Makai’s WI Vacation

We were barely home from our 3-week trip to Hawaii, when Makai went to Wisconsin for 10 days! He had off a few days for Fourth of July and Dallas and I each only had one day off. So we asked my parents if he could go to their house. But the timing for pickup and drop off really extended the visit. He loved it, of course! He didn’t even miss us! He did so many things in those 10 days:

Party at a nearby park and a nighttime parade.

Lakehouse day with my brother and Jill.

Helping grandpa wash his truck.

Crashed my cousin Skyonna’s wedding.

Celebrating Fourth of July with my cousin Kelly’s family – Jeff, Tessa, Margo, Charlotte.

Visiting a park on the Fox River.

Hanging out at home!

Hawaii 2019 Day 13: Kamehameha Schools Alumni Luau

In the morning we walked around Waikiki. I said hello to Duke, like I always do when in Waikiki. We also later said hi to Don Ho at International Marketplace, which is now SUPER fancy. It used to be all temporary looking stands and a few fast restaurants and now it’s a very high-end mall. Dallas really wanted to go to Quiksilver to get a new aloha shirt for the luau that night. While there, I also got a Hydro Flask water bottle and a Pura Vida wave ring. We stopped for coffee at Big Wave Dave, where we also started to look around for somewhere to eat lunch.

We ended up going to Tim Ho Wan at the Royal Hawaiian for dim sum, which was perfect. Just after we were seated and ordered, the 103rd Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade began and went right past the windows where we were seated. What a treat for everyone at the restaurant! We could not have planned it better.

The dim sum at Tim Ho Wan was great. The bao was very interesting. It had like a flaky dough instead of the steamed white dough we’re used to.

Back at the hotel we showered and got ready for the luau, except for getting dressed. We brought our clothes along, so they wouldn’t get all sweaty! First we went to Vivian’s house in Moanalua to get Makai. We visited a bit and Vivian’s in-laws came over. They’re Japanese (Vivian is Korean – Kathy’s cousin’s daughter) and had just been to a Japanese market. They shared some treats with us. They said that they knew Dallas’s dad when he was young, like a kid!

Next we went to visit family very closeby in Moanalua Valley. Kiki and Duke have a house there and somewhat recently Quincy had an addition built on to make it a duplex. Actually the whole family was still helping with the renovations. Oddly, Dallas had not seen Kiki in so many years that I’d never even met her before, even though we stay in contact on Facebook. It was great to see Aunty Helen, Uncle Bob, Kiki, Duke, Quincy and Kala and catch up. Quincy was excited about his new place and has a great job with the government. Kala has a film degree and has been working on Hawaii Five O for years. We also got the update on Jessica, who moved from Brooklyn to Kansas City (I think!). Quincy also gave us two Hawaiian flags that he made out of wood (we gave one to Caroline later on). We could only stay for a while before we had to get ready and go to the luau!

We headed to the luau and first thing, Dallas had to go meet up to get his class photo taken. Above is how the photo turned out.

While Dallas was off getting his class photo taken, Makai and I came into the luau. We were immediately handed some fans (it was hot out!). We shopped around the marketplace a little bit. I bought a bangle with a Tahitian black pearl on it. I’ve always wanted one! Makai was hungry so I told him we could got to the pupu line and get some snacks. They literally put a fish cut in half on our plate, along with some other Hawaiian pupus like edamame, ahi poke, tako poke, smoked meat and a salad! Makai was SO mad and habut. I got him a Brudda Pop popsicle and also bought two packages of haole brownies (I shared with the family on Kauai later on!). He was still mad. I think very tired from his sleepover. I also got a bag of boiled peanuts for the table, since it would be a while til we got our dinner.

It was so great to see so many friends in our Kamehameha family (and it truly does feel like a family). Some I’ve known for many years, more than a decade now, and a couple I just met. Even when you just meet, there’s an immediate connection. It’s a great community and I’m so glad that Makai gets to spend time with them.

