Sunday, December 27, 2009

Anniversary De'ja vu

Last year we had a blast skiing at Treetops Resort in northern Michigan, leaving the kids in Chicago with my family for 2 blissful nights. This year, Iz had an interview scheduled on our anniversary in Baton Rouge and we don't have family visitng so we figured we'd just go out for dinner over the weekend or something. But then our friend from Grenada, Bettina, offered to watch the kids for a couple days and let us go skiing again. After a brief round of are-you-sures we leapt at the chance. We love our kids, but we really needed a break.

So I booked a room at Caberfae Peaks and began the search for ski wear. Then, the next day I got a call from the reservation office informing me that they'd made a mistake and did not have an available room for the 23rd (and this on Friday the 18th). I was at the top of the list and there were multiple post-it notes all saying CALL CAILIN FIRST in case of a cancellation. So then I was on tenderhooks and worried that all my searching for ski gear would end up being in vain. I found a jacket/pants deal on craigslist for Iz for a good deal but couldn't find anything for me. Only florescent orange one piece suits in large. Shudder. I ended up splurging on a Spyder jacket at Marshalls for my Christmas present for the next couple of years. Then on Saturday I checked my email and saw an ad from Treetops for returning visitors which was way cheaper than posted on their website and cross my finger and call......to discover the office closed five minutes earlier. So I called at 9am sharp Sunday morning and booked us a room--with a free upgrade to a Lodge suite with jacuzzi bathtub since the Inn was closed. Sah-weet!

Of course, then I find out from Iz that he's been stuck at the airport for 5 hours only to find out that all the flights are canceled due to weather and the soonest he can fly out of NYC is Friday. FRIDAY! Christmas Day! And he has to miss his Baton Rouge interview to boot. So we check out Amtrack--full and start exploring rental cars--way, way expensive due to high demand, and then Ben Tano suggests the Greyhound. So for $80 and a 12 hour bus ride Iz made it home Monday afternoon--our anniversary. So a silver lining to all the mess. Too bad he got bumped to the waiting list for his B.R. interview. Here's hoping a slot opens up.

Anyhow, it all works out and we're able to head out to Gaylord for our second anniversary ski trip. Bettina was amazing about letting us drop off the kids so early in the morning so we could finish our 5 hour drive with time to ski for most of the day. The drive was easypeasy with no fishtailing unlike last year. And our room was way bigger, too. We used our vouchers for an awesome lunch--so now we know that this place does breakfast and lunch really well but our dinner last year was terrible....must be a different chef at night--and headed for the slopes. I spent more time than Iz on the bunny slopes reaclimating myself. It was all exhausting, awesome fun. I did bang into a fence once when I couldn't stop in time and I also fell coming off the ski lift because my skis got tangled with Iz's snowboard just as we stood up to go down the ramp. A faceplant ensued. And a throbbing headache. But Iz's sorrowful, sheepish look made up for it and we kept going.

Iz researched restaurants in the area and made me choose our dinner location--anyone who knows us knows neither of us likes making decisions so it all took a while--and we settled on "the most authentic Mexican food in Michigan" according to somebody online. Actually, it was really awesome. Everything was tasty from the tamales to the chile verde pork. And every single worker was Latino. It's always discouraging when you enter a place like this and it's run by Chinese. So another satisfying meal.

Followed by another great day of skiing and possibly an even better lunch. Iz got really good at spinning and I attempted some of the bigger runs with him. I had another bad fall. From the ski lift ramp again. This time it was a different lift that had a really short ramp before ending in a big dropoff and I wasn't sure I'd be able to stop in time so I deliberatey fell to the side, expecting my skis to pop off like they had the day before--even when I wasn't doing anything. But they held firm and my body went one way while my knees stayed pointed the other way. It's been a month and I can still feel stiffness in that knee. And poor Iz also came home with his own injury to his ankle tendons. So, I guess we can't really expect to ever come back from a ski trip wholely unharmed. But it was worth it. We had a blast. And I had time to miss my kids and remember all the good things instead of it being clouded over with the whining whatnot. All in all, it was a great anniversary. Maybe it'll become a tradition. We'll just have to find friends wherever we end up living that are willing to do a kid exchange. Any takers?
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Monday, December 21, 2009

