3 day Halloween weekend

The girls didn't have school friday because it was end of term.  So we declared it "sister fun day"  Which started with me dragging all 4 kids out of bed and to the gym so I could teach at 9 am (don't worry, I bribed them with donuts...like a any professional, health conscious fitness instructor).  From there we did a "dine around" and collected their lunch from multiple businesses that were participating in red ribbon week (an apple from the grocery store, a corn dog from a convenience store, a slurpee, a cookie, etc.)  It was a long lazy day, with card games and toys and playing house and a movie night.

My happy was the lazy cuddles during our movie night.
My sad was feeling rather lonely in my room.  Z has started sleeping in his "real" crib in the room he now shares with E.  He sleeps great until 3 or 4 am (when he fusses and gets to join me because I just can't resist those sweet cuddles) and she loves having him in there.


On Saturday, L went to dance rehearsal.  (I love that she's in the Nutcracker.  And that she's so crazy excited about it and having a great time.  But I really miss having free Saturdays.)  And as soon as she was done, we picked her up from class and headed north.  We went to the Halloween storyteller event at Stokes Nature Center.  It was their first year and so fun.  The kids all dressed up.  L was Merida, A was Alice in Wonderland, E was Cinderella and Z was a bag of Jellybeans.  We took Grammy with us and met cousins there.  We walked a short trail, stopping at various storytellers who told us about about a princess needing to be rescued from the mischief of an evil sprite and gave us clues and tokens to help us.  A, with great dramatic flair, stepped right into the story and was the one to put the pieces together and eventually save the day by tricking the sprite.  We continued our cousin playdate at Carls Jr for dinner and a whole lot of running around on the playplace.

My happy today was how engaged the girls were for the storyteller trail, they loved it!
My sad is that after drinking copious amounts of Hi-C, while running/playing nonstop, then becoming near hysterical crying about her missing socks, E's system turned itself upside down and she became very, very sick.  All over the floor.  and herself.  and me.  yaayyyy......


We spent the night at Grammy's and I wasn't planning on attending church since E had been sick.  But since she immediately bounced back and was her usual charming self again, I blamed the hi-c/running/hysterics and decided we were good to go.  So we made it to church (barely) and discovered it was the primary program in my parents' ward!  I missed seeing the girls sing at our ward (Grammy took them while I ran Ragnar in Hawaii) but they got invited to join my parents' ward.  A jumped right in, L and A needed a little encouragement but I loved watching.  They were very tired and rather wiggly but cute as ever.  We played through the afternoon, the girls watched a movie while I helped Grammy with a project, we took a quick dip in the jacuzzi to reward them for being so good and even baby Z was just happy and easy going the whole day.  On the way home we stopped to see the Aunties and that's always such an amazing boost.  It's always a party there with lots of company and something going on but we always feel welcome.  The aunties are so great at connecting with the kids and I always feel so loved.

My happy was getting to see family and how uplifting that is.
My sad is missing husband and wishing we lived closer to family.


Unfortunately we stayed up way too late last night so the girls weren't exactly bouncing out of bed this morning.  But their excitement for Halloween kicked in and they made it to the bus on time.  Most of the morning flurry was spent in the dressup closet again deliberating on costumes.  L decided the Merida dress was itchy so she settled on Elizabeth Swann.  A kept her Alice in Wonderland costume and E wore her Cinderella gown again.  I took E and Z to the elementary school to watch the kids' costume parade--my favorite part is always seeing L and A's faces light up when they see me, so glad that we came.  Then we hurried to get E to preschool for her school party and I went to the gym (which sounds mundane but the instructors get really into Halloween and always have great costumes and themed events).  As we left to meet friends for lunch, E's Cinderella dress tore and she was devastated!  She's definitely overtired lately (my fault) and has a tendency to be dramatic (her fault) but she sobbed and was so broken hearted.  I convinced her that Grammy can fix it and she traded for the snow princess costume instead (old dance costume).  We had lunch with friend's at Cafe Rio and took her to dance class.  I picked up sisters, picked up E and we went to the grocery store to check out their trick or treat event.  I was so impressed!  They completely filled a bag with a drink, chips, an apple, popcorn balls, cookies, candy, chocolate milk and more.  We picked up sandwiches on the way home and it made for a complete dinner! (I did add our candy corn fruit cups at the girls request--layered mandarin oranges, pineapple and whip cream.)  Once the girls had eaten, we got everyone into our ninja turtle costumes, now complete with turtle shells, took plenty of pictures and went trick or treating.  They started with great energy and L and A could have kept going but E crashed rather suddenly and was so done.  Z was cold and getting fussy by then too so we went home and spent the night rolling around the floor, cuddling, eating candy and mostly, racing to answer with door with excessive amounts of enthusiasm (the girls, not me.  I was fine letting them do it for me.)

