A is for Akari...

20/52

2013-05-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

iphones don't take the best pictures do they?

Oh well.

Joe rode his bike to work on "Ride Your Bike To Work Day"

and we had fun tracking his ride home on my phone.

We were tracking him in real time so the girls ran outside

to welcome him home when they "saw" him coming over the bridge.

Violet is smitten.

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

19/52

2013-05-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

We had some internet problems last week (for 5 days! eek!)

So here are last week's photos, a bit late.

Indigo & Hazel

Tandem wardrobe on a bicycle

Violet with a plumeria tucked behind her ear

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

18/52

2013-05-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of a hard week and I didn't think to take many pictures of our days.

Nothing terrible; just a 4 month old baby who's decided to become a night owl

and all the crankiness that goes along with that.

We did manage to take a nice Saturday afternoon walk though...

Feeding the fish at the lily pond

3 out of 4 ain't bad

17/52

2013-04-28T23:46:00.002-07:00

Indigo displaying her self-drawn tiger stripes

I spy with my little eye....Hazel!

Violet, taking it all in and looking a bit skeptical.

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

16/52

2013-04-21T14:15:00.001-07:00

Indigo's training wheels are off!

Hazel with tired eyes from a morning spent playing at the beach

Violet is happy to have discovered how to control her hands

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

15/52

2013-04-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

Indigo and Hazel learning a hula at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Trying out the poi balls that the Maori dancers demonstrated

at the Aotearoan (New Zealand) village

Joe pointing out the waves to Violet while we watched the sunset at Magic Island

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

14/52

2013-04-06T15:34:00.003-07:00

Snuggling at the beach

Hazel is a sandcastle building machine!

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

13/52

2013-03-31T23:44:00.002-07:00

Indigo has been practicing her fashion design skills on George

I love Hazel's chocolate candy eyes

Violet is getting stronger everyday

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

Pregnant Mommy Puzzle

2013-03-25T11:26:00.003-07:00

I wrote this post a few months back, but then life happened, quite literally,

and I didn't have the chance to post it. So here it is...

***

I got this Pregnant Mommy puzzle for Hazel for her birthday and it has been a hit with both girls.

We already had the Little Girl layer puzzle, which shows the different systems of the body,

skeletal, respiratory and digestive, muscular and skin.

The puzzles are wooden and well made and not too expensive;

I think they'd make great gifts. My girls love them!

We've talked about how the baby grows inside and also have looked at some books

with great photos of the stages of pregnancy inside the womb.

Of course Indigo and Hazel can see my belly growing bigger

and can feel their little sister kicking around in there...

so this puzzle is just another fun way for them to understand the whole, amazing deal!

12/52

2013-03-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Chef Hazel

Big Sister privileges

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

11/52

2013-03-19T21:05:00.003-07:00

Hunting for gecko eggs and finding some!

(they lay them in holes in the coconut trees)

Is this the Hawaiian version of an Easter egg hunt or what?

Violet's new trick

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

10/52

2013-03-10T14:34:00.002-07:00

Indigo and Hazel, buried up to their necks, at Ala Moana Beach Park

Guess how long bath time was after all this?

Violet snoozing her way through her first trip to the beach.

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

A New Neighbor

2013-03-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

After 83 years of living on Maui,

Tutu decided to pack her suitcase and blow that joint!

"Kit" as her siblings call her, has moved to Oahu.

She's living with my aunty on the windward side of the island,

about an hour away; a beautiful, hour-long drive through the country.

We've been making the trek out to see Tutu lately, just to make sure she's settling in okay.

Nothing helps smooth a transition like cuddling a sweet, chubby baby!

I think Tutu's going to fit in just fine around here.

9/52

2013-03-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when mama sleeps in...

Violet, relaxing in the nude

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

8/52

2013-02-24T23:09:00.001-08:00

Magic Island biker posse

(tattoos and all)

Violet is getting chubbier!

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

7/52

2013-02-16T22:40:00.004-08:00

All smiles this week!

