I Am Back

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks because I have had my nose in some books. I read the first book in the "Twilight saga"by Stephanie Meyer back in Sept. and really haven't had the chance to get into the other books. Well, once I started reading New Moon(about half way through the book).... I couldn't put it down and then had to read the last two books Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Now I am finished(and I am embarrased to say..... I am going through withdrawls). So I thought I would update my blog.

We have been staying busy....Mikaela and Blake playing soccer, Blake taking guitar, Mikaela yearbook, trying to get this house painted, and last month I started writing a newsletter for our home school group. I am getting ready to go back to school too. My goal is to have my BA before hubby retires from the Navy. He is currently going to school for Sports Medicine and will probably still be in school when he retires. So, mama may have to go to work for a little while so he can finish school. I still haven't figured how I am going to fit it in the schedule but it is one of those things that are a priority. I know it can be done ....I have faith in myself ....and I am excited.

Sketch Tuesday: Tropical Birds

Blake's drawing

Mikaela's drawing
This weeks assignment was to sketch a tropical bird.

Rock on Blake

Blake has started taking guitar lessons at Chuck James Music Studio. He has had two lessons and is really enjoying himself. For the past two weeks....if he is not doing his schoolwork he is playing his guitar. He walks around with it all day long and on his breaks he goes up on the deck and plays. His instructor is a college student on a full scholarship to UH and is really becoming quite the mentor for Blake. I am so happy for him to have found a way to express himself. Rock on Blake!!

Surf lessons!!

The kids had a surf lesson last Friday and they had a lot of fun. Blake got up on his board everytime. Mikaela was almost there a couple of times...she says it is harder than it looks. Ethan and I watched on the beach, made sandcastles, and played in the surf. It was a beautiful day!

Beautiful Boy!!!!

WHAT? MOM SAID I CAN GET MESSY!

I am always looking for things Ethan can do during our school day. He wants to be at the table with his sister and brother. So, I have his "school" box. I filled it with things like play dough, puzzles, paint, coloring books, paper/crayons and Legos. To make it special, he is only allowed to play with the things in the box during school. It keeps him busy and he gets to be at the table with everyone.
Ethan's finished artwork

His first time finger painting, he loved it.

Dad and Blake went to the Pro Bowl

Dad and Blake went to the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday. They had a nice time besides the fact Dad got a migraine and was getting sick the whole second half of the game. They had really good seats- sixth row from the field in the end zone. Blake with Poe the Ravens mascot

Blake with Mayor Muffi, Honolulu's mayor

Dad and Blake before the migraine

Blake

pics of some Pro Bowl players

Ray Lewis

Peyton ManningRay Lewis

Terrel Suggs

Ray Lewis w/ the officials Ray Lewis McClain

Pacific Aviation Museum Tour

Bullet holes in the hanger windows from when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Shouldn't we do this with toys...

Pacific Aviation Museum: WWII Planes

This is a photo of a training plane. This actual plane was flown by our 41st president George H.W. Bush.

I am sorry I can't remember this one.

A picture of a torpedo bomber that flew in the Battle of Midway.

A picture of a bomber that flew during the Dolittle Mission.

Pacific Aviation Musuem Tour: Ford Island Air Traffic Control Tower

Here is the Air Traffic Control Tower on Ford Island Pearl Harbor. Before it became a ATC Tower it was used for submarine training. They would fill the tower with water and there was an air tight tank at the bottom. The men would go inside and train on how to escape from a submarine. Within the next ten years the historical society is planning on restoring it so tourist can go to the top of the stairs.

Tuskegee Airmen Lecture

We went to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor, HI for a field trip. One of the Tuskegee Airmen was there to talk to the children about his experience during WWII.
He was very animated with the story he told us about one of his missions. His plane went down over South France and was taken POW by the Italians. It was an honor to sit and listen to him and to be in the presence of someone who truly was proud to be an American.
Here are a few of the questions the children asked him.............

1. What was your first flight like and how did you feel? R: It is the greatest feeling in the world. It is very exciting.
2. Were you ever afraid? R: I was never afraid. I was to busy to be afraid. You just did what you had to do. About two weeks later, when I was thinking about how close I came to death , I was afraid.
3. Would you do it again?R: I would do it two times over. It was a different time then. You didn't have people protesting war. You signed up to serve your country because that was your duty. My whole life I dreamed of becoming a pilot.
4. Was flight school hard?R: Yes.
5. How long did you serve in the military?I served active duty for eight years and then the reserves for twenty-two years.

His message to the children was to do well in school and to be proud that they are American because it is the best country in the world.


A Little History on the Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were dedicated, determined young men who enlisted to become America's first black military airmen, at a time when there were many people who thought that black men lacked intelligence, skill, courage and patriotism.
Those who possessed the physical and mental qualifications were accepted as aviation cadets to be trained initially as single-engine pilots and later to be either twin-engine pilots, navigators or bombardiers. Most were college graduates or undergraduates. Others demonstrated their academic qualifications through comprehensive entrance examinations.
No standards were lowered for the pilots or any of the others who trained in operations, meteorology, intelligence, engineering, medicine or any of the other officer fields. Enlisted members were trained to be aircraft and engine mechanics, armament specialists, radio repairmen, parachute riggers, control tower operators, policemen, administrative clerks and all of the other skills necessary to fully function as an Army Air Corps flying squadron or ground support unit.

Mikaela's Photography

Here is another one of Mikaela's photos. I just loved it.

Mom, I'm a fish!!!

Sorry this video is sideways- I can't figure out how to flip!! Ethan was so cute swimming in the pool. If you listen to him he kept telling me he was a fish. He was also telling dad no because he doesn't like anyone to hold him....Mr. Independent.

Mikaela's Horse Unit project

As I have said before, Mikaela is working on a Horse Unit Study by Amanda Bennett. She didn't really have a project to do so I told her to get the clay and make a horse. Here it is. It turned out cute. Blake is working on a lapbook for his unit study and when he is finished I will post.

Sketch Tuesday

This weeks assignment was sketch a street sign. I thought this would be easy and I think the kids did too.

They got the chance to work on lettering. Mikaela started drawing right away(hers is the one way sign). Blake on the other hand said," I think I need a ruler."(his is the no parking sign). So, he used a ruler and was a little more meticulous about his lines. He said to me, "You can't rush art." It is nice to see him really concentrate and work at something.

Some of the animals

Here are some pics of the animals we saw.

Honolulu Zoo

We went to the Honolulu Zoo a couple of weeks ago. Ethan really enjoyed all of the animals. The last time we went he was about six months old, so he really didn't remember. He was pointing to all of the animals and saying their names and making their sounds. He loves animals just like his big sis.

What a beautiful sunset

I just had to share this beautiful sunset.