Srping Break with Grandma T. and GG

Grandma T. and GG planned their trip to Hawaii during Son1's break from preschool. Here is a little more about the visit.

One of our favorite things to do is go to Waikiki on a Friday night and swim at the Hale Koa. We usually have dinner at Bibas, and then watch the fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Grandma T. loves to swim, so this suited her perfectly!

Now this is what I love about Hubby. He sat with Son2 and helped him with a roast beef sandwich, just so I could get in and swim, too. We had just one little problem. There was a little confusion and Grandma T. and GG did not bring a change of clothes. Thank goodness for swimsuit cover ups because the Farmer Family had plans. We were going to dinner, and were going to watch the fireworks! Let's just say they eventually came around! You know what we say when there's a problem? We just flash the shaka (hang loose sign) and blurt out, "Hang loose!"
Another day we went to the North Shore to the Turtle Bay lagoons. This is a different resort than I have previously written about, that also has lagoons open to the public. People do snorkel, and do see turtles. We did not see any that day, though. Hubby and GG sat up on the beach while Grandma T., Son1, Son2, and I swam in the ocean. Now, it just wasn't a four generation kind of a swim without GG. She thought about how her great grand kids were in the water without her. So she sprang up and decided it was time to get in.
We were kind of all over the place, so this was one of the only pictures to prove we had a four generation swim. Clicking on the picture will make us bigger.
At the beach we watched this dog be trained to retrieve a boogie board alone, over and over , far past the water break. He is a Newfoundland, and he was big! The sun started to set, and we headed home. GG and Grandma T. were tired! They relaxed at home, and gave Hubby and I a chance to have dinner out, without children! Imagine that!Another day we rode the The Hawaiian Railway in Ewa Beach. Since they were encountering some construction on the railway, the trip was only 45 minutes. We went a different route than the time we had ridden the train before. One of the engineers punched the tickets with an old fashioned railway ticket punch.
The train headed eastbound rather than ewa bound. (Ewa is pronounced eh-vah. The w in the Hawaiian language makes the "v" sound. The word means westbound.) We saw one of the original sugar cane plantations on the island. See the tree in the upper right corner? It is called a Golden Tree. The blossoms are always golden. They make me smile because they oddly remind me of Fall on the East Coast, with the vibrant and deep gold color. My favorite part of the train ride was watching the old fashioned railway switch signs that tell the trains in which direction to travel. They are original from when the Oahu Railway and Land Company used to operate the narrow gauge common carrier railroad, until 1947. They could be in full use, but are not, since the only train riding was the one we were on. At the halfway point of the trip, the engineer that was the narrator asked if anyone had celebrated a birthday recently. The entire train, consisting of several open passenger cars of people, sang Happy Birthday to Son2. GG was so proud!

Well, all good visits must come to an end. On Grandma T. and GG's last day in Hawaii, they got to visit Son1's preschool class. Their last day in Hawaii was the first day back from Spring Break. GG was so impressed she was moved to tears. But the teachers were also impressed with her. Being a senior member of a family in Hawaii is a huge honor. So, the preschool teacher and teacher's aide asked how old GG was. They were so honored to have Son1's great grandmother in class they took our picture and offered hugs. It was a very sweet moment.

Once Son1 was home from preschool, we spent our last hours together on the North Shore. From the time we left our house to the time we got to our first stop, the Dole Plantation, the rain was pouring down. We were afraid the rain wasn't going to let up. We rode the Pineapple Express, and both boys loved the minutes on the train with GG and Grandma T.

We rounded a bend and the rain came to an abrupt stop. I looked out across the pineapple fields and saw this rainbow. If you look above it you can faintly make out the second double rainbow. One day I just may tell you why I think God made these for me. But right then, we all looked out at those rainbows in awe. We arrived at the train platform and headed for the big Dole store. Hubby met us there shortly after work.Our last stop on the North Shore was historic Haleiwa Town. This is the largest commercial center on the North Shore, with a residential population of just over 2,000. This is also where our family favorite, the Grass Skirt Grill, is located. GG loves coconut, so of course we ordered a plate of coconut shrimp. They served it with two sauces, an orange and a more spicy sauce. This is one of their specialties.

