Coming soon are pictures of the cutest hula dancer you've ever seen, Kai's baptism at the ocean, video of Kai walking... and probably more. Stay tuned!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Coming Soon...
I'm sooooo behind on editing. I am working on clients stuff and also trying to fit in my stuff and meanwhile watch the kids, cook, clean... well it's been hectic.
Jean's Senior Pictures
I just finished writing a post on my professional blog, but thought I'd post here as well since Jean is family :)
We set out to a beautiful field on Maui for the first half of our shoot... and these are some of my favorites of the set.
As I wrote on my other blog, it has been so wonderful for me to watch Jean grow up. I met her when she had just turned 5 and now here she is... a Senior in high school and such a beautiful, smart young woman.
Monday, August 24, 2009
So Happy
It's no secret that Kai had a VERY hard time with our trip to Maui. He missed his bed, his house, his eating habits were thrown off, his bed-time was all over the place.... He was just a cranky boy the whole trip unless he was in the ocean.
It's been a rough few days since we got home to Austin with getting him back in sync with his schedule. The first few nights he's had to cry-it-out in his crib and he cried himself to sleep, which made me very sad, but he really needed the sleep and to do it in his own bed.
I'm happy to report that last night was his first "on-schedule" night and he went to bed at 8:15pm and woke up at 7am this morning a happy camper!! He's been eating so well since we got home. He's probably the most Haole Filipino boy you'll ever meet... he doesn't really like rice but instead prefers fruits and veggies and pasta. He even liked the falafels I made the other day! He's been eating like a champ and I'm flattered that he missed his mommy's cooking while we were on Maui.
We always joke around here that Pops can't get away from the "poop report". So Pops will be happy to know that Kai is REGULAR again. LOL.
Yesterday he was going to go in the bathroom to play with the toilet (a habit I hear he gets from his Uncle Patrick) and I said "No, No Kai!" and he started shaking his head "No, No" back and forth. So dang cute. I'll need to get a video of that and post it. It's adorable.
As for Miss Ryenne, she is such a sweet girl. She is talking about her Grandma, Don-Don, Uncle Jao, Auntie Jean, Uncle Nico, and Pig-Pig, Auntie Deb, and Uncle Martin back on Maui and talks about how she misses them and how the airplane ride wasn't really THAT long and why can't we go again? I have been trying to explain to her the concept of money and that mommy and daddy don't have a lot of it and that's why we need to work. I have been explaining to her that we have to pay for everything in our house like electricity and the tv shows she watches and that's why we can't be wasteful.
I think she is starting to understand. She is so smart. She'll be starting her 2nd year of pre-school next week Thursday and she's very excited to see her friends again!
It's been a rough few days since we got home to Austin with getting him back in sync with his schedule. The first few nights he's had to cry-it-out in his crib and he cried himself to sleep, which made me very sad, but he really needed the sleep and to do it in his own bed.
I'm happy to report that last night was his first "on-schedule" night and he went to bed at 8:15pm and woke up at 7am this morning a happy camper!! He's been eating so well since we got home. He's probably the most Haole Filipino boy you'll ever meet... he doesn't really like rice but instead prefers fruits and veggies and pasta. He even liked the falafels I made the other day! He's been eating like a champ and I'm flattered that he missed his mommy's cooking while we were on Maui.
We always joke around here that Pops can't get away from the "poop report". So Pops will be happy to know that Kai is REGULAR again. LOL.
Yesterday he was going to go in the bathroom to play with the toilet (a habit I hear he gets from his Uncle Patrick) and I said "No, No Kai!" and he started shaking his head "No, No" back and forth. So dang cute. I'll need to get a video of that and post it. It's adorable.
As for Miss Ryenne, she is such a sweet girl. She is talking about her Grandma, Don-Don, Uncle Jao, Auntie Jean, Uncle Nico, and Pig-Pig, Auntie Deb, and Uncle Martin back on Maui and talks about how she misses them and how the airplane ride wasn't really THAT long and why can't we go again? I have been trying to explain to her the concept of money and that mommy and daddy don't have a lot of it and that's why we need to work. I have been explaining to her that we have to pay for everything in our house like electricity and the tv shows she watches and that's why we can't be wasteful.
