As always, when a new Starbucks drink comes out Daddy treats Mommy to it. But I’ve been sharing with Mommy more and more lately. And my sips have been getting longer and deeper. Mommy is lucky if she gets half of her treat. Well, I guess we can think of it as a treat for the whole family!
We went to the park today but it was so hot that we couldn’t stay very long. We barely ventured out of the shade. We headed home and drank a lot of water while cooling off in the air-conditioned room.
In the cool safety of the indoors we played with Magna-tiles. I made some interesting creations included a connected-bus, multi-tier parking garage and a huge tower.
We played with so many things all day long. But some of the most fun came when instead of playing with toys I played with Daddy.
I woke up at a normal time today and was in a very good mood. I have recovered from my jet lag and am back to our normal school day routine.
We went to the subway station on our walk today. At first I asked my teachers to be carried but in the end I mustered the energy to happily walk to the subway station and back. I enjoyed being in the station even though we didn’t ride the subway. Just hearing the subway announcements made me happy.
Mommy and I stopped by a restaurant on our way home and I ate a whole adult-sized set meal and some of Mommy’s food too. It was delicious! Daddy had to work late but he joined us just as we were leaving the restaurant so we all got to walk home together, which was nice!
After such a long time away from school and spending so much time every day with Mommy and Daddy, it was a little hard for me to go back to school. First of all, I woke up really early in the morning because of jet lag. I was about around 5:15 and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t really get back to sleep. I got out of bed around 6:15, mainly because my diaper leaked a little.
After changing, playing a bit, eating breakfast, and getting ready for school all without any trouble, I had a lot of time to play before we had to leave. So I sat down and played with Mommy and Daddy as they got ready for work.
I was okay leaving for school and we got there pretty early. I went through our usual routine, but I surprised everyone by being able to press the doorbell without being carried or climbing onto the bench. I guess I grew in Hawaii. I was doing okay until I hugged Mommy goodbye then I broke down into tears. I was sad. But I knew that Mommy and Daddy had to go to work and that I had to go to school. I let the teacher carry me away. I calmed down after a bit and went right to playing with toys and my friends.
It was nice to see my friends and teachers again after such a long time. My teachers noticed that I got bigger during my Hawaii trip and that I also got more talkative. I told them and my friends all about my trip. They also noticed that I got quite tan and slimmed down a bit. I told everyone about Hawaii and heard about what I had missed while I was gone.
We visited the prefectural office on our walk and saw a cool train display.
I had a lot of fun looking at the displays and let everyone know which trains I liked.
I woke up quite early this morning, knowing that we had to get ready to leave. Most of the packing was done by Mommy and Daddy the night before, but I made sure to get ready quickly in the morning so that we could pack all of our things.
I had a great breakfast of waffles that Papa made at my request. Then I played with my Hawaii toys. My other toys had been packed away, but I was fine just playing with Daddy’s old HotWheels and Legos. I also check my airplane toys and activities to make sure everything was there.
We got to the airport and got checked in very quickly. We had some time to spend with Nana and Papa before we had to board. I was going to miss them a lot, but played it cool and resisted pictures and hugs.
Although when there were ants to be observed I enlisted Papa’s help.
I also played with Daddy a bit too.
Then it was time to go. I had such a great visit that it was not a sad goodbye occasion. Just more smiles and happiness, knowing that I would be back for Christmas.
Nana and Papa, thank you for such a great time! I loved spending time with you! It was definitely more of a Nana and Papa visit than a Hawaii trip. I love you and I can’t wait to see you again during Christmas!
When it was time to go we got through security without any trouble and got on our first flight of the day. I noticed there were no TVs on this flight but I had a magic coloring book and conversation with Daddy to entertain me.
At Honolulu airport we picked up a bite to eat. There was a kiosk with some sandwiches which were just the right size since we knew we would be fed on the airplane. But i noticed that there was also cake! So I got a nice airport cake as well.
After that we did some last minute omiyage shopping for my friend. While shopping I saw the perfect teddy bear. I had been asking for a teddy bear for a while and even looked on Kauai for one, but couldn’t find anything I liked. I knew right away that this was the one. Daddy got it for me and I was so happy. I held on to it dearly with a joyous smile spread across my face.
