I am so proud of my 12 year old!
He is one of the neatest kids I have ever met.
He just started his new school 2 weeks ago, and is already running for student body VP.
To prepare, he had to write a speech (I helped him).
We told him he should memorize it, being that he has no problem reading something a few times, and knowing it by heart.
We thought that would make an impression on the kids and teachers listening.
He sat down and in about an hour or two, he had it down pat.
We practiced in our living room over and over.
At one point, we were all having a laughing fit, for no apparent reason.
It took about 10 times of trying to get it recorded, because one of us (Joe, Jalen or I) would laugh, which in turn would make him laugh and mess up:)
Hallie just sat there chugging her milky, and looking at us like we were crazy!
He finally did it without laughing.
<<insert video, freakin' blogger won't let me..grrr( I will try later )>>
Jalen did a great job on his speech at school , and got many compliments from teachers and students.
He felt it was going to be a close race, being that there was a 6th grader, 7th grader(Jalen), and an 8th grader.
He had lots of kids who came up to him and told him he did a good job and that they voted for him.
There was also those kids who said they were going to vote for Jade, the 8th grade girl running.
He said it was between him or Jade.
So, the results are in......
Unfortunately, he didn't win:(
Gosh darn it!
Joe and I were so pumped that he had the guts to try out for such a thing, and did SO good on his speech.
BUT, we also feel it is a great learning experience, and that someday, good things will come his way.
He has a knack for talking in front of people, and is very well spoken.
WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU J-BIRD!!
You get an A for effort:)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Just another day in paradise:)
Today was a great Sunday, and its not over yet.
Hallie woke up at around 7:30, and Joe got up with her.
I slept until about 8:45, when I woke up after a weird dream of being at McDonalds.
I was buying a smoothie, biscuits n gravy, water, hash browns, and a coffee for Joe.
I kept thinking, "why am I getting crappy McDonald's"?!?
"why does Joe want coffee, when he knows it messes with his system"?!?
Then, the cashier guy, led me to a locked door that only McDonald's employees could enter.
Behind the doors, was an amazing department store, with anything and everything you could want.
Then I woke up...
It was a very cool, crisp morning today.
I put on my pajama pants and a sweatshirt.
We have noticed the past few night, its been very cold at night.
So cold, we are all 3 wrapped up together in our down comforter.
Hallie doesn't like to sleep with anything but a diaper, so I try and snuggle her as much as possible.
The mornings here are the most beautiful part of the day, in my opinion.
The cool air is a great break from the hot afternoon sun.
I'm not usually a morning person, but in Hawaii I don't seem to mind getting up and around.
When I came downstairs, Joe and Hallie were just playing around on the floor.
Hallie came right over to me, and wanted me.
I scooped her up and gave her a big ol' good morning hug!
Joe and I chatted for a bit about our plans for the day, and he was off to go run on the beach.
I woke J-bird up, and told him to get ready for church!
We have never been to church as a family before.
Joe is not the most spiritual person on the planet, and definitely not religious.
I was pleased when he brought up wanting to go try out this cute church in Hanalei.
So, I started pumping, all the while I was making toast, brushed my teeth, and ordering Jalen around to help me out. lol
BTW..its not a "hand's free" pump, so I had to hold it up to me, carry around the pump, AND get things done.
I didn't want to be late.
We were out the door, and on our way to meet Joe at church.
As we arrived, there were many people who you could tell were visitors.
They were taking lots of pictures of the church, inside and out.
The dress was very casual, one guy even wearing a tank top and sunglasses.
This church was built in 1884, and is the prettiest church Ive ever been to.
The back drop is like nothing you have ever seen before.
As we entered and picked a seat in the back, we watched as the lady who greeted us pulled on the thick rope to ring the church bell.
Right away, they started playing Hawaiian music and instruments.
They then had everyone who was new, stand and say their name and where they were from.
Joe told them our names, and where we moved from.
Oddly enough, there were 2 other groups there from Kansas.
The service was very laid back, and the songs were sang partly in Hawaiian and partly in English.
It was very cool.
Jalen got invited to go off with the kids to Sunday school, which he enjoyed alot.
They got to sew a bing bag, and next week they will learn to juggle them.
I walked around alot outside with Hallie, as you can imagine she was not wanting to sit.
After the service, many people came up to us and introduced their selves.
It felt good to know they were so welcoming and nice.
The feel of community here is awesome!
We will be going back next week.
After that, we headed over to Harvest Market (the natural food store) to get smoothies, and some food for Hallie.
We sat outside in the shade and filled our bellies.
Joe got an avocado, carrots, sprouts, and tomato sandwich.
I got a smoothie and some pirate booty.
Jalen got a burger from Bubba Burgers.
And Hallie Rose got a little of it all, except the burger (we do not give her meat often, especially red meat)
Its amazing what a little food can do for the body!
We were energized and ready to head on over to the beach.
Jalen wanted to boogie board, and Hallie was ready to play in the sand.
The waves were pretty big, so we couldn't get Hallie in.
Her and I only stayed for about 30-45 minutes, until she was fussy.
When asked "do you wanna go bye-bye"?
She shook her head "yes"..
So off we went....
She fell asleep on the ride home, after eating a bunch of pirate booty (a popcorn snack), and drinking some milk.
She is still asleep, I'm blogging, and the boys are downstairs in the studio watching a movie.
Jalen is going to make us an appetizer tonight.
From what he has told me, it sounds like a creamy artichoke dip.
I cant wait to try it!
He made meatless tacos last night, with our help.
He picked out this meatless ground veggie stuff, which was a shock to me since he is usually so against trying those products.
It was SO good!!!
Tasted like meat, but had kind of a veggie yummy flavor to it.
We all were a fan.
After dinner (or should I say DURING dinner), we got out a new toy food set for Sugar Bear.
She LOVED it and made her "happy face" when we showed it to her.
She therefore did not want anything to do with eating her real food..lol
Its made by Melissa and Doug brand, is all wooden, non-toxic, and MADE IN THE USA!!
All of the pieces velcro together, so she can pretend like she is cutting up veggie or bread with her wooden knife.
Smiles and laughter is what we get every time we help her do it.
She played with it for hours, until it was time for bed.
Later this afternoon when Hallie wakes up, her and I will go take our shower (outside), and we will all probably just hang around and enjoy the rest of our Sunday evening.
I guess you could say, today is just another day in paradise:)
Hallie woke up at around 7:30, and Joe got up with her.
I slept until about 8:45, when I woke up after a weird dream of being at McDonalds.
I was buying a smoothie, biscuits n gravy, water, hash browns, and a coffee for Joe.
I kept thinking, "why am I getting crappy McDonald's"?!?
"why does Joe want coffee, when he knows it messes with his system"?!?
Then, the cashier guy, led me to a locked door that only McDonald's employees could enter.
Behind the doors, was an amazing department store, with anything and everything you could want.
Then I woke up...
It was a very cool, crisp morning today.
I put on my pajama pants and a sweatshirt.
