Category Archives: family

birthdays, development, family

Who needs a petting zoo?

Leave a comment

Tonight, after we went to the park, I was trying to make dinner and hold Maia and she got a hold of the lettuce bag. I was too tired to fight it so I just sat down with her and let her play with it. She proceeded to grab little handfuls of lettuce and shove them in my mouth (along with her whole hand). Maia sure gets a kick out of feeding other people, and as I sat there, I realized feeding other people is kind of like feeding the animals at the petting zoo. What little kid doesn’t like that?

In other news, we celebrated Sarah’s 30th with a surprise party in the garage last Saturday. It was a blast and Maia was my party sidekick, sleeping most of the night in the sling, strapped to my shoulder. Keana ran around and played chasing games with various guests, and around 9:30 p.m., she and Grandma Jennie went inside to mellow out and ended up watching Disney’s Robin Hood three times until I came inside around one in the morning, and we put Keana and Sarah to bed. Although many of the guests provided the fun and helped decorate, Grandma Jennie, Tia, and Uncle Ryan were a big help all weekend, especially for clean up on Sunday.

So the week has pretty much been recovering from that. Some new Maia developments include head banging while walking as well as almost running. She can say “tickle-tickle” and a loud “Mmmmm!” when she sees you get some food out she thinks she might like. Maia is our little athlete and is an aggressive little climber and bouncer. She loves climbing on Keana’s little chairs and often insists on standing on them. Just today too, she danced in a circle with her arms up as Keana sang the theme to Sleeping Beauty.

Which brings me to the Zooba. She is amazing. Her latest, most articulate phrase is, “I’m three but I’ll be four in March.” She has continued to struggle sharing with Maia, but it’s interlaced with some of the sweetest sister moments you’ve ever seen. Tonight Maia took a water bottle over to her and Keana wanted a kiss, but Maia shook her head “no”. So Keana said, “No? Okay, I’ll just take a sip of water then.” A few minutes later Maia cashed in on that kiss. Keana can also pick Maia up and uses her special powers to help keep Maia safe—which is really sweet—but sometimes we have to stop her from scarily hauling her sister around for no reason (who, by the way, weighs half as much as her).

That’s the latest and I think we’ll be using the three day weekend to catch up with our lives.

family, holidays, trips

Fresno/L.A. Christmas: Done! (Oh, and Happy New Years too!)

Leave a comment

Is it too late to say Happy New Years? I can’t believe that was almost a week ago! We headed to Fresno on December 26 and planned to leave “early”, but got on the road around 11:30 a.m. As I was saying in one of my recent posts though, Maia is really getting used to our world, and it showed in this road trip. She slept for the first hour-and-a-half and then hung out peacefully in the car until we stopped for lunch in Los Banos. Then we preceded to have a relatively mellow ride the rest of the way. Until this point, we hadn’t had an extended car ride like this where Maia wasn’t screaming the saddest sobs you’ve ever heard for almost an hour. We had a great afternoon with Grandma Jennie and Uncle Michael, and finished out the day by watching Pixar’s Wall-E. We’re probably some of the last people on earth to have watched this movie, and we all thoroughly loved it. It was amazing how much of story could be told with almost no dialogue, something that really appealed to Keana.

The next day we had Christmas, opening lots of gifts and enjoying a generally mellow day, followed by a great turkey dinner, courtesy of Grandma Jennie. Aside from being with family, one of the best things about traveling to someone else’s house for events is not having to worry about food. I feel like many of our days just consist of planning meals and eating, interspersed with sleeping. So with Grandma on all the meals, we actually had time to relax and just play and visit; it was great! Both the girls absolutely love playing with Grandma and Uncle Michael, and Michael is still in school up at Evergreen, and we rarely see him, so it was a treat indeed.

The next day we headed over to Grandpa Robert and Nana Cin’s to keep the Christmas cheer flowing. They are always very hospitable and we can always depend on amazing food and plenty of it. It was great to catch up with them and the girls had fun running around and playing while we visited. We probably could have used a couple more days in Fresno to spend with family there, but we had to hit the road once more for our last stop: Los Angeles.

Getting out of Fresno proved harder than we thought. MIchael took off early for wisdom teeth removal, so we had the house to ourselves to pack up and attempt to find everything to pack. We did pretty good packing and decided to just get breakfast on the road, and as we were putting the kids in the car, Sarah realized she locked her purse in the house and we didn’t have a key. So we called Jennie and luckily she and Michael were almost done, so we went to get a quick bite to eat and gas. Of course the guy at Starbucks forgot one of our sandwiches, so once again, as we got the kids strapped in the car, we realized this and I had to run back in to get the missing sandwich, which hadn’t been made, so it was five more minutes, which is about 2 hours in kid time. During this time Maia had decided this was all bullshit and began to cry. And at this point, none of us blamed her. We headed back to Grandma Jennie’s house and got the purse, and miraculously made it out of Fresno. This did not bode well for our 4 hour trip to L.A. But actually, it was another miraculous day of travel for Maia. She and Keana slept for a couple hours and we made it all the way to Crenshaw without having to stop. We grabbed a quick lunch and headed the rest of the way Seal Beach for Hokama/Uno/Yoshimoto Christmas.

