Last Days in Hawaii

Thursday: we headed to Hunauma Bay for a morning of snorkeling. They only allow so many people in at one time so we were lucky we got there when we did. The bay is beautiful. We watched the "Don't feed the fish, don't walk on the reef" video and headed down the long hillside to the bay. The water was so blue and clear. I thought it was rather chilly and am not one for snorkeling so I just waded out on the edge of the reef. I saw quite a few fishies. The boys all snorkeled and saw a little more. Miller had a rough morning and didn't like anyone leaving him to go snorkel. I felt like he was a pain but others didn't think he was that bad (at least they claimed he wasn't that annoying).

Afterwards, we headed back to rest (hoping Miller would sleep). We had a Polynesian Luau to attend that evening. Of course, he barely rested so the evening was a long, trying one. We arrived at the cultural center, walked around a little, had dinner, and then hit the big show. It was great. The cultural center was very pretty and had a ton of lush plants. I was sick of taking pictures and skimped on it. I wish I hadn't. During the show, they didn't let us take pictures but the costumes were amazing.

Miller did a pretty good job considering how late it was. We lucked out and had some open seats next to us so he had his own chair and could move a little. He even said at one point "Mommy, it's hard to sit still." We kept telling him to wait for the fire and he did. He loved the guys that twirled the flames and he also liked some of the songs.

The entire trip, all I wanted was a fruity drink in a coconut or a pineapple. I finally got one with dinner. Too bad it didn't have a fantastic floater of rum to top it off. Oh well. It was good anyways. Here are a few shots at the cultural center. (Miller was trying to give a thumbs up but it looks retarded.)

Friday: we went back to the cultural center to walk around the villages. At this point, I was vacationed out and Millered out. He was not in the mood to sit through any of the presentations. Ryan and I thought we would let him run from village to village, get our boat ride, and make it through the day. The rest of the family could take their time and sit through the presentations and spend more time without us bugging them. Let's just say, we did a lot of walking, I was hot, tired and cranky. Miller was hot, tired and cranky. I think Ryan was just plain cranky. We missed the last boat ride before there was an hour break. In that hour, they do a river parade. It was cool but Miller wasn't having much of that either. Luckily, Erik took care of him for a bit. He knew we were going to drown him if he was left with us.Then we caught the next boat ride back through the village. Miller liked it and was behaving a little better. We stopped and had shaved ice and ice cream. I purchased a few items from the gift shop and we convinced the rest of the family it was time to go. I feel bad we rushed through because it was super interesting and beautiful. I don't think I took a picture that entire day. Darn it. I know Erik took some good ones so I am waiting for those.

When we got home Sean cooked up some steaks and Ryan made some fresh shrimp we picked up from the shrimp farm. We ate like kings that evening.

Saturday: our last day on the island. We pretty much hung out at home, packed, and Miller and Ryan got in one last beach day. I was sad to leave because it was a good time but happy to be heading home. I was vacationed out. I was looking forward to my own bed. The downside was we still had that long flight home. Our flight left Honolulu at 9:45pm (late of course, it was after 10pm). Miller wouldn't rest until we got on the plane so again, the most trying part was waiting to get on the plane in the airport. I already blogged about our actual flight so you know we survived and made it home ok. 

Bye bye Hawaii. I am not sure when or if we will return but it was fun. Joann and Marshall, thank you for the wonderful vacation and family time. Erik and Sean, thank you for playing with your nephew and relieving Ryan and I of our parental duties. Now, I challenge my parents to take us on a vacation like this. :)

Memorial Day Weekend

We accomplished a few chores this weekend; cleaned house, picked out a new fridge for the garage, cleaned out some of the new baby room, purchased the bedding, etc. We also had plenty of swimming time. Sunday we headed to Uncle Jon's for the annual pool time and bbq. Miller swam/jumped in the pool for almost 2 hours straight. He now can jump off, swim to the surface, and swim forward a little. Pretty good but he's getting a little too gutsy.

