Merry Mimas to One & All!! (This is how Tori wishes everyone a Merry Christmas)
As usual, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted. Life just takes over, and as much as I wish I could post every week, it just isn't going to happen. There are so many pictures that I have put them into mini digital scrapbooks. We hope you enjoy them. Be sure to click on them as some are interactive and they should all get bigger. Hopefully I will be able to do a few more updates in 2009!

Ever since Jolon's mom left in the beginning of November, things just seemed to speed by. Most events have been happy ones, but some not so good. We thought we would get a good start on the holidays by getting our tree up the week before Thanksgiving. We had a cold (ish) rainy day the Tuesday before and when I got home from work, it seemed like a good time to get it up. One of our radio stations had started playing Christmas music around the clock, so it made it even more appropriate. Tori loved it, especially since we started singing with the radio and dancing around. If there's music and dancing, Tori is your gal. She will be right in the middle of it. She has just LOVED the holiday season. More on that in a bit. Anyway, like I said we got a good start. Luckily our tree is pre-lit, because the decorations didn't get put on until mid-December. Jaydee's mom caught some kind of bug and that started her coughing which led to a sprained back. Between that and our work schedules, we got behind very quickly in the decorating department. But when all is said and done, Jolon got up all of our outside lights and inflatables, and we put out enough things in the house to make everything seem festive.

But I digress a bit. Seems like I have glossed over Thanksgiving, which seems to get little enough attention as it is. We had Thanksgiving at our house with my sister's family and a family friend. It was nice and we made all the traditional foods. Tori is a big turkey and mashed potatoes fan, so she gobbled everything up. She even got to eat her entire dinner by herself. She did a great job too. Not too much mess, even with the pumpkin pie! She is starting to eat more and more on her own with some help. She even knows when it is "too much."

The first weekend in December, we went to a create-your-own gingerbread house event which benefits our local Easter Seals Society. We had a fun time decorating our gingerbread house. Tori liked the frosting and looking at all the other houses. We want to do it again next year. She will be able to help a little bit more, and we got some great ideas from some veteran decorators!

The parent group at Jaydee's school had a Christmas party on December 12th. There were photos with Santa, dinner, and bingo. It was Tori's first up-close encounter with Santa. She has very quickly grasped the meaning of a lot of Christmas concepts, and Santa is no exception. She really wanted to see him until it was time to sit on his lap and take a picture. Wasn't going to happen without mom and dad. It was pretty funny, especially afterwards when all she could say was "Santa up!" She says that any time she wants something.

The week leading up to Christmas went by in a blur of coordinating schedules, Christmas programs, last minute decorating, and shopping. We were lucky in the shopping end as Tori didn't really pay too much attention to what we were doing. She got the idea that Santa brings presents, but couldn't grasp when or how. We had bought stuff a long time ago, and actually had too many things, so they are becoming birthday gifts. Tori helped Mommy make cookies for Santa using the wonderful cookie cutters Auntie Kristen and Uncle Dave sent last year, and we got to wear our Mommy & Tori aprons. It was tons of fun. Can't wait until next year to do it again!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I started my vacation this week, and on Monday some of my students came caroling. They were excited to be at their teacher's house and it was fun to have them over. They were all wearing reindeer antlers, and they made Tori her own Santa hat. Tori loved it. She even stood and sat with them and sang along Tori-style. Next year she just might be ready to go with caroling with them!

