i am...mai

Floating Lanterns

Going down to Ala Moana Beach Park to witness in person the beautiful Floating Lantern ceremony that I'd only seen televised has been on my "Must Do" list for several years. I'm not much for crowds, but there's just always been something about this event that has drawn my attention. With the passing of Rob's dad last summer and pangs still strong for George's death nearly four years ago, I felt this was the year to try.

The original plan for the day was to get an early start. We'd make our way down to the beach right after breakfast, find a good spot to sit, wait in line for an individual lantern, and just make a day of it - relax, swim, and enjoy some quality time together.

Yeah. Didn't happen that way. Not even close. But somehow, despite the massive itinerary change, everything worked out.

We arrived at Ala Moana expecting parking to be a mess, but a short wait gave us a great spot right across from the beach park. We arrived at the beach park assuming we would be simply spectators, having missed any chance of getting a lantern. Though they had run out of individual lanterns, we were still able to add names to a collective lantern, allowing us to participate afterall.

We set out to the beach in search of a place to sit, and Arwen instantly spotted an adorable little pug on the beach. Turns out the little pug, Lana, was sitting with three of my Alpha Gam sorority sisters, Resa, Kimberly, Vidushi, and Vidushi's mom. We decided to join them and wait for the ceremony to begin, which was timed perfectly because the spaces all around us quickly filled up.

And when Resa realized we missed the individual lanterns, she not only offered the extra space on her lantern, but told Arwen to float the lantern for her. Love my sorority sisters.

The ceremony itself was beautiful, and the experience exceeded my expectations. 40,000 people. 3,000 lanterns. Honoring our ancestors and the service men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Remembering our departed loved ones. Praying for peace. It was spirtual. It was cathartic. It was amazing.

If you haven't had the opportunity to go to this event, I highly recommend it. For us, it will remain a Memorial Day "Must Do" for years to come. 

The full batch of photos are here on flickr.

Happy Memorial Day.

 

Mother's Day 2012

I'm spoiled. Love my kid. Love my husband. Love my life. Had an awesome Mother's Day weekend. Did our part to support the local economy over the last two days. Feeling blessed.

Saturday lunch with my munchkin at JJ's Bistro.

Home of the headless snowman soup.

Stopped at a little shop on the corner to buy some beautiful orchids for the grandmas.

Cruised the mall for a bit and got Arwen's ears re-pierced at Claire's.

She is SO happy to be able to wear earrings again.

Finished the day off with mother/daughter pedicures at Smiley Nails.

Third annual Sunday brunch at Michel's with my mom friends. 

Sweet Mother's Day treats.

Kid-free dining. Great company. Fantastic food. Beautiful view.

Dinner at my mom's. Arwen got some quality Grandma Time in.

A few more Mother's Day photos are on flickr.

Happy Mother's Day! 

 

Gio's 5th Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated my nephew Gio's 5th birthday with a Sonic the Hedgehog party at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park. It was a beautiful day filled with some great food and good times spent with family.

I made the cake. Banana for the top layer and strawberry (Birthday Boy's request) for the bottom.

Birthday Boy and his fruit punch 'stache. He seemed pretty happy with the cake.

Beautiful face painting by Color Whims.

Fun creations by Balloon Monsoon.

 

Hours of sledding fun compliments of a hill and a piece of cardboard.

Arwen had a blast and kept saying how, "We should come here more often!"

Aside from visiting the Children's Discovery Center, who shares the Waterfront park's parking lot, I don't think we'd ever visited the park before September 2011 when Gio's parents (Rob's brother Grant and his wife Yesly) were married there.

The urban face of the park (and the homeless community quickly growing around the corner) hides the beautiful treasure you find as you enter and head to the back.

We'll have to add this to our list of future family fun places to visit. In the mean time, we'll be keeping our eyes out for solid pieces of cardboard.

More photos from the birthday party can be found in my flickr photostream here.

The rest of the wedding photos are also on flickr here.

Old Friends, New Friends, and Crabs

Arwen and I had a fun little playdate with my old high school friend, Caranthia, her husband Jim, and their three children. The meeting was set up for Caranthia to deliver a couple of adorably custom crocheted crabs I ordered for Arwen. The beauty of social networking sites like facebook had allowed me to not only reconnect with a friend I hadn't seen in over 20 years, but to learn that she's got a pretty awesome talent-turned etsy business making cute crocheted toys.

Caranthia had shared a few photos of her work on facebook back in April right around Arwen's birthday - with the crab theme party. After oohing and ahhing over all of her sweet little creations, Arwen asked, "Do you think she can make a crab?" A few months later when Aunty finished her other custom orders, Arwen found herself sitting at the playground with TWO crabs (Flumps 'n Stuff originals) and three new friends.

Mahalo Caranthia for all the time, work and love you put into these toys. Arwen's looking forward to adding more sea friends to her family (we'll let you rest your fingers first) and to her next playdate with Ally, Jessie, and CJ. Good times!

Happy Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day. It's not my birthday. It's not my anniversary. It's just a day set aside to celebrate motherhood. Awesome.

The day began with brunch at Michel's at the Colony Surf with some of my favorite mom friends.

Then it was time for Mommy/Daughter Pedicures at Smiley Nails.

And the day ended with a stroll through the mall and Happy Hour Frappuccino's.

Hope all moms enjoyed their special day as much as I did. Happy Mother's Day!

Abby's 1st Birthday

Oh this poor neglected blog of mine.  It's been months, and I even attempted to sit down and post at least one more little something before the year ended, but alas... was called away mid-post and completely forgot about it until 2011 had already arrived.  I haven't quite put together my resolutions and goals for this year yet - need to review how last year's set went (eek!)  But I'm pretty sure improvements in the blog department will fall in there somewhere.  So here we go... my first post of the year.

My friends Katie and Ben (picture above from almost a year ago) held their daughter Abby's 1st birthday party yesterday out in Kapolei at Katie's mom's house.  I love the parties they hold out there because Mary lives at the end of a cul-de-sac with some pretty cool neighbors, so they do this block party style - tables and chairs in the street, entertainment and activities on the driveway and lawn, park wherever, and the buffet is in the open garage.  Who can ask for a better setup?

I offered to make Abby's cake as my gift to her.  Hmmm... not sure I thought that offer out very well at the time having NEVER made a cake all the way from scratch (batter to frosting) for 65 or so people.  Nor had I ever assembled, decorated, or attempted to deliver one that big.  Yikes!  What WAS I thinking?!?!

Apparently sometimes I don't think.  I just do.  With a simple vision, some borrowed recipes and tips from baking friends (mahalo Gigi and Dian!), and a shopping trip for a whole lot of ingredients and suppplies - including my beautiful new KitchenAid mixer, I had finished making and delivering the cake in a little less than 24 hours.