My happy today is how excited they were about trick or treating and how good they were together--taking turns ringing the bell, waiting for each other to catch up, making sure they stayed together without me even reminding them.
My sad was that after such a great day, I got very frustrated with them just before bed.  They were so over the top crazy, being so loud and acting rather ridiculous.  They were just kind of out of control and I hate that I get all flustered trying to reel it back in to a reasonable level.  good news, we settled in, did our reading, put them to bed and they were all asleep in minutes.
or.  my sad could be that after all that trick or treating, there was only one Milky Way bar.  Plenty of good stuff.  Just only one of my favorite.  but then again, that's probably a good thing.

10-27

Such a busy day!  I subbed for pilates in the morning, enjoyed a picnic playdate with friend for the afternoon, got a great cuddle time with E during quiet time and taught my grouppower class in the evening.  A made it to karate and L took Grandpa on a date tonight.  It was the Activity Days Daddy-Daughter date.  Since dad is still out of town, Grandpa went as her date.  They had dinner and joined the talent showing playing a piano-guitar duet of Fur Elise.

my sad today is that my dryer broke.  It still runs but has no heat.  Which meant I piled two loads of wet laundry into the car and went to grandpa's house for a very late evening.

my happy is that we had a fun evening.  A and E mostly played upstairs in the toy room, L played on the floor with baby Z getting lots of grins and giggles from him.  And we got to spend some time with grandpa, checking out some new projects and playing guitar.

10-26

My happy today was L's dance performance.  On Monday, we were told of this last-minute opportunity to preform and I'm pressed with her team coach, the moms and the dancers for pulling it off.  A neighboring community has a Fright Night at the high school.  They go all out, decorating, dressing up and putting on a cabaret.  So L's team preformed as part of it dressed as little devils.  It was super cute.  E sat next to me, loving every minute.  She announced very loudly after each number how much she loved it and named off her favorite parts.  Except the cheerleader's skeleton dance, that she declared she did not like AT ALL.  I'm pretty sure at least half the auditorium heard her.  L had a great time and was especially thrilled that she got to stay and watch the rest of the show with one of her dance friends.

My sad was that despite having a really good day, I lost my cool and yelled at my kids.  Z had been crying for half an hour and then was too upset to eat and too upset to nurse.  I frantically tried to calm him, nurse him, rock him and finally heat up a bottle--during which the girls were getting hungry and grumpy and starting to bicker.  We made it through a late dinner but the bedtime routine was a trainwreck and then I discovered the disaster state of their rooms.  And I yelled at my babies.  Irrationally, overreacting yelling.  Eventually we decompressed a little. I apologized, I tried to explain where and how I needed more help, tried to listen to their reasonings, etc.  But it was still one of those nights where I went to bed feeling awful about myself, berating everything from my parenting to housekeeping to general self-consciousness.  But hopefully, if I smother them with enough love and security the rest of the time, those awful moments fade quickly and at the end of the day, they will know that more than anything, I love those crazy monsters and that I'm trying to be a good mom.  As hard as this is, I wouldn't change a thing.

baby Z at 7 months

Each morning this happy little guy rewards me with the biggest grins.  He was put to bed in his cradle but usually woke in the early morning hours and fell back asleep cuddling in my bed.  While he still wants to be swaddled tight at bedtime, he always works his arms out and has just recently started rolling to his stomach while he sleeps.  Which means he now takes up half my bed and is ready to be moved to his own crib in his own room. (but I'm certainly not in a hurry so we'll see when that happens).  I love to scoop him up and he immediately buries his face into me and hugs me tight.  He will typically drink a 7-10 oz bottle for breakfast and is so happy and cheerful.

