Kauai Farm Fair 2011

For some reason, the Fair was much more fun when I was a kid and didn't know how much things cost. This was the first year we took them to the fair and they loved it. Photo of evidence attached. I could deal without the heat, lines, people and noise. Oh the joy of seeing first time joy in their faces!

Home

July 18, 2011. I say this date so I will always remember it. Today is the day we signed the papers on our first home. For some, this is not a big deal. For us, it is huge and so wonderful. You see, I have always dreamed of owning my own home. When I was 18 years old, I would imagine what my home would look like. I would dream about owning a home on Kauai. Seeing the economy affect home prices, I had doubt this would be possible. At one point in 2007, prices were so high on Kauai, I didn't see how any young people would be able to own a home and live here. But there is an old adage: what goes up must come down. And so it did with prices on Kauai as well. I started saving when I was 23. It was a dream, yet a far one. When Ariki and I married in 2005, I had already saved $13,000. I told him we would start a "home fund" with the money. He asked if I planned to buy just a bathroom with that amount. I laughed, but kept saving. Slowly and surely. We paid off debt and arranged our life to be simple and free of most wants. We bought clothes and items second-hand and saved the difference. We ate at home and shopped sales. And waited for the right time. Eventually, we were able to save enough for a down payment. Even we were amazed at the number we were able to save. Persistance. Patience. Dedication. We never borrowed from our Home fund. Finally we found the right house. A little 3 bedroom in Koloa. Great neighbors, great school and beach nearby.
We went to sign papers today. We had to bring the kids to the meeting. Lyon asked if they would have a movie at the meeting. Nope. How about a party? Nope, sorry buddy. Just papers. Just papers that I have been waiting to sign for ten years. On Friday we pick up the keys and the U-Haul. And then we move to a new chapter in our life. Homeowners. Thank you Lord!

Kiriana Almost Three

I love this age. She is adorable with a capital A. She looks like a little brown doll with cork-screw curls gently attached to her head. She has one chipped tooth in front which makes for good character. She loves wearing dresses, pretty shoes, and all things sparkly. She picks her people. Uncle Nate, Uncle Gabe (after an initiation period), Auntie Momo, Lelo and of course, above the rest, Rock Star Poppa. She loves to draw for at least an hour a day. When you are suppose to be mad at her, she giggles her deep-voice giggle and you suddenly forget your storm. That giggle makes the sun come out. If world leaders heard that giggle their hearts might be softened towards their enemies. It is that cute...and powerful.
She feels other people's emotions. When I bumped my elbow on the car door and howled in pain, she cupped my face in her tiny hands and looked me in the eyes and told me "oh poor mommy! Bweathe, mommy, bweathe!"
I wish I could freeze the moments because time is a rocket I never saw coming. It just happens to fast. In the midst of our busy world I will remember a deeper implication of her words....take time to breathe and enjoy.

She is so loved.

Graduation Party

I love local parties. There is nothing formal or stuffy about them. They are usually in someone's yard, the food is cooked by family and the entertainment is someone's uncle with another someone's uncle jamming after a few beers.

This was pretty much it last night at our friend's graduation party deep in Hanapepe valley. But there was roughly 100+ people under a big tent in a big field with fabulous food and little girls performing hula in front of the crowd. There was old farm equipment around (it was an old piggery) and drinks were served from huge fishing coolers. The owner of the farm is a 90-something old Japanese man who tells very inappropriate jokes every time I see him. So inappropriate that I can't repeat them to you. Ariki laughs his head off and I turn red, but hey, when you are that old you can do whatever you want. And apparently tell any kind of jokes you want. (He tells the jokes to ladies at the bank and county offices too...awkward!).

One of the highlights of the night was not only the food, but also when the graduate came over to say hello to us at the table. Lyon was eating and the graduate asked for a high five. Lyon, seeing that his hands had a fork and napkin in them, decides to high-five the graduate with his face instead of his hand. atta-boy.

Dolls...ugh.

I was a tomboy growing up. I liked animals, short hair, running around outside, playing with the boys, making spears and mud and generally anything but dolls.

Today I bought Kiri a baby doll at a garage sale. I think I might have rolled my eyes but bought it anyways. I am thankful for my Costa Rican friend Anais who forced me to buy it. She is good for my girl-mothering skills. She forces me through guilt to buy dolls, princess shoes, frilly things, dress-up things, pink things.

Kiri is lucky Anais gave up everything and moved here from Costa Rica. Thank you.

Your Interpretation

I love the way kids hear songs and sing them over and over. I love it when the songs don't quite turn out the way they are suppose to be, rather the way the kid hears them. If you are from the 80's like myself, you would remember the Transformer's cartoon. Especially if you had a brother.
"Transformers! More than meets the eye!" is the motto.

So Lyon is obsessed with Transformers right now. To date he has 2 of them and 3 shirts that are shown to everyone because that is important. He walks around the house singing:
"Transformers! More than eats the island"

Close enough.

God Protects Us

As we lay in the darkness before bedtime with Lyon on my left and Kiri on my right, we recite songs, recount our favorite parts of the day, and ponder what we will do the next day. Like clock- work every night when the lights go out (after bathroom and teeth), Kiri asks to go make shishi (pee pee for you non-Hawaii folks) and drink water. Most annoying but necessary to take care of this, again. Of course when I send her to the bathroom by herself it is always "too dark" or there are some unforeseen monsters blocking progress. On this particular night when it was "too dark" Lyon sits up and tells her "Kiri, God protects us". Mama is so proud at this simple truth. But then comes more: "He has a big sword and he kills those monsters". Okay, that works, problem solved, right? Not really. So brother escorts her to the bathroom just in case God missed some along the path. As we lay back down after Kiri's nightly ritual, I begin to ponder the sweet innocence and simple faith of children. I wonder if perhaps God does communicate with them on a more real level than adults because we are too busy in the world to pay attention. I probe. "Lyon, have you ever seen God?" I ask.
"Mm-hm" he replies matter-of-factly.
"Oh really? when?" I am really curious now.
"I saw Him at a garage sale. He was picking up some stuff"

I think I walked right into that one.