The theme was Minnie Mouse, and I selected the colors and patterns to match the invitation.  As luck would have it, it also matched the birthday girl's adorable little party dress.

It was amazing that I made it all the way from my house on a hill in Honolulu to Kapolei with the cake unharmed.  Arwen was the greatest little assistant, watching my cake carefully in the back as we seemed to hit every dip and pothole along the way.  So of course I had to interfere with perfection by dinging the damn top tier while pulling the carrier out of the car.  Thankfully buttercream is forgiving, and I had my repair tools and spare frosting with me.  Crisis averted.  The cake looked good.

 

Considering this was my first try, I was pretty proud of the outcome, and my friends said it was both beautiful and delicious.  Mission accomplished.  Happy Birthday Abby!

A few more pictures from the special occasion are on flickr.

Remembering George

Last month, Arwen and I flew up to Philly to spend some much needed time reconnecting with family.  Unfortunately, Rob's work schedule didn't allow him to join us, but this gives us a reason to plan a return trip with him soon.

The first full day of our Philly vacation fell on the second anniversary of my brother George's death, so we spent some time that afternoon at his grave site in the Hillside Cemetery in Roslyn, PA.  My sister and her boys, Grandma Cats, and Aunt Ri joined us there, as did Kim, who drove up from Baltimore to bring my nephew Gianni, George's son.

Only two years since the accident, the loss of George still causes us all a great deal of pain.  But somehow, the time spent together as a family, especially with George's beautiful, two (almost 3) year old son kept the visit somber yet sweet.

More photos from this visit are available on flickr and hopefully, I'll find some time over the next couple of weeks to post the rest from our trip.

Summer Vacay

With my new job and Arwen's summer school beginning next week, we only have one full week to rest, relax, and enjoy a little downtime.  The first half of the week has gone pretty well so far - a nice balance of time with friends, time with family, a little time tackling the to-do list, and lots of time to just veg out at home in our pajamas.

On Saturday, Arwen and Rob went to ballet, while I enjoyed a nice lunch with the Baby Hui at Wai'oli Tea Room.  That night, we celebrated Rob's dad's birthday at Makino Chaya - a Japanese seafood buffet restaurant at Aloha Tower Marketplace.  The food was okay.  Not my favorite, and I probably wouldn't choose to go back, but it was nice to get together with family, so no major complaints here.

We had a nice family breakfast at Big City Diner the new morning.  Here's Rob sharing his artistic side.
 

And then went to Larisa's house Sunday night to watch the final episode of LOST.  Sad face.  Not about the party.  Just that Lost is over.  Such a great show.  I was pleased with the ending though and am looking forward to the full series being released on Blu Ray!

Monday was a Mommy - Daughter - let's stay in our pajamas until noon kind of day.  We eventually ventured out to CPK for lunch, the credit union and Walmart for a few errands, and then came home to nap.  Fully recharged from our rest, we did some late evening shopping at Target, where Arwen picked out a new outfit.  This later resulted in a 6 am wake up reminder that she wants to wear said new outfit today, so I have to get up and wash it for her.

Needless to say, Tuesday was not another "let's stay in our pajamas until noon" kind of day, but it was still fun.  After a load of laundry, we joined Arwen's friends Nash and Shay for lunch at the Peace Cafe - a WONDERFUL vegan restaurant on S. King Street.  The place is a charming little hole in the wall with friendly staff and delicious food.  It became an immediate favorite, and Arwen and I are already planning our next visit.  Later that evening, we watched Glee.  We both love this show, and Arwen is now a huge fan of Lady Gaga.

A trip out to the windward side to get our van serviced today, landed us a playdate with Cara and Cooper.  We met their adorable new puppy, Rocket, checked out an awesome book sale at the Scholastic Warehouse, and ended the day with lunch at Ninja Sushi.  Good times with good friends!

Solomon, spaghetti, and a spoon

This is why you should keep a camcorder handy at all times.

Isn't he just too cute?!?!

The Velveteen Rabbit and Punahou Carnival 2010

On Saturday, we were invited to join the Freeman family to see The Velveteen Rabbit at Paliku Theatre.   Performed entirely by theatre students of Windward Community College, this 45-minute children's theatre production of the classic book was absolutely delightful.  They have a few more performances this coming Saturday and Sunday.  If you've got the time, take the kids.  They (and you) will enjoy it.

To see a few more pictures, you can click here.

After the show, Cara and Cooper joined our family for the annual Punahou Carnival fundraiser.  Love this event!  Beautiful weather, great timing, ideal parking, delicious food, and awesome company made for a wonderful evening.  

Arwen and Cooper had such a blast playing the games and riding the rides that they didn't seem a bit phased by the long lines and growing crowds.  We ran into a few school friends along the way, which is always a treat, and topped Arwen's and Cooper's evening off with cotton candy for dessert.  Sugar high grand finale - yay! 

For more carnival pictures, you can click here.

Turning 38 is great

I tried to make this post when I got home last night but failed miserably, as I was absolutely exhausted from an amazing day.  Happy Birthday to me!  And what a fabulous birthday it was.  Who knew that turning 38 could be so great?!?!

These are the beautiful pink roses that still smell as sweet as when they were delivered by Rob and Arwen yesterday morning along with a Starbucks and some Leonard's malasadas.  No heavy breakfast for us because brunch with friends at Cream Pot awaited in just a few hours.

Arwen, of course, came dressed for the occasion.  This girl loves any excuse to put on her sparkly dress, fancy shoes, and cool shades.

I scored some awesome loot including a batch of Larisa's home baked cupcakes!

And the food and the company was fabulous as always with an extra touch of greatness - birthday crepes compliments of Cream Pot.  Yay!

The next stop was Smiley Nails to get a much needed pedicure and grant my birthday wish that Rob join me for one.  I spared him any photo documentation of his very first pedicure, which he sincerely appreciated.  He was such a sport for going along with this that I figured I owed him at least that much.  He did say that he enjoyed it.  (Told ya!)  He even admitted he's tempted to do it again!

Arwen joined in the fun by getting her fingernails and toenails painted.  She was beyond stoked by this new adventure and kept looking over to smile at me.  She finally said, "Thank you for taking me here!"

All prettied up, it was time for a dinner date with my husband.  We definitely haven't had many of these over the last five years.  Hmmm... wonder why?  We deposited Arwen at her friend Danielle's house and head over to Roy's in Hawaii Kai.

This was our first visit to this restaurant, and I assure it will not be our last.  We were greeted by this fabulous sunset and a sweet handwritten birthday card from the restaurant.  

After placing our orders, we were given some yummy edamame as a pre-appetizer.  Shortly after, the appetizers we ordered, dragon roll and crab cakes, arrived.  So ono!

