What's Hot, What's Not Wednesday

What's Hot

Chum's most favorite words: nana (food), uh-oh (anything dropped on floor, he is way into throwing stuff on ground), dada (apparently covers daddy AND mama)

Kokee State Park: Getting ready to spend tomorrow night up at 5,000 feet...super exciting when we spend most days at around 10ft above sea level. Bring on the wool socks and beanies.

Beets: Made great chum-approved beet dip tonight

Libraries: Time to make Gramma Holmes happy, chum is now well and truly into the library. Or at least the kids at the library, made 4 wee pals today and mama traded numbers with one family for future play dates.

What's Not Hot

Sprains: I spent this morning in ER for bad foot sprain. Jumped outta bad at around 1am last night to a phantom chum cry and jammed foot into dresser. Seriously, think that whole episode was more painful than the c-section. Yowza.

Food Fights: Chum loves to throw breakfast, lunch and dinner onto ground. Uh-oh says Chum while (insert Mama tooth grinding here).

Hot Dogs: For some reason we ate hot dogs yesterday. Why God. I think we were tired, hot and somehow deluded they would be delicious. Which they were most assuredly not.

Square Eyes

Thanks to the lovely Miss Maddie who captured this dubious shot sometime during the early morning hours she and my sister Auntie Bridget were supposed to be babysitting. I pictured Chum getting lovingly nurtured with some organic oats, a light massage and perhaps a walk around the block. Instead I now have disturbing evidence that The Real World, Rock of Love and The Game Show Network were more the order of the day.

Just kidding ya guys, look at the love (and family resemblance) of these two soul mates...



Jarah and his best mate Bridgy.

Speaking of Bridget, we just booked out tickets to Arizona, the annual Taddonio family (and our own tiny Taddonio-Holmes Southwest adventure to Utah and/or Southern Sonaran Desert) will commence on lucky 13, December 13th. Bring on the cactus, the mojitos and killer sunsets...

What's that...ah, the heat of the evening is breaking as rain starts to fall on the banana trees outside. Lovely.

What's Hot, What's Not Wednesday

What's Hot

A'o (Newell's Shearwaters). It's fallout season for the birds Nick studies, which means the young chicks leaving their burrows high up on the mountains are ending up confused by the light, and subsequently crash onto the ground where they are easy prey for cats, dogs or car strikes. Today was the Shearwater release, this (now annual) event is where some of the fallen birds who have been rehabilitated get released by local school children with a Hawaiian blessing for their future. We watched 6 of these endangered chicks successfully release from Lydgate Beach park this morning. A Chum approved event, he lifted his hand and hooted after each one took flight.

Pumpkin Bread. A pal in California sent us a lovely fall care package complete with the most freaking-delicious-cinnamon-spice-pumpkin bread mix in the whole entire world. We baked it for dinner two nights ago and I think it lasted less than 12 hours before being reduced to a crumby pile.

Teeth. Chum is finally sprouting a wee upper tooth.

Running. Chum doesn't walk, he runs. It is a haphazard, face-planting exercise executed with great gusto many times a day.

Hair cuts. Nick's mullet is gone...hurray.

What's Not Hot

Orange seeds on the carpet. Choking hazard dad!

Furloughs. State government now laying off more people, grrr.

Sleep deprivation. Spending many late nights up this week. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...

Belated! What's Hot, What's Not Wednesday

So it's Thursday...ah well.

What's Hot

Cornsilk Locks (loving Chum's hair texture)


Banana-Kale Smoothies

Watching frigate birds fishing

Fennel filled tomato sauces

The color of the sky around 6am

Skype

Daydreaming about when to use my birthday spa certificate

Looking at real estate

What's Not Hot

Chum's new wake up time of 5.45am

Chum's new 1.5 hour time it takes him to fall asleep at night

Power bills

Geico Car Insurance refusing to cover us renting a VW camper van for planned vacation to Big Island, stating it's a cargo utility vehicle not a passenger van

Looking at real estate that smells like dog pee

Need to Hug a Tree

There is a tiny leaf from the ohia lehua laying in a coffee stain next to my laptop. Pretty nice image that encapsulates the last few days. Daddy and Chum went with our pal Jeff "boysin" into the Alakai today, even did a little off-roading up Kawaikoi Stream...while Mama stayed home getting square eyes looking for wayward commas and naughty semi-colons. I'd rather have been here:



Besides forest walking and river stomping, I am ready to break out the long (it's Hawaii so no wooly sweaters and socks) skirts and start looking ahead to the upcoming holidays, need to make Chum some Yoda ears for Halloween. Also feeling some odd yearning excitement for a Thanksgiving feast (I have never tried to roast a turkey and am feeling the bravery that comes from an event more than a month away) and maybe a Solstice celebration.

