Easter 2009

Easter Festivities started Friday night by coloring the eggs! We had a great time. . .we were afraid of giving Mason an egg thinking he'd smash it, so we sat him in his chair so he could watch Aidan. He watched for a while, but after 5 minutes that just wasn't good enough anymore. . .
Delvin sat him on his lap and I gave him an egg and a crayon and he was one happy kid! He was so gentle with the egg and colored all over it! He then ran over and wanted to put it in the dye. Again he was so gentle putting it in! He was so excited to be doing it. . .he made 4 eggs and I think they are my favorite ones!!!!

Saturday we went to our traditional Easter Egg Hunt at my brothers place. This year there were so many eggs they were laying everywhere imaginable! There were more than 30 kids this year as well! I was so occupied with helping Mason I didn't even see Aidan until his basket was full! Mason was hilarious with the eggs, he wasn't interested in getting lots of eggs, he just wanted to have one in each hand and walk around shaking them! It was so funny!
Mason is a whiz at unwrappping those chocolate eggs and would pop them in his mouth before I could catch him. After I put his candy away he walked around snatching chocolate eggs out of all the other kids baskets!!!! Everyone commented on how darling he is and how much he looks like his brother!
Easter day was great! We woke up to Aidan begging us to wake up at 7:00 AM. I hadn't slept most of the night so I was not getting up that early! We laid in bed trying to go back to sleep, but for the next hour Aidan asked every 5 minutes "can we get up now?" Finally, I got up and Aidan had given up and fallen back to sleep! HA HA! Amazingly, Mason was sleeping in. . .We had to wake the boys up at 9:00! We had chocolate chip pancakes (our favorite fun breakfast) and the boys had fun checking out their baskets and hunting for eggs. Mason was again happy with one it each hand, but then he did finally start putting them in his basket and gathering as many as possible!
Aidan got really into egg hunting this year. . .here's Saturday nights conversation:
Aidan: Can I help you guys hide some of the eggs this year?
Delvin & Julie (playing stupid): Well, we can asked the Easter Bunny to leave you some to hide.
Aidan: Um, you guys know that I know now and it's my job to help you make it fun for Mason, remember?
Julie: OK, well we'll have the Easter Bunny hide a dozen and you can hide the other dozen.
Aidan: No, I only want to hide two!
Ha Ha - he was so funny - after they found the eggs he made us go in the other room and he hid all the eggs and made us find them. It was pretty fun.
Best egg hiding spots this year: inside the Jack-in-the-box, Mason's dump truck, toaster oven, inside the circular spice rack!

We had a wonderful Easter dinner at the Magelsens! I failed to get a picture of the betrothed together, but Kristina sat on Delvins lap for awhile and let him read her a book. She doesn't usually do that, so it was a rare sweet moment!

Mason Moments

I've been delinquent on my blogging posts again! I've been a bit preoccupied with health problems. So, Mason is SUPER cute lately! Getting cuter every day! He is really into mimicking everything we do. . . Delvin sprained his ankle and was limping for at least a week and Mason started walking with the funny hop. We realized that he was mimicking Delvin's limp! Ha Ha Ha! Then when I was recovering from my heart procedure last week, I laid down on the couch and put a blanket over me. Mason quickly pulled the blanket off of me, got a pillow and went over to his little bench and laid down just how I was!! Was a riot! We were busting up - he's so funny!

Two nights ago we had some friends with a 9 hour layover on their international move. So we picked them up and brought them home for dinner etc. The older kids were outside playing and we kept the little boys inside. They were so obsessed with trying to go outside to play. They couldn't reach the door lock and so pulled the bench to the door, unlocked the door, but then couldn't figure out why they couldn't open the door (the bench was blocking it). Ha ha - we sat there and laughed - he's figuring things out so quickly it's just a matter of time before he gets that door open - then we're in real trouble!!!!!

Today we got Mason a seat for the bike. Hooray! He was so excited! I was enjoying biking before all these medical problems arose. . .for now he can enjoy it with dad and hopefully soon we'll be hitting Centennial Trail regularly!!!
As I mentioned before Mason has really been into mimicking lately. He's been saying all sorts of new words the last two weeks and even has some two syllable ones in there. Yesterday and again today he repeated the entire alphabet letter by letter!!! It was hilarious to hear him try to say some of the harder letters, but he was really into it. Oh these kids are sooooooo much fun!

On Your Marks, Get Set, Gooooooooo!

Tonight was Aidan's Pinewood Derby! What fun! The sound of 22 cub scouts and their families cheering on those cars was priceless! Aidan designed an awesome car! It had a lot of style! He made sure to have a ledge so he could have a lego steering wheel glued in with a lego man!