More importantly, they serve the best teriyaki cheese fries. To the Farmers, these are the best fries on the island. We just giggled and giggled watching Son2 devour these. Once he got a taste, he just couldn't help himself, probably because I have him on such a fresh diet. Mmmm, saturated fat!

Their burgers are also our favorites. By request, they also come with a half an avocado as a topping. To die for!

The owner of the Grass Skirt Grill also owns the Surf shops next door, called Strong Current. This is his Woody.

This was a great way to end the visit, with full bellies and wide smiles. The boys were sad to say goodbye to Grandma T. and GG. But we have this saying in Hawaii...A Hui Ho! Until we meet again!

New Sights in Familiar Places

When Grandma T. was here we went on a little trip to Waimea Falls.Even though I had been there a few times before I had never seen the Cannon Ball tree. That is the tree's common name!
This day the gardens seemed a little more enchanted.
Maybe it was the little creature that was running around the gardens this time.
The walk to the waterfall and back was quite a walk and so we took a little rest.
Until we saw a rooster chasing a chicken during our picnic....

Hubby took these shots. They tell you something about God, huh? He is pretty creative!

GG is here!

Monday night GG flew in from Phoenix just to see her great grandsons in Hawaii. She is Hubby's grandmother, but her five great grandchildren call her GG, short for Great Grandma. She jumped right in with my two boys. She loves reading Son1 tons of stories, and he insists on sitting on top of her.
She treated us to a train ride on the Pineapple Express and we fed the carp at the Dole Plantation. If you haven't done that, and you have kids, that is a MUST DO. Ew...those fish are big and fat and slither up out of the water like hungry crocodiles for fish food. Ew! We stopped in Haleiwa afterward and GG spoiled us at our favorite homemade ice cream shop. Son2 had his very first ice cream...it was called Tahiti something. It was a vanilla ice cream. Oh that was so comical! Son2 cried, screamed, and squirmed each time the spoon was out of his mouth. He LOVED ice cream!Another day we headed out to the Ko'Olina lagoons for a swim and a beach picnic. We took turns hanging onto Son2 in the water.
GG and Son1 floated out in the calm water, and sometimes the gentle waves would push them onto the shore.
We had a bungie cord that was tied around the float to corral Son1 toward us. He loved every minute of the water, just like his big brother did when he was a baby. It was so nice that GG, the two boys, and I could all be in the water at the same time! GG is pretty active, but we just had to get her one thing, a walking stick. Now, GG refuses to use a cane, because she really doesn't need one. She had her knee replaced, and a walking stick just gives her better leverage every now and then on longer walks or hikes. Hubby just wanted me to go out and get an aluminum cane, and GG about came unglued. So Son1 and I ran around looking for a walking stick. GG has several of these in different states. She keeps one in California at her daughter's house, one in Colorado at another daughter's house, and one in Arizona where she lives, so she doesn't have to fly with a walking stick. She doesn't even use it every day, just on longer walks. Finally, the lady in the garden shop at Wal Mart suggested going to our local Hawaiian hardware store chain, City Mill. I explained to the man that my husband's grandmother needed a walking stick, and I needed a rounded piece of wood. He escorted Son1 and me to the back of the store, and waved us to a bin of bamboo sticks. He gave me this freaky look that suggested I might not actually want these sticks. PERFECT! Now, I ended up with a bamboo stick over six feet tall, but I figured Hubby could always cut it. I grabbed the stick for $3.69 and headed back toward the center of the store, where I asked another associate if they knew where I explained the project with the bamboo stick. I explained I needed a rubber bottom next. He looked at me with a cross between a puzzled look and an intrigued look. He led me to a section of rubber feet, and handed me a package. We squeezed a rubber foot over the bamboo, and it fit! Success for an additional $3.99! Once we got home, Hubby used his saw to cut down the stick, and wrapped the top with some duct tape. Now GG is set for some longer distances!

She will be here through the end of the month. Son1 is on Spring Break so we are able to spend all day together exploring the island this coming week, too!

Aloha Apisas!

This week friends stayed with us that we had not seen in nearly seven years. Some of you have heard us say, "The Farmers are your friends for life." And we definitely mean it. I met Tacey eight years ago. We taught ESOL on the same team in Virginia for one year before she moved away. We kept in touch, even after I left Virginia. She saved and planned for the 6,000 mile trip to Hawaii for some time. We are so glad they enjoyed their stay. Son1 just adored his new friend. He would wake up every morning, and either ask for him, or say, "Where is the big boy? What's he doing?" It was time for our friends to say aloha. These moments are sad ones, particularly for Son1.

