Homeschool'n

Pearce has been working on the alphabet, numbers and his picture journal.

Pearce's new favorite medium.

Under Pearce's tutelage

Pearce has been hard at work trying to teach Emry to lift her head during tummy time today.

Pearce decided that wearing his spiderman costume would help Emry.

Proud Pearce announces, Tuh-dah!

Pearce's next item of business, teaching Emry to roll over. She's so close.

Emry sound asleep, after hours of Pearce encouraging her to put up her head and to roll over.

Grandmama Visits

My Mom holds Emry for the first time.

Connor {13 years} Emry {2 months} Pearce {4 years}

I am a lucky Momma!

Conversations with Pearce

1. Eric and Pearce, who is not even in school yet, looking at little leagues on the Internet.

Eric, "You get to play baseball games, got to practice, have a uniform, and a hat."
Pearce, "And I don't have to do my homework."

2. Pearce, "Why did Braden and Camiron move to another planet? Why can't they stay on our planet?"

3. Pearce announces at dinner, "My peanuts are down now, so I can talk low!"

4. Pearce showing his Dad his math test.

Pearce, "Dad, I got an A+ on my math test today!'
Eric, "A+, no way. Who helped you?"
Pearce, "No one. I helped myself."

5. At the dinner table. Pearce says to his Dad, "You and me are just two guys who are fake funny. But Mom is real funny."

6. After watching the scene in Star Wars when Luke asks Leia if she remembers her mother. Leia replies, "I remember very little," and then Luke continues, that he didn't remember anything. Pearce blurts out at the TV, "Well duh, you mom died while giving birth."

7. Driving in the car, Eric says, "let's count to 50."
Pearce, with a sigh, "I can't. I am having a number nap."

8. At dinner.
Pearce, alarmed, says: "Hey, who put Hulk sauce on my salmon?"
Eric says, "Your Mom, and its just a pesto sauce."
Pearce thinks for a minute, "So it's safe to eat?"

9. Pearce has recently started a bad habit. He's in bed by 9, but stays up, reading books, playing guys, and watching DVDs on his portable DVD player. At around 10 or even 10:30, he'll come out of his room and tell us:

"It's weird because my tummy is so hungry. I'm not. But my tummy is."

He'll even talk about how he tries, but fails, to reason with his tummy that it is too late to eat. The problem is, thought, he really is hungry because he eats so little at dinner. He'll typically sit at the table for hours, transforming his utensils into heat seeking missiles, or pretending his fingers are the enemies, fighting to the death. It's hard to discourage a budding imagination like that, so we normally just let him play in his own world, occasionally reminding him to eat. He outlasts us most of the time, and we end up clearing a half-full plate, which just perpetuates his habit.

But a few weeks ago we decided to get serious, because by 10:30, we want to be asleep. Not making a meal. So we gave him the old: "You eat what's on your plate or go to bed hungry. No or buts about it!"

This worked for a few weeks, but even when he ate all his food, he was still hungry by 10: 30. And we still wanted to be asleep. so a friendly battle ensued.

A few nights ago, 10:30 rolled around, and our bedroom door opened up. Pearce waltzed in, avoiding eye contact and suppressing a smile. We knew what was coming, and he knew that we knew. He stood there silently for a while, obviously adjusting his strategy in his head. Suddenly he starts rubbing his tummy in a circular motion:

"When I do this it means I'm hungry. But I'm not hungry right now. That's just for down the road." With that he turned and sprinted back to bed. Five minutes later he returned ...rubbing his tummy.

10. The other night I was rocking Emry to sleep and Pearce came into her room and started to give us a "Ninja Show." Fists were flying, breaking the sound barrier, legs were slashing villains in half. And the show was also accompanied by an increasingly detailed account of his life as a Ninja. Basically, he'd been hardened by a life of struggle, but he'd decided to devote his life to protecting the innocent anyway. His only void was a romantic interest. This revelation was followed by the ensuing conversation with me, who he'd cast into the role of damsel in distress:

Pearce, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Wendi, "No." {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "Do you have a husband?"
Wendi, "No" {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "Do you want one?"
Wendi, "Yes." {the answer I guessed}
Pearce, "OK. I can be your boyfriend and your husband. Do you have a family?"
Wendi, "Family, no."
Pearce, "How were you born?"
Wendi, "My family lives far away."
Pearce, "So you're alone."
Wendi, "Yes."
Pearce, "You have bad parents, don't you?"
Wendi, "Yes." {the answer I was told to give}
Pearce, "I'll take care of it for you."

Then Pearce left the room. I heard a lot of thrashing, jumping, rolling, and kill yells. Then he ambled back in the room.

Pearce, "Don't worry anymore. I took care of those bad parents. That's what a good boyfriend does."

11. This is pretty much Pearce's motto to life. No idea where he got it, but he says it at least 5 times a day. Pearce, "Mom, the movies are the games and the games are the movies."