He loves to eat! Especially if he's on my lap and if its off my plate.  He loves peek a boo, especially with sisters and they can get him laughing like crazy.  He's also ticklish on his adorable thighs and his laugh makes me so incredibly happy I could burst.  He loves being in the baby carrier and being able to see everything.  His favorite toys is "Maui", his stuffed elephant that he stole off a shelf and drooled on before I could stop him, his teething banana and his bug rattle.  He can't quite sit on his own yet but he loves to hang out in his high chair and jabber while I'm doing dishes or to join us for mealtimes.  He loves his blankets, especially when he's sleepy he wants the softness against his cheek.  And he loves to tangle his hand into my hair.

He dislikes any green baby food.  Even if I manage to get it into his mouth, he will immediately raspberry it all out and all over me.  And he doesn't like being put down for naps.  His naps are still unpredictable and usually short throughout the day, as if he's too busy to waste time sleeping.  Putting him down for a nap usually requires swaddling and a bottle.  We're still trying to nurse and it breaks my heart a little because I don't want to stop but bottles seems to be easier, faster and less messy for both of us.  He has a new awful habit of grinding his teeth so he has a binky almost constantly to get him to stop.  He has eight teeth now, all sharp as razors but oh so cute.  He was a little more clingy for awhile but seems to have mostly worked through that.

10-24

my happy today was playing cards with my girls.  We learned a new card game from cousins and all my girls like to play it.  It was just one of those little, sweet moments.  I like their happy smiles and the teasing and being silly.

my sad today was that my car battery died.  The problem was that I had my four kids plus two for carpool.  Fortunately we hitched a ride home with another dance mom and AAA eventually helped me get the car home.

10-23

my happy today is having enjoyed a long weekend with family.  Yesterday we (Grammy, Papa and I) took my three girls plus two of my nieces to a hay maze/pumpkin patch.  The girls were silly and happy and it was just so much fun to watch them play.  Plus, we had Aggie Ice Cream.  Quite possibly the best ice cream ever.  We spent the afternoon at a niece's birthday party with giant bounce houses and tons of costumed children to play with.  The girls were so excited to show of their brilliant family costume idea as the Ninja Turtles.  Baby Z got to be Raphael since he was given the perfect onesie costume months ago.  The girls had matching ninja turtle costume shirts and then divided up the masks and weapons.  L was Leonardo, A was Donatello and E was Michelangelo.  They insisted on posing for pictures before they had to stash their weapons to go play.  And then we spent the night at Grammy and Papa's house, watching movies and swimming in the jacuzzi.  Even baby Z got to swim and was loving the warm water (turned down slightly for him).  This morning was more playing, more movies, more swimming and craft time.  We walked around the temple and then met some of the family for dinner to trade children and pets back to their own families.  (The girls loved baby sitting my sister's dog while she was at the con.  But it truthfully might have been my dad that I worried about wanting to keep her!)

my sad today is that my kids were up way past bedtime, baby Z is either teething or starting a cold, I still haven't unpacked from Hawaii and that Grammy has moved back home to return to work.  This week is going to be rough!

Simba

Once upon a time a time I arrived home from work to find my husband holding a teeny little kitten.  His fur was silky orange with gentle white stripes in his tail.  His eyes were a striking gold and the markings around his face were exceptional.  He was SO beautiful.  His name was originally Finch but such a remarkable looking cat deserved a more regal name.  We named him Simba.

Despite our best intentions, Simba and Apollo slept on our bed.  One curled up behind my bent knees and then other against my stomach.  My kitties were shy, especially around kids but they were wonderfully cuddly and sweet to us.  Being pregnant set off allergies to the cats, so when we moved, they were promoted to garage cats.  They got cuddled less but their shy nature was more suited to the space and getting to roam the fields behind out neighborhood in search of mice and birds which they generously left dead at my feet. 

In the past few years they rid the neighborhood of mice and always met us at the door in the morning.  The girls love them like crazy and I have to admit they seem to favor A with a willingness to go to her and tolerate her enthusiastic cuddles and being carried.  But she was the one who fed and watered them daily, sometimes several times a day, making them fat and lazy. 