This was the first time the Japanese side of our family was all together since our wedding, so it was pretty special. Auntie Helene and Cousins Helen, Stan, Riki had never met the girls, and Great Nana and Granddad Hokama (from Hawaii) had never met Maia, so it was a momentous occasion indeed. Grandpa Jon made this all possible by orchestrating the rendezvous, and his wife Susan and their girls Grace and Lilli also flew out from Denver. Of course Uncle Peter came down from Santa Cruz, so with the exception of Auntie Julie, Uncle Lance, and Cousin Sasha, we were all there. Oh, and due to crazy schedules we were unable to see Riki, so that was unfortunate too. But we basically hung out in Seal Beach until New Years Eve when we headed to Disneyland for the Keana and Maia’s first visit to the magical kingdom.

Disneyland was in-sane. By 2 p.m. the park had sold out and you could tell on the inside. Lines for rides probably averaged 60 minutes and you could barely walk anywhere. As you can imagine with a one and three-year-old, there were some stressful times, but as a whole it was a lot of fun. We all had to split up because there was no way to keep 11 of us together in that mess, so Maia, Keana, Sarah, and I set out for kiddy rides. We rode King Arthur’s Carousel, Keana rode the Casey Jr. train and the Dumbo ride with Grandpa Jon and Grandma Susie, then the four of us rode the Pirates of the Caribbean, and Storybook Land. Keana really wanted to go into the whale’s mouth and I think she really enjoyed it. Maia did great and was only slightly scared on Pirates. As the day went on, the park seemed to get impossibly more crowded. Somehow we all were able to get a table at the Plaza Inn for dinner, after which our Quadripod had to head home. The girls were so strung out from Disneyland they couldn’t sleep, so they played around in the hotel room to unwind and we rang in the new year with Uncle Peter. What a day.

On New Years Day we headed over to Great Auntie Helene’s house where we celebrated with Helen and her new husband John, Stan, Great Nana and Granddad, Grandpa Jon and Grandma Susie, Aunties Grace and Lilli, and Uncle Peter. It was a lot of fun and we all got caught up, remembered visits to L.A. that Peter and I had had as kids, and played music together. It was really a great time and made me realize how important it was to me to stay in touch with our Japanese roots. Sarah and I both think it’s especially important we make the effort for the girls so they can know about this important part of where they come from.

On January 2nd we hit the road once more, and it took us about 9 hours to get home. A very long drive but very worth it. And so ended Christmas Tour 2008. It’s a ton of work to travel so much with the girls being so young, but the great time we had with all the various family more than made up for it and we hopefully look forward to much more time with family in 2009. Happy New Year and good night!

family, holidays

Quadripod Christmas: Done! (almost)

Leave a comment

Well, it’s almost over. I’d say Christmas day has been a success and it’s still going. The girls eagerly arose this morning, Keana swearing she heard Santa and reindeer last night, and couldn’t wait to investigate for clues, specifically presents. So we all rushed out of bed and headed upstairs. Sure enough, there were plenty of clues left behind by Santa and his helpers.

Last night (Christmas Eve) we celebrated with a super-fine rib roast followed by peach cobbler, and bedtime for Keana was easy for once, with the promise of reindeer bringing gifts as soon as she fell asleep. I know, it’s a little coercive, but hey, it’s fun for her and it works. Admittedly I was useless and fell asleep on the couch as Sarah wrapped gifts. It’s been a rough couple days with our busy schedule and everyone being sick and it made me sleepy, so I checked out. But Sarah saved the day—as only a mother could I suppose—and got it all taken care of for the morning.

So we opened gifts this morning, had a delicious cinnamon roll snack courtesy of Great Grandma Jacquie, followed by our traditional biscuits and gravy. Maia, Sarah, and I took a nap as Keana crept around the house, playing with all her new stuff. After Maia and I woke up, Maia, Keana, and I continued to play as Sarah slept. Today’s a little bitter-sweet as we can’t exactly lounge about since we have to pack for Fresno and L.A. Christmas, but it shouldn’t be too bad.

Laundry’s in the washer, Keana and Maia are running around without their shirts off cause they’re hot, and it’s almost time to heat up the rest of that kick-ass roast. So, Merry Christmas to everyone out there and we’ll see you after Christmas Tour 2008.

family, holidays, trips

Peterson Christmas: Done!

Leave a comment

If I didn’t already mention this, we have six Christmases this year. You can’t have too many right? Or can you? Anyway, we all met at Great Grandma Jacquie and Great Grandpa Vic’s for Maia’s first Peterson Christmas on the 21st. Maia was around last year, but she was only 3 weeks old—and Keana was sick—so we had to skip out last year. But we were there in full force this year. Keana had a blast playing with her second cousins McKenna (9th grade), Cassidy (6th grade), and Riley (4th grade) and I think Maia had fun too. She wandered from room to room charming everyone in her cute little Christmas kilt. It was the first time Uncle Vic, Kristie, and the cousins had met Maia, so I think that was pretty special. It was a great time, as usual, and we had lots of laughs and of course the girls got tons of gifts. It’s great to have such generous family since we don’t really have the resources to buy Keana and Maia all the fun things they get this time of year. Aunt Janet had to work at 6:45 the next morning, so we all took off a little earlier than usual (around 8 p.m.). It was pouring rain on the way home and both girls fell fast asleep while Mama and Papa debriefed the night.

