A Few Malihinis: Rain, Surf, Soccer, Repeat.

Spring in Kauai is the same thing for us every year: rain and soccer. Plus surf. Always surf.

A Sunday evening at the green belt, racing around to beat personal records and playing soccer in the puka. The kids moaned and groaned about coming and it is obvious they had a lousy time.

Roxy was spayed to celebrate Valentines Day. Poor little pup. She laid around for days, taking care of business gingerly and looking at us with sad (betrayed?) eyes.

The waves were perfect at Polihale the Saturday after her surgery but Roxy could not be outside. Brady took one for the team and sent me with Zachary and Kate. The road getting out was the worst I've ever driven, and I felt like Wonder Woman and pumped full of adrenaline when I made it through deep, water-filled ditches.

I surfed for hours with Nic, Robert, Ty and Emily and took some of my very best rides in months in the strong current and angry ocean. Heidi took photos, and the girls pretended to be in a Rip Curl shoot just like their idol, Bethany Hamilton.

The boys surfed and boogie boarded the shore break.

All exhausted smiles.

These girls are so evenly matched in their love for and endurance in the ocean.

My favorite two photos: the kids skimming across the sand, all together, all focused.

Kate gets the ultimate photo bomb.

Heidi sent us the photos she took later that day. I lamented that my wave looked so small, and Robert fixed it to show to scale. Ha! It is so annoying to take photos of people and hear them complain, and surfing photos are especially tricky as the photographer is far away and trying to enjoy the day, too. I will remember this day as one where I took some of my best drops and rides at Polihale ever.

After making it out of the banged up roads, I met Brady on the way to hand off Kate and Zachary. He took them on a catamaran trip with others in his company for a mini-retreat. The kids have stronger stomachs than me and loved every minute, especially the free Pepsi and pulled pork sandwiches for dinner.

I would never miss this if I could handle it but I'm so glad they kids have these moments with Brady. When they called me on the way home, each of them talked with voices full of animation.

Whale tail!

Kate getting her science on:

During soccer practice, Owen and I take Roxy for walks and look for flowers to send Grandma Edwards. He loves spotting them and asks me to send them immediately. Afterwards, we play baseball and watch the scrimmages.

Owen finally earns his slime laboratory. Who in the world got talked into letting him earn this stuff?!?

COVID soccer means no spectators and parents in the car. I went for a jog during warmups and ended up stuck in a downpour, worried Kate was standing alone by the car and wondering what to do. Turns out the girls never stopped warming up and played right through it all.

First games of the season. I'm very impressed with my improved eyesight. During hormone therapy preparatory to pregnancy with Owen, my eyesight was a -3 in one eye and a -2.5 in the other. My vision is now good enough that I do not need contacts and I can see every play of this game!

The kids did this gorgeous puzzle with me--a 1,000 piece that claimed to be difficult but we disagree. The colors and shape made it easier than several of the other puzzles we've done this past year. We finished the puzzle the day that BYU students lit the Y in a rainbow and I found that fitting.

Zachary has been at work on his book, and Kate has taken up the reins and decided to write more books to add to her Emily Windsnap series. They are both intermittently committed to their craft, especially when they see the other sibling plucking away at the keys.

Kate and I sneak in breakfast at Kalaheo Cafe on Friday mornings when I drop kids at preschool, then we surf together. This is not a weekly event but we've made it happen 3-4 times and it has not lost its charm.

So much rain in March. We had a devastating flood that caused a landslide in Hanalei, flash flood warnings alerting us again and again throughout the month, and deep water and flooding in Koloa like we have not seen in 14 years living here. The kids welcomed the change of pace and canceled practices, skim boarding on the golf course and in our yard.

It did not stop all the soccer games, though.

#COVIDSOCCER

Kate's U10 team is playing both U10 and U12 this year, which means double headers every Saturday--usually many hours apart (groan). They are undefeated so far. Kate plays left forward in the U12 and is a major part of their offense now. She plays defense for U10.

Zachary is a young U14 this year and plays with mostly older boys. He is a defender, too, and does an awesome job. His games are long and he comes back to the car red-faced, content, and ready to surf.

Celebrating Robert's birthday and the completion of the Stebbins' house. Her lights are so gorgeous.

Our new piano lesson routine is the dog park. The kids love it as much as Roxy. They play with 10 little dogs for an hour.

Playing together after the long drive to piano.

Kate still regularly arranges spas for me--this time with a "mud bath" and fancy drink.

This picture with Owen and ear buds kills me. Old enough to put in ear buds but not to remember the passcode.

Everyone loves the inside of a sweatshirt.

So much rain meant a lot of playdates! We had several different friends over heading into Spring Break. After a few days, the water cleared out and the kids were able to surf and swim again, but in the meantime, we played countless rounds of Monopoly and did another puzzle.

Twins.

Now that Caleb lives within 2 miles, Zachary is rarely home. I love driving up to their house to see boys playing basketball.

These two made music videos from "High School Musical: the Musical Series" for a full afternoon.

St. Patrick's Day: green all around, plus two unsuccessful but creative traps.

Kate's trap was a Leprechaun spa designed to go up a rock wall bridge. There was tissue paper inside the box below with coins, with the idea that the coins would entice and then the tissue paper give way to cups and rocks to trap the sneaky thing. Zachary's (for Owen) was a Leprechaun gym with rock wall ridges intended to jump across ninja style and a tight rope that was deceptively loose, which would cause him/her to fall into the box. The Leprechaun was smart and repelled down to get the coins and avoid both traps.

Brady is the master of creating games that entertain the kids. "Use the sticky toys to grab papers off the table" was the game that day and Owen played it with him for an hour.

Owen diligently reads several days a week. I am nicer to myself this time around, not forcing it every single day but aiming to get 3-4 days of the program per week. He is halfway done now!

We feel strongly that Owen needs to get into swim lessons but I have struggled to find him a session or teacher. He's been enrolled once already and the teacher decided to move. The other classes have been canceled for COVID or weather. He is really excited to take lessons but in the meantime, I pay him $1 each time he gets in the ocean and swims with me for 10+ minutes. That usually leads to 45 minute sessions in the water together, which is worth a lot more than $1 to me! I'm so excited that he is finally getting back in and hope to get him to a point he is more comfortable and happy in the water.

Nic was a gem and played tag with him one afternoon.

Katers:

Soccer practice preschool session:

Going for "barrels":

Another day, another soccer game (times three):

PTA service project: painting all the lines, weeding, power washing, and removing guinea grass.

Zachary and Caleb made crepes on a Sunday afternoon before a group dinner at our house.

Roxy joined the kids' table.

Isaac hand-crafted two dozen turtle cookies:

With all the surf, friend playdates, and soccer, Spring Break flew by, leaving us all feeling a bit like this when the day came to resume school:

A Sunday stroll with the Stebbedlarks to see the tortoises and explore Mahaulepu.

Roxy finally tried out her Christmas present--a doggy backpack. So ridiculous and handy since she can't walk more than a mile or two.

Our garden is producing several tomatoes a day and a pepper here and there. Owen waters it, picks weeds, and checks on the plants multiple times a day.