2009-06 JUNE

Ben's birthday 55 images

Alli's birthday 55 images · 3 videos

1	2 Alli's camera graveyard...we had to scoot out and buy my second waterproof/shockproof camera since moving here the night before our trip to Maui. Thanks, Dave, for keeping me outfitted! Wait a minute - I see TWO other waterproof/shockproof cameras on the counter, not counting my new one! oops!	3 Packing for Maui - I was so relaxed about this trip after the Scotland adventure that I really couldn't get mentally into packing so we just threw the last load of laundry into the stuff sacks figuring they all went together somehow :)	4 "Tiny ghost" popped out in Maui!
5 Ben loved his cousins!	6 My traveling band is with me :)	7	8 Ben is walking around now about half the time - he and Sam are checking out our plane :)
9 In Maui with my cousin and her two kids, Makena (6) and Jordyn (7 1/2). That's my silly snorkeler in the background. Leslie and her husband Chad were visiting my aunt (Pam) and her husband (Craig) in Maui so we crashed their party and really enjoyed hanging out. Thanks so much for inviting us and making room for us!!!	10 The snorkelers having a blast together!	11 Underwater pictures!	12 More silly snorkeling! Sam sounded so funny - he was so excited (and overtired) that he was growling into the snorkel and enjoying the sound. Leslie and I couldn't stop laughing and he couldn't stop growling! We were joking that maybe the snorkel wasn't BPA-free, or maybe there was laughing gas in there!
13 More underwater pictures :) Ben is up in the condo napping with Auntie Pam on duty so I can enjoy Sam with the cousins.	14 Leslie and Makena.	15 Leslie and Chad were married on Maui - at Makena Cove.	16
17	18 There goes my snorkeler! Relaxing and getting the hang of it with Aunt Leslie (who just so happens to be a competitive swimmer and former lifeguard).	19	20 Hmmm...speaking of BPA-free...just what was in that Nalgene bottle, Leslie??? :)
21 Such a great time!	22 Hmmm...I need some!	23 Ben rode around on my hip for a long time in the pool before he got super squirmy and wanted to romp. He kept putting his face in the pool like Sam.	24 So we went out to the beach outside the condo (background) for a swim.
25 It's evening time but we can't get enough of the water. Sam is trying out the snorkel in the ocean now.	26 And getting swamped by a wave!	27 Man time on the lanai.	28 We decided to go out on the lawn to grill dinner.
29 Self portraits!	30 The kids had a great time running around!	31 Craig got to hold Ben! Thanks, Craig!!!	32 He seems pretty cool with it! (Both of them!)
33 Sam really enjoyed coloring with his cousins (second cousins?).	34 Helping Auntie Pam with the grill.	35 Makena and Jordyn are reading Sam's printed photo journal of our Scotland trip. Pretty cool to have cousins who can read!	36 Ben is texting his peeps on Maui...
37 More beach time the next morning - Ben is asleep (finally! he really didn't want to miss time with the big girls!).	38	39 See the love he got?!	40 Leslie is a great wrangler!
41 We went up to Haleakala - 10,000 ft volcano summit with observatories on the top. Very other-worldly.	42 We had to move slow up there - the air was thin. Well, didn't slow Sam down but I felt it carrying Ben, and still coughing up my lung crud :)	43 This is "moon" mouth - he says "moon" sort-of but definitely points it out in the sky and gets all animated about it.	44
45 Dave says this is silversword...(he didn't get to come, unfortunately - the usual deal - work and school!).	46 Pele may be mad, but we took some red cinder back for the cousins.	47 About as close to the moon as we'll ever get, perhaps! Sam really got a kick out of the craters within the big crater.	48 Hiking up a cinder cone for another view.
49 Little guy got to get down and touch the rocks, too.	50	51 Looks like Mars, doesn't it?	52 Sam took this one :)
53	54 This made me laugh - clearly some hikers or campers do not bring enough water. I need this sign in the boys' bathroom since Ben loves to get into the toilet and mix it up, splashing away. As you can imagine, toilet cleanliness is a huge endeavor right now, including getting Sam to F L U S H!	55 The ride home - listening to Eddie Kamae, singing "yee-haw, we went to Haleakal-AH!", and passing snacks around. (I bite off the tail of a goldfish, hand it back to Sam, who is then instructed to hand it to Ben). You can see I'm being very good about ensuring they have enough water up there in the altitude, too.	56 I put the Avenger in low gear, but the brakes still started smelling on the way down. Maybe it's because we bombed down a country road that went nearly straight down vs all the windy turns up higher.
