The Story of How We Became Six (Part Two)

After deciding to have children soon after getting married, my husband and I "practiced" for several months. When we didn't get pregnant, we finally went to our doctor and that was the start of our journey to kids.

I say journey to kids because that is exactly what it was, a journey. We went through screenings and procedures to find out why I was not getting pregnant. Ultimately, we discovered that we had fertility issues on both parts so we opted to utilize technology.

We started with inseminations. The process consisted of taking fertility medication to stimulate my ovaries (hoping to produce viable eggs), then, injecting me with a medication to help release the eggs from the ovaries. After that, my husbands "release" was then injected into me in hopes that all would come together.

After five failed attempts, the fertility specialist thought that the only thing that could help would be in-vitro fertilization.

In the Fall of 2001, 2 years after initially starting to try to get pregnant, we underwent the process of doing in-vitro. The process is long and it took a toll on us.

I'll never forget it. My husband had to give me shots twice a day and because they were time sensitive, there were some interesting places he would have to administer them at. Like, during football season, my husband had to give me a shot in the parking lot at a UH football game. And, there were the times that my husband was stuck at work and I would have to get the shots in the nurse's exam room at the prison.

We did what ever we could to make it happen and then, in December of 2001, my procedure to extract the eggs, fertilize them, and then return them into me occurred. We put 3 fertilized eggs in and we froze the remaining eggs. We found out 2 weeks later that the eggs did not implant and my first in-vitro failed. It was devastating.

Six months later, we put the frozen eggs in, hoping that those would take and we would get pregnant. They didn't. Again, we were devastated.

Tired of the mess!!!

Here is the messy madness of the playroom before we got going on organizing everything.

We mostly had toy chests that the kids would dump everything into.

And then it looked like this!

It was a disaster. So, hubby made shelves and I got containers (dish pans) that I divided everything into. Yippy! Barbie has her own box, all the trucks have a place, the train stuff is in it's own place, and everything else found a home.

Thanks daddy for helping us make our play room nice and neat!

Brain Fart!

Oh my goodness, I am loosing my mind. Worked all day Monday and Tuesday. I figured, let's cruise today. At 10 a.m., I figured it was time to get rolling. You know, get out of my pj's, brush my teeth and put on some clothes. I get my jeans on and hear the front door being opened by Sonny. "Eh, close that door. You are not to open it without mommy," I said as I made my way to the front door.

Oh sh*t, who comes walking in but Lee's teachers. Today was our scheduled teacher visitation. I invited them in then excused myself to put on a bra and t-shirt. Thank goodness I already brushed my teeth. But, breakfast bowls were still on the table and the floor had crumbs everywhere. Oh man was I embarrassed.

Nonetheless, everything went well and she will start school on Friday. Yippy! I'll get pictures of her first day and post them later.

What a brain fart!

Kindergarten

We got a letter from Bell's school telling us whose class she is assigned. As I tried to reassure her that she is going to have a great year with Mr. Stewart, she kept saying, "I don't want a man teacher." I also was preparing her for starting school on August 30th.

Then, yesterday, I got a call from the school saying that she is being moved to another class because there were not enough kids to fill her class. At first, I was kinda bummed but then, I found out that she got a teacher that we met when I took her to look at the school. The lady seems really nice and her class seemed like a fun one. The only junk thing now, Bell doesn't start school until Aug. 6. Ugh!

When I told Bell that she is going to have "the lady we met," she smiled. I asked her if she rather have a lady or a man and she said, "I don't like man teachers." I don't know what that is all about other than she has never been around a school with male teachers before.

I just pray that she is okay. With her shyness and the change of going to a big kid school, I hope she has an easy adjustment. I never had a problem being outgoing so this is new water for me and I just hope I can help her so this is a positive experience. Wish us all luck!

Update of Baby Kela...

If your like me and you like looking at pictures (especially of babies), go see our newest niece baby Kela that I told you about in a previous post. Her mom's blog is in my blog roll as "Babis, La and baby Kela".

Mom and baby look to be doing well and they are still in complete bliss over their bundle of joy. We couldn't be happier for their family.

