Introducing Dana – my new friend who brought over home-made carrot cake for my birthday! We went for a walk last week with her doggie and Sammy. We learned we both had birthdays within a week and that we both love carrot cake. Lucky for me Dana enjoys baking! She brought over a wonderful cake last night and Dave made us mai tais 🙂 My dear friend Angel came by, too, with a very mysterious present. I totally loved the card – “to the crazy redheaded haole settler lady” then inside a shoe box was a glue gun and various crafty items. I can’t wait for what she has in mind. I have long believed that owning a glue gun is the root of all mischief. Now I am the proud owner of one! (Turns out Dana owns TWO herself! Hmmmm! Have I found another good co-conspirator?) Dana and I decided next year we’re throwing an adults-only bouncy house party replete with various beverages on “drip” – hanging in camelback reservoirs from the ceiling. Every time you fall on your butt you take a drink. Sound good? As much as we like to say birthdays don’t matter at our age…they do. When the day actually comes I want to be the center of attention, even if for only a few minutes. And I still want cake. The corner piece, too. Yes, this is embarrassing to admit. But I’m finally able to own up to it. So plan on joining us this time next year for some good times 🙂 ha ha!  Dave bought me several really great little treats – a new watch (since I manage to flood or lose them), a DVD of Bruce Springsteen’s Sessions Band in concert, and some Rostropovich tribute works. A nice card, too. Sammy finished the evening off by giving me many many kisses saying “I give mommy nice smootches!” accompanied by little arms wrapped around my neck. I was in love. Completely in love with my little buddy.  A great day.

We had a great weekend regrouping as a family. It’s really been a busy bunch of weeks, winding up with the grand finale last week. We went for a hike up the Lanikai Pillbox trail. Sammy hiked up on his own again – he really impressed Dave! That’s quite a trek for a 2.5 yr old. I know his nana will be happy to picture that since she’s done it, too! That night we went out with friends to Formaggio Wine Bar. We got a chance to see the owner, Wes, as well. Always nice to catch up with him. The food was outstanding, and a wine called Kangarilla was awesome. One of the most unique reds I’ve had in a while. This was my Father’s Day treat to Dave. Plus occupying Sam so he could watch a few hours of the US Open unmolested. I think he even dozed a bit. The picture to the top right is the two boys enjoying a sandwich together and watching the game. I dug a little hole in the yard in the back and sunk a small plastic flower pot so Sammy could have a little putting green. Well – it’s far from a putting green but if you can deal with the lumps of crabgrass and bare patches of dirt, then you’ve got a good game on 🙂

Happy Father’s Day to all of you great dads out there!

summer is here and it’s shedding season. caffrey is starting to shed like a wildebeast, and not just hair either. this is gross…so click on “more” if you want more…otherwise just know i am doing fine, and should surface this weekend from all the work i’ve been doing the last couple weeks.

My friend Rebecca sent this to me – totally made me smile! I am working on a big project related to online patient education. Much of the material is on this topic. I had to laugh when I read the tag-line – you can’t just try alli, you have to commit to it! ha ha! Thanks for brightening my day, Becca!!! 🙂

We’ve been working hard in our backyard, finishing the landscaping. After doing some power weeding last weekend to dig up crab grass, I was sore for a week. Somehow that worked my hamstrings more than the longest hike carrying Sam! Dave dug up the bed for plants along the back side of the garden, and we are extending the bed around the deck and side of the house. We moved a gardenia which is finally blooming, and are starting to plant an herb garden. Sammy is very excited about his little patch. Yesterday we worked for about an hour digging up 12 square feet of gravel which the previous owners had filled in the foot-deep patch. Underneath, thankfully, was sandy soil. Sammy was a big help with the digging. He filled up a bucket with his little shovel then dumped it out in Caffrey’s run and smoothed it out. We got very messy, but it’s done!  So after moving all this dirt yesterday, we rewarded ourselves with a trip to the nursery this afternoon, where “baby plants live.” He picked out the plants – “oh! I want DIS one! with OWANGE FOWAHS!” Here he is watering them in their containers this evening, and taking a shot at mommy! More pictures will be posted this weekend after we make more progress. (Dave’s section of the garden, and actually the entire rest of the beds, are relatively planned, organized, neat and beautiful. This section for me and Sammy is a delight – it suits us because it’s very random 🙂

This is where Sammy and I volunteer with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Assoc.) to protect the green sea turtles who bask on the beach at the North Shore. Pretty amazing to see a monk seal about to pup at the same beach, next to Brutus the turtle! Apparently there are only about 20 monk seals around the entire island. Have a great holiday weekend, friends and family!

Sammy and I did the Pillbox hike today – his first time hiking it on his own all the way up to the first pillbox and back down. Last time we hiked he seemed really intent on doing it by himself, so I figured we’d give it a shot today and see how we do. It was hot and dry, so the conditions weren’t ideal on the lower portion, but we used the opportunity to learn how to use a rope to pull up. He doesn’t quite have the concept yet, but it was fun. There was a good breeze and we enjoyed a snack and chat in a shady spot beside the bunker. The new pack he’s carrying seems to work well. He likes having his own water on board. Afterwards, we jumped in the water at Lanikai beach, about a block from the trailhead. He did so great! I was wondering how tiring it would be for him and kept a close eye on his energy level throughout and afterwards. I can tell you with confidence it did not wear him out. The little buddy teased me on the way to the truck by backing up a hill (saying “I backing up!”) then raced down toward me. He didn’t want to leave the water, either, and kept dragging me out saying “Mommy go deeper!” Daddy was very impressed with his climb 🙂 More photos are available at Outdoor Ohana. This morning we’re off to guard the turtles at the North Shore, and hope to catch a glimpse of a monk seal who is about to deliver a pup!

Sammy and I have been doing traveling “happy hour” lately – we just pick a destination and head out between 3-5pm, either to a playground on our mountain bike or to descend upon a friend’s house. Everyone is so busy that sometimes you just have to drop in – scheduling is too difficult. This afternoon our neighbors – Giji, Ronnie and Jonah – headed to the tide pools with us for a swim and pizza. It was a great time! The kids really enjoyed swimming and didn’t want to come out for pizza. Ronnie made chocolate chip cookies for dessert – yum! The tide was extremely high but the water was warm. Thanks for joining us, guys! It was really nice to hang out for a bit.

Video: Sammy waking up from a nap

Sammy and I went to Angel’s home for lunch with two other ladies yesterday. It was really nice – we each brought a contribution to lunch and enjoyed getting to know new friends. Sam was the only gentleman in attendance. He was very eager to try the chocolate-covered strawberries but I managed to convince him to eat some lunch first 🙂 He took a nap in David’s room (where we stayed for about 10 days when we first moved here) – in David’s BIG BOY BED! He was so fascinated to be in a big boy bed – DAVID’S BED! – that he chatted to himself for about 45 minutes before drifting off to sleep. At one point I saw him standing up in the middle of the bed, looking out the window, just checking things out (or perhaps plotting his next adventure?). He woke up to the happy chatter of the ladies leaving and couldn’t decide if he was happy or upset, as you’ll see in the video. Thanks again for pulling lunch together, Angel!

Sammy and I have been learning about caterpillars, butterflies and metamorphosis (link goes to our new website, Outdoor Ohana, where you’ll find a brief description of what goes on in that chrysalis!). So when he goes down for a nap in his “chrysalis,” we talk about how maybe one day he’ll wake up as a butterfly. Yesterday when he woke up, I heard him saying “Mommy, I have TWO wings!” Then he said “I fly out!” I figured I’d better get in there fast or my little butterfly might just try to “fly” 🙂 He’s been requesting “sowad” (salad) lately, too. Maybe that’s because caterpillars eat lots of greens before heading into the chrysalis for a long nap. He must be fueling up for his pupal stage 😉

April pictures, and some from the first week of May, are up in the Album. Click on picture to enjoy! This shot is from this morning – we enjoyed a great time at the tide pools.

On our way to a doctor appointment, I told Sammy we’d like to give him a baby brother or sister. When I asked him what kind of baby he’d like, he gave me a little smile and blurted “a rectangle!” I immediately pictured labor and delivery for such a baby…ugh! Sam was a big baby at 9lbs 8oz, but a rectangle of any size would be worse, I think! Here’s hoping we are able to conceive a different shape… 🙂