Maui 2021

 In late February we got to do two things we hadn't done in a really long time--ride on an airplane and go out of state on vacation!!!  We booked a vacation to Maui in February of 2020 before the pandemic hit so we were crossing our fingers this entire past year hoping the trip would work out and luckily it did!  It was a little trickier than normal as Hawaii is really trying to protect itself so it has strict rules for tourists coming in to the state.  All of us had to get COVID tested 3 days before we left and show proof that we had negative results.  It was a little nerve wracking and complicated at first, but once we got those negative tests we were home free!

We got to travel with Nana and Pops again and stayed at Honua Kai in Kaanapali in the same exact room we stayed in 2 years ago. For the most part things were pretty normal in Maui.  We had to wear masks everywhere which was expected and we're so used to it now.  But luckily we could go out to dinner because most everywhere you can eat outside.  That was such a treat because we haven't been eating out really at home.  There were less chairs at the pool and we had to book a reservation at the Maui Ocean Center.  But otherwise, life felt pretty normal over there.  It was just the breath of fresh air, warmth, sunshine, and getaway from routine (and screens!) that we needed.  We feel so grateful that it worked out for us to go (especially grateful to Nana and Pops who made the trip happen!).  Below are the highlights through photos:

Traditional kick-off dinner at Leilani's

Beautiful view from our condo!

A gecko on our windshield!

Banyan tree in Lahaina

Our favorite jungle walk to Honolua Bay

Blowhole on the northern tip of Maui

Date night!  

Maui sunsets never disappoint!

The Boys

With all that was going on last year with the pandemic, I just did not have the energy or desire to write in the blog.  Sadly though that meant I missed doing an annual post about each boy on their birthday and giving a synopsis of what they're like at their current age.  I love those posts because it's fun in the moment to reflect on each boy and I think it will be fun one day to reminisce about how they changed and evolved as they grew up.  

So this post today will be an attempt to make up from last year.  These are descriptions and observations of each boy in the past year up until now that I want to make sure we don't forget.

Nathan (8 years old)

• Nathan has always been drawn to technology but his interest and skills in technology were heightened this year because of remote school.  As a 3rd grader Nathan is proficient at using Zoom, Google docs, his Schoology school program, copying/pasting, taking a screen shot, typing, and using multitudes of educational apps.  I can't believe the amount of technological things he knows that he wouldn't have learned this early if it wasn't for the pandemic.  He and his buddies have even figured out a way to create Google slides and then share them with each other as a way of communicating since they can't see each other in person.  Nathan is also learning the challenges of technology that we all face every day such as going down rabbit holes with reading online books, getting distracted, and how to adapt when technology doesn't work the way it's supposed to.  It's been so fun to watch him gain all this new knowledge that we know will serve him well for a long time.
• He is still very curious and wants to know and understand things.  He asks good questions all the time and gobbles up informational or non fiction books about topics he's interested in such as animals, history, science, geography, and sports.  He also has recently loved learning more about the body.  We got him some books to teach him about reproduction and to start preparing him for adolescence and how his body will change during that time and he has been fascinated by it all. We love his awe and wonder about the world around him.
• This year Nathan became an NFL football expert. His love and passion for football blossomed this past season. Not only does he love watching it, he loves knowing ALL the things about it....stats, players, teams, leagues, divisions, etc.  And his mind is a steel trap when it comes to that kind of information.  He knows more than his papa and grandpas!
• Nathan is still a very social and friendly person but mostly with people he knows and feels comfortable with.  When he interacts with someone he doesn't know well or hasn't seen in awhile, he gets shy and doesn't like having surfacey conversations.  He's like his mom in that sense.  We're trying to coach him through what social graces look like though so he shows kindness and friendliness towards others.  This year has been tough for him not being able to spend time with friends in person.
• He is still very snuggly which we're just trying to soak up as much as possible.  He will randomly come up and give me a hug or snuggle with me and it seems to be at just the moment when I needed it--as if he has a sixth sense.  I love that about him and hope it doesn't go away any time soon.
• Nate's imagination has been on fire this year and has reached a whole new level.  Being stuck at home and unable to see friends has caused him to have to make his own fun and boy has he taken advantage of that.  Nathan is always coming up with some kind of game, scene, set-up, etc. either outside or in our house.  He involves his brother, alleyway friends, multiple toys, stuffies, books....whatever he can turn into a house, village, castle, creature, scenario, etc.  We are amazed at what he comes up with and are grateful for his creative mind.
• He finally lost some baby teeth!  I think he lost 3-4 teeth in a very short amount of time after not losing some for a very long time.  He lost his 2 front teeth this year!
• Currently into: Pokemon (cards, video games, show, and make believe), video games in general on the Nintendo Switch (Minecraft, Zelda, Super Mario, etc.), Legos, Zoobs, imaginative play, and Nerf guns
• Currently reading: DogMan and other graphic novels.  Nathan and I enjoy reading classics together and in the past year we've read Anne of Green Gables, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Secret Garden, and Little Men.  James and Nate are making their way through the Harry Potter series together