Another funny one...

While eating lunch today, Lee asked me "how many are you?" I said, "three, four, thirty-four." Then, she said, "How many is Daddy?" I said, "Four zero, forty." Her response with eyes super wide, "Wow, that's a lot, I don't even know how to count that big."

So, we decided to start from 1 and count all the way to 40. At the end, Lee said, "boy, that was lot of counting mommy!"

Too funny!!!

The Story of How We Became Six (Part One)

I met my husband in the fall of 1997. We were both working at the same place, but, for different agencies. I was employed by the DOE and he was employed by DHS. During our first meeting, I remember thinking, "this guy is arrogant". He says he thought that I, "thought I was all that". Our first impressions couldn't have been farther from the truth.

I never really got to talk to him until late '97. He seemed nice and I enjoyed talking story with him. We talked about our backgrounds but nothing deep. Then, in January of '98, we made a $20 bet on who would win the Super Bowl. To tell you the truth, I can't even remember who I bet on. Nonetheless, I lost. So, I was ready to pay up on my bet but he hadn't been to work in a few days. Come to find out, his grandfather had passed away.

Eventually, in May of '98, we ended up going on our first date. It was to an indoor arena football game. The best part of the date was when the visiting team lost their luggage (equipment) and the game was delayed for over an hour. We sat in the stands and just talked story. It was great.

On Christmas morning of 1998, my husband proposed to me. We were married just 9 months later.

We had planned to start a family immediately after getting married. I was 25 years old and husband was 30. We figured it was the right time and why not. We both loved kids and wanted to begin having our own.

Lahela's Baby Girl...KELA

In February of this year, our dear Kela passed away in a single car accident. She was just 22 years old. Kela was the most loving, caring individual and had a smile that was warm and fuzzy. She was a big teddy bear. We will forever miss her.

Kela's older sister Lahela was pregnant at the time of her death. La didn't know what she was having and Kela was just excited to become an Aunty for the first time.

This week, we got a call from Lahela's dad, David, that she had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. La decided to name her daughter Kela. In my heart, I know that Kela is looking down and beaming from ear to ear knowing that her first niece shares her name. I hope for the newest Kela that she carries on the same spirit that lived in her Aunty Kela.

I will be making a baby blanket for little Kela this week and mailing it off to Greece where they live.

A Bill From the Past

About a month or so ago, I got a bill in the mail from Pacific In-Vitro totalling over $1000.00. What a surprise.

As some of you may recall, before we had kids, we tried everything to get pregnant. First we did the inseminations. Five of them to be exact. It didn't work. Then, we moved on to in-vitro. The first time, we got several eggs fertilized so we reinserted some and froze the rest. No luck the first time around. So, we did it again. This time with the frozen embryos. Failure once again.

The insemination procedures and the first in-vitro were paid for by our medical insurance. The second in-vitro however was paid out of pocket. We did that one 6 months after the first in part to save on the storage fees for freezing the embryos. You see, the first 12 months of storage are free. After that, you pay a monthly fee. Having used our embryo within the 12 months, we never paid for that service.

So, here we are 6 years later and we get this bill. Never mind the fact that we now live on a different island and never got anything from them for the last 5 years.

Huh? (scratch head) What? (still scratching head) Are there some frozen embryos that we didn't know about? Did they not put the rest in the second time like we told them to? Why only now are they telling us about this? Do I have to pay this if they haven't even told us about it in this long? So many questions.

My husband came home and the first thing I told him was..."guess what kind of bill we got today?" His response when I showed it to him, "You mean there are more that they didn't put in?" That was followed by, "We aren't having anymore."

Hubby ended up calling the clinic and getting it all cleared up. Meanwhile, there were a lot of emotions stirred up for him. Let's just say they were not happy feelings. Those days were difficult for both of us. Wanting children so badly and being told that you can't have any, especially after trying everything and failing, took its toll on us physically, emotionally, and financially. We survived it, but we never want to go through that again...EVER.

The Tsaikos Blog

I have an addiction to some things that very few people know about. One of them is this blog about UH football. As many of you know, my mom came to Hawaii straight out of high school to go to the University of HI. She loved it and made lifelong friends while attending UH.