I think she is starting to understand. She is so smart. She'll be starting her 2nd year of pre-school next week Thursday and she's very excited to see her friends again!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A great find!!
Ryenne LOVES juice. I find myself telling her, "You've already had your juice, it's time for water." and then she gets cranky but takes the water anyway.
When we were at Newflower Market the other day, they had some Celestial Seasonings Cold Brew Tea on sale. I picked up a box of their herbal fruit tea (no caffeine) and we tried it. Oh boy... it's a hit. It has hibiscus so it turns red and looks like juice. It has a very mild fruity flavor. No sugar, no fake sugar, no calories. She loves it. She calls it her "tea-juice".
Just wanted to pass that along to any other moms out there! And it's pretty inexpensive too! :)
When we were at Newflower Market the other day, they had some Celestial Seasonings Cold Brew Tea on sale. I picked up a box of their herbal fruit tea (no caffeine) and we tried it. Oh boy... it's a hit. It has hibiscus so it turns red and looks like juice. It has a very mild fruity flavor. No sugar, no fake sugar, no calories. She loves it. She calls it her "tea-juice".
Just wanted to pass that along to any other moms out there! And it's pretty inexpensive too! :)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Gams and her girl
We went over to my mom's house today. We had my birthday dinner tonight cause it was just easier for everyone. We had a wonderful warm pasta salad with shrimp and scallops followed by a home made blueberry/apple pie. It was DELICIOUS!!
As it started cooling and evening came upon us, the deer started congregating in the front yard. They are such beautiful animals and Ryenne adores them. Peter snapped this picture with his iPhone of Ry sitting in Gams' lap looking at the deer. Precious!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Home in Austin
After a REALLY long day, we're back in Austin! We flew out of Maui at 4:55pm on Wednesday and arrived into Dallas at 5am Thursday. It was a really long flight. Once it got dark outside we quickly discovered that all the lights in the last half of the plane weren't working - you know... those reading lights that you can turn on. So we couldn't do any of the activities that we had brought for Ryenne. And the "Call" button several rows up was stuck, so every few minutes it would go "DING" and it was quite loud. Both Ryenne and Kai resisted sleep HARD.
Ry made friends with a 6 year old girl in the row in front of us. The girls were bouncing around and Ry decided to eat a snack and then she didn't chew and she got sick and threw up all over herself and the fold down tray-table. But again... it was DARK, so we asked the attendant for a flashlight and I used up every wipe I had to clean it up as best as possible. The attendant brought a plastic bag to cover the chair cushion and a blanket for Ryenne to sit on. I was very nervous not having any more wipes.
When we finally landed in Dallas I was so happy to be off that plane! The sun was rising and both kids got a second wind - It's a New Day! Kai slept for an hour on the plane and took a nap when we got home.
Last night he had a hard time going to sleep. Very over-tired. He finally went down after I let him cry it out, and it's now noon and he's still sleeping from last night. I think I'll go wake him in a moment so we can go grocery shopping.
The trip "home" to Maui was wonderful. It's family and friends that make it home... and the beach of course. :) There are several of my dear friends that I didn't get the chance to see. 2 weeks really went by quickly... I'm sorry I didn't get to see everyone.
The trip did firm up for me though that we made the right decision to leave Maui and raise our children in Austin. The expense of living there is so high. And if you add private school to the mix, the expenses just outweigh the benefits of staying. I don't think we'll have plans to move back to Maui anytime soon. Visiting and enjoying is great for now.
Ry made friends with a 6 year old girl in the row in front of us. The girls were bouncing around and Ry decided to eat a snack and then she didn't chew and she got sick and threw up all over herself and the fold down tray-table. But again... it was DARK, so we asked the attendant for a flashlight and I used up every wipe I had to clean it up as best as possible. The attendant brought a plastic bag to cover the chair cushion and a blanket for Ryenne to sit on. I was very nervous not having any more wipes.