Monday we repeated pool time at our house and Jess and Norah were able to join us. It is the last time we will see Jess preggo and Norah as an only child. The next time we see them Norah will be a big sister and Jess will be sans Caleb in her belly. I don't know who is more excited; Jess to be done with pregnancy or us to babysit Norah and check out Caleb after his arrival.

Here are a few pool action shots for those that live in the cold, rainy northland.

More Adventures

Tuesday: We loaded up and headed to Pearl Harbor. I thought Miller would like the battle ship more than he did but I guess when you are only 3ft tall, battle ship gray everything isn't as cool. He started out loving and looking for guns then we proceeded to firehoses. Basically Ryan and Miller ran around the ship. Joann, Marshall, Sean and I followed. Erik took a guided tour. We walked up and down and back and forth. It was pretty amazing to think something of that size can float. The teak floors were a surprise to me also. After a while, we managed to get Miller into the gift shop for a quick purchase while Erik finished the tour. Then we headed to the airplane museums for lunch and what was probably Miller's best part of the day; sitting in a rescue helicopter! Nevermind Airforce 1, a space shuttle cockpit, etc. That darn helicopter won his heart.

At home, Marshall entertained Miller with a whirlybird purchase. It was basically a propeller on a stick that if you slid your hands apart, it took flight. They chased it around and played for much longer than I thought the novelty could last. Ah, to be a kid.

Wednesday: Ryan and I escaped the clutches of Miller and went on a helicopter ride. It was awesome! I had never ridden in a helicopter before and really enjoyed it. It was like an amusement park ride. To add to it, as cheesy as it sounds, they played the Hawaii 5-0 theme song when we took off. I couldn't help but smile. We had a 45 minute tour of the island. The pilot was a good host. I took a ton of pictures but again, they don't really show the beauty or color of some of the mountains or water. We turned just a little too early but almost passed over our house. Here are a couple pics.

After the helicopter ride we headed into Honolulu for lunch and some sight seeing. We forgot our GPS and were navigating off a pretty poor map. We were able to find some historic sights, eat a crappy lunch, and make it back to the house without getting lost so I consider that successful. I think we fought more about where to eat than anything. There weren't a lot of options, I was hungry, you know the rest of the story.

We saw the King's statue, the court house, and the palace. The banyan tree is huge. I can't describe how large it is but I have never seen a tree that big! We tried to venture to one more place; a temple, but the map and the roads weren't really working in our favor. Instead we headed back, picked up Erik, and went to the historic town we were staying in for shaved ice and a quick trip through their tourist trap stores. Shaved ice-wish I took a picture. It was better than a snow cone but the same principle. Ryan was daring and tried the one with ice cream and beans. Yes, candied beans. It must be an acquired taste. We didn't really like the beans. Then it was back home for dinner.

The Adventures

I think I erased some pictures so I am eagerly awaiting the ones from Erik and Joann. Until then, this will have to do as the beginning description of activities and pictures.

Sunday: We took a road trip to the end of the road and got out and took pictures on the cliffs. The pictures certainly don't do the scene justice. You will hear me state this a few more times.

Next we headed to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We took a 20 minute train ride through the plantation. It was interesting to learn about how pineapples are raised/harvested and a little about some of the other native plants (which many we have in FL). We skipped the pineapple maze (during our helicopter ride we found out one lady took over an hour to get out of it!) and hit the gift shop for some pineapple whip (cross between pineapple ice cream and sorbet). It was refreshing and tastey. Sean found out 16 oz of pure pineapple juice will do a number on one's system. Unfortunately for him, it is the new family joke.

