Aloha Maui

We made it!  Zackary struggled during the flight to Oahu with the anxiety of the unknown but did settle down at times.  Emme did fantastic and acclimated well, I was surprised.  The short flight to Maui was easy.  We rented our car and made a trip to whole foods.  By the time we got to the market, the kids were melting before our eyes.  It was 2:30pm Maui time and 5:30pm LA time.  I quickly bought a rotisserie chicken, green beans, and a pear for dinner.  After getting some protein in the kids Zackary was still acting up so they sat in the car with Ben while I did the shopping.  Then we took the 45 minute drive to our condo in Kahana.  It was beautiful.  The lanai quickly became our relaxing spot the duration of our stay. 
One day we went to this beach called Napili about 5 min driving north from Kahana.  The waves that day were upwards 10 feet.  It was crazy and I actually saw a turtle riding them.   

Our family picture.  2 days were left on our trip and I realized we hadn't taken a family picture yet.  If only Emme was smiling...dang.

The condos we were at had two cats.  They slept under and on top of the cars.  Emme quickly fell in love with them and would spit at them, guess she was talking to them in her mind.  She spent a lot of her time trying to find the cats and watching them.  Guess she wants one!  

Emme is busy here collecting rocks on our lanai and lining them up!  It is so fun to watch her.

We spent most of our days at the beach playing with the sand.  Zackary went in the water up to his knees and really had a good time finding things in the sand and building sand castles.  Emeline loves the ocean and sand at home but in Maui she wouldn't go near the ocean and really was hesitant with the sand as well.  She got better with the sand as the days went on.  The kids also spent a lot of down time in the condo watching tv, playing, reading books and collecting rocks.  We took a couple of drives up and down the coast and did go to Lahaina a couple of days. 

Emeline was getting sick here with Zackary cold.  Isn't this cuddly picture cute?!  The day before we were flying home she got croup.  It was stressful for me and knowing we were going to be up super early (3:40AM) to get to the airport for our flight home, I was sad for her.  It did take her a long time to get over this cold.  Once home she made two trips to the pediatrician once for a croup check up and once for pink eye.  She definitely had a rough flight home (pressure in her ears was bad) while Zackary did much better.  It was a bummer that Zackary got sick right before the trip and she ended up getting it, but at least she stayed healthy for most of the trip.

They were having so much fun here!  The sand was the kind that doesn't stick, the grains are bigger and feel like they are exfoliating your skin with each step.  I loved that.

Playing with all their sand toys are rented and having a blast.  This is the beach where the waves were huge.  

Daddy's little girl.  

This picture was his first visit to the beach in front of our condo.  He enjoyed feeling the ocean dig his feet deep into the sand.  

The last 3 days of our trip the trade winds blew in and it was very windy.  It as 80 degrees, but super windy.  Ben went paddle boarding and the winds made it a real work out for him, but worth it with the turtles he say and how much fun he had doing it.

Our first family trip out of California.  It was a success.  A bit stressful on the flights and when Emme got croup, but overall so much fun and very beautiful.  Ben and I went to bed every night around 8pm and literally passed in the wind everyday, but we still had a great time. 

A Quick Halloween

The two kids under Mickey are not mine...Ben and I went on a date to Disneyland a couple weeks before Halloween and I had to take the picture for the kids of the giant Mickey pumpkin!  

Aren't they so cute.  Zackary is Thomas the Train and Emme is a chicken!  Zackary was a chicken 2 years ago, so happy I can reuse these outfits.  They are hand me downs from Ben's boss...fit the kids perfect and are really really cute.  I made a bunny costume for Emme but it looked a bit like a Playboy bunny, not a rabbit and I had a wonder woman outfit for her but we decided on the chicken!  I guess I was wonder woman one year when I was 2 years old.

Emeline caught on after 2 houses.  She walked up to each door and took the candy (even though she has know idea what it is) and was a real trooper.  It was early because she goes to bed early so a lot of people weren't ready yet or didn't answer their doors.  Next year we are going hard core to a neighborhood near us where it's a short walk to each house and I hear a lot of fun for the kids. 

We were leaving in zero minus 13 hours for Maui and I had so much to do still.  Halloween wasn't fitting into my Hawaii schedule well but I couldn't not take them out.   
 

Zackary and Ben were going to go out later for more, but Zackary told me my worst fear, "mommy my throat hurts," so he went to bed after dinner.  And was sick the whole time in Hawaii...entrance next blog...

I am going to miss this

These are the moments that are perfect. 

Kitties

I actually feel bad that we don't buy Emme a cat because she seems genuinely fascinated with them.  It's adorable.

Picture Perfect Morning

What a site to see.  This is what we all enjoyed one morning as we ate breakfast.  I hope you two remember living here when you are older...it's truly breathtaking. 

Pumpkin Picking Time

We had so much fun at our annual pumpkin patch!  Although when we got there Zackary was way more into the pills of dirt that he kept throwing everywhere and Emeline just wanted to run and push her stroller and through dirt as well!  So we quickly picked out 2 gorgeous pumpkins, paid and moved along!

You think the pumpkins actually grew right there but they lay knew ones out every morning that look perfect.  Makes sense, but I wanted to pull them off the vine! Actually I did buy most of our pumpkins at Trader Joes.  Oh come on, 3/4 the price there!

She was at one with all the animals.  Not afraid and having a blast.  Definitely my little girl!

He looks like he just worked a shift at the farm, organizing all the pumpkins.  :)

It was so funny, she kept trying to pick up all the pumpkins.  She's pretty strong so I wouldn't have put it past her!

The kids just absorb the freedom of farms like this and have a wonderful time exploring and being one with the dirt, animals, and surroundings.  I love watching those moments.

This is what I mean...picking off the vine.  Amazing how they grow.

I love getting the corn pictures.  I finally got one of her too.  She wasn't having it in the beginning.

So there are two parts to this farm.  One is the vast pumpkins you can choose from up on the farmland and the other is the games, food, petting zoo and pumpkins that are already picked for you.  We made our way over to the second part of our experience while stopping to give props to our wedding site on the right!

Kodak moments with the kids.  They held each other like this for awhile...love it!

We all fed the baby goats, adult goats and pot belly pigs for a long time.  It was cleaner this year (key is to go in the morning) and the animals were so gentle.  I think they should offer grooming instead of pellets but that is just me.

I think Zackary wants one.  

After an early morning pumpkin fest we took our nasty shoes off, got back in the car and drove home eating our dark chocolate covered strawberries!  YUM! 

First Day of Pre-K

I can't believe that Zackary is already back to school, his second year!  Pre-K!  Doesn't he look so adorable.

Emme came along to wish her brother a wonderful first day of school!  She seriously would have been fine if I left her with him.  She's ready for Pre-K too!

Room 2 this year!  He tells everyone he was in Room 4 last year and Room 2 this year.

Ms. Hett, the lead teacher.  She's good with him.

Mrs. Johnson...don't know her well at all...not as warm and down to earth as the other teachers, but that's okay we will just focus on Ms. Hett.

 Ahhh...well it's been a week now and he's doing awesome in his new classroom.  Not at all like last year where he was crying until about a month before school was over for the year.  He had finally made some friends-Dylan and Gavin (I feel in debt to them for helping my son get over his fear of me not being there and feeling so alone).  Because he did summer school he has made more friends and now it's easier for him to leave me and be with his friends and learn!  Phew!