Our Soccer Guy

Of course Kekoa wanted to do a soccer birthday theme this year.  I went through different ideas of pictures including a picture at Rio Tinto stadium or just Photoshopping his head on his favorite player, Lionel Messi.  On a hunt one day to find him a soccer jersey, we found this poster outside a sports shop.  It was a perfect backdrop for his invitation.  Lionel Messi (thus the play on "messin"), is arguably one of the greatest players right now.  We are excited to celebrate with some yummy frozen yogurt and finger soccer : )

Akoni is Mobile

He's been crawling on his belly for a week or so now, but tonight he became a full crawler! It was so fun to watch him learn.  Uwe was the reason he caught on so well and so quickly.  He helped him move his knees forward and stay off his belly.  Of course he needed a little motivation.  His was this little soccer ball.  I hope I'll remember his cute lips pursed in determination and his excitement as he reached the ball, grabbed it and waved it in the air.  So cute.  What a fun milestone. A whole world has opened up for him.

Soccer. Round 2.

Kekoa had a couple soccer camps this year and could hardly wait for soccer season to start.  He's had a couple practices already and today was his first game.  I was so proud of him and so happy for him. I know how much soccer means to him and I want everything for him.  Let me just quote what Kyle posted about the game on Facebook.

"[This morning], Kekoa 'El huracan' Reyes returned to the soccer field to score all four of his teams goals in only two quarters of play en route to a season opening victory.  I heard the opposing coach ask his assistant, 'Where did this kid come from?' Well coach, Kekoa hails from a little town called Awesomenessville."

Kyle has always been better with words than I. So. Enough said.

School Begins

Yesterday was Kekoa's first day of school.  We all went outside to send him off. Of course it was picture time. Here are the darlings.

We went to meet Kekoa's teacher on Monday.  She seems very nice and we are excited for all that Kekoa will learn this year. He is thrilled to have a couple of his good friends in his class still.
And then today I took Ikaika to meet his kindergarten teacher.  He was shy and wouldn't even tell her his name at first, but he warmed up by the end of the visit.  My favorite moment of the day was when I asked him in passing what he wanted to be for Halloween this year.  He said, "Ummm. . . maybe a ninja turtle . . . or a teacher."  I couldn't help but smile. Kyle of course was delighted when I told him about it. I think it is a great sign (two thumbs up).  I have been a bit worried about how he will do initially, and hope it is a wonderful experience for him.  Sepa still waits for his pre-school to start as well. We'll do more pictures next week as well.  But here are a couple from today : )

And here are their back to school pencil holders.  With a little duct tape embellishing we have ourselves ninja turtles : )

I am not really the mom that is super excited for school to start just to get the kids out of her hair. But I am super excited for them to learn and have opportunities for growth and experience, so the beginning of a new school year is a happy time for me.

Back to School with Wilbur and Charlotte

I did my very best to keep the kids reading this summer.  As a part of that I read to them Charlotte's Web.  I told them we'd have a party with cotton candy when we finished and that was good motivation for us to get it done.  We finished just in the nick of time, the day before school started.  I thought we'd make a full party out of it with food, an activity and of course a watching of the movie.  I was so happy to find the movie at our local library, but sadly the DVD was too scratched to watch.  Thankfully our neighbor had a copy and the party resumed :)   I thought it was a little contradictory to eat pigs-in-a-blanket (my original idea for dinner) so we went with a fair-theme since that was a fun part of the book.  We ate corn dogs, watermelon, popcorn, peanuts and of course cotton candy.
Our activity was a cupcake pig (a little less contradictory, maybe).  The boys had lots of fun and so did I.

Since it was Monday night and FHE, the boys also recieved father's blessings for the school year.  I am so thankful for Kyle and his ability to bless our children.  I am so excited for this school year and all it will bring : )


PS.  I also wanted to comment on my favorite part of the book. Yes, I cried when Charlotte died, but even more heart-moving to me was when she told Wilbur about her egg sac.  She said called it her magnum opus.

