Forcing Fun...a Lesson Learned

Today was another blissful day in Hawaii. Taylor has adjusted to the time zone difference, had several long naps and is a happy kid. She loves, loves, loves the pool. We can hardly walk outside without her lunging in the direction of the pool. She is getting strong and I have to hold her tight to hang onto her. It's so good to see her spirit and know clearly what she wants. She's been in the pool a lot and has so much fun splashing and watching the kids play. She continues to be our little social butterfly and will say her "HI!" loudly to anyone and everyone, frequently:)

Sometimes, David and I worry that the big kids are missing out due to the constraints with Taylor. So, for this trip, we decided we would each have a special outing with them to ensure they have some Hawaiian adventures. My outing was yesterday - I decided to take them whale watching and David was going to take them snorkeling later in the week. My trip, in a nutshell, was a total bust. We had taken them whale watching a few years ago, so I knew they would handle the boat OK. I was wrong. This was a much smaller boat- it held about 7 people, compared with around 100 on our last excursion. Lauren can be nervous about a lot of things and began to get worked up on the beach as we waited for the boat. I stressed the thrill of adventure, how she'd done this before and made it fine, and off we went. About two minutes on the open sea and she immediately started to panic. For the next 30 minutes she worked herself into hysterics about how she didn't feel good and wanted off the boat - Now. She begged me to ask them to turn the boat around - and while I did ask for water and if they had any suggestions for her, I knew they wouldn't turn the boat around because they had 5 other paying passengers. Finally, she asked the assistant herself - who told her no - and eventually she calmed down. We did see many whales and Jake was incredibly patient while Lauren stressed out. About the time she calmed down, he said he didn't feel well either...ahhh....the transfer of sea-sickness. I was a nervous wreck that someone would barf for the majority of our cruise - thankfully it was only 1.5 hours. I don't think any of us have ever been so happy to make it to land. No one barfed - and Lauren was remarkably fine once the boat turned around. As we got off the boat, she turned to me and said "thank you for the interesting ride, Mom" - amazing.

Today, in contrast, we went for a walk after they distributed handmade Valentine's to about half the condo complex - seriously. They were mini-celebrities for the day. Our outing consisted of going to a lei-making class at the Whaler's Village (which was super lame - they each received four real flowers and a bunch of greenery), lunch at the Hula Grill, and their favorite - Lauren got a fancy hair wrap and Jake got a fake tattoo. But, it was the self-proclaimed best day ever.

It just goes to show - you can't and shouldn't "force" fun according to your agenda. They find joy in the funniest things and we should just embrace it. Needless to say, snorkeling will be saved for another year.

Aloha 2012

We are in our favorite slice of heaven, in Maui. Specifically, the Kahana Sunset - our favorite vacation spot for the last ten years. We arrived last night, after the worst flight ever, but today woke up anew and ready to make the most of our vacation. Part of the reason we come back - besides it being incredibly beautiful - is because at least for David and I, it is the most relaxing place on earth. David often says our new year begins this week, and I agree. Today was a typical day for us. The first few days we are here, the kids are victim to the time zone change - and today, were all up at 4:45. That makes for a long day of fun. David is a saint and took the early, early morning shift. Then, he and I alternated runs - we both love running along the beach and on these rocky cliffs near Kapalua. For me, it is the perfect way to start the day. The sun is beginning to warm and the view is incredible. Then, we took the kids to buy a few groceries from our favorite market, Taylor got to swing at the park by the beach, and we picked up a few swimming necessities (forgot the goggles, as usual, and a beach umbrella). The rest of the day was spent alternating between the pool and the beach. Jake ate three papayas, Lauren went boogie boarding for the first time, and Taylor would get so excited anytime we got near the pool. She loves to splash around and delights when the big kids do handstands in the water, swim under my legs, etc.

It is so neat coming back here because now we have so many memories. I remember Lauren as a a little three month old, Jake as a chunky monkey toddler, and Taylor - who this year took her first Hawaiian steps on the grass by the pool. It's amazing to see how much they each have grown. And always, I think Hawaii brings out the best in each of us. It is so fun to see the big kids play together, splashing in the pool together, burying each other in the sand, and chasing frogs together. David and I love every minute of it. Taylor usually is a bit tired the first few days, but she had a good day today.

We're grateful for our blessings and so happy to be here together. Of course, as I was thinking about what to write in the blog tonight, the big kids got in a big fight before bed (Jake flicked his toothbrush at Lauren, spraying her with water/spit, she erupted into tears and insisted on a shower). The long day caught up with them and we ended it with a bang. But, tomorrow we'll start again, hopefully after 6am!

Taylor update to come

I'm feeling guilty that I haven't added a Taylor post yet. There is so much to say that I need a good, long moment to summarize. She continues to be precious and largely a happy gal - we're seeing strong progress in some areas and continued need for faith in others. In general, the road continues to be at times inspiring, joyful, challenging, testing, and long. Always, we love her deeply and we're so grateful for her sweet smiles. More to come soon....

Dancing Shoes

Sunday was a special night. It was the annual mother/son dance at our country club. These years are precious for many reasons, but one of the things I love right now is that Jake is excited to go on a date with his momma. And, I'm lucky that he can learn from the best - David has taken this opportunity to ensure Jake knows how to treat a lady down the road. Growing up in the south, I love good manners, so it's fun to see him put these skills in action.

Jake wanted to look handsome for our big night, so he got a long over-due haircut and had David take him shopping at the Gap for a new shirt. They went on an oh-so-secret outing and then returned. That night, Lauren helped me get ready. I chose a dress and she didn't think it was fancy enough, so she picked out what she deemed appropriately fancy attire. After I culled down the piles of jewelry that she picked out, I went downstairs to meet my date.

While later on I was definitely the only mom in the room in a gold sequined mini skirt, it was worth it to see his face when I walked down the stairs. He told me how pretty I looked and he looked incredibly handsome. Best of all, he took great pride in giving me a beautiful white rose corsage. It was very sweet and really cute how fun it was for him.

Then, off we went to the big night. He was careful to walk slowly with me in my heels and once we got to dinner, he happily posed for pictures with me. Then, we saw many of his friends and their mom's and needed to choose a seat. Most of the boys were sitting together for dinner with the mom's at a nearby table. Jake wanted to sit with me - my heart melted. He said, "It's our date, Mom. I want to sit with you." For being my wild and crazy boy at times, he has such a heart of gold. We loaded up on food at the buffet (Jake had three plates) and I could tell Jake had been coached to let me go first in line, etc. We had a nice conversation over dinner.

Then, the dancing began. Jake was a bit shy at first, but quickly wanted to organize a congo line. We had a great time dancing for hours. He had many friends there and it was so cute to see all his buddies cutting a rug. I know these years will go quickly and with each year, I'm so grateful that I had such a happy and willing date. And a dad who will help him grow into a good man.