57 This is why we had to go down the country road - to see the "pancake arm" cacti!	58 90 minutes later - do you think he could have slept on the way down? No, had to fall asleep JUST as we arrived at dinner.	59 The kids had a lot of energy to burn before chomping down on sushi.	60 More beach time the next day. I sneaked out to snorkel with Sam over a reef. We had a GREAT time seeing really pretty large fish.
61 Baby honu heading to the water!	62 And being a good honu, coming back again.	63 Now we're off on a hike in the Iao Valley. A lady told us it was 5 miles, so we loaded up on food and water, and sunscreen and headed out. After exploring every inch of the trail, and some off-trail exploring, we found ourselves wondering how in the world she came up with 5 miles. We found out later much of the trail had been closed off since this lady had been up there.	64 Looking at the stream - the kahawai.
65 Cousins!	66 Here we all are, thanks Chad for taking the picture!	67 Rainbow man petroglyph. Most references consider him a symbol of a warrior, some say specifically one that protects the earth. The triangle body is closed for a man, the bottom is open for a woman (symbolizing the birth canal).	68
69	70 Out for a hike to the Iao Valley.	71 Many of my pictures didn't come out too well, so I'll have to supplement with Leslie's when she gets home and sorts hers out.	72 What a man - carrying a Care Bears pack. Chad says when you have girls you do things you never thought you'd do. What a guy.
73 The Iao Needle.	74 Many twists and turns in this trail - decided to take a picture of a landmark with Sam pointing the right way.	75 Holding hands on the way back :) They were so excited to be on the trail! The kids had a great time running around and exploring.	76 Jordyn found this petroglyph. I'll have to look up the story but my rudimentary knowledge is this is the symbol for a woman and a rainbow. Seems like a burial spot to me.
77 Lahaina through the windshield.	78 At the Maui Ocean Center. A good aquarium - I recommend it. Well worth the stop.	79 Got a good look at many of our reef fish friends. Aren't they amazing?	80 Humuhumunukunukuapua'a! Sam spotted him before I did!
81 He loved all the fish. It was so funny, though, there were little steps next to each exhibit so kids could step up to get a better look. Since it was dark, he fell back off every single one of them! He thought it was funny, so didn't try to avoid it. :)	82 Ben loved the fish, too!	83 LOTS of pointing!	84 These eels were a trip - one would sink back into the ground (what they do when they're scared) and the others would crane way over and peer down to see what was goin' on. We thought maybe the one craning over was the mommy. Makena said "the fat one in the back is the daddy!"
85	86 Brothers peering and pointing!	87 Jordyn and Makena in foreground, studying the fish.	88 The condo where we were staying. Steps from the ocean. Nice!
89 My snorkeler can't get enough of it!	90 Drying off with the girls.	91	92 A wedding...
93 Chad was so great with Ben! And my little guy seemed to really enjoy some man time.	94 Serenading Chad and Leslie during their dinner (I was camp counselor in the kitchen :) ).	95 The campers! They're enjoying an ice cream concoction that Leslie made very creatively - our charge was to eat everything in the fridge and freezer that was perishable before leaving. Leslie did a fantastic job creating meals for everyone!	96 I sneaked Sam out for a romantic walk on the beach after we put Ben to bed. We built Haleakala, and drew a heart with Mom + Sam in it :)
97 Can you see the heart? We enjoyed this special time together. We also looked for shooting stars while he chatted and chatted.	98 Gym time after breakfast the last morning together.	99 Crunches!	100 And time to go visit Chad during man time on the lanai!
101 Makena helping Ben walk. Girls are such gifted and natural caregivers! They took wonderful care of Ben while I cleaned up the mess he dropped on the floor with every meal.	102 Out to Makena Cove for a quick photo-shoot - this is where Chad and Leslie were married 8 years ago.	103	104
105	106 Girls - please hug and smile!?	107	108
109 Such a guy, playing in the lava with the waves crashing all around :) This is going to be the cover of his album some day, I see it!	110 Koholawe behind Sam, and Molokini to the right.	111 Saying goodbye Makena! See you in Washington sometime! We'll miss you!!!	112 The cacti lanai - some are in bloom!