Birthday Party for Jesus

We really wanted Son1 to understand the granduer of the Christmas season, that Jesus Christ was born, and that is why we celebrate. We planned a birthday party for Jesus. Our plan included a reinactment of the Christmas story, a nativity craft, and some play time. With the characters arriving at different times (understandable with the business of the Christmas season) we passed on the reinactment of the Christmas story. We had some pizza and made our nativity craft, though. Everyone got a chance to bounce in the bounce house, though. We would like to make the party an annual tradition.

Adding to Our Christmas

You know I love Christmas...and I love to decorate. So here are a few new things at our house this year....

Hubby just got back from his trip. He brought me a few goodies:

Last year's White House Christmas ornament. One thing I really miss about Christmas in the Beltway is collecting these ornaments. Sure I could get them without living there, but it just isn't the same.

This year's White House Christmas ornament.


Two ornaments from his office. It is not the best picture, on purpose.

Then I participated in a blog ornament exchange and I got:

A Hawaiian angel!


My mom bought me this nutcracker, plus an additional one that wasn't available in Hawaii so she had my dad buy it in CA and save it for me until I can pick it up.


She also got me this special Christmas tea house. Son1 loves to play with it.

Mom made me this little table cloth. I picked the fabric. I wanted a nativity theme. I didn't realize Baby Jesus wasn't anywhere to be found on the fabric until I got home. It's Santa with a manger scene...so no Mary, Jesus, or Joseph. Humph. There are angels and all kinds of nativity sayings on the fabric. Strange, but nice colors.

We had this Little People set last year, but now it sits on the little table cloth. The Baby Jesus is still at preschool for show and tell and some of our manger animals were not on the table when I took the picture.

These are my new place card holders. The place card sits in their hats.


Below is the Waterford Holiday Heirloom teapot for 2007. My mom and I have been collecting the Christmas teapot they put out every year since 2003 when they first started the line. We went to several stores all over the island and called many places all over the island to find this teapot. No one carried it this year. I called Hubby in VA to see if he could pick one up, but they did not have any at that store either. So....we called my dad in CA for this, too. Now he knows how my mom and I are crazy about these teapots. He went to several stores in CA until he found one store that carried three, and he bought the last three: one for mom, one for me, and one for my sis. And for good measure, without asking, he went ahead and bought the dinner bell below, too, just to make everyone really happy. God bless him, because he thinks that Mom and I can be ridiculous about Christmas. And that's the truth! We are!

A Wind Day

When I was in NoVA we had snow days, days when school closed due to snow. In Hawaii we must have had a Wind Day today. School closed for the day because there was no electrical power due to the wind storm. Trees snapped in half all over our town. Son2 woke up three times last night. Son1 was up talking to himself one of the times I got up. Son1 attempted to rake leaves from the storm with a yardstick.

Aloha Grandma B.! We already miss you and the tons of help you were to our family. Son1 came home from the airport and headed right for the cookies he made with you the other night. On the way home from the airport, I told Son1 I was sad Grandma B. went home. I asked him if he was sad, too. "Yes, I am sad," he said. Then after a brief pause he said. "No, no, no, Mommy! I am happy and mommy is happy, too." That was just the right thing for him to say, and very reassuring.

A Christmas Day

Just as hard as it is for the Farmers to be away from family, it is hard for the grandparents, too. They don't often get to do all of the grandparenty kind of things they always imagined they would. So I planned a Christmas grandparenty kind of day. Saturday morning started out with a Christmas parade in our town. My mom is wearing a shirt that says...There's Snowone Like my Grandkids.


A nice church along the parade route served a continental breakfast, provided parking, and provided chairs. They even took a family picture for us.

Our high school band with decorated instruments.

There is actually a man in that lion suit. The kids went nuts over him.

Ridin' local style.

Yeah the man in the red suit is driving.

Look, it's Flo from the movie, Cars.

Adults and children were Chinese dragons. The smaller dragons with the kids were too cute! Obviously there is a large Chinese population here.

These folks from a local church gave out Christmas leis and played the hand bells in the "Hawaiian station wagon." Gotta have a truck.

