Sam mountain biking with Ben, me and a new friend (Sabrina) at Maunawili Ditch Trail.

Sam loves to learn about several topics – music, space, caves, nature in general. Right now we’re reading about space again (thanks for that awesome book, mom, it really is great!). A friend of ours sent a picture of the crescent nebula from a recent trip into the desert (thanks, Ken!) and that sparked a trip out to the deck to see if we could find Ken’s nebula. I think we did – right in the summer triangle. So after reading more on nebulae tonight for bed (with Ben pulling at all the interactive fold-outs in the book and flopping his legs wildly on the bed) I tucked the boys in – as I was shutting the door I said “I love you guys more than all the stars in the galaxy and Sam said “Mom I love you more than all the water and ice on Europa. Europa is one of Jupiter’s moons.” Wow!

Sam continues to enjoy school, yet does comment that the computer time is growing tedious (I don’t think the literacy game they use – Imagine Learning – is moving quickly enough to keep his attention). He also got his name on the board (only the second time since school started Aug 2) – it was for laughing at a whole litany of naughty things the other kids were doing. This is on the heels of a brief conversation we had yesterday about what is worth laughing at and what should be ignored, of all the antics the kids perform. We decided if it’s a new trick and a good one at that, then go ahead and laugh. If it’s not new material, then ignore it. So I guess today was replete with new material. 🙂

Sam seems to be pretty popular among the kids – they make a point of saying hello to him, and seem particularly interested in his bike. It is unusual for a lower-class kid to bike to school, and he unlocks it and walks it out to the front turnaround all by himself to meet up with me (either in the truck or with Ben on my mt bike). Today some older girls wanted to ride his bike around (after trying to get on my mt bike before discovering it really was too big for them). Go Sam!

We are continuing to homeschool as a supplement to what he is getting at school. He’s doing Fry’s sight words (I made flash cards) and this has really helped accelerate his confidence-building for reading. Fry expanded on Dolch’s sight words (I think 25 of them) to create a list of 300 words that represent about 90% of what we read on a daily basis. So if kids can recognize those words right off, they are much better able to read. The sight words are typically “glue” words which hold concepts together and which are not easily illustrated (around, then, upon, etc.). So I have three sets of sight words, divided up into 25 cards per day. We whip through those “quiz kitties” (after a Skippy Jon Jones book) right after homework. The words he doesn’t get right off get their names written up on our white board, with a smile 🙂 This allows us to review the 10-12 words that were trickier at the end of the week. I spent two weeks per set so right now we’re on 2nd grade sight words. He’ll finish Sept knowing the 3rd grade sight words. I have already seen such a big difference in his confidence, which was the big obstacle for him. Sam wanted to read perfectly from the start – he didn’t want to have to sound things out. So it’s been a real effort on my part to balance helping him learn and showing him the benefits of practice, with giving it space and time.

Dave is also impressed with Sam’s continued growth in doing fraction math even though we aren’t teaching it in any formal way at all. We just occasionally provide him with a word problem to wrestle with. The most recent example – if we have 6 hard boiled eggs, how many does each of us get? Sam responded in approx 30 seconds with “one and a half.” He’s got a good mind, and I think we are doing ok in public school, although I really really really wish I could convince myself to take on the drive and hassles of enrolling in the Hawaii Tech Academy – a hybrid cyber charter school. It’s 21st century education and shows so much promise. We’ll wait for WA where this concept is a bit better developed and the logistics are easier. Right now we’re enjoying see Sam be part of his school community and reap the benefits of all those intangibles which can’t be measured with standardized tests.

That was a long update…thanks for your love and interest in our ohana.

Learning how to catch huge ghost crabs from a guy who grew up here on the islands.

After Sam’s uke lesson we went to one of our favorite snorkeling spots – Sam and I took off in a slightly different direction today to check it out. We saw a bunch of juvenile parrotfish, some threadfin butterflyfish and wrasse. Then somebody we hadn’t seen before strolled by – an 18″ long bonefish, most likely Elops Hawaiensis because of the brownish markings. Dave says no way did I see a rare Hawaiian ladyfish, but after careful checking I really think I did. Of course I didn’t have my camera with me to prove it, so I went back in and got it.

A new friend for Ben - his name is Sam!