113 Out muddin' on the way to the commissary...	114 Checking the "paint job" - not too bad!	115 Yeah! Turtle was pretty pleased, too.	116 As was this little rascal.
117	118 Ooops - keep the windows rolled up!	119 Cell phone shot taken to prepare Dave for being ok with this adventure...	120 Out for Lanikai Juice on a weekend morning. Just loved seeing Dave give Ben a smootch while they were waiting for smoothies.
121 Full moon rising over Kailua Beach.	122 Ben loves the moon - he says "Bbbbooon!" as he chases it down! Looks like he's ON the moon.	123 Sam chasing down some puddles in the beach park!	124 All the beachgoers were watching him and smiling, remembering those days.
125 Ben weightlifting while Sam rides.	126	127 At a shallow beach on base. We could walk all the way out there - that's Ben, Sam and me walking back in.	128
129	130	131	132 Beach naupaka (Naupaka kahakai). This plant has a legend attached - about lovers separated. One took half the flower to the mountains, and now there are two varieties of this plant, beach naupaka and mountain naupaka.
133 Out for a run - snapping some pictures of the boys messing around :)	134 That's mischief right there!	135 And there, too!	136 Hmmm...
137 What is scratching my head? Did I grow another arm?	138 Snorkeling with Sam - we went for a hike and ended up at a new beach instead :) Swam in our hiking clothes. Nice day.	139 Very very shallow water over the reef. I saw humuhumunukunukuapua'a swimming in inches of water! Very cool.	140 A red sea cucumber - a variety I haven't seen before.
141	142 What is that popping up out of the water at me?	143 A shark?	144
145 Sam was swimming this sea cucumber around with him, showing him around. Very cute.	146 Mommy was being very strange one morning - we made a helmet and breastplate out of our favorite sparkling water case. Look at the eyeholes already made for us!	147 Can you see my beady eyes?	148
149 I see you!	150 And you, little rascal, putting something in daddy's base speaker!	151	152 Out tearin' up the park doing more curb jumping.
153 Yeah!	154 For Father's Day Eve (ha ha!) we went to Kualoa Ranch and played tourist for a day. It was fun! They actually have some very good educational programs for kids of all ages.	155 Baby piggies!	156 Riding in a Pinzgauer for the Jungle Expedition - all the boys (and mommy!) loved it!
157 One of the scenes where LOST was filmed. Something about someone dying here on the right hand side of this stream (kahawai in Hawaiian, in case you're learning words along with Sam and me).	158 Boys enjoying bouncing!	159 Sam loves trucks!	160 Ben loves Daddy time!
161 He's pontificating about something here.	162 And pestering Sam while looking at me!	163 Huh - you want me to look where?	164 A cute picture of us, and whatever weird pointy thing is going on under my shirt. Maybe it's a lizard? Or a chicken?
165 Pinzgauer playtime!	166 Ben loved seeing the horsies!	167	168 This is how Father's Day started...oh no! Mauling time!
169 A blur of boys.	170 Then a nice jog with the stroller, which I managed to break somehow. I have gotten more flat tires and now broke the front swivel mechanism. We stopped probably 20 times on the run to try to diagnose the issue.	171 Out to brunch at our favorite place, Zia's - bread pudding pancakes! Yeah!	172 We asked Sam a bunch of questions: what is your phone number (he got it the first time and I haven't talked about this in weeks and weeks!), your address (a slam dunk - he's known that for about 2 years now), your full name, and the big one - how do you spell it? Can you write it? (in case Mr. Policeman can't understand him or he's crying because he's lost.) See the KRU (big space because the placemat was wet with silliness) G?
173 On our way home (after a time-out for accidentally flicking gravel up onto a nice elderly couple's table!) we had to change a tire. I tried to show off to Dave just how competent I was, and in so doing forgot the critical step of making sure the tire wall didn't have anything in it to RE-POKE the tire and flatten it. Aaaargh. (Jenni - I thought of you here - you'd never do something that dumb!) So Mr. Dave took over with his able assistant.	174 And Ben made the most of it.	175 Gimme the camera! (He took it from me yesterday and pretended to take pictures of everyone else in the Pinzgauer, pointing and smiling.)	176 My assistants are almost done pumping up the tire.