Fall and Winter in GP

I love Hawaii and I miss wearing shorts and baking at the beach. But I must say I'm a fan of the changing seasons. This autumn seemed like it came on fast and the leaves fell so quickly. But I loved having a bright red tree in our front yard and how the leaves covered the lawn. Our unmowed lawn. That is until the neighbor's much larger tree with yellow flowers obliterated the blanket of red. Then we got to rake it all up and shove into piles along the roadside for the city to haul away. Awesome service, huh. And the kids helped-ish and then jumped into the seriously 3ft high piles. Autumn rocks.
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And now we've had a little snow and everything looks magical. The very first snowfall (12/8/2009)--more like slush--Iz and I went outside to take pictures. I think it's our new winter tradition. I love the snow. It feels so quiet and still and I'm filled with awe as I see the world change. Lakeshore Dr. is one of my favorite roads and I always wish I had a camera when I drive to the gym along the lake and all the massive, lovely houses. Now it's even more spectacular. And all those mansions covered in snow is even more magical. The edges of the lake are even freezing over and Keahi really, really wants to go walking on it. (So I finally brought my camera and got some cloudy pics of Lakeshore Dr. and they don't do it justice. But, oh well.) I can't wait to go ice skating soon. And I'm hoping we get one more good snowfall so we can have our first real white Christmas.

We went back to Blake's Orchard and chose a tree--it took hours and was ffffreeezing. I must say I'm impressed with our self control since it was still during our diet and we didn't eat any of the donuts or hot cider we got for the kids. Anyway,the tree is perfect and fits in our unlit front room perfectly and adds a nice glow in which to find your coat hiding in the closet. I found a woman on craigslist who apparently changes her Christmas theme each year and sold me all her matching silver and white ornaments, angel, mantle garland, and candles for $20. Score. If we're still here next year I'll have to look her up again. It's our first fancy tree--last year was paper ornaments. I love the lights all aglow and the Christmasy smells and all the fun things you get to do this time of year. Keahi made a bunch of fun crafts at his school including a 2ft snowman decoration, a reindeer trivet, and some lollipops. Guess which was his favorite. And now that it's all snowy and white, it really feels festive. I love the seasons.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Thanksgiving in Chicago in meandering narratives

I meant for this to be the first Holiday I documented right away but when I sat down to write it, the pitfalls of having divorced parents reared its ugly head. This is the first holiday I've spent with my dad instead of my mom and I know they both read my blog occasionally. How to proceed without hurting anyone's feelings.....and I thought with envy of Mariko's blog which doesn't shy away from uncomfortable or awkward topics and generally feels unedited (in a good way, not as in full of errors). I wish I could vent about things or relate experiences without having everything filter through who might be offended or whatnot. Does that make me selfish? Anyhow, I've decided to recap everything and let the chips fall where they may.

I both love and dread visiting my sister's house in Chicago. I mean the house itself. When I walk inside I feel like I've entered a grownup's home. It's thoughtfully decorated and designed for their needs and is immaculate--mostly thanks to Tom, I know. On the other hand, I have two little boys who love destruction and mayhem and are used to our free furnishings and lack of breakable decorations. Last time they broke some of Keilani's hanging bead room divider things and Jarom broke a glass jar on an unstable shelf when he tried to get some pretty marbles to play with. I'm happy to report that they didn't break anything this time. This time it was ojiisan that broke the glass column full of sand on the staircase. He felt so bad but it really was an unfortunate series of unlikely events starting with bumping one picture frame and ending in cascades of sand and glass. Maybe the tendency towards destruction doesn't fade for boys.

Speaking of boyish mischief, I've discovered that the silly things little boys say are the same silly things they say as adults. Sorry, ojiisan, but I have to document this one. A while ago I gave a ride to one of my young women from church and Keahi asked very loudly "Why is she so fat?" as she maneuvered into the back seat, going through Keahi's seatbelt gap. She felt horrible about it and I lectured Keahi later and tried to soothe her feelings. Now, after our trip to Chicago I could tell her that boys just don't grow out of it because one night while I was lounging in my pjs, ojiisan called me fat. Actually he nudged Tammy next to him on the couch as I came and sat by the table and told her that I'd gotten fat. Tammy scolded him and he looked at me and tried to backtrack by saying, "No. I mean you put on weight...I mean you look healthy." Sorry dad but there's no backsies from calling your daughter fat. I know he didn't mean anything by it just like Keahi didn't mean anything by it but "fat" hurts. Sooooo....Iz and I revisited the lemonade cleanse when we got back. We only lasted 7 days instead of the recommended 10 because we wanted to be able to enjoy the branch Christmas party, the joy school Christmas party, and the relief society Christmas party. Amazingly, the weight we lost hasn't immediately returned despite our aggressive return to food. So, I'm less fat now. Maybe in a few more pounds I'll start wearing those skinny jeans Tammy handed down to me.