Next we had our main course.  Filet mignon for Rob and seared scallops for me.  Fantastic!

Finally came dessert.  A complimentary slice of Chocolate Decadence cake for the birthday girl and the warm Chocolate Souffle ala Mode to share.  Okay, let me just tell you that both were heavenly, but that souffle...  will make you weak in the knees.  If you go to this restaurant, no matter how full you are come dessert, DO NOT leave without having the souffle.

The service, food, and overall experience were AMAZING!!!  I am already scanning the calendar for excuses...no... REASONS to go back.

Upon picking up Arwen, Danielle's mother, Brenda presented me with a pua for my hair and a slice of birthday cake, so the family could sing Happy Birthday to me.  It was a sweet little wrap up to a perfect birthday.

The rest of the pictures from my birthday are on flickr.

Aloha 2009. Aloha 2010!

While the loss of dear Milo ended our 2009 with a somber couple of days, a review of the last 12 months still brought us lots of reasons to smile.

2009 was a year filled with firsts and new beginnings:

Arwen began autoharp and 'ukulele lessons in January and, after a year of private lessons with my friend Amie, gave her first recital playing Christmas music for Mom and Dad.

We welcomed two new additions to our family.  My nephew Jayden Curtis Smith was born on February 20th, and Rob's nephew Keoliakaiponohea Molena Kekauoha-Schultz was born on November 3rd.

Arwen did beautifully at her first ballet performance on April 10th and then turned in her pre-ballet pink tutu to begin wearing her lavender leotard for Level 1.

The Best Family came to Hawaii in June.  I met my half brother Eric, his wife Lisa, and their sons Mason and Ethan for the first time.  They are awesome, and we had a blast playing both tourists and tour guides during their visit to Oahu.  We rediscovered many of the sights and attractions we take for granted while living here.  Arwen loves her new cousins and can't wait to see them again.

Arwen began swim lessons in July and in two months officially became a SWIMMER!  No more sitting on the steps for this little fish.

Arwen also began kindergarten in the Fall and became the first "Mary" in the school's Christmas Nativity program to have no interest in holding the baby Jesus.  "It's okay.  Joseph's got it," she said.

I walked/ran my first 5k!  The Nike 5k for Kids was so much fun, and I enjoyed sharing the experience with Rob and Arwen.  This is the first of hopefully many more family fitness events to come.

And thanks to Miss Kay's invitation to do the school portraits for Calvary this year, Mai Ly Schultz Photography was born.  It's amazing to watch this hobby become a profession, and I am loving it.

2009 also brought us the return of family and friends from afar, visits from family and friends living off island, a mini family vacation to Kauai, and more birthday parties, play dates, outings, and social gatherings with family and friends than I can count.  Yes.  It was a good year, and we're hoping the same for 2010 if not better.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

A Feast with the 5-Year-Old

Arwen's school held their annual Thanksgiving Feast for lunch today.  The parents potluck all of the food and supplies.  The children make decorations, place mats, and centerpieces.  The staff take care of the set up.  We all gather to give thanks among our school friends and family.  It's wonderful. 

Rob's 39th

Has it really been over a week since my last post?  Eek!  I generally try not to let more than two to three days pass between, but I guess this especially busy week has left me way behind.

I considered doing a quick week in review to catch up, but as I flipped through all of my photos for the week, I realized there's too much to cover, and it'll likely take me all week just to sort through and edit the whole bunch.  So I decided to work on Rob's 39th birthday photos last night, which was almost as much fun as taking them.

We had dinner at the Counter in Kahala Mall on Tuesday to celebrate the beginning of Rob's last year of being in his 30s.

Arwen had the grilled cheese.

Rob had the Old School.

I had the Burger of the Month - A Crab cake Burger in a bowl.  Yum!

After dinner, we decided to have Starbucks for dessert and cruise the mall for a bit.  Eventually, we parked ourselves at a table.  Arwen picked up Rob's iPhone.  I brought out my camera.  Let the silliness begin.

Rob showed Arwen the "land mine" setting for the Whoopie Cushion application on his phone.  This is when we discovered that Arwen shares her daddy's sense of humor.  

Arwen moved on to using the iPhone camera to take pictures, so I thought I'd try to take a picture of an uncooperative birthday boy.

The five year old found this amusing and wanted in on the action.  That's when things truly got silly.

This went on until the three of us were laughing so hard that our eyes teared, our sides hurt, and the other mall patrons stared.  Too much fun.  It's nice to know that the 39 year old's inner child is still going strong.  We'll have to check back in when he reaches the big 4-0.

Click here to see the full batch of silly pics.

Cooking, Crafts, and Another Concert

Arwen was cooking, and I don't mean in this humid summer heat.  We were invited to participate in the Hawaii's Li'l Chef keiki cooking class today at Island Monkeez with our friend, Chef Larisa.  

Larisa did an awesome job teaching a class of about 10 toddlers and preschoolers how to prepare quesadillas, a perfectly simple recipe for little hands.  The kids all seemed to have a great time selecting items to put into their quesadillas, and most of them enjoyed snacking on their creations when they were done.

This was our first time visiting Island Monkeez, which is located inside the Vim 'N Vigor store at Newtown Square in Aiea.  The facility is very nice, clean, and cool (love that AC!), and the items in the play area are primarily geared toward children aged two to four years.  This is the sort of place I wish existed when Arwen was in this age group.  Back then, it seemed like everything was designed for babies or kindergarteners.  She was the oldest in the room today but still enjoyed herself.  I think Arwen liked being "the big girl," as all the little ones followed her around the room.  Just a few words of warning about the Island Monkeez website before you visit that link - the class information is outdated, and I believe they are under new ownership as well.  I suggest giving them a call to check on current schedules and pricing before heading over there.

Aside from Arwen's culinary creation today, she's had a week full of arts, crafts, and music.

Tuesday, she had her third art class with My First Art Class, where Arwen stamped paint onto a T-shirt using household items (empty thread spool, potato masher, sponges, etc...) and her hands,

created this piece, titled "Turtle Beach", using bubble wrap and paint,

assembled and decorated a paper travel pouch,

and constructed this polenta and pasta artwork before breaking away for a few rounds of Ring Around the Rosie and the Hokey Pokey.

Yesterday, we attended the Baby Hui's Art in the Park event - one of my favorite free kid things to do.  The day started out a little scarey with rain following us from home all the way to Moanalua Community Park, but aside from a passing light drizzle, it turned out to be a clear (but quite humid) day.

We finished our day at the Honolulu Zoo's final concert for this summer.  It was wonderful.  The rain earlier had cleared, and a light breeze cooled us down.  We had enjoyed a picnic dinner with some live jazz music, a surprise performance by Henry Kapono, ice cream for dessert, and a gorgeous sunset.

