Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Last year on our visit Daniel and I were fortunate enough to see a turtle swimming around Hanauma Bay. No such luck this year, but it was still a great visit. The boys had a ton of fun, and even though I am starting to get pretty tired, I had a lot of fun as well.



We got up early this morning (who am I kidding, we get up early every morning) and were out the door by just after 8 AM. After sitting through the 9 minute orientation movie we trekked down the hill and set up camp in Tutu's favorite spot. Sammy and I played in the shallows while Suzy, Papa and Daniel headed out to deep waters. Many fish and one very cold boy later they waddled past Sammy and I on their way in to warm up and snack away.



Showing the resiliancy of youth, Daniel was soon ready to head back out, so I got my shot. Out Daniel and I went to find Papa, while Suzy took a turn chasing Sammy around. I particularly liked seeing the humuhumu, and we also got to see some cool fish that mimiced rocks. Speaking of mimicing a rock, I soon did my best rock impersonation, catching some much needed rest before the surprise of the day happened. Sammy, my anti-water boy, continued his surprises of yesterday by asking to go out in the deep water.



After getting out there, he decided that actually sticking that big head underwater might scare all the fish away. So, being the nature loving kid that he is, he declined to actually snorkel, but he did let me pull him around the bay for a while.


The boys then had a lot of fun playing in the shallows and sand together before we headed up the hill.

Proof that we actually made it up the hill (and didn't even take the shuttle, which was a mistake...) After that busy morning we snuck over to Hawaii Kai for an early lunch (Korean BBQ) and some treats at Zippys and Bubbies. Sammy was busy enjoying his pastry from Zippys, when his Mama came out of Bubbies with some more mochi ice cream. Needless to say, the pastry was soon forgotten as his begging kicked in.

Hawaii Kai is a pretty nice little community, with a waterway that we were enjoying during our lunch. After lunch we headed home for some much needed downtime, during which only Papa was able to sleep. That is, he was able to sleep after getting his first victory at Mexican Train, a domino game we have been playing a lot of.

What's going on tomorrow? Glad you asked, I think that we will be having some yummy food and finding some pristine beach. Wish us luck in finding the food and beach.

Day 3: Fishing for Sammy

What a day.

It started out early, although not as early as yesterday. The boys first started stirring at 5:30 or so, and we didn't have to start dealing with them until six something. So yesterday I got to enjoy the sunrise with my wife, but today I got to sleep 'in' a bit, it's a toss up as to which I enjoyed more.

After a great breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked al a Papa, we headed down to the beach for a morning stroll. The first discovery (of many) was this squid, which to me was pretty big, the picture just doesn't do it justice.


After the stroll along the beach we headed into Hawaii Kai, just 20 minutes away around Makapu'u Point, to pick up some more groceries, and any other yummy things that we could find. Suzy had scouted out this mall yesterday on her way to Costco, and had quickly zeroed in on Bubbies, a mochi ice cream place she frequented while spending a summer 'studying' at the University of Hawaii.




After quickly finishing off the dozen packets of goodness (and an additional three more just to make sure the first twelve were accurate representations of true mochi ice cream), we took care of business at Foodland, and stopped in to pick up some sushi for lunch.

We needed to hustle home because we were having our first guests of the season at Hale Terry, Auntie Bonnie, Cousin Amy and Granpa Burge we coming. Daniel had a hard time sitting still during the sushi lunch (yes there was ika, no it was not the ika from that morning on the beach), because one of the main reasons he was excited about coming back to Hawaii was to build legos with cousin Amy. Wish granted.


It was such a busy morning that Suzy and Sammy needed to take a quick nap to rest up for the evening's festivities. Once there power nap was done we headed to the beach for some time in the water.