My favorite float, and NO that is not a guitar; it's an ukulele.

Engine 50 is a refurbished 1929 fire engine. We will be riding in it later in the month.

We were total amateurs. This is the first time we have gone to the parade. Every participant in the parade handed out candy to the kids. The kids next to us brought shopping bags to save their candy. They knew what was up. Uh huh...T.I.H. This is Hawaii. We threw our candy in the bottom of the stroller.

I rushed the family home after the parade. Son2 needed a nap, and Son1 reached a milestone: gymnastics in the 3-5 year old class, sans Mommy or Daddy. Nice. We picked up Grandma B. and we were on our way to "town." That is slang for east on the H1.
We stopped by the Winter Wonderland at the Hale Koa. Son1 pet the animated reindeer.

By this point we were starving. So we headed toward the mall 1.5 hours before the Christmas performance. Grandma B. treated us to Islands, and Son1 chomped down his meal with the promise he could ride the Candy Cane Express....the candy choo choo train that travels through the mall. The train is based on the book, The Gift of Aloha. Here is the final scene from the performance, and Son1 went nuts over snow in Hawaii. Well, Son2, did, too. I was a little concerned about him licking the wet soap bubbles...you know what ingested soap does, right?

We tried to purchase Candy Cane train tickets after the show, but they were sold out until 8:40. :( I had to tell Son1 that even though he had been the sweetest little boy, and had eaten all of his Islands dinner, we just couldn't wait that long. That would put us home and getting the 2 boys to bed at about 10pm. Not good for getting everyone out the door for church the next morning. Besides, I knew we could always come back. He cried and was heartbroken, yet again. Ugh. Here I was heart broken, too. But a few minutes later, he knocked out in the car on the way home. It was a full, full day.

Too Many Papayas

We have been refrigerating our papayas because we haven't eaten them fast enough. Our papayas are BIG. My mom kept asking if Son2 could eat them. So I did a little research. Yup, papayas are actually a great first food for babies because they are less acidic than other foods. To think this kid went nuts over our apple bananas...he practically inhaled the papayas the last two days. They are definitely his favorite food so far. Too cool to think his first foods are tropical fruits from his back yard.

Don't be such a chicken!

I have waited to post this until I was sure I wasn't going to die or be immediately hospitalized.

Last week my mom and I went grocery shopping at Costco. I love their prepared meals, the ones with the clear plastic dome lids that snap to the black bottoms...do you know what I am talking about? They are usually in the deli section where they have the tortilla wraps. They have a new chicken florentine, well, new to our Costco, anyway. For $9.03 I purchased three lovely butterflied breasts stuffed with that good florentine stuff inside. I planned to make them one of the nights I had evening commitments, for a fast dinner.

By the time we got home it was dark and I had two sleepy kids to put to bed. Mom and I both unpacked the car. The next morning, I started to load some tea stuff for church in the back of my van when I noticed...oh no....I left the chicken florentine in the car over night!! SIGH....I walked back and told my mom defeatedly that we should throw them away, shouldn't we?!? And somehow, I just really wanted her to say they could be salvaged. The lines at Costco were horrendous and I couldn't stomach standing in the lines again with 2 sick kids. But if any of you think of me as a germaphobe, my mom is much worse. She is the lady that took a can of Lysol with her to the beach and would tell us not to touch anything in the bathrooms before she sprayed it all down. We weren't even allowed to touch anything after that, anyway. She brought her own toilet paper, too. My mom is such a germaphobe she won't even share a drink with her own kids. When we were little she and my dad told us they would buy us a drink rather than share one with us. I am not sure what they were more afraid of, backwash or kiddie germs. Who would have thought a little salmonela wouldn't bother her???

The thought crossed my mind that being hospitalized or dying wasn't worth $9.03. But I completely ignored it. My mom and I both agreed that if we cooked the chicken really well to an internal teperature of 170 degrees it would be fine for 55 minutes. What got into us germaphobes, I have no idea. And just to check, we called Hubby. He has his own Jack the Germ issues...and he was skeptical, but thought that quite possibly our chicken might be fine.

We cooked the chicken. When it came out of the oven, I even gave it a good zap in the microwave for some insurance. Five days later, we are still standing.