It was a lot of fun, but just as Keana and Maia were recovering from their flu/colds, Sarah and I picked it up and had tough days on the 21st—though I don’t think anyone really noticed—and yesterday as well. I think we’re all on the mend though, just in time for Christmas and our tour of lower-CA. Next stop will be Fresno for a little celebration with Grandma Jennie and Uncle Michael on the 27th, and Grandpa Robert and Nana Cin on the 28th.

Well, Keana’s been asleep since 7:30 and Maia is finally done unfolding laundry, trying on tank-tops, and rolling around on the ground with Miko, and has reluctantly fallen asleep as well, so I must hurry and enjoy some “free” time (read: update the rest of this website and sort pictures).

development, family, holidays

Christmas whirlwind

Leave a comment

It’s the four days before Christmas and I think we can all feel the madness creeping in. On top of that, little Maia is really going through it. She has a little bit of the flu too—yes, the magic of puking—but there’s been a lot of other developmental things going on too. She’s been walking up a storm and seems to be enjoying her mobile independence. She has the occasional fall, always does a great job catching herself, gets back up, and waddles on. Maia has four teeth poking through on the top and four pretty well established teeth on the bottom. She’s also been waking up in the middle of the night for a couple hours to party which has been tough, especially since she really only wants Sarah to put her back to sleep. All that being said though, things are getting easier. It’s the little things like her holding her arms right to get shirts and jackets on and being a little calmer while being strapped into her car seat. I guess those little things really show that our little Maia is getting used to the world.

Maia has also been getting better and better at communicating and clearly shows she understands something like, “Do you want to go upstairs?” with a nod and a smile. She also says “see-saw” quite clearly and a very audible “pull-draw” from her favorite rocking activity that’s accompanied by:

See-saw, pull and draw,
Old man, dull saw,
Green wood, hard to cut…
Fuzza-wuzza-wuzza-wuzza

Maia’s also learned to call things “hoT” with an emphasis on the “T” when she feels heat coming from it. And while in Texas, she gained an affinity for the Happy Birthday song, and requests it by singing the first couple notes from it (followed by a huge smile and a little rocking). Maia is also getting better at imitating sounds and actions we make. In fact, Keana often sings Ariel’s song from The Little Mermaid and Maia’s sweet little voice can be heard echoing the tune.

And Keana…our Little Miss Thang. Exuberant as ever, she can’t wait to open any and every present. Her verbal skills never cease to amaze us, along with her comprehension. I often forget she’s not even four yet and have to check some of my expectations and just let her be a silly, goofy spaceball. Just like with Halloween this year, I think the whole Christmas thing is sinking in. I must admit too, that last year we got sucked into her youthful magical spell and fell into telling her about Santa and Rudolph and flying reindeer and she was so excited at the prospect, that we just went along with it. So yes, she can’t wait for Santa and thinks maybe she’ll hear the reindeer on the roof because they’re so big. She’s also vigilant about reminding us to open the Advent calendar and loves the little pictures and countdown to Christmas. The fact that we have divided family as well has spoiled her, because we celebrate several Christmases; this year the total reaching six! We Celebrated with Tia and Grandma Jennie last weekend since Tia’s going on her honeymoon over Christmas this year, and we celebrated with Grandma Linda, Grandpa Sam, and Uncle Peter yesterday and today since G&G are out from Texas. Tomorrow we head down to Great Grandma and Grandpa’s in Los Altos for Peterson Christmas, and Keana is really excited to see her cousins McKenna, Cassidy, and Riley. THEN, we have “actual” Christmas just the four of us, and head to Fresno on the 26th for Christmases 4 and 5 with Grandma Jennie and Uncle MIchael, and Grandpa Robert and Nana Cin (respectively). THEN we head to Seal Beach because Great Nana and Granddad are flying out from Hawaii and they’ve never even met Maia yet, so that will be a treat. Grandpa Jon and family will be out there as well, and we’ll probably get to visit with Great Auntie Helene, and third cousins Helen, Stan, and Riki. So we’ll finish the Great Christmas tour of 2008 with a bang in SoCal, and ring in the New Year down there as well.

It’s a little daunting, but we’ll make it fun and of course, that’s what makes this time of year wonderful anyway. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that we finally decorated our porch with lights (below). What sold me on it was Keana saying, “We have to Papa so the other kids can enjoy it!” And that big ball of lights in the center is Super Sphere, a Longs’ special that’s 100 hundred lights of pure glory. We bought if for our first Christmas party six years ago and it has finally realized it’s full potential (I think).

So there you go. The Christmas whirlwind is in full effect. See you at the end…or maybe before.

birthdays, development, family, holidays, trips

“Firsts” in Texas

Leave a comment

My head is going to explode. I mean so much has happened since the last time I wrote, I either have to just list it all in boring chronological order, or write an epic novel. But maybe there’s an in between.