177 Walking home via the marsh trail, with rain clouds fast approaching. Can we outrun them?	178 Yes!	179 Wait for me! (Pushing and taking pictures!)	180 Dave had to run ahead of us home so we enjoyed a slow walk/hike with Ben. He likes to taste-test rocks along the way. I love this picture of them.
181 Come on, Ben!	182 Wrong way, Dude!	183 Yeah? Come and get me!	184 Alright, I see you're unmoved. I'll just amble toward the steep decline by water's edge and see if you come and get me now. He actually did very very well, walking about 1/2 a mile home. He kept arching and writhing when I tried to put him in the stroller, so I calmly took him out and said, "OK then you can walk with us!" so he'd walk further, then get floppy legs and hang one-armed from me. I'd put him in, and he'd protest again. I'd put him down, he'd walk. Repeat. Finally on the fourth round he decided the ride was quite nice. Sam was a patient buddy.
185 Two boys waiting to go to the Bishop Museum. Loved seeing the legs side by side. Ben is a really muscle-y guy!	186 Sam took this picture of a monarch butterfly at the bug exhibit.	187 Lots of big bugs! Lots of loud buzzing, too!	188 And two boys buzzing all around!
189 Ben took this self-portrait!	190 Remote-controlled bugs! You can learn how they walk by moving their legs with a joystick. Pretty cool.	191	192 Picking up rocks.
193 Always a good boy activity.	194 At da beach with daddy.	195 This is how Ben likes to eat. All the time. Always the left leg creeping up and resting on the table!	196 Just chillin with toes gripping the table top. Then he gets really crazy and pushes off!
197 Drinks with it like that, too. Sam never did this.	198 Broke the B.O.B. stroller. That reminds me - need to go figure out the weight limit. I think we've maxed it out. Thankfully Sam is getting many "licenses" to ride his bike alongside me on several different kinds of streets and terrains, from the marsh trail, to Lanikai loop, to trail riding on base.	199 Building a truck for Anneliese. She paid him $60,000 for this, he says. Asked where she got the money, he said "Uhhh...she just has a LOT of money."	200 He literally referred to each page of this instruction booklet and built this entire truck himself. He did the cab the afternoon prior and the entire body of the truck this particular morning. Very attentive to detail and very good spatial relations. Amazing, truly. He builds so many creations but I don't record them in photos, so this time I did. Age on Lego set is 5-12 in case you were wondering. It's Lego City Police Truck.
201 Here ya go, Anneliese!	202 Putting finishing touches on it before we head out on a hike.	203 And here he is with Anneliese and Caleigh!	204 Great day on Pu'u Pia. Love that trail! Great company - awesome to be out on the trail with them. Before I forget, we talk about lots of things on the trail, and Kathy and I are always so happy to be out with the kids. You never know when a lesson from the trail will be informative in "real" life. Like...
205 when you're climbing up a steep hill and need a drink...can you trust that your buddy be there for you? Or if you're using a rope to pull yourself up, can you trust the rope will hold?	206 Yes, if you hike with good buddies that you know well, or use a rope that you've taken good care of. We've been experimenting with telling mommy little fibs lately to avoid getting into trouble for minor things...just seeing what we can get away with. Will mommy figure it out, etc. So...time to start teaching the value of honesty and how that relates to trust.	207 If you lie or fib, it's like slicing away at your rope with a little knife. What happens if you slice up the rope enough? It will break. It won't hold you. Too many lies break the rope of trust. That means it's hard to help when you need it - your buddy won't believe you really need the help. Here we are almost at the summit of Pu'u Pia. Caleigh did it ALL herself! Big girl!!!	208 The kids striking out to the snack bench to let Caleigh tag it first!
209 Yay!! Great job!!!	210 Ben enjoying his snacks, too :)	211 Snack with a view of Pearl Harbor, where the daddies work.	212
213 Found a good banyan tree to swing from, too!	214 Let's start a fire! You rub and rub - see! I got mine hot!