Thanksgiving

Owen was sent home from school one day with a fever.  I measured him three times...got this every time.  He was 100% okay and just wanted to hang at home.  I'm trying to navigate what "headache" means--is it a plea for staying home or a symptom of illness?  He does get a headache right before he has a fever quite often, but lately it is the catch-all word he uses to get out of uncomfortable situations.  

Also, our school nurse is a lovely person but more than happy to send a child home if they clear their throat one time during class.

Kate looked forward to the Oahu temple trip for a month.  This girl loves to travel, loves her YW group, and loves the temple.

Beach afternoon followed by Bubba's while Kate and Zac were on Oahu.

Getting turkey crafts on.

A boy and his dog.

This was a major pain from the additional driving, but I was so happy to support Kate and Kelsey as they played with special needs kids for the Peace Players.  They did an assembly and were selected as delegates to go play at the  Smith's Family Luau.  Chiefess has given these two so many leadership opportunities.

An Allerton's afternoon with friends.

Owen was on a journal-writing kick for a couple weeks.  His goose-neck reading light makes me laugh.

Isaac was called on his mission to Argentina!  This was a big moment in our friend group--first kid on a mission.  He leaves in a couple weeks.  As one of Zac's closest friends, he will be sorely missed.

A girl and her dog.

Several Friday evenings (the only night without ballet!) at the beach.

Waffles.  Every Sunday.

Brady sent me the new gym remodel photos, including this witty number:

Just a boy and his dog.

...in a photo progression...

I deliberately picked my job so I could be there all the things--the pick-ups, the drop-offs, the after-school snacks, the piano, the homework, the practices, the games.  Every now and again, my plan fails and I'm at work during school events.  The mom guilt is real, and I am learning to let it go.  After all, Brady missed many Ohana picnics and did not stress over it.  I do not need to stress.  I just hope they will remember all the events I do make it to.  Zachary had school off that day, so he joined Brady and Owen at the rainy event.  I even made it in time to see his presentations of learning about 30 minutes later.

Talent Show at YW: these girls put together a choreographed piece to share.

Thanksgiving with Stebbins and Clarks means you will eat delicious, beautiful food.  We did sweet potatoes, salad, cranberry sauce, ham, and raspberry jello "salad."  There are basically no pictures because of a joke that was taken poorly (taken poorly by me), followed by some heartache and awkwardness.  But we all got through it!  

Plus this beauty:

Early on in November, we all had the crazy idea to do Polihale camping that night..you know, the night following the longest cooking day of the year.  The kids (who did not cook) thought it was a great plan and we are suckers for Polihale and camping so we hesitantly committed.  When we arrived, we found the biggest swell we had ever seen at that beach.  It made for a stunning mist backdrop and pounding waves.

Brady took this photo and I liked it so much, I had it framed for him at Christmas.

In early evening, a couple showed up at our campsite and let us know they were washed out of their campsite.  They were further down the beach and camping in a tent attached to the top of the car, and still got flooded out by a big wave.  We were getting a little nervous as each hour passed and the waves approached the top of the sand cliffs where we were set up.

The teens had air mattresses set out closer to the beach than our tents, and had to run toward them when the mattresses were caught by a wave.  This is when Owen started getting very concerned and was no longer interested in games with the other kids.  He was so upset with Zac, who he felt was taking risks and doing "dangerous activities"  because he was messing around on the top of the dunes.  Ha.  Sweet brother.

With our eye on the waves as they continued to approach and our very concerned little boy, we opted to pack up camp and head home.  We did not want to be stuck with Polihale road shut down, which has happened before (not to us, but to the road).  The tide still had 4 hours to rise as well, and with other locals bailing nearby, we did not want to be the holdouts.  If there is anything worse than prepping for camping, it is packing up after NOT camping.  

As we checked the site over, a wave came right up within feet of the campfire!  Then, as kids used the restroom, a wave hit the parking lot.  We have never seen anything like it, so at least the evening was memorable and Owen felt safe!  

Mom and Dad Edwards Do Kaua'i Fall Break

Mom and Dad came to visit over Spring Break: the first visit in years because of their mission to Cove Fort.  They are easy to please but I love that Mom has a list of things she wants to accomplish, both with the kids and for group outings.

They've never been to our favorite spot, so we remedied that with a Sunday night bonfire.  I am sure hot dogs was not on Mom's list of Kaua'i foods, but at least it wasn't SPAM and you can't beat the view.

We did not plan to swim but how do you keep kids out of the water on a night like this?

It started with two kids but they all saw a photo opportunity together and this normally camera-shy group jumped at the opportunity.  It's wild that Isaac only has a couple months left before leaving on his mission, and this little group will be changed forever!

It looks like she's 20 feet in the air!  Ha!

Nothing beats a Polihale sunset.  There was even a faint green flash.

The stars showed off, and we laid in the sand and watched for shooting stars.  