Make a Smilebox greeting

We went to the children's Mass on Christmas Eve. That was very different for us, especially for me since I love Midnight Mass. But we knew it would be too much for Tori and for us as we had been up a couple nights in a row until 3:00 finishing the Christmas baking, wrapping, etc. It was a nice Mass and Tori wore her new red velvet dress that Grandma (Jolon"s mom) made her from the velvet left over from our wedding. Tori looked adorable in that with white tights and black velvety shoes. She got a lot of oo's and ah's at church. Most people know her there and she is becoming quite knowledgeable in the ways of the service. She has just started giving the sign of peace which touches everyone. She turns around, sticks her little hand out and says, "Peace!"
We took a stuffed toy to leave at the manger and she was good about leaving it there although at first she wanted to exchange it for a big stuffed dog. All the toys were blessed during Mass and then given to needy children. After church we drove around downtown to look at the city lights. We came home, ate dinner and tucked a sleepy child in her crib and told her Santa was coming.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Christmas Day itself was fun but tiring. I don't know how people with more than two children do it. It was chaotic with just one! We tried to take pictures of Tori opening all of her gifts, but it was difficult. She is not a fan of the camera. You know how most kids want to pose and ham it up? Not ours. She turns into the Empress Dowager, all serious and straight-faced. Pictures of her smiling take a lot of coaxing. So you will see a lot of the top of her head, which if you notice, she is getting more hair! She received many lovely things and of course toys. She got a couple of dolls which she loves and has taken to being the "mommy" to her "babies." She also received a stroller, infant carrier, and bassinet to go with one of them and she thinks that is the greatest. Tori has had a cold for a couple of weeks and I thought it best to take her to the doctor yesterday. Well the baby had to go too, in her infant carrier. Her pediatrician loved it as well as everyone else as we walked into the office. She even talks to it and pats it on the back and tells me it's "wet." It's not a wetting kind of doll, so I am impressed with her pretending and imagination. We have had great fun watching her play with her new things and appreciate how generous everyone has been to her.




As I mentioned earlier, we have had some great times the past two months, but they have been tempered with great sadness, too. On December 15th, we had to put down our 18 year old cat, Hi'ilei. I hand-raised her from about 2 days old, so it was very hard on me. She wasn't always the most sociable pet, but we loved her and miss her very much. Then on December 18th, my good friend and Tori's godmother, Aulani, lost her 3 year battle with cancer. Although she had been very sick the past month, her passing was a surprise and shock. Please keep her, her family, and us in your thoughts and prayers.

We end this year with our 7th wedding anniversary on December 29th. We can't believe how quickly the time goes by. We are thankful this year for many things, but by far our greatest gift and blessing has been our daughter Tori coming into our lives. She is definitely our joy. May you be happy and healthy in 2009.

Wow, here we are on this historic night in our nation's history, electing the first African-American president, (who I have to say is originally from our state and graduated three years behind me from the same high school) and I felt I should reflect back on the last three weeks and some new 'firsts" in Tori's life.


Jolon's mom has been here visiting us since October 14th. She couldn't wait too much longer to meet Miss Tori! Tori was a great helper getting ready for Grandma Pam's visit. She had the dust cloth moving over everything, including the dogs!We have been very busy with the first visit by Grandma Pam from Australia. It took a little bit of time for Tori to get used to her being here, but now she is quite comfortable. Of course the daily wrapped present of either an Aussie stuffed toy, or book, or little bag helped get over the initial uncertainty.

We had fun celebrating Mommy's 50th birthday, which doesn't seem possible, but was made easier by having Tori around. We played spritz the cold water on Tori's face while eating dinner at Outback for the occasion. Tori squealed with delight.

That weekend was a very busy one. That Sunday we went out to Kapolei to the pumpkin patch at Aloun Farms. It was a first for Daddy, Mommy, and Grandma, too. A lot of the pumpkins had been harvested, but there were still a few on the vines, and we got to pick out our own for the house. It has been fun teaching Tori new words for the holiday and she can just about say pumpkin. She loved going up and over the rows of vines in the patch.

The next weekend on the 24th, we ventured over to Maui. We thought it would be a good way to celebrate Mommy's birthday and Tutu's birthday which is Halloween, and also Grandma's visit. We thought it might be fun to take the SuperFerry so that we could also take our van and all of Tori's stuff, like her playpen to sleep in. The ferry is beautiful and VERY well run. We were very impressed. It is a beautiful three hour trip, but if you are prone to seasickness like Mommy, not so fun. She spent the ride over on the deck with the cold wind blowing in her face. She didn't feed the fish, but she didn't feel too good. However the ride back was spectacular and she was not queasy at all. It was just wonderful seeing the islands from a different perspective. It was also great taking our own car and not having to worry about how much we could take or what the suitcases weighed.