Before boarding the airplane Daddy tried to buy some water but the vending machine was broken or just poorly designed and failed to delivery water twice. It was wasted money but we did not have enough time to do anything about it and had to board the plane. I sensed that Daddy was disappointed and a little upset to waste money and not get any water for the flight. I said, “Why it was broken, yeah?” “We didn’t get water.” “Daddy didn’t get water.” Even after we sat down in our seats I kept bringing it up, “Why Daddy didn’t get water?” Daddy explained that the machine was not working properly. I then said, “Mason share apple juice with Daddy.” That selfless generous gesture made Daddy a little teary eyed. He thanked me and hugged me and was in a much happier mood after that.
Our flight was nearly empty and we had a whole row to ourselves. We had a smooth and uneventful flight. I did my magic coloring book with Daddy and then watched some movies. I didn’t even touch my cars, sticker books, or iPad games. I just watched shows and movies.
When lunch came I ate a lot of chicken and some rice and bread. I also ate all my fruits and the fruits that Mommy and Daddy shared with me. I then surprised everyone by just falling asleep almost mid chew. I had just finished a piece of chicken and then I was dozing. Mommy and Daddy nudged me into a more comfortable position, removed my headphones and shoes, and I had a nice long nap.
I woke up in a good mood and went right back to watching shows and movies. I started and aborted a few inflight entertainment shows and movies before Daddy mentioned that he downloaded the newest Paw Patrol movie on the iPad. (I’m really into Paw Patrol recently). I sat and was glued to the screen for the whole movie. It was awesome!
After that I saw the other movies Daddy had downloaded and watched Despicable Me 3 all the way through, even though I have seen it so many times. Then I started to look sleepy. So Mommy and Daddy had me lie down and I eventually fell asleep again and didn’t wake up until after we landed and Daddy was carrying me off the airplane.
I saw our Hawaiian Airlines plane as we walked away and mentioned that we would be riding it again when we headed back to Hawaii during Christmas. The countdown has already begun.
I was in a very good mood and chatty again. I was chatty as we picked up our luggage and very chatty in the taxi which was a mini van. Once we got home I wasted no time and went right to playing with my toys which I missed during our trip. Daddy picked up dinner for us and I paused my play to eat. Then I played a bit more before my bedtime routine. Everything went smoothly and I was asleep in bed about my usual bedtime. I was exhausted, but very happy. I had memories of a great visit to Nana and Papa and I was also happy to be back home.
Today was our last full day on Kauai. It was supposed to be a really long visit but it felt very short. Where did the time go? Well, I guess a lot of the time was dedicated to eating and playing with cars, but besides that. It flew by way too fast.
Just some of my fancier Magna-tiles creations.
I wanted to take advantage of our last day in Hawaii so we headed to the beach!
The waves were a little rough for me, so I didn’t jump into the ocean right away. I started off playing in the sand on the beach. We finally found a beach car toy for me to play with. We had been looking for a while and we finally found one just before we headed to the beach. It was a scoop loader but there was a design flaw. Although it scooped fine, it could only dump what it scooped directly onto itself. So I had to pick it up and use it like a shovel, but it was still a lot of fun to play with.
While I was playing in the sand, so was Daddy. He made me a sand car!
I loved it! But I am also a stickler for details. So I had Daddy add some things to the car like wheels, headlights, and even a spoiler.
After enjoying a ride in my sand Mercedes, I finally decided to take a dip in the ocean.
We had a great time in the water but there were a lot of big waves. Daddy had to carry me and keep my head over the wave and water. We did alright but Mommy got pretty rough up by the waves. They were just the right height to crash onto her. We still managed to sneak a few pictures in between sets of waves.
I also tried out stand-up boarding (with no paddle). I think I did pretty good! Balancing was hard, but that’s what I have Daddy for.
We had a great time at the beach!
After we headed home we took it easy a bit. I spent some time looking across the street at the cars. During this trip I would report on the cars that I saw everytime I sat at the dining table.
I drank some Yakult to get back some energy and nutrients that I spent at the beach.
The rest of the time I just played as usual.
At dinner there were what I thought was grapes in the salad. They were not grapes. They were olives. BIG difference. Not what I expected.
