Groundhog Day, back porch upgrade + Zoe loves puzzles!
First half of February’s been filled with lots of joy. Some highlights:
Zoe is crazy about puzzles these days, and really good at them…
I made little Groundhog’s Day treats for the kids after school with donuts and a NutterButter dressed up to look like a groundhog. We’re also all drinking tea in the house these days vs coffee…Jeff’s idea and it’s been a good change…
We got furniture for outside!!! (Thank you Mom and Dad for a great X-mas present!!!) I don’t know why we waited so long! We all helped put it together which was cool. All 4 of us all want to spend all our time out there now. Jeff also hung some lights out back. We had considered using our X-mas money for a little vacation here on Maui, but decided we’d get more enjoyment out of making our backyard feel like a cool little resort…lots of days of enjoyment vs just a weekend this way…
Both kids have been skateboarding and Luke’s been surfing in class and with me…he’s so comfortable in the water, it’s really great. And speaking of surfing, I went in at S-Turns today for the first time since a shark attack a few months ago…water was crystal clear, there were lots of people and I think that’s my favorite wave so far on Maui…waist to head high waves today, so fun…
I went easy on classroom Valentines this year and did store-bought…work is busy and Jeff is consulting so some afternoons kids are mine again, and we can’t make treats for all the kids because of COVID anyway…I’m needing to figure out how to get the most bang for the buck these days as there is not enough time to do everything I want…so no home-made Valentines this year and it’s OK…there’s always next year…
I’ve been trying to get to the beach for 10 minutes a day…10 minutes can seem like too much to spare but I feel so good when I go. The whales are everywhere right now and not long they’ll be gone…
Luke went back to Jui Jitsu on Friday! He’s so excited! Case counts are coming down and he’s been out since early December and it’s so good for him…we just felt it was time…so hard to know how to keep everyone safe and also engaged in this day and age…
Happy Saturday!
XO
Stuffie show-and-tell, skate park + Pali hike
Another good week here, including:
Favorite stuffies at show-and-tell (Guggie and Tiny went through the wash after)
Zo got a minor black eye from a playground football-to-eye accident
I took Luke and Zo to the skate park on Saturday…fun to see them both getting better
Sunday hike on the Pali with Jon and Jo and lunch after at their new house
Kiddie sleepovers here to help a friend and playtime in the backyard with neighbor kids…feel like it’s so important for kids to socialize and they did a lot of that this week…
Can’t believe it’s almost February! January’s been pretty home-bound, but still a really good month.
XO
Hugs at the crosswalk, butterflies on the way to the duck pond + mostly at home
We’re home for the most part these days except kids are still going to school which we are thankful for. I hug them at the crosswalk in the mornings and wave goodbye…wish I could walk them to class…
We had a nice hike up to the duck pond on Sunday followed by lunch at the beach. Otherwise pretty mellow around here with me working (and Jeff’s doing a little work too), surfing, walking the dog, kids are doing surf (Luke) and skateboard (Zoey) camp on Wednesday, reading a lot together, watching some movies and shows. Can’t complain overall. Life is good.
XO
Back to food delivery and Zoom, two days of epic surf + Saturday skate park
1.13
uncertainty in
between the to and fro of
school skate surf groceries
1.16
january skate
park no agenda mommy
just let us have fun
Surfing, school's back in session + Iao hike with John and Jo
1.7
morning surf, Breakwall:
hello turtles—rise and breathe;
Luke surfaces here.
1.8
surf straps pitter-pat
“sounds like two fast skunks fighting.”
laughs driving to school
1.11
musabi. Iao.
imperfect family photo.
hens with foot feathers.
Ben and Jaimie are here - Part 2!!
Ben and Jaimie flew back last night…we had such a great time with them! Some highlights from the rest of their trip:
They got engaged!!! So awesome!
Blowhole
Turtle town (both with Luke)
A plane flight to Hana that was magical
A celebratory dinner New Years Day…and we did fireworks both Eve and Day, so fun
And the next day driving the Road to Hana with both kids, black sand beaches, a lava tube, waterfalls EVERYWHERE, Seven Sacred Pools hike…it was a great day…
So grateful to have had both my parents and my brother visiting over the past 2 months…miss them all so much and it’s been really fun to be together…
Happy Sunday!
XO
Ben and Jaimie are here!!
Ben and Jaimie are here! We’ve had such fun whale watching from the beach, catching (and releasing) small sea animals, lots of beach time, hiking, snorkeling, surfing, good food.
This week was also Christmas, we all loved their gifts, we had a little potluck, overall it was just wonderful.
2020 has been a strange, hard year but it’s also brought us all a lot of joy.
Happy New Years Eve!
XO
Christmas drawings, pottery + lava fields
This week:
Started a new hard workout, one day of which I did at the beach with a “low bow” over the water. Still waiting for my first whale sighting of the season although I feel like everyone I know has already seen them…
Xmas gifts all taken care of…Luke drew some really cute cards…
Thursday night with friends again, it’s been a while since we had my parents in town and people are returning to work…
Kids did a pottery class on Friday and LOVED it…they got to hold Ms. Coons’ homing pigeons as well
Yesterday (Saturday) we chilled on the couch and watched Xmas shows (Rudolph, Charlie Brown, Grinch) and also the kids virtual Christmas program which was so good…made me cry…we also played Animal Jam together (a cute little video game they play where you are a little animal and can run around together)…I promised them I’d play with them every day during break…we also finished book 4 of the Trixie Belden series last night, having such fun reading that…
Today (Sunday) is adventure day and we went past secret beach to the lava fields with our friends John and Jo and did a nice hike…and then lunch at Maui Brew Co. where the kids made their own kids table…
Also (not pictured) Upwords with my dad, Mumpho Elphie hanging from the lights, playing magic * ball with the reindeer, hopping in a cup for mobility around town and always with his new best friend the unicorn…
Happy Sunday!!
Water break with Papa, baking + Mumpho Elphie has a new best friend
Happy Sunday!
Good week this week, the first half with my parents which was so fun! We loved every minute of their visit, such an incredibly special few weeks.
Some highlights:
Watching Luke at surf camp and playing with Zo on the beach
Checking out a break in the water main with Papa
Mumpho Elphie no longer traveling alone…he has made friends with one of Zoey’s unicorns and now wherever Mumpho goes, the unicorn goes
Lots of baking including gingerbread rice crispie treats and the dough for gingerbread men that we’ll make for class presents in a few days
A picnic at the beach last night
All is well, all is bright…
XO
Grammy and Papa: Week 2
We’ve been loving loving loving our time with Grammy and Papa!! They were at the Westin this week and it was so fun to go visit, go swimming, have dinner, do a little shopping. And we also got to see 30-foot Jaws…so awesome. The other highlight this week was Luke’s jui jitsu tournament…he was paired with Kobe who is really good. But he won both matches, the first in 22 seconds, and also got a hat for having the “match of the day” second match. So proud of him!!
Happy Sunday!
XO