Here it is on the blocks ready to race against Josh!Aidan named his car "Pau Pau" and he won the award for "Best Name"! Ha ha ha ha - everyone had a huge laugh when he was given the award at the end. They asked him to tell everyone what Pau Pau means and Aidan said it is Samoan for boogers! In the car on the way home Aidan was coming up with all kinds of other Samoan names for his car next year - ha ha ha ha - can't wait!

How Cute!

As I was trying to put Mason down for a nap today he squirmed away and took off into the kitchen. I found he had climbed up on the barstool and found the applesauce I left on the counter!When he flashed me this smile I didn't care so much about the mess he made! What a cutie pie!!

Aidan's Pizza Photography!

Aidan really enjoys taking pictures! Tonight some friends came over and brought Papa Murphy's Chicago Style Stuffed Pizza!!!! Ohhhhhh WOW!!!!!!! That was some pizza! I don't think I could ever eat normal pizza again. . .it was soooooooooo good! Anyway, Aidan had to have pictures. I took some and he took some and his were so much better than mine!!! I was very impressed! Check them out!

Big Boy Bed!

Mason got a toddler bed today - thanks to some friends! He was soooo excited when I brought it home tonight! He crawled right into it and knew right away that it was his!
Thanks Davis Family!!!!!

Ball Ball Ball Ball Ball Ball

Mason has moved on from the vacuum cleaner to the ball! He loves basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, bowling balls, bouncy balls, any ball!!!!!! He doesn't care much for cartoons, he prefers ESPN! Yes - he goes crazy when he see a basketball game! He walks around the house yelling out "ball, ball, ball, ball, ball". I have even heard him say "Ball" in his sleep! Looks like we have a future athlete here!!

So I sent Delvin on the hunt for a small basketball hoop one day and I came home from work to find a basketball hoop screwed into the wall in my living room! He couldn't have put it in the hallway, the boys bedroom or the den! No!! It's in the living room! Men! Well after watching him play with it and having so much and being so happy about it I can't help but be sweet talked into letting it stay!

Messy Face!

My boys enjoyed their food this week!

Reverently, Quietly

Mason has now learned to fold his arms!! It's so cute. . .melts my little heart! He folds his arms during prayers, but today during church he had a container of raisins he wasn't about to let go of for the prayer, so he folded one arm up around his neck. . .it was so funny Delvin and I were laughing through the prayer - discreetly laughing - so irreverent!

Winning Isn't Everything!!!!!!

You've got to read this story - this is the kind of love I want my kids to show to others throughout their lives. . .click here!

Catching up!

I have much catching up to do. . .again! Well, much has happened in the Tapusoa home, here's my quick recap. . .

Aidan and Delvin planted trees at property our church owns. . .they had a good time!

Grandma had a Birthday - she's 29 again!


























Aidan's first Scout Sunday - the scouts wear their uniforms to church!



















Here's a few of the other Wolves on Scout Sunday!




We made cookies to have pics to go in his class cookie cookbook!
Aidan choose Peanut Butter and Homemade Oreo recipes to be in there.


















He decided to get creative!

Then there was Valentines Day


And some cute pics I got today while trying to get a pic of Mason puckering up. He has now transitioned to the "closed mouth kiss" and he has the cutest pucker!!!!! I never got a pic of it because the dang camera flashes 10 times before actually taking the pic and is distracts him. It's darn cute though - wish you could see it!
hmmm. . .let me stick my thumb in my ear!

There. . .now I'm somewhat caught up . . .and I'm off to bed!

16 Teeth!

Last week Mason cut his 12th tooth. . .so I thought. Later in the week I was looking at that 3rd molar that had cut through and started thinking it looked like he had more than 12 teeth. So I counted and there were 15 - how did I miss 3 teeth??? Hello - no wonder he's been drooling like a mad dog with a runny nose that never stops! AND - he cut a 4th molar today, bringing him up to 16 teeth! That's 5 teeth he's cut in 5 weeks - poor kid - no wonder he wants to chew and eat constantly! And to top of it all I weened him 2 1/2 weeks ago. . .took away his comfort during such a painful time - he's had it rough!

I know I should have a picture of all those teeth, but he's sleeping and this is the only time I've had to make a post, so I'll try to get one in the next few days and add it.

25 Random things you might not know about Julie

I was tagged a few weeks ago, but reading Kamilli's today inspired me to actually do it!

1. I've always wanted to go skydiving and the one time I had the opportunity to do it, I didn't. I've regretted it ever since!

2. I love candles and it makes me happy that my husband loves them too!

3. I HATE glasses - yes, the eyewear. When I was young I had a muscle problem that made my eyes cross when I read so I would see double. In 3rd grade they made me wear these glasses with prisms in them which forced my eyes to stay straight when I read. The side effects were that I was dizzy and nauseous and had horrible headaches. I HATED those glasses and begged for contacts. I finally got contacts in 6th grade and life was a beautiful thing!