"That's Latin," explained Charlotte.  "It means 'great work.'  This egg sac is my great work- the finest thing I have ever made."       

I couldn't help but choke up thinking of my children.  I have a good friend that said to me after seeing Akoni for the first time, "He's beautiful, look what you created!"  I think of all the work and sacrifice that goes into bringing a child into this world.  Yes, it is amazing and even a miracle.  And then I think of how small that is to the work and sacrifice that goes into raising a child and children.  Magnum opus?  Indeed.         

Akoni at 6 months

 

I have been doing tons of pictures of this little guy on instagram, but not so much on this blog.  Can you believe he is already 6 months! He is a sweetheart and we love him so much.  He really is a great baby, not too fussy.  He loves chewing on his fingers, watching his brothers and loves mommy.  He gives me the greatest smiles in the morning or when I come in the room. We are so happy he is a part of our family.

Update: 8/26/12

Here are some pictures I've taken with my phone recently of him at this age:

Blogging to Instagram

I love that over 4 years ago, I was introduced to blogging.  I know so many memories of these precious early years would have been forgotten had I not blogged.  It has become harder to keep up with, and though I will not stop blogging, it might not get back to how frequently I blogged before.  My new way  of capturing the every day is with instagram.  It is quick, easy and I love it.  If you are interested in following me there my user name is reyesohana.  Here are just a few of the pictures I have taken recently with it.

This was a trip to to the park - loving summer days : )

 I love this last picture of Kyle with Ka'imi.  It is him dancing with her as she falls asleep.  I love that Instagram has helped to capture more of of the little things of the everyday.  I love my sweet little family and want to remember as much as I can of this time of our lives together.

Sunday

Today Kyle was released from the Bishopric.  He spent 4 years in this calling (he has also been in 2 other year-long bishoprics).  Knowing it was coming I've had a chance to think about the blessings that have come to our family in those 4 years.  I am so grateful for the two children we have added during that time, grateful that Kyle has finished his schooling and has a wonderful job he loves that supports our large and growing family.  We have good health and our family, though not perfect, are strong in the gospel and have desires to improve and do good.  I am so thankful for it all.
I'm excited to have some extra help with the kids before and during church.  And I'm giddy at the thought of being able to hold his hand during sacrament meeting.

8/12/12
We sat with Kyle today in sacrament meeting.  It was such a great occasion I had to sneak a picture with my phone

London 2012

Last night we realized the opening ceremonies for the Olympics was coming up and just in passing Kyle said that maybe we should do something to celebrate it. So at 5:00 this morning my mind started running with ideas of how we could celebrate simply but with fun and meaning.  We did things mainly with food.  The Olympic Flag was the most obvious to use as inspiration.  We included in on our pizza and fruit bowls.  We also created a huge flag that we hung on our fireplace (keeping it there while the games play out).  And for dessert we had the Olympic Torch ice cream style.  The boys had fun.  I was thrilled my sister and her two boys could come be a part of the fun- we love having them around : )

Pretty in pink . . . polish

A fun milestone - Ka'imi and I had our first little fingernail polish party.  I think it is funny that it took longer to polish her nails than it did to pierce her ears.  Oh well.  But she was excited - a bit nervous because of the smell.  I cherish the fact that I have a little girl to do fun things like this with.  It has only just begun : )

Ikaika Loves Grandma

My mom was out visiting us while Kyle was gone to Hawaii for his family vacation.  It was nice to have her here to distract us from missing Kyle.  Yesterday she had to head home because she needed to get back to work.  Here was a picture I printed on a huge canvas for her to hang in her office.  I wanted her to have something to look at to cheer her up if she had any bad days.  We all love grandma, but Ikaika has a special place in his heart for her.

Happy Birthday Ikaika!

 Today was my sweet Ikaika's birthday : )

 

 He requested a carrot cake.  Though it was not decorated more than some sprinkles, it was super yummy.

