PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

IMG_3921
Originally uploaded by jo_annie

And here it is...

Em Jay's NEW smile!!!! As my friend Stace says... builds character!

I'm over it-- the being sad part I mean...and will of course LOVE it , and teach em jay to LOVE it too!!!!

RANDOM UPDATES

• two weekends ago we celebrated my yakudoshi birthday singing karaoke at toma. the play list included...what's up (4 non-blondes), ice ice baby (vanilla ice), right stuff (new kids on the block) -- complete with the dance moves, and regulate (warren g) -- sung by marc!! I don't think he'll be too thrilled when he reads this and sees his photo of the performance below:

• this past weekend we flew to maui to visit marc's family (mom, dad, brother, sister in law, niece, and nephews) and friends, and go to the maui county fair.  it was a really good fair!  I was very impressed.  em jay rode the ferris wheel (she calls it ferry wheel) and big slide for the very first time and loved it.

• we also ate at paia fish market for the first time.  I had a chicken quesadilla and marc had the fish and chips...

•  we hung out with friends...

•  and had a fabulous time...

•  see em's perfect little teeth in the above photo. take a good look because it's the last time you'll see them that way...

• today was quite possibly one of the worst in awhile.  it started off with some frustrations at work which I won't get into because I really don't want to say negative things or details about such a great organization. but basically I cried / had a meltdown. and what kept me from leaving-- was the fact that if I don't work, marc and I will not afford our mortgage. we'd lose our house. and we really would not like to ask my parents (or his) to help us...so there. a good reason to stick it out.  and of course on top of that, I teach accountability in the workplace. it's my responsibility to see what can be done before making any rash decisions like that.  and at a deeper level, I really do believe in our agency and what we do.  and frustrations happen at all workplaces no matter where you go...

• then this evening, em is running around and playing with family friends and falls flat on her face... on the tile.  she starts crying. I ran to pick her up and she said "my teeth!" I looked at her teeth and saw it.  a HUGE chip on her front tooth. and a small chip on the other.  I, who am usually a very calm person. freaked! partly because I have a thing about teeth.  I have nightmares about loose, or falling out teeth. partly because I had a particularly bad day, and partly because I couldn't stand to see her crying, and was sad that my perfect little girl, with a perfect little smile...has a HUGE chipped tooth!  after a little while she was completely fine.  except that she kept touching the tooth with her finger, or her tongue or lip because of the jagged edges.  after we saw she was okay, I stepped away to cry.  for em's accident, and for my rather trying day.  I just cried.  then pulled myself together because although work was stressful, and em's tooth is chipped-- in the scheme of things...it's not that bad-- it could have been worse and for that I am thankful.

• we're taking her in tomorrow to have it checked out for damage to the root, and  see what they can do about it.  I made the mistake of looking on the internet (don't do that) and freaking myself out even more after reading that they do x-rays to rule out permanent damage to the root and future permanent teeth.  hopefully everything is just fine and he can file down some of the jaggedy part. 

• there's a million possible bad things that can happen to a child.  I always have to rationalize them out of my head. or I drive myself crazy, and I know I have to let her live (and myself) without irrational fears and just be a child. will it be that way for life now that I'm a mommy??  will I always WORRY???  I suppose so.  I've really learned just how much being a mom also entails letting go... the very thing we instinctively don't want to do as mothers.  we want to hold, and protect, and keep them to ourselves forever.  but really we need to teach, and trust, and let them grow wings...and be their own person. teach them how to be in the world without us someday. I'm learning. I'm learning. I'm learning. I'm also learning that there is a reason why we tell kids not to run around on the tile--I take responsibility for not stopping her.  now to go enforce it is another story...

KIND-HEARTED BLOGGER

I am so happy to announce that the KIND-HEARTED BLOGGER campaign has reached 125 pledges!!!! Wonderful!!!

Here is the winner of the 1st giveaway.  I drew a number (random number generator) out of 101.  It was 30.  Sadly, I couldn't "save and copy" the little box to show proof, so this is pure "honor system"...

Tiffany, from Bread Without Butter

Tiffany, I will contact you for you address...

FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS... FOR ADULTS

remember those friendship bracelets we used to make when we were kids? I'm loving them again... especially modern ones like these...

 from brooklyn thread

from thief and bandit

from erban fiber

from anaosgoodjewelry

from ayofemijewelry

from plume and bloom

from lucky brand (zappos)

from juicy couture (revolve)

here's one I made...I was inspired by the summer of love class by kara haupt--we used them as book bindings!

and here's a great website full of tutorials!   

p.s. going to announce the winner of my kind-hearted blogger giveaway tonight or tomorrow morning.  sorry for the delay, also still waiting for one of the prizes to arrive.  be back soon!

EM'S BIRTHDAY PARTY WEEKEND

first of all...my sister bought me the cutest dunny... DJ LANCE ROCK!! 

we spent saturday at my aunty's house celebrating em's birthday...

jen made these cupcake toppers...

on sunday, we spent time with em's aunty jen since she is on oahu for a visit... we went to the haleiwa farmer's market...

em's checkin' out the tomatoes--her favorite food!

we had lunch at kua'aina, here's em munching on carrots (they give them with your sandwich)

then we headed to matsumoto's for shave ice!!!

FUN!  hope your weekend was just as grand!

EM JAY IS TURNING TWO!

Emily Jay's Birthday is tomorrow (Wednesday).  Last year we threw her a big 1st Birthday Bash with 150 of our extended family and friends.  In Hawaii, it's customary to throw HUGE first birthdays.

Our theme was SUPER MARIO...

my sister painted these games... BOWSER BEAN BAG TOSS:

and a little bit of PIPE FISHING (notice the cheep cheeps):

we also had a photo sticker booth...

and a guest appearance by MARIO and LUIGI!!

On the menu... HAWAIIAN FOOD:

(clockwise left to right: squid luau, ahi poke and lomi salmon, haupia cake and okinawan sweet potato, poi, kalua pig, and chicken long rice.) YUMMY. YUMMY.

This year we're going for a smaller party with family, and close friends.  The theme... YO GABBA GABBA.  I'm excited about this one.  I wanted to share some FABULOUS yo gabba finds I stumbled across while planning Em's party.  Although we aren't incorporating them, they are fantastic inspiration!

brobee pretzels from delightful chocolates

oreo cookie favors by favors galore n more

ticket invitations by fine line stationery

dj lance amigurumi by crafty is cool

printable balloon embellishments by ry creations

dj lance pillow cover by tony and treet c

I will hopefully have lots of pictures to share from Em's YO GABBA party this weekend...including cute, and EASY d.i.y. cupcake toppers!

EMILY JAY

JUST A FEW NEW PHOTOS...

Em wearing Little Machine Machine:

She just learned to Shaka!:

And my mom bought her the cutest little boots from her Seattle trip.  Unfortunately this will be the only time she'll wear them since it took 20 minutes to get them on!  Luckily I got a photo.  She's also wearing Aunty Jen's scarf...

Happy, Happy...