Bringing Down the Neighborhood

We received a letter, sent certified mail, signed by an attorney, that we were in violation of the regulations set forth by our homeowner association. Technically, it was true. Our purple ground cover exceeded four inches. Anything that is not a tree cannot exceed four inches in height at the curb. Practically everyone we know receives one of these letters every few months. We all are like-minded; this Code of Perfection is a waste of our homeowner money. My neighbor received a similar certified letter with a picture dated 2006 for a violation that had been removed two years ago. She was mad. The cost of attorney fees and certified mail was a complete waste. The far more irritating point is that they do nothing about folks who keep boats in their driveways or on the street, or work trucks parked on the street. That is a much larger violation, literally. The homeowner association is so inconsistent! We are all for living in a nice neighborhood, and a reasonable homeowner association code, but that is not the way it works in our association.

Our home had to meet the Code of Perfection before the previous owners could sell it. The same ground cover was there, healthier, and more abundant, and passed the sacred Code. Then, last year, my neighbor's plants violated the sacred Code and crept over to our purple ground cover. We were told by the Inspectors of Perfection that if removed the neighbor's plants we could keep the purple ground cover. Well, now we were boring. We did what they told us to to. Our purple ground cover was four inches in most places along the street. SEE? But parts of the ground cover were a little thick. The camera is deceptive. The highest part of the ground cover was six inches. (The green shoot is a remnant of my neighbor's heliconia plant with an evil root system.)

The language in the letter was pretty intimidating. We either trimmed it, or they would fix it, at our cost. Needless to say, Hubby called Inspector Central and explained the same ground cover has been present since we moved in, and since we were last told we could keep it. Inspector said it needed to be cut anyway. Hubby hung up, armed himself with his weed whacker, and attempted to cut back our ground cover. But you can't really trim ground cover. First, we ended up with brown sticks. It looked junky. So he figured this was better. That lasted all of one day. Next we spent $230 for this little strip. Sod is SO expensive in Hawaii. Most people use grass plugs, or patches of grass that eventually grow together, or hydroseed (grass on steroids) which takes several months. But this was quick, fast, and a solution.
Now that it is done and over with, guess what? WE LOVE THE NEW GRASS!

First Dental Visit

Hubby and I knew Son1's first trip to the dentist would require one parent's full attention. The discussion became which parent was going to subject themselves, um, I mean, be so honored, to accompany our precious first born to the dentist. After a lot of persuasion up until the hour before the appointment, Hubby convinced me that I was the better choice. After all, he had gone to the last pediatrician visit. Right. And the child was an absolute angel for the doctor. But teeth are a whole different story. As passionate as I am about dental hygiene, you think I would have been jumping at the chance. But let's just say until that point Son1 didn't share my enthusiasm for clean teeth at bedtime. I thought about buying him some books about going to the dentist before his appointment to prevent any potential meltdowns at the dentist. We found one, but we had to eliminate others that started with the child not wanting to go to the dentist. Why put any ideas in his head?

My neighbor is part of an elite skin diving club in Hawaii. Another diver in the club is a well known pediatric dentist. He doesn't participate with my insurance, so only part of the visit was covered. He was worth every out-of-pocket penny we paid. I wish I would have taken more pictures of his office, but I was too nervous for the exam and teeth cleaning to slide the camera from my purse. We were first met with an entire floor to ceiling mural of an underwater ocean scene. It wasn't cartoon-ey like Nemo, or the kind you roll on the wall with adhesive. It was a painted underwater scene with giant honus (Hawaiian word for turtles) and life sized fish. Along the top of the ceiling around the entire waiting room he had art sculptures of life sized fish, two to three feet long. Then, he had these mounted fish paintings by this local artist that uses real caught fish, in all of the other empty spots on the wall. We were sitting in front of the door to the dental exam rooms. I could see through the glass window that there was a pile of jumbo stuffed sea creatures, and that as children went into their exam rooms, they got to pick a big stuffed creature to go with them. After some time, it was finally our turn. They called Son1's name, and he nearly bounded through the door to where all of the other big kids had gone. The hygienist ate up his enthusiasm. She just kept telling me how cute he was. Uh huh, she didn't know what was coming.