We had a great time strolling along Front St. in Lahaina, riding the Sugar Cane Train, and visiting the Surfing Goat Dairy on the slopes of Haleakala. All of these were firsts for Tori. She loved all of it, especially the train and feeding the goats. Of course it wouldn't be a vacation, even a mini one like this, without some time in the pool. Tori continues to love the water and it was her first time in a big in-ground pool. To our surprise and relief, she had a healthy fear of it and wouldn't venture from the steps unless we were holding her. Smart girl.

We had a wonderful time on Maui and look forward to more neighbor island trips. We love the photo of Tori with the Grandmas, and Mommy loves the photo of Tori on the ferry coming home. She looks so sweet and happy.Tori's first Halloween. What fun! We decorated our house with ghosts and witches and spider webs. Outside on the lanai we had a 4 ft. blow-up Frankenstein. Tori absolutely loved it. She had to go out every night and give it a hug. She liked to pretend she was a ghost and say, "Ahhhhhh...woooooo.....BOO!" Since we had brought home a couple of pumpkins from the farm, we also had to carve them. Since it is so humid here, we couldn't carve them until the 30th. What a great time we had on the floor scooping out the "guts." Tori thought it would be fun to throw the stringy mess up in the air and see where it landed. Right on top of her and Mommy and Kiwi. It's such an awesome thing to experience and see these traditional activities through her eyes. We love starting our own traditions with her.

Grandma Pam made Tori an adorable pumpkin outfit to wear trick-or-treating. We went to Kahala Mall so we could celebrate dinner afterwards for Tutu's 83rd birthday. We tried not to make a big deal of the costume so Tori would think it was just different clothes. We had tried it on her a few days earlier and we didn't think she would wear the cute hat. Well when we got to the mall, she not only decided to wear the hat for two hours, she also insisted on wearing her sunglasses...indoors...at night. As her godmother,. Aunty Aulani said, "a pumpkin with attitude." Tori was very serious about this trick-or-treating; she insisted on walking to all the stores herself, never cracked a smile, held on to her pail of treats, and said "xie xie" (thank you) after she received each treat. People, even ones with kids her age, commented on her seriousness and of course cuteness. She finally took off the hat and glasses for dinner, and was very happy to turn the treats over as long as she could have her pail. It was a great memory maker.

We have had a wonderful time having Grandma Pam visit and experiencing so many "firsts." As we inch/speed closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are excited by what these holidays mean and helping Tori learn about them and love them as much as we do. Please remember to check back to the blog. Jaydee is going to try and post more frequently.

Tori turns 21 months on Thursday and it will be 6 months since we became a forever family. It is incredible to believe we have been parents for half a year! Thank you so much for all your love and support.

Tori had another "first" today. She attended her very first birthday party. The daughter of one of Daddy's co-workers celebrated her first birthday this afternoon. First birthdays are a very big deal in Hawaii and her parents went all out. They served the traditional Hawaiian food, so Tori also had her first taste of kalua pig, poi, squid luau, chicken long rice, and haupia. She is so willing to try just about anything we give her, and there was nothing she didn't like. But by far her favorite was the haupia, which is like a very firm coconut jello/pudding type dessert. We have to say it was really delicious with bits of fresh coconut in it. We decided that since it was a party, a few sugar-laden treats were OK. So she also had her first taste of cotton candy and a slushy/slurpee type drink. Of course she liked them both.

A very big first was her first ride on a pony. We weren't sure how Tori would react, but like everything else she went with the flow. She didn't even hesitate when we put her on the pony. Daddy walked around with her and she even leaned forward to pat it and play with its mane.

We are always impressed by her willingness to try things. She is always very observant and serious but gets right in there. Tori acted the same way when it was time to sing Happy Birthday and to watch a magic show. She sat right in the middle of the other kids. She's fine as long as she can see us. However, she sat by Mommy when Daddy was the magician's assistant ,and she wasn't really sure why Daddy was dressed up like a baby. But she watched intently. It really was a fun night for her, and Tori received her fair share of goodies to take home which included a little fish bowl with four fish and her own personal goodie bag. She went to bed a very happy little girl and fell asleep very, very quickly.

We are preparing for another first for Tori, Grandma's arrival from Australia on Tuesday. We are sure the next three weeks will be a very special time for all of us.

Well here it is already October! We can't believe it has been a month since we have posted. We apologize to all of you who are trying to be part of a devoted following, but there is so much going on that by the time either of us has the time to post, all we want to do is sleep!