I was brainwashed into believing that UH was the greatest place. Nothing wrong with that since I ended up going there too. I loved the experience and have awesome memories. I made lifelong friends and wouldn't change it for the world.

Anyway, another thing that has been a part of my life for a long time is football. Put the two together and you got someone who loves UH football. That is exactly what attracted me to the Warrior Beat blog. I got involved with the blog first as a lurker during the legislative hearings about the football program. This was when things were going in a bad direction under the leadership (or lack thereof) of Herman Fraiser.

As I read the blog, faithfully every day, I noticed that the regulars were really nice people. They were open about who they were and they were willing to help others without hesitation. I posted a little but I lurked much more. I actually would enjoy reading the non-football stuff more than the football stuff. Kinda funny.

I did take a "vacation" from reading during a time when my husband and mom kind of got on me for reading it. My husband would tease me that Stephen (the blog author) was my boyfriend and my mom would comment about how it was a waste of time. Funny is, for me, the blog is a place of comfort. It is a place where I can be myself yet not let people know everything about me. I can have an opinion on stuff and not feel like I am offending people. I laugh there more than I laugh in my day to day activities sometimes. I feel for people who I've never even met in person. They welcome me into their conversations and they treat me kindly. It is just a nice place to go.

Is the blog a waste of time? I think reading books all day is a waste of time. I think watching too much t.v. is a waste of time. I think working hours and hours over your work day is a waste of time. But, if that is what makes you happy, do it. But, don't criticize me for doing something that makes me happy, teaches me new things and causes me no harm.

If you want to check out the blog, it is the Tsaikos on my blog roll. also, lizkauai and gigi-hawaii are two regulars at the Warrior Beat Blog. Check out their blogs. I do-faithfully everyday.

A Saturday Evening Well Spent!

We returned to the park for another sunset picnic. This time, I made char siu chicken and rice. We also picked up some poke from our favorite fish department. The kids had a great time again.

Bell and Lee were climbing the soccer goal posts this time. Here is Bell helping her "little" sister up the pole. Should I mention that Lee weighs a good 5-8 pounds more than Bell. Not a big deal when you weigh 100+ pounds but at their weights, that is a big difference in poundage. Lee returned the favor throughout the evening.


I went to the restroom and this is what I returned to. Sonny and Em sitting together on a parking curb. It was the cutest thing. Although they are not twins, they have such an amazing bond.


We've been enjoying our sunset picnics so much that we want to try and do it on a regular basis. It is so relaxing and the kids get to run around and just play. Plus, the bonus each week has been background music. Last week it was a canoe club playing music. This week, there was a wedding reception at the pavilion and there was good Hawaiian music.

We ended the night at our favorite store for some ice cream (a la Wal-mart and McD's). Daddy also NEEDED to get a real size football for our next park day.

Sonny got a bed

It's official, Sonny is a big boy. Here he is on his new twin bed. Look at that smile.


And here he is with his new "Choo Choo Train blanket" made by yours truly. He really wanted a doggy blanket but the only dog material was dark and gloomy (mostly browns) so I steered him to the Thomas ones and this was his final choice.

The best part about this bed is that he slept there last night until almost 5 am. Let's hope he can stay there all night. I need the sleep (and room on my bed).

Yippy, the new road is open!

Okay, I admit, I need a life. But, look at this, we have our new north bound road open in Kona. Did you know it has taken over 2 years to get this thing done. Hold on though, only the north lanes are done. Here are pictures of it.



By the way, I have had to endure months of, "Mommy, can we drive over there like they are (they being the construction workers)?" And me having to say, "No, not yet." Then to be told by the kids, "But I want to." In other words, I am happy for this lane opening because the kids think it is the best treat ever and I don't have to explain for the umteenth time that we are not allowed to drive on it yet. Thank you Hawn Dredging for finally getting it done...at least half of it.

This is a picture of Lee just before we turned onto the northbound NEW lanes. Look at the excitement on her face. We even rode part of the time with our hands up as if on a roller coaster.



