Madison Luke Mano'o

Saturday, June 14

Last Day of School

Both Kindergarten classes joined together to host a Hawaiian theme picnic and games for the last day of school. The kids had fun chasing each other, throwing water balloons, hula hoop'ing, limbo'ing, and sorts, as well as eating pizza, watermelon , oranges and yummy flavoured ice-cream. Here are a few pictures of the last day of school.

Hula Hoops

Musical Towels

Maddy with his buddy Michael

Around the pole with Azfar

Limbo Time

Yummy chocolate ice-cream after the water ballon fights

Thank You Nanna and Papa

For the wonderful gifts Maddy got in the mail on Friday. He received 3 books, one for spelling (which he has completed already), a book called 'Jungle Drums' and a sticker book which he has almost completed too. Along with that came a set of 'go fish' cards :) ... And thanks to Aunty Lagi and Uncle Tolly for the Wedding CD as well.

Fa'afetai Tele Lava

Love Us xxox

Thursday, June 5

Home With No Power!

Yesterday was a bit scary. Tornado warnings started appearing on the tv screen while I was watching HGTV around 2.30pm. Maddy was expected to be home around 3.15pm and I got a little worried. I watched the news and noticed the storm hit Maryland and was approaching us very quickly. Over a period of 20 minutes, it went from light and sunny to dark and gloomy, rain started pouring and then the thunder and lightening came. Bam the power went off. I frantically called the school and they were keeping all the kids there until the storm passed. 30 minutes later it calmed down and I went with a neighbor to pick up Maddy and her two boys from school. They were waiting for permission from the Fairfax County to release the buses to take the kids home. I wasn't going to wait around for that and hurried to his class.

He said he was fine, a little scared but fine. They had to line up in the foyer, crouch down with their hands over their heads and curl up in a turtle position, until the storm passed. He said some of the girls were a little upset, which was fair enough because it was a nasty storm - the worse I have seen in DC since we arrived here.

I was glad that he was home safe with me. Poor Daddy who is currently in Jamaica was calling back and forth making sure we were ok. He kept checking the weather online and keeping us updated. We have to get a small battery operated radio for times like this!!

We lit the candles, played card games, watched half a movie on the laptop until the battery died, munched on fruits and cookies, had chicken meat sandwiches for dinner and then went to bed and read a few books. Soon we both fell asleep. Around 11.30pm the power came back on.

There are still thousands of homes without power as of this morning. Lots of trees have fallen onto powerlines, making it hard for the Dominion workers to get to them.

It looks like we are expecting scattered rain again this afternoon so I'm going to rush off to the store to buy more candles and batteries for our flashlights, oh and a radio too!!

Monday, June 2

More Bbq's!

After a last minute call from Domenico and Rosie yesterday morning, we were on our way to Mason Neck State Park in Lorton Virginia to meet them for another bbq. You can read all about the park here http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/mas.shtml

Not only did we enjoy the food and company, the kids took part in 'making butter' and finding insects to talk about with the Park Ranger. We also went for a walk through the trails and took pictures along the Lake.

Friday, May 30

More Visitors from New Zealand

My cousin Mele, her husband Ete (from Laughing Samoans) and their daughter Sina visited with us this week. Mele is attending a work conference on International Schooling (she is the Executive Director for Fulbright New Zealand) and her husband and daughter tagged along to do some sightseeing.

We caught up with Mele and Ete on Tuesday night and took them out to dinner to a Japanese hibachi cooking restaurant called Benihana. The food was delicious and the company was lovely - it was great to catch up with them both.

Thanks for the latest 'Laughing Samoans' DVD, Chocolates, Paua Shell pin and Music CD for Maddy :). Safe travels home!

Allergies

Matt and Maddy have had a hard time coping with the sunny weather lately. Matt's hayfever has returned and is sneezing up a storm.

Maddy has been home these past two days with Allergic Conjunctivitis - poor lad. A white mucous discharge is seeping from his eyes and he has a runny nose too. He looks like a zombie in the mornings with his eyes closed shut from all the mucous in them :( Not very pleasant at all.

He has been taking allergy eyedrops and a nasal spray to help clear them so hopefully by Monday he is well enough to go back to school.

He also grazed his knees from falling down in the playground at school on Wednesday and is finding it very painful and hard to stand up straight. They are healing very quickly though with Mommy's TLC hehe.

I'm enjoying the sun and loving every minute of it. I am able to sit out on the porch, get a tan, read a book and even listen to music (very refreshing after a cold and wet Spring).

Sunday, May 25

Lake Fairfax Park

Today we spent the day out at Lake Fairfax Park with Matthew's friends Domineco, Rosie and their 3 year old son Neno (short form - name is italian and not sure how to spell it lol). Vai's girls joined us too as they spent the weekend with us.

It was a gorgeous day for playing soccer, flying kites and finding tadpoles lol. We bbq'ed t-bone steak and sausages and had potato salad, coleslaw, bread buns and fruit to go with our meal along with fizzy's and water to drink.

The Park was packed with families and they even had a spanish musical band who went around to each family and played a few songs. Of course it wasn't for free but it was well worth the one song they played for us.

Myra, Melody, Neno and Maddy

Dominico and Neno

The Four Amigos LoL

Tuesday, May 20

Welcome Baby Alexander

Vai and Fati's son Alexander

Maddy gets to hold Alexander

Gorgeous!

Monday, May 12

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day Nanna, Grandma, Aunty Sachi, Aunty Jojo, Aunty Ake, Aunty Trisha and Aunty Brady and all our other Aunties out there. Hope you all had a lovely day and got spoiled by your families.

We spent the morning at the airport seeing cousin Peta off and then attended the Samoan Church with Matt's friends Vai and Fati. The Army compound where they have church put on a lovely Mother's Day Lunch, 3 course meal with drinks and beautiful roses for all the mother's. Then the kids gave each mother an ula lollie which didn't last long around our necks because as soon as we sat down, the kids wanted to eat them lol.

Maddy and I spent the afternoon with Vai and her kids swimming and playing game, while the men had an afternoon game of golf in the rain. Didn't last more than 5 holes before they returned home, soaked to the bone. We ended the night with a few card games and then headed home.

As for my mother's day present, I get to buy one thing - whatever I want (within reason) so I'm going to hit the mall later on in the week to buy something/s on sale lol.

Making Ula Lollies for Mother's Day

Myra and Maddy @ Vai and Fati's home

Melody, Nona, Maddy, Myra and Sina

And again

Cousin Peta Visits DC

Peta and I

Saying goodbye @ Dulles Airport

On our way home after a late night out

Playing a friendly game of poker at Matt's friends place

Flip Flop Hop Dance

Annie and Maddy

Maddy dancing with Peta to the Chacha Slide Dance

Doing the Macarena

And again

Tuesday, May 6

A Little Under The Weather

Maddy wasn't feeling well after coming home from school yesterday and ended up vomiting in the car (luckily inside a plastic bag) while we were showing a couple of IT Specialists visiting from Vanuatu and Jamaica around Tyson's Mall. Poor thing had a slight headache and then felt whoozy and then his temperature shot up to 100.4. After taking some pamol, his fever finally broke early Wednesday morning and he felt better by the afternoon. I think he might have caught a tummy bug or some kind of food poisoning from our weekend bbq's or something. I'm just glad he's feeling a whole lot better.