Gettin’ There
I think the last time I wrote we were headed to Texas. I had a work trip in San Antonio from 11/19-11/22 and Sarah, Keana, Maia, and Uncle Peter flew out that Sunday afternoon/evening to meet me on our way to Fredericksburg to see Grandma Linda and Grandpa Sam for Thanksgiving. What a day that was. I called Sarah first thing Sunday morning to check in and make sure she was doing okay. Packing for three people is no small chore, especially when two of those people are actually monkeys that need constant supervision while climbing and crawling all over the house, whisking everything you’re trying to pack away. So I called and found out that Uncle Peter was AWOL. He was supposed to be there the previous night, but didn’t make it out of Santa Cruz and said he’d be there first thing Sunday morning. Here it was, three hours before needing to leave for the airport, and no Peter. After many calls in all directions, Peter surfaced and made it to the house just in time to pack up the car and head to the airport. I was a thousand miles away in San Antonio and couldn’t do a thing, so I tried to enjoy the day with mom and Sam. Their flight landed around 10 p.m. and we spent another hour picking up bags and getting the car seats strapped into the mini-van rental. (SIDE NOTE: I pretty much hate mini-vans. Call me vain, but I hate the way they look and it seems like every jackass on the road either drives a mini-van, a Hummer, or a Prius. But let me tell you, this Toyota Sienna was spacious, easy to drive, had two side doors that opened and closed automatically/remotely, and we easily fit seven people—with two car seats—in it. Sarah was totally won over but I still can’t quite get over my vanity.)

It was another hour+ to Fredericksburg and Maia cried the whole way. She was more than over it. Miraculously Keana fell asleep and rest of us were beat. We stayed at a friends guest house that was outside of town and in the middle of the countryside. It was beautiful with lots of deer, windy roads, and millions of stars visible at night.

Maia’s First Birthday
On Tuesday, November 25, it was Maia’s first birthday. In attendance were Grandma Linda, Grandpa Sam, and Uncle Peter. During the day we went into town for the first time and enjoyed some cowboy boot shopping and the quaint offerings of Main St. Fredericksburg. The girls took a little nap in the car on the way home and Grandma LInda and Grandpa Sam came over to the guest house to cook the birthday meal. Poor little Maia was so tuckered out from the day’s adventures, that she fell asleep before pie and candles, so we enjoyed them in her sleepy absence. Not exactly the pomp and fanfare that some first birthdays hold, but it was certainly one filled with lots of love and of course the novelty of celebrating in a small town in Texas.

Maia’s First Thanksgiving
For Thanksgiving we enjoyed dinner with our hosts Rex and Marylou at their house, which was right next to the guest house we were staying in. They had their nieces over and one of their friends from their ballet company, another couple that had transplanted from California and their son from Santa Barbara, and our clan. It was a great dinner with the usual tonage of the traditional foods, and Maia and Keana enjoyed roaming all over the house, Maia holding on to just one of our fingers for balance. The evening ended a little abruptly when their dog Weasel nipped at Keana’s ankle and made her cry, so we took a sad and tired Keana back to the guest house. I laid with Keana while Sarah put Maia to sleep, and Maia fell asleep without a hitch, but little Miss Keana was too amped to fall asleep, so we let her watch cartoons while we sat with Uncle Peter in the freezing cold drinking beers and relaxing. It was too cold to really sit outside for long, so we called it a night and brought the now VERY sleepy Zooba with us.

Maia Walks
On November 27, 2008, while we were at Grandma Linda’s house, and while Sarah was talking on the phone with her mom, Maia really walked on her own. She was do excited. She walked in circles and walked between Sarah and I, squealing and laughing with pride and excitement. It was truly amazing. She had been practicing for weeks holding on to just one of our fingers, so her balance was really good and she did quite well, right at first, all on her own.

Other Events and the Wrap Up
Other activities while visiting in Fredericksburg included great visits and meals with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Peter, a trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s property where they will be building their house, visits to the town, a great brunch on an outdoor patio at Silver Creek with live country music (solo guitar, singing), and some of the best burgers we’ve ever had anywhere at Porky’s and the Alamo Springs Cafe. Man, those burgers were amazing and we will honestly miss them. Okay, moving on.

The trip home wasn’t too bad. We flew back with Uncle Peter so three adults and two kids is just about the right ratio. Of course the girls were tired, but a nice layover in Denver allowed us to get dinner and run around a bit which was very helpful. We landed in Oakland just before 8 p.m. and as always, it felt great to be home. It was a great little Texas adventure we definitely look forward to going back for future visits, especially when Grandma Linda and Grandpa Sam get their house built!

family, trips

Tia Gets Hitched

Leave a comment

Well, this is really late to say this, but Tia (Iana, Sarah’s sister), got married August 31 to Ryan Janisse. The wedding was in Fresno at Grandma Bev’s lake house and the reception was in Fresno at the San Joaquin hotel. Sarah was the maid of honor and sang Ben Harper’s “Forever” as Iana walked down the isle, while Ryan’s good friend Burton played guitar accompaniment. Keana was the flower girl and Maia just matched, and I rounded things off with a solo trumpet “outtro” after the ceremony, playing “The Very Thought of You“. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself…

We headed out to Fresno on Friday, August 29 so we weren’t just rushing into all the wedding madness. When we arrived at the lake house it was 107 degrees and we were exhausted. We tried to nap but it was just too hot and the kids were too excited. The hammering to get the front door in the frame didn’t help either. In the evening Iana, Ryan, Jennie, Bev, and Bev’s boyfriend Kenny came up to do some last-minute cleaning and set-up for the wedding. I barbecued a whole bunch of chicken and we all sat down for dinner, the night before the night before the wedding.

