Winter into Summer 2017

It is hard to believe that another half year has past. 
Isaac - Loves making paper airplanes and getting new lego sets to build.  Somehow he got it in his mind that Nike shoes and athletic wear will help him be the fastest kid in his class.  He went from a croc devotee to a Nike sponsor.  He learned to tie shoes within about 10 min. Isaac has completed his last year of Kindergarten and starts 1st grade in the fall.  I have never seen a child so excited and ready to start first grade.
Kai- Loves building things. Taking things apart to see how they work. Helping out in the garden, in the yard,  and with the chickens.  Building with legos.  Creating ideas to help make Mother Earth a cleaner place to live. Baseball. Cub Scouts. School.
Jeff -Loves to climb (surprise).  He has developed many great climbing spots on Maui.  What may come as a surprise, especially since it took a year and a half, is that Jeff has a new and equal obsession to climbing.  SURFING!!!  He has enjoyed learning and getting Kai to come out with him for some father/son surf time.  Jeff taught one course at the University of Hawaii on Maui during the spring semester and will be teaching 3 courses in the fall- creative writing and English 101.  Jeff and his partner John Long sold another screen play and have fingers crossed that this one makes it to the big screen.
Hannah-Loves outrigger canoeing, dancing hula and exploring different places on the island.  I finished two full-time years at Haleakala Waldorf School and have been cut to 3/4 time for next school year due to budget cuts.  I am expanding out to do more private consulting work with other schools.  I have finally put a garden in at our new home and have 3 chickens.  I love having a garden and home to care for again.  It helps me feel more settled and at home.

One weekend the boys and I walked down the beach and picked up trash.  A man saw us once we were done and came over to thank us.  He was a fireman and gave Kai this toolkit and fireman sticker to say thank you.  Kai was psyched. 

Flying the drone he got for Christmas.

Man of War

Beach treasures

Out to see the whales

Sea turtle galore on Ho'okipa Beach

Monk Seal Happiness

Akikiko Izukura Art Installation. 

To make these beautiful silk orbs, he placed 10,000 silk worms on large balloons. It only took the silk worms 4 days to make these beautiful pieces of art.  You can see the silkworm poop spots on the balloon in front. These orbs were hung inside a silk tunnel which I will tell you about in a moment.

This tunnel was made on a small loom with no seams.  He did this by constantly changing the direction of the threads.  Absolutely amazing.

These are some of my favorite paddling folks

Cub Scout Pinewood derby time

As I was running, I saw this cutie on the side of the road.  It was sleeping, so I could get really close.  When I described it to Jeff and the boys, I called it a chinchilla rat.  I googled Chinchilla rat and lo and behold, there is such a thing.

A picture that needed taking

Note the white spot to the right of the photo.  That is Badger.  Crazy dog.

As part of their fibers block, Kai and his classmates hand dyed yarn with plant material and crocheted hats from that yarn. 

This year I helped put on the Teacher's February Conference for all of Hawaii and Southern California Waldorf Teachers.  The theme was Nurturing Heart, Nourishing Soul.  Dr. Tom Cowan and this man, Al Lagunero (a Hawaaian Elder) were the keynote speakers and they both did an amazing job.

Workshops at the conference included felting a doll,

Making Hair pieces and weaving bracelets,

chalkboard drawing and not pictured-Clowning, making wet-felted slippers, studying the land and plants around you, How to interpret handwriting, and marimba. 

We took some of the participants at the conference on a whale watch.

Kai and his classmates on a field trip to a farm.

Eating Banana boats at a Cub Scout camp out

A visit from Pasha

We were able to see an awesome concert with Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Kris Kristofferson and Krishna Das.  Wavy Gravy and Ram Das made their appearances too. 

Shave Ice is always a must when family and friends come to visit

The boys enjoyed watching locals try to get this boat off the beach after it got stuck here from a storm.

The boys eating a ti leaf full of mullberries

We joined the Seva crew on a whale watch.

