Gramma Great's Party

We've had quite a season of traveling. This past weekend we headed off to Detroit for Chris' grandmother's 90th birthday party. Ryan and Lucie were very excited about the trip. As we were leading up to our departure, we'd ask them, "Why are we going to Michigan?" Ryan would chime out, "For Gramma Great's Party!" Lucie then liked to put in her correction, "Actually, it's two parties." She knew this because she helped me pick out her dresses and party shoes for dinner on Saturday and the big party on Sunday. This girl knows her parties.

This was the third time Gramma Great has seen Ryan and Lucie. She's been out to visit us twice, and enjoyed so much spending time with R & L. They bring back memories of her twin grandchildren, now in their 20's. Although they haven't seen her since age 14 months, Lucie and Ryan talk about Gramma Great often. She's so wonderful and loving to them – sending them care packages of stickers, drawing paper, and special treats at holidays. She sent them two full-sized blankets last year that they refer to as their "Gramma Great blankets", and use as pillows in their cribs.

We had a very nice time visiting with family, including many cousins who had never met Ryan and Lucie. R & L were spoiled with all sorts of gifts and treats from family members. They received enough stuffed animals to set up their own "Michigan Zoo" on the hotel couch. One of the biggest highlights of the weekend for R & L was staying in a hotel room just doors away from Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Greg and Jessica. They'd head off to breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa in the morning, thrilled to explore the hotel breakfast room in their pajamas.

Though exhausting at times, traveling with twin two year olds is always an adventure. Lucie and Ryan seek out and appreciate all the seemingly mundane aspects of travel. I've never seen such joy and excitement over airport shuttle buses, moving sidewalks, and airplane bathrooms. They could have spent an entire afternoon in the Detroit airport jumping from moving sidewalks and counting how many times the tram went by. Thank goodness for simple pleasures.

Happy Birthday Gramma Great! Here's to many more happy and healthy years to come.

Summer Fashions for Jr. Firefighters

If Ryan had his way, he'd wear his fireman costume every single day. As it is, he probably wears it about 3-4 days a week. He's seen in it so often, our stroller class instructor now calls the kids "Fireman Ryan" and his sidekick "Firelady Lucie". He reminds me so much of my brother at this age, who insisted on wearing his cowboy boots every day and even wanted to be referred to as "Cowboy Bill".

Fortunately Ryan's suit is made of fleece, so it's actually quite comfortable to run and play in, and perfect for chilly days. But on the warm days we've had lately, he swelters in that costume. The boots he likes to wear with it (which he insists on wearing without socks - yuck!!) are also too warm and smelly for summer wear and getting very small. Cousin Tate just might find a pair of hand-me-down fireman boots in the mail someday soon.

But how do you convince a little boy that even firemen wear sandals and shorts in the summertime? I have to admit, I haven't been too successful. Ryan was willing to trade the yellow suit for aloha wear one day recently, as long as the hat stayed on, of course!

Lucie loves the dress-up too. She went to the library this week in her favorite blue leotard from Jessica, a smocked party dress, her pink tutu, a puka shell necklace and a silk flower crown. It was quite an ensemble, and thankfully, weather appropriate.

A-lo-ha! Part 4

Our last, but certainly not least, Maui installment is all about...parties! The inspiration behind our trip was a celebration of my Dad's 60th birthday and my sister's birthday the day after. I've always enjoyed their back-to-back birthday festivities, and a celebration in Maui made it even more special.


The first of "Papa's parties" was a beautiful dinner out with the whole family. The restaurant we went to was the same spot Chris and I ate after we got engaged many years ago. So, of course, it has special memories, and we had to take a photo with Lucie and Ryan at our proposal spot. We didn't expect the kids to understand what this spot meant to us, but they surprised us. They're fascinated by our wedding rings, so when we explained that this was where I got my ring, they both kind of seemed to get it (as much as two year olds get these sort of things).

A few moments after the photo, we met a set of 10 year old boy/girl twins. They came right up to us asking if we had twins, and were so sweet to Lucie and Ryan. I loved the fact that the girl was taller than the boy! I don't think I've ever met boy/girl twins that age before, or at least not since I've had twins, and it was fun to dream about what Lucie and Ryan might be like in the future. Wouldn't it be fun for Lucie to be taller than Ryan some day? (More fun for her than for Ryan, I'm sure.)

Our second party was at the condo the next night. My mom put together a delicious BBQ along with a surprise guest – a hula dancing singing telegram! Ryan, Lucie and Tate were mesmerized by the music and dancing. When asked to join in, they swayed to the music and played close attention to imitate the hand motions. Watching all three of them was really, really sweet, and definitely one of my favorite memories from the trip. I'm not sure Chris and I could have ever dreamed of this much joy years ago when we first celebrated on a warm and wonderful Maui evening.

A-lo-ha! Part 3

We liked to alternate beach and pool days with other activities so as not to spend too much time in the sun. Our first adventure was a trip to the Maui aquarium. Lucie enjoyed the colorful fish up close, getting right up against the tanks to admire them. She also had fun feeding lettuce to the sea turtles.

Ryan liked the sea life too, though he paid more attention to riding from tank to tank in Tate's stroller. R & L are so used to riding in a double stroller that anytime they are able to cruise around in a single, they think it's the greatest thing ever. He would hop out of the stroller, take in a yellow tang or two, then enthusiastically hop back in the stroller. Ryan and strollers aren't always a happy mix, so this was a treat. Another favorite was his trip through the tunnel aquarium on Chris' shoulders. A hammerhead shark paid a surprise visit above Ryan's head and gave him quite a start (followed by a laughing fit). Aack!