Yesterday was fun in the water, despite the flat conditions. Today was great. Stupendous. To quote one of my favorite TV characters, 'Awesome'. Why? Glad you asked. For the first time in his life, Sammy rode a boogey board wave into shore. Last year was great, Sammy went out in the surf with me, but hung on to my neck so tightly there was no chance he was riding a wave in. This year, it started out much the same, but to my surprise he got braver and braver the longer we were out there. Lo and behold, after half an hour or so, we had caught three waves. Amazing.


I thought my day was done after that, but nope, I was wrong. Daniel decided he wanted back on the board, and he then shocked me by agreeing to catch a wave in by himself! I had him out there, found a good wave, and gave him a shove. He even got clobbered once, shook his head, wandered around the beach for a few seconds, then turned around and ran back in with me.

Couldn't believe it. What a day.

So, why the 'Fishing for Sammy', title? Well, after his second successful wave ride I was getting a bit cocky, and picked a bit of a bigger wave for our third try. Not a great idea on my part, and we got pounded. I think it was mainly on the followup wave after our ride was mostly over, it knocked me over, and thus down went Sammy, with the board on top of him. I reached out with my hand underwater, grabbed the first thing I could, and up came a Sammy leg, thankfully still attached. I had caught myself a thoroughly wet, a bit scared, but still mostly happy Sammy. I decided not to throw him back in, he is a keeper!

Day 2

I slept well last night, but woke up early and just couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to watch the sun rise. I love being awake in the wee hours of the day. I love the quietness. I just sat and listened to the roar of the wave as the sun slowly made its way over the horizon.

After breakfast and a nice stroll along the beach Papa, Tutu, Sammy and I made a Costco run and loaded up on lots and lots of food.
Papa and Sammy napped together after lunch and then we put on our bathing suits and headed down to the beach. Daniel and Sammy jumped waves and Daniel even did a little boogie boarding with Dan and Papa.

We made it!

As I write I am looking out the window at an amazing view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean washing up against the beach at Waimanalo. Yes, we are back in Hawaii for our second annual gathering at the House of Stones. We had a great trip yesterday. Did I really just say that? And we even had the boys with us. It was the easiest trip with the boys yet. We had no delays or problems. The boys were well behaved. The lines were short and amazingly the flight went by quickly. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Well, maybe first class, but that would be pushing my luck.

It took Sammy all of 5 minutes before he was begging to go down to the water. Of course Papa couldn't resist the pull of the blue water either and the two of the hit the beach as soon as all the bags were unloaded.

Papa took Sammy out to wave jump. This involves Papa helping Sammy jump over the waves as they roll in (poor Papa's back). By dinnertime Sammy and Papa were drenched and had sand in every crease of their bodies.

The boys were wiped by the time bedtime rolled around and fell right asleep.

It is good to be back.

Cub Scouts

Daniel and Dan had their first scouting event last weekend. As you can tell from the pictures Daniel was very excited. Dan was too, but not as much as Daniel. They had a fun filled day at Balboa Park: going to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, watching glass blowers at the Spanish Village Art Center and watching and making puppets at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Show.

I don't know much about Boy Scouting. I know you do stuff and earn badges, but that's about it. A pack, den or whatever it's called, of boys sounds like a scary thing to me, but Dan enjoyed his scouting years and is excited to begin this journey with Daniel. And I know Daniel will love being a Cub Scout.

My Boys

Suzy is convinced that I will never post another blog post, so mainly this one is to prove her wrong. My muse has been missing recently, I just don't have that much to say via blog. That is not to say that things aren't going well, they certainly are going great. Sammy and I have been having lots of fun battling, wrestling, having water gun fights, etc. I have also been blessed with the opportunity to teach Daniel's Sunday School class over the summer (at least I am sharing the duties with one other person, that is). It has been very neat to see Daniel in a more 'classroom' setting, seeing how he interacts with the other kids and teacher.

