Mele Kalikimaka!

Merry, Merry Christmas! The blog is on hiatus until we get back from NC on 12/28/08. We are going to be home for 2 weeks for Sam's wedding and the holidays! I can't wait to see everyone!!

Turn Around...Don't Drown

This is the official slogan of the day telling people to not drive through huge areas of standing water...I love it. Flood Update: the waters are receding. Here at the Hart house, the water receded from the doors! Lilo is back outside and very unhappy about it. Across the street though is still pretty wet! The Polynesian Cultural Center did not open today and a lot of the side streets are closed. The houses across the street are totally flooded...poor people. Major roads are still closed around the island it seems, but CRH is hell bent on going to work later...against my better judgement (just for the record). I hope he turns around if needed!

Martha Stewart I'm Not

Since I have some free time today, I'll fill you in on the great cookie f"@k up. It was bad...really bad. I have visions of being Martha Stewart (ONLY in the sense of baking)...but I'm not and I need to learn to accept this and just keep Pillsbury in business by purchasing the slice and bake cookies.
I decided that since Eve will be gone next week during the last week before Christmas break, we would take cookies this week for her class. I should have just gone to the store and bought some since kids really could give a rat's ass if the cookies are homemade or not. I got really excited about 1) being able to make homemade baked goods here and being allowed to take them into the school and 2) baking these super cute Christmas tree cookies with Eve. I found this cute recipe in our local paper and thought she would be able to decorate them nicely for her friends. Well, she might have been able to had Mom not screwed up the cookies. I made the recipe verbatim. One of my errors was that I did not have sufficient time and I put them in the freezer to chill instead of the fridge. I honestly didn't think it would matter, but it must. Then, I realized I did not bring my rolling pin and I was too cheap to buy a $10.39 wooden crappy one at Foodland, so I used Eve's micro rolling pin...meant for kids to play with...not cook. So, I finally get the sticky dough all rolled out and this is what happened...wtf???




I went back to Foodland and returned the $20.87 worth of decorations for these and bought a $15.99 cookie basket.

We did manage to make this...it's a cross between the Kwanzaa thing and a Menorah (We didn't have the right colored paper for the menorah and well, we aren't Jewish, or black, or religious even...but since we had the flu a few weeks ago we had plenty of tp rolls...I know TMI).

Holy Crap! It's a Flood!!

I woke up this morning to a sound that I have not heard since last summer in NC...thunder. It rarely ever thunders here...there's also very little lightening...except today. We got up to go to school and I learned that I should really watch the AM news or at least log onto the local news-weather station, but I wasn't prepared for this. Our back yard is flooded...Lilo's food was under water...seriously. I felt so bad for the poor soaked kitty that I let her in (finally). I couldn't take it anymore...poor kitty. Buddy has taken refuge under the neighbor's roof I think...that or he's swimming home from somewhere. Anyway, we leave for school and get around the curve from our house. There is a 6ft high fence right there that is almost totally under water. The SUVs and trucks in front of me were turning around on the very narrow one lane that was not totally submerged. We turned around...decided that the S40 just wasn't up to it. When we got home, our neighbor was coming in too and he told me that all the schools on this side of the island are closed (duh!) and that it is likely they will close our road soon...good times. The school is in fact closed (I called after getting back in). I'm not sure how or if CRH will get to work today or if we will be able to go tomorrow. Now, the largest crisis of the day is that I am going to have to cancel my hair appointment...omg! I have been holding off getting my hair done for weeks now so that it would look good for the wedding...now I'm going to have to go next week when I get home...crap, crap, crap.
This is what our front yard looks like...we may have a pool by the end of the day!

The Christmas Gift of Aloha

Ala Moana Center has the BEST Christmas experience. We went last night to see Santa and it rocked! First of all, we lucked out with the Santa line. We got there and walked right in. You are routed in through Santa's workshop (very cute...made us think of David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice) and then you see the big guy. This was one of the best Santas ever. He spent a lot of time with each kid and listened to what they wanted. Eve took a list...he very patiently went over it with her and then told her that he would try very hard to get those things but in a very nice manner told her that sometimes we don't get everything we ask for...it was so nice...not all commercialized. Anyway, we loved Santa.
Then, we went up to see about the Candy Cane train...it's this train that takes you around a wing of the mall. I waited in line for 30 minutes to get a ticket...and it was lame. I felt bad for Eve. This is a horrible story...but the kid beside her was "special" and he freaked her out on top of the train being kind of lame...but she got to go.
In between getting our ticket and waiting for our train departure time, we watched this show that is performed on the mall stage. It's called the "The Christmas Gift of Aloha". It's quite a production! CRH and I thought it was going to suck...being a mall production and all. We were so wrong. It was a very cute performance based on the book by the same name. The coolest part...it snows at the end! The mall showers snow down upon you at 6:30pm daily (except Mondays). Awesome!

Just Call Me Amy...Please

I love, love, love that people teach their children manners...really I do and I in NO way mean to undermine those manners...but for the love of god...I hate being called "Ma'am", "Auntie", or the worst "Mrs. Hart". Here in Hawaii the children call me "Auntie". In Hawaii, you call someone older than you "Auntie" or "Uncle". It's a nice feeling of aloha and provides a sense of ohana (family), but it makes me feel like I'm about 80 million years old. I'm only 32...

On that note, how happy am I that I went to Amsterdam for the death of my twenties? Have you guys heard the mayhem over there? They are closing all the "coffee shops" and brothels...good grief. Next time I guess I'll have to go for the flowers and the freaking cheese.

Hula Girl

So, I put on my big girl panties and moved on with the day...still in a little funk...but getting out of it...mostly by eating chocolate chip cookies...must stop that NOW. I have a dress to fit into in a few very short weeks.

I picked Eve up from school and took her to the beach to take a few pics of her in her Hawaii Christmas dress...not be confused with her NC Christmas dress (literally...not to be confused or she will freeze). She looked so cute...even if I say so myself.




Then, we went to hula lessons tonight. I have found this goddess that does lessons for free (yep...free!). It's at the ranch and a lot of kids from her school go there, so she felt very comfortable. Connor goes too...which is awesome! (Connor is Nancy's oldest daughter...Nancy watches her after school...in case you need the lineage there.) Hula is a lot of hard work, but she enjoyed it and she rocked it. This was her first class there, but she tried and overall did a great job of keeping up.

Bitch and Whine Day

Ok, I know...I live in Hawaii...wtf do I have to bitch and whine about? Well for starters, I'm having to deal with moving company stuff again. We got our initial settlement offer...it was 1/5 of the amount I expect. What do I expect, you may ask? I expect them to replace the items they broke or damaged in the move!! How unreasonable of me...the mediator is working on it. I hate this.

Then, I decide to go to the beach. The waves are AWESOME today along the North Shore and I pack up to go...and it starts raining. It quit for a second...then started again. I wanted to go to Sunset Beach to watch the Triple Crown...but it was PACKED. So, I decided to come back here and go to the beach here...where it was not raining initially. By the time I get back, it's raining here! Now, it's sunny but I don't have time to go now since I have to go get Eve soon. Needless to say, I won't be coming home with a tan! I know...let the sympathy begin.