The hygienist introduced herself as Ms. Margie. She went through a barrage of questions, asking me about how much juice the child drinks to what kind of candy he prefers. Well, he has always preferred milk to juice, so he hardly drinks much juice. I can't stand the thought of sticky candy around my house so I just don't buy it. Besides, Hubby has me so paranoid about cockroaches on the island (they are generally a huge problem, but our paranoia keeps them away from our house) that I just don't buy candy except for special occasions. My pediatrician prescribes vitamins with fluoride since my children were six months old, and insists they are on fluoride tablets until they graduate from high school. Hawaii is one of two states that does not have fluoride in their tap water, except on military bases. This is because the opponents to fluoride insist that Hawaiian water be kept "pure". Therefore, the children in Hawaii have one of the highest rates of tooth decay in the nation. So, I covered most bases to skip Ms. Margie's prepared lecture. I looked really tense, and she asked gently if I was ok. I confessed my fear of Son1 having any cavities, and let her know that I am very passionate about clean teeth, and that I brush his teeth a second time if his insists on doing it himself the first time. I told her I felt like a failure several weeks ago when I got my second adult cavity. "Really?" she asked. No, no, no, only two cavities was not a good thing.

Ms. Margie had the dental exam down to a science. First, she assured Son1 all she was going to do was count his teeth with her pointer. To the rest of us, that is her tooth scraper with the hook on it. While she was counting, she was also looking at the grooves in his teeth. Next, she paraded out her tickly toothbrush (polisher) and buzzed it on his finger. Then she flaunted her special long straw (suction) and touched it to his hand. Finally she whipped out her polish ring and had him smell the toothpaste she was going to use, which was strawberry flavor.
Next she asked him to strut his alligator mouth so she could use her pointer, all the while giving him compliments. Now whose child was this? I sure did not recognize such a compliant child when it comes to teeth.
Afterward, Ms. Margie looked up at me sitting tensely sitting in the mommy chair. She announced she was pretty sure he didn't have any cavities, but the doctor would let me know for sure. She asked Son1 what flavor fluoride he would like, and he chose strawberry. She slapped a big Lilo and Stitch sticker on his shirt that reminded us what time he would be able to eat something. Lastly, she let him choose a prize from her prize box and he chose a little motorcycle.
The doctor came in, and Ms. Margie gave him a quick briefing on my strategies for keeping cavities away. He read his chart, checked out his teeth, and said, "Well R. I am so sorry but he has some cavities." My eyes nearly fell out of my head and rolled across the floor. He immediately realized my disappointment and laughed. "I am just kidding!"
Ms. Margie insisted the doctor take one more picture with us. Son1 screamed CHEESE at the top of him lungs and by the time I gave him a warning look for being so boisterous and tried to take the picture, here is what I ended up with:
Before we left, Son1 played with all of the fun toys one more time, with his dental samples and treasures clutched in one hand.
The best part about our visit to the dentist is his newfound enthusiasm for dental flossers and love for his pretty white teeth at bedtime.

Save the Stress and Have Some Cake

I am all for the stress free birthday parties. A little friend celebrated his birthday at a popular kid's gym. It was very similar to Son1's third birthday. Here are the reasons I love these types of parties:

1. I don't stress finding a parking spot a block away from the house where the party is held.
2. I know where to go.
3. There is a start time and an end time. That means I know going into the party when I am leaving.
4. Someone besides a frazzled mother is running the show, which means I don't feel obligated to pitch in and help whilst holding a toddler on my hip and corraling my preschooler. I don't mind helping but I am sure I am inefficient.
5. Someone is paid to entertain the children and include everyone.
6. It is organized and the adults relax.

