Realizing Identity

We have been going to the beach a lot lately. What can you say- it's beautiful weather and there's not much else to do on Kauai with preschoolers. Anyways, on the way home from the beach the other day, Lyon pipes up "Mom, I'm brown. Kiri is brown, Dad is brown. But you're white. Look at you."

Little does he know that I'm actually off-white or caramel-ish depending on what light he sees me. Either way, it's time for a trip off-island to see real white people.

The following day he had another realization in the car ride home: "I'm brown like chocolate"

Yes, my little man, you are brown like chocolate.

Kiriana's First Day of School

Sept 7th was Kiri's first day of Preschool. For most moms, they have one little one go off to preschool and a baby still in the arms to hold for another 2 years before the whole preschool cycle starts again. Not me. One month after Lyon started preschool, I barely had time to regroup before it was Kiri's turn to start. While Lyon looked out the preschool window when we left, big brown eyes full of tears as if we were leaving forever, Kiri specifically told me "Mommy, I'm not going to cry." And that she didn't. If I could sum up her first day of school, it would be something like:

Hey guys. Great job raising me. Because you had me so close to Lyon, I've learned to be independent since it was kinda hectic. I've got this whole preschool thing down. Thanks for raising me from scratch for three years. I'll see you at 3pm sharp.

And with that, she went up the stairs to the door, waived goodbye and was gone. Be still my aching heart...my babies are growing up.

Gap-Tooth Smile on the way...

Well looks like Kiri is going to have her front tooth pulled out (it's dead). That means for the next 5 years she will have every picture with a gap smile. When Kiri came home from the dentist, Lyon asked me "what happened to Kiri?"
I said she is going to lose her tooth.
"I have a loser tooth" he replied.
That's going to go well driving his garbage truck.

First Day of School for Miss Kiri

Kiri had her first day of school on Wednesday. We told Lyon he is taking her to school and he has to take care of her. His comment on this situation: "Do I have to wipe her butt?"

Summer of 2011

Giant slip and slide at Camp Slogget for LMC family camp
Kiriana and her new friends
The kids first farm fair!
First boat ride to Na Pali Coast. So handsome!
Lyon's first day of preschool. Oh my baby is all grown up now...mixed feelings of relief yet sadness because time flew by :(
View of the Wailua River from our kayak
We kayaked up the Wailua River with our friend Frieda. Kiri wore her Kayak hat. She did incredible for only being two years old.
The Foster's first home. After 5 years of saving...we did it!!
My beautiful daughter of so many countries. Anais made her bikini!
Lyon's 4th birthday at Poipu Beach. I used to have my birthdays at this beach. Life repeats itself.
She was so well put together for the party...five minutes into it she found the flour pit.
when your dad is the drummer you think you can run on the stage and invite your friends. I wasn't about to go get them.

Fourth of July 2011 PMRF sunset. Love.
This is my child, I promise. Before I met Ariki or had kids, I always envisioned a brown polynesian child with big curly hair. Here she is.

Sweet family portrait...Lyon 3, Kiri 2



Almost three!
All smiles
What to do on a cloudy day? Fill up the buckets with warm water and bubbles!

Where's Your Money Kiri?

Carmel: "Kiri do you have money?"
Kiri: "yep"
Carmel: "Where is your money?"
Kiri: "Its in my daddy's pocket"

No Training Wheels!

August 4, 2011...Lyon rides a bike without training wheels at Family Camp in Koke'e.

Kauai Farm Fair 2011

For some reason, the Fair was much more fun when I was a kid and didn't know how much things cost. This was the first year we took them to the fair and they loved it. Photo of evidence attached. I could deal without the heat, lines, people and noise. Oh the joy of seeing first time joy in their faces!

Home

July 18, 2011. I say this date so I will always remember it. Today is the day we signed the papers on our first home. For some, this is not a big deal. For us, it is huge and so wonderful. You see, I have always dreamed of owning my own home. When I was 18 years old, I would imagine what my home would look like. I would dream about owning a home on Kauai. Seeing the economy affect home prices, I had doubt this would be possible. At one point in 2007, prices were so high on Kauai, I didn't see how any young people would be able to own a home and live here. But there is an old adage: what goes up must come down. And so it did with prices on Kauai as well. I started saving when I was 23. It was a dream, yet a far one. When Ariki and I married in 2005, I had already saved $13,000. I told him we would start a "home fund" with the money. He asked if I planned to buy just a bathroom with that amount. I laughed, but kept saving. Slowly and surely. We paid off debt and arranged our life to be simple and free of most wants. We bought clothes and items second-hand and saved the difference. We ate at home and shopped sales. And waited for the right time. Eventually, we were able to save enough for a down payment. Even we were amazed at the number we were able to save. Persistance. Patience. Dedication. We never borrowed from our Home fund. Finally we found the right house. A little 3 bedroom in Koloa. Great neighbors, great school and beach nearby.
We went to sign papers today. We had to bring the kids to the meeting. Lyon asked if they would have a movie at the meeting. Nope. How about a party? Nope, sorry buddy. Just papers. Just papers that I have been waiting to sign for ten years. On Friday we pick up the keys and the U-Haul. And then we move to a new chapter in our life. Homeowners. Thank you Lord!

