you just can't beat this...

here i go!

i am traveling SOLO (did you catch that? S O L O) to tennessee next week to meet my dad and sister to visit my grandma b. who is 92 years old. i haven't been there in about 3 years, since nanea was about 18 months old, so i'm overdue for a visit.

this marks the first time that i am leaving the kids for more than a couple of days. and, with noa having to deal with meals, bedtimes, school, etc. on his own (i've only left once for 2 nights over a weekend for work). i'm sure that he'll be fine, but it will certainly be an eye-opening experience for him. i wonder how many days nanea will be late for school...and if he'll remember that they need to be picked up after he's done with work. i guess i'll never really know the truth, but look forward to him being in MY shoes if only for 4.5 days! yes, i'm crazy and am traveling across the country for a very short amount of time!

popsicle girls

enjoying their favorite treat on a rare night that they were allowed to stay up late. they brought their furniture outside to hang out with the grown-ups.

no posting

i know i'm behind. it's not that there's no news, just life has been BUSY. school has started for nanea and we are filling out kindergarten apps for next year, makena is a little "big" girl who talks non-stop and clearer each day. i need to work more in the office, work has been crazy, crazy, C R A Z Y. did i say crazy? at this time of year, the end of wedding season, i am so over weddings i hope to not see another for a long time. last weekend marked a 3-day extravaganza of a total of maybe 10 hours of sleep over a 72 hour period, and a circle island driving tour x 2. it was the last mad weekend of the year (well, there is maybe 1 more in late November, but at least that's a couple of months away), and although the remainder of the year stays busy, it's not MADNESS like may - sept has been on a consistent basis. 16 events in 4 weeks, huh?

i'm off for some much needed and overdue twin/dad/grandma time in tennessee at the end of the month, SOLO, so that will be an adventure. i don't know if i'll know what to do on a plane by myself after all this time of traveling with littles. especially the marathon 1 day trip each way from hawaii to tennessee.

finally, since it is still september 11th in hawaii, i wanted to write a little note of remembrance to all those affected by the tragedies that day. of course, we were all affected in some way, weren't we? no one will ever forget the sacrifice of the rescue workers, and all of the people who died that day. i remember our 80+ year old neighbor shouting through the window at the wee hours of the morning "noa, they're going to need you at work, the shit's hit the fan!" and noa jumping out of bed, talking to mr. ed, and subsequently getting into his flight suit, rushing to the car and to the base. he needed to get there because they wanted all the planes in the air. at that point, they thought the u.s. was under attack, and all commercial airline flights landing had f-15 escorts that day. i sat in our old recliner in a little ball, glued to the television and fielded calls from friends and family, all trying to get a hold of mikie since the phone lines were so jammed. they could call hawaii, but not ny. i actually don't think that i spoke to her that day, not being able to get through either. i was panicked at first because i had no idea where her office was in relation to the wtc. my grandma called me pretty early because she had been able to get a hold of her. i was so thankful that my office closed down, due to its proximity to the airport. i would not have been able to stop watching. we must also remember the men and women who continue to sacrifice their safety and lives each day, in the military, as well as police and firemen. they are true heros, even with little or no fanfare or recognition. i will never forget.

a beach weekend...

thank you kerrie for the sending the pictures of the girls from our weekend at bellows. such a lovely weekend of family and friends!

just before the portuguese man-of-war sting

silly faces for aunty kerrie

i am not sure how she did not fall off this. (por-ta-gee horseshoes game for all you non-local folks). i'm guessing she was trying to get the horseshoe in there.

such a cutie-pie!

a new venture

When we were in Mexico this year, Holly and her friend Rachel had the most amazing jewelry. Night after night there were new pieces, some coordinating, some statement pieces, all very wear-able and current, so I had to ask where it was from. They replied, Stella & Dot so matter of fact that I wondered why on earth I, who likes to think I am for the most part on the up and up with trends, and had never heard of them. They explained that their girlfriend sold it, and it was one of those party-type marketing/home business companies. I guess you can look at it as similar to Tupperware, but oh so much better (and don't get me wrong, I love my tupperware)!

Upon arriving back home, I went to the website with the intention of looking at some of the items I loved, and maybe purchasing them. What I found was that I LOVED everything, and more exciting, the prices were so reasonable! I kept going back and looking, and checked out the info about perhaps becoming involved. So, to make a long story short, Holly hooked me up with her friend, and I am now a Stella & Dot "stylist." For those that know me well, I am not a jewelry person (nor am I anything close to being a good salesperson. I don't like to bug/harass people). Daily, I wear my wedding rings and an old watch, and for fancy occasions, may throw on a pair of earrings. The process of going to a store to buy jewelry is often overwhelming, and I can never decide what to get. Or, once I've decided, it ends up being too price-y, so I put it all back. In spite of this, I recognize and embrace the value and importance of accessorizing, and how it can really make an impact on something as simple as jeans and a t-shirt. I've just never been able to organize myself to do it before now.

Stella and Dot is stylish, affordable and makes it so easy to select and purchase items that work together. They have been featured in many magazines such as In Style and Lucky, and their jewelry are made with a similar material mix (sterling silver & 14K gold vermeil) that you see in high-end store jewelry lines such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Barney's and Bergdorf's. They are also manufactured in the same high-end factories as these stores. The founder, Jessica Herrin, was the co-founder of weddingchannel.com (at age 24!), and calls herself a "mom-working," putting the "mom" first in the equation that most of us mothers face each day.

I'm hoping to share a "great find" with my girlfriends, and maybe be a little help to my family at the same time! Happy looking!

new baby

Those of you that know Makena, know that she has a huge obsession with baby. She loves ALL babies, real and not, but there is 1 in particular that she cannot live without. When I saw her becoming attached to this one (a new experience since Nanea never had that special something, but just adapted to what was available), I told Noa that we should get another one, just in case. He thought this was ridiculous, until leaving baby behind at the sitter caused a last minute drive to retrieve her because a certain little girl could not go to bed. But, of course, the same baby was no where to be found, so we have had to be very baby-conscious, and seem to constantly be searching for her when it's bed-time, nap-time, just need a snuggle-time.

Well, this week I found a similar baby. Not the exact, but pretty close. She's the "big girl" version, but the important thing was that she was all plush/stuffed (meaning soft all over) and had a HAT. The hat is the key. Makena sucks her thumb and flicks the hat. Sometimes she frantically waves baby back and forth so that flicks the hat on her face. Ya, it's weird, but it's her thing. So, I gave her the new baby (which she has dubbed "new baby" versus "baby"), and it was hilarious to watch as she tested her out. She actually went through the steps...sucking thumb and flicking the hat, then settled in with both to watch a show.

testing new baby with "old" baby on the bottom

showing her babies (baby on left, new baby on right)

The verdict: original baby still wins on all counts. Makena doesn't leave her bed without bringing her with her, however I think new baby will still be a good substitute in dire straits.