12. Pearce's negotiation style.
Pearce comes downstairs in his underwear just before bedtime and says, "Mom, I am really cold."
Wendi, "Put on some pj's."
Pearce, "Mom I am really cold."
Wendi, "Put on some pjs and I will turn down the air conditioning."
Pearce, "Mom I am really really cold."
Wendi, "Do you feel sick?"
Pearce, " No, but I would like some hot chocolate."

13. Eric to the babysitter: "so we will be back around 10 or 10:30."
Pearce, "10:30 is better, Dad."

14. Pearce has been into magic lately.

Pearce, "look Mom, I'm magic."
Wendi, " No Pearce it's an illusion." {for all you Arrested Development fans!}

More magic.

And more magic. Pearce's tricks are endless. If you are wonder what his trick is... he can hold a coin in his ear.

North Shore

This was Emry's first official full day out. She was 25 days old. We went to the Laie Temple Open House (it took almost two years to re-design the interior and exterior, during which we learned what it's like to be without a temple an hour away). The Laie Temple (5th to be built) is certainly architecturally nice and has a beautiful exterior, but my favorite part has always been the grounds, especially how it sits atop a hillside overlooking a long manicured driveway that ends at a perfect sand beach. I'm also a big fan of the new interior design, which has an unmistakable Hawaii flavor to it, but still is calming enough so as not to distract from the main purpose and focus of going there.

Emry's little body parts hang out of the Baby Bjorn. I look like I could sleep standing up.

Then, we went over to Turtle Bay Resort. Eric took Pearce snorkeling for the first time. He loved it! He even chased a turtle. Later they played whiffle ball on the grass while Emry and I lounged on the beach under a tree enjoying the view and fresh air. It was great to be outside again.

This picture shows the Resort, the Bay and the Golf Course. Turtle Bay has become one of our favorite places to go with the kids because it has something for everyone. A calm swimming bay for the kids, big surf for the adults, good facilities (like groomed grass and parking) for convenience, and gourmet food for the stomach.

Pearce snorkeling.


Pearce and Eric playing whiffle ball.

We ended the evening eating right on the beach as the sun went down at their main restaurant, Olo. It's one of the best restaurants on the Island. Pricey, but worth it. Especially because you can wear a swimsuit and flip flops.

Appetizers.

My favorite entree, the Salmon. It melts in your mouth. If you come to this Island and don't partake of this dish, I promise you, you will forever be burdened with remorse. It's that epic.

Eric's scallops. The best prepared scallops we've ever had. Tender, not chewy. And I'm not even a fan of scallops.

This was a perfect day, which is the case more often than not in Hawaii. How do you beat the weather, food, activities, scenery and attitude. (OK, by living in a place that costs 75% less, probably). But it's been 7 years here and I still love it more than ever!

A month before the baby was due

We just got back from living in Vietnam for three months and I had less than two months to get ready to have baby. My Mom and Connor came for a quick visit to help.

Grandmama Piller, Connor and Pearce just before we jumped into the Volvo and sped off to the airport. I am wondering why this was the only picture we took for whole visit. Maybe because I was nine months prego.

After a full day of playing with Grandmama and Connor, Pearce passes out in seconds.

Took a picture of myself to prove I was still smiling at nine months!

It was fun to buy little pink onies with my Mom.

I had been so busy getting things ready for the baby, thinking she would be three weeks early like her brothers, unfortunately putting Pearce on a mini vacation from home school. But he still drew and wrote cards for family and friends birthdays.

For Papa Piller.

For Grandmama Piller.

For our neighbor.

Conversations with Pearce

1. Eric (responding to a question from Wendi about how he'll get ready for work if he bikes there): "I'll just bring my toiletries to work."
Pearce: "Toilet Trees? There's no toilet trees in this country!
You're so funny, Dad."

2. At a restaurant, Pearce grabbed one of the freshly baked french rolls, put it up to his ear, squeezed softly, and said," This is good bread. I know because the sound of the crunch." He learned this from Disney's Ratatouille.


3. I came down to breakfast and found my boys reading the newspaper....

....in Vietnamese. Pearce looks up and says "The Bietnamese (how Pearce pronounces Vietnamese) paper is a good read today, Mom."

4. Pearce has a box of foreign money that he has collected. He looks at every piece every time he is in his room. Actually, "caresses" is the proper word. Even in the middle of the night I have found him awake, handling and admiring his money. When I gave him some Vietnamese money Pearce said, "Look Mom the Bietnamese (Vietnamese) put windows in their money."


5. Pearce is always carrying around some action figures. One of the mornings at breakfast I noticed that Pearce's Darth Vader guy was positioned like this:

Mom: "What's up with Darth Vader?"
Pearce: "He has a stomach ache. Most likely gas. So I told him to put his bum in the air to help him feel better."

6. This is how I know Pearce will be a really good brother. He takes such good care of his special elephant Elli. Like when we leave for dinner, Pearce will put his Elli to bed with a movie to watch. He'll even pause it for her if he has to do something and gets in the way of the screen.