January/Feb

 The first weekend in January we took advantage of the clear skies and went to Hanalei hoping to be joined by Beau and Emily who were coming to town that day. They were unable to meet us, but we joined Clarks and Stebbins for another beautiful north shore day.

We only managed one picture in the week Beau and Emily were here.  They hung out at our house several nights and we had a fun time doing dinner at our house on Sunday.  They even thoughtfully brought Zachary a gift for his birthday.

Kate and Zachary had a piano performance the following weekend.  That Saturday, Zac played a basketball game in the morning, we had a piano recital and then one futsal game for Kate and two for Zachary.  Whew!

Kate played "Silent Night" and "Fur Elise" perfectly.  As always, she was the first performer.

Zachary played "Scorla Rising" and "..." He said he was a little nervous and played quickly, but without errors!

Over the season, Kate was more and more aggressive.  Knowing where to be on the court almost seems instinctual to her, but I know it is actually good coaching.  A year ago, she said she would never play futsal again after a discouraging season on an all-boys team that with kids that were older than her.  This year, she agreed to play with her AYSO coach on their team ("CAN!") and he has taught her so much.  The girls he coached have all played together for a full year--2 seasons--so Kate came in as a bit of an underdog.  He has helped bring out some tiger in her.

Zachary is a dominant player in futsal.  He has a strong kick and can race up the court.  He plays passionately.  We somehow watched all his games but have no pictures of him in action.  His frustration this season was getting sat when the score was close to allow other kids to play.  We strongly supported the coach's decision to give the other kids playing time, but it did create a few losses sitting his key players.  It was a great lesson in sportsmanship.  To me, futsal is all about touches and if the less skilled players do not get the touches, ultimately it does not help the team.

I did comment to friends several times that while I have lost interest in watching college and professional sports over the years, my favorite part of the week revolves around watching my kids play soccer and futsal.

Owen's crib was converted to a toddler bed and he promptly decided to be done with naps.  That has led to many naps in the car, lots of sad afternoons, and some Mommy/Owen battles over quiet time.  I do love the snuggles when he crashes in my arms.

 Owen's Ziggle bike is hilarious.  He zips around on it down the driveway.

 I took Owen and Kate on a bike ride and we landed at Lapperts one Saturday morning.  Kate is so much stronger biking than a year ago when we moved here.

 Zachary has practiced basketball twice a week for the past few months.  Unfortunately, his team is only 5th graders and most of the teams they play are 6th grade and some of them appear to have adult physiques.  The scores are discouraging and basketball has not been his favorite sport.  It is still fun to cheer with the other parents and encourage the boys.

We finally assembled the trampoline Santa brought!  With the help of all the kids AND all the neighbor kids, it is up.  Brady and I have loved all the kids it attracts.

 Owen was a tyrant for the first couple weeks--screaming at anyone who dared to jump while he was on it.  Now, he jumps along with the rest of them.

 Futsal meant a lot of driving to Kalaheo.  I drove to Kalaheo at least once a day every Monday through Friday in January.  This park across the street from practice is the kids' favorite.

 My cousin, Paul Baker, is attending medical school in Honolulu.  He and Kathleen came to visit for the weekend so he could teach a clinic.  We paddle boarded with them and enjoyed a full weekend of chats.  Kate adored Kathleen and begged her to swim, collect shells, and play games with her.

 Not only do I twinsie with Heidi, I also inadvertently purchased the same pattern for Kate. We were both surprised to see we matched!

 Zac and Owen never get tired of sand.

 You can barely tell but Kathleen is 6 months pregnant.

 Owen cracked us up with his "so delicious" faces eating a chocolate tart.

 Doing crafts is finally fun for Owen now that he's a little older.

He is also finally big enough for the jacket we bought him in Tuscany a year ago!

One morning, he asked to bake cupcakes.  It was so rainy outside, we went for it.

I adore him so much, and sleeping pictures are often the most endearing.  This age is packed with frustrating moments when they refuse to sleep, speak kindly, or follow even the most basic direction. On the other hand, he whips out the most tender phrases ("I wuv too much, Mommy" and "You wuv me, huh?"). He holds my hand and snuggles me every day.  He might still be struggling on the potty training and our kid that hits more at the toddler stage than the others, but he is also wholly adorable.

 Stopping at Lydgate on the way home from piano, I snagged this far-away photo of my kids affectionately grabbing hands and running to the playground.