Saturday was another day filled with excitement and luckily we had some down time before the wedding rehearsal. Again, there were no naps in the cards but the girls slept on the way down to Fresno for the rehearsal dinner, and we figured 30 minutes was better than nothing. It was a huge rehearsal dinner with the entire wedding party and most of the immediate family—including aunts and uncles—on both sides. Luckily Robert and Cindy were watching a friend’s daughter who was 11 I think, and immediately Keana had a new best friend. Her name was Bryn, but for whatever reason Keana called her Marin. But they seemed to have fun and it was great Keana had someone to hang with in the sea of adult boringness (speaking from a kid’s perspective, of course). Dinner was fun, but took forever, and we got to Grandma Jennie’s house just before midnight. Maia had fallen asleep in the car and we were able to keep her asleep in the car-to-house transfer. We got Keana ready for bed, and even though she miraculously got her 100th “second wind”, she went to bed well, sleeping with Grandma Jennie. Sarah went back out with her brother Michael to join the after-party at the Elbow Room, and I stayed with Maia. I made the mistake of trying to change her diaper and she woke up and wouldn’t go back to sleep, so I had reel Sarah in a little early.

The next day was the Big One, and Sarah helped her mom prepare center pieces and I delivered them to the hotel. We then headed back up to the lake house to get ready for the ceremony. The house was all abuzz with the bridal party getting ready, the photographer taking pre-wedding shots, and as it got closer to the time, guests began to arrive. It was a small ceremony, with just immediate family present, but it was nice with Iana and Ryan exchanging vows on the bluff, overlooking Millerton Lake. Both girls had a bit of a meltdown right before show time, but pulled it together like pros when it was time to walk down the isle. I coached Keana along in her role as flower girl and she was absolutely elegant and adorable. I was supposed to hold Maia but she wasn’t going to have it, so Sarah held Maia while she sang. And now we’re back to the beginning I suppose.

The reception was at the San Joaquin Hotel in Fresno, and it was fun and festive as one might expect. I played my song again to usher people into the atrium—the reception was around the pool area of the hotel which transitioned into an atrium—and Sarah sang her song again for Iana and Ryan’s first dance. Sarah also gave a speech as maid of honor and brought the whole house to tears as she toasted her sister and Ryan, likening her relationship with Iana to what she sees developing between Keana and Maia. I held Maia during all this while Keana frolicked about with Uncle Peter and Oscar. Maia eventually konked out in the sling, but amazingly, Keana kept her little motor going until well past 1 a.m.! Honestly, much of the festivities were a blur of chasing Keana around, rocking Maia, playing my horn, crying to Sarah’s speech, 100 short conversations between family, friends, and co-workers, and of course, all the happy, magical moments shared with the newly-weds. Oh, and only two beers if you can believe that.

We were so worked from it all that we booked the hotel room an extra day and tried to recoup before heading home. It was a crazy-ass ride, but what better first wedding for Keana and Maia than their own Tia’s?

family, trips

2008 Campout

Leave a comment

It was Maia’s first family campout. So far, both girls have been every year of their lives, which made it Keana’s fourth. Our epic journey began Friday, July 18 when we headed to REI to get a cargo box for the top of our car so we could actually make the journey. The Pathfinder is always packed to maximum capacity, and now with two car seats and Keana’s longer legs taking up more space in the back seat , the packing plan required some adjustments. Luckily we got last year’s Thule model on sale, saved $150, and added 17 cubic feet of space on top of our car. I never thought I’d own one of those crazy roof boxes, but I figure it’s okay since I was running out of curse words to use while packing, not to mention self-control not to use them around the kids.

We drove to Fresno on Saturday, July 19 for Iana’s bridal shower and made it just on time. Maia really hates driving and hasn’t quite mastered sleeping in the car yet, but even so, the drive wasn’t too bad. Sunday was spent shopping for food, gathering, and packing. Even with Sunday’s progress, we still had to get ice and pack the car on Monday before driving up to the site, but again, the cargo box made it a breeze. The only problem with the box was that it was so hot in Fresno, I nearly burned my hands trying to get it closed. (Note to self, gotta bring gloves next year.) We were on the rode by 11 a.m. on Monday but still had to stop only after an hour to have lunch in Shaver, due to hunger and crying kids. After lunch though, the kids fell asleep and it was a nice drive through the redwoods, across Wishon Reservoir, and up, then down to the site.