Last winter, Simba lost a significant amount of weight.  The vet diagnosed him with diabetes.  And combined with some other concerns in his history, we decided against the invasive and expensive treatment program.  We focused on giving him extra love and keeping him well fed and hydrated as best we could.  When we returned from our two week vacation, we found a very sick kitty waiting for us.  The slow deterioration had become a rapid decline.  The vet concluded he is in kidney failure.  He weighs less than five pounds, is losing body temperature, is lethargic and moves with obvious difficulty.    Husband is still out of town, which I suspect made it really hard on him to not be able to say goodbye and especially to help his girls through this.  Fortunately my dad was here today and despite being highly allergic to cats, stayed with me every step.

I brought the little white box home and we took the girls with us to bury him in grandpa’s horse pasture as has been the tradition for husband’s family.  The girls had a rough time, especially A who sobbed so hard it broke my heart all over again.  At L’s request, they wrote message to him on the white box.  E suggested they find stones to mark the spot where we would bury him.  And A laid the box in the hole Papa prepared for him.

Goodbye my beautiful kitty.  Rest well.

10-20 family play date

My happy today was spending so much time with family.  I taught a pilates class in the morning and by the time I got home, my brother was parked in my driveway.  The kids piled out to play and were immediately off to a great start of talking, laughing and just hanging out.  The kids dove into the toy room and the legos and played so well together.  I was nervous about teaching power that evening and needed to practice so I had all the kids grab a stuffed animal and I did a mock class with them using our stuffed animals as our weights.  My oldest brother and his family arrived just in time for a late lunch and the kids had a great picnic of the trampoline outside.  Soon they headed for the park and I left to teach my evening class.  Class went surprisingly well (I was nervous after being on vacation for two weeks) and I joined them at the park.  Back at the house we decorated sugar cookies, devoured pizza, settled in for a movie and finished off the night with fudgesicles.  All in all, a pretty perfect day with lots of family.

My sad was E fell at the park and landed on her face.  Her nose and upper lip are swollen and bruised, her speech slightly affected and the inside of her top lip looks like hamburger.  Luckily shes a pretty tough kid.  (I took her to the doc the next day just to be safe.  Badly bruised but not broken.)

Hawaii part 3, Oa'hu

We spent 2 days in Honolulu, which was also not enough.  It was a perfect sampling and left me eagerly anticipating another trip.  Honolulu itself isn’t particularly remarkable.  It’s very much like most big cities in the US.  Other than Pearl Harbor and Wakiki Beach, there wasn’t much I wanted to see.  But I fell instantly in love with the North Shore and would love to spend much more time there.

We flew to Honolulu, picked up our rental car, found our hotel and crashed. I think I slept through most of it.  My plan for Sunday morning was to hike Diamond Head and maybe Monoa Falls.  But my legs didn’t work.  So after breakfast, we drove to Diamond Head stopped at a lookout spot to admire the view.  The parking lot was full so we skipped the hike and made our way to the North shore instead.  We downloaded the gypsyguide and had a fantastic day letting him guide us down the North shore and around the island.  We spent a few hours at the breathtaking Waimea Valley admiring the endless flowers and trees and dipping our feet in the pools of Waima Falls.  We ate from the legendary food trucks, stopped at the La’ie Temple, watched the big wave surfers and more.  It was a spectacular day as we wandered the island and eventually made our way back to the hotel. 

Husband snuck out early, slipping away to the airport for a 6am flight back to Maui for work.  Meanwhile Z and I slept in and finished packing.  Despite having no working GPS, we found the Pearl Harbor memorial (quite an accomplishment for me) and had a very moving and memorable experience.  It was quiet, just the two of us, but he was an angel—so happy and patient as I took my time through the exhibits and we went over to the USS Arizona to pay respects.  We spent three hours there and he was good as gold.  We finally found the perfect souvenir for him in the gift shop there, a big stuffed sea turtle and he squealed and cooed to it, jabbering away and gnawing on his flippers.  Then we drove for awhile, letting the boy nap and getting lost for a bit.  We found the Iolani Palace and took the audio tour.  Then we did a little shopping and shared one last shave ice.  The sweet gal working the shop was so in love with Z that she gave him his own cup with plain shave ice.  We finally left for the airport, dawdling as long as possible before taking the long flight home.  Z was an angel and slept the whole way.  And eventually I might even catch up on sleep too.

Hawaii part 2, the Big Island

We spent 2 days on the Big Island—which was not enough.  In retrospect, we should have saved Honolulu for another trip and spent more time playing tourist on the Big Island. But I couldn’t resist and had tried to pack in as much as we could.  So I’m sad I didn’t get to see Volcanic National park, especially the active lava flow but it was still an amazing time.