Birthday, Ballet, BayFest, and Back to D&B

This is how you define a busy weekend.

Friday Night:  Jayme's 33rd birthday at Dave & Busters.

It was an absolutely delightful evening of friends and family at Dave & Busters.  Changes to the menu have introduced me to a new fave D&B dish - Double Stacked Chicken Parm Sandwich.  Yum!

After dinner, we had some lovely birthday cupcakes made by Larisa and then went upstairs to play games and enjoy each others' company for a while.  Good times!

Click here for more pictures from Jayme's birthday dinner.

Saturday Morning:  Arwen's Ballet Class

Arwen graduated to Level 1 after her ballet performance in April, which happened to be the day after her fifth birthday.  She loves wearing her lavender leotard with the other "big girls" and is doing quite well though the class is definitely more difficult.  I think she's enjoying the challenge.  Arwen continues to take her dancing very seriously - so seriously that sometimes we have to remind her to smile. 

Saturday Afternoon:  Peter Pan - the Ballet

After Arwen's class, we head straight over to the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall to meet up with some friends to see Peter Pan - the Ballet.  Arwen, Bella Grace, Kristin, and Griffin.  Four little girls aged three to five years old all dressed up to see a ballet - it was adorable.  The show was really nice as well.  The girls were so well behaved during the performance that we gave them some time to run around and be crazy in the grass outside for a while after.  They had such a fun time together

Click here for more pictures from Peter Pan - the Ballet.

Saturday Night: BayFest

After a late afternoon nap, we decided at the last minute to go to BayFest with the hope of catching some of the Black Eyed Peas concert and the fireworks show.  After two hours of dealing with insane BayFest traffic and an even worse parking situation, we made it!  Thankfully, the concert was running late, so despite our extremely late arrival, we managed to catch the last half hour or so of the fabulous concert and the fantastic fireworks.  Then we head over to the carnival side and gave Arwen some time on the rides before trudging about three miles back to the car.  Let's just say that the evening was well worth the trouble, but this will be the last time we make a last minute "Let's go to BayFest" decision.  I'm sure last night's experience was especially bad because of the huge draw the Black Eyed Peas had to the event, but in the past, we've saved ourselves a hell of a lot of hassle by planning and going early.  Next time, we go early or we don't go.

Sunday Morning & Afternoon:  Nap & Recovery time

There's no way, we'd survive anything more this weekend without it.

Sunday Night:  Alpha Gam Dinner at Dave & Busters.

Laura, from Arizona, and Elana, from the Big Island, are in town, so we gathered up some Alpha Gams to catch up over dinner.  Yes, this was a second trip to D&B in one weekend, but we didn't mind.

Elana's son, Nathan, provided hours of entertainment with his photography skills and what I think may have been a crush on Auntie Kapua aka the Ticket Lady.

First Library Card

We still have a little less than three weeks of summer vacation left, so the battle against boredom continues.  We've done a pretty good job so far armed with play days, swim lessons, and art classes, but most of Arwen's friends have returned to their schools, the swim lessons end tomorrow, and the art classes are only once a week.  So today I added something new to the "Things to Do" list by introducing Arwen to the public library.

I'm surprised I didn't take her sooner because Arwen loves books and reading.  As a child, I loved to read and spent hours at a time browsing our local library.  Around the second or third grade, we started writing reports, and a trip to the library to complete the assignment opened up a whole new world for me.  I began checking out two or three books at a time, taking them straight home, reading every available second, and then returning to the library within a day or two to exchange the books for a new batch.  By the fifth grade, my friend, Michele, and I became volunteers at the library, with the primary duty of returning the books to the shelves and making sure they were all in order.  This was fun for me, and I just love to see that same excitement about books and reading in my daughter.

Arwen took to the library like a natural, racing up the stairs and then stopping to whisper at the entrance, "We need to be quiet in the library."  She wasted no time, immediately pulling my arm and guiding me toward the shelves of books.  "Where are the kid books?!?!"  Her eyes lit up as we turned the corner, and she spotted her section.  She let go of my hand and started scanning the shelves.  In no time, Arwen had a stack of a half a dozen books on her table and took a seat to begin reading.  She flipped through some of the books on her own, and when I was finished filling out our library card applications, I read her a few.  I enjoyed both the quality time with Arwen as well as the air conditioning. 

When it was time to go, I told Arwen she could select two books to take home.  She talked me into four and then said, "We're borrowing these, right?"  The whole concept of borrowing is new to Arwen (more about this later.)  She's certainly entertained by it, but I don't think she's decided if she likes it just yet.  Regardless, she was ecstatic when the librarian handed over her very own library card and insisted on carrying it and her books back to the car herself.  Our first library visit was a successful one, and hopefully we'll keep this a regular thing.  Maybe I'll even get to pick out a few books for me next time.

My First Art Class

I registered Arwen for an August session of My First Art Class to help fill up our summer vacation calendar.  Prior to this summer, we'd only sampled the My First Art Class program through a few Baby Hui events.  The projects were always fun, and we were interested in learning more, but Arwen's preschool schedule and travel over the last couple of summers kept that from happening.  What a treat to find that finally, at five years old - the tale end of age appropriate bracket, Arwen found a time slot that works, and the bonus is her classmate, Katie, signed up, too. 

The program runs for one hour, one day a week, for four weeks.  Each week, Renee sets up 3 or 4 art projects that revolve around a theme.  All supplies (even little aprons to wear) and instructions are provided, and the children are free (with a parent's assistance) to roam about the classroom to select which projects they'd like to do.  After 45 minutes of arts and crafts, everyone sits down for 15 minutes of song and dance.  We completed our second class today, and Arwen is just loving it.

Last week's theme was "Things You Find At The Beach," so Arwen...

made sand art (with little jewel treasures found in the sand),

painted waves,

and created a sunset using toy cars as her paint brush.

Then she chose to skip the "Smiling Sun" project to enjoy extra time at the "Play Clay" station.

This week's theme was "Things That Are Blue," and Arwen...

made a blue (rice) mouse,

painted a blue moon (with lots of sparkly glitter),

and created a blue tamborine to use during song time later.

Then she spent the remainder of her arts and crafts time

squishing her hands around in blue goo (just corn starch and water)

and working at that "Play Clay" station again.  I took home a recipe for the clay this time - a remedy for boredom when the class is all done.

We're so excited to see what teacher Renee has planned for next week!

I Survived Public Trans

I'm taking it easy this morning, completely exhausted after two days of adventure aboard the city bus with a five year old.  I really wasn't sure I would survive the ordeal.  It had been so long since the last time I used public transportation that I feel as though I deserve a medal or something for making it to our destinations and back in one piece - and still with the kid!