For the first year, we were the first ones at the campout and had our pick of camping spots. We ended up camping above this great meadow but immediately found out that the mosquitos were going to be a pain in the ass this year. Just while I set up the tent I swear Keana got fifteen bites on her forehead alone. But we had our camp set up in no time and I even began to wonder if, even with two kids now, we might be getting this family camping thing down. Coming from a background in backpacking, I always question if we don’t over do it with what we bring, but I must say that I still thought we had a nice modest camp (even though it did feel like we brought our entire house and the grocery store with us).

Uncle Jim and Aunt Christina and their crew camp up a couple hours after us, then Iana and Ryan came up a couple hours after that. It really is great being the first ones up there and I felt we got better quality time with Iana and Ryan because of it. By the time Thursday rolled around, the entire area was buzzing and the 2008 Campout was in full swing. The traditional cocktail party on Friday was a blast, as usual, with a Hawaiian theme. Bob and Jackie always host the party and they did a fabulous job. Their daughter Alexis goes to UC Berkeley and Keana absolutely loves her, so that was good to also have some entertainment for Keana as well. There was this funny little mechanical bird in a cage that Lorraine had donated to the party that Keana found instantly, and hung onto for the rest of the campout. Maia was a great little Hawaiian accessory and did quite well in the sling for most of the party.

The great thing about being out in the woods is that the only thing you have to worry about is eating, sleeping, and the occasional adventure should you choose not to just eat or sleep. Pretty much every day we had the same schedule:

We woke up around 7 or 8 (wasn’t too cold so that first morning pee was a breeze). Then we would go over to Tia’s camp to be entertained by any of the following: Tia, Ryan, Grandma, Uncle Michael, or his friend Eli. Shortly after Keana and I got rolling, Maia and Sarah would emerge from our woodland palace, and start breakfast. A couple mornings we had family breakfast where our camp would make blueberry pancakes and Iana, Ryan, or Grandma would make bacon. It was really nice having our camps right next to each other with two stoves for cooking. After breakfast, when the bugs got a little worse, Sarah and Maia would go back in the tent for their mid-morning nap, Keana would play in the meadow, and I would clean up or hang out. Right before lunch we’d wrestle on some sunscreen and pack a lunch for a trip to the river. And EVERY single time, Keana would scream and protest and yell, “Noooo! Not my ears!” or “Nooooo! Not my neck!” until eventually every exposed body part was protested, then covered. The only chemical she got used to was mosquito repellent, which, after a time, she would volunteer a body part and say, “Here, get my feet! See? This isn’t bad because I’m used to it!” Sunscreen however remained a struggle every time. Luckily we had several other adults to split the task with.

So, after all that, we would head to the river, which wasn’t far, but was a good little hike for a 3-year-old. Keana didn’t seem to mind the water temperature but didn’t want to get all the way in unless I was jumping her in and out quickly. Maia stuck her feet in and after the initial, “What the hell is this?”, seemed to really like it. Most days we would stay for a couple hours and head back up to our camp for a nap, but one day we brought a little tent with us, and Keana actually napped in it by the river. Maia would sleep on and off in the sling and Sarah and I took turns with each.

The campout always culminates in a potluck which is really great because everyone makes really amazing food—especially given the fact that we’re out in the middle of the woods, far from kitchens and real stoves/ovens—and it’s one of the only times we’re all in one place at the same time.

Sunday we packed up and went to the river for one last time, then hit the road around 2 p.m. The girls slept for about 30 minutes then Maia’s ears started to bother her and she was one mad little traveler. We stopped in Shaver for some relief, then got back on the road. All-in-all the trip took us about 6 hours and Maia cried for probably 3 of those.

I’ll tell you something though…life in a house with a refrigerator and running water, after camping, ESPECIALLY with kids, really reminds you how lucky us crazy Americans are. We are by no means rich on the American landscape, but we have such an easy, great life. We had a blast camping and love being outdoors, and we love coming home (and writing about it and posting pictures online from our fancy computer for all you other crazy Americans to see)!

family, holidays, trips

Going to San Diego

Leave a comment

7/4/08, 9:55 a.m.
We did it. Keana’s sitting by the window, playing with her doll, Sarah’s sitting in the middle nursing an almost asleep Maia, and I’m holding down the aisle seat, writing. We got out of the house around 7:40 a.m. for our 9:40 a.m. flight to San Diego to visit Tia and Ryan. It wasn’t actually too bad getting all the gear in the car, to the shuttle that took us to our gate, and finally to check-in. Once we unloaded the car seats and suitcase, it felt like it would be a piece of cake getting through security, and it was! And here we are, flying. Just one our till touchdown. I’d say at this point, the hardest part has been keeping up with Keana’s endless barrage of questions, which we’ve been more than happy to answer. How exciting it is to fly with the insight of kids.

7/6/08, 8:25 a.m.
Keana’s on the couch making up stories, Maia’s playing on the floor with Sarah, Ryan’s making us breakfast, and Iana is getting a little extra rest (she did, after-all, just have an appendectomy). Our trip has been amazing so far. When we landed we headed to Iana and Ryan’s house and after lunch took a short nap. After nap-time we headed straight to the beach, and o say Keana was excited would be a drastic understatement. That girl loves the beach and we love taking her and it was even more fun with Tia and Ryan. It was fun to see Keana warm up to Ryan and ask him to help her jump in the ocean. And little Maia just hung out on the blanket in her good-spirited way. We stayed for a couple hours and were barely able to pry little Keana from the beach. Promises of returning the next day and the next were the only thing that comforted her in the end.