4. I don't really like to read. . .due much in part by the problem with my eyes - but also in part because of the book "White Fang" in the 7th grade. I just couldn't get into that book, there was something about it that I really hated. . . because of that book I was getting an "F" in English class at mid-term. I was able to raise it to a "C" by the end of the term, but I was devastated! That was the only time I ever got a "C". That book and my eyes totally ruined reading for me. There's only one series of books I've ever really been able to enjoy. . .

5. Which brings me to my love of the Harry Potter world - when I read (or watch the movies) I actually enter into the magical world and think I am magic. I go about my normal business at work and home doing spells on my husband, children and co-workers. I have delusions that I can apparate. I constantly analyze every character and event trying to figure out what will happen next, only I've read all the books now and know what happens so instead I now think about "what if" something would've happened differently, "how would things have turned out if. . ." When I finish a Harry Potter book it takes me a good week to snap back into reality. I wonder if there will be a mental diagnosis in the DSM V for this?

6. A couple years ago I had a secret crush on Zac Efron. Kind of embarrassing to have a crush on a teenager, but there was something about that hair, those eyes, that smile in HSM that made me watch it over and over again just to see him.

7. As a child I loved movies - movies that I could pop in the VCR and rewind over and over again so I could sing and dance to every song. I still know the entire script, songs and movements to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Savannah Smiles", and any Hailey Mills movie: "Parent Trap", "Summer Magic" etc.

8. I love Nick-at-Night! I often stay up way too late because I'm watching reruns (that I've seen a dozen times) of Cosby Show, Tool Time and believe it or not George Lopez.

9. Even though my house feels too small and I don't love the neighborhood, and we don't have a garage. . . I will cry deeply when we move out - I love it so much and I don't know how I could ever live without this kitchen - it's has completely spoiled me!

10. I bite my baby boys finger nails. . .it's so much easier to bite off the edge and pull it off then to clip them. I didn't do this to my older son, but I'm telling you it is way better than accidentally cutting their little fingers with those stupid clippers!

11. There is always at least one room in my house that is a complete and utter disaster! When company comes it is inevitable that things get thrown in that room and the door shut and locked - can't risk the door accidentally getting opened and someone seeing that mess! No matter how many times I try to have every room in the house clean at the same time, it just doesn't work. ARGH!

12. I try so hard to be organized and often wonder why I bother trying!

13. I catch myself saying things to my kids that my mother said to me when I was young. They are the things that I HATED and swore I'd NEVER say to my kids! I finally understand my mom in many ways!

14. When I was a teenager I would get so angry with adults and say "You just don't understand what's it's like to be a teenager. . .When I'm older I'll never forget what it's like to be this age." Now that I'm in my 30's I've forgotten what it's really like to be a teenager. I don't understand them at all! Imagine how much worse it will be when my kids are teenagers!

15. The older I get, the less intelligent I feel. . .

16. After my sinus surgery, two years ago, the most amazing things came out of my nose! There was a booger that I swore could've been put down in the Guiness Book of World Records as "Biggest Booger in the World". If it hadn't shriveled up when it dried out I would've tried to sell it on Ebay!

17. I love to use Exclamation Points when I write!!!!!! It makes me feel like what I'm saying actually sounds important and interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

18. The best teacher I ever had in my whole life, by far, was my AP English teacher Jr & Sr year of High School. She was better than all my college professors put together! Mrs. Neer still has a very dear place in my heart. She should win all the awards!

19. When I lead exercise groups with my psych patients at work, I feel like such a hypocrite!

20. The only form of exercise I've ever enjoyed is dancing: tap, ballet, folk, ballroom, clogging, Irish. I danced all growing up - through college, was on dance teams and even have a minor in dance. I haven't danced since college - I miss it terribly.

21. When I'm really excited about something I look for a private place so I can jump up and down like a little kid to celebrate!

22. I like to randomly make strange faces and body poses, to which my husband usually laughs and says "What was that?"

23. I'm not very disciplined. Sometimes I wish I were, but sometimes I'm glad I'm not!

24. I still don't know how to properly use a comma. Maybe my AP English teacher wasn't as good a I think she was, or maybe I just relied on my mom's proofreading too much (and still do. . .I had to consult her for my use of commas in #23)!

25. I thought this would be so hard, but it really wasn't. It was actually somewhat therapeutic!!!!

Driftwood Forts

Aidan and Delvin went out fishing on New Years' Day. We were out on Whidbey Island spending time at my mom's . There's a lot of driftwood at the beach there and Delvin saw this as an opportunity to teach Aidan some sheltering skills. Aidan was so excited to take me back to see the "fort".