So back to the main event. I was still pretty sick by the time we got to Chicago so though I cooed over baby Maile from a safe distance, it was a few days till I actually got to hold her. I think she didn't like her house being invaded by a bunch of loud kids and bigger kids because she was really fussy for the first couple of days. Iz and Ojiisan took turns holding her all the time. And then she warmed up to Iz and suddenly started sleeping well and even having tummy time. What a trooper.

The other kids mostly played well together and had a blast dumping out all the toys in Keilani's playroom. I think that room is the perfect size for one little girl but it's mayhem when you add two little boys to the mix. Though Keilani did her fair share of throwing things around. And after several crashes one of the adults would have to go check on the damage. Ojiisan was very impressed with Tammy and Tom's enforcement of rules. When he would play with them in there he figured dumping and throwing and not cleaning up was fun. Then Tom stepped in and established sanity again. I'm really grateful that my sister and I share the same basic philosophies of child raising--aside from the Santa thing. It can be a real pain to share a house with people who completely disagree with your parenting style.

Some of my favorite moments with the kids: Everyone piling up on Ojiisan on the floor. He was a good sport about the kids "getting" him. Riding on the train. It was like being back in NY and the kids loved it. Taking family photos. I was surprised at how well they did though some of my favorite pics have Jarom doing some funny faces. Jarom pushing his inner tube past the small waves with the biggest grin on his face like he was such a big boy (you'll have to keep reading for that one). Playing standing up leapfrog. Bed tumbling. Constant squeals of delight.

Not so favorite moments: putting the kids to bed. It got better--especially when Keilani was put down on her parents bed in a different room. Apparently 3 in a room is too much fun. Jarom and Keilani kept climbing into the crib and throwing pillows inside--with and without Jarom being inside it. Jarom and Keilani tormenting eachother all the time. Tears and recriminations. Though apparently when they weren't together (like in separate cars) Keilani still asked where Jarom was like she missed him. Constant squealing of displeasure.

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After hours of prep (and thank you Tammy and Tom for soldiering on after I went to bed, hoping in vain to wake up feeling better), I thought Thanksgiving dinner was AWESOME. And I DON'T use Capitals WIlLyniLLY. The turkey was perfection: moist and tender and full of flavor. The gravy was really optional. The Chinese ham was delectable--to the point where half of it was gone by the time it was time to serve. Dad's kalbi was spectacular. They got a really good deal on a great cut of meat and I discovered dad's techniques that we will try to replicate for Christmas dinner--providing we can find the right short ribs. THe mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and jalapeno-cheddar cornbread stuffing were are wonderful. We thought about adding a salad but decided that it would be wasted on us carnivores. Hence the store bought desserts as well. There was something amok with the chocolate pie but the pumpkin was actually pretty tasty. Nothing compared to the hundreds (okay, dozens, and that's not an exageration) of pies eaten at the Palmer dinner, but perfectly passable for an Oshima gathering. I'm pretty proud of how well we did on that enormous feast of meat. The turkey never made it into sandwiches as planned.

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The next day, Tam and Tom did a little Black Friday and actually got what they wanted. Amazing. I attempted to do a little joy school lesson with the kids that mostly went well. They really liked the listening game where each musical instrument means a different motion. Then we headed into the city to do family pictures at Sears. I guess they weren't as creative or professional as the one Tammy used for Keilani's baby pictures but it's nice just to have an updated family photo......which will not be made into Christmas cards this year because I'm just too busy. Maybe next year will the year. Tammy straightened my hair and did my makeup for me. Then she gave me some stuff so I can do it myself back home. And, guess what, I've actually straightened my own hair 3 times since then. Woohoo! It's even straight right now. And Tammy's right, it does make a big difference. I feel made up even without makeup. Tammy calls it City Cailin.

