Day 34

Be thankful, and give thanks

Day 35

Find humor in every day situations

Back to Kids' Stuff

The kids opened the pantry trap door to say "Bye, mom!" last week when I had my first day at my new office. It was so nice!

Christian is enjoying violin, I think, but he says it's hard work. 

This mom duck and her kids were out at PNNL when we went to the Indian curry cart for lunch.

BMX bike track! The trick is to go at 8am when it's pretty empty and NOT hot. I cannot handle being out there in 100+ degree temps.

Day 36

Play whatever games the kids want and for as long as they want*

*within reason

Day 37

Run an 8-minute mile

Update: Done! 7:52 minutes. An 8 minute mile is probably not that fast for most people, but I don't think I have run an 8 minute mile in about 20 years. Also, to give myself some props (ha!) I ran it at 2:30pm in the 100 degree heat, and having eaten nothing today. I volunteered this morning and didn't eat and then came home and didn't want to eat a big lunch before trying for my PR. haha!

The kids came with me to the track, and after I ran they were like "why are you so tired" and "what are you doing?" when I was breathing so heavy. I told them I was trying to run a mile faster than 8 minutes. So Olin said he wanted to run a lap and wanted me to time him, so I did. He ran it in 2:33. Then Leelee wanted to do it and he ran it in 1:57. Then Olin wanted to try again and he ran it in 2:25. I have to give them credit it was so hot out there and they didn't stop to walk or anything. It was quite cute. 

Day 38

Random acts of Kindness

Day 39

Day 39: Be present every moment

Seattle with Grandparents

Human vs. animal

At Kate Spade looking for a purse for Halmoni

Husky night at the Mariner's Game!

Their ears were all sorts of bent with these hats on

New little cove we discovered in Pike Place

Monk fish

We went to Best Buy to use our Best Buy rewards on some small speakers. The kids stayed entertained playing these games. It's scary that they play these games like naturals!

Olin loves to hang like a 'monkey-key' we say.

We rented a boat from the Electric Boat company and cruised along Lake Union and UW/Ballard for 2 hours. We brought some champagne and treats. It was a lot of fun!

Cool to see these boats landing and taking off.

Lots o' Asians. haha.

Summer Soccer

It's hard to believe how much context plays a part in sports. Soccer is soccer. But Leelee absolutely hates ASE soccer (drills, practices, no games, nobody he really knows, no snacks) and absolutely positively loves YMCA soccer (pretty much only games, snacks, all his school friends).

Halmoni is good about playing with Olin

Christian blocked a shot nicely here.

Christian's team. Coach Evan who coaches pretty much every sport there is. ha! Where Evan coaches, we follow (except football).

Olin Wins Limbo

He wasn't even sure he wanted to enter, and then he was surprisingly adept on his rollerblades! He definitely had a (lack of) height advantage.

This is when he was the last one to fall

He won One Rollerbuck, and bought a whoopie cushion that the kids tested on haraboji immediately upon getting home.

40 Days Until 40! (Day 40)

I turn 40 in 40 days so I have decided to take on a daily challenge.

Day 40: No Judgment.

Din Tai Fung is where the big bucks are

Christian today:
"Mom, I want a lot of money when I get older, so.....I think I'm going to be a waiter at Din Tai Fung"

Me:
"Why?"

Christian:
"Because Din Tai Fung is always busy so the waiters must make a lot of money"


The kid's got a few lessons to learn....

Sun & Portland

It's really nice to have so many destinations and family within a 3 hour drive, like Portland!

We got to meet up with Minah and Emma at Ruby Jewel for ice cream (and forgot to take a photo!)

Stella, Ev and boys. Stella is a "Paint" horse and is 12 years old. We say she and Auntie Ev are the same equivalent age, in horse and people years.

I got a hilarious video of Olin trotting. Let's just say his back isn't exactly ramrod straight when Stella trots. 

Brushing Stella was fun. Horses and barns are extremely dusty.

Guilder coffee with Mal. Ev is on a quest to make sure this new business succeeds. I think Mal's feet are now bigger than mine, or at least the same size.

Kids got homemade hot cocoa.

Misty of Chincoteague

At end of year, the Sagebrush Montessori reads the book "Misty" and plays the movie "Misty of Chincoteague" for the kids to watch. The name of that movie cracks me up, especially when the kids say it.