Our plane landed in the most charming airport I’ve ever been too.  It was the only time I’ve ever exited the plane outside, immediately greeted by picturesque Hawaii.  Instead of a sterile, rambling building, the airport was scattered tables with palm frond roofs and lots of greenery.  We quickly picked up our rental car and joined the team at dinner.  I eagerly greeted past teammates, met the new ones and showed off baby Z.  We did a quick trip to the store and spent the night at a nearby condo that one of my friends had rented for the week.

Being van 2, we got to sleep in and take our time in the morning.  Husband made us breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and macadamia nut pancakes.  Husband and baby stayed at the condo to sleep, work and lounge while our van of runners headed to our first exchange.  I was runner 11 but had traded my first leg since it had doubled in length since I signed up due to changes in the race route.  So one of my amazing teammates saved me from a 8.5 uphill in strong headwinds and instead I got to run a gorgeous, although very windy, 4.6 gentle downhill along the beach at sunset.  Husband and baby joined us for dinner at a seafood restaurant and we took a quick nap before running again.  My second run around 3 am was wandering 4.8 miles along the beach under a crisp full moon with beautiful views.  Again we napped and husband made us breakfast at the condo again before we set out for our third legs.  My third leg was a brutal 4.7 rolling flat across black lava rock in 95 degrees weather at 3pm.  The length and elevation weren’t so bad but it was worse than sweaty hot.  I’m pretty sure my skin was melting. 

At the finish line party, we met up with the other van, as well as our other team who had been trailing us by 10-20 minutes the whole race.  But in leg three, they caught up and ended up finishing 5 minutes ahead of us.  We waiting for our 12^th runner and ran it in across the finish line with him, including baby Z who immediately donned my medal and tried to chew on it.  (such a happy little team mascot and was full of face-splitting, contagious, beaming grins.) We took team photos, devoured pizza and fat boy ice cream sandwiches, and enjoyed the gorgeous sunset.  We didn’t get to stay long and soon Husband, baby Z and I headed to the airport for the last leg of our adventure.

10-13 Hawaii day 10

Husband and I went surfing again.  It was so amazing.  And for beginners, we were did pretty good!  We were able to ride several waves and had a great time.

Husband left for work and I took the girls for one last, long, lazy beach day.  We played in the waves, swam with sea turtles, rode the boogie boards, built a giant sandcastles and made mermaid tales our of sand for them.  Even baby Z was loving our time on the beach.

And then we packed.  I hate that part.

We dawdled over one last shave ice and finally headed for the airport to send Grammy, Papa and our sweet girls home.  Husband, baby Z and I weren't quite done yet...

10-12 Hawaii day 9

Husband and I got up early this morning to go surfing! He took us to a cove with a gentle, easy surf and we spent an hour or so having a blast.  Neither of us is particularly skilled but we both got up several times.  It was absolutely beautiful.  It was warm and picturesque in every way.  Some locals hung out on the beach talking and singing and even a sea turtle joined us for this perfect morning!  So did a jelly fish.  Yes it hurts.  Not enough to quit surfing though.

We picked up warm, gooey cinnamon rolls on the way home and had breakfast with the kids.  We sent Husband off to work while the girls and I returned to the beach, leaving baby Z home with Grammy and Papa.  The girls headed straight for the ways with the body boards in tow.  The waves were rougher than they’ve been but the girls did great!

We drove to the north shore of Maui today to see the Nakalele Blowhole.  We were able to walk about halfway out to an overlook and got a great view of it.  The spray exploded everywhere on the dark volcanic rock and the surf continually showered from all around, it made for a spectacular sight.  Not very big, but so frequent and so brilliant in color.  We missed seeing the heart-shaped rock since you have to hike all the way down but we didn’t want to risk the more difficult section of hiking.

So we continued onto the Dragon’s Teeth in Kapalua.  It was a little hard to find since it’s technically on private property but the walk down was easy and the trail is obviously well used.  The girls were definitely excited about this landmark and their vivid imaginations leapt to life.  The sharp, menacing rocks form the bottom of the dragon’s jaw, just where the rocks meet the water.  We got some great pictures as we briefly explored the treacherous landscape.