So where have our adventures taken us?

After dropping the car off at Punchbowl Fenderworks on Waialae to get the bumper fixed:

Kaimuki Playground - on our way to the bus stop.
Coffee Talk - to buy a blueberry scone for bus fare change and to snack on while waiting for the bus.
Bus 1 to Aina Haina - newer, clean, and not very crowded.

Aina Haina McDonald's - for breakfast.
Aina Haina Shopping Center - browsing to kill time before class begins.

My First Art Class - summer art program for Arwen at Holy Nativity Church & School (more on this later.)

Aina Haina McDonald's - for lunch because Arwen wanted the Ty Teenie Beanie Baby Happy Meal toy that isn't available during breakfast.  Spent our whole lunch chatting with a nice homeless man that said he isn't technically homeless because he does have a job.  Okay.  Scored a second toy from nice older woman that offered Arwen the one from her meal.
Aina Haina Foodland - to pick up some coffee creamer and make more change for bus fare.

Bus 1 to Kaimuki - the same bus that dropped us off, so still new and clean, and this time practically empty.
The credit union - to make a deposit.  Getting errands done without my car.  This was terrific!
Sitting on the bench - waiting for the bus home because generally this bus only runs once an hour.  Explained to Arwen the reason we couldn't sit on the covered benches was because they reeked of urine from some not so nice people that find the world is their toilet.  Also bumped into an old friend, Al, that used to drive for Snuba.
Bus 14 to home - likely the most ghetto bus in the lot.  Old and dirty.  Rattled so much on the way up Sierra Drive that I was convinced something would fall off or apart before we arrived to our stop.  Thankfully not too full, as apparently some of the "special" people like to ride this one (of course they do), and we arrived home without incident.

And for our second day:

Bus 14 to Sierra Drive - Old, empty bus.
7-Eleven - to buy a pack of gum for bus fare change.  Arwen picked the flavor.  She's still new to the gum thing and only gets to have it on occasion.  She raved about this watermelon flavored piece of gum all day.
Bus 1 to University - Old bus, but clean and not crowded.
Bus 6 to Manoa - Hey!  I think this is the same bus (546) that we took for Aina Haina yesterday.  Not crowded.
Manoa Starbucks - for coffee and cocoa.  Bumped into my friend, Kimberly (aka Griffin's mommy.)  Arwen placed and paid for her first order all by herself using a gift card she received from Auntie Malia.
Leahi Swim School - After a 25 minute walk from Starbucks, we were still 30 minutes early for her lesson.  This should make up for us being five minutes late for just about every other class this session.
Bus 6 back to University - After 20 minute walk from swim school, this is the only time Arwen complained during our bus adventure.  "I'm tired of walking.  They should have a bus that comes down here."
Bus 1 to Kahala Mall - older, dirty bus with many of the "special" people on board.
Kahala Mall CPK - One of Arwen's fave places for lunch.  Who can blame her with that fantastic mac'n cheese?  Good news!  Punchbowl Fender called, and the car is ready two days early!  Woohoo!
Kahala Mall Macy's - because Arwen needs to use the bathroom.  Score!  Swimsuit clearance sale in the girl's department.  Picked up two new bikinis for Arwen for only $4.99 each!

Kahala Mall Longs - introduced Arwen to Spree candy.  We needed more change for bus fare.
Bus 1 to Punchbowl Fender -  we got on before the crowd showed up a few stops later.  Packed with Kaimuki Middle School students and a few more of those "special" people by the time we got off.  Happy reunion with Quest!  How I have missed you for two whole days!

I'm not entirely sure why I'm so tired, but I think it's a result of the mental anguish put forth to choreograph the bus schedules, routes, and transfers in such a way that we'd make it to our destination on time with a little padding for error, delays, and unpredictable five year old behavior.  Thankfully, everything ran smoothly, and I now have gained a few things from the experience.

1.  I have a new appreciation for the convenience my car provides.  With a car, just about everything is a quick hop, skip, and a jump away.  25-minute swim lesson in Manoa?  Be there in 10 minutes.  Same 25-minute lesson without my car?  Required at least an hour of studying and matching up bus route maps and schedules the night before, resulted in us having to be down at the bus stop by 7:45 a.m. for a 10:30 am lesson, and took us an hour and 40 minutes to get there 30 minutes early, but if we took a later bus from home, we'd have been late.

2.  I have a whole new respect for those that take the bus on a regular basis.  They deserve medals (or perhaps to be offered a ride more often) for the amount of time and thought that needs to go into planning their daily routine and all they have to put up with while waiting for and aboard the bus.

3.  I have found something that makes my five year old very happy.  It simply amazes me how easy it is to please a child.  I think she loved every aspect of our two day adventure.  While I preferred to sit in the front, so we could get off as quickly as possible, Arwen insisted we sit in the back of the bus, always selecting a seat by the window, so she could ooh and aah at the things that passed by and watch the rest of the people getting on and off the bus.  The excitement in her voice as she'd spot our bus coming down the street, "It's the number one!"  It's the number one!" was precious.  And we both enjoyed the extra time spent together during these two days.  Arwen was genuinely bummed to learn the car was already fixed, cutting our bus adventure short by two days, so I promised her that we'd ride the bus again some time soon.  She smiled.

Call Me Betty Crocker

Okay, not really, but miraculously enough, I baked again today.  Two days in a row!  Can you believe it? 

Yesterday's banana bread went so quickly, I felt the need to have more baked goods in the house.  Apparently the break from my walk schedule isn't doing enough damage to my weight loss progress.  Turns out I've got boxes (and boxes) of dessert mixes in the pantry - Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Krusteaz, etc...  You name it; I've probably got it.  So instead of creating something from scratch, I decided to lighten the pantry load by one box and made Tastefully Simple's Cinnamon Muffin Melts.

These things were so good with my morning coffee and incredibly easy to make.  I went with the mini-muffin variation, which made perfect little bite-sized treats for Arwen, a superfan of cinnamon.  We enjoyed some after Arwen's swim lesson, saved some to share with Rob (who also gave them a thumbs up) for dessert, and sent a small batch upstairs for the in-laws, so there are just a few left now.  Someone throw a Tastefully Simple party, so I can pick up another box!

Lazy Sunday

I spent most of the day in my pajamas.  In fact, the only reason why I dressed at all today was to have dinner upstairs with the in-laws.  It was just one of those lazy kind of Sundays.  The most productive thing I did today, besides watch TV and reply to Facebook comments, was bake some banana bread.