The main characters are Paul and Maureen, which Olin pronounces "Murreen" and he talks about them all the time. Out of nowhere he will ask "Mom do you remember when Paul said....blah blah" and I will ask who is Paul? And he will say "Remember? From Misty of Chincoteague!"

Kauai 2017!

We just returned this past Monday night from 9 days in beautiful Kauai. I feel that Kauai is one of the most beautiful places in the world (Kauai, Switzerland, and our Seattle condo view being top three! hahaha). We helped Kelly celebrate her 40th birthday while in Kauai with some delicious dinners, drinks, sun, beach, pool, canoeing, fishing, BBQ-ing, hula, shopping, Starbucks, boogie boards, snorkeling, shell searching and collecting, eating Uncrustables and Caramacs (I by myself ate nearly 3 boxes), fireworks, slathering on sunblock day after day...vacation life...

Na Pali coast view from the lookout by Waimea Canyon (Pu'u lookout?)

Rock throwers

"rock climbers"

Waimea Canyon

July 2012 and July 2017 at Waimea Canyon

July 2012 and July 2017 at the lookout

July 2012 and July 2017 at the lookout. We have talked about returning to Kauai every 5 years or so to continue then-and-now photos. The kids will be giant! (as may we! hahaha)

Poipu Beach by our hotel, Kiahuna Plantation. Nice and pleasant watching the kids run from the waves and dive for shells (Adrienne being master shell collector).

Kauai Costco. Carting around 4 kids and some healthy/unhealthy food. These Uncrustables are so delicious.

Cute little surprise at the top of the stairs, drawing

Moloa'a Juice Stand on the way up north. See below...

My friend had told me I had to get the Date with Fate. It was so good. I tried to recreate it at home and it was pretty successful except our papaya and mango aren't nearly as ripe and sweet as in Hawaii, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Third night burgers

I liked seeing these cool leaves

Ke'e Beach. Great snorkeling here. Really calm and shallow.

All I remember is being so hungry and hot here

After picking up some hermit crabs and snails at the tide pools, Olin sat outside and played with them for about 45 minutes by himself.

Ready for action

Happy after ice cream at Poipu Shopping Center.

Hula at Poipu Shopping Center. Strangely, it was nothing like 5 years ago! It was very tame, and very cute, but there was none of the flash and excitement of the hula and fire dancers last time..

Nora (3), Jojo (10), Adrienne (11 almost 12), Danielle (13), Trey (5), Olin (5), Christian (8)

40!

Boarder

Chubby hand clasping treasures

The big reveal

Flash of gecko red on the chin

Family!

Happy with Babz. That's the only spelling we do now for Dae. "Babz" is labeled on his coffee maker. He is "Babz" in my phone. He played Hangman with Leelee on our trip and put down a 4 letter word of a person, and Leelee's first guess was "Babz"! (he was right)

Beach combing. Dae got 2 of these nice Hawaiian aloha shirts from Kauai Costco for something like $13.99. He has worn them the entire trip, as we both like to wear things immediately after purchase.

On the fishing boat. Look at Olin and Babz' hair in the wind

Fish on! (tilapia) We fished at Waita reservoir. It was hot, but fun.

They were extremely excited to catch their first fish ever.

Peacock bass! We caught a total of 7-8 fish. Catch & release.

I like this picture

Kids taking care of their catch.

Touching the row of sandpaper teeth

Tilapia

So excited to hold his own fish, and yet unsure at the same time

I couldn't not take a photo with this nice Hawaiian lighting! Sure does illuminate the skin. hehe.

I love mom and dad and "ric" and "nilo" (their names backward, kind of)

Sittin' in the lawn

Hawaiian cousins. Joshua (11), Caleb (9), Christian (8), Olin (5), Elizabeth (5). There are some pretty interesting height dynamics in play here.

Fishing pier

Plantation railway. My kids clearly don't like screeching noises.

This is how papayas grow. Weird, right?

Funny donkey. Feeding the goat was the funniest. Kelly got a video.

Great shot of gecko that Kelly captured.

40th Bday!

The whole gang's here, dressed to impress

At Hawaiian village of the canoeing place

Pretty Wailua (?) river. Adrienne did a good job of manning the front end of the canoe.

Ice cream. I loved all things lilikoi this trip.

Underwater photos from Ke'e Beach: