Today was one of those days when I remembered why I sell Avon. It's not because I love the products (to which I am actually addicted). It's not for the money (that has paid for a lot of extras). It's because of my customers. Today was an exhausting, emotional day but I came home feeling rewarded. Exhausted, but content.
My morning started off pretty smoothly until I got to my usual 10:30 appointment and her husband greeted me at the door with, "She's not here. She's in the hospital. She had a stroke last night." I literally staggered backwards and grabbed onto the railing to steady myself. He told me she's okay and will be fine, but as soon as I got into the car, I started to cry.
"I need a new job," I told my mom. "If my customers are going to start having strokes on me, it's time for a new job." I'm just so darn attached to them. They're like family.
My next stop was one of my favorite Avon Grandmas. She has pictures of my kids on her fridge, tells everyone their her great-grandchildren and she calls me "babe." Seeing her was salve to my sad soul.
From there I went to my next regular stop, rang the bell and waited. When I didn't here Ann call for me to come in, I knew something was not right. Rang the bell again. No answer. Called her from my cell phone and left a message to call me when she got back.
I re-grouped over lunch then continued on with my day. At my second stop of the afternoon, my second favorite Avon Grandma shared her burdens with me. Her sister, also one of my customers, had her first chemo treatment for her stage four cancer yesterday. Her husband who is in a home because of severe alzheiemer's doesn't recognize her anymore and today he told her to go home. We hugged, said "I love you" and away I went.
On to Doris' house. Doris is 82 and was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. This diagnosis deflated her for a few weeks because she'd never had to take any sort of medication until then. But today, she called to me from her side yard as I got out of my car and then waved at me kind of crazy like and walked out of sight. I followed. What do you know? Doris was painting the trim of her house. By herself. In the heat. She told me about the painters who ripped her off and left the trim undone. Then as I said goodbye, she asked, "Kristy, do you have a cell phone?" I told her I did and she told me she needed me to come into the house with her and help her find her missing cell phone. So that's what we did. There it was under the couch. She again told me the story of the painters who ripped her off then asked if it was too hot outside for her phone. I wanted to say, "it's too hot outside for you but not your phone." I didn't of course. I just gave her a hug and left her laughing at a joke.
Next was Jim and Jan's house. Jim was sitting on the porch drinking a beer when I walked up. He's 80-something and has dementia. I've never seen him drink a beer before. He followed me into the house talking about beer and once Jan and I got into our Avon mode, he disappeared into the garage. She sighed and said, "Finally some peace." Then she cried. His dementia is worsening and suddenly he's decided he needs to have a beer or two every day. The doctor said it was okay but it's making everything harder on her. Jan is my third favorite Avon Grandma. We usually swap recipes and talk about cooking. Today I sat with her for forty minutes while she vented about her husband's failing mind. When I got up to leave, she said, "Maybe I should have the beer." We laughed heartily.
A few stops later, I arrived at my regular 2:30 appointment. Virginia's husband came to the door and told me she wasn't home. She was at the hospital with her dad who was having serious heart troubles again. We chatted a bit about this latest heart problem and I went on my way.
Now I had some extra time so I called to see if Anne had gotten home. Indeed she had. She too had been at the hospital. Her sister's husband had been admitted and her other sister's husband was being discharged. She was the taxi.
By the time I made it to my 3:30 appointment, I'd heard of two more loved ones being in the hospital for serious illnesses and I didn't know if I could take much more. Bonnie was my last stop of the day and had just gotten home from a funeral. It was the second one she'd been to in a week. I told her how my grandfather used to say, "I just don't want to answer the phone anymore. It's just going to be someone telling me so-and-so died." She smiled weakly and said, "that's just about it." She's 80-years-old and said that they go to at least two funerals a month. I told her about homeschooling and she told me how proud of me she is for taking on a monumental task.