We headed back to Lihaina, finding another restaurant recommended by my friend called Hula Grill.  We sat on the outside patio with a perfect view of the beach.  We ordered a few appetizers to share—potstickers, won tons and a flatbread.  I was just finishing a piece of flatbread when a very sneaky baby reached up, grabbed the crust from my hand and shoved it in his mouth.  Totally unexpectedly, baby boy earned himself his first pizza.  (being only crust, he wasn’t very impressed)  We also order their Hula Pie and it was incredible!  It was oreo crust, macadamia nut ice cream, ganache, whip cream and nuts and eaten with a fancy metal spork!

We did some souvenir shopping at ABC and the girls picked out jewelry.  L picked a set of bracelets with matching earrings to share with me and her cousin.  A picked out sea turtle stud earrings and a fun sea turtle necklace.  E picked out a silver necklace with flower pendants (“a mom flower and a baby flower”) and a sea turtle bangle bracelet.  

And finally we headed home, picking up take out from da Kitchen again for a quiet(er) evening at home.  So nothing fancy for our last night in Maui but to be honest—we’re worn out!

10-11 Hawaii day 8

The girls have been having such a great time at the beach and we’re hoping to get in as much beach time as we can this week.  So right after breakfast, I took the girls to the beach again.  They spent most of the time body boarding and are getting pretty good.  They played with sand toys and we got to see a sea turtle! He was huge and swam right along the beach.  We ended up leaving because the lifeguards got reports of a tiger shark in the area and kicked everyone out of the water.  Crazy!

After lunch we went to the aquarium.  We were rushing to attend the hula dance class but upon arrival, found out it had been cancelled.  The girls were really disappointed.  The shook it off and we wandered, finding lots of fish and corals and displays we hadn’t seen the first time.  And we got to see the brand new baby turtles!  They were smaller than my hand!  Next to the aquarium, we went to Hula Cookies and Ice Cream for a treat.  So good!  The girls all got tropical fruit flavors of ice cream while the adults got varieties of macadamia nut ice cream.

We went shopping and the girls picked out sarongs.  They have no idea how to wear them but have had fun playing with them ever since.

And for dinner we went to Fred’s Mexican Café.  Most just because of Papa.  It just happened to be on a Taco Tuesday night which is their very popular event and it was a ton of fun.  We got to order a variety of their tacos ala carte and try different recipes.  (the shrimp tacos were my favorite)

10-10 Hawaii day 7

Papa wasn’t doing very in the morning so we found a chiropractor we hoped could help.  While he was at his appointment, Grammy kept baby Z and I took the girls across the street to the beach.  They played in the waves and built a sand volcano.  On my feet.  It was so impressively large that I couldn’t escape.

We went to Moose McGullicuddy’s for lunch, mostly because of the name.  Great view, fun ambiance, good burgers.  But mostly I love that the girls giggled every time they tried to say the name.

And then we went to a luau!  I agonized over which one since there are so many.  In the end I’m sure any of them would have been great.  We chose the one at the Marriott since it was close and it was fantastic!  We had great seats and the girls loved getting virgin pina coladas.  I loved the flower leis we were given at arrival and we got to have flowers pinned in our hair.  (A and E both shrugged to a “single” but L shyly confessed “taken”!)  The girls made bookmarks, wandered the craft tables, watched the coconut husking (done with great commentary and comedy) and got temporary tattoos (L’s palm tree, A’s sea turtle, E’s was a flower).  The food was great and we stuffed ourselves.  The show was SO good.  It was intimate and casual but not at all lacking in skill or professionalism.  Twice, the kids were invited onstage to learn the dances.  Once was a Hawaiian hula with gentle moves that told a story, the second was a Tahitian dance with lots of hip shaking and giggling.  The preformed dances were incredible.  The girls were graceful and beautiful, the host had such a soothing and inviting voice, the guys were obviously having a great time and the “sleeper” of the show was the fire knife dancer.  He was incredible!  The kids were glued to him the whole time and in absolute awe.

10-9 Hawaii day 6

We attended sacrament meeting at the local ward.  I have to admit, I love attending church while on vacation.  I love the reassurance that the gospel is the same everywhere we go.  That love and strength and centering make me feel more connected to where ever I am.  The culture or the scenery may be very different but the goodness of the people is constant.  The girls were most excited by the very tiny lizard sneaking up the aisle.  And their new dresses.