This was my first attempt at baking banana bread from scratch.  A small bunch of ripe apple bananas on the kitchen counter gave me the idea.  I googled "banana bread recipes" and came up with a link to this banana bread recipe on a site titled Simply Recipes, a food blog created and maintained by Elise Bauer.  The list of ingredients was pretty basic (I had everything on hand), and the directions were quite simple.  How'd it come out?  That's a picture of it above.  It looked beautiful, smelled wonderful, and tasted delicious.  Aside from three slices we sent upstairs to the in-laws, we scarfed it down in a matter of a few hours.  All that's left is this little half slice we saved for Arwen's breakfast tomorrow.

I'll definitely make this again, and the recipe is simple enough that the 5 year old can assist next time.  I'll have to try another recipe from Elise's food blog some day.  If it's also a simple success, I may just bookmark it.

Jeannine Visits

Last night we had dinner at Auntie Pasto's on Beretania, part of a group of 14 enjoying one of Jeannine's favorite restaurants on Oahu.  As a large party, they gave us the room in the back with a waiter that took excellent care of us all night.  This was a bonus for both us and just about everyone else in the restaurant, since we had 4 kids ages 2 thru 6 in tow.  They were able to roam around freely without really disturbing anyone, and some little goodie bags I brought, containing crayons, activity books, and snacks, helped provide some additional entertainment (distraction?) as we got settled and placed our orders.

The food was fantastic as always.  As Rob and I watched the waiter deliver the plates, our mouths were watering at the beautiful assortment of dishes.  Arwen, disappointed that they discontinued her favorite mac and cheese dish, had the buttered pasta, which she enjoyed.  Rob went with some classics, a caesar salad and spinach and cream pasta.  Always crowd favorites. I got to sample. Mmm.  Delicious.  I ordered the calamari steak, which was this tender slab of seasoned calamari served over a bed of spaghetti.  Ah!  As I type this, I'm tempted to attack the leftovers currently sitting in the fridge.  Maybe I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow. 

It was a special evening that brought us a few reasons to celebrate.  The first being Jeannine's visit to Oahu.  Cara, Jeannine, Jayme, Larisa, and I all went to college together at the University of Hawaii - Manoa, and we're sorority sisters.  However, Jeannine decided to move away to San Diego shortly after graduation and hasn't moved back to Hawaii as have some of our other friends that spent some time away from the islands.  Fortunately, Jeannine's parents are still living on Kauai, so we are graced with an occasional visit from her when Jeannine passes through Oahu to see her family.

On this trip, Jeannine brought with her the second reason to celebrate - her fiance, Jay.  It was so nice to be among the first people, aside from their families of course, to share in the excitement of their new engagement and to catch a glimpse of the beautiful ring.  Jay seems like a really nice guy, and they look incredibly happy together, which fulfills my wish for them.

And finally, we had a birthday boy in the house!  He looks thrilled, doesn't he?  Don't let the somber face in the photo above fool you.  He was having fun all night.  It was Gabe's 6th birthday, so we got to celebrate his special day with good food, great friends, presents, and a homemade birthday cake.  (Good job, Larisa!)

After dinner, Jeannine and Jay returned to Kauai for the remainder of their Hawaii vacation, so we had to say our good-byes.  Reconnecting with old friends is such a joy, but unfortunately it comes with that little touch of sadness when you have to say good-bye again.  Hopefully, we'll get to see them both again soon.

You can click here to see a few more pictures from both this dinner and last week's lunch with Jeannine at the Shack in Mililani. 

Jake Shimabukuro at the Zoo

 

We'd heard about the Honolulu Zoo Society's Wildest Show in Town Summer Concert Series and intended to go both this and last summer, but each week Wednesdays would come and go, and we'd miss yet another opportunity to hear great music at a special venue.  Not this week!  Thanks to a call from my friend, Lara, this morning inviting us to check out the concert with her girls and letting us know that Jake Shimabukuro would be performing, we firmed up a plan to catch it tonight.

After Arwen's swim class and a family nap, we packed up some snacks, a blanket, and our camp chairs and head down to Waikiki.  We arrived at the parking lot right around 5 pm and were surprised to find several stalls still available in the zoo's metered lot, though they were quickly filling up.  The line to enter the zoo stretched from the main gate to the parking lot, but it moved in quick spurts, so we didn't wait for very long.  We found a nice spot on the grass to the right of the stage and set up camp.  Then I took Arwen over to the Keiki Craft Tent to color an orangutan picture for the coloring contest.

As you can see, Arwen was in a very colorful mood tonight.  She was also very reluctant to turn in her page when done.  The poor kid didn't understand what this contest thing was all about.  She just wanted to color and take it home with her.  I probably should have let her because she didn't win in any of the three categories - neatest, most creative, or wildest.  But, at least I got a photo of her work.

Just before the concert began, we learned that Lara and her girls weren't going to make it afterall.  However, we still managed to enjoy the event with friends, as we connected with Arwen's classmate, Solana, and her parents.  Yay!

The weather was perfect.  Nice and cool with the day's heat disappearing from the setting sun and an occasional spritz from passing rain clouds - the kind of rain that just kisses your face.  No umbrellas needed.

Jake was amazing.  You could tell the crowd was just in awe as the hundreds of people in attendance fell silent when he began.  I don't have a batch of words that can adequately describe Jake's music, so all I'll say is that the guy is so incredibly talented that sometimes you forget all of that sound is coming from a little 'ukulele.  He played the full hour with a pause now and then between songs to announce contest winners or to talk about some of his music.  I could have sat and listened to him play all night.

As everyone began to pack up and file out of the gates, Arwen and Solana took the opportunity to get crazy and dance.  Apparently they weren't ready for the evening to come to an end either.  Guess it's a good thing there are two more concerts scheduled for this summer series.  Schedule and weather permitting, we'll be there.

Click here for more photos from the concert.

My new love - Indian food

My taste buds are still dancing and my tummy satisfied after a fantastic dinner at Himalayan Kitchen tonight.  As the host for this month's Page Turners (our book club) gathering and still without a living space large enough to accommodate any guests, I hopped on Larisa's idea to host at an Indian restaurant to tie into my book selection, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri.   I'd never had Indian food before, so I put a call out for some help from my friends on Facebook, and Karla came to my rescue with the suggestion of this place.

Unfortunately, after two weeks of receiving anticipated absence reports due to travel, out of town guests, and childcare, a couple more last minute issues whittled our Page Turners group down to just two for the night - Tamzen and me.  Rob and Arwen dropped me off at the restaurant and planned to have a Daddy - Daughter date at Big City Diner and maybe a walk over to Toys and Joys, but decided to join us after learning about the sudden headcount change.