When we finally landed in Dallas I was so happy to be off that plane! The sun was rising and both kids got a second wind - It's a New Day! Kai slept for an hour on the plane and took a nap when we got home.
Last night he had a hard time going to sleep. Very over-tired. He finally went down after I let him cry it out, and it's now noon and he's still sleeping from last night. I think I'll go wake him in a moment so we can go grocery shopping.
The trip "home" to Maui was wonderful. It's family and friends that make it home... and the beach of course. :) There are several of my dear friends that I didn't get the chance to see. 2 weeks really went by quickly... I'm sorry I didn't get to see everyone.
The trip did firm up for me though that we made the right decision to leave Maui and raise our children in Austin. The expense of living there is so high. And if you add private school to the mix, the expenses just outweigh the benefits of staying. I don't think we'll have plans to move back to Maui anytime soon. Visiting and enjoying is great for now.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Mama's Fish House - YUM!!!
We couldn't resist a couple of touristy pictures in front of Kuau Cove before dinner. :) We grew up here... we ran around this cove so much as kids... it was definitely time to come back for a visit.
I was thrilled to see Chelsea, who is such a dear childhood friend. We used to run around Mama's in our bathing suits when we were little. It has been way to long since I saw her last...
My dinner: stuffed Mahi Mahi! It was ono-licious!
Peter's dinner: steamed Moi. He did a good job!!
A Visit with Leizl and the "Sugar Factory"
Pictured above are two tired mommies!! We visited with Leizl up in Makawao and her gorgeous two month old twins, Brianna and Peyton. They are such beautiful little girls!
When Ry first saw the Puunene Sugar Mill when we arrived, she asked me what it was. I told her it was the Sugar Factory and they are making sugar to send to all the stores. And I told her all the things that sugar is used for.
For days she asked to go to the Sugar Factory. When we passed by and the steam was coming out of the smoke stack, she started clapping and would exclaim, "Yay! They're making sugar RIGHT NOW!".
So I took her to the Sugar Museum - just her and me.
We went through the museum and she learned how sugar is made. Mostly she understood that the cane is crushed and the sugar water comes out and from that point on she just kinda nodded like she understood. At the end of the museum she got a little bag of sugar and she was very excited that she got to carry it around in a paper sack.
I find the Puunene Mill to be very beautiful. When I would leave the North Shore early in the morning on my way to school at Maui High, I remember the lavender light of dawn hitting the mill and I always thought that it was magical and majestic.
Our Special Beach
Baby Beach in front of the Jodo Mission in Lahaina has always been our special beach. It's calm, protected waters have made Ryenne love the beach from when she was just a tiny little peanut. And it proved yet again that it is the perfect beach for kids as Kai frolicked in the lapping, gentle surf and got all sandy.
We had a wonderful time the other day. These images are from the diaper bag camera, but I have more from the big camera that I'll be working on tomorrow.
Ryenne and Landon really enjoyed digging in the sand and chasing each other. Kai loved swimming in the ocean with mommy and daddy and enjoyed every naked moment of it. I just can't put him in a swim diaper when we're at the beach. I'm sure he's so liberated to be crawling and swimming around nakey-bottomed.
Pirate Ship Pool
When we stayed at Kaanapali Ocean Resort, we looked out our window and there was a Pirate Ship Pool! Ry was ecstatic. She said she wanted to be the captain. So we kidnapped Uncle Nico from Haiku and invited up Aris, Heidi, Taylor, and Nicole for some swimming. It was a beautiful day for swimming!
Uncle Nick pulling Ryenne... and Taylor was right behind Ryenne. I wish I had gotten more picture of them playing together!
The baby section was 8 inches deep and Kai had a blast!!
A Visit to the Farm
Ryenne loves her Uncle Nico!! She was so excited when we told her we were going out to Haiku to spend some time with him, the doggies, and see Pig-Pig.
This is some of the mango wood that he has harvested off of four trees that were behind the plantation house. The wood is AMAZING to say the least. It is absolutely beautiful. And of course with Ry and Nico in the picture, Brutus and Ipo had to jump in as well!