On the way home, I recounted my day. Suddenly it occurred to me why I'm always so tired when I come home from delivering Avon. It's more than just delivering lipstick to me. It's delivering a little bit of hope.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Post-Home Economics
Recently, I read an article in Cooking Light magazine entitled "Bring Back Home Ec!" by Hillari Dowdle. You can read it yourself by clicking here. While reading, I was nodding my head in agreement, mumbling "you got that right" and even applauding. Yes, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Here's the thing: we did mess up an entire generation (at the very least) by removing home economics from school. In this post-home economics, post-modern world, there is at least one generation that doesn't know how to sew, cook, or keep house. Dowdle's article focused on nutrition and how learning basic cooking skills go hand-in-hand with basic nutrition. Intriguing to say the least.
I got to thinking about my own middle school and high school experiences and the home economics classes offered. In the 7th grade, I signed up for home ec, but one of my mom's friends talked me out of it because she wanted me to take yearbook of which she was the teacher.
"You don't need that stuff. Your grandma can teach you how to cook and sew," she told me one afternoon before school started.
And, in some ways she was right. I was lucky enough to have a mom, grandma and great aunts who taught me to clean, cook, bake and sew. They also tried to teach me to garden, but somehow that didn't "stick." I probably failed, if not then, certainly now.
After my 8th grade year, home economics was removed from our middle school/high school campus. That was 1990, folks. And it was removed because there was very little interest in the class, and that had been the case nationwide for a decade. So it makes sense that schools would get rid of an unwanted program for something in demand like computer skills or even art.
But it's sad and I think Dowdle's right when she says "we lost out on something important." Yes, those girls and boys who opted out of home ec, whose schools didnt' offer home ec or whose mother or grandmother didn't teach her home ec skills, lost out not only on learning those skills but also on passing them down to their own daughters and sons. Think about that for a minute.
If Molly didn't receive any cooking, sewing or baking training from school or home, now that she's grown up with a daughter of her own, Susie, she can't even teach Susie how to do the things she didn't learn to do. And unless Susie learns those skills in school she won't be able to pass it down to her children. Can you say "microwave ready" or "heat-and-eat"? Well Molly and Susie know those words well because unless they teach themselves to cook by watching you-tube videos (how else do you learn how to do something in the 21st century?) that's all they'll ever know how to cook.
As for feminism and sexism, please, I don't have the time or energy to discuss that in this blog. But let me say this, cooking, cleaning, baking, sewing and caring for children are basic skills that both genders should learn. My husband knows how to sew. Does that make him less of a man? No. If anything, it makes him manlier because he doesn't need his mommy or his wife to do it for him. (though I am happy to hem his pants or patch his jacket)
So, leave sexism in the 20th century and bring back home ec.
Here's the thing: we did mess up an entire generation (at the very least) by removing home economics from school. In this post-home economics, post-modern world, there is at least one generation that doesn't know how to sew, cook, or keep house. Dowdle's article focused on nutrition and how learning basic cooking skills go hand-in-hand with basic nutrition. Intriguing to say the least.
I got to thinking about my own middle school and high school experiences and the home economics classes offered. In the 7th grade, I signed up for home ec, but one of my mom's friends talked me out of it because she wanted me to take yearbook of which she was the teacher.
"You don't need that stuff. Your grandma can teach you how to cook and sew," she told me one afternoon before school started.
And, in some ways she was right. I was lucky enough to have a mom, grandma and great aunts who taught me to clean, cook, bake and sew. They also tried to teach me to garden, but somehow that didn't "stick." I probably failed, if not then, certainly now.
After my 8th grade year, home economics was removed from our middle school/high school campus. That was 1990, folks. And it was removed because there was very little interest in the class, and that had been the case nationwide for a decade. So it makes sense that schools would get rid of an unwanted program for something in demand like computer skills or even art.
But it's sad and I think Dowdle's right when she says "we lost out on something important." Yes, those girls and boys who opted out of home ec, whose schools didnt' offer home ec or whose mother or grandmother didn't teach her home ec skills, lost out not only on learning those skills but also on passing them down to their own daughters and sons. Think about that for a minute.
