PUBLISHED!!

How cool is that?? I was officially published in our newspaper on a letter I wrote to the editor on some issues we have been having in our parks.

I guess they liked it.....since here it is!! They even printed a picture (yikes! lol)

Here is the article....and here is the star-bulletin official link!

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Gathering Place

by: K. Brenneman

Park cleanups should sweep up criminals, too

It was nice to read that the city is trying to balance parks access and the homeless issue. It was even nicer when they started cleaning up some parks and giving them back to tax-paying residents. It was so nice to walk through Thomas Square and not be intimidated, surrounded by drug users and most important -- feel safe with your family.

Let's use Thomas Square as an example. The park was infested with tents, body waste, garbage and personal belongings for months. It was getting to the point where no honest, tax-paying law-abiding citizen would go to a park during the day and use it as it was intended. You were crazy if you tried to walk across it at night (especially after the recent stabbing).

The park was finally cleaned up, tents removed and I started to bring my children back to the park. Well, that lasted about two weeks and now it seems the criminal drug users (disguised as homeless) and their camp sites are now again calling Thomas Square Park "home." At dusk the tents go up, at dawn they take them down and start partying, pack up their piles of stuff and stake out their claim under the shady trees. That means there is no shade for park users and, God forbid you go near their campsite

Last week I called the police because I was fearful for my children playing in the park when these crack-using illegal campers were doing it in front of me and my children. The smoke from their illegal drug use and camp was drifting right at my family. I have called HPD several times for the same reason and they send an officer to sit in his marked car. They sure are going to stop illegal activity using this method -- NOT! I refuse to bring my children back to the park until these people are gone.

I know that it is not against the law to be homeless. However, it is against the law to camp, litter, defecate and urinate in public, intimidate park users and smoke crack. This has nothing to do with a family down on their luck, losing a job and not being able to afford rent. It has everything to do with criminals, bums, drug users and other undesirables who have no intention of working, finding a proper legal place to stay or having a positive effect on their community and society as a whole.

Why can't the city turn on the sprinkler system for five minutes every hour after dark to make it uncomfortable for the illegal campers? Why can't HPD send an undercover person to watch and bust them? Why can't HPD tell these people to move out of the parks at night? Most of these illegal campers are so lazy they stay close to where they camp. Maybe, if the city made it inconvenient to stay in the park and the state made it more convenient to access social services these people would wise up and seek the help they need to be honest tax-paying citizens, a positive influence on society and enjoy the parks the way they were intended?

___________________________________________________________________

P.S I know a few people are worried already about the reproccussion's (mom) that may happen if one of these "homeless" recognize me. We WILL NOT be going back to that park any time soon, and I will be on my "P"'s and "Q"'s when I do go out!! Other than that...how cool!~

McKayla's Vocabulary

The drama queen is 19 months and 3 weeks old (thanks babycenter) and here is what I can remember of her daily growing vocabulary:

She can say: (pronounciation in parenthesis)

cheese (cheeece)
ice cream (ice keem)
milk (mik)
bless you (bess oooh)
please (peees)
mommy (mama or momeeeee with her hands cupped around her mouth)
kitty (kit -e or eow)
swimming (wim)
Papa (pa.......pa)
Oh no (oh no)
all right! (aaahhhh reai)
mouse (ouse)
bath (aaaaat)
high five (eye feye)
no no no (no no no with her finger wagging at you)
up (up)
shoes (shooooooooooce)
come on (ummm aaaaaan)
bye bye (bye bye) hand opens and closes
hi (hiiiiiiiiiiii) hand waves
apple (she says this perfect)
i stuck (she says this PERFECT...which is good seeing as how she gets herself into the most precariuos positions!
no way (no waaaay)

I'm sure there are more, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

It is amazing how different the bug was in his stages.

Girls are SOOOOOO different~

She seems to be cruising through... if not ahead... of most of her stages (crawling at 8 mos, walking at 10 mos etc...)

Not to mention the child WON'T touch baby food!
She never really has.
She nursed, and then it was straight to solids.
The only thing "baby" I can get her to eat are the Yo- Baby yogurts. Other than that it is rice...refried beans, rice soup, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, applesauce, peanut butter and jelly, and LOTS of cheese.... to name a few! :)

In addition to being a great eater...she is also great at throwing tantrums

.
I don't think I stood a chance when I told my mom I was having a little girl and she said (and I quote)

"ohhh Kristi...if she is HALF the rugrat you were....you are in for a treat"

and

"I hope she is just like her mom so you can see what I went through"

and then goes on to tell me how I stuck a grape up my nose and they didnt know...so it was there for like 3 days....and they couldn't find out what smelled so bad on me. took me to a dr....and sure as anything....out comes the grape.

