Mele Kalikimaka!

We've been in Minnesota for eight days.  And the days have been jam-packed!

Annika and I left the island on 16 December 2009.  After all the travel preparations, nothing prepared me for the news that my father had possibly suffered another heart attack.  This news came just hours before we were to leave the island.  I made a few phone calls, had a bit of a panic, then came to the realization that there was nothing good to come from worrying.  And I left it at that. 

The flight was long and arduous.  Both travelers fared well, though.  Annika was of course very excited to be heading into the winter wonderland!

We had a safe arrival.  And were given the news that my dad had indeed suffered a heart attack and had blockage in one of his previously bypassed arteries.  A blockage that clearing out would do more harm than good.

It's been a whirlwind of a week with my family, and we're coming down to the final week.  I had dreamed of a white Christmas, and it snowed!  The weather was horrid and reminded of some of the things that I do not like about Minnesota.  How wonderful to be experiencing it! 

Santa was good to us this year.  He gave us a trip to visit my family.  The only thing that would have made it better would be my husband joining us.  But, that will come at another time.

Happy holidays!

Much love!

::aloha::

Winter weather advisory?!

It's no shock that rainy season is here.  But, it's also brought some cooler temperatures, which is awesome.  Yesterday felt like a fall day!  Sunny, windy and cool.  Granted, the "cool" was a balmy 73 degrees.  I was joking with Travis that it seems sad that we find 73 to be cool.

A winter weather watch is in effect for Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island for those summits because of the chance of heavy snow, strong winds, lightning and bitterly cold winds.  There is a flash flood advisory for the entire state.  Whew!

Yesterday we celebrated Veteran's day.  I very thankful for all of the Veterans: past, present and future.  I am honored that my husband has chosen to serve.

I'm finalizing the Christmas shopping.  I have a few things to get for my nieces and nephew, but I have the kidlets done and gifts wrapped! Last Christmas, we didn't have the money for any gifts and I'm thankful that we are in a place where we aren't struggling for the everyday things anymore.  It seems so silly and trite, but you often take those things for granted.  The price of goods is slightly higher here.  For example, a gallon of milk is approximately $9.00.  Yikes!

I'm counting the days until I get to see my family!  And I'm hoping that there is some snow while I'm there.

Thanksgiving is coming and we will spending it with our "military" family.  It's wonderful to have great friends and good times when I feel so homesick!

A big mahalo to those who read my blog!

::aloha::

Return of the Trade Winds, carnivals and Halloween. Oh my!

The vog has lifted and the trade winds are back.  We had a high of 85 yesterday and the mountains were still covered with some clouds, but it was a beautiful day!

Yesterday was another furlough Friday, so Annika worked on her handwriting booklet and a few pages in her grade 1 workbook.  On Thursday, I had a parent/teacher conference for the closure of quarter one.  She is doing very well in math and science, but is having some troubles with writing/reading/phonics.  With help, she is getting better.

For Halloween we will be heading down to Hickam AFB to go trick-or-treating with friends.  Annika will be Tinkerbell.  This will be her first t-or-t experience.  Tomorrow we will be going to a carnival, also on Hickam.

For now, we are laying low.  I've got a migraine and Annika's tired from running around playing with the girls.  They had a slumber party last night.  It was a fun time.  Pizza, popcorn and The Wizard of Oz.  What a perfect way to spend the evening.

Have a safe Halloween!

::aloha::

Vog, steam and the missing Trade Winds.

It's been awhile since I have updated.  Craziness here!

Good news on the ear.  The infection is gone, but I do have two holes in the ear drum that need to heal yet.

The weather has been hot and steamy.  The vog is heavy this week and the haze is covering the mountains.  It was strange not to see the mountains this morning when walking back from the school.  Last night we were down at Pearl Harbor to run errands and when we came home, the mist was so heavy in the canyon that you could cut through it.

I will be glad when the Trade Winds return.  It will cut the heat a bit.

Aside from that, there isn't anything new to report.

I am excited for a trip back to MN for the holidays.  I will be in MN from 17 December to 01 January.  I am sad that I will be away from my husband during the holidays, but I haven't seen my family for a long time.  So, if I can spend time with my family it will make up for not being able to spend the holidays with my dear hubby.  We've started shopping for the warm clothes. :)  It's hard to find winter jackets here!  I've started to pack my suitcase with souvenirs and Christmas gifts.