Speaking of City Cailin, the next Monday Tam and I got all dolled up for a girls day out while Iz (husband of the year) watched all four kids by himself. Luckily by then baby Maile was in a much better mood. We ended up having to see a later movie than planned because it took us around 2 hours to get ready. Most of that, beyond doing our hair, was me being a life sized doll for Tam to dress up in different styles including one in which I was wearing cowboy boots with a shorter overall dress and tights. So out of my comfort zone. Oh and other options included me wearing different pairs of Tam's maternity pants. That's right. Maternity pants are what I could borrow from her. Luckily we settled on my own pair of long jeans with a pretty black turtleneck of Tam's, her black Couch wedge heels (which I ended up giving up on and switching to her black flats after about 5 blocks of walking), and her awesomely chic cream long coat. I love that coat. And Tam, of course, looked stunning in her jeans, black top, and beautiful fur wrap. We were going to eat at the Ralf Lauren restaurant but with the long wait time we settled for the Grand Hotel. The braised shortribs with carmelzed red cabbage was wonderful and I adored the stickybun breadpudding. So rich and tasty. Then we went next door to watch New Moon. It was better than Twilight but still nowhere good. Robert Pattinson's delivery still makes me cringe. I wish after the first one became a box office success they could have recast key characters but I know that would never fly with fans. Sadly, I will probably still see all the other movies in hopes that, like Harry Potter, they will arrive at good by the end. I really did enjoy the last HP movie. All in all, it was a great day out with the sis. Our relationship has changed so much over the years. We still have the big/little sister dynamic but it's mellowed a lot. Tammy even apologized a few times for being overbearing and they weren't even big deals. How cool is that? And how cool is Iz for watching 4 kids in a house with breakable things that aren't ours and only a small toy area?

Speaking of awesome husbands I'm not sure if I've posted about Dave Orme yet. When the Ormes came to visit, Kristine and a bunch of other moms went out to lunch while Dave watched 9 kids all by himself at the Tot Lot. He did relay games and obstacle courses and had chaotic fun with leaf fights. Then, some random woman asked if her kid could play with them and he said sure, thinking she meant she'd stay there with the kid. But she just walked off and left him with 10 kids alone. Wow, I know Dave looks trustworthy and she must have thought he was Superman to watch all those kids, but that is some serious nerve. Anyhow, I think Saint Dave has a nice ring to it, don't you?

But back to Thanksgiving and the highlight of the trip: Key Lime Cove. We stayed at this hotel about 90 minutes away that had an indoor waterpark and tons of fun activities for the kids when they got waterlogged--which didn't really happen. We tubed down the river, played in the gentle waves, slid down multiple slides ranging from tiny to huge, and even whirled around a funnel ride. Oh and there was a gigantic pineapple that dumped about 200 gallons of water in one go. It was beyond awesome: feeling warm in the winter, watching the kids get giddy for hours, and relaxing in the hot tub. Totally awesome. Thanks Tam for the idea and dad for funding it. When we weren't in the water, we participated in some games, coloring, cookie decorating, balloon sword fighting, and a treasure hunt that ended with some booty for the kids including some tokens for the arcade. Later, Tom funded the kids in a little arcade time on our own. Keilani loved the big gun and Jarom was disappointed that we weren't able to snag the Lightning McQueen toy with the claw. The adults had a blast hunting bucks and shooting ducks. I wish Kerv had been there to show us up. Oh, and we had a great breakfast buffet with a visit from Santa. Keahi's reaction to him was to not want to sit with him or take pictures or ask him for anything but he still insists that he believes in Santa and pointed out that this one's beard was real. Good observation. And I've caught him telling Jarom to be nice to him or he'll get a lump of coal from Santa. But he doesn't seem to believe in one true Santa. Instead he says there must be many of them all over the world that take care of their areas and look like the people around them. Let's hear it for the Asian, Polynesian, and African Santas out there. So, Tammy, because I can't figure out what Keahi really thinks about Santa beyond the fact that he wants presents from him, I'm resurrecting the blue stockings from last year that say "From Chicago Santa" on them. Hey, maybe that's where he got the idea of multiple Santas. Well, here ends one holiday and now I've got to go prepare for the next one. It's a busy season. Happy Holidays everyone.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Halloween 6 weeks later

Man, I've gotta get caught up on my posts. Waiting till December to recap Halloween is pretty pathetic. But the kids looked so cute and had so much fun that it would be a crime not to document the experience. This year they made really good use of their costumes and wore them multiple times throughout the month. And the kids were always excited to become a knight and dragon each time.

First we went to Zoo Boo with the Kalcich family. Keahi was so excited that his friend Zeke was also a knight. And little Hallie was adorable in her unicorn outfit--which went along, I suppose, with the mythical beast and knights and damsels thing. The zoo was beautifully decorated with tons of fun jack-o-lanterns and scary themed exhibits. But I think my favorite part was all the animals constructed out of gourds. Some were very creative. Of course, the kids' favorite part was the looooooong trick-or-treat trek. We also got to watch The Phantom of the Zoo which was lame in a fun way. The actors were properly enthusiastic and dramatic in their expressions and dance and the kids ate it up. It's always a little painful though when they try to get the audience involved and nobody joins in.