We have noticed the past few night, its been very cold at night.
So cold, we are all 3 wrapped up together in our down comforter.
Hallie doesn't like to sleep with anything but a diaper, so I try and snuggle her as much as possible.
The mornings here are the most beautiful part of the day, in my opinion.
The cool air is a great break from the hot afternoon sun.
I'm not usually a morning person, but in Hawaii I don't seem to mind getting up and around.
When I came downstairs, Joe and Hallie were just playing around on the floor.
Hallie came right over to me, and wanted me.
I scooped her up and gave her a big ol' good morning hug!
Joe and I chatted for a bit about our plans for the day, and he was off to go run on the beach.
I woke J-bird up, and told him to get ready for church!
We have never been to church as a family before.
Joe is not the most spiritual person on the planet, and definitely not religious.
I was pleased when he brought up wanting to go try out this cute church in Hanalei.
So, I started pumping, all the while I was making toast, brushed my teeth, and ordering Jalen around to help me out. lol
BTW..its not a "hand's free" pump, so I had to hold it up to me, carry around the pump, AND get things done.
I didn't want to be late.
We were out the door, and on our way to meet Joe at church.
As we arrived, there were many people who you could tell were visitors.
They were taking lots of pictures of the church, inside and out.
The dress was very casual, one guy even wearing a tank top and sunglasses.
This church was built in 1884, and is the prettiest church Ive ever been to.
The back drop is like nothing you have ever seen before.
As we entered and picked a seat in the back, we watched as the lady who greeted us pulled on the thick rope to ring the church bell.
Right away, they started playing Hawaiian music and instruments.
They then had everyone who was new, stand and say their name and where they were from.
Joe told them our names, and where we moved from.
Oddly enough, there were 2 other groups there from Kansas.
The service was very laid back, and the songs were sang partly in Hawaiian and partly in English.
It was very cool.
Jalen got invited to go off with the kids to Sunday school, which he enjoyed alot.
They got to sew a bing bag, and next week they will learn to juggle them.
I walked around alot outside with Hallie, as you can imagine she was not wanting to sit.
After the service, many people came up to us and introduced their selves.
It felt good to know they were so welcoming and nice.
The feel of community here is awesome!
We will be going back next week.
After that, we headed over to Harvest Market (the natural food store) to get smoothies, and some food for Hallie.
We sat outside in the shade and filled our bellies.
Joe got an avocado, carrots, sprouts, and tomato sandwich.
I got a smoothie and some pirate booty.
Jalen got a burger from Bubba Burgers.
And Hallie Rose got a little of it all, except the burger (we do not give her meat often, especially red meat)
Its amazing what a little food can do for the body!
We were energized and ready to head on over to the beach.
Jalen wanted to boogie board, and Hallie was ready to play in the sand.
The waves were pretty big, so we couldn't get Hallie in.
Her and I only stayed for about 30-45 minutes, until she was fussy.
When asked "do you wanna go bye-bye"?
She shook her head "yes"..
So off we went....
She fell asleep on the ride home, after eating a bunch of pirate booty (a popcorn snack), and drinking some milk.
She is still asleep, I'm blogging, and the boys are downstairs in the studio watching a movie.
Jalen is going to make us an appetizer tonight.
From what he has told me, it sounds like a creamy artichoke dip.
I cant wait to try it!
He made meatless tacos last night, with our help.
He picked out this meatless ground veggie stuff, which was a shock to me since he is usually so against trying those products.
It was SO good!!!
Tasted like meat, but had kind of a veggie yummy flavor to it.
We all were a fan.
After dinner (or should I say DURING dinner), we got out a new toy food set for Sugar Bear.
She LOVED it and made her "happy face" when we showed it to her.
She therefore did not want anything to do with eating her real food..lol
Its made by Melissa and Doug brand, is all wooden, non-toxic, and MADE IN THE USA!!
All of the pieces velcro together, so she can pretend like she is cutting up veggie or bread with her wooden knife.
Smiles and laughter is what we get every time we help her do it.
She played with it for hours, until it was time for bed.
Later this afternoon when Hallie wakes up, her and I will go take our shower (outside), and we will all probably just hang around and enjoy the rest of our Sunday evening.
I guess you could say, today is just another day in paradise:)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
milky, change and an update on Sugar Bear..
The milk finally arrived!
After running around, calling people, and finally getting all the right supplies, My Mom sent our box of breast milk off with the UPS delivery guy in hopes that it would arrive safely.
The cost was outrageous!
I guess being that it weighed over 30 lbs, and was to be sent overnight, they felt the need to charge an arm and a leg.
We bit the bullet, paid the $600 and waited....
It took 2 days from the time they picked it up, to the time it arrived on my doorstep.
Joe anxiously ran out and helped the UPS guy get it off the truck.
We video taped the opening of the box, and thank God, it was all still frozen solid!
There was only a tiny sliver of dry ice left in the styrofoam cooler.
We now have a freezer full of frozen donated breast milk, and are happy as can be!
Of course, the day it arrived, I got a message on facebook from a mama on Maui that has milk she is willing to give to us.
Wouldn't ya know?
I have been searching high and low, with no luck of a milk donor in Hawaii.
As soon as we pay a butt load of money, and have some shipped all the way from Kansas, I get a reply.
Oh well, I guess that for whatever reason we were meant to have that milk shipped.
We actually did really need it, because although I was contacted by a girl on Maui, she only has 50 oz right now, but is going to continue pumping for us and we will arrange a pick-up in about a month or so.
Then, about 2 days later, another girl contacted me.
She is on Ohau, and has about 100 oz to donate.
Her friend is coming to Kauai in the next few weeks, and will bring it with her.
I swear, the world works in mysterious ways!
I'm just happy to have milk for my baby, and feel so grateful to the women who so graciously donate.
We have still been giving it to little Hallie Rosebud sparingly (well kinda), and trying to push more foods and water.
She ate a ton of pasta today for lunch, and kept making an "mmmm" sound the whole time she was stuffing it in.
She then took down 4 oz of milky, and fell asleep.
We are going to make the 1 hour drive to Island School (Jalen's school) this evening for a fundraising event.
I am volunteering at the 7th grade game, which is the 2 liter ring toss.
I thought this might be a way to get to know some of the kids and maybe even parents.
Jalen has started a robotics after school class, which he loves!
The first day he said his group wasn't serious enough about it, and were goofing off more than building the robot.
Luckily, the 2nd day, he switched groups, and had a much better experience.
The only downfall is, we have to go pick him up at 5pm, all the way at his school.
We just got a 2nd car yesterday, so it will definitely make things easier.
Joe will be able to go get him, or I can go without Hallie.
Its just way to long for her to have to be stuck in that car seat.
Joe and I have both been running on the beach the past few mornings.
Yes Joe, who hates working out, is running on the beach and actually liking it!
He drops Jalen off at the bus stop at 6:35am, then heads over to Hanalei Bay Beach.
When he gets home, I go.
I am sore today from my run yesterday. Its amazing how many more muscles you use running on the sand compared to running on the street or treadmill.
We hope to keep it up!
Just a little update on our little Sugar Bear..munchkin..boo boo..love bug...
~her yellow breast milk poop, has just recently turned into "big people poop", and she is NOT happy about it...haha, sorry if that was TMI:)
~she loves dogs. makes the high pitched squeal every time she spots one.
~she loves her smoothies. we give them to her in a cup with a lid and straw. she drinks it down!
~she can say "daddy, mama(or sometimes mommy, but not often), "day" (jay)
~she signs "more" and "milk"
~when we ask her if she wants to go to the beach, she shakes her head "YES"!
~she has her top 2 teeth and bottom 2 (more are going to be coming through soon, I can see them buldging)
~she loves water~bath, hose, baby pool out back, ocean..
~she hardly ever gets to take a bath, because we always take an outside shower together. daddy sometimes comes down to help wash her, and then wraps her up in a towel(which she loves)
~she loves this new coconut mix stuff we recently bought at the health food store. its called Laughing Giraffe, and they have different flavors. she signs "more" any time we give her some
~her favorite foods are smoothies, toast with butter, peanut butter, or almond butter, scrambled eggs, yogurt, black beans, pinto beans, and brown (or white) rice.
She is a dream baby and we still pinch ourselves everyday!
Joe and I are very happy, and in a great place in our lives right now.
We feel so blessed to have the 2 most awesome kiddos, living our dream in Hawaii, and happily married:)
After running around, calling people, and finally getting all the right supplies, My Mom sent our box of breast milk off with the UPS delivery guy in hopes that it would arrive safely.
The cost was outrageous!
I guess being that it weighed over 30 lbs, and was to be sent overnight, they felt the need to charge an arm and a leg.
We bit the bullet, paid the $600 and waited....
It took 2 days from the time they picked it up, to the time it arrived on my doorstep.
Joe anxiously ran out and helped the UPS guy get it off the truck.
We video taped the opening of the box, and thank God, it was all still frozen solid!
There was only a tiny sliver of dry ice left in the styrofoam cooler.
We now have a freezer full of frozen donated breast milk, and are happy as can be!
Of course, the day it arrived, I got a message on facebook from a mama on Maui that has milk she is willing to give to us.
Wouldn't ya know?
I have been searching high and low, with no luck of a milk donor in Hawaii.
As soon as we pay a butt load of money, and have some shipped all the way from Kansas, I get a reply.
Oh well, I guess that for whatever reason we were meant to have that milk shipped.
We actually did really need it, because although I was contacted by a girl on Maui, she only has 50 oz right now, but is going to continue pumping for us and we will arrange a pick-up in about a month or so.
Then, about 2 days later, another girl contacted me.
She is on Ohau, and has about 100 oz to donate.
Her friend is coming to Kauai in the next few weeks, and will bring it with her.
I swear, the world works in mysterious ways!
I'm just happy to have milk for my baby, and feel so grateful to the women who so graciously donate.
We have still been giving it to little Hallie Rosebud sparingly (well kinda), and trying to push more foods and water.
She ate a ton of pasta today for lunch, and kept making an "mmmm" sound the whole time she was stuffing it in.
She then took down 4 oz of milky, and fell asleep.
We are going to make the 1 hour drive to Island School (Jalen's school) this evening for a fundraising event.
I am volunteering at the 7th grade game, which is the 2 liter ring toss.
I thought this might be a way to get to know some of the kids and maybe even parents.
Jalen has started a robotics after school class, which he loves!
The first day he said his group wasn't serious enough about it, and were goofing off more than building the robot.
Luckily, the 2nd day, he switched groups, and had a much better experience.
The only downfall is, we have to go pick him up at 5pm, all the way at his school.
We just got a 2nd car yesterday, so it will definitely make things easier.
Joe will be able to go get him, or I can go without Hallie.
Its just way to long for her to have to be stuck in that car seat.
Joe and I have both been running on the beach the past few mornings.
Yes Joe, who hates working out, is running on the beach and actually liking it!
He drops Jalen off at the bus stop at 6:35am, then heads over to Hanalei Bay Beach.
When he gets home, I go.
I am sore today from my run yesterday. Its amazing how many more muscles you use running on the sand compared to running on the street or treadmill.
We hope to keep it up!
Just a little update on our little Sugar Bear..munchkin..boo boo..love bug...
~her yellow breast milk poop, has just recently turned into "big people poop", and she is NOT happy about it...haha, sorry if that was TMI:)
~she loves dogs. makes the high pitched squeal every time she spots one.
~she loves her smoothies. we give them to her in a cup with a lid and straw. she drinks it down!
~she can say "daddy, mama(or sometimes mommy, but not often), "day" (jay)
~she signs "more" and "milk"
~when we ask her if she wants to go to the beach, she shakes her head "YES"!
~she has her top 2 teeth and bottom 2 (more are going to be coming through soon, I can see them buldging)
~she loves water~bath, hose, baby pool out back, ocean..
~she hardly ever gets to take a bath, because we always take an outside shower together. daddy sometimes comes down to help wash her, and then wraps her up in a towel(which she loves)
~she loves this new coconut mix stuff we recently bought at the health food store. its called Laughing Giraffe, and they have different flavors. she signs "more" any time we give her some
~her favorite foods are smoothies, toast with butter, peanut butter, or almond butter, scrambled eggs, yogurt, black beans, pinto beans, and brown (or white) rice.
She is a dream baby and we still pinch ourselves everyday!
Joe and I are very happy, and in a great place in our lives right now.
We feel so blessed to have the 2 most awesome kiddos, living our dream in Hawaii, and happily married:)
Monday, September 19, 2011
Got breast milk?
For the past few weeks, we have been running low on our "liquid gold".
Or should I say, Hallie's life line?
We came to the islands, with 2 coolers packed to the brim with donated breast milk.
We emptied out our deep freeze, and even added to it some that a local donor in Kansas had given us just days prior to leaving.
Well, we are down to about 28 bags of frozen breast milk left.
I get a nervous tummy even thinking about it.
Hallie loves her milk. And we love feeding it to her.
I am still pumping twice a day, and producing about 10 oz/day.
I feel really good about that, but it just isn't enough.
She drinks 4 oz bottles, and on a low intake day, will want at least 5 bottles in a 24 hour period.
It is not only her nutrition, but a comfort for her when she goes to sleep.
She likes to suck and likes her belly full.
I even feed her sometimes a few ounces in the middle of a nap, and it most definitely keeps her asleep for at least another hour.
Not only are we running low on the frozen breast milk, I recently ran low on my domperidone, the medication I take to produce milk.
So, I ordered more, but unfortunately ran out while waiting for it to come.
Those few days were kind of stressful for me.
I didn't want my milk to dry up, and I knew we were running low on the frozen.
My domperidone finally came, and I am back in the game. I'm pumping right now, as I type, and usually get around 4 oz.
I'm hoping my supply will increase over the next few days.
I finally found a donor in Kansas, and so my gracious Mom went and met her to pick up the milk.
