Old Lahaina luau performers - awesome!

Maui

Squirmy baby.

By a beautiful banyan tree.

Chasing Abby.

Olowalu beach.

Here I go!

In order to escape the winter, to see my parents, and so my parents could see Abby, we all met in Maui. It was a long journey for my parents, who I don’t think ever really got to relax much. I don’t think it is possible to relax with an independent-minded 14 month old who just learned to walk (oh, and she was teething as one or more of her molars in coming in).

There were many good points of the journey. Warm weather, in fact, perfect weather for me – 65-80 degrees. Lots of beaches, one I liked a lot – Olowalu beach at mile marker 14 south of Lahaina. Went to the Old Lahaina luau and saw a great performance (wow those girls can move). Got to go see reefs and tropical fish in a submarine. Went to the aquarium where Abby got to run around like a mad women (Abby learned to walk in Maui). We had a nice place to stay, a comfy mini-van (thanks to the fact that I could say Honoapi'ilani Rd. right), good food (Maui Gold pineapples and Kona coffee yum!), and I came back with people saying I looked healthy, so I must be at least beige instead of translucent.

There were some problems. Our timing was always off with Abby a lot it seemed. She was always falling asleep just before we would get back to the condo, then she would not go to sleep again easily. When we got back home after an all night flight, I put her to bed and Lucky my stupid cat woke her up and she screamed like I never imagined I would hear her scream. Ten minutes later she passed out on the floor, and then eventually crawled on top of me to sleep. Poor tired baby.

My parents probably thought I was the worst mom ever on the trip, but I needed a break! I work all day and take care of Abby all night, and all day and night on my days off. I spend each evening reading her books, kissing her feet, taking her on walks weather permitting, giving her a bath, tickling her and then doing laundry and other chores and repeat.  It's tiring having to be so busy all the time. It has been this way for almost a year. All the other parents I know have family around or hire babysitters, and I have neither. Thank goodness for Shawen Jr. though, he does a lot.

I’m content to be back in Kodiak. Shawen kept saying on the trip that we had more wildlife here, and I kept disagreeing with him, but the first day after getting back on my walk I saw tons of eagles, other birds, and a sea lion eating something.   We joked we could have a business Snorkel Kodiak, or maybe people should  just stick to snorkeling at Molokini. 

Anxiety

I need to have faith and let go of my anxieties - my new year resolution.

Happy New Year! (The year I broke the bells)

I celebrated EST new year (8pm my time), and I rang my special bells so hard the string broke! Well, okay, it was really old. I celbrated with Abigail (Shawen was at a no alcohol party and Jr. was at work). We watched fireworks together (finally! They've been trying since the 4th of July). Abigail was amazed.  She got a little nervous with a big one, but when she saw me smiling, she smiled back and enjoyed them.