If Molly didn't receive any cooking, sewing or baking training from school or home, now that she's grown up with a daughter of her own, Susie, she can't even teach Susie how to do the things she didn't learn to do. And unless Susie learns those skills in school she won't be able to pass it down to her children. Can you say "microwave ready" or "heat-and-eat"? Well Molly and Susie know those words well because unless they teach themselves to cook by watching you-tube videos (how else do you learn how to do something in the 21st century?) that's all they'll ever know how to cook.
As for feminism and sexism, please, I don't have the time or energy to discuss that in this blog. But let me say this, cooking, cleaning, baking, sewing and caring for children are basic skills that both genders should learn. My husband knows how to sew. Does that make him less of a man? No. If anything, it makes him manlier because he doesn't need his mommy or his wife to do it for him. (though I am happy to hem his pants or patch his jacket)
So, leave sexism in the 20th century and bring back home ec.
Friday, August 24, 2012
First Week at Providence Academy
Yes, I know it's Friday. Aloha Friday to be precise. But today, I'm not going to herald you with Hawaiian folklore or share my Hawai'i memories with you. Instead, I want to tell you about Providence Academy.
Providence Academy is our brand new homeschool and we've just finished our first official week of school.
The decision to homeschool was nothing short than providential. For years, even before we had children, we considered homeschooling. It intrigued us. It also scared us. And we convinced ourselves that it wasn't for us. But it still came up from time to time, and as time wore on, we met more and more homeschoolers. We admired them. I was horribly jealous.
I won't bore you with the details, though you might chuckle when I tell you on Adam's first day of kindergarten, I stood in the kitchen, sobbing into a dishrag and while I mumbled, "I can't do this." I've dreaded every first day of school from preschool until this year.
Well, as it often occurs this way with God, doors just kept closing. Signs just kept pointing us in the direction of homeschooling until one day, the door to "traditional" school slammed squarely in our faces. I, of course, was once again crying. First they were tears of hurt, anger and disappointment. But as God's undeniable peace washed over me, I cried tears of joy. We were finally going to do what He had been calling us to do!
So, that's more or less how we ended up in this position and it explains why we decided to name our homeschool Providence.
We've now completed our first official week with success and joy. The days were peaceful, enjoyable and seamless. We already did our first science experiment and had our first field trip. The kids have told us repeatedly that they are so happy we are homeschooling. Oh, trust me, I know every day won't be as wonderful. I know there are many rough spots ahead. But I also know we can weather any and every storm through the power of God.
Providence Academy is our brand new homeschool and we've just finished our first official week of school.
The decision to homeschool was nothing short than providential. For years, even before we had children, we considered homeschooling. It intrigued us. It also scared us. And we convinced ourselves that it wasn't for us. But it still came up from time to time, and as time wore on, we met more and more homeschoolers. We admired them. I was horribly jealous.
I won't bore you with the details, though you might chuckle when I tell you on Adam's first day of kindergarten, I stood in the kitchen, sobbing into a dishrag and while I mumbled, "I can't do this." I've dreaded every first day of school from preschool until this year.
Well, as it often occurs this way with God, doors just kept closing. Signs just kept pointing us in the direction of homeschooling until one day, the door to "traditional" school slammed squarely in our faces. I, of course, was once again crying. First they were tears of hurt, anger and disappointment. But as God's undeniable peace washed over me, I cried tears of joy. We were finally going to do what He had been calling us to do!
So, that's more or less how we ended up in this position and it explains why we decided to name our homeschool Providence.
We've now completed our first official week with success and joy. The days were peaceful, enjoyable and seamless. We already did our first science experiment and had our first field trip. The kids have told us repeatedly that they are so happy we are homeschooling. Oh, trust me, I know every day won't be as wonderful. I know there are many rough spots ahead. But I also know we can weather any and every storm through the power of God.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Aloha Friday: Henry Opukaha'ia
Aloha, it's Friday! Today I want to tell you about Henry Opukaha'ia also known as Henry Obookia. In case you're wondering how to say his last name, it's pronounced this way: oh-poo-kuh-huh-ee-ah)
Henry was born on the Big Island of Hawai'i, on the opposite side from our last story, in the 1790s. When he was about 10 years old, there was a war on the island. During this war, Henry's mother and father were killed in front of him. He strapped his baby brother to his back and escaped. But his brother was killed by another soldier's spear. Henry was then put under the care (some records say he was taken prisoner) of the soldier who killed his parents. Talk about an uncomfortable situation.