We also took a trip to the pineapple plantation. R & L's highlights of that trip included riding the tram through the plantation, checking out an enormous Jack fruit (the world's largest fruit) and using the fish feed dispenser at the Koi pond.

When I asked Ryan and Lucie about both adventures today, here's what they remembered:

Me: "What did you like about the aquarium?"
Ryan: "Daddy had me on his shoulders then a hammer shark come over mine HEAD!"
Me: "Was it scary?"
Ryan: "Yup!"
Lucie: "Then Daddy had me on his shoulders then I didn't see the hammer shark!" (Lucie and Chris tried to recreate the experience, but sadly, the shark was not to be found)

Me: "And, what about the plantation? Did you like the train?"
Ryan: "As-a-kee (actually), Mommy, it's not a train, it's a tractor."

Oops, he was right about that. We sold the trip as a ride on a train, but once Lucie and Ryan saw that the engine they were expecting was just a tractor pulling a bunch of cars, they both cried out, "That's a tractor!". Tate gave a knowing nod as well. There's no fooling these guys.

A-lo-ha! Part 2

A-lo-ha Part 2 may have made it up a lot sooner if Nap Strike Part 2 hadn't hit our house this week. Oh well, that's another post entirely. On to the pool.

We spent many mornings and late afternoons with Lucie, Ryan and Tate at the Maui condo pool. I was so happy to discover that my kids love the spot as much as I do. Chris and I have stayed at the Maui condo several times (including the trip when we got engaged and our honeymoon) and this pool has become one of my favorite spots on Earth. The pool and hot tub are the perfect temperature and overlook an amazing view of the ocean. It's hard not to feel at peace and relaxed there, even with three kids under the age of three!

Gigi bought the kids some diving sticks and splash balls which they loved to throw in and across the pool to whoever would play with them. We swam in a circle singing "Motorboat" over and over again, followed each time with Ryan and Lucie screaming out "Again!" and Tate furiously signing "More! More!" In fact, when our friend Jessica asked Ryan about his trip recently, the first thing he started talking about was our "Motorboat" games. I found it so interesting that he came up with that, especially since we hadn't talked about it since that day at the pool.

As our plane was about to take off for home, I asked Lucie to tell me about her favorite part of her time in Hawaii. She paused, gave it some thought, and replied enthusiastically, "I really liked the pool, Mommy! What was your favorite part?" I was so taken aback by her question that I don't really remember what I said. This was our first real conversation - how amazing! I have so many favorite memories from the trip, but this sweet little interaction definitely had to be added to the list. Remembering events from weeks ago and initiating conversations? Our little pool lovers are growing up.

A-lo-ha! Part 1

We had a wonderful trip to Maui to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday. Being there with family (Gigi, Papa, Aunt Rach, Uncle Jason, Tate, Uncle Andrew, and his girlfriend Aida) made such a difference. Not only was it great to spend time together, but it also gave Chris and I a chance to relax with so many people around to help and entertain Lucie and Ryan.

My parents graciously volunteered to have Lucie and Ryan sleep in their condo, which meant we weren't on duty for the little ones' crack of dawn wake-up calls due to the time change and pure excitement. Lucie, Ryan and Tate had to learn that if the moon is still out, you can't go to the pool. I haven't slept that well since before Lucie and Ryan were born – pure bliss!

With cousin Tate by their side, Lucie and Ryan spent the week jumping in the warm ocean water, splashing at the pool, going on little adventures around the island and drinking endless cups of POG (Passionfruit-Orange-Guava juice). They're still talking about how exciting it is that you can buy POG in milk carton containers in "Ha-wa-yee".

With so many photos and stories, I'll have to break this up into a few posts. First off, the beach!

We liked to hit the beach early in the morning, both because it was a good thing to do with early-risers, and because the beach was shady and cool before mid-morning. Ryan was excited about playing in the ocean early on, while Lucie took a bit of time to warm up to it. She spent much of the first half of the week playing in the sand, but by our last few trips, she was very excited about the water, and even went in with me far past where she could stand.

With so much jumping, splashing, digging and sand-castle building, everyone was always ready for a big, delicious breakfast of pancakes and pineapple upon return. I've never seen Lucie eat so much. Now we know how to fatten up our little skinny-minny ... take her to Hawaii! I'm definitely a willing participant in that plan.

Next up, the pool.

K is for K-Tool

Letters are a big thing in our house right now. Lucie and Ryan love to belt out their ABC song, read alphabet books, and point out letters they see throughout the day. They know that "L" is for Lucie, "R" is for Ryan, "C" is for Daddy, and, my personal favorite, "A" is for "The car!" (level A is where we park the car in our garage).

When we met a fireman and his hook and ladder truck outside the grocery store, Ryan and Lucie put their ABC knowledge to work. Thanks to their Fireman ABC book, which we read 3-4 times a day, L & R knew that "K is for K-Tool!" (In case you're wondering, a K-Tool is a device that helps firemen open locked doors - a new one for me too.) The fireman was stunned by our firefighting knowledge and eagerly hunted down the K-Tool in his truck to show off. He seemed a little surprised by the caliber of our ABC book. Clearly, for two tool-loving toddlers, K stands for much more than kite or kangaroo.

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