 Chilly, rainy conditions almost island-wide, but not Kekaha.  It was still beautiful on the west side.  The Stebbins boys are the kids' Kauai cousins.

 We spent another Saturday in Hanalei, hoping for beautiful surf but settling for just okay.  The surprise came when Kate asked to surf (it was COLD).  Brady pushed her on at least a dozen, prompting others including Zac to join her.  It was so fun watching the kids enjoy the waves.

 Zachary's U11 futsal tournament was on Tuesday night.  We watched him score goal after goal and make excellent passing and control decisions.  Their team won the tournament and they were highlighted in the Garden Island News.

Kate, beaming in her Valentine's getup on January 31st.

 Zachary earned "Student of the Month" for January.  The category was "complex thinker."  I loved hearing the description for why his teacher chose him.  He asks detailed, exploratory questions and approaches problems from different angles.  This is his last year for this honor.

 Brady made a special trip down with Panda Express at lunchtime to celebrate with him and his friend, Lohgan.

Another cold, rainy Saturday=another morning in Kekaha before futsal tournaments.

 Stebbedlarks in action (Stebbins, Edwards, Clarks):

 Kate was anxious about her futsal tournament all week.  Her coach made a huge deal about winning the tournament.  They were ranked #2 after a loss and a tie to the undefeated boys team.  Kate asked me several times during the week to practice with her, and she kicked goal after goal at our garage door.  She also practiced several times with her team.  I was so impressed to see the skill difference over one season.  They came out strong against the first team and then defeated the #1 ranked boys team handily.  When the score was 1-1, Kate scored the second goal, beaming at us and getting high fives from her teammates.  She scored twice more during the game and they came out the U8 champs.

 CAN!

 Zac also played in two games that night for the U12 tournament.  The teams were older and more difficult, and they lost both games.

More normal day pics.  Owen is so in love with Kate right now.  He sings, "I love Kate so much" to his own tune when she is gone.

 Zac also had a pounding heart moment in his basketball tournament.  After feeling down about the season, he and his team came out strong in the first game.  Zac always races down the court in his games, but this particular game he was on a mission to disrupt the other team's defense.  He had at least 12 steals and 4 breakaways.  With a tie game in overtime, he stole the ball and made a layup to win the game.  I was so happy for him, I was misty-eyed.  The entire gymnasium was on fire cheering.  (The next day he was out with stomach flu and could not play in their follow-up game.)

Brady went to Utah for a snowmobiling trip with clients.  He was gone for 8 days--several working days followed by full days of fun.  Unfortunately for him, the mainland hates him and he caught Zac and Owen's stomach bug and spent all the fun days horizontal in the care of his parents.  We felt terrible for him.

Here he is, pretending that he feels okay when in reality he has a fever and has ached since 1am.

His very last day, he felt well enough to eat icicles.  He also went out to eat with Cory and enjoyed time with his siblings and parents.  He was down 5 pounds when he flew home.

We took Kate out for a "floofy drink" to reward her for her aggression and determination during the futsal tournament.  We owe Zac one, too, but he was way too sick for sugar.

 Owen only cared about the paper umbrella.

 The highlight of Kate's month was attending Ava's 9th birthday party with the American Girl doll theme.  They had a tea party and made dresses out of tulle for their girls.

 Owen was so jealous watching the girls play next door that we threw him his own little party.

 My surf sister, Hilary, and me at church:

My other surf sister, Nikki, out for açaí with me after a surf session to celebrate her birthday:

Sending a picture to Brady in Utah to compare with their blizzard conditions.

Things at home went well, and we had plenty of fun moments and laughs.  We made Valentines' crafts, had playdates, went to practices, and made Valentines' sugar cookies.

I was ready to hand off the bedtime routine to papa bear, though, thanks to this little dude and his jack-in-the-box antics.  Doesn't he look like Kate in this picture?

Dad came home bearing gifts from Grandma and Grandpa:

On Valentines' Day, I had the opportunity to go into Zac's classroom for the day.  They did science experiments and had a party complete with break dancing and cartwheels.  Owen thought it was the best day of the year and loved all the attention from the boys and the girls.

Valentine's at home was a hit.  There was something small for everyone--even some Ohs for Mr. Z.

Brady had 7 hours of flying on the way home from his trip which gave him extra time to add some detail:)