Well, that didn't last long because Henry discovered he had an uncle who was kahuna (priest/leader) at a nearby heiau (temple) and he was sent to live with him. On a visit to an aunt in a neighboring village, he witnessed said aunt's death when she was thrown off a cliff by a soldier for violating a kapu law. He escaped the solider and returned to his uncle's home. He says in his memoir that that's when he began to dream of living somewhere else.
When he was 16, he boarded a merchant ship and spent the next few years sailing the Pacific. While onboard, he became friends with a Christian sailor, Russel Hubbard who taught Henry to read and write using the Bible.
In 1809, the ship landed in New York and was sold. Henry went to live with the Captain of the ship and continued to learn English. Now that he could read and write, he began to explore religion.
He said, "Hawai'i gods. They wood-burn. Me go home, put 'em in fire, burn 'em up. They no see, no hear, no anything. On a more profound note he added, We make them (idols). Our God-he make us."
In 1814, after traveling throughout Connecticut farming and studying, he began speaking publicly and worked on translating the Bible into Hawaiian. By 1815 he'd finished writing his book, "Memoirs of Henry Obookiah." And in 1817, he was among Hawaiian and American students training as missionaries to spread the gospel around the world and back home in Hawaii. One account of his life says that from the time Henry discovered Christianity he had a deep desire to take the truth back to his homeland so they could be liberated from kapu.
Unfortunately Henry died of typhus in 1818 but his life and his faith inspired 14 missionaries to take the gospel to Hawaii. His work at translating the Bible into Hawaiian was a terrific aid in printing primers and Bible stories in Hawiian.
The connection to last week's story? Those 14 missionaries sailed aboard the Thaddeus and landed on the Big Island in March of 1820, just six months after Kamehameha II abolished the kapu system.
Well, that didn't last long because Henry discovered he had an uncle who was kahuna (priest/leader) at a nearby heiau (temple) and he was sent to live with him. On a visit to an aunt in a neighboring village, he witnessed said aunt's death when she was thrown off a cliff by a soldier for violating a kapu law. He escaped the solider and returned to his uncle's home. He says in his memoir that that's when he began to dream of living somewhere else.
When he was 16, he boarded a merchant ship and spent the next few years sailing the Pacific. While onboard, he became friends with a Christian sailor, Russel Hubbard who taught Henry to read and write using the Bible.
In 1809, the ship landed in New York and was sold. Henry went to live with the Captain of the ship and continued to learn English. Now that he could read and write, he began to explore religion.
He said, "Hawai'i gods. They wood-burn. Me go home, put 'em in fire, burn 'em up. They no see, no hear, no anything. On a more profound note he added, We make them (idols). Our God-he make us."
In 1814, after traveling throughout Connecticut farming and studying, he began speaking publicly and worked on translating the Bible into Hawaiian. By 1815 he'd finished writing his book, "Memoirs of Henry Obookiah." And in 1817, he was among Hawaiian and American students training as missionaries to spread the gospel around the world and back home in Hawaii. One account of his life says that from the time Henry discovered Christianity he had a deep desire to take the truth back to his homeland so they could be liberated from kapu.
Unfortunately Henry died of typhus in 1818 but his life and his faith inspired 14 missionaries to take the gospel to Hawaii. His work at translating the Bible into Hawaiian was a terrific aid in printing primers and Bible stories in Hawiian.
The connection to last week's story? Those 14 missionaries sailed aboard the Thaddeus and landed on the Big Island in March of 1820, just six months after Kamehameha II abolished the kapu system.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Ancient Religion Abolished During Dinner
Aloha, it's Friday! Time for some Hawai'i history!
Shortly before the first Christian missionaries ever set foot on Hawai'i, the Hawaiian monarchy abolished its ancient religion in a bloody, historical battle.