For dinner we had rice, kalua pig, chicken long rice, lomi salmon, squid luau, poi and poke. Makai loved the chicken long rice, the pork and the rice. For dessert there was pineapple, haole brownies, kulolo (made of taro, almost made Makai barf!), and haupia.

During dinner there was some talking on the stage. I honestly don’t remember what it was about. But then they announced the band was Mana’o Company and I could not believe it. They’re one of my favorite Hawaiian bands! And they were fantastic! Everyone knew all their songs.

Also after dinner, the pupu area turned into the dessert area, which Makai was much more interested in. I went to go to the bathroom and Dallas took Makai. They were serving haole brownies a la mode. Makai only wanted the ice cream, so he had two ice creams and Dallas had two brownies! When I got out of the bathroom, Makai wanted me to go back and get another ice cream for him!

Also, while I was in the building with the bathroom, I passed by the silent auction. It was in the final minutes so I took a look around and bid on a few items. I ended up winning a bracelet with a tahitian pearl! So I always wanted one, and now I had two!

At the end of the night, as is customary, the boarders took photos together on the same bench as always! Also, at the end of the night, someone told me I won another auction item. I had no idea! I went back in and I won a box of golf balls and a Kamehameha Schools dry fit Nike golf shirt!

On our way out of the luau, we got these pineapple gummies with such a sweet message on them.

Hawaii 2019 Day 12: Kamehameha Class Night

Makai woke up and came by our bed to tell us he couldn’t open his eye. A mosquito had bit him in the night and it was all puffed up! We gave him some children’s Claritin and that seemed to help a lot.

This was our last day in Waimanalo. I was sad to leave our friends, but also excited for what we had planned. Makai played with Damien and Hoku and Ka’eo in the morning.

We met Dallas’s cousin Vivian and her daughter Maile at Gyotaku (not Gyukaku- there was some confusion.) in Pearl City (Also confusion about the day we were meeting!). We had a good lunch. I had sushi and salad. The menu was huge and confusing and that’s when I realized that I’d been to Gyotaku before with Aunty Kitty and Aunty Myrtle!

We then drove over to Vivian’s house in Moanalua. I’d never been to this area before. Makai was to stay overnight at their house while Dallas and I attended a Kamehameha alumni event. He was excited to see that they had a big trampoline in their backyard that was littered with used water balloons! And also they had two cats – Jessie and Makana (gift). Maile also has an older brother, Seth, and a younger brother, David, so Makai was PSYCHED. (The photos above are photos that Vivian sent us from their overnight together. Makai also loved that Jessie slept with him and meowed right in his ear to wake him up!)

Dallas and I then went and checked into the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki. Because the rest of our time on Oahu was going to be spent in Honolulu, it was easier to get a hotel down there for 2 nights. It was a shame that most of our time was spent outside the hotel and we didn’t get to take advantage of all it had to offer!

I wanted to make sure I had enough energy for the night so I went and got myself some iced coffee and Dallas some iced tea at Kai Coffee, which was connected to our hotel. This was a cool place. The coffee was great. In the back they had a roasting room and the person working in there let me sample some 100% kona coffee while I waited for my order.

Back in the room we got ready for the night. It was Kamehameha Alumni Class Night. Dallas’s class graduated in 1994 and we were all going out that night. At 4:15 we went down to the hotel bar for a drink. I had a super fancy and way delicious mai tai. Some friends were meeting us, but not there yet, so I went over to check out the aquarium wall. The lights changed with the music, and I’m SURE the fish really appreciated that!

Talbert and Debbie met us at the hotel bar. Malia and Chris JUST flew in from the Big Island and eventually they met us as well. When it was time for us to get an Uber to the party, it was nearly impossible! Kalakaua Ave was closed for a Pan Pacific Festival and preparations for the Kamehameha Day parade! So we had more drinks. And more drinks. It took the Uber almost an hour to arrive!