YES I do give a very nice gift at these kind of shin digs because I know the parents are shelling out to make sure peace reigns.

Socks were mandatory for adults but optional for kids. Hubby suggested maybe children don't have foot fungus. Oh no, I corrected him. They most certainly can have foot fungus! HA! Hubby then insisted I bring socks for our children to wear! They were not going to go barefoot!

Vog on Oahu

Until we lived in Hawaii I had never heard of vog. For awhile I thought people were mispronouncing the word fog. Oh nooo, it is a very real and very hazardous condition. Vog is blended from the words "volcanic" and "smog". Sadly, the Farmers are all getting sick from vog.
Vog is created when sulfur dioxide mixes with other pollutants from an erupting volcano, in the presence of oxygen and moisture in the sunlgiht. Right now, Kilauea volcano has been erupting, and emits about two thousand tons of vog daily. Kilauea is located on the Big Island, some 240 miles away. Just today, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park did not open until 1pm because of the dangerous vog. Sometimes vog affects our island because southern Kona winds blow and carry vog to our island. When we look outside we can see a thick brown haze in the distance. The other day I walked Son1 to school. I felt I swallowed a dust cloud! Son2 has had recurrent sinus infections since late November . My pediatrician says these are the worst cases of childhood respiratory concerns she has seen in twenty years. Faithfully, I have chased my children around with prescription medication that will reduce breathing accutenes associated with vog. My eyes are watery tonight and Hubby is using an inhaler as a precautionary measure. Son1 is in a fit of coughs and sadly, Son2 is congested again. We are praying for rain!!!!

The weather folks recommend we stay inside and drink plenty of fluids. Until then Hubby and I are dispensing medicine and praying for more rain.

The Warm and Fuzzies of Fame

I have felt hugged, loved, and high fived virtually since Thursday when LOST aired. Calls came first from the East Coast, then the Midwest, and finally from the West Coast as family and friends had seen the episode I was in hours before it aired in Hawaii. It felt like my birthday!! The best part of playing up my slice of time on LOST was sharing it with so many of you! Mahalo (Hawaiian for thank you) for rising to the occasion! I watched the episode again with friends tonight, and in slow motion, saw myself across several frames. You know I had to stretch out my fame. I giggled when an email came from Rhode Island and a friend in grad school stood up and said, "My wife's friend (me) is going to kiss Sayid tonight on LOST." Now I wonder where he got that idea? Ha ha. I am ecstatic to hear we all had some fun with this and many of you used your Tivos and DVRs to see me in slow motion. I don't ever expect to give an Oscar speech, but eh hem, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank the folks at LOST, my family and friends that have made this experience so fun, and especially my husband, who made this all possible, by taking a day off from his day job just so I could have a memorable day!

Brother Bond

I never had brothers, so a brother bond was completely foreign to me until I had two little boys. Son2 follows Son1 everywhere. He admires the way he eats, the way he plays, how he turns pages of a book, and the way he uses the potty, in the most precious and sincere way. He follows him to every corner of our home and insists he be included in all activities. His big brother settles for my explanation that Son2 wants to be just like him. Well, at least the times he isn't bothered by sharing toys or wanting some privacy!!
But Son2 is perceptive. When his big brother is napping, he finds the perfect opportunity to play with some of the cars his brother has declared off limits. But that's just between us!!

The Shape of Things to Come

Tonight is the night! You are looking for me on LOST in an orange abaya. Read more about how I was an extra on the episode, The Shape of Things to Come, here. It airs tonight at 10/9 central on ABC. Sawyer would call me Wilbur. I can't believe I am admitting that. If you want to find out what Sawyer would call YOU, find out here.

Proof They Were Here

Sometimes there are little things we tend to overlook when we have company, like children drinking out of soda cans. Truthfully, he never actually drank out of a soda can. We were all doing our best to encourage Son2 to drink out of anything. The cans were always empty when he put them to his lips. But when we were alone in our home again, with just our little family it started to bug me. I thought I was just going to absolutely fall over when Hubby came up with a solution, no more soda in our house! I have tried to encourage that for years! So I must thank my in laws for pushing our home in a soda free direction!

