Just Mommy and Me

Auntie Susie, my babysitter that I go to on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, took this photo of me so that I could email it to Daddy while he's away.  We miss you, Daddy!

This morning I woke up and went to Mommy and Daddy's room. I pointed to the place where Daddy usually sleeps and asked, "Where's Daddy? Daddy sleeping?" Mommy told me that he was not here, and I said, "Daddy ride airplane."

I'm not sure when he's coming back, but Mommy tells me he went to New Hampshire to go see his friend get married. He could have brought me (because I can still ride free until I turn 2), but I guess he didn't want to bring me on the 16 hour journey from Honolulu to New Hampshire. I don't know why...He could have went in the quick line through the security. He could have given Mommy a vacation...Instead, he brought his IPOD full of 3,000 photos to show friends and relatives in Vermont who we are.

So, Mommy has been solo with me since Wednesday. That means she has to actually get up out of bed when her alarm goes off (which is usually me), get me and herself ready, get me off to Auntie Susie's or Nana's, and then get to work on time. It's a good thing school is almost over, she says.

Each afternoon, we play with playdough and then we go upstairs to visit the dogs, then I help Mommy water the yard. My favorite part of watering the yard is putting my hand in front of the hose so that the water sprays all over me! It's really funny! I can climb up all 100 stairs without using the handrail! I like to climb up and down. I better watch out, because sooner or later, Mommy may have me carrying groceries and garbage up and down those stairs!

I was so tired yesterday (after I woke up at 5:30 am and only took a 45 minute nap during the day at Nana's) that I fell asleep while sitting up eating my favorite snack popcorn. Mommy and Nana and Pop were laughing at me because I was determined to finish every last bite of popcorn, even though my eyes were closed. I was so tired that I didn't even stir once last night!

Mommy told me that Aunty Kai is finally having her baby soon! She is overdue at 41 weeks, and will be induced this afternoon. She is tired of being pregnant in this heat, so we're excited that baby Conner will soon be here. Maybe he will even be born on Grandpa's birthday, which is tomorrow (If Grandpa were still with us today, he would be turning 62.). Good luck, Aunty Kai! We wish you a happy, safe, and healthy labor and delivery!

I LOVE the Water!

I love playing in my little pool at Nana's.  I recently discovered the hose, and spent half an hour blowing bubbles and spraying the water all over my face!  I even got Mommy to join me in the pool in her work clothes!

Did I tell you that last weekend I finally did a "real" jump with my two feet off the ground?  Before I used to just do a "skip-jump" with one foot at a time.  All of a sudden, I started jumping while holding my "drumming" measuring spoons in my hand.  Then, I gave one spoon to Nana and said, "Jump."  Then I gave one spoon to Mommy and told her to jump.  

Suddenly, all three of us were jumping up and down with measuring spoons in our hands.  

Mommy said it's a good thing Nana's lanai is hidden by trees, otherwise the neighbors might think we're weird or something.  

I find it's pretty hilarious that a not even 2 year old can get adults to do such silly things.  

Goodbye Party For Cousin Lauren

We were going to have cousin Lauren's going away party at Uncle Jay's, but there was a slight mix up.  He thought it was next Saturday, and everyone else thought it was today.  Since the food was already bought, we had to think of a new venue.  Mommy asked her friend/coworker if we could use the rec room and pool at her place.  Turns out it was available all day!  

So, after Mommy's yoga session and after we went to the ALS seminar at Queen's, where we listened to Kimi Chun 

 about Share the Care and how to care for someone with ALS, we headed home.  We helped Aunty Stevi and Lauren get food and paper goods ready.  Mommy picked up ice and rice.  Then, off we went to Hawai'i Kai.  Daddy joined us later after his bike ride with the guys, something he hasn't done in a long time, due to the triathalon, rainy weather, and most recently, the nasty spider bite in his arm, which he's been getting daily IV antiobiotics for in order to prevent septic arthritis.  

Lauren had about ten of her friends over.  Lauren is moving to California next month to live with her other cousins and aunty.  She's going to go to junior college there and then will transfer to a four year college.  It will be a good experience for her to spread her wings but we'll miss her!

We got there early to help set up tables and chairs.  While Aunty Stevi and Lauren cooked food and assembled the steak and shrimp and veggies skewers, Mommy and I took advantage of the swimming pool.  