Ryan bbq’d some great burgers and we all enjoyed each other’s company until bed time. Fireworks were going to start around 9:30, but Keana seemed so tired we thought it best to just put her to sleep. The thing about Ocean Beach though is that it is a party spot. The clusters of apartments and the close proximity to the beach definitely attracts the under 35 party type. So on the 4th, the parties started early and by 9 p.m. just about every block had a strong contingency of burachos. This made it hard for Keana to fall asleep so when the fireworks started we got her out of bed and went on the porch to see them. It was Keana’s first firework viewing and Iana and Ryan’s first 4th together, so it was pretty special all-around. Keana was in awe and full of questions. “Why are there fireworks?” “Are they going to get us?” “Why are there fireworks?” Try explaining that one to a 3-year-old. The display was awesome though and Maia enjoyed it from the sling as well.

7/8/08, 11:20 a.m.
We made it home. Our flight was slightly delayed yesterday, which, of course, was lame, but we all persevered and both Keana and Maia handled the five hour trip like champs. I was quite proud to be traveling with Team Keana yesterday and was extremely happy to be home, back in our own domain.

7/9/08, 10:00 p.m.
But let’s backtrack a little. Saturday (7/5) in San Diego proved to be a great, mellow day. We all had breakfast together and headed straight to the beach. Keana was definitely more into the water than the sand, but there were brief moments of knocking down sand towers interspersed with jumping in, and running from the ocean. Considering how much Ryan was lifting Keana, I hope his lower back is doing okay (though I think it was good practice). Maia, Sarah, and Iana mostly hung out on the blanket as Iana was still taking it easy after her appendectomy that had just taken place four days earlier.

We headed back for lunch and naps and since Maia and Sarah “slept in”, Keana and I went to the beach just the two of us. We jumped in the ocean and Keana really liked having me throw her in the air over my head when the big waves approached. We also had a blast chasing each other around, but had to pull ourselves away from beach bliss to go refuel on some of Ryan’s grub. And man was it good! Probably the best beef short ribs I’ve ever had (thanks Ryan, and now we have expectations, so watch out).

We wrapped up the evening watching some amazing footage from the BBC’s Planet Earth, answering all kinds of questions from Keana about “why?” along the way, as fish swam, alligators preyed, and wildebeests ran. Little Zoob was so tuckered out, she fell right asleep and we weren’t far behind.

On Sunday we hit the strip in Ocean Beach for a little shopping and then Sarah went to a cranial sacral appointment to work out some kinks. Iana and I entertained the kids while Ryan play chauffeur. When Sarah got back we had some lunch, had some naps, and then guess what? Headed to the beach. Another great evening at the beach, just the four of us, while Iana and Ryan caught their breath back at the apartment.

And as all good things do, it finally ended on Monday. Early that morning Ryan headed back to work in Long Beach, but not so early he was alone. While he was getting ready in the bathroom, Keana had to pee, so I helped her pee in a saucepan in the kitchen. The funniest part was that right before he walked out the door Keana said, “Ryan, I have to tell you something. I peed in your pan.” Classic! Iana and Keana hit the beach one last time while Sarah, Maia, and I packed.

As you read earlier, our flight was delayed, but only by about 40 minutes, so it wasn’t too bad. Even after days of fun at the beach with Tia and Ryan, the girls still had enough in them to endure the flight home and almost the entire car drive from the airport. Again, I was honored to be traveling home with my beautiful ladies and was proud to be a part of Team Hokama’s great adventure to San Diego.

birthdays, development, family, trips

Turning three and other adventures

Leave a comment

Somehow along the way I forgot to write down the events surrounding and including Keana’s third birthday. As you all know, her birthday was March 22 and we had planned to go to Fresno to celebrate with Grandma Jennie. But Keana and Maia ended up getting pretty sick the week leading up to the weekend of the 22nd, that we felt a road trip would be about the worse possible thing, so we postponed it to the following weekend.

Instead we had a mellow celebration opening some gifts in the morning, including some that had been shipped in from the Grandmas, and enjoying a nice cheeseburger, fries, and vanilla shake in the backyard. It was sunny and warm with the slightest breeze to keep things cool. During Keana’s nap I ran to a local bakery and got a fruit tart for birthday dessert—they were all out of fun cake stuff—and some supplies to barbecue. When Keana woke up from her nap, we barbecued tri-tip and followed up dinner with candles, singing, and some tart. Even though it wasn’t the birthday extravaganza we had originally planned, it turned out well and we were all more than happy to just have it be a mellow event with just our Quadripod.

The following weekend, traveling on Friday March 28, we drove to Fresno for the birthday bash we had originally planned with Grandma Jennie. It was also Maia’s first long car ride and with the exception of the last hour, the drive was pretty smooth. Just outside Madera Maia had decided she was done and began to cry so we rolled up to Grandma Jennie’s house around 4 p.m. a little haggard. I think the drive took us about 5 hours with several stops. Shortly after we arrived Great Grandma Bev showed up with gifts for the girls which were, of course, met with great enthusiasm. Not long after that Grandma Jennie arrived and we ordered some pizza and had a nice low-key dinner.

