Mine, Mine, Mine!

Isabella has discovered a word that she likes a bit too much at the moment - MINE! Talk about frustrating! I thought it was the cute at first, because it showed me that she understood the concept of ownership, but now she has taken it a whole other level. Now EVERYTHING is hers - and that extends to all things from her brother's food (see the picture above) to my shoes! So, I tried some corrective approaches:

Example #1: Isa decided that my sunglasses (she has her own) belonged to her. So, I took her hand gently in mid-grab for the desired object and said, "No, this belongs to Mami," thinking foolishly, perhaps, that we would have this magical moment of shared understanding (yeah, I read too much) and that she would hand it back. Result: the word "no" has now become another overused part of her vocabulary.

Example #2: Isa is fascinated with Amir's guitar, so he will often let her sit in the room with him when he practices. She decided that meant she could slip into his room when he wasn't home and drag it away along with his guitar case. I intervene - cue tirade of "mine, mine, mine!" followed by a Riverdance-esque tantrum in his room. This time, I try stating "this is Amir's guitar" and remove her from his room. Result: an encore of Riverdance in the hallway.

Example #3: Isa sees Johnny with a lollipop. No problem there at first - she has one too. But for some reason, she decides that his is more desirable than her own. Nevermind that the lollipops in question are exactly the same. I'll let you figure out what happened from there. Result: an early bath, and liberal use of hair detangler to remove the lollipop.

I admit, part of this post is so I can vent in peace without flipping out. Now, keep in mind that I am far from a wuss (did I even spell that correctly?) I am a fairly strict disciplinarian type by nature - when it comes to the roles of good cop, bad cop, I tend to fall in the latter category. But for some reason, I find myself at a loss with my munchkin...she is usually such a good girl and my natural instinct when I see misbehavior is to nip it in the bud. Plus, because the boys are older, it usually just takes a look or reprimand to put them in check if necessary. So, this has been an interesting couple of weeks, to say the least!

Anyone want to referee? LOL...I love your inputs so feel free to leave this frazzled Mami some advice, if you've got it!

Under Pressure

Never fear, I haven't lost my marbles yet. I put that poster up all in good humor. Humor is what gets me through my days sometimes, as I have a tendency to take myself too seriously at times when I am stressed out! Anyway, things have been a bit more hectic than usual over here, which is why I haven't been on the computer as much. I have been dealing with some health issues as of late (no worries, I am feeling better) and as some of you may know, have been squeezing in classes on nights and weekends for my business degree. Those two things combined with the mish-mash of daily life with 3 kids and a husband who is constantly on the move, has had me a bit more frazzled than usual. I know, I know, breathe. Wooooo-sah...

Anyway, as for the latest on the Murray-Colon familia: we are still counting down until we can finally move out of our soon to be demolished home and into our new one. I try to keep reminding myself that patience is a virtue....although in my case, a bit harder to come by more often than not (wink, wink). Amir has been taking guitar lessons every week, and has made such awesome progress already. Listening to guitar music always brings me back to when my father used to play for us when we were little. Johnny wants me to inform you all that he is eagerly waiting for football training to start up again, and is keeping busy in the meantime climbing trees and doing cool tricks on his skateboard. And as for Isabella, I recently enrolled her in Gymboree classes not far from the base. I thought she might be a bit shy or perhaps hesitant on her first day, but actually dived right into the action and only cried when it was time to leave! Thank goodness for the open play program; on the days she doesn't have class, I can still bring her in and she has fun swinging and jumping all over the place. That's a wild one right there...she keeps me laughing every day because it seems she is always either doing something new or saying something completely unexpected. That's the kids.....

And that's about it for now. I will try to get back on here more often once I get through these mid-term papers!

Feeling Nostalgic

I know some might read this and think I am completely nuts, but it's the truth: I am missing New Jersey. Don't get me wrong, I have come to love Hawaii and all the perks that come with living in a year-round tropical paradise, but as a born and bred Jersey girl, there are just some things that you can't find out here that I have a hard time living without! See, I woke up this morning to a dark sky and rain (which I find pretty cozy, to be honest) and for some reason, got all nostalgic. So, to make myself feel better, I decided to share my favorites with you:

#1. The Philly Cheesesteak

I love these things. I spent a lot of great evenings out in Philly grubbing on these - you know something is good if you will jump on 295 and cross the bridge just to get one! Other states try to duplicate, but it's just not the same anywhere else.