Since Sammy's birthday is in October we had to make the decision on when to send him to kindergarten, this fall, or next. We decided long ago that we would rather he be older than younger, and while it is apparent to me that he could do it this year, he will really benefit by waiting one more year. The thought that he could be starting kindergarten in just a few more months is one to catch my breath. I am very happy that all of next year I will be able to just decide on a whim to have him skip school while he and I go do something fun. I have been debating getting a LegoLand membership again and sneaking up there with him a few times this year. I also am desperate to take him to an indoor rock climbing facility to see how he would do. He has a basic wall at his school that he loves to climb, and I think that he would have a great time with a bigger wall.

Daniel is approaching the age where I may consider risking a baseball game again. Going to a ballgame is one of my favorite things to do, and I had visions of going to games with the boys, but those visions were dashed with the reality of the whining and complaining that goes with the territory. Baseball just doesn't seem to be made for a three/four/five year old, at least when you are paying for decent seats at Petco and don't want to leave after the fifth inning. But Daniel is getting to be old enough that I may give it another shot.

All that means that I have big plans for the boys, but the summer is disappearing too quickly. We are already up against August, and I am running out of time for these fun things I want to do!

That's it. No more blog posting for me. Where's my Padres schedule?

Can you do this?

It appears that doubled jointed arms runs in the family. I have no idea who Sammy inherited this from. Not my side of the family I don't think.

This is just further proof that Sammy has monkey blood running through his veins.

If you are wondering if Daniel shares this talent with his brother...

Apparently not!

Zoo Camp

I have come to realize that I don't like the unknown. I like routine. I like knowing where I am and where I am going. I like feeling safe. I like feeling comfortable. It's not that I don't like new things or change. I do. And yet at the same time I don't. It's all the 'what ifs' that get to me. What if I'm late? What if I can't find parking? What if my kid gets lost? What if I don't know anyone? What if I make a fool of myself? What if it's too hot or too cold? What if? What if? WHAT IF?

See what I mean? Would you ever want to do anything new if all these what ifs were running through your head? It's enough to drive any woman (and her poor husband) crazy. But I know that trying new things is good, so I force myself to step out of my box. My comfort zone. And you know what? Everything turns out fine, at least most of the time, and I wonder why I ever let those pesky 'what ifs' ruffle my feathers.

Today was Daniel's first day of Zoo Camp. We've never done Zoo Camp before. In fact the only camps we've done have been through our church or school (which is part of our church). So this was a step out of my comfort zone. I had many what ifs about pick-up, drop-off, what to bring, etc. and had visions of Daniel wandering around the Zoo looking for his group. I know, I know. I am a little bit crazy. It comes with being a Mom, I guess.

Well, it turns out Daniel had a great time and did not get lost. None of my 'what ifs' were realized. It really shouldn't come as any surprise to me. And you'd think I would have learned by now not to worry so much about the unknown. I guess I'm a slow learner.

So here is Daniel on his first day of Zoo Camp. Yes, that is Sammy climbing on the fence in the background. I really think he has some monkey blood in him.


Sammy and I did a little exploring of Balboa Park since we were there. I love Balboa Park!

Logs are fun to walk on. Especially if you are part monkey.
A flower for me? He is the sweetest little boy ever!

VBS: Power Lab

The boys spent the last week learning about the power of God at our church's Vacation Bible School. The theme was Power Lab and the boys had such fun singing, doing crafts, playing games, doing experiments and learning about God.

On Friday, the last day of VBS, the kids all put on a performance for the parents. They sing the songs they learned and recite their bible verses up on stage for all to see. Anytime I have a child on stage I get a little worried. You never know what they might do and with an audience watching no less. Having Daniel AND Sammy both on stage (along with 200 other kids) is even more stressful. I still have nightmares about Daniel's preschool graduation last year; Daniel pretending to lick his classmate next to him, Sammy karate chopping the boy sitting next to him and Daniel and Sammy pestering each other because someone did not think about the fact that putting Sammy directly behind Daniel during the ceremony was not such a great idea.