Kai the Jungle Boy :)
Ryenne and Nick by one of his beautiful Betel Nut trees. They are really beautiful trees!
The boat that he's working on!
The Mango Wood!
And alas... some pictures with Pig-Pig. He is such a funny piggy. Ryenne likes him a lot.
It wouldn't be Haiku without chickens, right?? And below is a visit with Uncle Jeff. Kai has been really clingy this visit so notice how he's trying to grab onto me. LOL.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
I really am taking pictures!
We decided to avoid the internet for a few days and just concentrate on seeing friends and family and enjoying the beach. It has been great.
I have tons of new pictures to upload but I don't know when I'll have more than a few minutes to sit down and edit them and put them up. Maybe tomorrow??
The trip has been a whirlwind so far. I've been feeling the effects of morning sickness just about daily, but it hasn't stopped us from having a great time! We spent an amazing five days at the Four Seasons, where we were upgraded to a suite. It was beautiful!! Peter and I laughed as we checked out because we had been leaving every morning and coming back every night kinda late so we really didn't do anything at the hotel and didn't take any pictures there. But it was the ideal set up to have Kai in his own part of the suite where he could sleep in peace and quiet.
We just checked into the Westin last night, and although the room is tiny, the view is amazing. Last night Peter and I had our first outing without the kids. We went to Mama's Fish House with Nico, Uncle Jeff, Elisa, and my cousin, Miles. The food was amazing!!! It was great to actually sit down and have a normal dinner without food being thrown around, without yelling "Just please sit in your chair nicely!", or any of the other daily things we do when trying to eat.
Today we are going to Shaun and Christine's baby shower, and then I'm doing a photo shoot for Jean this afternoon. I've been looking forward to this shoot for a while now because it is going to be very different from the norm and lots of fun!!
Tomorrow we're going to enjoy the beach, the pool, and in the evening we're having Kai blessed at Baby Beach in front of the Jodo Mission. He'll be blessed in Hawaiian by the salty ocean water. I can't think of a more perfect way to bless my beautiful boy. :)
I promise to have more pictures up soon!!! Lots of great stuff to share.
XOXO,
Mariah
I have tons of new pictures to upload but I don't know when I'll have more than a few minutes to sit down and edit them and put them up. Maybe tomorrow??
The trip has been a whirlwind so far. I've been feeling the effects of morning sickness just about daily, but it hasn't stopped us from having a great time! We spent an amazing five days at the Four Seasons, where we were upgraded to a suite. It was beautiful!! Peter and I laughed as we checked out because we had been leaving every morning and coming back every night kinda late so we really didn't do anything at the hotel and didn't take any pictures there. But it was the ideal set up to have Kai in his own part of the suite where he could sleep in peace and quiet.
We just checked into the Westin last night, and although the room is tiny, the view is amazing. Last night Peter and I had our first outing without the kids. We went to Mama's Fish House with Nico, Uncle Jeff, Elisa, and my cousin, Miles. The food was amazing!!! It was great to actually sit down and have a normal dinner without food being thrown around, without yelling "Just please sit in your chair nicely!", or any of the other daily things we do when trying to eat.
Today we are going to Shaun and Christine's baby shower, and then I'm doing a photo shoot for Jean this afternoon. I've been looking forward to this shoot for a while now because it is going to be very different from the norm and lots of fun!!
Tomorrow we're going to enjoy the beach, the pool, and in the evening we're having Kai blessed at Baby Beach in front of the Jodo Mission. He'll be blessed in Hawaiian by the salty ocean water. I can't think of a more perfect way to bless my beautiful boy. :)
I promise to have more pictures up soon!!! Lots of great stuff to share.
XOXO,
Mariah
Sunday, August 09, 2009
The Beach and a Birthday!
We took Kai for his very first time in the Maui ocean. It was so very special because he is named for the ocean and has always been a water boy... born in the water, loves his bath, the pool, ect. We put him on the sand to explore and I got the camera ready!
Ryenne and Daddy saw all the little fishies swimming in the ocean pool. Napili Bay has the perfect keiki pools on the left side of the bay. They were perfect for Ry and Kai!