She then did all the research and running around to get it prepared to ship to Hawaii.
It is supposed to go out today.
THANKS MAMA!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
Luckily, Hallie is starting to eat more and more food.
We have been offering her food since she was like 6 or 8 months old, but she just never really showed any interest.
She would just suck on certain things, or throw it on the floor.
Just this week, she started actually gumming the food, and swallowing a substantial amount of it.
Some of her favorites are black beans, brown rice, yogurt, raisins, dry cereal, fruit, and she LOVES smoothies!!
We put so much good stuff in our home made smoothies, so it makes me feel really good when she drinks up a glass of it!
I know things will work out just the way they are supposed to, but it makes me really nervous when my Sugar Bear isn't eating alot of food, and her milk supply is dwindling.
I have just been trying to stay calm, and say a prayer that God helps everything work out~ so that we have a happy baby. Not a hungry, "I want my milky" baby..
We are trying to cut back on the milk, and make a push towards more water and food.
She is receiving it fairly well.
She still loves her milky, and will point to it and baby talk, as if to say "I really really want some milk, so if you could please get me some that would make me really happy"!
When we get it for her, she smiles, and walks around with one hand on the end of the bottle, drinking away! (she is holding her own bottle most of the time now)
SMOOTHIE RECIPE
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
1 cup frozen organic mango
1 organic banana
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/2 cup plain non-fat organic yogurt
heaping full of raw organic honey
1-2 T organic cinnamon applesauce, or dash of cinnamon
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp seeds
1 big handful of organic spinach leaves (or any type of lettuce, but spinach is the best)
fill almost to top of fruit with cold water, and blend on high until smooth and creamy!!
I like to pour in a big tall glass, and add some frozen blueberries on the top...its delish!!
Our family absolutely loves our smoothies, and we even have them for dinner sometimes if we are not very hungry, or maybe had a late lunch.
This recipe will make alot, so be ready to share with friends and family. If there is leftovers, just leave in blender (or pour in a glass), and stick it in the fridge for later.
Happy smoothie drinking:)
Or should I say, Hallie's life line?
We came to the islands, with 2 coolers packed to the brim with donated breast milk.
We emptied out our deep freeze, and even added to it some that a local donor in Kansas had given us just days prior to leaving.
Well, we are down to about 28 bags of frozen breast milk left.
I get a nervous tummy even thinking about it.
Hallie loves her milk. And we love feeding it to her.
I am still pumping twice a day, and producing about 10 oz/day.
I feel really good about that, but it just isn't enough.
She drinks 4 oz bottles, and on a low intake day, will want at least 5 bottles in a 24 hour period.
It is not only her nutrition, but a comfort for her when she goes to sleep.
She likes to suck and likes her belly full.
I even feed her sometimes a few ounces in the middle of a nap, and it most definitely keeps her asleep for at least another hour.
Not only are we running low on the frozen breast milk, I recently ran low on my domperidone, the medication I take to produce milk.
So, I ordered more, but unfortunately ran out while waiting for it to come.
Those few days were kind of stressful for me.
I didn't want my milk to dry up, and I knew we were running low on the frozen.
My domperidone finally came, and I am back in the game. I'm pumping right now, as I type, and usually get around 4 oz.
I'm hoping my supply will increase over the next few days.
I finally found a donor in Kansas, and so my gracious Mom went and met her to pick up the milk.
She then did all the research and running around to get it prepared to ship to Hawaii.
It is supposed to go out today.
THANKS MAMA!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
Luckily, Hallie is starting to eat more and more food.
We have been offering her food since she was like 6 or 8 months old, but she just never really showed any interest.
She would just suck on certain things, or throw it on the floor.
Just this week, she started actually gumming the food, and swallowing a substantial amount of it.
Some of her favorites are black beans, brown rice, yogurt, raisins, dry cereal, fruit, and she LOVES smoothies!!
We put so much good stuff in our home made smoothies, so it makes me feel really good when she drinks up a glass of it!
I know things will work out just the way they are supposed to, but it makes me really nervous when my Sugar Bear isn't eating alot of food, and her milk supply is dwindling.
I have just been trying to stay calm, and say a prayer that God helps everything work out~ so that we have a happy baby. Not a hungry, "I want my milky" baby..
We are trying to cut back on the milk, and make a push towards more water and food.
She is receiving it fairly well.
She still loves her milky, and will point to it and baby talk, as if to say "I really really want some milk, so if you could please get me some that would make me really happy"!
When we get it for her, she smiles, and walks around with one hand on the end of the bottle, drinking away! (she is holding her own bottle most of the time now)
SMOOTHIE RECIPE
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
1 cup frozen organic mango
1 organic banana
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/2 cup plain non-fat organic yogurt
heaping full of raw organic honey
1-2 T organic cinnamon applesauce, or dash of cinnamon
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp seeds
1 big handful of organic spinach leaves (or any type of lettuce, but spinach is the best)
fill almost to top of fruit with cold water, and blend on high until smooth and creamy!!
I like to pour in a big tall glass, and add some frozen blueberries on the top...its delish!!
Our family absolutely loves our smoothies, and we even have them for dinner sometimes if we are not very hungry, or maybe had a late lunch.
This recipe will make alot, so be ready to share with friends and family. If there is leftovers, just leave in blender (or pour in a glass), and stick it in the fridge for later.
Happy smoothie drinking:)
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Weekend update
Today was a good day.
We hung around the house for most of the morning, then to my protest, we had to get out of the house!
Joe mentioned that there was a waterfall on the property of the farm he is working at that we have access to.
We packed up our water, Hallie's diapers, bottles, snacks, and headed out!
It took us about 20 minutes to get there, but boy was it worth it!
The landscaping was beautiful!
We walked down a small hill, and over a wooden bridge.
There it was.
The first waterfall we have been to since arriving to the islands..
We hiked over to it, and of course, wanted to get as close as possible.
Not so easy when your toting around a 1 year old:)
Joe was pretty determined though.
Since I haven't had very good luck with my balance and walking to waterfalls (wink, wink Jalen and Joe), we decided he should carry Sugar Bear.
We made our way over to the falls, and I took Hallie, while Jalen and Joe went and got under the water.
It was a little brisk, and started raining on us.
I held her close to keep her warm as we sat on the rocks and watched Daddy and bro bro.
After a few minutes we decided to go down stream where it was more calm.
Joe and Hallie walked on the grass, while Jalen talked me into floating down stream with him.
It was a rough ride.
We both had a flotation device (donkey and a ring), although the water was only like a foot deep.
Man, I tell ya what, it was a workout!
Not to mention how beat up I got.
There was lots of screaming, laughter, and Oh my Gods!!
We made it, but not without a few scratches.
When we finally left there, we were really hungry, as it was 1:30.
First we wanted to stop at the Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market and get some Ono for dinner..yum yum..
After that, we went to the Hanalei Cafe, and I ran in and got us food.
Hallie was asleep in the car, so we got it and drove home.
Felt good to get out and about with my little family!!