Just added Celebrating the Great Mother and Seven Times the Sun ro my Amazon wishlist.

Farmers market today, glad it's finally starting to become routine. Nick and Chum have an important job to do, find Mama her favorite spicy argula. Mmmmmmm

A Week of Wonders

I've given this blog posting a hopeful title to reflect my hopeful mood about finishing my Masters by Friday.

Nick is taking a turn being a full-time Dad for the week (thank you Family Leave Act!) and he and Jarah are currently planning their many hikes and cooking adventures together (hello Sweet Chile Noodles, we've missed you at our table!)

So wish us all luck...forMama imitating Mozart at the computer, Daddy with the diapers changes and nap time cuddles and Chum with patience to put up with his mad parents.

Top 10 Things I'm Wondering About This Morning...

Why does Chum prefer to breastfeed standing up?

Can the neighbors hear me sing the "Wash the Dishes" (a song I made up to entertain him during this otherwise most mundane activity) song

How much, if anything, will we get pre-approved for today at our big mortgage meeting?

Should I shower before this big meeting, or will my shower last night suffice?

Why did I not get out the pots and pans for Chum before?

Did we want to rent a VW camper van for our holiday on Big Island?

Can we afford to rent a VW camper van, or should we just pack a cardboard box?

Should we have a big birthday blow out for Jarah or a nice, tiny family-only one?

Think I can convince my husband to venture into kitchen and make dinner?

Am I going to be able to get into office today and catch up on everything I am falling behind on by being a 95% stay at home mum and a 100% full time student?

Bonus Wondering: Can I spread Chum on some toast and eat him for morning tea please?

What's Hot, What's Not Wednesday

One of the blogs I love to occasionally stop in and check out is Loobylu, a delightful nook in the webworld written by a sister of one of Nick's old Charles Sturt mates. She's started a "What's Hot, What's Not" column every Wednesday and I am down with the concept...

WHAT'S HOT:

Grandparents
Jarah's grandparents (and spectacular) Liz Aunty spent the last 6 weeks taking turns visiting from Melbourne to watch Jarah while I finish my M.A thesis in Community Development. This gave Chum super special time to connect with Gramma and Grandad, and saved us from resorting to childcare or hard drugs. Mahalo, thank you, gracias...a million times over Dave & Helen!!!

Each Peach, Pear, Plum
Jarah's current hands down favorite activity is reading this little rhyming book (that his Mama loved as a wee one too!). I only have to say "Each Peach, Pear, Plum" and he starts to squeal.



Hikes
We are loving the family hikes in our household lately. The Grandparents Holmes brought out a swanky Macpac hiking backpack and our little buddy can't get enough of it. Chum likes the wind on his face, the jungley bush, and don't forget the all-important hiking snack.


Mama and Chum at Mahaulepu



Poppa and Jarah on Pihea Trail in Kokee State Park (and yeah...about Nick's hair of late...)


The "No-Cry" Sleep Solution

Planning a vacation to Big Island and Maui (haven't bought the tickets, made a single plan and are aiming to fly out in about 10 days, woo hoo to last minute)

Spicy argula and buttery avocados at Kalaheo Farmers Markets

Chum learning to stand better every day

Breakfast for dinner

Sons of Anarchy & House (two current t.v addictions)

Getting ready to hand in my thesis!!!


WHAT'S NOT HOT:

Our kitchen floor which desperately needs a good mop

The pile of laundry waiting to be sorted

60% humidity and no trade winds

Video games on I-Touch (I am going to break Nick's soon)

Buying a hand of bananas that refuse to ripen

Chum's prickly heat rash

Changing Winds

The winds are up again...feels slightly, just slightly cooler. Finally drying off our sweat-drenched top lips and making it possible to put on clothing around the house again. A welcome relief to hear the autumn rain dancing on the roof and the windows rattle in the night.

Change is in the air! Yahoooo!

Photo Evidence

So while Chum has yet to replicate his weekend steps, here is the evidence captured by Grandad Holmes!




Special time with Daddy at Hanalei Bay...



Loving Salt Pond's baby beach

Chum is a little water baby, while the big waves make him nervous, there is nothing better for him in the world than a handful of wet sand in the shallows. I love this beach bum with his fat little guava opu (belly) so, so much