i doubt this could save me 15%

i had use the toilet. so i walk into the bathroom and was greeted by a lovely, long-tailed wild lizard sitting his butt on our toilet paper roll. i swear he was ready to pounce on my face (lindsey lohan's "parent trap" evil step-mother image popped into my head at that moment) so naturally i ran the heck outta there and screamed for brandon's help.

of course as most big, burly men of his type tend to think that we women enjoy indulging ourselves in little fits of drama here and there, brandon muttered something under his breath to the effect of: it's just a lizard, what's the big deal?

the big deal, my dear husband, is that my toilet paper roll (nor any other surface in the comforts that i call "home") is not the place for a small reptile to set up shop. i suppose he understood this notion of mine without me actually verbalizing it, because he immediately strolled into the bathroom to rescue his damsel in distress.

when he finally caught hold of it, he had to make sure that he "didn't hurt it" and set it free out in our front yard. nice.

oh, but my story does not end there...no siree.

my to-do list for that same day (probably just hours after the last incident) included washing the dishes. so i began putting cans & bottles into our recycling bag, and emptying out half-filled cups in the sink...and what comes sliding out of one of ahonui's juice cups?

yeeeeah. (sorry for the graphic pic, but you had to see it to feel what i felt). again, my dear husband came to my rescue -- this time without so much drama. just a lot of shivers and squiggles and washing of my hands.

lifestyles of the rich and relaxed

every so often my cousins from the mainland fly on down to hawaii for a visit and they invite the whole family (and i mean the WHOLE family...cousins, aunties, uncles, brothers, sisters) over for dinner and just to hang out. i'm always eager to see them and to catch up, and i especially enjoy the homes they vacation in!!

everytime we come over to one of their vacation homes, i am simply in awe. it's almost like as soon as i step outside on the lanai -- the stresses of life just automatically melt away...as if it's a requirement to relax! and i am definitely not one to decline that kind of opportunity.
 

there are also usually a ton of kids playing and running around, so ahonui expends quite a bit of his energy resources during our visit. so by the end of the day, he is knocked out and has had a day full of adventure.

looking forward to more good food, good company, and the good life!

a brief glimpse of my future

i had to leave work early today. mostly because i reached 40 hours by 2pm, and we aren't allowed to get overtime - but also because i didn't really feel like staying til 5pm! hehehe.

just a little update, i have decided (with brandon's permission, of course) to reduce my hours at work to 30 a week beginning this monday. this transition will result in my job description being altered quite a bit. i will be handling the walk-in students rather than taking appointments and counseling one on one with students. it may take some getting used to as with any other change we are faced with, but i'm thrilled for the new schedule! i plan on getting off of work at 2pm every day to have more time with ahonui and take care of the home. yessssssss!!!

so anyway, i figured today was a great a day as any to begin the new schedule. i dropped brandon off at work and headed home for some lunch. following the grindage (my made-up word that will be an upcoming laie slang - mark my words! lol) , i plopped myself on the couch and began my usual daily to-do list. realistic tasks such as "empty trash" and "pay bills" accompanied unlikely errands such as "wash car" or "complete power 90" on the piece of paper.

once i was done with my list, i picked up ahonui in kahuku and ran a few errands. he requested to watch "doweee" (translation: toy story 2) so i popped in the dvd. i sat with him for a bit while he watched and thought to myself... "i should probably get going on that list."

about an hour later, i woke up on the bed with ahonui crashed out next to me. i sure hope getting less hours at work will benefit our family with more than just an afternoon nap for me. something i'll need to work on, i guess. that's going on tomorrow's list (wink, wink).

dental crisis averted

i switched dentists. mainly because when my head felt like it was seriously going to explode from horrendous pain (explained in previous post), my last dentist's office simply gave me the runaround and treated me similar to how a child is treated when she has a scrape on her knee. after contacting my dentist a third time for the pain, they finally took an x-ray and determined that i needed TWO root canals done. what spectacular news! i knew i couldn't go back there after that visit.

i asked almost everyone i knew for dentist referrals. two of my fellow financial aid counselors (who are quite particular, by the way) go to the same dentist and referred me to dr. kumasaka in kaneohe. i promptly made an appointment with him and he accepted the task to do the root canals. i went in a few days later and right off requested the laughing gas. (when the last dentist numbed me to release the pressure in my mouth, i was shaking, crying, and felt like passing out from the pain that shot throughout my body - i wasn't about to experience that again). dr. kumasaka didn't think i needed it, but i told him that i have a very low pain tolerance so he hooked me up - literally.

didn't feel a thing after that point. the root canals were completed without so much as a hiccup and i am happy to report that i am now drug free! oh yeah, be wary of dentists that treat you like you need a band-aid for massive pain in your mouth & head.

introducing sarah

a little late on announcing this, i know. the freshest & newest nikora arrived on thursday evening, july 23rd. she has been named sarah uakea waimarama nikora, and is just so precious. i know this for a fact, even though she is sleeping every time i see her. congratulations marcus & nue!