Well, this performance went much better than said last one. I was a little concerned when I saw how close the boys were standing, but there was no licking, chopping or pestering this time. Phew! Daniel did decide to try and extract something from his nose during a lull in the program, but luckily he was either success or gave up after not too long (although it seemed like eons to me). Sammy looked a little shell shocked for most of the program, as did most of the little guys. Overall they did great.

It was a fun filled week for the boys and they are already looking forward to next year's VBS.

LA Summer (Day 5)

My Dad and I took the boys up to Soleado School this morning, the local elementary school where I attended 1st through 4th grade, so Daniel could practice riding his bike without training wheels. The first time around the playground with my Dad holding onto the seat and running behind had Daniel in tears. The feeling was just to weird and scary. Daniel sat and cried for a while and then amazing jumped back on the horse. Way to go Daniel! The second time around he whimpered, but after that he got more and more comfortable. He didn't get comfortable enough to ride on his own, but that will come with practice. I am so proud the he didn't give up. It was neat watching my Dad with Daniel teaching him how to ride in the same place he taught me to ride a bike about 26 years ago.

For dinner we went to Kings Hawaiian Restaurant where I stuffed myself with kalbi ribs. Yum! And for dessert we brought home a dobash cake in celebration of my Dad's upcoming birthday. Double yum!

Tomorrow morning we head home. Although the boys are having a ball and not ready to leave I am missing my Baby (Dan). I knew it was time to be getting home when I squeezed my Dad's bum yesterday as I walked by him. Yes, it is time to go home, but we will take with us some great memories. And we will look forward to our next LA summer.

Disneyland Adventure

I promised more photos from our trip to Disneyland when I had recovered. Well, I think I am mostly there, so here it goes...

As you can see the boys are pretty excited as we were waiting in line to go in.We started out strong. Our first ride was Star Tours, Daniel's favorite. Sammy, finally over the 40 inches mark, got to finally go on this ride. He loved it. Then we racked up points over at the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Tutu's favorite. Next we took Sammy on Space Mountain, Daniel decide to sit this one out. I wasn't sure how Sammy would react to this ride as it is quite fast and in the dark, but he absolutely loved it. Then we ran over to the Matterhorn. Here is a picture of my parents as we waited in line and no, your eyes do not deceive you ,that is Tutu in line with us. I can't remember the last time Tutu went on a roller coaster with us. Go Tutu! Daniel did not want to go on the Matterhorn, he was scared of the snow monster, so I had to bribe him with promises of Legos. Turns out he loved it and we later went on it again.
Then we headed over to New Orleans Square and Critter Country. We went on Pirates and the Haunted Mansion, once again I had to bribe Daniel. We then took the raft over to Tom Sawyers Island, now called the Pirate's Lair. And you will never guess who we ran into......Captain Jack Sparrow himself. Well, not the Captain Jack Sparrow. If that was Johnny Depp that would be me not Daniel in the picture.After a ride on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tutu went on this one too (way to go Tutu!), we took a rest and had lunch. A few chicken strips and fish & chips later we were headed to California Adventure. Our first destination, Soaring over California, was quite crowded so we grabbed a Fast Pass and headed over to the Playhouse Disney Live on Stage! show. After the Monster's Inc ride we were all feeling a little sluggish so we headed over to the ice cream parlor and bakery. Sammy and I indulged in ice cream while Daniel had a ginormous cinnamon roll (he almost ate the entire thing!)
With sugar pumping through our bodies we were reved up for more fun: Soarin' over California, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, Mulholland Madness, Jumpin' Jellyfish and Golden Zephyr.
Then we happened to be in the right place at the right time for the Pixar Play Parade. We had never stayed late enough before to see any of the parades and I am so glad we were able to see this one. It was awesome. The boys love all the Pixar movies so it was fun to see all the characters. We all agreed the parade was awesome. The Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams was starting at Disneyland next so we ran back over to Disneyland. But after the Pixar Parade this one was just okay. My boys aren't into princesses or the old Disney movies much, so it wasn't as exciting.