SATURDAY
Yesterday we went to the Hanalei Farmers Market.
Just Joe, Hallie Rose, and I..Jalen wanted to sleep in.
Its apparent he is hitting his pre teen years with the amount of sleep he has been wanting to get lately:)
As we arrived, the parking lot was packed.
We got there just 10 minutes after it opened, thinking we were gonna be the early birds..I guess others had the same thought.
We immediately bought some sweet Kauai corn, 2 cucumbers, and 2 zucchini..I was feeling the need to buy right away because it was so busy.
Ends up, we didn't need to rush, as there was alot to offer.
We had a really good time.
Walking around, looking at the different unique fruits, and sampling some.
We sipped on a smoothie, and Halllie munched on some gluten free pizza crust (she has finally been eating more food, yayy Hallie Rose)
By the time we left, we had a bag full of yummy fruits and vegetables, and even a funky home made pizza (for Joe)
We will definitely be going back next Saturday!!
So far, we are settling in very well here.
We love the lifestyle, weather and nice people.
I think it is going to really open our minds up to new things, and bring us closer as a family.
We might even be attending CHURCH next weekend, at the cutest little church in Hanalei..also, yoga and meditation..if that doesn't say change and open minded, I don't know what does...
<3 Ahhhh....life is good! <3
We hung around the house for most of the morning, then to my protest, we had to get out of the house!
Joe mentioned that there was a waterfall on the property of the farm he is working at that we have access to.
We packed up our water, Hallie's diapers, bottles, snacks, and headed out!
It took us about 20 minutes to get there, but boy was it worth it!
The landscaping was beautiful!
We walked down a small hill, and over a wooden bridge.
There it was.
The first waterfall we have been to since arriving to the islands..
We hiked over to it, and of course, wanted to get as close as possible.
Not so easy when your toting around a 1 year old:)
Joe was pretty determined though.
Since I haven't had very good luck with my balance and walking to waterfalls (wink, wink Jalen and Joe), we decided he should carry Sugar Bear.
We made our way over to the falls, and I took Hallie, while Jalen and Joe went and got under the water.
It was a little brisk, and started raining on us.
I held her close to keep her warm as we sat on the rocks and watched Daddy and bro bro.
After a few minutes we decided to go down stream where it was more calm.
Joe and Hallie walked on the grass, while Jalen talked me into floating down stream with him.
It was a rough ride.
We both had a flotation device (donkey and a ring), although the water was only like a foot deep.
Man, I tell ya what, it was a workout!
Not to mention how beat up I got.
There was lots of screaming, laughter, and Oh my Gods!!
We made it, but not without a few scratches.
When we finally left there, we were really hungry, as it was 1:30.
First we wanted to stop at the Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market and get some Ono for dinner..yum yum..
After that, we went to the Hanalei Cafe, and I ran in and got us food.
Hallie was asleep in the car, so we got it and drove home.
Felt good to get out and about with my little family!!
SATURDAY
Yesterday we went to the Hanalei Farmers Market.
Just Joe, Hallie Rose, and I..Jalen wanted to sleep in.
Its apparent he is hitting his pre teen years with the amount of sleep he has been wanting to get lately:)
As we arrived, the parking lot was packed.
We got there just 10 minutes after it opened, thinking we were gonna be the early birds..I guess others had the same thought.
We immediately bought some sweet Kauai corn, 2 cucumbers, and 2 zucchini..I was feeling the need to buy right away because it was so busy.
Ends up, we didn't need to rush, as there was alot to offer.
We had a really good time.
Walking around, looking at the different unique fruits, and sampling some.
We sipped on a smoothie, and Halllie munched on some gluten free pizza crust (she has finally been eating more food, yayy Hallie Rose)
By the time we left, we had a bag full of yummy fruits and vegetables, and even a funky home made pizza (for Joe)
We will definitely be going back next Saturday!!
So far, we are settling in very well here.
We love the lifestyle, weather and nice people.
I think it is going to really open our minds up to new things, and bring us closer as a family.
We might even be attending CHURCH next weekend, at the cutest little church in Hanalei..also, yoga and meditation..if that doesn't say change and open minded, I don't know what does...
<3 Ahhhh....life is good! <3
Friday, September 16, 2011
Pesky little critters
The other day, Joe and I were sitting on Jalen's bed with Sugar Bear.
All the sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something..
I looked, and to my despair, I saw my worst Hawaiian nightmare.
It was a CENTIPEDE<<
EEEKKKKK....
I immediately ran and grabbed a flip flop, and handed it to Joe!
The nasty thing was squirming its way across our living room floor.
Joe hit it a few times, and man, that thing did not want to die.
Finally, after hitting it about 10 times, it was dead.
Its legs were all scattered about, so he had to get a wet paper towel to clean up the mess.
I just sat there with Hallie, watching in horror.
My SIL, Rachel, said, "centipedes are cute"!...
Ummmm, NO Rachel, caterpillars are cute..centipedes are scary!!
Ive heard that they have a very mean bite!
They have these fang like things, that they stick into you, and release a venom.
From what I have read and heard, they are only poisonous if you are allergic to them.
Kinda like a bee.
But, I have also heard it hurts REALLY bad!
My worst fear is one biting Hallie or Jalen....or ME! lol
I check my bed every time I get in it, and I have made Joe promise to also start checking it before getting in with Hallie Rose.
Later that night, Joe went to use the bathroom in the downstairs apartment, and what do ya know, there goes another one crawling across the freakin' floor!
Now, I lived in Hawaii for 6 months a while ago, and cleaned houses while I was here.
I only came across a centipede 1 time.
Luckily, I had a guy there to help get it.
This time around, we are living up in the rain forest/jungle though, and my concern is that there are more up here.
So, the past few nights, I have not slept well at all.
I'm afraid to straighten my legs in the bed, for fear one is going to be at the bottom of the bed.
I lay there thinking about how I just want to go back home to Kansas, where I'm safe in my bed at my clean, bug free, Slater home.
Oh, did I mention that they are NOCTURNAL?!?
Of course, I wake up in the morning, and I laugh at myself for being so paranoid, and realize that I'm in paradise, and I do not want to be back in Kansas in my comfy bed.
I want to be here, enjoying Kauai with my awesome husband and kids.
I tell myself that I need to not think about them, or that will attract more.
Which I whole heatedly believe.
I just pray to God that he keeps them far far away from me and my family!!
I don't mind the little gecko lizards crawling all over the house.
They are cute, and don't bother me at all.
The ants, roaches(which I have yet to come across, but I know they are there), and other bugs are all fine and dandy.
If only there were no centipedes in Hawaii, it would be the most perfect place in the world.
There is no such thing as perfect, though............
All the sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something..
I looked, and to my despair, I saw my worst Hawaiian nightmare.
It was a CENTIPEDE<<
EEEKKKKK....
I immediately ran and grabbed a flip flop, and handed it to Joe!
The nasty thing was squirming its way across our living room floor.
Joe hit it a few times, and man, that thing did not want to die.
