February looked like preschool and playdates. Kate's new favorite thing to do is bake. Owen loves to help, too, and insists on cracking eggs.
It also looked like family lessons at home.
After preschool one day, I let Owen pick a cookie from Lapperts. I did not realize they sold $5 cookies next to their $1.95 cookies.
Valentine's Day love.
Groms!
These two love the mermaid cutouts at my favorite juice bar.
Zachary had an afternoon off, so we went on a bike ride and then out for lunch at Keokis. It became clear toward the end that he was feeling off, and on Saturday, he was diagnosed with Influenza B. He had his flu shot, and it was a surprisingly mild illness--a few days on the couch and no one else in our home came down with it.
Zac's goal this year is to learn how to make rolls and bread. They are his love language. He walked me step-by-step for orange rolls on the last Sunday in January since his flu wasn't going to touch any food we were eating.
Owen and I find ways to entertain ourselves at Kate's soccer practice. It is 30-35 min away to the Hanapepe field, so we can't drop off and pick up. It is straight Owen time and playing in the dirt, biking, and playing tag in the field are his favorite ways to spend it.
One of many snoozing Owen shots I have this post.
So many pretty sunsets over soccer.
Kate counted down the days the night of Ele'ele Elementary School's STEM night. She is on the leadership council at school and was so excited for her first service-learning opportunity. I drove a car full of kids, and we all participated for several hours.
Kate's station with Daysha: a reaction with air pressure and marshmallows.
Owen loved getting trapped in a black trash bag. The man working the station told him he'd buy McDonald's ice cream for him if he could stand up. Owen tried and tried, and could not do it. It was maybe short-sighted to tell a 4 year old that he could get ice cream for an impossible task, so I took him to get a cone across the street and kill a little time.
The event was well-attended by families, but Owen was still able to participate in almost every station.
Dissecting a cow's eyeball.
CPR. He may know to pound on your chest but I'm not sure he has the strength to resuscitate you.
He also dug getting a pirate eye while learning how to care for eye wounds.
Kate, Daysha, and Sol making DNA from papaya. This was the favorite station, even over dissecting cow eyeballs.
So fun to watch her interact with friends. She is a social, confident girl.
Church the next day. Owen and I end up in the foyer during the service about 50% of the time for his ill-timed potty breaks.
The next week it was Kate's turn to be sick and she and I stayed home and watched High School Musical while the boys watched the Super Bowl at Clarks.
She was feverish, but not too sick to bike 8 miles with me that afternoon. She chose the route, destination, and distance. I was shocked how long and far she wanted to go (although she paid for it a bit the next few days, I think). Mahjinka pointed out that when Kate is sick, she is still game for anything. When we were in Whistler, she had a fever of over 101 degrees but begged to join the boys at the beach and spent the afternoon cruising down huge waves.
Age four is a treasure and I'm working to collect Owen's funny words and expressions and moments. He wants desperately to be a big kid but also get snuggled. Yesterday, I gave him some of my fish taco and he said, "This is just wonderful." I don't remember the last time I heard anyone in my house say "wonderful," and hearing it from him was hysterical. He also constantly quotes "Frozen 2," and his favorite reenactment is when Olaf is telling about Anna and Elsa: "Their. Parents. Are. DEAD."
Getting ready for school.
Roberta, his preschool co-op teacher, is the best and I would follow her just about anywhere. She brought brand new kitties to school for the kids to love on before they were placed for adoption.
Painting car tracks: Owen's favorite art project.
Another snoozing shot.
Friday night date night: hiking along Mahaulepu while the sun set, followed by takeout fish tacos. Love having a responsible 12-year-old who is capable of watching the kids for a quick date.
When there's no waves and Owen is at preschool, I walk this path by myself. It never gets old. It is so much better with Brady or a friend.
The next day, we trekked down to Alltertons Beach with the Stebbins and Clarks. People talk about it all the time, and we have never gone.
The kids played with the driftwood, paddled their "canoes," created a driftwood house complete with a starfruit garden, and caught baby waves for hours. We had to leave for Kate's futsal game and came back for another hour of play.
That night, we took the kids out for some Lapperts, and Kate and I next-level twinned. Brady said we had to take our slippers off for the full effect. Even our toenails match.
My kitchen pal at it again.
Finally measuring our kids on a door! First time ever.
I love that Nikki often makes us snag a selfie when we surf.
More Owen preschool art.
Brady's Valentine's gift to me: a bathtub slab stained to match our stool. He meticulously color matched our stool before Kate and a playdate took off the stool's finish with nail polish remover. FAIL!
Hilary's goat had babies and Owen plays with them every Friday while Kate dances.
He also "feeds" the cows--more accurately described as throwing them bricks of food.