Every now and then I’m contacted by another mother who has found www.outdoorohana.org useful for finding hikes to do with the kids, or for adventures with young kids while vacationing here on the island. It’s always gratifying to know that my efforts to provide information have facilitated families getting out and about together, enjoying exercise and nature. So when Amy contacted me a couple weeks ago to say thanks for all the hikes, it was really nice to hear from her, but what was even better is her invitation for me to join with her little group of moms – an informal “hui” – for activities they’d cooked up. How nice to be included! So Amy and I hooked up today for a hike with our kids – her 2 yr old Sam and my Ben. It was so great to meet her – her training is in early childhood education (newborn to age 8) and her career has spanned all those ages from nanny through preschool teacher and kindergarten teacher. She has chosen not to enroll her boy in preschool, opting instead to find good adventures for him in conjunction with other like-minded moms. I’m off to go wake Ben up from his nap so we can ride our “motorcycle” (bike) over to pick up Sam from school. I am blessed to have found another mom to tromp around with in the forest now that my original buddies have moved to WA – yes, Kathy, I shed a tear on my way to the trail because I miss having Sam in my truck for trail time (he was sad this morning, too) and I missed knowing I would be seeing you! Aloha, friend! But I know which trails you’re tromping up in WA and we’ll see you soon 🙂 In the meantime, I’ve got a new “A” for my A-team :0

"Uh, mom, my shorts are getting a little warm. But I think my marshmallow is done." (Not really, but we were just laughing about this picture and Sam's face seems to be saying this! It's one of his favorites from the trip.)

Every camping trip I look forward to with relish until the day of packup, then it suddenly seems very ill-advised to go in the midst of the projects underway at the time (pool fence, work, etc.). But once the tent is up and we’re all having a great time chillaxin in our little “clubhouse” as Ben calls it, I am very thankful that I geared up and went. This time it was a getaway timed with a day off of school for Sam. Dave couldn’t take off work, but we’re pretty comfortable with the drill (have you noticed that Dave often seems to have to work for camping trips? He’s not a big centipede guy, but they haven’t been out the last couple trips.) We had a really great time, despite Ben’s first bee sting (bee was hiding in the sand – never seen that before) and we managed to blow our truck battery listening to Bruce while packing up (I found a retired tank mechanic to jump start our truck – how lucky was that?!). And finally – the bird portion – wait ’til you see that picture (the last picture in the camping album). One of the strangest things I’ve ever seen! Enjoy the stories which accompany the pictures – Sam just went through them with me and it was fun sharing laughs together remembering. As he went back to sit and build some more Lego stuff he said “Mooom? When are we going camping again?” “I don’t know – want to go in Oct for your next break?” “Yeah. But next time I want to go for THREE nights.”

Sam locking his bike up in the morning before school.

Being the only kindergartener riding a bike to school has its challenges, but plenty of rewards, too. We get to chat for longer on the way over, we get our blood moving, and sometimes we have a few laughs over crazy spaz-outs (like almost running over a huge trash can, or getting a flat tire, or seeing a huge family of ducks out grazing). We have gotten to know our crossing guard, Anne Marie, who is maybe 70 and just as cute as can be – thin, graceful, sweet, immaculate in her bright yellow rain jacket and stop sign. She looks the picture of health, probably has tea and toast in the morning, sends the kids off with a “have a great day!” and then hikes the tallest ridges. That’s my guess. I hope I am like her when I’m grown up. In other news the campus has gone nut-free – yes, they found me out! no more nuts on campus! After expressing my concerns from a public health policy standpoint (see NY and MA guidance on managing allergens on campus) I began collecting suggestions for healthy nut-free lunches and providing them to the PTA president for her newsletter. I bought Sam a bento box and filled it up with healthy food in the classic Japanese 4:3:2:1 ratio (rice:meat:vegetable:dessert). It was a great way to think outside the lunchbox, so in a way I’m grateful for the somewhat misdirected ban, and of course empathetic to the challenges the kids with severe allergies face. Sam is adjusting very well to school and relishes telling me every day who is chasing who on the playground, who got knocked over in the chase, who jumped out from behind the playground equipment, who got their name on the board (Sam did once so far for imitating a drumming noise the class troublemaker was making), and other classroom news. He is now unlocking his bike himself and walking it to the turnout area where all the parents pick up their kids. We are the only yellow Xterra, so we’re easy to find (we look like a school bus!) and the other day Ben and I turned up on our bike to ride home with Sam. That was fun.

Sam is such a grown-up guy, and I am very proud of him. All the concerns people have about preschooling their kids so they are able to adjust to school I think are overrated. A bit of care and attention is all it took to prepare Sam, and he had no tears until today when his bike lock would not cooperate when I arrived to pick him up. Poor guy. Daddy had a bad day, too, leaving his ID at home by accident then found his check engine light on after already spending $1200 on a new clutch. Oy. Hoping the car was just having a bad day. I called to him from way across the field as he was running toward me, and when he arrived I suggested he try to calm down, give it one more go, just being sure the numbers were all lined up with the knobbies and right-side up. I watched from 100 yards away as he went back at it, and ultimately prevailed. I was SO proud of him! (I couldn’t easily leave to rescue him as Ben was in the truck and car upon car was trying to get around us to collect their kid(s).) There is a whole band of guys (junior police officers) who stand with little helmets on to help the kids get in their cars. They have whistles, they open car doors, they hold out stop signs to let people cross, they signal the line of cars to advance to get the next batch of kids. It’s quite impressive.