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

5/52

2013-02-11T01:09:00.002-08:00

Well...this is a week late and I have no picture of Indigo.

Plus! I have no pictures of anyone for week 6 of 52.

Not a single one.

With my first born, we took hundreds of pictures every week for her entire first year of life.

And by the third born...it hasn't even been two months and already I'm seriously slacking.

There are less pictures getting taken, but as you can see...

Violet has got her fair share of lovin'!

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

4/52

2013-01-26T19:54:00.001-08:00

Indigo and Violet, getting acquainted

Hazel getting serious about her LeapPad

Linking up with Che & Fidel for

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

A Proper Introduction

2013-01-25T18:35:00.002-08:00

I'd like you all to meet...

Violet Akiko Mahinahiehie Vukovich

Born at home on Dec. 22nd at 8:20pm

7lbs. 10 oz. & 20"long

Wondering about that lengthy moniker, are you?

"Akiko" means "bright, shining, light" in Japanese

(similar to my own middle name of Akari and her sister Hazel's middle name of Aolile)

The night Violet was born, there was a gorgeous full moon...

"Mahinahiehie" means "very attractive or beautiful moon" in Hawaiian

*

Violet is adored in the way only a third baby can be;
doted on and constantly snuggled by her two older sisters.
She's also enjoying a much calmer mama & daddy;
who've learned a few lessons after surviving her siblings.
It rings true...
Third time's a charm.

Leisure Reading : I'm Milking It

2013-01-24T18:06:00.001-08:00

My 2013 Reading List is off to a great start...

Thanks to some thoughtful Christmas gifts, combined with the hours upon hours

of sitting on the couch nursing Violet that I've been doing

(and plan to do for the rest of the year at least)

I've been enjoying some wonderful books!

So far...
So Big by Edna Ferber
and
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Last year's list was a big one for me.

Not having a TV has something to do with it, I'm sure.

Right now...
Homeopathic Medicine For Children And Infants by Dana Ullman, M.P.H
and
Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by Susanna Cahalan

Up next...
Any book suggestions?

3/52

2013-01-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

A new year calls for switching things up a bit, don't you think?

This year, instead of {this moment} I'll be joining along for the 52 weeks project.

So...instead of posting a photo per week of our life, I'll be posting some photos per week of our life.

I know.

Big changes around here, people. Hold on tight!

Indigo and Hazel, showing the love at Kapiolani Park.

Violet (3 weeks old)

We Made It.

2013-01-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

We made it to our new place on Oahu!

Yesterday we picked up our cars and all our stuff.

Just look...

at all that...

stuff.

I guess now would be the time to mention that our "new place" is a 520 square foot cottage.

Everyone that hears this fact becomes very alarmed

and then immediately tries to downplay their horror so as not to spook me.

It's very possible that I'm in denial, due to postpartum hormones,

but all I can think about our new cozy quarters are,

"I might actually have a fighting chance of keeping this place clean!"

{this moment}

2012-12-28T11:00:00.001-08:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soulemama

Our Early Christmas Gift Is Here!

2012-12-23T22:58:00.001-08:00

Violet was born at home, last night at 8:20pm.

I can't believe she's here.

I had a fast and furious hour and a half labor...and there she was.

Tiny and perfect and screaming!

Indigo and Hazel were awake for the whole thing and did great.

They're already such attentive and helpful big sisters.

Joe and I are tired and breathless and falling head over heels in love with this little girl.

Deeper and deeper, every second.

I think it's safe to say, this is going to be the best Christmas ever!

Solstice

2012-12-21T22:03:00.001-08:00

I wish I had a better picture of our Solstice celebration...

For that matter, I wish we had a better Solstice celebration tradition in the works.

Alas, we have not.

The lighting of candles was all we could cobble together this year.

A meal of hot soup (which we had to ~~threaten~~ cajole the girls into finishing),

eaten all together by candlelight.

Actually...

if this is all we ever manage to do on Solstice, it is enough.

I feel lucky and thankful to be all together.

Happy, Healthy and looking forward to the returning of the light.

Happy Solstice, Friends.