Thanksgiving -- Hawaiian Style

It sure did not feel like Thanksgiving today. Aside from really missing our families back in Massachusetts and Connecticut, I started the day with a 6-7 mile run along the beach in shorts and no shirt and Danielle did yoga on the beach in a tank top and yoga pants... It was a beautiful day and the beach was packed.

Later in the afternoon, we went to our friends Khris and Bruce's, hung out and had dinner with about 10 other couples/families.

The kids had a blast with their friends, as usual!

We started dinner by writing what we were thankful for, putting it in a basket, then reading what everyone had written.

Jacqui, Stella, and Zoe getting ready for dinner.

Ruth, Maria, Khris, Danielle, and Gretchen enjoying the company after dinner.

Jacqui and Stella hamming it up.
Who needs clothes? It's only November...

Friendship Trail

Last Friday (the 21st), when I got home from work we hiked the Friendship Trail, which goes through a small botanical garden and along a ridge looking over Kane'ohe Bay.

We had hiked this trail one other time and were looking forward to snacking on guava and strawberry guava along the hike as well.

It was a great way to start, what turned out to be, a pretty rainy weekend.


Gabbi and Jacqui climbing the roots of a banyan tree.

Up near the top of the ridge.

The first of many handfuls of guava along the trail.

Goofiness along the trail (go figure)
The flower of the liliko'i vine are beautiful! and the fruit (passionfruit to the rest of the world) is delicious as well. We'll have to come back in early December to enjoy the liliko'i along the hike!

Homeschool Camping

Earlier in November, we went camping with the Hawai'i Homeschool Association. We camped with them in April. This was at the same campground (Kualoa) on the windward side of O'ahu, about a half hour north of where we live.

This time there were 4 other families(quite a bit fewer than last time). We enjoyed exploring the beach, taking a canoe ride, and walked to "secret beach." We had to leave for a few hours on Saturday to take the girls to their aerial silks class.

After some rain Friday night, we stayed dry and had a blast!



My, what short legs you have...


Playing in the sand at Secret Beach!

Hono'uli'uli Wetland

Last Sunday, we went on a field trip to the Hono'uli'uli unit of the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. The Hawai'i Nature Center was running the trip to explore the wetland and learn about the endangered Hawaiian Waterbirds.

We met the group at the end of a cul-de-sac in a residential development in west O'ahu. Our guide, Pauline, led us to the refuge entrance. The refuge itself is closed to the public and HNC is allowed to use it for environmental education under a special use permit. It was our first program with HNC and Danielle and the girls first national wildlife refuge on O'ahu.

We started out using dip nets to see what kind of life we could find at the edge of the wetland. We scooped up mosquito fish, snails, crayfish, and lots of mud and much. There were lots of small tilapia that stayed just out of our reach.



Then, we walked around the wetland a bit and discovered a couple of duck eggs that had been layed in "nests". We were able to see all 4 of the endangered birds; the ae'o (hawaiian stilt), alae 'ula (Hawaiian moorhen), the Hawaiian coot, and hybrid Koloa (Hawaiian duck that has interbred with mallards). Pauline also showed us how to find the exoskeletons of dragonfly nymps that have metamorphosed into their adult stage. It was a great way to spend an afternoon!

Aerial Fabrics Class

When we lived back in Massachusetts, Gabbi and Jacqui really enjoyed taking classes at New England Center for the Circus Arts in Brattleboro VT. They have missed their "circus" class since we've been in Hawaii. In June, we saw a woman perform an aerial fabrics routine outside at the Hawaii State Art Museum. I approached her after her performance and asked her if she would ever consider teaching a "keiki" (kid) class. She gave me her email address and we've corresponded a few times this summer and fall. A few weeks ago, she sent me a flyer saying that their group, "Samadhi Hawaii" would be teaching a keiki aerial fabrics class. Gabbi and Jacqui were very excited to jump at this opportunity.

So, for the past 3 Saturdays, they've enjoyed climbing the "silks" and learning new skills. It's been so much fun watching them, that I decided to give it a go myself. Today, was my first class (they are offerring a class for adults now too), and I had a great time. Although I've been doing yoga, running and African Dance Class, I used some muscles today that I haven't used in a while. Climbing those silks is harder than it looks, but it is great fun and an amazing workout! I am really enjoying doing more artsy things with my body, instead of just the running that I did for 6 years. I feel lucky to have all these cool classes to take advantage of......now if there was only more time and $$$$!!!!

The girls and I (Danielle) went up to the north shore twice this past week. One trip was to Waimea Valley, for our 3rd field trip there, and the second, was to the Polynesian Cultural Center (which we visited a couple of times back in May....which I'll post at a later date).

Waimea Valley is a great place that used to be run by the Audubon Society, then was taken over by a group that tried to turn it into an amusement-type park (with men jumping from the waterfall that is in the valley). Then fairly recently, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs took it over and declared the following about the valley:

"Waimea Valley is a cultural resource of the highest possible order ... There is no place quite like Waimea Valley on the island of Oahu, and very few places in the entire archipelago can equal it in terms of its religious associations, its preservation, or its potential for answering many questions about traditional Hawaii. It is deserving of the utmost care and protection, and this can be achieved only through recognition and careful planning."

Jacqui gathering dried "Loulu" (Hawaiian Fan Palms) for making a shelter.

It really is quite a special place. It was the first place that the Polynesians landed when they came to Oahu. It is also a botanical garden. This particular field trip was really cool. The kids learned all about the native plants of Hawaii, identified them as well as learned what they were used for. We all learned a ton and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The staff there is incredibly knowledgeable, not only of the plants, but also of the Hawaiian history.

Gabbi, Talulah and Jessie with the "Auntie" cracking seeds to figure out which seeds were used for making light in ancient Hawaii. The Kukui nut was the winner (a.k.a The Candlenut Tree).



At the end, those who didn't have any cuts on them, had a chance to go swimming in the waterfall pool that had been closed the last two times that we had visited. In all fresh water in Hawaii, there is concern of acquiring "Leptispirosis", which apparently can make one fell pretty sick. I didn't get to go in, but the girls said it was pretty cool. Hopefully, it will still be running this week when we go back for field trip #4 there.

A couple of weeks ago, the girls brought home a couple of monarch caterpillars (yes, we have them in Hawaii too, but no they don't migrate to Mexico....no need I guess). Unfortunately, Jacqui's caterpillar didn't even make it home...our friend accidentally stepped on it. Well at least we were able to watch one turn into a beautiful chrysalis and then a butterfly. The girls wanted to take pictures of it....

along with a resident skink (who dropped it's tail when being captured...




and the neighbor's cat, Shadow.

Toothless

Jacqui lost 2 teeth on Halloween. One in the morning, then right at the very end of the night. It was ready to come out and following a crash into Stella...it did!

The tooth fairy has been very busy at our house!

Halloween!

We had a really fun night on Halloween. We joined our friends Gretchen, Andre, Stella, Talulah, Hazel, Payton, Curt, Alana, and Keala for a party at another friends house, trick-or-treating in their neighborhood, and passing out candy.


The fairy and witch sisters.


Cute!

How about that snaggletoothed witch! Scary!!

Yikes! Here's hoping I'm not your fairy godfather.....

Halloween buddies!

The witch, her witch mother, fairy, and fairy godfather.
Not quite the whole crew.