Finally, after hitting it about 10 times, it was dead.
Its legs were all scattered about, so he had to get a wet paper towel to clean up the mess.
I just sat there with Hallie, watching in horror.
My SIL, Rachel, said, "centipedes are cute"!...
Ummmm, NO Rachel, caterpillars are cute..centipedes are scary!!
Ive heard that they have a very mean bite!
They have these fang like things, that they stick into you, and release a venom.
From what I have read and heard, they are only poisonous if you are allergic to them.
Kinda like a bee.
But, I have also heard it hurts REALLY bad!
My worst fear is one biting Hallie or Jalen....or ME! lol
I check my bed every time I get in it, and I have made Joe promise to also start checking it before getting in with Hallie Rose.
Later that night, Joe went to use the bathroom in the downstairs apartment, and what do ya know, there goes another one crawling across the freakin' floor!
Now, I lived in Hawaii for 6 months a while ago, and cleaned houses while I was here.
I only came across a centipede 1 time.
Luckily, I had a guy there to help get it.
This time around, we are living up in the rain forest/jungle though, and my concern is that there are more up here.
So, the past few nights, I have not slept well at all.
I'm afraid to straighten my legs in the bed, for fear one is going to be at the bottom of the bed.
I lay there thinking about how I just want to go back home to Kansas, where I'm safe in my bed at my clean, bug free, Slater home.
Oh, did I mention that they are NOCTURNAL?!?
Of course, I wake up in the morning, and I laugh at myself for being so paranoid, and realize that I'm in paradise, and I do not want to be back in Kansas in my comfy bed.
I want to be here, enjoying Kauai with my awesome husband and kids.
I tell myself that I need to not think about them, or that will attract more.
Which I whole heatedly believe.
I just pray to God that he keeps them far far away from me and my family!!
I don't mind the little gecko lizards crawling all over the house.
They are cute, and don't bother me at all.
The ants, roaches(which I have yet to come across, but I know they are there), and other bugs are all fine and dandy.
If only there were no centipedes in Hawaii, it would be the most perfect place in the world.
There is no such thing as perfect, though............
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Home away from home
Well, we finally found "the one"..
We were hoping to find a home in the location of our dreams, with the amenities that we wanted.
After looking on Craigs List from Maui, we came across one that looked nice and was within our price range.
Joe called on it.
The woman he talked to was name Kay, and she is the owner.
She and her husband are living in California, off the grid, which means they have no electricity, but are completely sustainable on their own. I'm not sure about running water, but I would assume they HAVE to have it..??
They are building a community of small pods of which are "off the grid" also.
Joe had a good, long conversation with her about her home on Kauai.
He was very excited when he got off the phone with her, although I could tell he was trying to contain it.
After all, we were still on Maui and hadn't even seen the place yet.
She explained that the home was built by her husband Sam, who is a home builder.
They used mostly recycled materials, and were looking to rent it long-term to someone who was "green-minded".
The bottom level is a separate studio apartment, with a queen size bed, full kitchen, and an outside shower(Joe's dream)
The middle level is the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and 2nd bedroom (Jalen's room)
Then, the top level, which is accessed from the outside, is a huge master bedroom, with a king size bed. Perfect for Joe, Hallie Rose, and I!!
The house is tucked away in the mountainous region of beautiful Kauai's North Shore.
It is completely surrounded by lush greenery, avocado trees, papaya trees, lemon trees, and passion fruit trees.
It is 1/2 mile from the ocean, and about 1 mile from a piece of property that Kay also owns, which is located on a private beach.
There is no home on that piece of property, and we would be allowed to use it for our own entertainment!
The home for rent is at the end of a dirt road, and is very secluded.
Just what we were looking for!!
So, without even seeing the property, we already wanted it!!!!!
She promised us that she wouldn't rent it to anyone else, and would give us first dibs.
We anxiously flew to Kauai that next Monday, and headed up to see the home.
As expected, we absolutely love it!
We called her right away and told her WE WANT IT!
She was pleased to have a "green-minded" family to rent her home for the year, and we were pleased that we didn't have to continue looking around for a place to live.
It worked out just about as perfect as we could have asked for.
So, here we are, living our dream.
Perched up in what feels like a big ol' tree house.
As quick as we could say "we want it", our lives have turned into recycling everything we can, composting our scraps, using NO dryer for our clothes and only the clothes line, using the least amount of electricity as possible, no AC, and pretty much living the simple life.
We feel like we should have learned to live like this a long time ago, and that if more people tried to live like this, the world would be a better place for our children and grandchildren.
Moving on.....
The next step was finding a school for Jalen.
He had been out of school for 6 days already, and we had no plans on what we were going to do.
The North Shore of Kauai is very limited on schooling options.
After doing some research and asking around, we came to the realization that we had only 2 options.
Home school him, or send him to Island School, which is a private school located in Lihue.
Its only about 32 miles, but with the 2 lane road that travels there, and the slow drivers on the island, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get there.
It is very pricey, but they offer alot of great stuff.
Their "healthy lunch" program which consist of mostly organic foods, is made from scratch daily. Nothing frozen.
They also offer after school programs such as robotics and scuba diving.
The kids who graduate from there almost all end up going to major Universities.
The school has a great reputation, to say the least...
What to do? What to do?
We wanted him to have social interaction with kids his own age, and the thought of homeschooling him, gave me anxiety.
We decided to call Island School and make an appointment to go talk to them.
The very next day, which was yesterday, Jalen and I drove down for the 9am appointment.
Right off the bat, I got a great feeling from the atmosphere.
Open campus, friendly staff, and just a very laid back, welcoming feel.
The appointment went well, Jalen took a math test, and when we left, he was officially a student at Island School.
He was to start the next day.
Joe and I had talked the night before, and we both agreed that a school setting would be the best fit for Jalen.
We were not looking forward to the long drive to take him there and pick him up everyday, but we were willing to do it if it meant our son would be happy and be getting a good education.
Come to find out, last year some of the parents of the North Shore pitched in and bought the school a small van to transport the kids from the North Shore to the school.
Luckily, there was room for Jalen!
His Dad took him today, and he will ride the bus home.
He said the drive is not a big deal to him, as he has his iPhone to keep him busy. He can listen to music, watch movies or TV shows, or even do his homework if he wants.
Its a beautiful drive also. With the ocean on one side, and the beautiful mountains on the other.
Overall, we are very happy at how things have worked out for us here on Kauai.
They say when you move to Hawaii, the islands either accept you, or chew you up and spit you out!
I would say we are being accepted:)))
Hallie and I took a long walk this morning and it was so nice.
She loved looking at all the beautiful, lush trees and flowers.
We even saw a few dogs along the way, which is a huge plus in her book...
Yesterday was Joe's 35th Birthday!!!
Jalen made him the sweetest picture slide show, which played to music.
It was definitely a tear jerker.
We made signs and hung them up all over the house, and then last night we went to play miniature golf and eat Hanalei pizza, which was a surprise to him.