Kiriana Almost Three

I love this age. She is adorable with a capital A. She looks like a little brown doll with cork-screw curls gently attached to her head. She has one chipped tooth in front which makes for good character. She loves wearing dresses, pretty shoes, and all things sparkly. She picks her people. Uncle Nate, Uncle Gabe (after an initiation period), Auntie Momo, Lelo and of course, above the rest, Rock Star Poppa. She loves to draw for at least an hour a day. When you are suppose to be mad at her, she giggles her deep-voice giggle and you suddenly forget your storm. That giggle makes the sun come out. If world leaders heard that giggle their hearts might be softened towards their enemies. It is that cute...and powerful.
She feels other people's emotions. When I bumped my elbow on the car door and howled in pain, she cupped my face in her tiny hands and looked me in the eyes and told me "oh poor mommy! Bweathe, mommy, bweathe!"
I wish I could freeze the moments because time is a rocket I never saw coming. It just happens to fast. In the midst of our busy world I will remember a deeper implication of her words....take time to breathe and enjoy.

She is so loved.

Graduation Party

I love local parties. There is nothing formal or stuffy about them. They are usually in someone's yard, the food is cooked by family and the entertainment is someone's uncle with another someone's uncle jamming after a few beers.

This was pretty much it last night at our friend's graduation party deep in Hanapepe valley. But there was roughly 100+ people under a big tent in a big field with fabulous food and little girls performing hula in front of the crowd. There was old farm equipment around (it was an old piggery) and drinks were served from huge fishing coolers. The owner of the farm is a 90-something old Japanese man who tells very inappropriate jokes every time I see him. So inappropriate that I can't repeat them to you. Ariki laughs his head off and I turn red, but hey, when you are that old you can do whatever you want. And apparently tell any kind of jokes you want. (He tells the jokes to ladies at the bank and county offices too...awkward!).

One of the highlights of the night was not only the food, but also when the graduate came over to say hello to us at the table. Lyon was eating and the graduate asked for a high five. Lyon, seeing that his hands had a fork and napkin in them, decides to high-five the graduate with his face instead of his hand. atta-boy.

Dolls...ugh.

I was a tomboy growing up. I liked animals, short hair, running around outside, playing with the boys, making spears and mud and generally anything but dolls.

Today I bought Kiri a baby doll at a garage sale. I think I might have rolled my eyes but bought it anyways. I am thankful for my Costa Rican friend Anais who forced me to buy it. She is good for my girl-mothering skills. She forces me through guilt to buy dolls, princess shoes, frilly things, dress-up things, pink things.

Kiri is lucky Anais gave up everything and moved here from Costa Rica. Thank you.

Your Interpretation

I love the way kids hear songs and sing them over and over. I love it when the songs don't quite turn out the way they are suppose to be, rather the way the kid hears them. If you are from the 80's like myself, you would remember the Transformer's cartoon. Especially if you had a brother.
"Transformers! More than meets the eye!" is the motto.

So Lyon is obsessed with Transformers right now. To date he has 2 of them and 3 shirts that are shown to everyone because that is important. He walks around the house singing:
"Transformers! More than eats the island"

Close enough.

God Protects Us

As we lay in the darkness before bedtime with Lyon on my left and Kiri on my right, we recite songs, recount our favorite parts of the day, and ponder what we will do the next day. Like clock- work every night when the lights go out (after bathroom and teeth), Kiri asks to go make shishi (pee pee for you non-Hawaii folks) and drink water. Most annoying but necessary to take care of this, again. Of course when I send her to the bathroom by herself it is always "too dark" or there are some unforeseen monsters blocking progress. On this particular night when it was "too dark" Lyon sits up and tells her "Kiri, God protects us". Mama is so proud at this simple truth. But then comes more: "He has a big sword and he kills those monsters". Okay, that works, problem solved, right? Not really. So brother escorts her to the bathroom just in case God missed some along the path. As we lay back down after Kiri's nightly ritual, I begin to ponder the sweet innocence and simple faith of children. I wonder if perhaps God does communicate with them on a more real level than adults because we are too busy in the world to pay attention. I probe. "Lyon, have you ever seen God?" I ask.
"Mm-hm" he replies matter-of-factly.
"Oh really? when?" I am really curious now.
"I saw Him at a garage sale. He was picking up some stuff"

I think I walked right into that one.