Suckered by Santa

Hubby and I grew up believing in Santa, and have lived to tell about it. We both grew up in Christian homes, and don't feel it caused a spiritual demise. However, as of now, we haven't taught Son1 about Santa. Clearly, he knows the man in the red suit. He is in most stores. But that is the extent of it. We see him as pretend and make believe. And Son1 makes believe a lot of other stuff, anyway. We don't teach him Santa is real. We won't say that if he has been good Santa will bring him toys. We won't tell him that Santa knows whether he has been naughty or nice. Omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence is reserved for God.

That being said...



I saw these little wind up toys at Wal Mart. I bought just one helicopter and and plane to start for $2.00 each. Son1 went nuts over these things. They provided hours upon hours of entertainment for a couple of days. Then I started wondering why I didn't pick up the snow mobile and choo choo train. So my mom and I scoured two Wal Marts, looked inbetween nooks and crannies and under shelves to find random wind ups. Some will go to friends at preschool. I WISH I would have gotten the choo choo train wind ups. But they are sold out. The smoke stack goes up and down. All of the wind ups turn in different directions, too. NOW...if anyone sees choo choos like these at their Wal Mart...can you PLEASE buy me two choo choos, and we can settle up later?

So that's what she had in her suitcase...

My mom came into town on Friday. I arrived at the airport early with my two kiddos in tow. I wasn't sure if I should park or circle around....so I called my sis to see if Mom would require help. Nooo her plan is to get a smart carte, came the response. And don't be mad at her...but she brought two suitcases full of gifts and not so many clothes. Ahhh a definite improvement. She usually comes loaded down with gifts and too many clothes.



Before she left CA she asked if we needed anything. Hubby piped up. We don't need anything, and please no more cookie jars...because somehow she always brings a cookie jar.

According to her, and to these guys, this thing crested on my table doesn't count since it isn't ceramic, even if it does have 150 gingerbread men frosted with white chocolate inside.

Tea for Today and Memories of Yesterday

40 minutes til tea time and counting and I have no food. But I have an idea of what I am going to make. I could stress and think about it, or I could dial myself a solution. I dial the familar 10 digits to VA and H. answers. Hello-oh?!? You know, in her I-have-caller-ID-and-totally-know-its-you hello-oh, her you're-still-alive-I-was-beginning-to-wonder-if you-fell-off-the-planet hello-oh. "Listen, H. I know I am a bad friend and I haven't called in awhile BUT HERE IS THE DRAMA..." And she giggled and sighed all at the same time. She is used to my spontaneous calls in the midst of a pinch. I almost think she rather enjoys these calls. I spilled my guts on all the reasons I was late in my food prep for tea and could she just help me figure out what to make?

In case she hasn't ever admitted it to anyone she is a Food Network addict and she has a memory like a poker player when it comes to recipes. So we ran down the list of ingredients I had, and she spit out recipes like a slot machine in Vegas that hit the jackpot, with a few different recipes.

"No, I don't have...but I do have, do you think I could use..." and in like 5 minutes I had my tea sandwiches set. And one kind I made that day was the best chicken salad accidental tea sandwich recipe ever on croissants. Let me just tell you what was in them. I defrosted a frozen chicken breast and cooked it in my toaster oven while I sliced some red grapes. The recipe called for peaches, too.

"You don't have peaches, do you?"

"Yeah, I have peaches...."I threw open my pantry doors and fished for one of Son1's diced peach snack cups. Yeah, I have peaches.....

So she kept rattling and I keep pulling food out. I grated onion when she started to ask me about the celery. Now the thing with H. is if you tell her that you are going to substitute any part of the recipe, she keeps a running total of that in her mind. And she only lets you do it once before she reminds you that you can only do it once. That eliminated a lot of initial recipes she offered from her repetoire. Anyway, celery...I don't keep on hand. However, I have celery salt. Don't ask me why I have celery salt, but I do. So I tell her that's what I am using...and I can hear her voice laugh, without really laughing at me as she says oh-kaaaay.
Translation: Interesting choice.

They turned out to be the best accidental chicken sandwiches ever. So that was the tea prep.

