OOh Baby, Baby!

AS YOU MAY GUESS, WE ARE ALL ABOUT "OUR" BABY BOY, KEN MITOME RICHARDS.
8 LBS. 15 OZ. AND 21 1/4 " LONG. HE LOOKS A BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE LEANING, PERFECT DARK HAIR AND GROOMED TO BOOT. ROSY RUDDY COMPLEXION AND BOWED LIPS LIKE HIS MOM, SMALL EARS LIKE BOTH OF THEM AND JUST ADORABLE!

HIROKO WENT HOME ON CHRISTMAS DAY AFTER SUNDAY OR WAS IT MONDAY? TIME HAS FLOWN AND HE IS NOW, ON MARCH 6 ABOUT TO BE 11 WEEKS OLD. HE FOCUSES ON ME WHEN I SING TO HIM AND TALK TO HIM AND HE LETS OUT A LITTLE HUH AS I SPEAK TO HIM. HE COPIES STICKING OUT THE TONGUE AND LOVES HIS FAVORITE SONG, "NIGHT, NIGHT BABY NIGHT, NIGHT, NIGHT NIGHT BABY BOY" ETC. I'VE HAD A LOT OF PRACTICE WITH THAT ONE. HE ALSO ENJOYS SQUEALING AND PRACTICING WITH HIS VOICE.

HIROKO IS RETURNING TO WORK IN THREE WEEKS, AND MIKE IS TEACHING AT McKINLEY. THIS COULD WORK. WE ARE IN TOWN AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK SO BABY KNOWS US.

MATT CAME HOME FROM NEW ZEALAND ABOUT FIVE WEEKS AGO AND OF COURSE I WITH MY MOMMY BLINDERS ON WANTED TO BELIEVE THAT HE WAS MORE MATURE AND SETTLED. ALL FELL APART ABOUT A WEEK AGO WITH A BLOW UP, TOTAL REJECTION OF US AND WORDS THAT I DO NOT CARE TO REPEAT. WAKE UP BONNIE. HE IS 42, A GROWN MAN AND OBVIOUSLY WANTS TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THE FRUITS OF OUR HEARTH AND HOME BUT CANNOT BEAR OUR OPINIONS OR INTERJECTIONS ON ANY SUBJECT. HE LEFT IN ANGER AND RETURNED TODAY TO COLLECT THE REMAINDER OF HIS BELONGINGS. NO JOB, NO MONEY AND YET JAN CALLED ME FROM MAUI TO SAY, "GUESS WHO IS COMING OVER TONIGHT TO GET HIS TOOLS?" I SAID GOODBYE TO MATT THIS AFTERNOON, ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD KEEP IN TOUCH AND HE SAID YES AND PARTED WITH A HUG. HE WOULD NOT LOOK INTO MY EYES. I AM DONE. HE IS LIVING WITH THE HOMELESS GROUP ACROSS FROM HANO HANO HALE. CAN'T VERY WELL BE COLLECTING WELFARE, FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAL CARE AND LIVING WITH HIS AFFLUENT FOLKS NOW CAN HE? MAYBE THAT CHOICE IS WHAT HE HAD TO MAKE TO GET THE DOLE. WE ARE THE RECIPIENT OF HIS ANGER AND "DISGUST" TO QUOTE HIM. SO SAD. HE IS NO LONGER MY MATT, THE SON I FOUGHT FOR AN TRIED TO BRING TO A RIGHTEOUS MANHOOD. HE IS THE MASTER OF HIS OWN SHIP. ACTUALLY HE STARTED FIGHTING FOR HIS OWN CONTROL AT 13 AND FOURTEEN. IT'S BEEN A TOUGH GO.

THE RAINS HAVE RETURNED TO HAWAII. WE WERE PLANNING TO FLY TO THE BIG ISLAND TO ENJOY A WEEK AT A VOLCANO CABIN, BUT THE STORM CELLS WERE TOO PREVALENT IN OUR PATH AND MIKE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING. GIVEN THE STORMY CONDITIONS AND UNUSUAL THUNDER AND LIGHTENING ACTIVITY, I FEEL BETTER ABOUT FLYING IN THE DAYLIGHT AND ARRIVING WHEN WE CAN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.

BEN WILL DOGGY SIT THE FOUR DOGS AND CALLI THE CAT. OUR HOME IS A MENAGERIE! ALL OF THEM GET ALONG JUST FINE WITH A MINIMAL OF POWER, POSTURING. SIMON GETS A LITTLE TERRITORIAL AT TIMES.

MY ONE YEAR MARK FOR THE INJURED ANKLE COMES UP THIS MID APRIL. STILL NUMB AND CHARLEY HORSE PRONE, BUT BETTER THAN SURGERY! I REALLY BABY IT AND ON MY FEET TOO LONG REAPS LOTS OF NIGHT TIME TROUBLE. THAT'LL SLOW A GAL DOWN.

MARCH HAS TRULY LIVED UP TO ITS NAME. IN LIKE A LION AND WE ARE COMING UP ON HALFWAY THROUGH. LET'S HOPE FOR OUT LIKE A LAMB.

APRIL WILL BE A SPECIAL MONTH IF WE CAN RETURN TO SAMOA AND RENEW OUR TEMPLE VOWS ON THE 14TH. OUR ETERNAL ANNIVERSARY.

HAPPY SPRING. THE HIBISCUS HAS BLOOMED ALL "WINTER" AND THE BUDS ARE ON THE FRANGIPANI AGAIN! I LOVE HAWAII. RAINBOWS AND WATERFALLS!