Kids Are Funny

Young kids are funny because most of the stuff they do is completely irrational. Let me give you an example or two. Kiri gets mad at Lyon for taking her train. She bursts into tears and decides to lay down coffin-style in her toy box and wave a glow stick in the air, all while crying. Can you imagine an adult doing that? maybe.

Kiri and Lyon tell me they want to ride bikes outside (no neighbors can see our driveway really because we live on half an acre by a stream). Next moment I see them outside completely naked riding bikes. Why does riding bikes involve stripping down to your birthday suit? I'm not sure, but it makes for a funny site while you wash dishes.

I found a great way to entertain them in this gloomy, rainy weather. I took the 10 gallon buckets from Ace and filled them to the brim with warm water and bubbles for an outdoor "bubble bath" between storms. They loved it and it bought me just enough time to get some stuff done around the house. At one point I peeked outside to see them both in the same bucket having a conversation with their feet propped up outside the bucket. Cute moment sandwiched between all the not-so-cute ones that if you blink, you will miss it.

May 7, 2011

Water has been falling from the sky in handfuls lately. Two people from Virginia came to Sunny Kauai to get married on the beach. I worried and stressed because I can't control the weather, and when you are a wedding coordinator, you need to be in control of everything. I prayed and prayed, Lord, just an hour, please. It rained and rained all day. I went to pick up the bride for the ceremony. She was beautiful in her Vera Wang dress. We drove to the beach where her fiance waited patiently and all of a sudden...the skies opened up. I saw my shadow on the ground as the guitarist played Pachebel Canon in D. She came down the sandy aisle barefoot and beautiful. So beautiful that we did not need the sun because she was beaming so radiantly. Today, May 7th 2011 two beautiful souls were united as one and my prayers were answered: an hour of sun.

Kiri's Baby

And Kiri's baby's name is.....WALLY! (it's a girl, by the way)

A Long Time

Sorry I have been locked out of this blog for quite some time and never made an effort to get back in.

So here we are, May 2011. So many wonderful things have happened in the Foster world. Ariki's studio is up and running. He has such a talent and gift for what he does. His ear for music is incredible. It's almost a shame we live here on a tiny island when he could be pushed and molded so much more in a big city. But oh well, we make the best of where and what we have!

Lyon is a preschooler (now in age). At 3.5 he is vibrant and funny. He is always down for a good joke and laugh. He told me three times yesterday "Mom, I wuv you" and then my heart melts all over again. A couple weeks ago at Costco an old lady told me "he is your finest piece of work" of course Kiri wasn't with me that day. He is excited about monster trucks, robots, Diego (from Dora), animals, flying machines, and dinosaurs. Typical boy stuff. He loves his sister heaps and is quick to protect her when someone ruffles her feathers.

Then there is Miss Kiri. I was thinking about her the other day and I came up with something to describe her exotic looks: "wild beauty" She is a bit of it all...she looks like my Colombian mother with beautiful Polynesian lips and brown skin. She is all girl complete with drama and a love for snuggling. She is getting so tall and so sweet. She shares with Lyon and loves loves loves.

Behind our house there is a pasture with a horse. Lyon has named the horse "Jack" even though I think it is a girl. The funny part is that they stand outside by the wash house and yell "JAAACK" and the horse comes over to see them. Lyon says that they are friends. I also noticed that carrots have gone missing from our fridge.

As for me, I started my event planning business finally. Legacy Events, here we go! Currently on Facebook but no web page yet. I have to talk to Auntie Momo about that.

A new page has started in the Legacy family. Gabe and Carmel have moved home for the first time in 14 years. Can't wait to be together as a family and hang out. Now, if we could only get Ariki's family in the same place!!

Looking forward to a fun summer!!

A 3yr old Prayer

Lyon told me he wanted to pray last night. As I lay down in bed at night with him, we held hands, closed eyes and he started:
"Dear Lord, Thanks for coming today. We hope to see you tomorrow. Amen"

Do not address my doo-doo

Today as Kiri was finishing her #2 business in the bathroom I walked in and said "Whew! oh man!" about the smell. And she looked at me sternly and said "Don't talk to my doo-doo!"

First Day of Swim Class

First day of swim class at the YMCA.
Lyon and Kiri in the beginning class together with Gabe in charge of Lyon and I, with Kiri.
All the little ones nicely doing what they should be doing. Going under water, kicking legs, and having fun.
Not mine.
"Not my head under water!! NO WAY!! Let's get out of here!! Kiri says while Lyon is doing cannon balls off the side of the pool and splashing everyone.
First day of swim class at the YMCA.