Monday: We left Sean at home to teach while we headed to Honolulu's Teddy Bear World. The museum has animated teddy bear scenes from around the world and the history on the teddy bear. Miller liked it and kept us moving so we didn't get to look as much as we would have liked. Then we ventured into the "Dinosaur" area. All hell broke loose. Miller was scared and Ryan said something about them eating him. We had to high tail it out and for the next few days, all we heard about is "Why were the dinosaurs so loud? Why did they want to eat me? Why are they scary?" Eventually he wanted to see pictures of them. Of course I didn't have one of the scary one because we had to run out during a freak fest. I was tempted to go back and pay to get a snapshot of that dino if it would end the conversation. Needless to say, the rest of the museum was hurried with one looking over his shoulder. (of course I posted the skating picture for me and motorcycles for Grandpa Jeff)

After the museum (and a purchase from the gift shop-Erik has the best photo of Miller and his new teddy), we headed to the Hard Rock for lunch. I have been in quite a few Hard Rocks and I thought this one was really nicely done. Check out he wall to ceiling guitars!

Lastly, we took a scenic trip back around the other side of the island hoping Miller would sleep. No such luck. Lots of dino talk. We found the place Joann and Marshall used to live in (quick photo op) and then headed up the coast. We stopped near Chinaman's Hat so Miller could take a bathroom break.

That got us through two days. More to follow on our trip to Pearl Harbor, helicopter ride, beaches, etc.





The Flight

I was pretty worked up thinking about our flights to Hawaii and back. Miller is a decent flier but the thought of taking a kid on a 12+ hour flight, keeping him entertained and happy, and me being pregnant just about put me over the edge. Luckily, we all did ok.

We were up around 4am ET and off to the airport. Miller was excited and ready to fly. He had his new Lightning McQueen roller bag packed with goodies. Best purchase I have made in a long time.The first lag to Phoenix he was into flying, snacking, reading, playing, etc. but had a tendancy to push off the seat in front of him. In his defense, he wasn't kicking. He literally is at the height where his outstretched legs just touch the seat in front of him and every time he slipped down, he wanted to push himself back up. The last hour or so of that flight was a little trying but could have been worse. I had an aisle seat so going the bathroom was easy and I actually enjoyed Miller's need to use the bathroom as an excuse to get up a few extra times.

The next lag to Hawaii he did pretty well. We didn't have 3 seats together so that put a damper on the situation. We had two window seats and one middle (aka me). I didn't get up enough so I was feeling rather icky by the time we landed. I should have walked more and drank more water. Miller had one outburst where he cried for me to sit by him (no idea why) but he calmed down once we switched seats. Our neighbors on the flight were very understanding to our shuffling. He was pretty much over flying the last 1.5 hours. We all were but again, he wasn't terrible. Just whining about wanting to get off the flight.

Here he is enjoying his movies (Fireman Sam of course!).

Grandma, Grandpa, Sean , and Erik met us at the airport. We grabbed our luggage and headed out to the house. With the time change (6 hours), we arrived in Hawaii around 2:30pm local time (8:30pm ET). The drive from the airport to the house was about 45 minutes to an hour. We were wired even though we were tired so we tried to stay up and get onto a schedule. We were up at 4:30am Hawaii time the following morning. More to follow on those adventures tomorrow.

As for the flights home; we left at 9:45pm Hawaii time. Miller was a brat in the airport but good on the plane. He slept but Ryan and I were not well situated to get any rest. We dozed off and on. My back was bothering me and we were in the seats next to the bathroom so my trips to the restroom were futile for walking. We ate breakfast in Phoenix and then hopped back on for our next flight home.

Miller slept most of that flight too. He was really good once he woke up. Too bad we didn't have a red eye on the way over too. I was completely over flying at this point. There is a reason they don't want pregnant women flying. It's down right uncomfortable. Ryan also agrees, we are done with flying for a while. Of course Miller has been asking "When can we fly again? Can we go to the airport?"

Kudos to my little trooper on doing the best darn job an almost 3 year old can do on a plane. It was heavenly to fly without a diaper bag and have him potty trained. We also went sans stroller. He helped carry his own bag and kept up with us. Same kudos to Ryan for helping entertain Miller and letting him sleep on him.

Hawaii

We are back from Hawaii so I will have plenty to post about. Hopefully I won't bore you to death. I will try to post some pictures to keep you entertained too but I am eagerly awaiting those from Erik and Joann. Although I took over 200 pictures, they don't really do the trip justice.