As for the memories of yesterday.... I ran down my checklist for setting the table and I thought so much of past tea memories. The table cloth and napkins I bought for the first time I ever hosted tea. (Remember the bunny tea when I was nice and pregnant with Son1?) The place mats, sandwich tray, plates, and cups were all garage sale finds. Most of my "good stuff" is in storage in VA. I have been collecting things for future tea times with friends since I have moved here, though. The sandwich recipes came from H. The napkin holders were from R. that selflessly gave them to me, though she had been collecting them. She knew how much I had grown to love tea. If she only knew how much I truly cherish these napkin holders. Every time I use them I remember a time in life when we were both pregnant with our first boys and loved girly things probably even more. She was a pink hat buddy, too. The tea candle holders are from a dear friend from church in her sixties. She loves to set tables. The two Willow Tree sisters are from my tea friend that just moved as a going away present. And the box of Gevalia tea that the sisters sit atop is from another friend that came for dinner several weeks back and she knows I love tea. Some of the tea bags Hubby picked for me. I don't brew loose leaf when I am in a time crunch.

All this to say I love tea because it takes an investment of time, and for me, it takes friendship. I have no problem having tea right there at the tea table next to the baby's excersaucer in my shorts and a t-shirt. It's so not about the formality for me.

“Tea pot is on, the cups are waiting, Favorite chairs anticipating, No matter what I have to do, My friend there's always time for you”.

Thumper

Our dining room is below Son2's room. People come over for dinner usually after he is asleep. And we hear this LOUD pounding sound coming from the ceiling. You have to be hear to believe it. Folks are often startled. "What's that noise?!?" Oh, that's just Thumper. He does these manly leg lifts and then throws his two little legs down as hard as he can on his mattress. Repeatedly. Over and over. BAM! BAM! BAM! Quiet will reign. Then BAM! BAM! BAM! He continues to thump throughout the night. It is quite impressive. When we asked the pediatrician about his thumping she chalked it up to him enjoying the sounds he creates. Huh.

I know a Martysaurus

During dinosaur week Son1 brought home some interesting artwork. A puppet came home called a J.-saurus, and there was also a construction paper J.-saur. And when Son1 wouldn't eat his dinner we would ask if one of these little dinos would like to eat. All of the food got instantly gobbled. Well, when he was here, Marty started to play along as a Martysaurus. And when it would come time to coax our little guy into eating....Marty turned into his Martysaurus and roared at J.saurus to eat his food. The night after Marty left Son1 wouldn't eat. Ugh. And then I remembered....don't you want to eat like a Martysaurus?

Sunken on the Sand Bar

Out at Kaneohe Bay there is a sunken island which creates a large sandbar. Boats dock here and people do all kinds of crazy things out here. When it is low tide in the morning the sand bar is no longer under water and will sometimes completely dry up. At low tide people have brought out barbecues and grilled in the sand and live bands have played. At midday when the island is sunk we have seen professional model shoots, volleyball nets set up for water volleyball, fishing, jet skis, dogs swimming, kayaking, and a whole host of other stuff. I even was baptized out there.



When guests come to town we rent a boat out at K-Bay and hang out at the sand bar. Then we head to Bellows AFB beach for boogie boarding.This is the whole gang minus Hubby, me, and Son2. We are still sitting on the boat. Marty and Son1 are hanging on to a life jacket above the anchor.


I have gotten smarter with 2 kids. I plunk a beach chair down and enjoy the sand bar while holding Son2. Hubby is about to give a shaka to the camera.




Since it is relatively shallow Son1 isn't too nervous about using a snorkel mask like he sometimes can be where the water is rough. Hubby is getting ready to toss a football to his cousins.

Son2 was a little waterlogged after being in the water over an hour. He got out and loved on Marty on the boat.

But Son1 wasn't too keen on being left out. So Marty ended up with a Farmer sandwich.



After we returned the boat we headed out to Bellows AFB. The bigger guys all boogie boarded.

So this isn't the clearest picture but it made me laugh. Son1 is pretending he is walking Troy on a leash.

After a good amount of getting pounded by waves we headed home.

Halloween: Hawaiian Style

It was pouring on the 31st. I was so bummed. We usually get about 200 trick or treaters. 5pm ticked by, and then 6pm, and I was quite sullen. Halloween Hawaiian style is crazy fun, and it just wasn't going to happen this year. No trick or treaters rang our doorbell, until it was a quarter to 7pm. Hoooraayyyy!

I herded my fire fighter and dalmatian, husband, and guests out the door with umbrellas and strollers for the babies. We quickly took a few streets by storm, quite literally. They call this a rainforest for a reason.