Dad knew our garden was a disaster.  Since going to back to teaching, I let it overgrow and then fill in with  grass.  It was on my possibility list for fall break, and Dad made it his personal project.  The very next day, he was out there for hours digging out chunks of grass.  Owen was his happy companion and helper.

Wiping off their sweat:

They were so enthusiastic that they hit a shallow water line and we had a Kaua'i geyser for about 10 minutes.  Dad eagerly worked to get that fixed, too, and I saw again how much Brady responds to "crisis" just like his father--without much alarm and a chuckle for the unexpected challenge.

Brady and his parents met for lunch one day and Owen and I beached with friends and then had his special lunch date at Bubba's.

Kate and Zachary had plenty of friend interactions, and Owen made sure he had some play time with friends that week, too.  Ace came over several times, helping with the garden, bouncing, and always, always with the magna tiles.

Lydgate: another spot Mom and Dad have spent little time.  We drove up there for a picnic with Brady.

On the way back, I drove them to Wailua Falls.  This picture cracks me up: their bodies completely blocking the falls.  Ha!  It also cracked me up that Dad got tied up "talking story" with a local vendor who told him that in Hawai'i, he should have several buttons undone and show off his chest.

Mom and Dad played many rounds of Farkle, Speed Scrabble, and traditional Scrabble each night with Zac.

They quickly learned the rules of Skull King and we had some rousing rounds with Mermaids, pirates, and suits.

I loved the Owen/Grandpa interactions.  

It also made me happy to see Zac and O playing together a bunch over fall break.

A wish list item: Go see a lighthouse.  We chose Lihu'e for convenience and novelty.  It is located off Dad's left shoulder.  Ha!

We took a quick path to the water where Brady and Nic first boogie boarded before I moved to Kaua'i. They learned in a hurry about currents and scary shore break. 

This day was small and we watched a dad boogie board with his kids.

Making dinner one night, we noticed a spectacular sunset and took advantage of the moment.  I am also learning to be outside just before dusk every day.  It is the prettiest lighting and gives me a boost before the dinner/homework/bedtime/work rush.

Brady and Dad ran water over to the garden so we won't have to water by hand on dry weeks.

It was finally ready to plant!

Mom and Dad joined us at the beach after the kids had been in the water for an hour and half.  I was impressed with Kate's willingness to jump back in and surf for them since her friends were in and she was cold.  I did not choose a great spot in the shade for them to sit, though, and Mom got soaked by a rouge wave as the tide was rising.

Another wish list: Lapperts.

I expected Zac would get a mild fever after his flu/COVID shot combo that day.  Both kids were upset they had to get vaccinated during the break, but I successfully made the case that they had no Saturday morning activities for the first and last time in months.  I did not anticipate high fevers, major body aches, and vomiting that ensued.  It wiped them both out badly.  Owen was fine--he only had the flu vaccine, so it was easy recovery for him.

Meanwhile, I struggled with a lip virus that kept me up at night, affected every bite and drink, doubled the size of my bottom lip, and was a focus for every hour of every day for nearly two weeks.  I saw one of my physician friends when I was out with Mom and Dad, and she prescribed anti-virals pills and ointments (my lip continued to develop new pustules, so the anti-viral was effective despite the long-lasting nature of this injury/illness).  I had noticeable improvement within 24 hours.  Is it weird to write this all out on a blog?  Maybe, but it was a huge part of my fall break and even seeing this photo makes my heart race with nervous anticipation for the next outbreak.  

Fall Break wasn't all lip pustules and vaccine reactions.  One of my favorite outings with Mom and Dad was a coastline walk at Shipwrecks.

I love watching the way these two take care of each other.

We've recently seen pictures of Mom that we never had access to before due to family drama after her parents' deaths.  Seeing glimpses of her as a young woman is a gift, but so are these pictures of her.

Another evening outing, this time with Zachary, too:

I am on this path regularly but each time, I remember Mom's reaction the first time she was here when she cried watching the waves.  It is one of my most tender memories with her.

Owen's teacher told their 2nd grade class that they need to wear deodorant, and O could not be happier about this new adulting in his life.  Dad also taught him a few things about shaving to match his fresh underarms.

One morning, Mom and Dad went on a walk to Mahaulepu and then Brady for a picnic lunch.

Another evening, they went to the beach to see the resting turtles.  They saw a record 72!

We squeezed in Eerie Edibles while they visited:

Mom and Dad made crepes with Grandma's strawberry filling.  The kids loved it.

Not pictured: all the thought that went into meals they took over.  They listened attentively and took requests, going to get it just right so all the kids would be happy.  I thought that was a nice gesture.  Moms and Dads catering to the kids' food whims is not great practice (we'd eat Panda Express every night), but grandparents can do that when they are in town.  

Thank you for loving us, Mom and Dad Edwards!  We love you, too!