Here's the overview of the trip. First and foremost, a giant thank you to Joann and Marshall for planning such a great trip. The house they picked was on the North Shore of Oahu and when I say on the north shore, yes, on the beach! I think it was a perfect pick because there was a nice line of breakers off shore that kept the large waves from hitting us so we could enjoy the water. The house had a great yard for Miller to play in when he wasn't convincing someone to play on the beach or swim with him (thank goodness for Uncle Sean and Erik!). Here's a view off of the balcony of our house which spent many hours and meals around.

Marshall was our dedicated driver and did a good job hauling us around the island and playing tour guide. More to come on those adventures this week.

Here's a picture of Ryan and I on the deck with our leis. Miller didn't want to participate in the picture (or any others for the most part). Joann brought them to the airport but we were too jet lagged to take pictures upon arrival. They smelled fantastic and are pretty cool (and heavy) compared to the plastic ones we have all worn at parties.





Underwear

I know potty training is monumental in a child's life but Miller is obsessed with underwear. I have never seen a child so excited and focused on which underwear to put on. This weekend we bought him 2 new packages because his other ones shrunk when I washed them and they were a little to "tighty" on the "whitey" side. He's in "real boy" sizes! No more toddler sizes :(

He put a clean pair on after bathtime so the next morning, we had told him he could leave them on. Oh no, he had to wear another new pair. And...the others, although still clean, went in the laundry basket because that's how it works.

He lays them out on his bed, every single pair, and asks about them before he finally makes a decision. Normally, I think this is adorable except for the fact most of the time, I want him to make a choice and move on. We have things to do; tick tock.

I am glad he's excited over this because it has made potty training much easier and fun. It just makes me think I should go buy a new pack of undies for some simple pleasure in life.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day rocked this year. I think it was extra special since Saturday both Ryan and I were ready to give Miller away or lock him in the house while we went on a much needed vacation.

Ryan and Miller spoiled me with gifts this year. The funny part of it is that the gifts I received were really to their benefit for our trip to Hawaii. So, in addition to the Xoom, DVD, and earbuds, I got the two most cherished gifts a mom can ask for; peace and quiet and a happy kid all day long!

Ryan started off the day by taking Miller to fly airplanes, the park, and Target so that I could stay in bed without the craziness of Miller running and yelling (Saturday we were up before 6am and the tactics to have him play quietly or watch tv didn't work). Then they brought me some donut holes and iced coffee. Ryan and I took turns playing with Miller while the other read the paper and then Ryan took him back outside so I could have a half hour to read and then shower. We headed to Big Bear for lunch.

News flash, don't go out to eat on Mother's Day. Especially after church is out. We had a 25 minute wait which wasn't too bad but it was so blistering hot outside even Miller asked if we could go in and get water. We survived 10 or 15 minutes outside and I was soked from head to toe in sweat. I don't do well with heat or being hungry so the combo of the two was trying my patience. Luckily I snuck up to the bar and got a glass of water. Being a good mom, I let Miller drink first. Big mistake. I think I got an icecubes worth of liquid. After that, we did have a good lunch. Miller sat by me and ate pretty well. There was little chastising to sit still so I can't complain. I just wished I could have had a mimosa, bloody mary, glass of wine, or a nice cold beer. That would have topped the lunch off.

We came home and everyone took naps. Then we hit the pool. Miller was content to play with his water gun and water balloons rather than jump so it was easier on Ryan and I than the last few weeks of  pool time. He was practicing floating and blowing bubbles with his face under water. I have a feeling he will be swimming (I say that with a notion that we aren't talking Michael Phelps) by the end of the summer if he keeps this up.

Then we cleaned up, had lobster tails and crab, and watched some Mary Poppins. (I think Ryan is impressed by my memory of the movie. I even knew some of the words to the stupid Feed the Birds song which is by far the worst song in the entire movie.) It was an easy bedtime routine without multiple attempts to put him back in bed. Then Ryan and I watched a little of the new Harry Potter movie (realized we forgot a ton and need to rewatch the first 6) and stopped before bedtime because we were too tuckered out to finish it.