Peter's parents threw Ryenne a 3rd Birthday party at their house. Although she already turned 3 in June, it was a great excuse to eat Mom's home cookin and invite over our family and friends that we haven't seen for the past year. In the picture above, Auntie Anela is blessing the food with the kids. Ryenne is holding hands with her cousin, Landon. They have quickly turned into best friends.
Ryenne LOVED her princess cake! As you can see, the other kids did too! After we sung the birthday song, all the kids put their fingers on it!!
I have yet to take out the big camera. Still feeling a bit sick and jet-lagged. I know Kai is still feeling it too and the humidity is really getting to me! Sad, yeah? The tradewinds feel great though!!
Friday, August 07, 2009
Quite the Adventure
Well... we made it. We're on Maui! It was quite the adventure for our family and I think I'm stilli n recovery mode.
Peter and I woke up at 5am on Wednesday morning and Pops came and got us at 6am. We drove down to San Antonio and got our bags through and took the first leg from San Antonio to Dallas. It was a quick flight - around 45 minutes. We got off the plane and found our new gate. We were hungry so we went to have lunch. It was mediocre at best and I was mad I spent $7 on such a crappy sandwich (picture bread with such puny iceberg lettuce it was transparent).
We boarded the plane and proceeded to taxi to the runway and then we just stopped. We were sitting there for half an hour when the captain came on and said there was a mechanical problem and we were heading back to the gate. It was supposed to be a "quick fix" but we ended up sitting at the gate for quite some time. They even started the movie! We were very worried about our connector flight in LAX.
Finally after over an hour and a half we had the all clear and took off toward L.A. The kids did really well and Ryenne liked the movie about Meerkats and Kai took a good nap. As we approached Los Angeles, we realized that we would just be making our next flight to Maui. The flight to Maui boarded at 4:20pm and we'd be landing in L.A. at 3:55pm. Peter and I looked at each other with a sigh of relief.
We landed smoothly and proceeded to taxi to the gate when we stopped. The captain came on and said that there were no open gates for us to park at and it would be another 15-20 minutes until we could park the plane. Our seats were in the back of the plane, so Peter and I had a bit of panic as we waited to see what would happen next.
FINALLY the captain parked the plane. We got the kids and high-tailed it off the plane as fast as we could. We didn't have time to use the bathroom or get food and we ran to our gate. We made it to our plane with minutes to spare. At this point we didn't even care if our bags made it through!
The plane took off and once we were mid-air I went in the bathroom to change the kids. I had Ry in Pull-Ups because she's terrified of toilets that flush by themselves and all the airport ones do that. So I took her in the bathroom and took off her Pull-Up and it was dry. I told her that she was so good and that we could go in the airplane potty because it doesn't flush by itself.
She filled with terror so quickly that she started crying, jumped on me, and peed all over me. Not just a little pee... we're talking Niagra Falls here. I couldn't believe it!!! 20 minutes into a 5 and a half hour flight and I am literally COVERED in urine. I cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and did my best to wipe down my shirt, pants, feet, and slippers.
The kids were pretty much over flying during this flight. They were restless and although our Texas bed-time came and went, it was still light out and they were both confused.
We landed on Maui at 7:30pm. My bag came through which had my clothes and both kids clothes and also the toiletries. Peter's bag didn't make it, but they did know where it was and it came the following morning.
We made it to Napili and were so happy to see everyone. We ate some good pancit and lumpia. Ryenne was thrilled to see her grandparents and cousin, Landon. Kai was completely confused, very tired, very clingy, and super cranky.
We took Thursday as a recovery day. Ryenne has adjusted to the time really nicely, but Kai is having such a hard time. He is a creature of habit and loves his crib and his naps there. He is missing those right now and is very confused. I think the humidity also has him uncomfortable. Poor guy.
Anyway, it's been such a crazy couple of days that I haven't even taken out the camera to take even a single picture. I will be taking it out in a bit after Kai wakes from his nap and we'll take him to the beach for the first time.
Tonight Peter's family is throwing a belated birthday party for Ryenne. As I am typing, Ry and Landon are helping Grandma get the bibingka ready for the party. They are being great helpers and love each other very much!