Hawaiian religion is based on a system called "kapu" which means "forbidden." It was comprised of various laws and most violations were punished only by death. Hawaiians believed in stringent enforcement for even a single violation was needed because the gods would punish the whole community with natural disasters if they didn't strictly punish the violator. One of the kapu laws was that men and women could not eat together. In fact, it was kapu for women to eat bananas and coconuts just as men were forbidden to eat certain fish. The kapu system originated some time around 1300 and was isntituted by the ali'i. Ali'i means chiefly class. So in other words, the royalty of Hawai'i convinced the rest of the Hawaiians that they were sacred and that everyone had to follow the laws they instituted or the entire people would be punished by the gods. Gee, how many times have we heard that story?
King Kamehameha I (also known as Kamehameha the Great) conquered the islands and formed the Hawaiian nation in 1810. Some believe that he was the promised king, the one whose birth would be announced by a comet. (sound familiar?) History tells us that Halley's comet was visible in Hawai'i in 1758 and Hawaiian history says Kamehameha was born in November of that year. Although, some historians say he was born some twenty years earlier. But that's not the point. The point is, the Hawaiian people thought this was the great king who was going to unify the islands (he did) and establish a kindgom (he did), and so they had much respect for him and esteemed him greatly. That is why no one even though to suggest ending the kapu system while he was alive.
Captain Cook had arrived on the Big Island in 1778 unaware of the kapu laws and accidently violated many of them. When the island was not devastated by tsnumi, earthquake or other natural disaster, many Hawaiians figured out that the gods were not enforcing the kapu laws. Some historians even suggest that the Hawaiian people started to doubt the gods existed at all. Fast forward some forty years....
In 1819, Kamehameha the Great died and very shortly after that, his favorite wife Ka'ahumanu and her "sister-wife" Keopuolani convinced King Kamehameha II (son of the Great and Keopuolani) to abolish kapu. Their suggestion was for him to eat publicly with them. And he did. So the message was sent throughout the land that kapu was hereby abolished. Not long after this famous dinner, Kamehameha II had the heiaus (temples) and idols demolished.
But, as with anything, there were those who were upset about the end of kapu. Kekuaokalani who was Kamehameha II's cousin and heir to the throne should Kamehameha die, objected strongly to the abolition. His cohorts encouraged himt o "seek the throne" or in other words, have the king assasinated.Though he refused to order an assasination, he started a battle.
The battle occured near Kailua-Kona when Kamehameha II's forces went to intercept Kekuao's forces. In battle, Kekuao was wounded. His wife ran out and fell at his side, begging for their lives to be spared. Instead, Kamehameha's forces executed both of them and kapu also died that day.
About four months later, the first Christian missionaries landed on Hawai'i. Now if that isn't a God-thing, I don't know what is. I'll tell you more about these first missionaries next Friday.
Sadly, this historic site is in the middle of a resort area as you can tell from the photo.
Shortly before the first Christian missionaries ever set foot on Hawai'i, the Hawaiian monarchy abolished its ancient religion in a bloody, historical battle.
Hawaiian religion is based on a system called "kapu" which means "forbidden." It was comprised of various laws and most violations were punished only by death. Hawaiians believed in stringent enforcement for even a single violation was needed because the gods would punish the whole community with natural disasters if they didn't strictly punish the violator. One of the kapu laws was that men and women could not eat together. In fact, it was kapu for women to eat bananas and coconuts just as men were forbidden to eat certain fish. The kapu system originated some time around 1300 and was isntituted by the ali'i. Ali'i means chiefly class. So in other words, the royalty of Hawai'i convinced the rest of the Hawaiians that they were sacred and that everyone had to follow the laws they instituted or the entire people would be punished by the gods. Gee, how many times have we heard that story?
