2008-05 (May)

Bellows Hike 15 images

Ben's first week 81 images · 4 videos

Ben's second week 53 images · 1 video

1 Sammy got his teeth cleaned today. He is so good about letting the dentist probe around in his mouth. He particularly enjoyed the special ring with toothpaste on it.	2 Here he is getting fluoride.	3 And a big smile with clean teeth!	4 Our friend Neil came for dinner - his ship pulled in yesterday so we got to see him for a little while. We hadn't seen him since late 2006 - before he deployed to Afghanistan. We are so happy to see him back safe and sound. Here Sam is helping free him from the "Neil trap" we set to see if we could catch a Neil. (We had a mouse in the house the other day so that triggered some fun times setting a Sam trap with Sam bait in it (PB&J for lunch) and then a Daddy trap - Sam suggested a "drink" in that for bait!).
5 Putting a lei on Neil - turns out it was his first lei upon arrival to Hawaii after many visits! Cool :)	6 The "bait" - food (pretzel), monster truck (in case he was missing his Jeep), soap (to clean the ship smell off), and a beer!	7 Neil gave Sam a patch fom this deployment. Very cool!	8 Looking through his treasure box - Neil sent this back from Afghanistan for Sam. This is a special box where he keeps other patches, rocks, shells, coins and money he's earned dog-sitting.
9	10 Sam's pirate ship that he built this morning. I like the symmetry! Very well done - all by himself.	11 A big moth at mom's cottage. Probably about 4" across	12 Two more weeks to go still! That's Dave in the background.
13 Sam opening some new clothes from Aunt Kate. Thank you!!!!!	14 Tim and Dave livin' the life.	15 Sam: "Will you come in and swim again???" in his precious little voice. He can't get enough of swimming.	16 He swims and swims until there's no light left!
17 Pink hibiscus in bloom by the deck.	18	19 And jasmine in bloom!	20 And honeysuckle on the fence.
21 Another great pizza creation!	22	23 Boogie boarding again!	24
25	26 The swells were pretty good but Sam handled them really well.	27	28
29 Busy day at the beach.	30 We had fun at Bellows Beach while Dave and Tim swam...we found some charcoal and did Indian war paint - all over! I had a big B on my belly, too. Sam enjoyed "decorating" me.	31 Then Daddy, too :)	32 Helping Gramma make pudding! He said "I'm perro sucio!" (from a bilingual book we both enjoy - this means he's the dirty doggie!).
33 Baby monk seal :)	34 Uncle Tim and Sam planting in the side walkway. Dave built some great beds for us and we have solar lighting all ready to go...just needed to get those plants in the ground! Tim and I decided to have a workday today and surprise Dave. So they planted and I stained (and Sammy scrubbed) the deck.	35 Caff enjoying a clean, stained deck (not the Trex but the cedar).	36 Then this afternoon they had a fun game of pick-up broom hockey!
37	38 Tim is making do in Dave's inline skates - about two sizes too big! But they had a ton of fun. Sam is really going to miss Uncle Tim!	39 Daddy pulled up just as the game was getting going.	40 What are you doing little man?!
41	42 Going for a shot on goal!	43	44
45	46	47 Pool time with Uncle Timmy and Daddy!	48 Dave framed the custom chalkboard and painted the wall behind it. The chalkboard hides our built-in desk. The boys also purchased those amazing bar stools. One will have a brass nameplate on it for Tim in honor of all his help with the final "mad nesting" that was going on here!
49 This is a sea glass necklace I made for Auntie Angel for birthday, mother's day and taking care of Sam if need be during delivery.	50 Tim at Morning Brew - the first stop of his routine morning haunts.	51 The baristas and the menu...	52 At Elvin's Bakery where he is quite fond of the cream cheese puffs. Usually he gets four of the little bombs before heading to the beach
53 At the tide pools after Morning Brew and Elvins :)	54 Big mommy past due...	55 Sammy on his boogie board. You're seeing "vog" - smog from the Big Island volcano.	56 Dave and Tim swam out to Flat Island.