I adore Shay's hand on Kate's back to hold her steady while she feeds the goats. I also love that she is feeding goats in complete ballet garb.
Movie Snuggles with Shay:
Zachary and Brady went to Oahu for the President's Day Cup soccer tournament. It was Zac's first tourney off-island, and a good learning experience. Zachary trained with his team 3-4 afternoons a week on the off-season to prepare, including several Saturday sessions that stretched 4 hours (and our patience). Brady laughed that after two long games and a full day at the fields, he and his teammates were running around together for a full hour afterwards.
Zachary was so excited about this car rental (acquired with free days), but when Brady told me about it, I made him park far away from his team. So embarrassing.
One of several hamburgers on this trip.
Zachary rated his favorite activities for Oahu:
1. Dave and Busters, where he and Brady played arcade games for hours.
2. The soccer tourney itself
3. Go Cart racing for the first time.
Kate, Owen, and I also found ways to entertain ourselves while the boys were away. I've tried to take Kate to Kalaheo Cafe at least three times, and the stars finally aligned (meaning, it was OPEN).
Kate's favorite baby-sitter, Mikaela, is leaving on her mission in April so we booked her for one last day together while I surfed.
iPad time buying me a workout.
President's Day Tide-pooling (count the blondies):
Zachary could have stayed in Oahu another day, but he was anxious to get back and surf/play with his friends.
Kate's science experiment, round 1. She was attempting to grow sugar crystals and evaluate the difference between seeded sticks and non-seeded sticks in growing rock candy. Fail #1 involved too much sugar. Fail #2 involved too little. We are currently on round 3 and we are finally forming rock crystal candy!
Pretty Valentine's Day spread at Relief Society for our Love Languages night. Isn't this spread so pretty?
I'm the soccer mom that entertains the littles, giving them bike rides, salon time, duck-duck-goose time, and of course airplanes. I also let them do my hair, which is the real act of love.
Rainbows never get old.
Owen loves to play hide and seek, even when he doesn't tell me we are playing. I came out, stepped on this blanket, and crunched him a bit. He hid there for 10 minutes while I was getting ready.
Owen and his preschool friend, Sophie.
"Swingin in the lane" with Dad.
HYSA season starts! Kate's team is playing the U10 girl division AND boy division, which means two games every Saturday. I'm not wild about the extra game but it is impressive watching the girls play so well together.
Zachary's season also started. He is double rostered with the older team, which means he also has 2 games every week. I do not think we will let that happen again for our kid who likes to surf on Saturday, too. Too much practice and too much time at games. He runs like lightening and puts his heart into it, though.
Pics of our kid who wishes he had soccer games every Saturday:
Zachary at work on his "something with yeast" goal. February's choice was cinnamon rolls.
Brady's work schedule has been intense--full of long hours and late nights after the kids go to bed. He did not complain, though, when his Saturday was filled up with irrigation repair.
Asked if he wanted to help Daddy or come to the beach with Mommy and friends, Owen elected for Daddy time. So cute. This kid adores Brady.
Fixed!
Another night, and Owen helping Daddy again.
Our next door neighbors went out of town and told us to use their pool while they were gone. It was so cold--low 60s--but my kids played in that pool the first 4 days they were gone, even playing one night in the dark after soccer practice.
Owen's friend Jake just got glasses--the kind that are sunglasses outside. Owen found some sunglasses and came out saying, "Look! I'm Jakey!"
Kate is so good to entertain Owen constantly. Owen is so good to play princesses. It is an ideal arrangement for both of them.
Another sleepy preschooler shot.
Another double rainbow.
Shots from school:
Another surf session with Nikki, this time joined by Didi. The conditions were terrible and we were dumped on over and over, but the sun was shining afterwards.
Kate earned pizza with her reading so this was their dinner that night.
My friend, Dave, is teaching me to do the outrigger. It is HEAVY. Otherwise, it seems very similar to a kayak. Can't wait to chase dolphins in this thing.
Another soccer Saturday!
We decided that beach days are critical as fun family time after a morning of soccer, plus the kids still beg to go even after running around for hours. This Saturday, we found the largest crab we've seen on the beach!
We finished the day with a ward potluck at Salt Pond. There were almost no kids there but the kids were so good not to complain and made the best of the situation climbing trees and playing tag.
Girls Day at soccer practice!
Owen showing off his muscles in his favorite muscle shirt--a hand-me-down from his friend Reef. This also marks a time he is wearing it with something that matches. He likes to pair this with his red shorts.
Our family came to visit Kauai--from Seattle. They were making jokes about the coronavirus. Little did we/they know that they would be some of the last visitors to Kauai before we went on lockdown.
Art projects with preschool friends Lexi and Kobi. Kate is so patient and kind with little kids.
Closing out February with one more carseat nap.