It was a fun-filled day with my awesome family. I feel like one blessed girl <3
We were hoping to find a home in the location of our dreams, with the amenities that we wanted.
After looking on Craigs List from Maui, we came across one that looked nice and was within our price range.
Joe called on it.
The woman he talked to was name Kay, and she is the owner.
She and her husband are living in California, off the grid, which means they have no electricity, but are completely sustainable on their own. I'm not sure about running water, but I would assume they HAVE to have it..??
They are building a community of small pods of which are "off the grid" also.
Joe had a good, long conversation with her about her home on Kauai.
He was very excited when he got off the phone with her, although I could tell he was trying to contain it.
After all, we were still on Maui and hadn't even seen the place yet.
She explained that the home was built by her husband Sam, who is a home builder.
They used mostly recycled materials, and were looking to rent it long-term to someone who was "green-minded".
The bottom level is a separate studio apartment, with a queen size bed, full kitchen, and an outside shower(Joe's dream)
The middle level is the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and 2nd bedroom (Jalen's room)
Then, the top level, which is accessed from the outside, is a huge master bedroom, with a king size bed. Perfect for Joe, Hallie Rose, and I!!
The house is tucked away in the mountainous region of beautiful Kauai's North Shore.
It is completely surrounded by lush greenery, avocado trees, papaya trees, lemon trees, and passion fruit trees.
It is 1/2 mile from the ocean, and about 1 mile from a piece of property that Kay also owns, which is located on a private beach.
There is no home on that piece of property, and we would be allowed to use it for our own entertainment!
The home for rent is at the end of a dirt road, and is very secluded.
Just what we were looking for!!
So, without even seeing the property, we already wanted it!!!!!
She promised us that she wouldn't rent it to anyone else, and would give us first dibs.
We anxiously flew to Kauai that next Monday, and headed up to see the home.
As expected, we absolutely love it!
We called her right away and told her WE WANT IT!
She was pleased to have a "green-minded" family to rent her home for the year, and we were pleased that we didn't have to continue looking around for a place to live.
It worked out just about as perfect as we could have asked for.
So, here we are, living our dream.
Perched up in what feels like a big ol' tree house.
As quick as we could say "we want it", our lives have turned into recycling everything we can, composting our scraps, using NO dryer for our clothes and only the clothes line, using the least amount of electricity as possible, no AC, and pretty much living the simple life.
We feel like we should have learned to live like this a long time ago, and that if more people tried to live like this, the world would be a better place for our children and grandchildren.
Moving on.....
The next step was finding a school for Jalen.
He had been out of school for 6 days already, and we had no plans on what we were going to do.
The North Shore of Kauai is very limited on schooling options.
After doing some research and asking around, we came to the realization that we had only 2 options.
Home school him, or send him to Island School, which is a private school located in Lihue.
Its only about 32 miles, but with the 2 lane road that travels there, and the slow drivers on the island, it can take 45 minutes to an hour to get there.
It is very pricey, but they offer alot of great stuff.
Their "healthy lunch" program which consist of mostly organic foods, is made from scratch daily. Nothing frozen.
They also offer after school programs such as robotics and scuba diving.
The kids who graduate from there almost all end up going to major Universities.
The school has a great reputation, to say the least...
What to do? What to do?
We wanted him to have social interaction with kids his own age, and the thought of homeschooling him, gave me anxiety.
We decided to call Island School and make an appointment to go talk to them.
The very next day, which was yesterday, Jalen and I drove down for the 9am appointment.
Right off the bat, I got a great feeling from the atmosphere.
Open campus, friendly staff, and just a very laid back, welcoming feel.
The appointment went well, Jalen took a math test, and when we left, he was officially a student at Island School.
He was to start the next day.
Joe and I had talked the night before, and we both agreed that a school setting would be the best fit for Jalen.
We were not looking forward to the long drive to take him there and pick him up everyday, but we were willing to do it if it meant our son would be happy and be getting a good education.
Come to find out, last year some of the parents of the North Shore pitched in and bought the school a small van to transport the kids from the North Shore to the school.
Luckily, there was room for Jalen!
His Dad took him today, and he will ride the bus home.
He said the drive is not a big deal to him, as he has his iPhone to keep him busy. He can listen to music, watch movies or TV shows, or even do his homework if he wants.
Its a beautiful drive also. With the ocean on one side, and the beautiful mountains on the other.
Overall, we are very happy at how things have worked out for us here on Kauai.
They say when you move to Hawaii, the islands either accept you, or chew you up and spit you out!
I would say we are being accepted:)))
Hallie and I took a long walk this morning and it was so nice.
She loved looking at all the beautiful, lush trees and flowers.
We even saw a few dogs along the way, which is a huge plus in her book...
Yesterday was Joe's 35th Birthday!!!
It was definitely a tear jerker.
We made signs and hung them up all over the house, and then last night we went to play miniature golf and eat Hanalei pizza, which was a surprise to him.
It was a fun-filled day with my awesome family. I feel like one blessed girl <3
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Maui Wowie!
So, we made it!
We arrived on Maui 3 days ago. Not sure what to talk about first.
I think I'll start with our crazy trip over here!
So, our car picked us up at 4:15 am, because our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:10am.
Well, our "car" was actually a stretch limo!
Joe wanted to surprise Jalen because he had never ridden in one before. I was surprised too!
We had a toast with our morning smoothie in champagne glasses, to "our big adventure".
Hallie woke up happy, although she didnt sleep well at all the night before.
She was teething and cried on and off all night (atleast it felt like all night)
She didnt like the fact that she couldnt see the lights in the limo, or the boys, because her car seat was rear facing.
We arrived at the airport, and were anxious to get through security because we had 2 coolers of frozen breast milk that we needed a physical check on.
Since we dont like it to go through the x-ray machine(unnecessary radiation), they have to pull it all out, and look through it. It can take a looong time.
We have done this a few times, so when they tell us "but it HAS to go through the x-ray machine"...we tell them, "NO, we know our rights and it doe NOT have to go through the x-ray machine"!
It is considered medication for the baby and is not subject to the x-ray if we do not want it to be.
I posted on Human Milk 4 Human Babies fb page a few days prior to us leaving because we were getting low, and thank goodness, a girl from Shawnee, KS replied and brought over around 400 oz for Hallie Rose! (see milk sharing post if your wondering about donated breast milk)
So, we made it through security, and were ready to start our adventure!!
The first leg of the trip was from Kansas to Denver.
The flight was around 2 hours long.
Hallie slept for about an hour, and Jalen watched a movie on the comp. It was a small plane, which I am not a fan of at all.
The second leg, was from Denver to Phoenix.
That flight was around 2 hours also.
Hallie slept only for about 20 min on that flight.
Overall, those 2 flights were pretty uneventful....compared to our next leg:)
The final leg was from Phoenix to Maui, which was gonna take about 6 hours.
We boarded the plane, and unfortunately, we couldnt all sit together. Jalen sat in front of Joe and I, in the middle of an older couple.
They were not very friendly at all!!
