxation to be found when it comes to luau preparations...

First off, you know you're in trouble when there is an actual written manual to follow on how to have a luau--or the ULTIMATE luau, as it's called in our book. My sister made this a few years ago as a present for my mom (We're weird, we know.) There is a section on everything from guests, shopping lists, recipes, and more--much, MUCH more. Basically, anytime there is a question on what needs to be done, we have to check the book. This year we actually started calling it the Luau Bible.

THE SCHEDULE--I know you can't see it in the first picture but we also have a section that includes a detailed hour-by-hour schedule. Here's a pic of our Saturday timeline. Just keep in mind that this hour-by-hour nonsense starts on Thursday! My sister, a.k.a. "The Schedule Nazi," spends the entire 72 hours leading up to the party telling us how we are soooo far behind schedule. Somehow we always manage to pull it off... Also, I guess we're lucky that we have an entry "reminding us" that at 4pm the PARTY STARTS! I'd hate for us to forget to start the luau if we didn't have it on "the schedule."

We may gripe and complain but getting ready for the luau is actually fun. Relaxing? Definitely not. But we must like something about...either that or we're just gluttons for punishment.

Reunited and it feels so good...

We'll, we officially have our kids back! Nofoa and I made the highly anticipated trip to Chicago to see our kids after a long, long, looooong, LONG summer. It was so good to see them when the pulled up at the airport. I did think that they would look a little more different after not seeing them for so long (Kobe has definaltey gotten taller--my mom decided he must go through his "growth spurt in August--and Tehani did loose a tooth and her hair is longer) but they are still the two same goofy looking kids that we love!!

My parent's luau is also this weekend so we do have a pretty tight schedule. However, we did manage to sneak in a trip to Todai, our favorite sushi restaraunt. We always make a point to stop here for lunch when we are in town. This is the first time we've taken the kids (or my mom) with us. The kids loved eating with chopsticks (kiddie ones--so they did actually end up with food in their mouth) and I just had fun stuffing myself and being "reunited" with my family.

Ahoy Matey!!

It's just a few more days until Nofoa and I head to Chicago to retrieve our kids (I'm hoping that by now they are tired of Grandma and Grandpa and ready to come home!) Needless to say, we've been trying to make the most of our last "kid-free" days while we can. I spent Friday night hanging out (ok, I guess technically I was working) with Cosmo," Jack Sparrow" and the rest of Provo at the Cougar Town Kickoff--and I have the picures to prove it!! I am also happy to say that we should actully be able to watch the BYU games on TV this year (well, at least most of them--I hope) as we are switching to Comcast on Monday. Go Cougars!!

Kobe, Tehani and the Tornado...

Kobe and Tehani always look forward to their trips to Chicago and who wouldn't--getting spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa, swimming lessons, spending time playing in my parent's crawlspace...the list goes on and on. Well now the kids can add "Being in a tornado" to their list o' fun. That's right, Kobe and Tehani experienced their very first (and hopefully last) tornado tonight.

A funnel cloud touched down in Elmhurst--about 4 miles from my parents house. By the time the tornado (or torpedo, as Tehani explains it) passed by everyone was already safe in the crawlspace. "It's the safest place in the house, Mom" the kids explained later on the phone. Little do they know that I've been through many a tornado drill growing up but luckily I've never had the pleasure of putting that practice to use. Cynthia told me later that Kobe did get a little scared when the power went off for the second time. However he managed to tell her through some tears that this would be a very cool thing to tell his science teacher about...if he didn't die first!

I'm glad that everyone made it through the "torpedo" safe and sound... and that my kids will now have a "cool" story to tell when they go back to school. This should definatley qualify for an A+ in science class!

Happy Pioneer Day

I'm all for any holiday that gets me a day off of work!! Anyway, I started the day by hiking to Timp Cave with Simone. She's been bugging me for awhile to do this with her and since I've never been up there before I didn't really know what all the fuss was about...well, now I know. I figured it would be the same as going up the trail at the mouth of Provo Canyon but boy was I wrong. It was definitely a good work out!! I really expected to be sore the next day (and maybe have to call in to work sick?) but no such luck.

I guess that was a good thing though since I ended up getting some tickets at work on Friday for Norm and I to go to the Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert at the Conference Center--starring the Osmonds! Now, I've never really big that big of a fan (they are more from my husband's time period) but it was a fun show and it was the first time either of us have gone to an event at the Conference Center. A good date night.