#2. Puerto Rican Food

This is a gray area for me - I was raised cooking all kinds of PR food and it is a large staple of my family's daily cuisine. HOWEVER, many of the things I love to cook or eat require ingredients that I am simply unable to find here. Whenever I take a trip home, I stock up and look like a bag lady lugging anything back to Hawaii that they will let me on the plane with! But it inevitably runs out...so this is a shout-out to pasteles, bacalao, yucca, malanga, empanadillas...man, the list goes on! I miss going to the Supermercado out in Trenton on early Saturday mornings for fresh lechon asado...

#3. Boardwalk Snacks

Yes, we have beaches galore in Hawaii, and they are gorgeous. But they are missing a certain something...like a boardwalk! If you are from the East Coast, then you know the beach isn't only about the sand and ocean. I miss the cheesy games you can play, the rides, and definitely the food. Funnel cakes, fried oreos, fresh lemonade....all those naughty things that you aren't supposed to eat but you do anyway, because you're out with friends and family and having fun!

#4. Jersey Diners

Vincentown, Holly Brook, Mastoris...you name it, I miss them all and each for a special reason. I have such great memories of hanging out and bonding with my brothers at Holly Brook when I was in high school. Mastoris was the place to go for this incredible cheese pastry and cinnamon bread. And Vincentown...wow, I had a lot of early breakfasts at that joint after a night out on the town. You can't beat that...

Whew! Okay, I feel better now. No worries, I still embrace Hawaii. But, needless to say, my mom and dad will be toting an extra bag or two of goodies when they come visit this summer!

Learning to Be Flexible

Flexibility - characterized by a ready capability to adapt to new, different, or changing requirements.

What a word. There are a couple of definitions for this doozy - yielding to influence, pliant, elastic, etc., but this is the one I liked best. Simply because it sums up so succinctly (try saying that 3 times fast) my most recent attempts to improve an area where I could use some refinement. Yup, I admit it - I am not the most flexible person on earth. I try to be accomodating. I even succeed at times...albeit trying really, REALLY hard. But in terms of the whole natural reaction thing? Nah. Not a great area to be lacking in when you have kids. Which is why I rely on my wonderful husband, who is blessed with an easygoing nature that could weather a couple of nuclear disasters with ease, to reign me in when I find myself "pinging" (his word, not mine, yet I find it pretty accurate, LOL).

But, unfortunately, my man is out of town on another trip, and I have decided to take advantage of his absence to try and at least somewhat corral my inane desire for everything to operate on a rigid schedule. See, if I have him here to help, then I know I probably won't put my back into the effort, you know? So I chose Resurrection Sunday as my starting point (thinking, in my head, what better day for change?) and went to bed, determined that I would begin my transformation into the flexible mother of my dreams.

Yet, like all things that I struggle with, it seems that the moment I begin to consciously work on my shortcomings is when I get hit with every single thing that could possibly make me flip my lid! I woke up the next morning to find that I had less than an hour to get the kids up and all of us out the door for church - my alarm didn't go off because I accidentally set it for "p.m." instead of "a.m." (for the record, it usually takes me about an hour and a half to get us all out the door on Sundays). I go racing down the hall, waking the kids up, only to find that Isabella had somehow managed to leak through her diaper and soak her sheets and pajamas. Great. Now I am rushing one child into the bathtub while dragging the other two out of their comfy beds, while alternately trying not to trip on Johnny's giant SpongeBob Squarepants - not an easy feat, since I have not yet managed to pop in my contacts, without which I am blind as a bat. At this point, the drill sergeant lurking in my psyche (I try to suppress her, really) was beginning to make her grand entrance. By the time I realized that I was losing my battle with flexibility, I was already barking orders to my boys to have themselves ready for inspection while on all fours looking for Isabella's hair brush under her changing table - at which point she accidentally conked me on the head with the picture frame next to her. We eventually made it to the car and onto the highway, where I promptly hit a traffic jam (likely comprised of all the other late people) and was almost sideswiped by a trolley full of tourists. When I finally pulled into the church parking lot, I was cranky, irritable, and not in the mood to celebrate anything - especially since I felt like I had just majorly bombed in my resolution on the very first day!

What a blessing that God always knows when you are floundering. Our pastor, while discussing the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, remarked on God's never-failing patience and forgiveness. That despite our failings as human beings, He is always constant and seeking to assist us in the areas where we need help. One of the verses he quoted hit me right in the heart:

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Whoa. Something I have heard countless times, yet there is such a difference when it strikes you on a personal level. Funny how I can often start my days off with the best of intentions, yet many times will allow the smallest break in routine or a few unexpected obstacles to dictate my attitude. Even I can tell that this habit does not exactly facilitate my desire to develop the mind, heart, and attitude of Christ in the things that I do. Talk about humbling. So the question I had to ask myself is, what was I going to do about it?