Joe, Hallie and I sat next to a woman who was not very baby friendly at all! It sucked!!!
Everytime Hallie would fuss, she would grimace and breath really deep and loud.
At one point, Hallie was playing with some blue silly putty stuff, and threw a ball of it into the ladies lap.
She freaked, and said "omg, I have on white"..
Her bad energy was definitely being felt by all 3 of us!
No one likes a crying baby on an airplane, especially the parents. But when the person your sitting next to is nice, it makes thing SO much easier!
As if it wasnt stressful enough trying to keep our 1 year old happy and busy on a 6 hour flight, having sucky people to sit next to made it worse.
I was up walking Hallie around, with about 1 hour left.
I saw some commotion up by our seats, and people crowding around.
"Oh no", I thought..."whats happening"...
I rushed up to see what was going on, to find our Jalen had woke up from a nap, and puked all over himself!!!
That never has happened before. He always has made it to the toilet in the past.
So, I handed Hallie to Joe, sent Jalen to the bathroom and started cleaning up...
To make a long story short, the people around us were very rude and unhappy, the flight attendant was rude, and here I am trying to clean up puke.
Not to mention Hallie was fussing because she wanted me!
AND Jalen did not have a change of clothes...
Luckily, there was some nice people on the plane who heard what was going on, and offered up a pair of shorts for Jalen.
He was fine after puking, not sick at all. I said it was probably KARMA...those people were all so rude, unhappy, and mean.
Look what ended up happening to them. They nearly got puked on, and the lady next to us had a fussy baby in her ear for hours.
Then, to top it all off...Hallie pooped. Big time.
As soon as they put us in a row all together, the energy was much better, Hallie was a happy baby, and Jalen was a happy 12 year old.
Man, was I happy to get off that plane, and see beautiful MAUI:)))))
Since being on Maui for a few days, we have come to the realization, that its not the island for us.
It is beautiful, dont get me wrong, but it is way to big and busy for our liking.
We took a vote, and with 100% of the vote, we have decided to move to KAUAI!!!
We love it there.
It is small, intimate, quaint, beautiful, and just what we want in our island life!!
We leave in 2 days, and have been busy searching the internet for a short-term place to stay, rental car, and a long-term place to live.
We are excited to be somewhere we are familiar with, and know we absolutely LOVE!
We have had a good time here on Maui, but we are ready to get our feet planted on an island we can call home for a year.
My hands hurt from typing, so Im gonna go for now.
I will keep you all posted on our adventure to Kauai.
ALOHA!!!!!!!!!
We arrived on Maui 3 days ago. Not sure what to talk about first.
I think I'll start with our crazy trip over here!
So, our car picked us up at 4:15 am, because our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:10am.
Well, our "car" was actually a stretch limo!
Joe wanted to surprise Jalen because he had never ridden in one before. I was surprised too!
We had a toast with our morning smoothie in champagne glasses, to "our big adventure".
Hallie woke up happy, although she didnt sleep well at all the night before.
She was teething and cried on and off all night (atleast it felt like all night)
She didnt like the fact that she couldnt see the lights in the limo, or the boys, because her car seat was rear facing.
We arrived at the airport, and were anxious to get through security because we had 2 coolers of frozen breast milk that we needed a physical check on.
Since we dont like it to go through the x-ray machine(unnecessary radiation), they have to pull it all out, and look through it. It can take a looong time.
We have done this a few times, so when they tell us "but it HAS to go through the x-ray machine"...we tell them, "NO, we know our rights and it doe NOT have to go through the x-ray machine"!
It is considered medication for the baby and is not subject to the x-ray if we do not want it to be.
I posted on Human Milk 4 Human Babies fb page a few days prior to us leaving because we were getting low, and thank goodness, a girl from Shawnee, KS replied and brought over around 400 oz for Hallie Rose! (see milk sharing post if your wondering about donated breast milk)
So, we made it through security, and were ready to start our adventure!!
The first leg of the trip was from Kansas to Denver.
The flight was around 2 hours long.
Hallie slept for about an hour, and Jalen watched a movie on the comp. It was a small plane, which I am not a fan of at all.
The second leg, was from Denver to Phoenix.
That flight was around 2 hours also.
Hallie slept only for about 20 min on that flight.
Overall, those 2 flights were pretty uneventful....compared to our next leg:)
The final leg was from Phoenix to Maui, which was gonna take about 6 hours.
We boarded the plane, and unfortunately, we couldnt all sit together. Jalen sat in front of Joe and I, in the middle of an older couple.
They were not very friendly at all!!
Joe, Hallie and I sat next to a woman who was not very baby friendly at all! It sucked!!!
Everytime Hallie would fuss, she would grimace and breath really deep and loud.
At one point, Hallie was playing with some blue silly putty stuff, and threw a ball of it into the ladies lap.
She freaked, and said "omg, I have on white"..
Her bad energy was definitely being felt by all 3 of us!
No one likes a crying baby on an airplane, especially the parents. But when the person your sitting next to is nice, it makes thing SO much easier!
As if it wasnt stressful enough trying to keep our 1 year old happy and busy on a 6 hour flight, having sucky people to sit next to made it worse.
I was up walking Hallie around, with about 1 hour left.
I saw some commotion up by our seats, and people crowding around.
"Oh no", I thought..."whats happening"...
I rushed up to see what was going on, to find our Jalen had woke up from a nap, and puked all over himself!!!
That never has happened before. He always has made it to the toilet in the past.
So, I handed Hallie to Joe, sent Jalen to the bathroom and started cleaning up...
To make a long story short, the people around us were very rude and unhappy, the flight attendant was rude, and here I am trying to clean up puke.
Not to mention Hallie was fussing because she wanted me!
AND Jalen did not have a change of clothes...
Luckily, there was some nice people on the plane who heard what was going on, and offered up a pair of shorts for Jalen.
He was fine after puking, not sick at all. I said it was probably KARMA...those people were all so rude, unhappy, and mean.
Look what ended up happening to them. They nearly got puked on, and the lady next to us had a fussy baby in her ear for hours.
Then, to top it all off...Hallie pooped. Big time.
As soon as they put us in a row all together, the energy was much better, Hallie was a happy baby, and Jalen was a happy 12 year old.
Man, was I happy to get off that plane, and see beautiful MAUI:)))))
Since being on Maui for a few days, we have come to the realization, that its not the island for us.
It is beautiful, dont get me wrong, but it is way to big and busy for our liking.
We took a vote, and with 100% of the vote, we have decided to move to KAUAI!!!
We love it there.
It is small, intimate, quaint, beautiful, and just what we want in our island life!!
We leave in 2 days, and have been busy searching the internet for a short-term place to stay, rental car, and a long-term place to live.
We are excited to be somewhere we are familiar with, and know we absolutely LOVE!
We have had a good time here on Maui, but we are ready to get our feet planted on an island we can call home for a year.
My hands hurt from typing, so Im gonna go for now.
I will keep you all posted on our adventure to Kauai.
ALOHA!!!!!!!!!
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