On Saturday, I went to a BBQ at the Johnson's, our old neighbors. I'm glad we still get to see each other even though they moved away (ALL the way to Springville!) When I was talking to Kobe in Chicago the other day he sounded a little down and I was thinking that maybe he was home sick. Nope, he told me that he missed his friends, Gavin and Gunner Johnson! Go figure!! (Which reminds me...Shilo--we need to make a playdate once my kids get back--I promised Kobe :0)

TGIF

I have been waiting for Friday ALL WEEK!! No, I'm not doing anything fun and exciting this weekend (at least that I know of.) I've just had a long and boring week at work so I am ready for the madness to be done. Hopefully I will have a nice and refreshing weekend and come back next week ready to fundraise my little bootie off!!

Speaking of booties, my kids have just been in heaven playing with Baby Charlotte. My sister emailed me some cute photos that I just had to share. I'll have to remind Kobe and Tehani to get all of their "playing with baby" time out of their system while they're in Chicago 'cause there won't be any babies to play with at our house anytime soon. I'm sure Tehani will come back with all sorts of ideas about how fun it would be for us (meaning me) to have a baby. She even asked me once how old she had to be to have a baby (33 sounds about right!) For now she'll just have to make do with borrowing Char Char when Auntie Cynthia lets her hold the baby!

Run Laura Run!!

Don't ask me what I was thinking when I decided it would be a good idea to start my 4th of July holiday by getting up at the crack of dawn and running in the Provo Freedom Festival Run. (Call me crazy but apparently this is my idea of fun ?!?) However, I am glad to report that I finished the 5K in one piece--and with a time of 37:01 which is a faster than I expected! I know a 5k is only 3 miles but I'm just getting back into running so this is still a big deal for me. Afterwards, I stayed to watch the parade with my cousins (Shaanta, Laiza and I ran the race together) before spending the day at the Scera pool with Simone. Other than missing my kids (this is the second or third summer they've been in Chicago) all in all, I had a perfect 4th of July holiday!

Just in time for the 4th of July--Baby Charlotte!

So much for Cynthia's scheduled c-section next week! My sister's water broke on Thursday afternoon (Baby Charlotte is apparently patriotic and wanted to make sure that she didn't miss out on any 4th of July fun.) Charlotte Hinanui Logsdon was born Thur, July 3rd at 9:31pm via c-section and weighed in at 6lb 6oz and is 19" long. The doctors say that she meausres at about 36 weeks when she was born (so I can't imagine how big Char Char would have been had she gone full term!) Kobe and Tehani can't get enough of her--they report that "She's sooo cute!" and that "She has teeny tiny toes!"


















Congrats Cynthia and Ken and Happy 4th of July Baby Charlotte!!

Where do babies come from?

Nothing like a morning of fun at the hospital! Kobe, Tehani, and my mom spent the early morning hours with Cynthia at the hospital to see if the doctors could do their magic and get Baby Charlotte to turn over the right way (Char Char's apparently fond the the breach position!) Anyway, it looks like the baby is just as stubborn as Cynthia is and would not budge. So Cynthia is now scheduled for a c-section next week on Tuesday, July 8.

I do worry about the kids spending so much "baby being born" time in the hospital but my mother has assured me that she will keep them out of the deliver room. About a year ago Tehani suprised me with her version of the "Where do babies come from question." Luckily we were in the car by ourselves so she doesn't get Kobe asking questions too...

Tehani: "How do babies get out of their mommy's tummy?"

Suprised Mom (aka Me): "Well...(long pause--with thoughts about why my SIX YEAR old is asking me this) The, um...the doctor does that..."

Tehani: "The doctor spreads it apart? "

Really Suprised Mom: "Um...the doctor spreads WHAT apart? (with thoughts about where on earth Tehani would already have an idea like this?!?)"

Tehani: "The mommy's tummy."

Relieved Mom: (Whew) "Yes...the doctor spreads the mommy's tummy apart."

It looks like Cynthia won't be spoiling the suprise for Tehani!

You call this work?

Whoever said work isn't fun? I'm in St. George right now on a trip that we are hosting for the station. We've chartered a bus and brought a group of sponsors and donors down to see a play at the Tuacahn last night (Les Mis) and then two plays at the Shakespearean Festival today. Our schedule is pretty jam-packed but I did manage to get my workout in this morning and now I'm off to check out the outlet mall and then hopefully a little bit of time at the pool before we're back on the bus. Everyone seems to be having a good time and we are already making plans for our event next year. If you've never had the chance to go to a performance at the Tuacahn or the Shakespearean Festival, you are definitely missing out!

Gotta go as I really should get back to "work."