My ice cream for dessert was exactly what I expected and it was yummy! Just a note, I have to eat ice cream cones with a napkin tucked into my shirt. Nana put it there the first time and now it is routine. I have to tell the other grownups the proper way to serve me my dessert: with a napkin tucked in my shirt.
After dessert it was bath time with a little play time. Then books and brush teeth time.
But knowing it was my last night on Kauai, I just had to hangout with Nana and Papa a little longer (and delay my bedtime a bit).
I woke up in a really bad mood and was contradictory about everything. It was a typical case of waking up on the wrong side of the bed. After I got some breakfast in me I was a lot better.
We went to the farmers’ market this morning and there were a lot of things to see. I saw so many food trucks and so many fruits. Almost every food stall had some bananas and I pointed out all the bananas. But there were also other fruits, some of them were new to me. I learned about dragon fruit. They were very interesting looking fruits.
I had some frozen pineapple soft serve. We always get it when we visit the farmers’ market. It was very yummy and sweet.
I saw a few doggies walking around, but I was mostly interested in all the different cars that I saw in the parking lot. I saw a lot of jeeps of different colors. I also saw one Mercedes and directed Daddy over to it so that I could get a closer look.
When we got home we had chat with Maimai and Tata. I was very happy to see them and was wondering why they weren’t here. I guess I’ll see them on our next visit.
We went to the beach today. First we had lunch which was a bit late in the day because all of the bento places we visited were very crowded. But we enjoyed the food all the same and were energized for our beach visit.
The beach was very crowded since it is a weekend. And the waves were very rough. The beach was very different than I was used to. I was riding my airplane float and was getting a tiny bit seasick because of the rough waters. After a while I was feeling better and really had fun.’
After a water and snack break we went back into the water but on the smaller pool side. It was calmer there so I could have a bit more freedom in the water.
I had a great time at the beach. When I was told it was time to leave my immediate response was, “Why?”. I didn’t fight it or anything, I just wanted to know why we had to leave. I was told that it was getting late and that I had been in the sun and water for a long time. So off we went. When leaving the beach I said, “That was fun, yeah?”
After arriving back at home I went straight to playing with my HotWheels.
I had a good dinner and ate a lot of leftovers. We all ate so much that we didn’t have room for dessert. I got to watch TV but I was interested in a grabby thing that Nana had. It was cool, but hard for me to use. Also, I was more interested in watching Paw Patrol than working out how to use the grabby thing.
I was in a very playful mood and it took me a long time to go to bed. I kept visiting Nana and Papa’s bedroom and stalling my bedtime. But one I settled in bed I was asleep in no time.
It was nice to be back at home with everyone in the house. The rest of the day was very pleasant and easy going. I found out that I had an additional set of Magna-tiles. That was an exciting surprise.
Overall, I was just happy that Mommy and Daddy were back and was comfortable just lounging around.
After a surprisingly easy night without Mommy and Daddy I woke up in a great mood. I had fallen asleep with Nana and when I woke up she was already out of bed. But I didn’t cry or anything. I just got up, gathered my water bottle and car, and went out of the bedroom to find her.
Papa wasn’t feeling well this morning so it was just Nana and me this morning. We went through my normal morning routine without any problem and went right to playing. Then for the first time since we left Mommy and Daddy at the hotel I asked when they would be back. Nana explained that we had to go pick them up. We then called them to see when they would be ready to come home. It turns out they were up since the crack of dawn (literally, see pictures above) and were just waiting to hear from us to be picked up. They had been emailing Papa, who was in no condition to check his email and they were totally unaware of what was going on back at the house. When they found out about Papa’s condition they were about to call a ride to come home but then found out that I was determined to go pick them up. Nana had a neighbor switch my car seat to her car and we headed off to pick Mommy and Daddy up. I was so happy to see them and they were so happy to see me, but they were more happy to hear how well behaved I was. Of course I missed them, but I learned that I can also be apart from them. I clung to Mommy’s arm the whole ride back, because even though I can be apart from them, I don’t really want to do it again this trip.
Mommy and Daddy had a date night tonight. They told me ahead of time and answered all my questions about what would happen. At first I was worried that they wouldn’t come home but they ensured me that they would come home the next day. Then I asked why only Mommy and Daddy were going to stay at the hotel for date night. They explained that Mommy and Daddy needed time just by themselves and also that it would be a good chance for me to spend time with Nana and Papa. I was well informed about what was going to happen and was a very good boy in understanding and allowing it to happen.