It was great to have a fantastic Mother's Day. Now, can I pull off a Father's Day for Ryan like this?

Vet Update

Some of you know Annie has been fighting a very red, nasty bulging eye for too long. Two weeks ago she went to the vet for that to be relooked at and her tail that she nawed the tip off of and keeps licking. A hefty vet bill later, she got some great drugs for eye that appear to be working (per our observation and the follow up appointment).

As for that wicked tail...it is still an open wound that one day is ok and then the next it's an open blood bath. She wags her tail so hard it splits open and splatters blood across all surfaces. Since it's the tip, a cone for her neck isn't going to work since she can bend and contort that tail right back into her mouth. Bandages are ripped off within milliseconds. We resorted to taping a water bottle on the end of her tail with the end cut open for air flow. It's been on for about two hours...I should probably go check. It needs to scab over. I am really sick of cleaning up blood splatters on every surface of the house. I had secretly wished the doctor would recommend docking her tail. I know that's not the nicest thought but oh well. If you know of any tips for keeping a dog from licking an open wound...pass them along.

You Know You Are Old When...

You know you are old when it's Cinco de Mayo and you haven't even thought about eating Mexican food and having a margarita, a shot of tequila or even a Mexican beer or two. Maybe it's the pregnancy or maybe I have finally outgrown the desire to fight the crowds.

I lost the desire to participate in St. Patrick's Day a few years back. What's next for me to give up on?

New Toy

Miller (Ryan) surprised me with a new Xoom for Mother's Day! This is the first toy I have had in a long time. I am getting used to the touch screen but typing is so much laborious compared to a key pad. I guess that means i will have to keep my post short.

Thank you to my two favorite boys. You sure know how to spoil me. And I am assuming yourselves since i know who can't wait to get their mits on it!

Time

I know we all wonder where our time is spent and where it goes because it never seems there is enough of it. Normally, I think I do a decent job with time management at work. Ryan begs to differ since I never leave on time but as far as balancing work load, deliverables, and projects, I rock.

When it comes to my home life, I am not very good at it. I can't decide if it's because I think I can pack a lot more into my time at home or whether it's that I am too worn out to get things done in an efficient manner. I am guessing it's a combination of both factors. Plus, I feel like whatever little time I do have has to be spent doting on Mr. Miller.

The crazy part of time management is that now that I work from home 3 days a week, I do get extra chores done that I used to save for the weekend (laundry, keeping things picked up during the day, small errands such as paying bills, etc.) but I don't feel like I have gained any time on the weekends. Where is it all going?

Yes, yes, I could do a time study and record what I actually do and when to figure this out but I know what I will find. I am lazy and instead of doing things more efficiently, I chose to do things that suck time (blogging, facebook, watching tv, reading books/magazines, etc.). For example: right now, I am monitoring a live session for work but thinking I should be multitasking and typing some meeting minutes from earlier today. Instead, I justify in my head that I already worked 8:30-6:30 today and again from 8:30-10 tonight.

Do any of you have tricks for managing your personal time or home time more efficiently? I seriously think there is nothing left in me once I am home and now with being pregnant, it takes all I can muster up to just stay awake once home.

Staying Away From Politics

With the news of Bin Laden's death, I am sticking to my no politics policy. I am keeping my distance from the FB posts too. I think there are a few too many ridiculous comments out there that do not warrant a response, a like, or even a counter argument. It is history in the making. I wonder what it will say in Miller's textbooks when he is in school?


Switching gears...

We have had a busy long weekend with friends in town from North Dakota. Matt and Val have enjoyed some warm weather, pool time, an airboat ride, beach time, and hopefully today, some relaxing time before the little Millerman gets home from school. He's enjoyed playing with them and keeping us all entertained.

Our guests had cooked us a fabulous dinner two nights ago and tonight, we get to enjoy some homemade lasagna. They are excellent house guests and are welcome back anytime (even if they don't cook for us). Tomorrow they head back to the frozen tundra. I have a feeling Miller and Annie will be a little heart broken to see them go.