Category Archives: Leina

Already Six

I have no memory of my 6th birthday.  It probably involved cake, ice cream and presents.  I don’t know if Leina will remember her 6th birthday today but I know I sure will.  How many little girls get to celebrate 6 by eating mochi ice cream, spending the day snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, and blowing out candles on a Ted’s chocolate haupia pie?  Not too many I’m thinking.  Add to that a pile of craft supplies, games, Plumeria Princess goodies and Hello Kitty supplies and you have one very happy 6 year old on your hands.  Us adults are exhausted but Leina is all smiles and energy.  Perhaps it was that last chocolate mochi ice cream that pushed her over the edge but that’s ok.  She was a real trooper today hiking down to the bay and swimming way far out to squeal over all the huge fish swimming through the  coral.  I hope she remembers some of this special day.

Happy Birthday Leina!  I can’t wait to see what 6 has in store for us….

Stiches

Leina got her first set of stitches yesterday.  Don’t worry, she didn’t get hurt or anything.  No, these stitches were  purely preventative but also totally unexpected.

Leina has had this very dark mole on her knee for a while.  I thought it was a blood blister but at her last check up, her doctor saw it.  Not a blood blister but a suspicious mole.  So we were referred to a specialist and yesterday was our appointment.  The doctor took one look at it and said it had to go.  No problem, I thought.  I’ll just make an appointment and we’ll come back and have it removed.  Yeah, no.  The doctor laughed at me and said, we’ll just take it off right now.

Now, if you have ever met Leina, you will know she is the world’s biggest chicken.  She has a melt down over a flu shot.  The idea of having a mole cut out of her knee?  With no warning or preparation?  Can we say major melt down?  The doctor and nurse were a bit out of their league I think.  I’m guessing most of their patients are adults because the nurse sat Leina down and said, “I don’t lie to children.  I’m going to be honest with you.  I have to give you a shot and it will…..”  That’s about all I heard because at this point, Leina started screaming.  Shot = screams with my kid.  I was fluttering behind Leina trying to catch the nurse’s eye and mouthing “LIE TO HER!  LIE TO HER!”  Instead, I had to grab Leina and hold her down when the nurse gave her the tiny and painless shot.  Once done, she left the room so I could calm my crazy shot-phobic kid.  As usual, Leina caught her breath, looked at me and said, “hey, that didn’t hurt very much at all!”

The mole removal was easy right until Leina looked down and saw the stitches across her knee.  Then she got a bit pale and fainty looking so the Doctor slapped a band-aid on it which helped.  Leina is doing ok now so long as you don’t say “stitches”.  Instead, we call it her “scrape” or “strawberry”.

How this child will ever give birth I have no idea.  Clearly, she has her father’s tolerance for pain.  When we go back to get her stitches removed, I’m going to sit that nurse down and tell her to lie her head off to my kid.  Please.

Life Goes On

We had a nice weekend.  Kat and Josh came down to visit and brought Melo so the girls could get some puppy love.  They commiserated with us over the loss of Artie and we retold all of our crazy dog stories which was fun.  Kat went with me to pick up Artie’s ashes which was hard.  But he’s home now at last.  Then,the girls and I went over to Al’s and bought a little dogwood tree and some day lilies that we planted in the backyard.  We are going to make a little stone marker too and bury him there under the tree.  I think he’d like that.

This week we are busy with zoo camp for the girls.  Leina is an old hand at it by now but this is the first summer that Kulia has been able to go.   Because they are both so close in age, I was able to get them together in the same age group so Leina can show her little sister the ropes.   Kulia was very quiet on the ride over to the zoo on Monday.  She spent the whole ride sucking her thumb and worrying Patches.  When I went to pick her up, however, she was bursting with energy and chatter and declared that it wasn’t scary at all!  Leina isn’t very happy about having her little sister tag along but this is the burden that all older sisters must bare.  I still remember trying to play 4-square on the school playground with Suzy holding onto my hand the entire time when we changed schools.  Us olders have such a cross to bear…..

The Joy of Books

Leina loves books.  Loves them!  She’s finally reached the stage where she can move beyond picture books which is very exciting.  She still likes a nice illustration or two but it’s all about the story now.  As I read, I like to sneak peaks at her face.  Usually, she’s staring off into space, her eyes unfocused, and I can just see the wheels in her head turning as she changes the words I read into pictures in her mind.  I love it!

Milly Molly Mandy

 Leina is drawn to stories about old-fashioned girls doing everyday tasks.  I think she imagines herself in their shoes, sharing their adventures.  Her current favorite is Milly Molly Mandy.  I have never read these stories so they are new to me as well but oh are they sweet!   Milly-Molly-Mandy wanders about her little town having the simplest fun with her little friends.  There are no real morals to the stories and there is no drama.  No bad-guys or scary bits.  Just a sweet little girl going about her everyday life.   There are so many formulaic books out there for little girls and they are so dreadfully boring!  The whole fairy series makes my teeth grind every time I read one.  They are just plug and chug novels with a very slight twist done over and over and over.  Substitute colors for jewels for pets for flowers for instruments and print.  Ugh.  I can’t stand reading these books.  There is no charm and I am very, very big on charm.  Milly-Molly-Mandy?  Charm to spare baby!

Now I just need to find more old-fashioned stories for me old-fashioned girl.  Faires, you can rest in peace.

Hello Camera

 

Book, Netbook, Coffee. Good stuff!

Book, Netbook, Coffee. Good stuff!

 

I finally dug out my camera for a few pictures.  First, here’s my adorable little netbook that Kevin got me for Valentine’s day.  It’s tiny and light and able to be tucked under my arm and trundled anywhere.  Now, no matter where the girls are, I can track them down and still be hooked into the Internet.  Gotta love that!

 

Size Comparison - Closed

Size Comparison - Closed

 

In between setbacks, I’ve only managed to eek out a little crafting time.  So sad but true.  One thing I’ve been working on is making Leina her very own Little House on the Prairie Bonnet.  She adores the Little House books.  Oddly enough, her favorite character and idol is mindful Mary.  She often wants to play Little House.   This involves me being Ma and telling Mary some important task to do.   Leina will listen to me carefully and then nod her head wisely and intone, “yes Ma” and then begin to mind the baby or fetch the cow or whatever else I can devise.  So far, she balks modern requests like clean your room or empty the dishwasher but I’m hoping that the addition of the bonnet might make her a bit more amenable to my suggestions.  If not, seeing her troop around in her very own prairie bonnet is enough to melt a hardened old heart like mine.

 

My Little Prarie Girl

My Little Prairie Girl