We were seated at a table out on the street side lanai.  It only overlooked the basketball courts and lights across the street, but that didn't matter because the beautiful decor, soothing Nepalese tunes, and hypnotic scent of spices from the kitchen kept our attention right at the table.  With the help of the food descriptions on the menu and our waitress' suggestions, we ordered the Veggie Samosa and Himalayan Spring Roll to start.  Both were delicious.  For dinner, we had Aloo Paratha, Blackened Mahi, Tandoori Shrimp, Chicken Curry, and Chicken Bhuna served family style with some Basmati Rice.  All was fantastic, especially the Chicken Bhuna.  Rob said he could eat that dish every day for the rest of his life.  I think I may agree.  For dessert, we shared a rice pudding.  Yum!  I was afraid the hint of cardamom, a flavor with which she's not too familiar, in the dessert would leave the 5 year old disappointed, but Arwen loved it.  All of this was perfectly paired with the lovely Moscato I picked up at Tamura's around the corner.

Since I was the only one at the table that finished reading the book selected for this month, we didn't get to discuss it.  (Loved the book, by the way.  A brilliant collection of short stories about love.  More work by Jhumpa Lahiri is most definitely going on my "To Read" list.)  However, we still managed to share some great conversation about other books we'd read and a few movies as well.  At one point, Arwen came over to my chair to whisper in my ear, "Is this your book club meeting?"  She was absolutely tickled when she learned that in fact it was, and she and Daddy were our special guests for the night.

The staff was friendly and helpful.  The food was fabulous.  The price was a little higher than I expected, but for the quality of food and service received, it was well worth it.  And for us townies, the location was wonderful.  We were having such a lovely time that I didn't want the evening to end, but the antsy 5 year old finally got us to happily pack up our leftovers and go.  My only regret was that my camera stayed tucked away in my purse all night, so I don't have photos to share of the great food, fun, and friends.  Guess we'll have to go back and do it all over again.

Ups and Downs

Last night I went to bed feeling good about finally completing the edits and upload of the pictures I took for Pua on Monday.  Her husband Brandon returned from a 6-month deployment aboard the USS Chung-Hoon, and she wanted to record his homecoming. 

 

This was such a special event, so it was important for me to take the time to put together a photo set that properly conveyed the joy and excitement of the happy reunion.  I think I succeeded, but you can check the set out here and decide for yourself.

Woke up this morning continuing last night's high - excited for Arwen's last day of summer school, my walk, and our plans for a Mommy-Daughter date with cupcakes and Coraline.  It's going to be a great day, right?  Maybe not.

After dropping Arwen off at school, I got rear-ended while stopping for a crazy homeless person in a crosswalk.  I'm okay.  The other driver's okay.  The damage to the van isn't too bad, but the whole situation is still so frustrating and stressful, and I'm not looking forward to the downtime to get the car repaired.  Take a look at my car's new owies.  Poor baby.  Second fender-bender in a year!

Had to axe the walk for today to take care of the insurance stuff, but the rest of the day went smoothly.  Car insurance agent was both friendly and helpful.  It looks like I won't have to pay for the damages since I wasn't at fault.  I also made it down to Hokulani Bake Shop to pick up the cupcakes for tonight as well as some cookies for Arwen to give as mahalo gifts for her summer school teachers.  The purchase even came in cute little reusable bag.

Arwen and I didn't get to watch Coraline because we both knocked out for a long late afternoon nap and didn't wake until 7 pm, so by the time dinner and dishes were done, it was just too late.  But there were cupcakes for dessert, so we still managed to end the day on a positive note.  Cupcakes are good that way.

"Turtle! Turtle! Turtle!"

Though I've already showered after a very long day, I am still coming up with bits of sand each time I comb my fingers through my hair.  My back is roasted to a neon shade of red - something I will definitely be paying for over the next few days (time to grab some aloe) and will most likely continue paying for the rest of my life (either in freckles or wrinkles or both.)  But after the amazing day I had today, I have to say it's all worth it.

 
We met up with the Majors family at Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore.  When we first arrived, the beach was practically empty, so it was like having the beach all to ourselves.  Arwen and Gabe went straight to work collecting shells.  Isom and Rob jumped into the water to get tumbled by the shore break.  Larisa and I sat up on the beach guarding our stuff from rogue waves that kept climbing up the beach.

Eventually, while all of the boys were in the water attempting to body surf, the girls had a near wipe out on the beach that completely took us by surprise.  I caught a good portion of it with my flip camera and will post that when I've got more time.  I'm thankful to report that all of our cameras and phones survived the surf.

As we drove to Ehukai, Rob pointed out a little kid-friendly beach that he thought was called Chun's Reef.  We later learned it was actually Laniakea Beach - Chun's Reef was a little further down the road.  Since the shore break was still going strong, and the water continued to follow us up the beach, we decided to pack up and give the other beach a try.

While searching for a parking spot, I spotted a flipper waving in the shallow water.  "Turtle!  Turtle!  Turtle!  We need to stop here.  There's a turtle!"  A turtle?  When we arrived at the beach, I immediately pulled out my camera and stared in awe through my lens at dozens of Hawaiian sea turtles swimming in the shallow water, surfing in the waves, and snacking on the seaweed along the shore.  Simply amazing.

I've seen Hawaiian sea turtles before, usually one or two at a time, while swimming, snorkeling, and sometimes just sitting on the beach.  But I have never seen so many swimming freely just a few feet away.  No wonder this beach is also known as Turtle Beach.

Arwen and Gabe had so much fun admiring these beautiful creatures from the shore, shrieking and pointing, "Turtle!  Turtle!  Turtle!" every time one surfaced.  Hours later, there had been so many that eventually this became pretty silly, and the kids just played in the shore break, pretending to be turtles while the real turtles surfaced right behind them.

The beach portion of our day finally ended with a delicious lunch at Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop, and then we headed over to the Majors' house to clean up for Central Oahu Carnival, a fundraiser for the armed services YMCA and their Wounded and Fallen Hero Fund. 

How our children were still able to function after a napless day full of sun and surf, I do not know, but they had a blast.  I think the accompanying dads did, too.  As for Larisa and I, we thoroughly enjoyed the time to graze on the yummy carnival food - roasted corn, pizza, funnel cake, deep fried twinkies, and shaved ice.  Mmmmm...

I took hundreds of pictures today, so it'll take some time to load them all.  I'll post when they're ready to be viewed.

Insect Invasion

It's been a buggy kind of summer.  I say this partly because of the bug exhibits we've visited recently, but also because the hot and humid weather has brought the REAL bugs back.  We live in Hawaii, so the bugs never really go away.  The warm, tropical climate is a bug haven, but we do get a short break from them over the cooler winter months, a time when they seem less active.  We're in the middle of summer now though, so the temperature is rising, the tradewinds keep hiding, and rain seems to enjoy sitting on the sideline creating that "it feels like it's going to rain any minute" kind of humidity.  And this is when the bugs come out to "play."  Flying termites coat the screens, pacific beetles scurry throughout the bushes and trees, and the giant B-52 cockroaches... ATTACK!