The only thing I could do - give it over to God. Let Him help me. Stop trying to do it on my own, and allow room for human error. Wow, I walked out of the service feeling SO much better - not because I thought that I would no longer struggle with this particular issue, but because of the timely reminder that God is always in control...especially when I am not! And while I will probably never be the poster child for flexiblity, I can take joy in the fact that God does see my efforts, and has His own plan in motion to help me be the person He wants me to be...poopy diapers and all. What more could I possibly ask for?

Easter Pics

You can probably tell I gave up trying to get my youngest child to stay still, LOL...and let's pretend that you don't see the cinder block walls of my house. We will soon be moving out of our little "ghetto" and into our brand new home! Thank you, Lord!

Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

There is only one who can bring eternal hope and peace,

Who can make our hearts new and offer a new beginning...

His Name is Jesus, and He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Birthday to Johnny...

Okay, I technically should say "belated" since our son Johnny's birthday was on Friday the 14th, but we have been so busy I haven't had a free chance to put this post up. Our boy is now officially 8 years old, and a grown 8 years old he is! To celebrate, we went out to play miniature golf (or "putt-putt", as we call it), went to the movies, out to eat, and ended the evening cutting a cake with a trick candle on it. You know, the ones you think you managed to blow out but they keep lighting up? Ha-ha....it took him a couple of tries to figure that one out, but he got it eventually!

While I was cleaning up, I was thinking about all the things I love about my boy and decided I would share the Top Three with you:

#1. His blissfully carefree personality - it is a personality trait I would love to possess! You could tell him that the sky was falling, and he would still find a way to get you to forget about it and play Legos or something with him, LOL...

#2. His innate ability to get you to laugh. Oftentimes, when I have had a hard day or am frustrated to the point of losing it, he will come give me a hug or do something silly to make me chuckle.

#3. His inability to hold a grudge, even when he has been disciplined for something. I absolutely love that about him...

It's funny, but whoever said that we learn from our children definitely hit the nail on the head. I can only pray that God - who blessed them with their unique characteristics - will grant our children the grace in life to maintain those traits which make them so special!

Our Trip to Bellows AFS

It's still Friday here in Hawaii and everyone in our house is sound asleep - except for me, obviously, who as the resident laundry woman simply cannot go to sleep until the clothes are done! Yes, I have issues, LOL. : ) Since I am still awake, I figured I might as well write about our day! Isaiah, the kids, and I spent the day with our friends Kevin, Denise, and their kids at Bellows Air Force Station, which is a gorgeous stretch of white sandy beach up in the northern portion of Waimanalo Bay. The scenery on the way is just beautiful:

Bellows AFS has these great, rustic cabins right on the beach, along with campgrounds, parks, and all kinds of activities. Denise and Kevin decided to rent a cabin for the night, so we packed up our kids, cookout supplies, and swimsuits and headed out there to join them for some fun and sun!

Isabella took to the beach much better than she has done before. She was fascinated by the way the tide would roll in and out...I had to stop her a few times from running in too far!

After tiring outselves out on the beach, we cleaned up and barbecued at the cabin. Denise and I got nostalgic and decided to make some old-fashioned s'mores for the kids (and us, too!) When I say old-fashioned , I mean we got sticks for toasting the marshmallows and everything...mmmm. Of course, I ended up driving home with a car full of snoring people...but it was a great day!

NCO Academy Graduation

Our close family friend, Keith, graduated from the NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) Academy last night, and I was so fortunate to be there and share in the celebration. Having gone through this type of training myself (when I was pregnant with Isa, no less) I cannot begin to tell you how much hard work and effort it takes to successfully navigate that course. The support of your loved ones is a must - and I think he felt the love from all of us as we cheered him on! Check out the graduate below:

TSgt Keith Townes and his beautiful wife Reshon

And of course, you can't forget the members of his cheerleading squad:

On another note, please keep Isaiah in your prayers. He injured himself yesterday morning, and was in such severe pain that he was unable to attend the ceremony. Being that Keith is his best friend, he was devastated that he could not be there to watch him graduate. Poor Isaiah is currently sporting a neck brace (definitely not comfortable) and trapped at home with me for the next several days...on second thought, pray for me too! (just kidding....sort of)

Folding Laundry

Living with 3 men has practically guaranteed that my laundry hamper is a bottomless pit of clothes - gym clothes, basketball clothes, football clothes, you name it, it's in there. Some days I feel like my life revolves around washing and drying and folding...but fortunately my Isabella has decided that she would like to pull her weight in the household and help her Mommy out! She started off pretty well...

...until she found her paño (blanky)...

...and decided that she would rather lay in the basket!

But she had fun, apparently! I will train her better in time!