Honu eating

We had such a crazy week last week with me sick the entire time – really sick, actually. I felt so awful – it was pneumonia most likely and I have not been that tired in more than a decade. Even childbirth and sleep deprivation did not compare. I am so thankful to have my health back! (Thanks ZPack!) Four days of fever over 102 will really knock you on your rear. And I’d committed to editing a 90 page thesis, so I was still working every day through the fever. Unreal. Even took boys for a picnic for Ben’s birthday on Thurs. Anyway…enough about the plague that hit our home. Dave was working 6am to midnight, so he was not available to help out and was doing all he could to avoid getting ill. (Apparently I have PTSD and can’t let it go!) This weekend we celebrated being together again and me no longer contagious. I was so tired, but working so hard to keep the boys healthy so my every move was doubled by cleaning and sanitizing, cough-covering, sneeze-blocking…ugh! Thankfully neither got this awful thing, and Sam seems to have just a simple cold now. We went to Sea Life Park over the weekend, then to several tide pools. We were in the water swimming and snorkeling the whole weekend. Nice!

My new favorite birthday toy – thanks Gramma!

Happy First Birthday, little big man, BenBoots, bops, biscuit man, baby honu… You are ONE now! Wow – what a year you have had. You are so grown up, and you feel it, don’t you? With Big Brother Sam to watch and admire, you don’t miss a trick. You’re right in there, insisting on walking down stairs, crawling up slides, head-first into the water no matter how big the waves are…Sam says he likes your claps the most, and Daddy says he likes splash claps. Do you remember your funny claps now that you’re doing “real” ones? You used to “clap” your fists vertically, banging your fists together as they passed each other in mid-air. You’d sometimes get so wild you’d bop yourself in the forehead on each pass, but that didn’t stop you! You’re walking now, although you don’t like mommy to know so you hide your walking from me so you get cuddle-carries longer. You’ll walk across your bedroom for Daddy or Sammy, but not Mommy! You say all kinds of little words, and you really seem to understand things beyond your years. You traveled so well to Europe, and we can’t wait for our next trip (Maui next week). I am perplexed, though – why do you still fight me so much to have your diaper changed? Why do you hang upside down and writhe while I’m trying to wipe you? What is so difficult about just getting cleaned up? I sing, I play, I coo, I smile, I give you toys, none of that works. You hate being interrupted. The irony is the more you writhe the longer your interruption. With the smell of Memorial Day grilling all around, I’m hankering for a camping trip…now that you’re walking it will be easier in many ways. What a messy buddy you were on the other campouts. We love you Ben, so much. You are so funny and have such a bright, engaging, wide-mouth smile. What will you get into this year? What mischief awaits? Happy birthday, my big man. I love you!

A running stream on Maunawili trail on the way to the Pali lookout.

Just a couple random musings…yesterday we went to the commissary thinking it was open until 7pm. We arrived at about 5:45 pm, no problem, right? Turns out it closed at 6pm. When I heard “The commissary is closing in FIIIIIVE minutes” on the PA I was freaked out! We did extreme shopping and saved a bundle, though, and had fun. In fact, I only used my green bags and didn’t bring any plastic home! When we were walking to the truck, Sam said “Mom, 8 plus 7 is 15.” Just very matter-of-factly. I said “why yes” thinking nothing of it…then realized what he’d just said! Wow! Today we went on a little hike – just a quickie, but a good one. We actually got a bunch of good pictures and had a great time. Our friends were otherwise engaged today so it was nice to just focus on the boys. The picture above illustrates a word we learned in an Eddie Kamae song – I downloaded lyrics so we could learn some Hawaiian. It’s a lot easier for me that way…more immersion style. So running stream is “kahawai.” And “pali” is cliff.

We enjoyed some beach time this morning with our friends. While Ben napped, Sam and I sneaked out for a snorkel in the tide pools. Wow! I love snorkeling, and it was really special to spend that time with Sam, floating around and sharing exclamations about all the fish we saw. When Ben woke up we enjoyed trying out our new “shell” phones…get it? ha! One of our friends also tried snorkeling for the first time in her life! She was so funny, worried about fish touching her. She was very brave, though, and actually got into the water and swam around a bit. She was kicking so hard, though, that her 2 yr old son said “Momma is going to scare all da fish!” So cute! Good going, Kiela!

Our kids riding to Kathy’s house for playtime.

Gotta love friends! And a car seat that can face forward now 🙂 Michelle and I carpooled in her big fat Jeep Commander to our friend Kathy’s house for some backyard shenanigans. We had a great time and the moms actually got to speak to each other in full sentences as the kids ran around shooting water guns and blowing bubbles. Ben slept in Caleigh’s crib (thanks Cal!) and flirted with Eva on the way over and back. Love the Jeep – it seats 7!  But really love the Peugeot van we rode in (it was a cab) in Aberdeen. Now you can fit a LOT in one of those, maybe even a pitched tent!  We discussed my birthday festivities and which “events” the ladies would most prefer for their day of adventure with me. Kathy, adventurous amazing soul that she is, called me later and said “yah know?!” (I’m always afraid when she says this – she’s daring!) “I’ve always wanted to jump out of a plane!” And you know what, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, secretly hoping I never made friends with anyone daring enough to do it because then I’d HAVE to! Dave says not this year, mom says not until the kids are 18. Your thoughts? What if it’s like only from a couple thousand feet, tandem, with a SEAL who has done 5,000+ jumps? (yes, I have such a friend in mind). We have a lot of other ideas, like rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running, horseback riding…too many activities to choose from! It will be a fun birthday week 🙂

At last, here is a picture of Mary and Doug from their reception at Fyvie Castle! We are working on putting together all the pictures taken by friends and family during the wedding weekend events – from rehearsal dinner to the gentlemen’s outing and the ladies’ tea and finally the wedding ceremony and reception. It was a wonderful celebration of their love for each other, and we wish them every happiness in their continued journey together as husband and wife. We love you!