King Kamehameha I (also known as Kamehameha the Great) conquered the islands and formed the Hawaiian nation in 1810. Some believe that he was the promised king, the one whose birth would be announced by a comet. (sound familiar?) History tells us that Halley's comet was visible in Hawai'i in 1758 and Hawaiian history says Kamehameha was born in November of that year. Although, some historians say he was born some twenty years earlier. But that's not the point. The point is, the Hawaiian people thought this was the great king who was going to unify the islands (he did) and establish a kindgom (he did), and so they had much respect for him and esteemed him greatly. That is why no one even though to suggest ending the kapu system while he was alive.
Captain Cook had arrived on the Big Island in 1778 unaware of the kapu laws and accidently violated many of them. When the island was not devastated by tsnumi, earthquake or other natural disaster, many Hawaiians figured out that the gods were not enforcing the kapu laws. Some historians even suggest that the Hawaiian people started to doubt the gods existed at all. Fast forward some forty years....
In 1819, Kamehameha the Great died and very shortly after that, his favorite wife Ka'ahumanu and her "sister-wife" Keopuolani convinced King Kamehameha II (son of the Great and Keopuolani) to abolish kapu. Their suggestion was for him to eat publicly with them. And he did. So the message was sent throughout the land that kapu was hereby abolished. Not long after this famous dinner, Kamehameha II had the heiaus (temples) and idols demolished.
But, as with anything, there were those who were upset about the end of kapu. Kekuaokalani who was Kamehameha II's cousin and heir to the throne should Kamehameha die, objected strongly to the abolition. His cohorts encouraged himt o "seek the throne" or in other words, have the king assasinated.Though he refused to order an assasination, he started a battle.
The battle occured near Kailua-Kona when Kamehameha II's forces went to intercept Kekuao's forces. In battle, Kekuao was wounded. His wife ran out and fell at his side, begging for their lives to be spared. Instead, Kamehameha's forces executed both of them and kapu also died that day.
About four months later, the first Christian missionaries landed on Hawai'i. Now if that isn't a God-thing, I don't know what is. I'll tell you more about these first missionaries next Friday.
Sadly, this historic site is in the middle of a resort area as you can tell from the photo.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Aloha Friday: Found the Famous Santa Photo!
Aloooooooooooha! It's Friday!
We were camping last Friday so I didn't post anything, but look what I found! The picture of Adam with Santa from my June 29 post.
We were camping last Friday so I didn't post anything, but look what I found! The picture of Adam with Santa from my June 29 post.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Aloha Friday: The Story of Keli'i
In November 2004, we went to Kaua'i to celebrate Thanksgiving. Adam was barely seven-months-old at the time and this was his first plane ride and his first visit to Hawai'i.
Besides being a wondeful vacation, that trip holds wonderful memories and meaning. We spent the days doing what you do in Hawai'i: snorkel, visit the beach, admire the waterfalls, and swim in the pool. Adam wasn't too keen of the ocean. The fish swimming around our legs weren't exactly his cup of tea. He loved the sand though. And he looked so cute in his little aloha shirts.
He was just learning to walk on that trip. I know, seven-months-old and walking. He'd walk laps around the coffee table in our condo and waddle along the rattan sofa. And he had the most adorable t-shirt and shorts pajama set. I think I even saved it.
Since we were there over Thanksgiving, we spent one day watching the Christmas parade where Santa rides into Hawai'i. Of course, I cried. I mean are you surprised? It was a Christmas parade in Hawai'i? Hello? Total tear-jerker.
And Adam "met" Santa for the first time on that trip. I'll tell you what, I'm pretty sure that man WAS the REAL Santa. He was about 5'6" with a belly full of jelly and a real, fluffy white beard. And he was so jovial and kind. When we walked up to the photo area, he came over and said, "OK, here's how we're going to do this. I'm going to sit down. You're going to place him in my arms and back away. You're not going to say a thing. Just keep looking at him and she'll snap his picture before he even realizes I'm holding him. There won't be any tears or anything."
And what do you know? We followed his instructions and captured the most adorable first Santa picture in the world. I think one of us commented on this and he laughed (yes his belly shook) and said, "I've done it a million times." And somehow that didn't seem like an exaggeration.