Since it was fast approaching 8 pm we rode the Matterhorn one last time, grabbed some pizza for dinner and headed home.

It was a great time all around. It really wasn't too crowded, especially for summer and I don't think the boys whined, cried or complained a single time throughout the entire day. They don't call it the happiest place on earth for nothing. It was a very happy day!

LA Summer (Day 4)

I think I've mostly recovered from yesterday. I must have been really tired because I slept until almost 8 this morning and the boys both came into my room at around 7 am and were playing quite loudly while I slept. While I've been a little tired and groogy all day you wouldn't have even been able to tell the boys had a long day yesterday. They woke up at their normal time and were full of energy the whole day. The whole day! I just don't understand how they can do that.


My Mom and I took them down to the local mall which has a water fountain that kids can play in. The boys had a blast playing in the water and getting soaked. We were there for almost 2 hours and Sammy probably would have stayed longer if we had let him.

The cool thing about this particular fountain is that sometimes it shoots a steam of water out of holes on the ground and sometimes it just throws a small ball of water into the air. The kids love trying to catch, hit, karate chop and kick the little spurts of water. And sometimes when a kid is waiting patiently and looking intently at the hole for the water ball to come shooting out the fountain shoots out a full stream right into their face. Needless to say my Mom and I had just as much fun watching the kids as the kids had in the water.

LA Summer (Day 3)

I am too tired for words. We woke up at 6 am, left the house at 6:45 am and got home at 9 pm. I am wiped. We really had a great day. I am just soooo tired now. I will post a couple of pics to whet your appetite and will post more after I have gotten some sleep and my feet stop aching.

LA Summer (day 2)

We had a pretty mellow day today. I didn't want to tire the boys out too much because tomorrow we wake up bright and early to go to the happiest place on earth, or so they say. Yep, we are off to Disneyland. It has been a while since our last visit and the boys (and the adults) are pretty excited. This is an especially exciting trip for Sammy who is finally over 40 inches. This means he can practically go on all the rides at Disneyland. The question just remains, Will he want to go on the rides or be too scared? Either way we will have fun.

So today the boys pulled out practically every toy in the house, Megablocks, playdoh, swords, cars, etc. We also made cute animals drawings from our hands. My Mom checked out 'Drawing with your hands' from the library. It is a cute idea and the boys seemed to enjoy it. Daniel decided to make a fox and Sammy a cat. The gist is you position your hand to look like a certain animal, trace it, add features and then color.

Here is Sammy's cat. I love color choice.
And Daniel's fox which looks quite fierce, but according to Daniel is friendly and does not eat other animals, only wolves.
It is still unclear whether Sammy is right or left handed, but for now appears to be ambidextrous. Here he is using he left hand, like his mother.

And when he got tired he switched over to his right, like his father. Switch hitting for now, we will have to see what develops as the season continues.

LA Summer (day 1)

The boys and I are in LA at my parent's house for our yearly summer visit. Since Daniel was born I have been coming up to stay with my parents for a week during the summer. It has become a tradition that I and the boys have come to enjoy and look forward to very much. One of the best things about visiting Papa and Tutu is we have established so many traditions; places we like to go, restaurants we like eating at and things we enjoy doing.

We only arrived late this morning, but we had a fun packed day. After a quick nap, in which only my Mom and I slept (it has become the norm that the adults all collapse exhausted at siesta time while the kids do who knows what), we headed off to the theatres to watch 'Kung-fu Panda'. The boys have been wanting to see this movie and luckily it was still playing at the local theatre. It was a cute movie and the boys really enjoyed it. The only drawback was they spent much of the evening practicing their karate moves on innocent plants, eachother and Papa. After the movie we walked over to the boys favorite place to eat here, Red Brick Pizza. And to wrap it all up we got dessert at Yummy Yogurt (one of my favorite places to go). Despite their pre-bedtime hyperness they crashed. I am pretty tired myself. Who knows what kind of fun and yummy things tomorrow will hold. I will let you know.