And then we did the Road to Hana!  We downloaded an audio app called the Gypsy Guide and that definitely enriched the trip.  He navigated and told stories and history and pointed out landmarks.  We stopped at Twin Falls for a quick picnic and short hike down to the falls.  They weren’t very big but the jungle was beautiful.  We stopped at the arboratorum and the girls got a kick out of the “Tarzan ropes”.  I love the flowers and especially the rainbow eucalyptus trees.  We saw some beautiful waterfalls and stopped to eat at a roadside market.  I especially loved the Black Sand beach (so unique and SO beautiful) and the Seven Sacred Pools.  We got there just before sunset and raced down the short hike to see the breathtakingly beautiful views.  The girls got to play for awhile, making piles of coconuts and driftwoods while Z was happy in his carrier, kicking his legs and grinning at everyone else on the trail.

10-8 Hawaii day 5

We got up early this morning and hurried to the harbor.  After a brief check in and a little shuffling around, we boarded the boat for our Molokini snorkeling tour!  On the way to Molokini we were served fruit and pastries for breakfast and the girls were full of wiggles and excitement.  At Molokini we got a brief snorkeling lesson (for the girls since it was their first time), suited up, and went barreling down the slide into the water.  I partnered with A for most of the time and we saw plenty of fish.  There were lots of black fish, yellow tangs, Moorish idols, urchins and corals to see.  Unfortunately we did not see the jellyfish that stung A’s arm.  Luckily she’s a tough kid and with a little hydrocortisone cream, she was okay.  At the second snorkeling site, Turtle Arches, we were disappointed to see no sea turtles and very few fish.  The water was much rougher and the group was too crowded together.  So not as fun as the first site, plus the girls were wearing out.  We had lunch on the boat and A actually fell asleep in her seat.  L and E went to the junior naturalist class and learned about sea turtles.  And then we got to see one swimming along side the boat!

We returned to the house (getting shave ice on the way!), did a quick clean up, tucked a sea sick Papa into bed and headed for the Haleakala crater.  I was grateful to not be driving with the sharp turns and steep drops and we climbed in elevation.  Driving through the clouds was incredible, so fluffy and thick like we could reach out and touch them.  At the summit, we piled out to explore.  The girls found an observation room and decided that in this most spectacular spot, in this exotic paradise on our wildest dreams incredible vacation, that they wanted to play “Mother May I?”  So husband and I enjoyed the view while they played.  They were charming and happy and had a great time.  Soon we watched the sunset with a brilliant display of colors (sometimes aided by husband’s red lensed sunglasses) and eventually found our way home.

10-7 Hawaii day 4

the beach!!!! After making pineapple coconut pancakes, we spent the morning at the absolutely perfect, straight off a postcard beautiful beach! z rested under the shade canopy with Grammy while papa and I took the girls into the water. E loved letting the waves chase her. L loved rising the boogie boards. A was thrilled to find a friend her age to play with. We swam and played for awhile before settling into the beach to build a giant sandcastle. I loved watching L dance in the water, doing long graceful extensions. She explained later she had a song stuck in her head and she just had to dance and she felt so free as the water lifted her up. The wind kicked up abruptly so we headed home.

After a quick lunch at home, we went to the Maui Ocean Center.  We hurried to catch the turtle talk and I found it fascinating. The kids favorite part was the junior scavenger hunt. They had to find 12 petroglyphs and take a rubbing of each one to complete their activity book. Afterwards, we turned this in for a prize (a temporary tattoo of their favorite). We watched the shark dive and the girls got to sit right up against the glass, inches away from a sting ray bigger than themselves. We got to watch them feed the sharks and ask questions. Then we started over. Since we had hurried to catch the shows, we had to backtrack a little so we could take our time and appreciate all the exhibits. Overall, it was perfect size for us and very well done. We had bought our tickets in advance online for a free upgrade from a 1 day to a 1 week ticket. We spent 2.5 hours here and will likely come back.

We headed home, delighted to find husband waiting for us. We hurried to catch the sunset from our rooftop patio and had a lazy dinner grilling brats, zucchini and pineapple.

And then rather spontaneously, raced off to catch the final bit of a special event at the observatory. Grammy kept Z at the house while husband and I took the girls. But E was sound asleep before we arrived so I stayed in the car while husband took L and A to try out the telescopes and admire the stars.