I just wanted to see if it would fit.

See?


SIDE NOTE: THIS IS TOTALLY OFF THE SUBJECT......but people like THIS make me sick. How is this possible??

Sammy, Sammy Sammy...

giggles..

*rolls her eyes"

*shakes her head*

*rolls her eyes again*

I wanted to share this with Becca... to give her an "idea" at what she is in store with with Drew.

No one bothered to warn me....

Hey Becca.....

from one mommy to another..I hope you enjoy.

HERE IS THE STORY:

Yesterday we decided to head on down to the pool since it was such a beautiful day out.

Brad was working of course, and it was just the kids and I.

So I start getting the bag ready with towels, diapers, sun screen....

you know....everything BUT the kitchen sink (and you STILL manage to forget something)

Anyway....I tell Sam to run and get ready while Kayla is distracted with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (her FAV show) and I am trying NOT to forget anything...

So off we both go....

I am so busy with everything.... it isn't until I am mentally going over everything and look up to see if Sam is ready...

he isn't.

he is dancing.

not only is he dancing....

he is bum naked!

O.k O.k.....no big deal....

but then I take note of the WAY he is dancing..

he is singing the end song for the MMC show, and doing this little booty dance....swinging his little "man part" around.

I do a double take.

Yup....he is singing and "swinging" it in a circle.

*insert me trying so hard not to laugh*

"What are you DOING sam"

he looks up grinning...

I expect him to say "dancin mom"..

where I would follow with a "your supposed to be getting your swim suit on"

HOWEVER...

he grins and rotates his hips even faster....

"I'm waggin' my tail mom"...

"like pluto...

see....mom.....WATCH me."

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

To my honey for father's day!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And then for my dad (Papa)....I put this together! The kids sure are lucky they have people that love them soooo darn much! Thanks dad!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

AND OF COURSE A HUGE HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO THOSE WE AREN'T NEAR....CODY..JOSH..MY CUZ JIMMY LEE..TONY...ALAN...OCTAVIO...AND EVERYONE ELSE!

I thank God for you everyday!

50th STATE FAIR

Last weekend we went to the 50th State Fair at the stadium.

The kids had a blast!!!

I had soooo much fun watching them. NOT so much fun on the rides. When did I turn into a ol' fuddy duddy?

Oh yeah.....since having these 2 beautiful children wreaked havoc on my body! *snorts* It's much easier to blame it on the kids.

Anyway

Here are some pictures AND video of our fun time.

"hi guys.....we are getting ready to go down a biiiiiig slide!"



And then we have the video.....this thing was FAST! But all Kayla kept saying was "again"


"Say hi Sammy....mommy is petrified." Sammy kept saying to me "it's o.k mommy...see? everything is o.k" (yeah, tell that to my stomach)



Popo and Kayla in the helicopter. They BOTH were having a blast! :)



"lunch time....look at this girl eat!"




My future Nascar driver.....move over Gordon....da' brenn na MAN is on the track..





Here is video of him in action....go sammy go!







Hey I think I rode these boats when I was here as a kid! LOL The very same ones! *safety check please*




Here is a video of Kayla and Popo on the merry-go-round...




"Wave your hands in the air" he rode this over and over.




And the last, is a video of Brad and Sammy on the merry go round....at the end you can catch Popo and Kayla too.



Other than that, everything else is crazy here, Sammy is fighting an illness (type A flu?) and has been running a temp for 3 days of 102.8. No other symptoms other than very tired and complaints of pain in his leg. (?) Yesterday he started feeling better and his temp broke....he is eating and drinking normally (well maybe not normal...but close enough) and has finally gotten off the couch and asked to visit Popo and Papa.
So they took the kids for a few hours yesterday, and Brad and I got some MUCH needed mommy/daddy time at the..

WATERPARK! LOL (we both felt SO guilty...but needed to get out) It was lots of fun...HUGE THANKS PAPA AND POPO!~

And we have a few other things going on as well I won't bore you with.

Today is a state holiday (Kamehameha *ka-meh-ha-meh-ha* Day)......so I'm not sure what we will be doing. Probably laying low until Sam's 100% .

Hope everyone is well and healthy. We miss you soooo much, and sure do appreciate you keeping in touch!~ PLEASE continue to do so!!

TTFN!

Daddy Day Care

Below is just ONE of the reasons I try hard NOT to leave the kids home alone with daddy for very long. I just had to run a few errands. You really have to watch it to the end to TRULY appreciate what I came home to! *sigh* MEN!





Have a great weekend!~