(when I dig out Adam's memory box, I will post the picture)
But, Santa wasn't the only important person Adam met on that trip. There was also Mr. Figueroa. (I'm going to try not to cry while I type this)
We'd gone to a little greasy-spoon diner in Kapa'a for breakfast with my parents and I had the most delicious macadamia nut pancakes in the world. At the table behind us was a couple of middle-aged Hawaiian men having coffee. Adam was particularly jovial and charismatic that morning. (that means he was more interested in entertaining everyone than he was in eating) And for whatever reason he and the men behind him really hit it off.
Towards the end of our meal, the man wearing a dingy blue baseball cap introduced himself as Mr. Figueroa. Adam sat in his lap and we visited with this nice man for a little while. He shared bits and pieces of his life on Hawai'i and talked story with my dad.
Then he gave Adam back to us and said, "I'm going to tell you your Hawaiian name, Adam. You are called Keli'i."
I must have said something like "I thought his name was Atamu" because Mr. Figueroa smiled and said, "Keli'i means little chief. And that's what you are."
Scott, my parents and I all laughed when he said this. In just a few minutes, he'd figured out our little man. Our little chief.
Scott said to him, "Wow, you know him well!" And Mr. Figueroa just smiled and nodded.
Mahalo nui loa Mr. Figueroa for the memory. Adam is Keli'i of our hearts.
Besides being a wondeful vacation, that trip holds wonderful memories and meaning. We spent the days doing what you do in Hawai'i: snorkel, visit the beach, admire the waterfalls, and swim in the pool. Adam wasn't too keen of the ocean. The fish swimming around our legs weren't exactly his cup of tea. He loved the sand though. And he looked so cute in his little aloha shirts.
He was just learning to walk on that trip. I know, seven-months-old and walking. He'd walk laps around the coffee table in our condo and waddle along the rattan sofa. And he had the most adorable t-shirt and shorts pajama set. I think I even saved it.
Since we were there over Thanksgiving, we spent one day watching the Christmas parade where Santa rides into Hawai'i. Of course, I cried. I mean are you surprised? It was a Christmas parade in Hawai'i? Hello? Total tear-jerker.
And Adam "met" Santa for the first time on that trip. I'll tell you what, I'm pretty sure that man WAS the REAL Santa. He was about 5'6" with a belly full of jelly and a real, fluffy white beard. And he was so jovial and kind. When we walked up to the photo area, he came over and said, "OK, here's how we're going to do this. I'm going to sit down. You're going to place him in my arms and back away. You're not going to say a thing. Just keep looking at him and she'll snap his picture before he even realizes I'm holding him. There won't be any tears or anything."
And what do you know? We followed his instructions and captured the most adorable first Santa picture in the world. I think one of us commented on this and he laughed (yes his belly shook) and said, "I've done it a million times." And somehow that didn't seem like an exaggeration.
(when I dig out Adam's memory box, I will post the picture)
But, Santa wasn't the only important person Adam met on that trip. There was also Mr. Figueroa. (I'm going to try not to cry while I type this)
We'd gone to a little greasy-spoon diner in Kapa'a for breakfast with my parents and I had the most delicious macadamia nut pancakes in the world. At the table behind us was a couple of middle-aged Hawaiian men having coffee. Adam was particularly jovial and charismatic that morning. (that means he was more interested in entertaining everyone than he was in eating) And for whatever reason he and the men behind him really hit it off.
Towards the end of our meal, the man wearing a dingy blue baseball cap introduced himself as Mr. Figueroa. Adam sat in his lap and we visited with this nice man for a little while. He shared bits and pieces of his life on Hawai'i and talked story with my dad.
Then he gave Adam back to us and said, "I'm going to tell you your Hawaiian name, Adam. You are called Keli'i."
I must have said something like "I thought his name was Atamu" because Mr. Figueroa smiled and said, "Keli'i means little chief. And that's what you are."
Scott, my parents and I all laughed when he said this. In just a few minutes, he'd figured out our little man. Our little chief.
Scott said to him, "Wow, you know him well!" And Mr. Figueroa just smiled and nodded.
Mahalo nui loa Mr. Figueroa for the memory. Adam is Keli'i of our hearts.
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