10-6 Hawaii day 3

we started our day at the queen kaahumana center which is basically a big modern mall with all the regular chains. And doesn't open until 10:00. We arrived at 9:30 and wandered around a bit. We found a penny press machine and the girls were absolutely delighted. Then, finding out that our intended destination didn't open until 11, played in the kids area for a while. But the girls had a great time so they didn't mind. What I was waiting for was the story of Hawaii museum. It's very small but the curator was fascinating and so fun with the girls. He taught them some of the history of Hawaii and was able to really engage them. It was small so we didn't stay long but definitely a good experience.

We picked up Grammy and papa from the airport and immediately went to the Maui Tropical Plantation. We meant to grab food in the way but didn't see much. So when we arrived, we first headed to the Mill House restaurant on property. The landscaping was beautiful--pure, blissful paradise. We looked at the menu and not much really demanded attention and it was more expensive than I hoped. But we were hungry. So we ordered and it was amazing!!! The food was SO good, high quality, well prepared, fantastic favor. Well satisfied, we boarded the tram and took the short tour. It was perfect for us, short enough to keep the kids attention but packed with information. Their favorite part was the coconut husking demonstration. I loved the nerdy details of how the various fruits are grown. At the end, we bought a coconut and sampled it, checking that off from L's wish list. And then enjoyed fresh pineapple and we reveled in the beautiful scenery.

On the way back to the house we got shave ice again. :)

And for dinner we picked up a bunch of traditional Hawaiian food to share at the house.

10-5 Hawaii day 2

Got to have a leisurely morning with husband, having breakfast and exploring the house. Our room is huge and the house is so inviting. But best of all is the deck above the house. We have a gorgeous view of the ocean. 

Spent the morning at Walmart. Not ideal with four kids but we managed and stocked up on breakfasts, lunches and home goods.  Made it home, got everything, got everything put away, ate lunch and went exploring!

We wandered an ABC store--I'm not sure how this didn't come up more in my travel research. It's a great store with 14 locations just on Maui. It's souvenirs/convenience/groceries/etc all in one. The kids are already picking out souvenirs! Then we went to Ululanis shave ice and it was amazing!  We ordered two larges and it was more than enough for the four of us. We got ice cream on the bottom and three flavors on top. My favorite is when you get bites of both ice cream and shave ice. Such heaven. The girls loved it and even baby Z got a few tastes of plain ice. His facial reactions were hilarious. 

We spent the afternoon at the house for some much needed down time. We watched a movie while z took a nap and then played games and did some puzzles. It was casual and lazy (and a much easier option that attempting the beach by myself with 4 kids).  After such little sleep last night i think we needed a quiet day despite wanting to dive into playing tourist. Plus we got to watch the sunset from our deck. 

When husband got home from work we went to dinner at Sansei's which came highly recommended by a friend that used to live here. We ordered a few award winning dishes and sushi rolls and had a great time (the dynamite shrimp was by far my favorite).  The kids favorite part was getting to use chopsticks!

10-4 Hawaii day 1

we made it!!!!!

My happy today is that the kids were very well behaved on the flights. They were happy and helpful and excited and charming. I was well prepared with wrapped presents of snacks and dollar store distractions that they loved and regularly declared me "the best mom ever".

My sad was that I did not bring tylonel. And when E suddenly started in with awful leg cramps, I could do nothing for her. She sobbed and begged broken heartedly.

But we made it. Safe, happy and since husband bought meds on his way to pick us up, Everyone slept great after our insanely late arrival.

10-1

my happy today was watching Z laugh at himself.  He was rolling around on a blanket on the floor while Daddy was reading from our family chapter book.  Z was playing with a toy and giggling nonstop.  He started rolling back and forth to get our attention and making the most adorable, can't-help-but-laugh faces at us.  His face is so animated and charming and SO DANG CUTE.

my sad today was how heartbroken L was when her cousin wasn't able to spend the night.  We met them for dinner and they begged for her to come home with us, but I couldn't figure out a way to get her home tomorrow.  I love how much fun they have together, I love what a great kid she is and how happy they are to see each other.  So it broke my hear to say no, and it broke their hearts to hear it.  Hopefully we will get to do a long weekend together soon.