The next thing that we are waiting for is the new Kona shopping center. Still under construction but some stores are slated to open in November. Here is what it looks like now.


The older girls notice every change daily to this place. Bell pointed out that they put up new "things" and windows. If it wasn't for the girls, I would miss so much important information.

And, drum roll please.....here is the site of our future T-A-R-G-E-T store. Now, that is something I will be dancing about...for real!

Goth Girl

So, here I am washing dishes and cleaning up the house when I get greeted by this....Em got to the pens and decided to put on some makeup. Do you like the eye liner and lipstick? I just had to take a picture and send it to Daddy. Daddy's response, "you gotta watch the kids better, honey." My response, "Okay, I guess you are saying I don't need to clean up around here anymore." Ha, did I just get a free ticket to be lazy and not mop, wash clothes, do dishes, etc? Lucky me!

That night, we went to eat out. The looks we got. Yes, it did kinda look like she got beaten up but, do you think I would take her out in public if she did? Common people.

Previously made blanket

Here's a picture of a blanket I made for my friend's son. He had brain surgery back in January and I made this for him to take to the hospital. You can see a picture of him with it on her blog (Maui Mama).

Anyway, the blankets I will eventually be selling will not be patched work but rather just one design. I just need to light the fire under my okole and get some done. Hang tight...bear with me...See, I should wait til the babies are in school. What does husband know?

Relay 4 Life 2008

As part of our community service, we donated ice to the participating teams at our local Relay a couple weeks ago. I think it is so important for our kids to get involved in giving to others and why not do it for a cause that is dear to us. Both my mom and my husband's mom have had cancer and there are many, many more family and friends that we know who have had or have cancer. Here we are on the tailgate of the delivery truck waiting for more people to come get their bags of ice. Hey, this could be our Christmas picture this year...everyone in it and looking at the camera :-).

And we got a customer. People were very appreciative of our donation. One gentleman even asked us if we wanted some food. He came back and gave us bottled waters later in the evening.


The kids set up their chairs on the side and watched as daddy handed out the ice. It was a good learning opportunity for them. Eventually, they got up onto the delivery truck and "helped" daddy with passing out the bags.


While at Relay, we ran into a couple people we know. One of them being Lee's teacher (in orangish shirt and jeans above) from last year. She was there because her oldest daughter (6 years old now, in purple shirt without hat) is a cancer survivor. What a reality check it is. Here I have all these little ones and they are happy, healthy kids. But, there are many children out there that are/were sick. It really makes you appreciate what you have.

So, we have decided that next year, we will make a team for Relay and invite anyone who wants to participate and support to come and join us. Lee's teacher already said she would join our team. I also recruited a cousin of ours to join. My in-laws are also planning to fly up for the events. I look forward to making it happen next year.

Sunset Picnic

Last night, we decided to pick up some plate lunches and head to Old A's baseball field for some fun. Kids ate BBQ chicken, daddy had a bento, and I ate Kalbi. Yummy! It was a beautiful evening and there was a canoe club hanging out in the parking lot playing some good music. It was perfect.

Here's Sonny and Bell waiting for their food. They were really hungry.

Em and Lee...Say chesse!

Our picnic area.
Em and me. Look at the purple sky...nothing like a beautiful sunset.

We brought soccer balls, footballs, a jump rope and a frisbee. Here, Lee and Bell are playing catch with Daddy. The babies were tired of dancing and running around. They were watching (and learning from) their older sisters.


While we were loading things up into the car, I turned around to find Bell and Sonny in the trunk of the car. They got Lee and Em to join them. They then started pretending that they were paddling a canoe. How imaginative. Bell asked if she could ride home in the back. Uh, negative!

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!

This track was done by Sonny. He loves trains! Pretty impressive for a 2 year old. I did have to help him with the bridges but he had it all laid out then called me say "I need help mommy. Dis too hard for me." I was impressed.




Then, it was nap time. Notice, he is sleeping with his bullet train. And of course, his new favorite teddy. This teddy was made for him by Aunt Beth. This week was the first time he slept with it. Prior to, he would take the bear and place it outside his door and say, "Get out bear."