Tori's most used word is "helping." She uses this for everything, from taking a bath, to putting her diaper in the pail, to walking Wiwi while sitting in her stroller. Here she is "helping" to put the trash can back under the kitchen sink.

Today Tori is 20 months old. We can hardly believe that we have had her for 5 months! Sometimes it seems as if we have always had her and other times it seems like we just got her. She has made a total transition and now it is just the changes and discoveries that happen daily that we all delight in experiencing. Tori is, for the most part, a very happy baby. She seems to roll with whatever comes her way, and new people and situations don't throw her too much. She is a bit cautious at first and very observant, (both of which we think are very good things) but once she thinks that a situation is OK, she jumps right in. She loves to sing and dance, and leads the way at Gymboree and dances to any type of music at home, usually with her stuffed duck. Tori's vocabulary continues to grow at an amazing rate and is starting to put two words together. She loves to go out and the first words out of her mouth when she knows we are leaving are "shoes on." This of course sounds like one word, more like"shoozon." She takes after Jaydee, they both love shoes!

On September 6 Tori was baptized into the Catholic Church. It was a lovely ceremony, even if Tori did have a cold. Her godparents, Uncle Michael and Auntie Aulani, are two of our closest friends and Jaydee's co-workers. Tori was baptized by the vicar general of the diocese, a special honor indeed. Jaydee has known Fr. Marc for about 25 years, since before he became a priest. Tori was very well-behaved during the rite itself and wanted to put her whole head in the baptismal font. Mommy had practiced in the bathtub so it wouldn't be too surprising and Tori seemed to know exactly what was going to happen. After Mass we had a yummy dinner at P.F. Chang's. Tori loved the fried rice.

We love experiencing all the "firsts." This is Tori's first autumn, and even though we don't really experience the seasons here in Hawaii, we like to pretend that we do! Autumn is Jaydee's favorite season, and so she likes to get out the decorations and try and get into the whole spirit of the season as we head into the holidays. So of course she couldn't resist the Halloween jammies which went on sale at Macy's and Wal-Mart very early this year. Tutu, at almost age 83, retired after 36 years of nursing at a retirement residence last weekend. We got her some fall flowers, balloons, and since her birthday is Halloween, we couldn't resist a cute ghost. Tori is also learning about Halloween and seems to love ghosts. She says "woooooooo and Boo!" What better way to show off all the goodies (and Tori) with a few pictures on the dining room table. Her jammies say Wickedly Cute on them, and she is, with wickedly some days being the operative word!

Yesterday as we were driving home from Costco, it suddenly started pouring rain. It didn't last long, but when we got home the water was coming off the garage roof. We let Tori play in it for a while and she absolutely loved it! The water was warm, and it was so much fun to see her delight in splashng her feet and wiggling her toes in the small puddle.

We went to Wal-Mart on Friday, (one of our favorite places) and found an Elmo sprinkler on sale. Tori now loves all things Elmo, especially her sippee cups which have Elmo and Zoe on them, so the sprinkler was exciting for her just because it was Elmo. This afternoon we set it up and let her have some water fun in the yard. She was wary at first, but then got right on in. She even wrapped it up in a towel to dry him off after she was finished.

After our shopping foray at Wal-Mart we went to dinner at Dave-n-Buster's. This was also another first for Tori. She was in an excellent mood and was entertaining all the other patrons of this lively eatery. Daddy snapped this picture on his cell phone. It is rare we see such a huge natural smile from her when it is time to snap a photo!

And for our final first of this post, we went to McDonald's today, and Tori decided she wanted some ketchup on her chicken nuggets. Any previous attempts at condiments were met with a quick and decisive spitting out of whatever was in her mouth. But today after watching Daddy dunk his fries in ketchup, (a sacrilege as far as Jaydee is concerned when it comes to McDonald's fries) Tori decided she wanted some too.
Jolon's mom comes to visit us, well actually Tori, in a week. We are looking forward to her visit and will be spending a weekend on Maui to celebrate her holiday as well as Tutu's birthday and Jaydee's 50th! She is almost aghast at the thought of it. Keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as you are in ours. Enjoy the beautiful season of autumn or spring for our friends and family Down Under!