Spring Break with Grandma T. and GG

Grandma T. and GG planned their trip to Hawaii during Son1's break from preschool. Here is a little more about the visit.

One of our favorite things to do is go to Waikiki on a Friday night and swim at the Hale Koa. We usually have dinner at Bibas, and then watch the fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Grandma T. loves to swim, so this suited her perfectly!

Now this is what I love about Hubby. He sat with Son2 and helped him with a roast beef sandwich, just so I could get in and swim, too. We had just one little problem. There was a little confusion and Grandma T. and GG did not bring a change of clothes. Thank goodness for swimsuit cover ups because the Farmer Family had plans. We were going to dinner, and were going to watch the fireworks! Let's just say they eventually came around! You know what we say when there's a problem? We just flash the shaka (hang loose sign) and blurt out, "Hang loose!"
Another day we went to the North Shore to the Turtle Bay lagoons. This is a different resort than I have previously written about, that also has lagoons open to the public. People do snorkel, and do see turtles. We did not see any that day, though. Hubby and GG sat up on the beach while Grandma T., Son1, Son2, and I swam in the ocean. Now, it just wasn't a four generation kind of a swim without GG. She thought about how her great grand kids were in the water without her. So she sprang up and decided it was time to get in.
We were kind of all over the place, so this was one of the only pictures to prove we had a four generation swim. Clicking on the picture will make us bigger.
At the beach we watched this dog be trained to retrieve a boogie board alone, over and over , far past the water break. He is a Newfoundland, and he was big! The sun started to set, and we headed home. GG and Grandma T. were tired! They relaxed at home, and gave Hubby and I a chance to have dinner out, without children! Imagine that!Another day we rode the The Hawaiian Railway in Ewa Beach. Since they were encountering some construction on the railway, the trip was only 45 minutes. We went a different route than the time we had ridden the train before. One of the engineers punched the tickets with an old fashioned railway ticket punch.
The train headed eastbound rather than ewa bound. (Ewa is pronounced eh-vah. The w in the Hawaiian language makes the "v" sound. The word means westbound.) We saw one of the original sugar cane plantations on the island. See the tree in the upper right corner? It is called a Golden Tree. The blossoms are always golden. They make me smile because they oddly remind me of Fall on the East Coast, with the vibrant and deep gold color. My favorite part of the train ride was watching the old fashioned railway switch signs that tell the trains in which direction to travel. They are original from when the Oahu Railway and Land Company used to operate the narrow gauge common carrier railroad, until 1947. They could be in full use, but are not, since the only train riding was the one we were on. At the halfway point of the trip, the engineer that was the narrator asked if anyone had celebrated a birthday recently. The entire train, consisting of several open passenger cars of people, sang Happy Birthday to Son2. GG was so proud!

Well, all good visits must come to an end. On Grandma T. and GG's last day in Hawaii, they got to visit Son1's preschool class. Their last day in Hawaii was the first day back from Spring Break. GG was so impressed she was moved to tears. But the teachers were also impressed with her. Being a senior member of a family in Hawaii is a huge honor. So, the preschool teacher and teacher's aide asked how old GG was. They were so honored to have Son1's great grandmother in class they took our picture and offered hugs. It was a very sweet moment.

Once Son1 was home from preschool, we spent our last hours together on the North Shore. From the time we left our house to the time we got to our first stop, the Dole Plantation, the rain was pouring down. We were afraid the rain wasn't going to let up. We rode the Pineapple Express, and both boys loved the minutes on the train with GG and Grandma T.