57 Sammy swimming. He figured out he could touch last week and you wouldn't believe all that he's taught himself to do since! He loves wearing goggles, diving, riding Dave back and forth and diving with him, doing handstands, slow-swimming to snorkel and look around...	58 More swimming :)	59 And more!	60
61 Passing a tennis ball back and forth under water...	62 Riding Daddy dolphin!	63 Dave is a really strong swimmer, so Sam has a ball playing with him! Sam and Uncle Tim have their trademark swim - "sitting swimmer" - where Sam rides around like a little prince as Tim holds him in a sitting position. They are too funny together!	64 Sam is always giving tutorials and directives, telling the boys what he wants to do, and what (precisely) he wants them to do!
65 Diving with Daddy!	66 More tennis ball toss under water.	67 More swimming footage for you Sam fans :)	68
69 Can you see a heel stickig out? Just about 3" to the 1400 postion from Sam's head.	70 Buying Sam some water socks at the Exchange for our next snorkel trip to Shark's Cove.	71 Man shopping!	72 We thought we had this new cart in the bag today since we showed up at the commissary 4 min after opening, but both cool "rocket carts" were gone! Gramma and Sam chased down a cart at checkout and got it from the lady and little girl when they were done. Nice score!
73 The bar before Dave worked on the chalkboard and painting.	74 Sam working, too.	75	76 Tim helping...
77 Gramma is nesting, too, as we all await BEN! (Gramma's blackberry keeps her company - she just needs a waterproof one now!)	78 Framing the chalkboard.	79 Sam checking out Daddy's work.	80 Helping Daddy tape off the borders...
81	82 Gramma and Sammy building. The hibiscus bloomed this afternoon, too!	83 Getting nails ready for Daddy.	84 Dave and Tim also found this awesome little table that folds up teeny tiny or opens with two leaves to seat all of us. The chairs stow underneath. We finally replaced the bistro table we purchased in Saratoga 6 years ago which Dave really didn't want to even move from WA to here (but I stowed it away saying we'll need SOMETHING!). So at last he got a new table. Major man nesting :)
85 Ahi with seaweed salad and edamame, and rice.	86	87 I am HUGE!	88 Sam and Tim in the new bar stools just being silly before bed.
89 Tim is Mr. Roach! He really enjoyed catching the little buggers the other night. We were totally under seige. I think he caught three or four. At one point, Dave and TIm were both on the hunt, chasing a roach down the hall, Dave with spray Raid in hand and Tim with flashlight. They herded it into Sam's bathroom and finally got it. That was the night that I was giving Sam a bath and a roach came swimming right out of one of his bath buckets and toward Sam! I sqealed big time and got Sam out then called for Dave or Tim to come help! I could have gotten it but hey - with two men in the house...	90 Sammy actually got to paint, too! This is the primer.	91	92 After the top coat - looks awesome! The boys are ready for a drink now :)
93 Mai tai time!	94 We totally thought I'd be at the hospital by now (Tuesday) but not yet. The toilet's water broke first. Dave had to go to the hardware store early this morning and totally replace the toilet and the shelves above it. Poor guy!	95 But the packing material makes for good fun :) Sammy realized he could make it "snow" in his room! Gramma gets in on the fun, too. (The fan makes it fall softly to the ground!)	96
97 Look at all that snow! Gramma will have fun with this!!!! wooo hooo!	98 We can even make snow angels!	99	100 Sitting swimmer!
101 Tuesday morning - where's Ben? Oh that's right...he's still in my belly!	102 Tim is on his way back to Durango. Ben was a total no-show! Oh well. We had a fantastic visit with Tim. Such a nice guy and fun to hang out with. He was a huge help around here during this last week - helping take care of items on Dave's to-do list.	103	104
105 Sam got to ride over to Auntie Angel's in her convertible! Here he's doing the rock-on sign for you :)	106	107	108