Anyway…here’s our Bento box.

Bento box lunch! Carbs (whole grain omega-3 fortified bread with yogurt spread and honey); hummus; veggies; fruit; and Hershey's kisses (not shown).

Be jealous. Be very very jealous! It’s so fun to put things in little containers, and the food proportions are exactly right…they follow the food pyramid. Thanks for your patience in waiting for a new post. I feel like I can’t quite catch my breath yet although my book project is over. I am currently managing the install on a pool fence for our assoc and wrapping up a total redesign of a podiatry practice’s website, logo, online registration form and collateral material as well as doing some statistics on a paper for which I’m coauthor. I am overstimulated for sure. But we’re going off the grid tomorrow to camp because Friday is a holiday (Hawaii was made a state 58 years ago I think.) So more in a few days! Enjoy your weekend 🙂

A surgeonfish at Shark's Cove getting pretty close!

We’ve been having a good time with Dave off work this week – fitting in short adventures while awaiting updates on the book galleys for me to go through. Dave has made dinners, put Ben down for nap, worked with Sam on the “big build” (Lego projects) and generally enjoyed catching up on man time with the boys. Today we went up to Shark’s Cove to celebrate the last day of leave and Sam starting school tomorrow. (!) As I snorkeled around, I was surprised at how oily the water seemed – like a lot of sunscreen or something was floating around. At times it cleared up, but then I’d hit another patch. I knew it was slack tide, so I thought perhaps it had something to do with the water hanging out in the tide pools and not getting refreshed. Dave went out to check the fish scene and came back with a funny look on his face after swimming around in the big cove part. He said to me “You’re a funny girl.” I said “Yeah?” thinking that’s not news. “You thought that was oily water?” “Yeah? Didn’t it look weird to you?” Dave goes “Did you notice changes in the water from warm to cool?” “Um. Yeah, I think so.” Turns out that oiliness was where warm water met cool water from the tide coming in (is this called a thermocline?). Very cool – glad to know it wasn’t anything IN the water!

The big boys have been enjoying jam time in the “studio” – the office. Sam calls out chords to Dave while he plays his guitar. Last night they played one of Sam’s new songs (Yucatan Waterwells) and then treated us to “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” by Bruce Springsteen. What fun it is to see Dave and Sam playing, with Ben doing his loud scream-singing into a screwdriver microphone (or whatever else he can get his hands on).

Sam and the family band!

Sam composed a song this morning about water wells in the Yucatan (I think drawn from one of the BBC DVDs he watched with Daddy over the weekend). Sam says the ukulele chords to the song are F ///// C // Am ////// G7 ///. He’s thinking it would be cool if Pop Pop got an uke and he could play the song together with him over Skype 🙂 I took a video of it tonight and will try to compress/upload tomorrow. Both boys are sick – dripping noses, coughing, cranky. Dave and I are battling it hard as we are both working through our family vaca. I am really kinda grouchy about that – events have conspired such that we weren’t able to go anywhere or do anything, but I’m trying to be thankful that we can at least have some down time before Sam starts school next week. We’ll go holo holo around the island and get some hikes in. I have some camping time penciled in later in Aug (the boys are I are really hankering to space-a or camp!). Sam did his kindergarten assessment on Tues – I feel like it’s the official passing of the baton. “We” fared very well – after all, I was his coach for these first five years, so I was curious to see how Mom-style “freeschool” prepared him (or not – what would be on this mysterious assessment? Some random thing that kids in preschool learn but which I hadn’t thought to teach him?). I finally (after much wrangling) got my hands on a copy of the assessment after he took it so I could see what it entailed. You’d have thought I was asking for the strike coordinates of a missile launch. Sam told me later that in the first question the teacher asked him to count to ten, so he started in and kept on going. When he got to 72 “she made me stop” :0 Prayers going out to all our family and those struggling with far heavier things than sick kids and a rat-race couple weeks. I know we are blessed!

Dave went out to get some coffees and breakfast wraps for us this morning before heading to North Beach on base for some snorkeling. It was good to finally get back in the sand after Dave being gone for a couple weeks, then a weekend of rain last weekend.

It has been a wonderful, yet busy, couple weeks – I have been proofing the final galleys of a book I’ve helped edit (600 pages!) and several other projects came rolling in during this time as well. Some of them I was able to squeeze in (a new website for a podiatry office in WA), others had to be deferred to the weekend. Sam was in Vacation Bible School this past week as well, and on Tuesday he takes his kindergarten assessment, then starts school the following week. We’re squeezing in hikes and beach time wherever we can, but unfortunately he caught a good cold at VBS this week but that hasn’t slowed him down too much despite a fever. Daddy is on leave this week, but on call and has to go in one day so we’re not traveling anywhere, just enjoying every last day on the island before we move next year. We do plan on being in So Cal for Thanskgiving, and we’re looking forward to that!