We rounded a bend and the rain came to an abrupt stop. I looked out across the pineapple fields and saw this rainbow. If you look above it you can faintly make out the second double rainbow. One day I just may tell you why I think God made these for me. But right then, we all looked out at those rainbows in awe. We arrived at the train platform and headed for the big Dole store. Hubby met us there shortly after work.Our last stop on the North Shore was historic Haleiwa Town. This is the largest commercial center on the North Shore, with a residential population of just over 2,000. This is also where our family favorite, the Grass Skirt Grill, is located. GG loves coconut, so of course we ordered a plate of coconut shrimp. They served it with two sauces, an orange and a more spicy sauce. This is one of their specialties.

More importantly, they serve the best teriyaki cheese fries. To the Farmers, these are the best fries on the island. We just giggled and giggled watching Son2 devour these. Once he got a taste, he just couldn't help himself, probably because I have him on such a fresh diet. Mmmm, saturated fat!

Their burgers are also our favorites. By request, they also come with a half an avocado as a topping. To die for!

The owner of the Grass Skirt Grill also owns the Surf shops next door, called Strong Current. This is his Woody.

This was a great way to end the visit, with full bellies and wide smiles. The boys were sad to say goodbye to Grandma T. and GG. But we have this saying in Hawaii...A Hui Ho! Until we meet again!

New Sights in Familiar Places

When Grandma T. was here we went on a little trip to Waimea Falls.Even though I had been there a few times before I had never seen the Cannon Ball tree. That is the tree's common name!
This day the gardens seemed a little more enchanted.
Maybe it was the little creature that was running around the gardens this time.
The walk to the waterfall and back was quite a walk and so we took a little rest.
Until we saw a rooster chasing a chicken during our picnic....

Hubby took these shots. They tell you something about God, huh? He is pretty creative!

She Has To Go Now

I dropped Son1 off at preschool. He turned to his teacher and said, "My mommy has to go now. She has to go to work." My heart sang out the door. He got it! When he got home I asked him if he knew where I worked. "You work at home, on the computer." Well, some of the time!

Happy First Birthday Son2

We celebrated Son2's birthday at home, with our family. We were blessed to have GG with us, Son2's great grandmother.


By his first birthday, Son2 had two or three hair cuts. Each time we cut about one inch of his hair. His hair grows really fast! On his first birthday he was a very fast crawler and furniture cruiser.



He grabbed this car and pushed it around and said, "Roo! Roo!" That was short for "Vroom! Vroom!" Most days he wants to be just like his big brother, and favors race cars and trains.

We spent the morning at our favorite pancake paradise. Before we left, Son2 posed with his best friend. He loves Son1, and called him "A-DA!" It has since progressed to "BAH-DAH!" Could he be trying to say brother?


Son2 is relatively smaller than his older brother was at this age. He is almost 3 inches shorter, and a few pounds lighter. He eats far more than Son1 ever did, though! He put away this entire stack of blueberry pancakes. We were so proud of him! The owner loves him to pieces. She took him back in the kitchen and came back with some homemade special cookies for him.

Late in the afternoon we had a little birthday celebration at home.





GG kept trying to coax Son2 into drinking from a sippy cup. He finally took one! Soon we sang Happy Birthday. Son2 tried to reach for the candle and put it out with 2 fingers. So much for blowing it out!
He ate his cake just like that. But after awhile too much sugar hit him like a brick and only one thing could change things up. He demanded his favorite fruit, papaya.
Gifts came from near and far. Son1 and I read through the cards and helped to sort out gifts. Son2 busied himself with his birthday hat.
While Daddy and Son1 put the toys together, Son2 had me chasing after him.
He wasn't walking by his first birthday, but he cruised the stairs.
He is our little ham. He has all kinds of tricks and games he likes us to imitate. We call him Mr. Personality. He can't get enough attention from the three bigger people in the house.
This is his favorite place to sit. We find him perched here quite a bit. It is so cute to see him when his Daddy comes home. He watches his big brother rush to the front door and crawls up his Daddy's pant leg and tugs and tugs until he is picked up. How did the year go so fast?!? It was a Happy Birthday.