More later!!!
Peter and I woke up at 5am on Wednesday morning and Pops came and got us at 6am. We drove down to San Antonio and got our bags through and took the first leg from San Antonio to Dallas. It was a quick flight - around 45 minutes. We got off the plane and found our new gate. We were hungry so we went to have lunch. It was mediocre at best and I was mad I spent $7 on such a crappy sandwich (picture bread with such puny iceberg lettuce it was transparent).
We boarded the plane and proceeded to taxi to the runway and then we just stopped. We were sitting there for half an hour when the captain came on and said there was a mechanical problem and we were heading back to the gate. It was supposed to be a "quick fix" but we ended up sitting at the gate for quite some time. They even started the movie! We were very worried about our connector flight in LAX.
Finally after over an hour and a half we had the all clear and took off toward L.A. The kids did really well and Ryenne liked the movie about Meerkats and Kai took a good nap. As we approached Los Angeles, we realized that we would just be making our next flight to Maui. The flight to Maui boarded at 4:20pm and we'd be landing in L.A. at 3:55pm. Peter and I looked at each other with a sigh of relief.
We landed smoothly and proceeded to taxi to the gate when we stopped. The captain came on and said that there were no open gates for us to park at and it would be another 15-20 minutes until we could park the plane. Our seats were in the back of the plane, so Peter and I had a bit of panic as we waited to see what would happen next.
FINALLY the captain parked the plane. We got the kids and high-tailed it off the plane as fast as we could. We didn't have time to use the bathroom or get food and we ran to our gate. We made it to our plane with minutes to spare. At this point we didn't even care if our bags made it through!
The plane took off and once we were mid-air I went in the bathroom to change the kids. I had Ry in Pull-Ups because she's terrified of toilets that flush by themselves and all the airport ones do that. So I took her in the bathroom and took off her Pull-Up and it was dry. I told her that she was so good and that we could go in the airplane potty because it doesn't flush by itself.
She filled with terror so quickly that she started crying, jumped on me, and peed all over me. Not just a little pee... we're talking Niagra Falls here. I couldn't believe it!!! 20 minutes into a 5 and a half hour flight and I am literally COVERED in urine. I cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and did my best to wipe down my shirt, pants, feet, and slippers.
The kids were pretty much over flying during this flight. They were restless and although our Texas bed-time came and went, it was still light out and they were both confused.
We landed on Maui at 7:30pm. My bag came through which had my clothes and both kids clothes and also the toiletries. Peter's bag didn't make it, but they did know where it was and it came the following morning.
We made it to Napili and were so happy to see everyone. We ate some good pancit and lumpia. Ryenne was thrilled to see her grandparents and cousin, Landon. Kai was completely confused, very tired, very clingy, and super cranky.
We took Thursday as a recovery day. Ryenne has adjusted to the time really nicely, but Kai is having such a hard time. He is a creature of habit and loves his crib and his naps there. He is missing those right now and is very confused. I think the humidity also has him uncomfortable. Poor guy.
Anyway, it's been such a crazy couple of days that I haven't even taken out the camera to take even a single picture. I will be taking it out in a bit after Kai wakes from his nap and we'll take him to the beach for the first time.
Tonight Peter's family is throwing a belated birthday party for Ryenne. As I am typing, Ry and Landon are helping Grandma get the bibingka ready for the party. They are being great helpers and love each other very much!
More later!!!
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Balancing Act
The boy will be walking... SOON. Kai has learned to balance and stand for more than 30 seconds at a time. Yesterday he turned 10 months old and he took two steps all by himself. He did it once for me and Peter and then again for Pops. We were so excited for him we were clapping. He was very happy to have an audience!
I just love his chubby thighs and knees. It's so cute that he's learning to balance on them. He has been crawling for a few months and is FAST, but once he gets the hang of walking, that's it... no more crawling forever. It's amazing that these baby moments are just a tiny little moment of time in one's lifetime. We just keep moving forward.
Ryenne has been excellent with cheering Kai on and being such a good helper.
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