Finally we arrived at the Waiwai Collective, a kind of modern Hawaiian space that is part cowork space, part cafe, part event space, from what I could tell. The party was in full swing. Everyone was required to take their shoes off and the floor was covered in a kind of astroturf! Funny thing, I feel like Dallas and I split off immediately and I just started talking to all the people that I knew. The Kamehameha community has always been so welcoming and open to me that over 15 years I’ve made a lot of friends of my own there!

When I saw Alika and Ty and Jayson, they were serving a beverage that I didn’t know of. They had me try some and it was cold and not bad. It was made of kalo (taro). I guess some people hate it, but I didn’t mind.

I entered the raffle that night and I won TWO TIMES! The first time I won a KS insulated bag and a round of golf for 4 at Makaha! We kept the bag but gave the golf away to BJ. The second time I won another KS insulated bag, a Pauahi hat and a tunic top with leggings! We kept the bag and the cap, but later on I gave the tunic and leggings to Liz (it was comfy for her and her growing belly).

At 9 or 10pm, everyone was good and drunk and there was a shuttle to take everyone to the Kamehameha dorms to party some more. I’d had enough so I snuck out and got a Lyft back to our hotel to crash!

Happy Halloween, Ninja!

Between our old neighborhood, Logan Square, and our new neighborhood, Kilbourn Park, we went to so many Halloween celebrations! Makai also had a school party and on the night of Halloween his friend came over and we went trick or treating in the neighborhood! At least he got to wear his Ninja costume a ton!









Our local park, Kilbourn Park, had a celebration and parade. The weather was totally crappy, but Makai still had fun, and a ton of people still showed up. I think he would have had more fun if we’d have brought a friend or two. Also, the s’mores ran out RIGHT before we got one. Still, it was very fun and I appreciate all the effort the Park Advisory board went through to throw the party! One downside was that there was a ton of political presence at the event. I get that it’s a great way to reach out to the community, but also, Makai came home with more political fliers than candy! Who knows, maybe they were help pay for the party. In that case, ok then.

Back: Sloane, Evie, Violet, Kiyo, Colin, Makai, Carson, Gus, Leona, Maddie
Front: Morgan, Brooklyn, Ezra, Hudson, David, Sergio, Claudia, Melody, Freddie

At school, Makai and his friends had a Halloween parade and party. It’s always so cute to see his friends all dressed up!

The Logan Square Halloween Parade is always a favorite activity. We bumped into a lot of friends from our old neighborhood and both kids and teachers from Makai’s school. It was a lot of fun. This year, the parade started at Logan Square, as it has done every year except last year, when it started at Palmer Square.  Kelly, Neil and Alex, from our old building.

 We ran into my old friends Benji and Ella, who now have a son, Ethan.

 We hung out with Scout, Winter and Casseus. Scout used to go to Makai’s school but is now in kindergarten.

 Again, there was a phenomenal turn out for the event!

 Scout’s dad pulled a lot of the kids in a wagon.

 Brooklyn is Makai’s classmate!

 We found Brandon, who used to live in our building and used to be a classmate of Makai’s before he went to kindergarten.

 Loved these Daft Punk guys.

 Mucca Pazza!

As always, at the end of the parade, Lula’s handed out cookies to everyone!

After the Logan Square Halloween Parade we headed to Park and Field with Scout and her family, where they were having a lot of after-party activities and a kids buffet.

Saw this cool painting on the window as I walked by Brudders. I love this old fashioned style of decoration!

Some houses in our neighborhood went all out with Halloween decorations. Makes me wonder how it will be for Christmas!

 My coworker lives nearby and told us to get a lot of candy. Plus, we’re a new house on the block. I didn’t want to disappoint. That said, we had way too much candy! Dallas stayed home to pass it out while I took Makai trick or treating.

Gus and his family came over and went trick or treating around the neighborhood with us!

At work we had a Halloween potluck. I made a skull cake. We’ve got the pan, so Makai and I usually make it every year. This year I stepped it up by decorating dia de los muertos style!

