Play Ball!!

Ok, so I guess they say that for Baseball.  But what the hell...

We finally took some time to do a family photo down at "our" beach.  Nostalgia is washing over me at any given moment.  I feel like I am teary eyed most of the day as our time in Hawaii is edging nearer.  So, we hired a photographer who's husband works with mine. 

It took me a while to find a theme for our photo.  I didn't just want plastic smiles and white shirts all around and we chase after and scream at the short loud people.  Posed photos do not sit well with the hooligans. 

So I came up with the idea of playing football at the beach.  And it seems to have worked pretty well. 

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!?

We had such a blast that day.  We laughed so hard, played so hard and made so many wonderful memories.  By the time we left the beach we were wet head to toe and had sand in ALL kinds of places.  This is one of my most cherished days in Hawaii.  So glad we got pictures to remember it by.

The Bucket List

With less than 3 months left in Hawaii, we have begun to scramble and get our Bucket List done.  A Hawaiian Bucket List is a list of all the things you have not done (thinking you have enough time to do them during your tour) that you feel must be seen and done before you leave the island.

Today it was Dan's turn to choose a Bucket List item.  He chose hiking (of course) and we headed off to hike to Manoa Falls.  The whole way there my kids were reading my mind...

"I want to go home!"

"I don't want to hike"
"No hiking, no hiking!"
"My legs hurt"
"I'm tired!!"

But to Manoa falls we went as I tried to put on a brave face and smile at my sweet and excited husband. 

After we arrived (in the rain, mind you) we headed onto the trail.  And for the first 20 minutes I felt a little sheepish.  The cloudy weather kept the trail cool and it was incredibly gorgeous.  The trail was pretty flat and I stopped now and then to take pictures of all the pretty scenes.

And then things started getting steeper and muddier.  And about 3/4 of the way up I was curising Dan and his hike.  I was convinced someone was going to the hospital today with a broken something or other.

Then I had an epiphany.  Hiking to me was like Christmas shopping to Dan.  There are some fun elements.  So many things that sound festive and delightful - like sales, hot cocoa and Christmas music.  All the things I love about Christmas shopping that Dan could, in theory, appreciate.  But the most prevalent thing to him about it is the traffic, and the lines and the parking lot full of crazies. 

Hiking is in theory, a fun thing to do.  I can say I am glad that I went.  It was beautiful.  There is so much of me that wants to enjoy it.  The sights were incredible and I was able to see beauty that most people dream of.  But really, I was wet and muddy and got bug bites. 

But in the end, it was a fun family adventure.  Not everyday can be Christmas shopping day.  And who doesn't smile when muddly little Brady looks up at you and says, "This is the best adventure I've ever been on!"

They're After Me

Hawaiian living is not always what it is cracked up to be. Granted....I live across the street from a gorgeous beach. It is a balmy 79 degrees today in January. And I have beautiful hibiscus and plumeria blooming in my yard year round. Bliss....

However, we do have some things that might deter you from this life of non stop pleasure. Perhaps, the giant rats? Rats the size of your overfed cat? Oh yes, my friend. And they live in my attic. Dan was able to convince me for several months that there was actually a cat up there. Ah, to be transported back in time to that lovely place called ignorance...or denial.

Yes, we have rats the size of a toddler living above us. And they are too smart to be trapped. And to top it off, they are now chewing holes in our ceiling. That's right...I said holes in my ceiling.

I am beginning to understand why they are planning to demolish this place in March.

So, if you are interested in a ghetto shack with a glorious view of a Hawaiian beach. You know where to find it.

I'll be the one in the fetal position in the corner with the baseball bat.....

Strange Hawaiian things #1

There are a number of things I have observed in Hawaii that has one scratching their head and saying "WTF?"

Red went on a field trip with her first grade class. As usual, I had to sign a permission form. Along with it is a list of instructions.

1. Bring a lunch in a bag that may be thrown out.
2. Be to school ON TIME
3. Footwear is required

Since when is footwear optional? Is this a Hawaiian thing? Can I send my kids to school with no shoes? It would definitely lower my monthly clothing budget for the kids. Especially for Red who destroys her shoes in a single bound. Or she begs begs begs me to buy her a particular pair of shoes. She PROMISES they are comfortable...she will wear them everyday. She simply cannot LIVE...WITHOUT...THESE...SHOES.

Where are the shoes? In the bottom of the closet only worn once before Red had complete toxic meltdown about how they were SO horrible and PAINFUL. And if I make her wear them it will damage her feet for life and she will need crutches to hobble herself to school....maybe even a wheelchair.

So here I am thinking...footwear optional. Not a bad idea.

Life is a Tornado

Life as of late has been a wild, massive tornado. Everywhere I look there is twisting, turning, nauseating change and turmoil.

Some of the changes are good. Red has started first grade. Woot woot! Yeah for school!!! Stinky is in a new class at Preschool and is rocking it. His teachers actually seek us out to tell us how well behaved he has been. Never had THAT happen before.

The latest big shock wave is that we received our orders FINALLY. And we are moving to Hawaii. Go ahead...be jealous. Let the envy wash over you.

Done?

OK. So for most people the news sound WONDERFUL. Which on many levels it is. Lovely beaches, perfect weather, a "two year vacation on the Navy's dime." Right? And those are great things, don't get me wrong. But the actual logistics of it all? Horrendous.

Moving 3 kids and 2 dogs is going to be the death of me. The schools are terrible. There is a 6 month long process to get the dogs over there. Ubu our black lab is currently too fat to fly...seriously. So we are going on a diet.

The housing wait is 6+ months long. We could live in a hotel forever.

My bitching fest could go on forever, so I will pause. Not stop....pause. So be prepared for more whining and complaining in future posts.

I have been so distracted by the orders that I have been unable to maintain my blog but hope to catch up here now that I have a little more stability in my life.

The hardest and saddest part to me is leaving my family. (Dan's family???? SIONARA!!!!) The thought of taking my kids away from their grandparents is very slowly fracturing the very heart of me. I am so jealous of their relationship with Grandma and Poppa. Living a mile away and running over for "sneak attack" hugs and kisses, just to say goodnight. My kids have no idea the change that is ahead. And my very core aches at the thought. We are a close family and there is an incredibly tight bond there. So I know the next two years will be hard, but the relationship will remain close. But in the meantime, the change for us is going to be drastic. And I dread it.

But everyday I wake up, take a deep breath, put my head down and move forward into a new, unknown adventure for our future. It should be an interesting ride. Aloha.

Fatty Crossing

I hate chocolate. (I shouldn't have typed that...I didn't really mean it my sweet love....nothing makes my heart go a flutter the way it does at one mere nibble of you). But, without chocolate I would not be back on my weekly treks to the fat meetings. AKA Weight Watchers. That chocolate is so seductive, I cannot keep my wits about me when it charms with its chocolaty wiles.

I have a new cool reason to want to shed these pounds...again. Dan and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in May. It has been hanging in the balance for a while now and it looks like it might actually happen. And if I am going to wear a swimsuit I had better get a bit of a tan and get rid of the mama chub (can you call it mama chub if your youngest child is 2 years old?) so as not to scare all of the tourists away. Beware of the great white!!! Eeeek!

At least I have some motivation. And a vacation...without the small tyrants...sounds heavenly. I don't even know anymore, what do grown ups do on vacation without small kids? Whatever the hell I want I suppose!

Aloha!