The following day on Saturday, March 29, we went to Storyland which is this place in Fresno with life-sized representations of popular fairy tales. When you enter you’re greeted by the caterpillar from Alice In Wonderland and you proceed on down a path that takes you to The Three Little Pigs, Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood and many others. Sarah actually used to go there when she was a kid and the place was supposedly recently renovated. However we found the entire place wasn’t quite up to spec. Owl’s house was rather rickety and once Sarah got Keana up, she didn’t feel safe because of wobbly railings and what not. Owls glass window pane was also askew and had chicken wire covering the hole that was left. There were also some rusty slides and my favorite was Mama Bear whose nose was smashed off and she her hand was missing. All that was left was a solitary strand of rebarb. Hilarious. I should add though, that many of the structures and story sets were fine and Keana loved all of it. There was a huge pirate ship that was pretty elaborate and in good shape that was fun to go on. The one regret we have is that we got there a little late in the morning, right before lunch, so the girls were tired and hungry. They were awesome though and we still had a great time.

We were going to head back on Sunday but we so worn out that we stayed another day and enjoyed a nice barbecue and yummy birthday cake at Grandma’s house. And as all good things end, so did this trip, and we packed it up Monday morning (5/31) and headed home. The first 45 minutes were rough, but after a pit-stop just outside Los Banos both Keana and Maia fell asleep so it was smooth sailing. Sarah also dozed on and off and I felt lucky to be the lone soldier at the wheel, whisking my ladies safely home (though the piercing pain from my bladder made me feel a little less soldierish). Anyway, we made the entire trip in about three hours which is record time with one kid, not to mention two!

The next big adventure happened on April 12 when we trekked down to Santa Cruz to visit Uncle Peter who was running a half-marathon with his running group “The Lost Boys”. Of course we got out of the house a little late and arrived in Santa Cruz around 10:30 a.m., starving, with Keana beginning to melt down and Maia crying angrily, signaling her full, melt down status. So we pulled up to one of our old favorite eatery, Harbor Cafe, for some refueling of biscuits, gravy, sausage, and eggs. By this point we were pretty frustrated and annoyed at a rough start to our supposed-to-be-fun weekend, but everything was better after breakfast. What can’t biscuits and gravy heal, really?

The Lost Boys—Peter, Oscar, Tim, Gilbert—and Dave, Peter’s old housemate, were actually just finishing breakfast as we arrived at Peter’s house, so the timing was perfect. Grandma Linda and Grandpa Sam were also in town from Fredericksburg, TX, but had to go to a wedding so we planned to see them later.

By the time we got caught up with Peter and everyone else, it was nap time, so Sarah, Keana, and Maia laid down while Peter and I went to the grocery store for barbecue supplies. After nap the four of us went to the beach while Peter got his nap. Sarah thought it would be fun to go to this “secret” beach she used to go to in college. It’s off of the busy beach drive Westcliff, but it’s secret because there aren’t any markers for it and to get there you just take a steep, skinny trail that winds randomly down from the main sidewalk. So we parked, got everything packed up and I carried Keana down while Sarah took Maia. It was a little precarious and when we got to the bottom I guess it looked like we needed help because a local came running over from his family and offered to take Keana for me. I accepted then helped Sarah and Maia down. Immediately it was clear this beach wasn’t much of a secret. It was a small beach, maybe 25 yards long, but there were kids playing wiffle ball, a guy fishing, a guy going out to kayak, four college kids hanging out, and at least four dogs running around—practically every beach activity known to man. We stayed for about 20 minutes and decided it was way too busy and moved on. Going up was easier than getting down, so we re-seated the kids and drove a little further on to Natural Bridges. The weather was hot and the beach was crowded, but there was much more space for our Quadripod. We had so much fun splashing in the ocean and chasing the waves. Keana is pretty fearless of the cold water, and though she didn’t get in above her knees, she stayed in the whole time we were there.

We had to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous beach but were excited to go back to Uncle Peter’s for dinner. Actually, the barbecue took place at his neighbor’s house, one of which is part of the running crew, and with the return of Grandma Linda and Grandpa Sam from the wedding, The Texans, The Quadripod, and The Lost Boys (with adjunct members) had a great evening with lots of laughs and great food. Maia slept on and off in the sling and Keana’s never had so many people at her beck and call to chase her through the house and around the yard. In fact, we were having so much fun that Keana missed her normal bedtime and we all ended up going to bed around 10:30 p.m. Peter and Oscar were kind enough to give up their entire two bedroom apartment for us, so Keana and I slept in a bed and Maia and Sarah slept in the other. We woke early, had breakfast, and then had second breakfasts when everyone in the other house woke up. Then we headed back to the beach to get our last fill of ocean time before heading back to the east bay. The drive home was rough with the kids so tired, and we had to stop in Fremont for dinner, but other than that, it was a beautiful weekend.