I am, of course, happy to be home with my kiddos and all things familiar. But on Saturday night, sitting on the couch at 10pm, after a bit of a bad parenting day looking around at my messing house, I longed for Hawaii. The peace, tranquility, escape from reality. I’m just going to say this–parenting if frickin’ hard work. I give kudos to those of you who have more than 2 kids–maybe even to those of us who have more than one or any for that matter. It’s hard work. Yes kids are amazing and all but parenting more difficult than I could ever articulate. The older my kids get the more fun it is but the harder it is. Noah has a mind of his own and he isn’t shy about sharing it with you and protesting and pushing limits. I have a short fuse and an emotional fuse at that. I react and shouldn’t. But, alas, I do. Zoë is pretty good but takes after her brother and just laughs when I get mad/upset. I know that I should be more calm and cool and collected. But we are who we are.

Back to paradise and it was paradise.  Hubby and I were able to just be married for 8 days.  It really was a second honeymoon.  It was amazing and we really did reconnect.  But, then we returned to the real and overwhelming world.  I missed the connectedness we had in Hawaii and need to find a way to get that back.  It really is a testament to our love but also to the sheer business of our lives with two kids who do not stop.  EVER.

Highlights:

1.  Being in Hawaii with the man I love
2.  Our condo–was so nice
3.  Scuba Diving
4.  Our Jeep–essential on the Big Island (we spent a lot of time in the car)*
5.  Fresh seafood and fresh fruit
6. The scenery
7.  Kayaking with dolphins
8.  The peace and quiet of relaxing by the pool
9.  Kona coffee
10.  Black sand beach–that was soft as silk and completely deserted**
11.  The green sand beach and the 4wd marathon to get there–beats walking
12.  The Ahi Poke from Foodland in Waimea
13.  Swimming with green sea turtles
14.  Hiking a rain forest and volcanic crater in the same day
15 and up.  The freedom for adult activities whenever we wanted

Lowlights:

1. It ended
2.  Spending so much time in the car*
3.  Surface lava flow at Kilauea stopped a week before we arrived
4.  Not allowed to bring home bananas and fish
5.  Not enough days for scuba diving
6. Underwater camera broke during 2nd dive
7.  Dead whale on the beautiful black sand beach**

Overall it was really an amazing amazing trip and I am lucky to have had it and lucky to be married to the man I am.