Then it was time for me to head back to Nana and Papa’s house while Mommy and Daddy stayed at the hotel. I didn’t fight it or complain, but I did burst into tears. The thought of being away from Mommy and Daddy overwhelmed me. I was very sad. Daddy told me that it was okay to feel sad. Feeling sad is a natural emotion. In understood. He said it was okay for me to cry if I wanted to. So I did. But just a bit. I didn’t protest or anything. I just went along with everything, but crying and teary-eyed. We got to the car and I gave Mommy and Daddy one last hug. They got me in my carseat without any trouble and then we said goodbye. Then I drove off with Nana and Papa. Although I was teary eyed all the way home, I stopped crying before we were off the hotel property.
I dozed off just as we reached a store but I woke up when we parked. Nana and Papa wanted to take me to pick out a toy. I had been asking for a teddy bear for quite some time. But there wasn’t a great selection of teddy bears and I discovered the car section. So I picked out a toy car instead. There was a nifty three-piece set but I chose a simple ambulance instead.
We got home and I went right to playing with my new ambulance. I played until dinner time and then I had great dinner. I ate a lot. I had leftover pineapple pizza for dinner and six servings of salad with the dressing that Papa likes.
After dinner I watched a movie with Nana and Papa until it was time to start my bedtime routine. I had already had a bath at the hotel so all I had to do before bed was read books and brush my teeth. As usual, Nana read me several books. Then after brushing my teeth it was time for bed. Nana asked me if I wanted to sleep in my bed or in Nana and Papa’s bed. I chose Nana and Papa’s bed but I insisted on sleeping on the side instead of in the middle between them. I tossed and turned a bit before I settled down and fell asleep. And I didn’t wake up until morning. It was a nice long sleep.
It was my first night away from Mommy and Daddy and I did great! I didn’t cry at all and didn’t give Nana and Papa a hard time at all. I was a good little boy. I didn’t even ask about Mommy and Daddy. Of course I missed them and was thinking about them, but I didn’t need to ask about them because they told that I would see them tomorrow so I had nothing to worry about. As Nana put it, I was a champ!
I woke up a almost normal time and went through my usual morning routine. I kind of got used to our daily life here in Hawaii.
After getting dressed I played with a scalp massager and I’m not sure if I liked it or not. It was so ticklish.
We ended up outside again and Nana showed me that they had got some water balloons for me. I had never played with water balloons before but I picked up the concept very quickly.
Some water balloons didn’t fill up or ended up leaking so Daddy blew them up into regular balloons for me.
After playing with the water balloons I was naturally very wet so I had to get changed. Nana and Papa took care of my changing. It is so normal for them to have a hand in my daily life now. This trip feels less like a visit and more like everyday life. I’ve practically become Nana’s shadow.
After lunch I discovered the game cabinet and played a bunch of different board games with Daddy. I quite like the Game of Life. I didn’t really understand the idea, but I like the cars, little peg people and I loved spinning the wheel.
We went to a hotel today. There were huge pools but when we go there I didn’t want to go into the water. I just ate my snack poolside. That is until Daddy jumped into the water. It looked like a lot of fun so I changed into my swim gear when I was done with my snack and hopped into the water with Mommy and Daddy. We had a lot of fun playing in the pool. The water was just right. Cool, but not cold. We went here and there in the pool and I was squealing and laughing the whole time. I was hesitant to go over to the sand pool at the beginning but we got there eventually. Daddy piggy back crawled around the sand pool wherever I directed him.
After playing in the pool for a long time we went to our hotel room to shower and change clothes.
As always I woke up in a really good mood and had a good breakfast.
I asked to go outside and when outside I saw the pool and then asked to go into the pool. I changed into my swimwear and had a fun morning session in the pool.
Daddy brought out a kiddie golf set and I had a go at it. It was harder than I thought. I’m not sure how Daddy and Papa could do 18 holes of this yesterday.
After playing outside all morning I came in and played with blocks and cars as usual.
