Update without pics

I know- weird without massive amount of pics, right?  I'm too lazy to download the pics so those will come later.


Kainoa: 
*is learning site words and loves it.  I got her a pack of cards from Wal-Mart and have been going through them with her for the past 3 weeks and knows 23 words so far.  When I told her that the words she is learning to read makes up a sentence of the words of our speech, she was amazed, and if she knew the word incontheivable she would say it.  She has fun trying to make sentences out of the words she knows and helps to spot the words in the books we read to her now.  It's fun seeing the learning process of reading- just how is clicks in the kids' brains- their AH HA! moments.
*finally got her "L" sound down pretty well and is working very hard on the "TH" sound.  She is getting better.

*got her coveted music box she has been asking for for 2 years now from Santa.  Iwalani chucked it off the top of the bunk bed and amazingly it held together.  Good job Kohl's/Santa's workshop.  Iwalani got a big time out for that one.

*was blessed by a wonderful secret Santa, family, and friends that spoiled her with wonderful gifts for Christmas.  I cry when I think about how much love and support we received this year.  They made our Christmas special and we were/are overwhelmed by the generosity.  We love all of you.

*loves to hold Iwalani's hand.  Too bad Iwalani doesn't like it.  It ends up in a hand tug-of-war.

*asked Santa for a baby brother- no words for that one.  Good luck with that Santa.

*told me the meaning to the Adele song Someone Like You the other day in the car when it came on.  She was spot on.  That was scary because she is paying attention to everything.  Good and bad ;).  

*loves to pray.  She gets mad when someone else has their turn.  When I get her and Iwalani's breakfast on the table she starts right off and prays (while Iwalani is trying to repeat everything) even before I have a chance to sit down.  

*cuts shapes out with scissors like an expert.  Watch out Edward Scissorhands, she might take your job.
*is a great color-er.  She can color in the lines and can draw great pictures.  She loves making/doing art.

*is a lovely daughter of God who has the talent to make friends with everyone she meets and loves her family and friends.

Iwalani:

*has started to talk a lot.  A LOT.  She talks all the time and asks questions and wants to make conversation.  True she may be hard to understand, but she has a point she wants to make and with a little help of repetition and asking her questions, she gets it across.

*'s favorite questions

1. __________ (insert name) you sleeping?

2. __________ (insert name), you kaepu?! (kaepu means fart in Samoan)

*LOVES Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  She is obsessed with a dvd we borrowed from a friend with them and the rest of the gang.  I'll let her watch episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on YouTube occasionally.  I wonder what she would do if we went to Disney World and saw them.  Either tackle them with joy or run the other way.

*was also blessed with an abundance of awesome toys for Christmas via secret Santa, friends, and family.  She has been so occupied with the gifts that she hasn't gotten into much trouble lately :).

*enjoys music- all kinds.  I'll look in the rearview mirror while driving with the radio on and she is bobbing her head slightly side to side to the music.

*has decided not to take 30 min anymore to go to bed.  She has stretched it to 1.5 hours lately.

*has a collection of her favorite stuffed animals that she HAS TO go to bed with.  It used to be one- a bear from the hospital (Snuggles).  Now there is a white dog (Puppy), a white pig (used to be called Peeg but is now Peegy Peegy), and most recent a little Mickey Mouse.  She carries this entourage around the house and it's quite the armful.
*also likes to pray and copies what anyone says while praying.  She'll start off her own prayer when she is about to eat her dessert and we'll help her the rest of the way through it.

*still avoids her potty chair.  If you ask her if she is making a poop in her diaper while she is pooping (strained look on the face, hiding in the corner, etc) she will grunt out, "Nhhhhoooooooo!!!" 

*likes nursery, but LOVES nursery if her best friend Jack is there waiting for her.  They usually hug each other that ends up in a dog pile.
*knows all of her colors without me really teaching her.  She seemed to have picked it up on her own....nice!
*cannot say truck (or any word correctly with the "TR" sound- it comes out as an "F" sound).  As you can imagine, this particular word is said very wrong.  We're working on that.
*says water as "manga."  I have no idea how that happened.  We repeat water slowly to her and she says it correctly, then when it comes out faster it turns into manga.  Strange.
*loves going over train tracks in the car.  Even a slight bump on the road she will yell out, "CHOO CHOO FRACK!!"

*is a lovely daughter of God who is a very polite little girl (except when she is getting into trouble) who makes everyone smile (except when she is getting into trouble).

David:

*says, "are you really going to write about me?"

*is a party pooper ;).  Hee hee!

Emma:

*regrets not singing 12 Days of Christmas Hawaiian style for the ward Christmas party.  NEXT YEAR!

*loves having short hair BUT will grow it out again.  Some day.

*is in love with Zumba.
*wants to learn how to play the bass guitar and be in a band.

*is still working on Personal Progress.

*is grateful for the Savior, the Atonement, family, friends, good music, and good food.

*is tired so will go to asleep.