We were mean parents and only let the kids eat one piece of candy while we walked about, filling our bags with goodies. But at one point I thought Jarom was asking for another candy and denied his request only to discover between sobs that he really wanted his red apple. Then Keahi piped in too and asked for his. I love that they love fruit......though in Jarom's case I don't love it when it's diaper changing time.

Then Jarom got to get dressed up again for his Joy school Halloween parade and party. The kids were adorable as they sang their songs and marched about. And even cuter when they served all the adults popcorn and cookies before getting their own. I really gotta get that video from one of the prepared moms who actually brought their cameras. The next day he was a dragon at Toddler Reading time at the library and was joined with an assortment of princesses and superheroes. He booed and roared at everyone he met.

And while they didn't wear their costumes we also hit Blake's Apple Orchard for their Haunted Village and something advertised as THE AMAZING BLACK HOLE. Well....it was amazing. It was this dark room with a suspended bridge crossing it surrounded by a dark cylinder with bright points of light that rotated around you. Difficult to explain, but the effect was that as you walked across the bridge you felt like you were starting to go up the wall and tilting over so you try to compensate and your equilibrium goes to pieces. The boys loved it so much we went through it 6 times in a row. They also enjoyed feeding the animals, the corn mazes, haystacks, playground, haunted scenes, tricycle races, jack-o-lantern bouncy castle, and the hot cider with donuts. We really, really liked those too. Donuts dipped in cider, yum.

Next was Keahi's Halloween party at school--at which I was in charge of the food. I spent way way too much time and effort on things the kids just wolfed down but I enjoyed the resulting spread and was comforted by all the admiration from the adults who actually appreciated the effort behind the meal. There were pb&honey jack-o-lantern sandwiches (I used a tiny bat cookie cutter for the mouth since the one I did with a knife was horrific), tuna ghost sandwiches, veggie platter with monster hand dip, apple monster bites, pretzel witches' brooms, and bat cookies. Of course, the kids ate up the cookies first and I ended up with loads of extra apples. Ah well. The school was very specific about offering healthy snacks and limiting sugary things.....which, I discovered was more of a suggestion than a rule in all the other class parties with their bags of donut holes and Kroger cupcakes with massive amounts of frosting (that was specifically banned at the parent meeting). Anyhow, the party was a success with games, crafts, food, and each kid made a picture frame for their Halloween portraits to take home. And before the party there was a parade around the block and a magician show in the cafe.

Right after that there was trick-of-treating in the Village adjacent to the school. All the boutiques gave out candy and/or coupons and one gave out toothbrushes. We waited in line for almost half an hour for one booth because it was the library one and they give out free books. The lady actually gave us an extra one on the side. Sweet! Sidenote: Keahi's Roald Dahl book, Witches, was not a hit. I'd never read it before and Iz only vaguely remembered it. But Keahi is all about what's real and what's not and the first chapter of this books talks about how witches are real but they look like everyone else so you can't tell who's a witch and who's not. Keahi ended up having a nightmare about it that night and we've put the book back on the shelf for a few years.

And then it was finally Halloween. We had a church party in the morning with yummy themed food and cookie decorating and games for the kids. And I found a friend there who offered me a princess costume so I could match my boys for later. However, Keahi insisted that princesses only wear pink so I obviously wasn't one. Instead I was the evil sorceress. Fine. More true to life anyway.

Then we had a party at a classmate of Keahi's house. Iz and I aren't really minglers but I must say that all the parents there were awesome and friendly and even comfortable to chat with. We actually spent time with them instead of chickening out and hanging out with kids like we'd normally do. I was one of the only adults in costume which was awesome for my need to stick out. I had thought Adam's mom would be there and I'd seen her amazing homemade costume the day before--her son's a knight, the dog's a dragon, and she wore a big tower with a window at abdomen height through which her princess baby peeped through in her carrier. But, alas, I was the only princess at the Miller's party. After that hoopla we decided to trick-or-treat with Keahi's friend, Tristan, around that part of the neighborhood instead of heading back to our part of GP. And that ended up being a good call since when we got back our neighbors told us they only had 2 people stop by their house for candy. Apparently nobody on our street gives out candy except for our neighbors. So our huge bags of candy corn and lollipops didn't even get a dent in them unless you count the one t-o-ter we got before giving up and heading into the warmth of the house.

So we've got bags of candy for anyone who'd like to dress up for it. Or, you know, just ask.

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