We were soaked and had pity on the babies and headed home.

Baby Lincoln as the Beetle

I put my little dalmatian to bed, while Hubby closed off the walkway to our house. The futura stone that leads to our house was so so slick that we watched a few people walk up to our house and take hard falls. We popped open our garage and let Kathy, Buddy, and Marty hand out candy, along with the pumpkins Kathy and Marty carved.

An aside: Earlier Marty had asked Son1 if he was "J. zee arteest." Son1 sneered at him. He asked him again. "Are you J. zee arteest?" in a French accent. Son1 answered with some attitude and seriousness. "NO!! I am J. Farmer." We died laughing!

These guys...boy did they live it up with the kids that came by. They asked the kids to show them their best tricks for candy.

That left Hubby and me to take Son1 out again while Mark and Kelly watched the crawling beetle and sleeping dalmatian. And three of us had ourselves some happenin' Hawaiian Halloween fun.

We see stuff here that we haven't seen on the mainland. This was set up in someone's driveway:

Shootin' hoops for candy

Go fish for candy

This house had an inflatable pool with peanuts in it for the kids to jump in. Son1 found a preschool buddy. Her older sister said, "Oh...her boyfriend is here!" Uh huh. My casa nova has a following.

Now Hubby has a personal favorite when it comes to Halloween. He loves him a Trunk or Treat. Usually it is sponsored by the church in our subdivision. Folks decorate their trunks and the kids go from car to car to get candy. It is really fast and we yield a lot of candy in a short amount of time. But with the rain, they had to move the Trunk or Treat inside the elementary school cafeteria.

We are posing with the pastor's wife of the Trunk or Treat church. Maybe we don't go there for a reason. :)

P.S. I am in a sweatshirt much too huge for me....it is deceptive...I am much smaller. I love this picture anyway.

Inside the cafeteria the "trunkers" set up at long tables and we made even quicker work of loading up on candy.

And because Son1 fits right in with his go go go parents, we were gluttons and hit up a few more streets on the way back from the Trunk or Treat. That rain was no joke. The rain drops were the size of quarters, I am sure. Even a golf umbrella wasn't enough to keep us dry.

At about 8:30 we had enough. We trudged back up to our house to trick or treat one more time at our own house. There sat the Stoltz family, still handing out candy.

Just as I thought I could taste the relief of bedtime for Son1, I found Mr. Personality wide awake. Trick or Treating must have been some stimulation for him, even at just 7 months old.

Folks here are pretty generous, though. It is pretty common for homes to hand out individual goody bags with 4 or 5 pieces of candy each. That's why we just can't seem to pass up Halloween.



Heather calls this my Baby Moses basket...if you have been to my house for a dinner with a good number of folks you know I usually make a salad in this crazy big bowl. After we emptied and sorted all of the candy (and threw away all the gummy candy, YUCK and a WASTE) this is still what we ended up with:

Down for the Count OF THREE

I am watching cousin Lincoln and my two today, alone. And they are all napping at the same time. There is a spiral ham in the oven for when all the big people get back. This is one of my proudest moments in life. It is rare my two are down at the same time. Three, a dream. I am a ROCK STAR.

Pow Wow at the Pumpkin Patch

The farmers are here. And no, that is not their last name. They grew up on a farm, though. Their grandmother is a sister to Hubby's grandmother. And their dad, Buddy, is Grandma T.'s cousin. But as Marty says, we are his "other" immediate family. Mark is married to Kelly and they have Lincoln. Before they even hit the beach we all hit the pumpkin patch. Gotta love a pumpkin patch in shorts and flip flops.

We took a hay ride on a flatbed kinda tractor out to the rows of pumpkins.
Farmer Family

Son1 tried to pick up pumpkins but they were too heavy. He found a pumpkin gourd and was amused that he could carry it all by himself. He wasn't a huge fan of the stickers on his socks, either. It definitely wasn't as easy as going to an air conditioned grocery store and wheeling a pumpkin to our car in a shopping cart. It was in the high 80s and windy and hot. The red dirt is made from the volcanic earth that is rich in iron. It doesn't taste too good in high wind conditions. It was so windy that the driver of our ride looked like this:

Son2 before the wind kicked up

My nursing cover worked as a pretty good wind barrier.
Marty picked the best pumpk