Bristol Renaissance Faire – Part 2

Continuing on with our day at the Bristol Renaissance Faire (see part 1 here). We continued walking on and came upon this parade of people dressed up. This jester(?) got all up in our faces yelling about “the queen is coming! the queen is coming!”

The parade was actually pretty cool. People were dressed very elaborately. No one was really doing any tricks or anything.. just walking.

When we could see the queen then the jester really went nuts in his excitement. Dallas asked “Which one’s the queen?” and the jester was all like “duh!”

Dallas said something like “You’re the queen?” and the queen looked back and waved, saying “One of them!”

Dallas looked on in disbelief.

Shortly after we posed for a photo. Kelly took this photo three times to get it just right. I didn’t realize til later that “just right” meant getting Adam and Brian’s head perfectly between ours in the background! Photobomb!

Throwing more knives. One of the actors let Adam wear his hat. He looks like a Country Western singer. I’m not sure that’s exactly what this hat is supposed to do.

And then we came upon another Jacobs Ladder. Adam had already failled at this thing several times earlier in the day. Here he is getting suckered into trying it again.

What did he think? 5 more beers would help his balance?

Uh… nope!

I’m not going to call this guy a jerk, but……

… right after Adam failed to climb the ladder three more times, this guy had to go and climb the ladder backwards, standing straight up, just to show off.


Dallas, Christine, Kelly, Todd, Adam, Mike


Christine

Christine really wanted me to go on this ride with her. She asked me beforehand but I said I’d have to see it. I didn’t totally “get” what it was. No one else wanted to go, and before I could figure out what it was and if I wanted to do it, I was getting strapped in.

The contraption mixes trampolines with bungees so when you jump you spring up 50 feet (?) 100 feet (?) in the air. It looked something like this. Christine had gone on this thing a few times before and was an advanced jumper. She was even doing flips and stuff. Check out this video of this girl doing a zillion flips on this bungee trampoline. Christine didn’t do that many, but enough to freak me out.

I didn’t do flips. I just held on. And screamed. I made a mistake in the beginning by telling the ride operator that my friend made me go on this thing. And then as he was hooking me in he made some comment like “oh, you got the broken harness. I don’t know why they keep sending people back with this broken harness. I keep telling them not to. ” And then he sprung me into the air 100 feet. And I screamed!!! I don’t know why I even believed him. Oh, wait. It was because I drank 10 beers that day. Also, I made the mistake of telling him that my friend right there was doing flips but there was no way I was going to do a flip. Then he told me he was going to press the button to make me do a flip. “Ready? 1…. 2….. 3…” And I was screaming “Don’t press the button!! I Don’t want to flip!” As if there’s a button to press to do that! Again….. 10 beers! Anyway, by the time I got out of there I was just thankful to be alive. Everyone was watching the whole time and got a good laugh. Dallas took this photo and while it’s not very flattering, I think it’s hysterical, so I had to post it.

Since I’d just had a near-death experience, I passed on the rock climbing wall we came across next. It seemed like too much work! I did a lot of wall climbing in high school, but I had no idea if I could still do it today.

Christine, Adam, Kelly and I think Brian were all over the wall.

Todd climbed too. And he got beat by a little girl. He did not get teased at all!

I showed this photo to Adam on my little camera screen and he was all “Whoa! Where is she!?” and then when I pointed he seemed so disappointed that it was a statue. Hilarious.

I don’t think I’ve ever been on an elephant before? I don’t know how I feel about this feature, in hindsight. The elephants didn’t seem to have a very good life. Kind of like the ponies you see everywhere for kids. Adam tried to say something about this and the workers were quick to point out this bulletin board they had displayed with photos of the elephants living it up in the off season. They must hear this complaint a lot.

Plus, for $6 you only got to go in one small lap. Plus, I had to let Mikey O straddle me!

Near the exit I spotted these two. No expressions. They didn’t move. Kind of freaky.

And that was about it. Fun, fun, fun first trip to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. I’m almost afraid to go again because it can’t live up to it!