 

And my big surprise for the day - homemade Angry Bird toys :)  We will be using them on Saturday for the party he is having.  I stayed up late working on them so he wouldn't know about it.  I think it was a good sign, when he took them up to bed with him at bedtime.  He loved them and I felt like super mom : )
We also took him to get frozen yogurt ( I forgot to take a picture there), and made him his favorite dinner - Char Su. We look forward to the official party on Saturday with his cousin Kaipo (who is turning 3 in a couple weeks).  I love drawn out celebrations - a day goes by way to fast : )

Finishing First Grade

 With the last day of school, summer vacation has officially begun!  I can't believe how fast the school year went.  Kekoa had a wonderful year with a wonderful teacher.  In fact, as he got off the bus after school I met him outside to congratulate him for officially becoming a 2nd-grader.  I asked him what his favorite part of first grade was.  He said in a choked up voice, "Mrs. Hulme.  I am really going to miss her."  I am so thankful for such a wonderful teacher who helped Kekoa feel loved and know that learning is a wonderful thing.  I still remember attending a parent-teacher conference and after giving Kekoa lots of praise saying that what we need for Kekoa was deeper and wider.  She knew he has great potential.  We are so proud of Kekoa and excited for his lifetime of learning. 

 Here is a art project Kekoa brought home one day that I never blogged.

End of Soccer 2012

Today was Kekoa's last soccer game.  It was a beautiful day and we had lots of fun watching Kekoa play with such love for the sport (and score a few goals).  It has been so fun to see him find something he enjoys so much.  And I am thrilled it is something outdoors that keeps him active.  It seriously is his life right now.  He slept with two mini soccer goals, his cleats, shin guards, several soccer balls and his uniform all tucked at the foot of his bed for months.  I finally cleared out a drawer for him to keep some of his things in.  I sincerely hope his love continues.  Here are some shots we took during the game as well as a team picture.  Maybe one day this will be seen as the beginning of a great soccer player: )

 

Go Kekoa!

Mother's Day

I love being a mother.  I have my husband to thank for his support and love.  My mom to thank for her wonderful example of what a mother should be.  I truly have had joy and rejoicing in my children.  Love you Kekoa, Ikaika, Iosepa, Ka'imi and Akoni.

It's Pary Time!!!

We had Kyle's graduation part today.  We held nothing back and invited all our friends and family.  My mom was amazing and did an incredible amount of food for the Navajo Tacos we served.  The weather was a bit chilly, but we still enjoyed ourselves.  Amidst all the chatting and working, I never pulled out my camera except after everyone left.  Here is my instagram shot.  I like the old school feel of it :) Love our little family.  I made the kids t-shirts that said, "Dr. Daddy Fan Club."  We wanted everyone to know just how proud we were of Kyle :)

After the clean up, my mom and sister, Jessica went up to Salt Lake to meet my oldest sister, Kasandra.  She had flown into town to attend her sister-in-law's endowment session.  Only 8 hours in UT, we were so glad we could visit for a bit and let the newest cousins meet : )

Graduation

I am exhausted - but so happy.  Today was a wonderful day.  Two graduation ceremonies keeping a 3-month old happy. Whew.  But we decided to save ourselves a headache and leave the rest of the kids at home.  We'll show them pictures instead.  Now on to preparations for the big party.

Kyle was selected to give the student graduation speech for the school of Ed. Here's his great speech :)

Checking Our Lenses
College of Education Graduation Speech
Kyle A. Reyes

Ladies and Gentlemen, Aloha.

After the first year of study in my doctoral program (nearly four years ago), it

was glaringly clear that I needed glasses. I noticed that the volume and depth of

required reading was more than my eyes had been used to and headaches were

becoming frequent and intense. I received an eye examination and subsequently,

my first pair of glasses. I still remember the first time I put them on. I was

captivated by the clarity of the world around me and felt empowered with this new

expansion of ability and vision.

About four months ago, as I was putting the finishing touches on my

dissertation, I realized that headaches were returning and that I could not see

things quite as easily again. I returned to the eye doctor to find out that my

eyesight had been shifting and that same day, I received new lenses and once again,

experienced a dramatic shift of clarity.

There is no question that these lenses [pointing to my glasses] have affected

every aspect of my visual life, however, these tangible pieces of plastic have not

been the most significant lenses I have received over the past five years. Thanks to

rigorous readings, robust classroom discussions, and most importantly, Socratic

faculty members, I have had to check and re-check my lenses on numerous

occasions. These lens-check moments have collectively built clarity of perspective

and vision about my role as an educator and lifelong learner. Allow me to explain.

For the majority of my nine-year career as a staff member, adjunct professor,

and administrator in higher education, I have focused on the development of

services and programs that create access and opportunity for underrepresented

students and communities. Fortunately, the bulk of my years as an educator have

run parallel with my enrollment here as a doctoral student. From my first classes

with Dr. Amy Bergerson and Dr. Enrique Alemán, and in nearly every class that

followed, I learned to check my lenses and in turn, invited others to do the same.

Through research of asset-based educational approaches, culturally relevant and

responsible pedagogy, and critical policy analysis, I have had the wonderful

opportunity to put into practice a host of initiatives focused on student inclusion,

access, and opportunity. Many of the decisions I have made have been influenced

by information I have gleaned from readings, classroom dialogue, professors’

insights, and reflective journal entries. Much of my professional success can be

attributed to the wonderful research, teachings, and influence of professors and

peers in this College of Education.  

But perhaps the most poignant lesson I took from this experience was the

way my professors and classmates engaged me to check my lenses daily. Their

passion, experiences, and stories helped me clarify my professional goals and the

arc of my life pursuits—that is, to invite those within my sphere of influence to

check their lenses and to seek the improvement of educational conditions and

outcomes for historically marginalized populations. In this context, lens checking

refers to being honest with ourselves about the assumptions, biases, privileges,

prejudices, and convictions that we bring to the table. This is not a one-time event

but rather an ongoing journey. Our eyes and perspectives shift and often, we do

not even realize that we have, once again, been viewing certain populations

through murky or deficit glasses.

As an educator committed to quality opportunities for all students, I must

confess that I am simultaneously discouraged and hopeful as I look to the future.

My discouragement stems from both a general sense of societal apathy towards

building inclusive educational institutions as well as the prevailing and growing

educational opportunity gaps. However, when I see this graduating class, I feel a

great sense of hope. I am hopeful because of the graduates who will enter

classrooms and establish an asset-based culture of achievement for all students. I

am hopeful because of those who will counsel with students and families to work

through hardships and challenges of educational navigation. I am hopeful for the

graduates who will actively advocate for greater critical understanding of our social

and civil contract as participants in a broad community. I am hopeful because of

graduates who will be educational leaders and administrators who are committed to

inclusion and diversity.

As my current boss and mentor has said many times, “I can think of nothing

more noble or enriching than the profession of being an educator.” My mother

and my mother-in-law, both of whom are here today, have spent their careers as

educators in Los Angeles and the Navajo Nation respectively. The legacy these

women have built over the years has influenced the conversations I have with my

wife regarding our sense of responsibility to reframe or rescript what society has

projected about our indigenous and Pacific Islander communities.

If, in our capacities as educators, we do not constantly check our lenses, and

become champions of opportunity for ALL students, I argue that our education

will have been a waste. I hope that you will not let it go to waste but that you will

have the courage to continually educate and be educated. Thank you. 

At the main graduation ceremony.

Announcing . . .

When I imagined creating this card, I envisioned each of us doing the "toyota jump."  This was what actually materialized.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute.  We couldn't be happier to tell all our friends and family the great news :)  And the wording on the card was all Kyle - love it.