We went out to lunch and I had another cheeseburgers and a lot of fries. I particularly liked the sweet potato french fries. It was so yummy. At the restaurant I had to go potty so Daddy took me. There was no kiddie potty seat, but I sat on the regular toilet with Daddy supporting me and was able to go potty like a big boy! It was quite a milestone for me.
We went to the park and I had fun on the slide. There were a lot of slides but I just liked the one slide. I played a little on some other playground equipment, but the slide was my favorite.
It was a breezy day so Daddy and Papa brought kites to fly. But for some reason I did not want them to fly the kite. They weren’t forcing me to do it or anything, but I didn’t want them to fly the kite. I just didn’t like it and threw a tantrum. So we left the park earlier than planned because I was not in an agreeable mood.
I had a bit of snack on the ride home and was in a lot better mood after we got home. I played with my Lego and Nana the rest of the afternoon.
After dinner I had a treat and got to each ice cream for dessert. I chose the ice cream myself from the store and also saw ice cream cones too and immediately asked for those as well. It was oh so delicious! I can get used to Hawaii dessert rules.
We went out to dinner, kind of as a belated anniversary celebration for Nana and Papa. I was very well behaved and played with the car I was allowed to bring to dinner until the food arrived.
And then I was all about the food. I really liked the bread that came before the meal, but I ate half of my kids’ meal hamburger. It was really good!
I was a little bit interested in the live music and dance performance that they had at the restaurant. I was in such a good mood that I even posed for a few pictures.
Mommy and Daddy went out this afternoon, and I was okay with it. Nana and Papa took care of me. We went outside to the backyard and Nana let me play with water balloons. I was having fun throwing them around and impressed Nana and Papa with my throwing arm. But after a while I got to close to the pool and “accidentally” fell inside. So I just went with it and started playing in the pool.
We had dinner plans so I had to take a bath before we left. They gave me a timeline and I obediently followed it. I got out of the pool when told and let Papa give me a bath. By the time Mommy and Daddy got home I was bathed and dressed and acting as if nothing had happened. I barely even acknowledged their return.
Well, that is until we played “dead bug”.
Daddy and Papa went to play golf today so I had a fun day with Nana and Mommy. I was really well behaved and we had a lot of fun playing. I played with Legos again and asked Mommy to put together a set for me and she did so right away. I played with it a bit but then lost interest quite quickly considering how much time she spent making it for me.
I woke up at my usual time today and again in a really good mood. I started off with a really good breakfast of fruits and then started my day.
First thing I wanted to do was to play with Nana. We played with Hot Wheels a lot.
For lunch we ate leftovers. I was eating the rest of my bento but when I realized that there was also leftover pizza, I started eating that too.
After lunch Papa set up the pool in the backyard for me. Even though when previously asked I said I didn’t want to go in the pool, when I saw it being prepared I said that I wanted to go in. I got changed into my swim gear and headed right into the pool.
I was having fun, but the sun was really intense. So Daddy set up the beach tent for me to get some shade. But when in the shade and water with the wind blowing, it got a bit cold. So Daddy adjusted the tent so that I could have both warm sunshine and cool shade. After a bit I asked Daddy to join me in the pool and he did.
We splashed around, practiced swimming, and just goofed around. It was so much fun! But not wanting to spend too long in the sun or water, we finally headed inside. While getting changed I announced several times, “That was fun, yeah?” We’ll definitely be playing in the pool again.
I spent the rest of the afternoon playing indoors. I mainly focused on playing with cars and Lego. I surprised everyone when I put together my own little tow truck with the regular sized Legos. Daddy made a bunch of other vehicles for me to play with too. But I think everyone was very impressed that I could build my own creations all by myself.
I ate a lot of kalbi for dinner and after a bit of playing in Nana’s slippers I got some dessert again. I can get used to the dessert leniency in Hawaii.
We had pizza for dinner and I got my favorite: pineapple pizza. I ate quite a bit, and salad as well (with Papa’s dressing). It was a fun dinner with good food and good coversation.
I’m learning more about Western dinner. The “itadakimasu” is longer here and it is called saying grace. At first I was confused why no one else was eating but now I learned to keep my head bowed and hands together until I hear, “Amen”.
After dinner I had a yummy dessert. Then we went through our new bedtime routine where Nana reads my bedtime stories.