It was a nice sunny day, great for the pool.  I had a blast in the pool with Mommy.  Again, I played on my cool boogie board (sorry, no one ever has taken a picture of us!), which many poolside parents admired (though this is only the second time I've used it and the mesh is already ripping and by the end of hour, I was pulling the horn out of the steering wheel with my teeth...cheap Made in China toy).  Other than that, I had fun putting my face in the water and blowing bubbles.  I tried to copy Mommy by floating on my back (though I would always tense up and start laughing...I just couldn't relax my body to lie flat on the water!).  I watched all the neighborhood kids dive into the pool.  I would go "Splash!!"  But, if they got me wet, I would say, "No splash!  Stop it!" The best part was when Mommy taught me how to jump in the pool.  She sat me on the edge of the pool and told me to jump.  I jumped into her arms.  Of course, I told her, "Again! Again!" She would try to put her arms around my waist, and I would say, "No! Away!"  I didn't want her to help me!  I could do it myself!  She would move farther away from the wall each time.  After about 5 times of jumping, I showed her that I didn't need her to help me, but I think she was cautious because I don't know how to swim yet.  I'm ready though!  I loved hanging onto the side of my boogie board too and kicking across the pool!  I'm a water boy for sure!  

After dinner, and as the night went on, Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Jay and Aunty Shelly realized that they're "old" because while all the teenagers were hanging out, eating, and listening to their music (which were probably "oldies" to them, even though Mommy and Daddy were listening to that stuff in high school), we were cleaning and putting things away.  I had fun eating ice out of the cooler all day and night, running around the huge lanai, and peering through the railing to watch the kids in the pool below.  I noticed ants on the deck and said, "Ants....Ewww! " (Mommy has taught me well.)

It was a fun, busy, but exhausting day.  Daddy took me home around 8 pm.  After we left, I heard that everyone ended up in the pool for a night dip.  But of course Mommy, "the oldie, helped clean up and didn't get home until close to 11 pm.  She was pooped!  But, somehow she woke up early and managed to struggle through 7 am yoga on Sunday (of course, that was before her 2 1/2 hour nap...Geez, she IS gettin' old!).  

My 2nd Haircut...Ever!

Yup, that's right....Today, I got my second haircut, ever!  Last year, I got one around my first birthday (check out the blog profile pic), and this year, since my 2nd birthday is approaching, my parents thought it would be a good time to get my haircut again.  Or perhaps it was the mullet I was sporting...or the fact that some people mistakenly refer to me as a "she"...or Mommy just wanted to get rid of that "That 70's" Ashton Kutcher look.

Daddy got his haircut first.  Then I sat on Daddy's lap while Debbie cut my hair.  Now, she's cut 3 generations of Halsall hair!  Debbie is the hairstylist for Nana, Pop, and Dad.  I was a really good boy and just sat there while she cut layers into my hair, buzzed around the edges, and then she powdered my neck and put some gel in my hair like Daddy's.  

I look like a big boy now.  Do you like my new 'do? 

I had fun looking at the fish pond outside the hotel where I got my hair done.  Then, I played around Kapi'olani Park with Dad as we walked back to the car. 

Mommy went to see Aunty Michelle's baby at Queen's Hospital.  Allison Elise, who was born yesterday morning, is 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches long.  Mommy always says it's weird to hold such a little baby, so light, with that little kitten cry.  I don't even recognize myself as a little baby but I always point to people's bellies and say "baby".  

A New Wagon!

Nana and Pop's neighbor, Aunty Sue, found me a wagon on the side of the road.  It was in pretty decent shape, so she brought it home for me.  I hope she didn't take some kid's toy because, after Pop cleaned it up, I have had nonstop fun climbing in and out of it, and putting down the sides.  

Now, I have a car to ride in up the hill, a wagon to sit in, and a car to sleep in at home.  

What are these people getting tired of carrying me or something?!

ALS Awareness

May is ALS Awareness month.  This Saturday is the annual ALS seminar.  I will probably go with Mommy to go man the support group booth.  She still has to make a poster display for the booth. There was a nice article in the Star Bulletin today on Chester, who was diagnosed with ALS last year.  He reminds Mommy of her father, my grandpa.  She says it's because of his laid back, local, accepting attitude.  He's living life to its fullest, traveling as much as he can, knowing that this disease is terminal, but not letting it get him down.  Even though I never got to meet him, Mommy tells me that Grandpa was just like Chester.  He really had a zest for life.  

Each year, we lose people to ALS.  As we lose some, more are diagnosed, and there is still no cure for this debilitating disease.  Please help support Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in its quest to, one day, find a cure.