The Ohana Mama

{this post is in response to Mabel’s Labels Blogher 10 contest.  The scenario: “Electrical storms are going to wipe out the Internet (perhaps forever). You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere in 300 words or less?” I have chosen to write my last post to my kids. This should have been my very first post ever, it seems the most important. Thank you Mabel Labels for the chance and a reminder to never forget your passions!}

My children, this is for you.

I have lived my life through dreams. Sometimes my dreams were written on paper. Other times they were kept in my head; played out in my mind as if a movie on a screen. I could literally see them. My life is what it is because of those dreams.

When I was a young girl, I dreamed of meeting a man and falling in love. I wanted a true love story.  I am and have always been the hopeless romantic. I met your dad in high school, and with one look we fell in love.  I will forever remember his smile that day.  It’s the same one I saw when I walked down the aisle to marry him and the same one that was plastered on his face the day each of you were born.

When I was in high school, I’d imagine moving to Italy; sipping cappuccinos by the Duomo, learning Italian, having adventures all over Europe. You’ve seen my pictures and heard some stories…yep that dream came true too.

When I graduated from college I made up a list of dreams…

1. Marry at 24
2. Have our first child at 26
3. Have my second child by 30
4. Move to a far away land to raise my children

One by one, my dreams became reality.

My passion, quite simply, has been to dream. Without dreams and daydreaming, imaginary play in my head, I may not have realized it when love struck me.  I may not have appreciated that cappuccino by the Duomo. I may not have had you.

Dream my children. Dream big. Have passion. Dream it, believe it and one day you will achieve it. That is my dream for you.

Check out my “Five things to do with kids on Maui” post over at Ciao Bambino today!  If you’ve been to these spots, or can’t wait to go, be sure to leave a comment!

My 2 year old daughter is potty training and it’s not going as easy as I thought it would. Whoever says girls are easier has not met my daughter.

Leah has all the signs that she’s ready…she was interested in the potty, using it from time to time on her own and she holds her pee and doesn’t want to go in her diaper.  BUT, and herein lies the problem, she also doesn’t want to go on the toilet anymore. She’ll be crossed legged, doing the potty dance but won’t go to the bathroom.  So then I take her and sit her on it and she screams, cries, then pees, then smiles.  She’s a manic depressant potty trainer.

So the toilet gets a bit of a cold shoulder from her, her diaper gets too much love and not enough action, and her adorable, cute princess underwear has been getting the brunt of her accidents. Lucky me.

Somewhere between taking a pair of urine soak underwear off my little princess, then trying to take off her BM soiled elmo panties (boy is that tough!) and then using a plunger on a clogged toilet, I realized that this would be the perfect next episode of Mike Rowes, Dirty Jobs.

Mike, you are welcome any time. And good luck dear Sir!

No, not really.

But YOU, Moms! Help me!  Have you gone through this?  We can’t revert back to diapers because she will hold it forever and I don’t want her getting a UTI (urinary tract infection). So please share with me your wise potty training tips!  Anything and everything!

Oh and please send “diaper be gone” vibes my way! Thanks!

Happy Monday! It’s time to get our hula shake on! Here’s how it works…

I will have a featured site or product that I think is shakin’, then YOU share your….

→ Giveaways
→ Posts from last week
→ Your latest promotion or blog news
→ Vlogs
→ New sites
→ You name it!

This goes for mom businesses too – please share your latest sale or new items in your store!

Here’s my pick to start off this week’s Hula Shake Around the Blogosphere…

If your kids love to do arts and crafts, Legos, or cook with you, the Luv That Tray from Argee is a must have. They come in a pack of four and are the perfect addition to your art room or kitchen!

We’ve been using these trays for the past month for everything from doing arts, to baking with mom, building Legos, and using them as placemats. What I love is that they are pliable and have a funnel so when it comes time to clean up, you simply bend and pour into the trash.  Or if Cameron is building Legos, it makes cleaning up a snap – just bend and pour….even HE can do it…when he’s feeling up to cleaning, that is (which lately has been like pulling teeth!) Cleaning the trays themselves is also incredibly easy and they are dishwasher safe, which to me is a grand slam!

We also received a My Toy Tote to review from Argee.  I was amazed at how BIG it is and right away Cameron went around and picked out his blocks to store them in his Toy Tote. It holds a ton and makes cleaning up easy.

I am loving these products from Argee because they put the power of cleaning up into my children’s hands by making it easy for them.  No more excuses “It’s too hard mom!” Yes, I hear that a lot {insert the rolling of my eyes here} but with the Toy Tote and Luv That Tray Cam has been much better at helping me and we could all use a little more help with cleaning, right?

Now it’s YOUR turn! Leave a link, click a link, and keep the hula shake shakin’!

Have a shakin’ week everyone!

We went for a walk yesterday up in the hills behind Launiupoko. This is my dream neighborhood.  We WILL live there in the near future.  I feel it!

We took the trails that the native Hawaiians used to take to get to the shore to fish many many years ago  If they got stuck after the sun went down they would set up camp in these awesome caves in the side of the mountain. It was super cool to walk the same path as they did. The kids loved the history of it and were hoping to find drawings or other artifacts along the trail.  We didn’t find anything, other than pure family bliss.  It was a really nice walk.

As we walked, the clouds opened up and cooled us off with an afternoon shower.  Then the sun came out to dry us off and out came the most beautiful rainbow.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

(this is how I feel about Hawaii…our dreams really are coming true here)

So, for today’s Aloha Friday question, let’s get dreamin’ and wishin’…

What do you wish for, right now?!

Could be just five mintes to yourself, could be a million bucks, share with us…

BUT write it this way…

Instead of a wish, say it as if it’s already happening. Envision, it. See it.

Really feel what it would feel like to have that wish be true.

Get daydreaming, it’s one of my favorite past times.

Here’s my wish…

I’m sitting on the porch of my three bedroom cottage in Launiupoko.  The whales are splashing in the distance and the kids are romping in the yard.  Duke is at my feet, snoring away and the sun is warming me up while the trade winds keep me cool.

Now it’s your turn, skies the limit, let er rip!

Be sure to visit Kailani’s An Island Life for more Aloha Friday questions.

When someone unsubscribes from The Ohana Mama I get an email notifying me.  Yes, I choose to torture myself.  And yes you’ve been warned..I see you!

Now, many times it’s a person that probably subscribed when I was doing a bunch of giveaways and it was a way to get an extra entry.  Now they are sick of me babbling about non giveaway stuff and going on and on about Hawaii, being a Mom and real life stuff.

BUT, then there are the times when I get the email notification and I see the email address and it’s someone that I more “know” and think of as a bloggy friend.

And I won’t lie. It hurts. It stings a bit.  (I’m being a tad dramatic here but yes, it makes me go “hmmmm” what the F?)

I do all I can to hold myself back from sending them an email asking them, “why oh why? why did you unsubscribe?!” I don’t want to sound desperate. No, that would not be good. (but still “why oh why?!”)

But alas I need to realize that perhaps, they just aren’t that into me…and so through this conversation on twitter….

I ask…

(a la Carrie Bradshaw)

When did blogging become the new dating?

Filled with the pitter patter of an excited heart when those subscription numbers go up, the new twitter follower follows (and @s me! bestill my heart) followed by the ultimate…a comment, maybe a few per week. Wow. Pure bloggy friendship bliss.

And then to see that unsub email…it’s like being broken up via a sticky note.