Travel

Missing Hawaii

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

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.

Aloha

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

After 2 days on the Big Island, we gave managed to see over half of the island. The time difference has been the hardest. We have been up at 330 the first two mornings but that has allowed is to have two full days worth of activities each day.

Today I actually slept in til 530-woohoo!!! Hiked throug a volcanic crater yesterday–totally awesome. It had some steam pockets so that was a cool. It’s amazing to see all the “new’ land. We touched land that in the surface was younger than us it was pretty cool.

Today and tomorrw we are scuba diving–the Big Island happens yo be a great place to shore dive–so I’m excited about that.

Vacation Is Good

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

I know…who doesn’t know that.  We took our first driving vacation with both kids this past weekend.  Noah has been on several trips to Chicago/Indiana but Zoë has not.  Zoë hates the car and for the longest time we just didn’t want to subject ourselves to the torture of her screaming, crying, whining, etc.  But now after close to two years home–we decided it was time to take a road trip.  We went to Kansas City for Easter.  Easter is one of those holidays that is often more trouble than it’s worth–parents to see, grandparents, etc.  It is increasingly difficult when your parents are divorced and now you have two sides to see and everyone wants to so something at the same time.  We aren’t a religious family and therefore, so much of what Easter stands for/represents is not part of our celebration.  The kids are young enough that we don’t have to address the actual holiday–we’ll cross that bridge when they start asking–right now it’s about a bunny that brings eggs and candy–even though bunnies don’t lay eggs (Noah is very certain of this).

I had so much fun with on the family vacation.  The drive to Kansas City–nice and easy.  The kids did great.  They loved the pool.  Noah was so excited to see a pool inside.  He has been in pools before but always on vacation and always outside.  He thought this whole indoor pool thing was the coolest thing ever.  We spent a lot of time in the pool.  He is still a bit afraid of the water–but with his water wings he does okay.  He swam by himself (with water wings) for the first time this vacation.  He is a bit of a cautious boy–he will take chances but just seems to know that the water is inherently dangerous.  This is something that he has developed himself.  Zoë on the other hand–wants to jump in and do it all herself.  Noah will be getting swimming lessons this summer at camp and then after that we will sign him up for formal swim lessons along with Zoë.

Looking forward to our next vacation.

Life In The Fast Lane

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 1 Comment

I feel like I am on the track at Talladega and there is no pit crew and no end in sight.  My life feels like a bit of a rat race.  My calendar is packed and I am pretty much over booked each day.  Life is crazy.  But there is an end–December 9 is going to be a beautiful day.  I can’t wait for it.  Until then I will struggle with homework, grading, family and self.  I’ve been so busy this past week I haven’t been able to fit going into the gym in the morning because I have been up working instead.  I feel like crap and am getting a little crabby.  Bill can’t wait for me to be done with this semester.  And I have to say, I can’t wait either.

Enough of me complaining about the life I have chosen at this point.  Really, I shouldn’t complain.  No one is making me get my PhD or send my kid to private school (hence the working of several jobs), etc.  I have made these choices and if they don’t kill me life will once again be sunny and happy.

Here is the much delayed family vacation post. Highlights and lowlights via bullet points.  I know, I know–but bullet points is all I have in me.

Cruises with kids good.  Babysitting watches them while you can get off the boat.  I know awesome.  We had 4 hours in Key West and 4 in Cozumel w/no kids.  AWESOME.

Snorkeling in Cozumel–Awesome.  Must go diving there.

Miami–ridiculously expensive.  Drinks in SOBE–$25 a piece but they are buy one get on free (for the same person–they only tell you this after you have finished your huge pina colada and margarita and bring you your $125 lunch bill.  Yes, I said Lunch and neither of the kids ate because they fell asleep.

Boat drinks…mmmmmmm….

Room service–awesome

Pizza delivery in Miami–Pizza Rustica.  It rocks

Kids spending time with their uncles–awesome.

Tacos in mexico on the beach–rocking

Tearing swimming suit bottoms while jumping off boat into ocean to snorkel–funny for some–Not for me.  Noah thought it was hilarious and because I only brought on swim suit he kept wanting to see my ripped pants.  Then he’d laugh hysterically.

Listening to Noah correct anyone other than me who said Miami w/the following–“it’s not your ami it’s mommy’s ami”  Hilarious.  He still thinks it My ami.  Love him.

3 hour delay at Miami airport–sucks.  Tired kids who slept on plane ride home–awesome.

Water wings rock–Noah finally tried them and he loved floating and “swimming” on his own.  guess it is time for swim lessons.

Seaweed–Z loved the seaweed in the Atlantic–spent a lot of time collecting it.

Playing in the finals of the blackjack journey–doing better than my bro.

Losing the blackjack tourney–sucked but fun

The best thing of all–Time with the family w/no computer, phone, internet.  It was great.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

will be back next tuesday.  Til then I will be in Miami, Key West, and Cozumel with the family for some much needed r&r.  Even though I have homework to do.

Pics and details when I get back.  Have a great labor day weekend.  Oh yeah–38 not such a bad age.