I spend most of my summer nights on full alert, armed with my swatter and a bottle of spray.  I hate bugs, and I think they know it.  I'm convinced they purposely find their way into the house to torment me.  Arwen shares my distress.

So why would either of us be so excited to check out Pearlridge's Giant Insect Safari exhibit that includes, among other bug displays, a 19-foot praying mantis and a 16-foot locust?  I have no idea, but we both thought it was pretty cool.  Arwen and Gabe even took the little train ride that allowed them to get up close to the giant robotic insects.

More Pearlridge Giant Insect Safari pics available here.

As if these bugs weren't enough, we visited the Backyard Monsters - The World of Insects exhibit at the Bishop Museum with some friends today.  They had more of these gigantic robotic bugs!

Bonus for the day was that we had enough time to wander around the Science Adventure Center before the museum closed.  A first visit for me.

More Bishop Museum pics are here.

Wonder what other bug adventures the summer will bring.  Hopefully more of the giant robotic kind and not so many of the real ones.

Busy Summer Saturday

We had a relaxing Sunday today.  We caught up on some much needed sleep, had a delicious brunch at Big City Diner, and went to see a great movie Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 3D.  All of us loved the first two Ice Age movies, so we walked into the theatre knowing this would be another "must have on dvd."  All of our favorite characters were back with a couple of new ones - a girlfriend for the Scrat the squirrel and, my fave, Buck the weasel.  Voice by Simon Pegg and hilarious.

Much of today was a recovery period for yesterday - another busy summer Saturday.   After Arwen's ballet lesson, we went to a wonderful pool party to celebrate Pierce's third birthday.  A few Calvary parents that we hadn't seen since school ended in May were there, so it was a great time to relax and catch up while the kids played.  The party also included an awesome korean food spread with homemade (by Pierce's grandmother) kim chee.  I couldn't pass up seconds.

As we left the party, we realized that we still had time to catch the tail end of the Contemporary Museum's ArtSpree.  I am such a huge fan of this annual event and used to volunteer for it through Alpha Gamma Delta each year.  Originally disappointed that our day's events wouldn't allow time for us to go this year, I was suddenly excited that we'd make it after all - even if just for a short while.  As always, the event was fantastic with lots of kid hands-on activities, demonstrations, and entertainment - all provided free of charge to the public.

 

Arwen not only enjoyed the face painting and crafts, but also seemed to be quite interested in the artwork and sculptures displayed throughout the property.  We'll have to return one day soon to check it all out.  Maybe it's time to renew our membership to support the museum and fabulous family events like this one.  You can click here to see a few more photos from ArtSpree.

Following the return on the crazy shuttle bus to our car parked at Punahou, we decided to make the drive out to visit the Majors family who were camping at Malaekahana in Kahuku. 

Even though we weren't going to spend the night, Arwen was so excited to "camp out" with Gabe.  This was her first experience with sitting by a campfire in the woods by the beach.  Exciting stuff for the 5 year old.  Not so exciting for this 37 year old that isn't exactly the "outdoorsy type."  But that's okay.  We still had a great time checking out their campsite, the beautiful beach, and the idiot from a neighboring camp that broke his fish line. 

We also enjoyed eating a delicious salmon and hot dog dinner grilled up by Chef Isom and roasting yummy S'mores for dessert.  The kids played for hours in the tent while the adults got smoked out by another neighboring campsite.

On the drive home, I was almost convinced we could go camping some day.  But after discussing this possibility with Rob over dinner tonight, I realized that it only sounded like a good idea because we had a great time hanging with friends by the campfire and then came home to a hot shower and our own bed.  Had we spent the night out there, I don't think I'd still be smiling about our "camping" experience.  You can click here for more Malaekahana pictures.

Staci Meets the Seal

Did the 4 mile walk route around Diamond Head again today and was pleasantly surprised to find our monk seal returned just a little further down the beach than where it was on Monday.  Arwen was still on an excitement high after showing her seal photos to her school friends today that I couldn't help but share the good news when I picked her up.  Of course, she insisted we go straight back to Diamond Head to see it again, and this time, we swung by my mom's to pick up my niece Staci. 

Arwen is now very interested in Hawaiian monk seals and asking lots of questions about them.  What do they eat?  Why do they like to sit on the beach like that?  Why are they "nen-daned-derd" (endangered)?  We Googled it, but it seemed that the more I read, the more questions she had for me.  I think I may take her to the book store or perhaps the library to learn more about her new friend.

Napless Summer Bliss

Arwen's going to begin Extended Day (Montessori Kindergarten) in the fall, which means no more naps for her during the school day.  We've been working on keeping Arwen up during the summer, so she won't be in complete shock come September when she doesn't get to bring out the Rollee Pollee after lunch anymore.  I signed her up for the half day summer school program, so I could pick her up at 12:15 pm and keep her up by taking her on my errands or signing her up for other activities.  This is where the swim lessons 3 times a week came in this month, and then Arwen's summer school teacher said she felt Arwen was ready for Extended Day, and they'd allow her to stay and work until 3 pm twice a week this month as well.  How's it going?  Heavenly.

Arwen now goes to bed at a normal child's bedtime.  We've discovered that naps are like caffeine for Arwen.  When she has one, she can not and will not go to sleep before 10 pm.  We can try to put her down earlier, but she'll stall, toss, turn, grunt, and whine her way to 10 o'clock - sometimes later.  Without a nap?  She's out cold by 7:30 pm.

I am loving it.  5 years of sleepless nights have finally delivered me to peaceful evenings of watching TV, replying to emails, and reading... UNINTERRUPTED!  It's been amazing.  Here I am getting ready to settle down for the night and read some more of my book club book, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, and it's before midnight!  I've updated my Outlook.  I've answered a bunch of email and facebook posts.  I've blogged.  Normally I'd be crawling into bed at about 3 am without having accomplished at least one of these tasks.

 

By the way, this is a fabulous book so far.  I am seriously enjoying Jhumpa Lahiri's writing style and am looking forward to reading more of her work after I finish this one.  More about this and the book club when I'm done.

Happy 5th Birthday Emalani

The visit from Arwen's cousins drew to a close yesterday, as we had one last get together to celebrate Emalani's 5th birthday.  They returned back home to Maui today.

Ema got to show us her big birthday gift (a new bike!), and we enjoyed just hanging out with the family and watching the kids play.

After filling up on pizza and lots of salads, sides, and desserts -- including a chantilly Underdog birthday cake, we had to say our goodbyes.  This was a perfect way to end a very low key holiday weekend and the special visit from our Maui 'ohana. Hopefully it won't be another year before we see them again.