If you are ever interested in a good book for little boys, one of our favorites is "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo."

Never too early...

People are always amazed at the things my kids do. When Bell was just 15 months old, we had Lee. Because we had two little ones at once, I encouraged Bell to do things for herself. She learned at a very young age to feed herself, dress herself and do things for herself. Don't get me wrong, I did help her with things all the time but out of necessity, she learned to do certain things on her own with little assistance.

When Lee was 15 months old, we got Sonny. The result, Lee began to learn to do things for herself. People were amazed when she would put her pajamas on by herself or carry her own school stuff. I thought nothing of it. Others would tell me stories of how they would feed their kids at 3 years old or would have to wipe their bums after going to the potty. Not me (for the most part).

Then, when Sonny came along, Em soon followed. I was pregnant his entire life until Em was born so I was not able to do everything for him. He was feeding himself before he was 1. Em came when he was just 8 1/2 months old so he really didn't have time to be the baby baby, if you know what I mean. He has been dressing himself since he was about a year old.

Now, Em is doing it too. She does all the independent things the others did but for some reason, she has picked up on the cleaning part. See pictures below. All of the kids decided to rip paper off of the crayons and then color on the floor. Em decided to sweep it up. Here she is sweeping but she also got some of the crayon on her foot so she decided to sweep her foot too.






I think it is never too early to help kids become independent. Never too early to learn to do things for yourself and for others. Thank goodness they are getting the cleaning up part because the mess four kids can make is amazing.

This-n-that

Here's Lee with her new swim suit. Her latest is that she does not want to wear her swim shirt because she wants people to see her new suit. There is a little story behind the purchase of the suit. She tried on 5 suits. Her choice was a shiny pink two piece suit. It was horrible. Daddy convinced her that if she wore it in the sun, it would hurt peoples' eyes because it was so bright. I thought this one was cute so I convinced her to get it.




She's come a long way. Bell loves going to swim lessons and has finally started talking to her teacher. Only took her 3 weeks of lessons to get there. In the picture is her teacher Sara. Bell loves Sara now. Anyway, this picture was taken just after Bell did her elementary back stroke with Sara.


Being that today is July 4th, we decided to take in the Parade. It was perfect. We went to swim lessons at the community pool and then walked over to a grassy area down the road. The parade started at the parking lot of the pool so we were right near the beginning of the parade. Great seats. The kids had a blast and daddy was able to join us just before the parade started.

I do have a question. Why the heck do all these people in parades find it necessary to give the kids tons of candy? I noticed that the nice little girls sitting next to us were having a great time picking up as much candy as possible. They even brought zip lock bags. So, I decided to be the "nice aunty at the parade". I started giving them our candy. Before I knew it, my kids were handing over all their extra candy to the other kids. I let the kids eat a couple pieces and then cut them off. I do not give the kids candy much regularly so there was no need for them to keep the candy. I have to admit, I was actually proud of the kids. Here they were getting free candy and instead of begging for more or to keep it for themselves, they were willingly handing it over to some other kids that they didn't even know. Way to make momma proud!



Today marked the end of my mom's visit. This picture doesn't do justice to the amazing sunset we saw as we took her to the airport. The vog was hanging over the area all afternoon (and has ruined most sunsets of this summer) so I was amazed to see such a bright orange glow. Truly amazing sunset.

Easy (I mean really easy) Ono Recipe

I found this recipe and all of us loved it (which is rare for a family of picky eaters).

1 pork butt (I used half of one bought at Costco)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can sugar (use sauce can for measuring)
1 can shoyu (sauce can for measuring)
3-4 cloves garlic minced (I used about 20 cloves...love garlic!)

Mix tomato sauce, sugar shoyu and garlic together. Place pork in crock pot. Pour mixture over pork. Cook in crock pot on high for 6 hours flipping over occasionally.

My husband was ono for pulled pork sandwich so he added some bbq sauce to his pork and threw it on some bread. Winner.

Do you have any easy recipes you would like to share with me? I am always looking for those quick ones that taste delicious. Send them my way, please!