That's all that's happening at the moment.

:)  Mahalo nui loa for reading my blog!

::Aloha::

Who does this hurt in the long run?

Normally I would chronicle my week here on the island.  Well, this week has been rough, at best.  I went last week to get my ear checked out.  Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that I've been having problems with it since January.  In any case, the drainage is back to green, indicating an infection.  So, I was prescribed Augmentin, the SUPER antibiotic.  And when I was say SUPER, I don't mean fantastic!  It is designed to kill, kill, kill the bacteria.  It kills my energy in the process.

In addition to antibiotics, I've been referred to the Ears, Nose and Throat specialist at Tripler Hospital (or the "pink" hospital as Annika calls it... since... it's painted pink.  Seriously).  I have an audiogram scheduled as well to determine the amount of hearing loss.  It's all scary to me at the moment, but I'm no stranger to ear troubles.  I grew up having tubes in/out and many ear infections.

That update is out of the way. :)  

Why the title for the blog?  On 23 September 2009, we received a letter for the State of Hawai'i Department of Education.  Apparently, Hawaii's public schools are facing unprecedented budget cuts totaling $468 million over two years (sy 09-10 and 10-11).  WHAT??  What happened to the money that was given to the state?  Oh... that's right, it was used to pay off debts.  Who suffers from this?  Certainly not the parents!  Not directly anyway, in my humble opinion.  This hurts the children immensely.  It saddens me. 

What does this mean?  Furlough Fridays.  Seventeen furlough Fridays to be exact.  During the furlough Fridays:
 *Athletic events and practices will continue as scheduled after 3:00 PM.

*After school tutoring and enrichment programs run by the school are cancelled.

*A+ will not be offered by the DOE.  Private providers may offer their own programs at parent expense on furlough days.

*No meal service.  No student transportation (SPED included) will be provided.

*Superintendent's leadership team (superintendent, deputy superintendent, assistant superintendents, and complex area superintendents) will also be on furlough.

I am outraged at the bold statements above.  We can continue athletic events but not tutoring and enrichment programs, meal service or transportation?  Who determines why?  And what exactly are we teaching our children?  That being athletic is more important that furthering and bettering your education/knowledge?  And this is part of the reason why I am not happy with the state of Hawaii's school system and why we thought long and hard about homeschooling.

My child's future is everything.  And I believe that she should have the best education possible.  I'm just sickened with this news.  Not just that, but disappointed.

A large price to pay for living in paradise.

A big mahalo for the continued reading support!

::Aloha!::

The Zero Sisters

I'm five hours behind CST.  So, I always feel like I'm behind the times when it comes to news sharing.

My bffs live in two different time zones.  One in MST and the other in CST.  My Lulu, for the longest time thought that I was was six hours behind and affectionately gave me the nickname -6 and I gave her the nickname +6.  Together, we make up the Zero sisters!

Lulu entered my life during a time of change.  At that point in time, my ex-H had joined the Army and I was looking for support.  I found that support on a forum called Army Wives.  We "met" in 2004.  She made many journeys with me, in spirit.  From my solo trip from NC to MN with a toddler... to the pain and heartache of a dying marriage, through the death of my partner, through the new beginning in another state so far away from home, to the fateful decision in November 2008 and through the moving and combining of homes/lives here in Hawaii.  My Lulu has been with me every step of the way.  For that I am eternally grateful.  The blessing of her love and friendship unconditionally has been, amazing.

We met in person in 2006.  It was a long time in the making, but so worth the wait.  And our friendship will stand the test of time.

To my Zero sister.  I love you.  And a big MAHALO for being there.

...tap tap tap...

:aloha:

The Rainbow State

Hawaii's nickname is the "rainbow state."  With rainbows nearly everyday, it's easy to see why it has that nickname.  No matter how often I see them, they amaze me. 

The walk to school is about twenty minutes.  Sometimes I drive because it's generally sprinkling in the morning.  But, almost everyday, at the same time, there is a rainbow!  The rainbow in the picture below is beautifully backed by the Wai'anae mountain range.  The field is Mililani district park.  The park is near the townhomes that we live in.  And we can see those mountains from our bedroom window.  It's a beautiful sight to see!

Seeing rainbows give me hope.  Hope for the futures.  Strength in the knowledge of the past.

Aloha my friends!