Cameron (6 years old)

• Cam has actually become quite the social butterfly in the past year with alleyway friends and friends in his class.  He is a really good friend--always making sure to include others and to show thoughtfulness to them.  He's very good friends with Willa who lives on our street and has made close friends with people from his class now that he's back to school in person for half the day
• Cameron is more apt to go seek out friends, ask someone to play, instigate his social life and is less shy. He is like James in this way.  It is interesting because both James and Cameron are introverts so you would think the opposite, but they are both really good at interacting with others they don't know or haven't seen in awhile.
• He is the "fashionista" of the family. Cameron loves putting outfits together and really cares about looking nice or having a cool outfit.  I love it because he loves getting dressed up.  We all find ourselves asking for Cameron's advice on what we ourselves should wear.  He's also gotten into wearing caps lately like his Papa.
• Cam is still a snuggle bug as well.  He's a very affectionate kid like he was when younger.  He still asks me to snuggle him before bed and even comes in the middle of the night sometimes to ask me to snuggle with him to help him go back to sleep.  How do we bottle that and make sure it lasts forever?
• He is starting to read!!  Something clicked in Cam this winter and all the practice and hard work he had put into trying to read finally paid off and it's coming much easier to him now.  Thanks to his wonderful teacher Ms. West too who really has great techniques for reading fundamentals.
• Cameron's artistic skills have blossomed this year. He has a natural talent for drawing, coloring, painting, etc.  He has especially enjoyed doing Art for Kids hub on YouTube where he follows along to make cartoons and pictures and he has a true talent.  It's amazing to see what characters or pictures he draws free hand as well.
• He is still constantly active and needs to be active.  He loves playing outside, throwing the football, and asks multiple times a week if we can do a family dance party.  He's getting pretty coordinated too--dribbling a basketball, strong throwing and catching skills
• Cam is definitely our sensitive kid.  He feels emotions very strongly and sometimes isn't sure what to do with all the emotion--especially when he's mad or frustrated.  He needs extra doses of validation, attention and love
• One sad event that happened this year was he had a really bad accident on his bike back in September. We were on a family walk and he went down the hill by our house too fast and fell forward off his bike and landed on his face.  We think he may have even had a concussion.  His face was really banged up for a few days, but it actually healed really quickly and there was no residual damage thankfully.  It was a scary moment for us as parents.  Cam was so brave though and was such a trooper through the whole thing.
• Currently into: Ninja Turtles, dinosaurs, drawing, Legos, superheroes, remote control cars, video games
• Currently reading: Bob books and beginner reading books.  I've started to read classic with him as well and this year so far we've done Charlotte's Web and the Mouse and the Motorcycle.  James started the Harry Potter series with Cam as well.

Both

• It has been such a special time to be stuck at home with the boys at this age. I have so much joy watching them in their imaginative play set-ups whether it's train villages, zoos with their stuffies or they have even set up scenarios that we can participate in as well such as turning their rooms into bookstores or toy stores and a couple weeks ago they set up a fancy restaurant  and James and I got to go on a dinner date.  ;)
• The pandemic helped us establish Family Movie Night on Friday nights which is VERY important to the boys and they look forward to it every week. We take turns on who gets to pick the movie. In this past year we've pretty much watched every classic Disney movie and James and I have introduced the boys to cherished movies from our childhoods such as Pete's Dragon, Never Ending Story, Sound of Music, Back to the Future, Star Wars, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Annie, Anne of Green Gables, Black Stallion, Little Women, Secret Garden, and Goonies. 
• Both boys are happiest and content when we are all together as a family and spending quality time with each other.  They crave our attention and presence which admittedly is hard to give all the time because we have to work or feel tired or just want to check out. But we're trying really hard to just enjoy this time they want to be with us and to soak up this unique time we have with each other.  It's flying by.  But I can honestly say these ages are some of my most favorite so far.  What a privilege to have a front row seat to the growing up lives of these boys and their interests, questions, discoveries, feelings, humor, challenges, and perspectives.