Camping--Tevaga Style!

The kids and I flew back in from Chicago late Friday night. Although we were tired from the trip in, Norm decided it would be a good weekend to go camping. Now before you start thinking "The Tevaga's don't really strike me as the camping type..." WE'RE NOT! So we packed the car and headed up to Cherry Hill. They have a water park, pool, miniature golf course, snack bar and store. THIS is our type of camping.


It was a quick trip--and I'm sure the Kobe and Tehani would've stayed up there for a whole week if we would let them--but we did have a fun time. The kids are old enough now that they will remember this excursion (the last time we went to Cherry Hill they were both in diapers.)

I'm sure they will be harassing us to go back sometime soon!

Champagne anyone?

No, I haven't taken up drinking. But the kids and I have spent the past few days in Champaign, IL (home of the University of Illinois) to visit my sister. Cynthia has only lived there for a year or so and this was actually my first time visiting. I was mainly just excited to be someplace where it wasn't raining (a whole strait week of rain in Chicago is not my idea of fun!) Anyway, the kids and I all went home with a tan (going to the pool everyday will do that) but it was also fun to eat at some yummy restaurants, watch Kung Fu Panda at the theatre, and just hang out with Cynthia.

I just hope my sister has recovered from our visit--especially since the kids will be back in Champaign in about a month or so (whenever Cynthia gets around to having her baby!)

Cynthia's "Baby Mama" weekend

My sister Cynthia was in town for a few days so I decided it was the perfect time to throw her a baby shower while she was in Utah. I really wanted to do something different for the shower so I invited all of her teacher pals from Spanish Fork along with other friends and family and we started out the party by watching the "Baby Mama" movie at the mall.



Afterwards we headed back to my hosue for lunch and dessert. Cynthia (and baby Charlotte) made out like bandits! In addition to lots of cute clothes and baby gear, Cynthia also got most of the lady bug themed stuff for the baby's room. And leave it to Crazy J (aka our mom) to get the mommy-to-be the largest thing on the Target registry so Cynthia would have absolutely no way to get the high chair home on the airplane. Good thing for Target returns and giftcards!! Even with that Cynthia's bags were full when she boarded her plane this morning.

Happy Baby Mama Party Cynthia!!

I'd call you but I don't have a cell phone...

We've been pretty busy this past week getting the kids ready for their summer in Chicago with Grandma & Grandpa. We of course had to clean (anytime Grandma is coming, it's time to clean the house!) and then wash and pack enough clothes to last Kobe and Tehani through the summer.

They just left this morning at 5am for their flight. The good thing about "going to Chicago" is that we can at least talk to the kids on a daily basis as opposed to when they have spent summers in Tahiti and we only call them every Sunday ($30 for a10 minute phone call is way too much--no matter how much I miss my kids!)

Anyway, as I was fixing Tehani's hair this morning (she is fond of her center part but but needed help to make sure "the line" is straight) I reminded her that she can call me anytime while they are gone. Her reply shows that Norm and I are in for many more years of fun with our teenager-in-training:

Tearful Mom (aka Me):"Now make sure you call me. If its during the day, you can call me at my desk..."

Tehani: "I can't call you."

Tearful Mom: "What do you mean you can't call me?"

Tehani: " Well if SOMEONE would buy me a cell phone I could call..."

Apparently, my six year old believes she needs a cell phone. And this isn't the first time she has expressed this opinion. As I said earlier, I am sure the teenage years are going to be oodles of fun! I explained to Tehani that she can borrow Grandma or Grandpa's cell phone or that she could always do like we did in the olden days and use a land line.

I'm sure she'll be too busy having fun in Chicago but I'll be waiting by the phone just in case.

Am I the only one without a blog?

I just realized that I am the only person I know that doesn't have a blog. I kept saying that I was going to start one but never got to it until today. My sister Cynthia just sent me a link to HER blog and that was all I needed to kick my butt--or fingers--into gear. (Sibling rivalry wins again!) So here is my attempt to keep friends, family, and the rest of cyberspace up to date on what is going on at the Tevaga Household.

Today was the last day of school for Kobe and Tehani. They were sad and excited (mostly sad, which I guess is a good thing) that school is done until the fall. The only reason they are even excited is because summer vacation means they will be leaving soon to spend the next three months in Chicago with "Grandma and Grandpa." It has kind of become a ritual that the kids spend their summers with my mom--sometimes in Tahiti, sometimes in Chicago. If we don't pay attention, there's no telling where they might end up.

At least I know that now they can keep up to date with whats going on while they are gone--they can read my blog...