GRRRRR!

I haven't had time to blog lately and finally got a quick minute to change things from Christmas back to the everyday. . . well, this has not been a "quick minute" as it was supposed to be. . .The cutest blog on the block website is down so I went to pyzam and when I chose a background and followed the instructions it also deleted my whole right column (links, widgets etc.) GRRRRRRRR! I can't believe I have to redo that now! I was only planning to use the background until cutest block on the block was back up anyway, because I don't really like the pyzam backgrounds and I didn't have time to search for another site. Anyway - after that I went to close out pyzam and saw this one with the bears and since I'd been sitting here saying "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" I figured the bears were a better choice right now! Now, when will I find the time to redo my links and widgets???? GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Stories!

A great Christmas Day was had by the Tapusoa Family!

Aidan asked the big Santa question a few weeks ago. . .I blew it while teaching his primary class at church when Aidan, teasing me, asked "Did the Easter Bunny board the Ark?" and I answered "Magical creatures didn't need to get on the Ark". Hello??? I had to say that?. . .I didn't think to say "The Easter Bunny wasn't born yet." So, on the way home from church Aidan came out with it saying "So, Mom, is this whole Santa thing really real?" Gulp! I'm hoping other kids in the class weren't making the same connection! No parents called me up asking what on earth I was teaching their kid, so that was good, I guess! It turned into a really good conversation and Aidan may not be hearing the sleigh bells ring anymore, but he is excited about helping us make it fun for Mason for the next several years.

As a State employee, I don't get any bonuses at work, but Delvin had a customer that was really appreciative of all the work Delvin did for him this year and gave Delvin a Christmas bonus. . .thankfully this enabled Santa to get Aidan what he really wanted this year! Aidan was truly shocked! "I didn't think I'd get it 'cause it's really expensive!" The look on his face was priceless!

Mason was darling while opening presents. . .he was, of course, more interested in the boxes then unwrapping or playing with the gifts, that is until he opened up the vacuum! He immediately vacuumed the whole house. . .too bad it's not real!
Grandma was with us and she got such a kick out of the Aqua Globes we gave her - it was hilarious. . .My brother's family came over to pick up mom for dinner and we spent some fun time with them before heading out to our Polynesian Feast! We had dinner with the Fifita's! Latu made a huge array of Polynesian foods, Delvin cooked the fish and it really was spectacular! I will add pics when they email to me (I, of course, left the memory stick in the computer! -duh)

It was a perfect Christmas (except for Mason falling down the Fifita's staircase - everyone thought I was being overly cautious with him and those stairs, so the one time I let my guard down. . . he tumbled all the way down - never question a mothers' gut!) Christmas was filled with snow, great gifts, love of family and friends, and a wonderful spirit of the true meaning of Christmas in celebrating the birth of Christ! What a great day! It all went by too fast, I'm in denial that it's over. . .I think I'll leave my Christmas playlist and background up for awhile until I decide to jump back to reality!

SNOW SNOW EVERYWHERE!

The snow is so unusual for us - This is the first year in the past 7+ years we've lived in Washington that the snow has stayed on the ground for more than 1 or 2 days. It's been over a week and it's not just a tiny bit of snow - we have at least 18+ inches of it - it is soooo much fun! I've gotten called off work twice now and numerous places are shut down, school was closed the last three days before the winter break. It's so different, but really quite fun! Delvin decided to be original he would build our snowman on the roof!!!
Saturday, we went to my brother's house to play in the snow with them - the drive was sooooo beautiful! We rarely have temperatures below freezing - it's been well below freezing for over a week.
We had a lot of fun in the snow. . .my brother and Delvin built a ramp of snow up to a tree stump and we had a blast flying off of it. . .Aidan was the first who decided to go down it backward. . .he ended up going down without the sled - it was hilarious!
Aidan got very adventurous on the hills! I was very proud of his adventurous side!!!!!

My snow boys!!

Vacuum Obsession

Mason - is obsessed with the vacuum! He squealed a few weeks ago when we were at the store and he saw a toy vacuum cleaner. . .guess what Santa will be bringing him this year!!!

A Budding Romance!

Here's a story I've been meaning to post. . .Delvin babysat Kristina a few weeks ago. He put her in the Lazy Boy and Mason crawled up on it, sat down next to her and put his arm around her! How cute was that one? Wish I was there to see it! The romance is budding already!

Lack Motivation

I have lacked motivation lately to post anything. . .the creative juices just aren't flowing! My nephew, Orion, is sleeping over tonight (we're assuming school will be canceled again tomorrow!) Here's a funny pic of the boys! Maybe my motivation will come back one of these days!