Night time stories with Pasha

Isaac is my little forager.  He loves eating all the ripe and unripe mullberries

yo-yo practice

On Pasha's last day we played down at the ocean at sea level

Had lunch at Mama's Fish House,

Dressed in our warmest clothing,

And went up to the Haleakala summit at 10,000 feet to watch the full moon rise and sun set.

From 0-10,000 feet.  From tropics to winter in a day.

One of my favorite plants. Green Jade vine.

Kai's first wave

Isaac's first wave

This was our building project for Spring Break.  Chicken coop.

We went to see our good friends Josh and Allie Elmore and their three children on Kauai for our second week of spring break.

We camped out on their beautiful property

Kai exploring the inside of Puff the Magic Dragon's cave.

Outdoor bath at the Elmore's

Tutu Mimsy.  Our dear friend on Kauai and the boy's adopted grandma.

Biggest toads on Kauai

On our first day on Kauai, Isaac stepped on hot coals from a beach fire someone did not put out and cover.  Poor guy got 2nd degree burns all over his feet.  We spent the day going to urgent care.  It changed our vacation a bit, but this guy was a trooper and we managed to keep it clean and dry the whole week.

Kilauea Point National Wildlife seabirds

Inside Kilauea Lighthouse

Waimea Canyon.  The Grand Canyon of the Pacific

Sea Glass Beach

Out exploring the Elmore's coconut plantation

Taro fields

Jeff's first surf session in Hanalei Bay

Kauai bustop

Back on Maui.  I Paddle every Sunday morning.  My church.

Third Grade field trip to Laughing Goat Dairy

Spa day at the Grand Wailea Spa with my friend Li.

Getting our garden started.

The Kindergarten play yard with the Jacaranda's in bloom.  It is always magic to see a carpet of purple flowers

Jeff climbing at the "Dog Pond"

Springtime on Maui - Jackson Chameleons and butterflies

These ladies and I did the Butterfly Effect - an all women's Stand Up Paddle Board Downwinder to inspire and encourage woman to get out there and live a healthy lifestyle while supporting local charities.  It happened to be on Easter and therefore we dressed the part. 

Easter time is the time for eggs, the time for eggs is Easter time.

Our Easter Luncheon

Easter Egg Hunt

This year saw the end of the sugar cane business on Maui. In its place, lots and lots of sunflowers for biodiesel. 

My mom learning to make her first head lei.

Unchi's birthday

Our sweet chickens

For Easter Kai got a toolbox kit.  He was so excited and had it built for his class building project.

As the third grade building project, Kai and his class built a chicken tractor. 

Every year the rising first graders from the two kindergartens come together as a class for the first time to play games.  This was Isaac's very favorite part of the year.  He remembered friends of his that did this last year and from the first day of kindergarten this year, he asked me when he would get to play games with Mr. Palmore.  He finally got to do it  at the end of the school year and he made sure that he always wore his Nike shorts and running shoes. 

Preparing for May Day.  Each class represents one of the 8 major Hawaiian Islands.  The day before May Day is when every class makes the lei that represents the island they are dancing for.

The Kindergarten classes open May Day by dancing the May Pole.  Then grades 1-8 each dance Hula, representing each of the 8 major Hawaiian Islands and the celebration is closed with the 8th grade dancing the May Pole and weaving the ribbons around the pole.

Kai and Papa going out for father and son surf session.

Brother sweetness.  Reading in bed.

One of the blocks of third grade is learning about different shelters.  Each student chooses a different shelter to do a report on and creates that shelter.  Kai chose Mesa Verde.

A very sweet ceremony where the rising first graders get to meet their teacher for the first time and get to see what it is like in the first grade classroom.

Beach stone therapy

For Mother's day I took my mom to see Michael Franti in concert

Isaac has enjoyed rock climbing this year and wanted to bring his climbing gear to school to show his buddies. 

Kai joined little league baseball this year and had a blast. 

Kai's third grade class play was David and Goliath.  Kai hammed it up. 

Kai's 10th birthday theme this year was Spy Academy.  Each boy had to get secret code names, get fingerprinted, pass a number of tests and solve multiple clues, puzzles and riddles to graduate from Spy Academy and find their goody bags.  It was a smashing hit. 

Last day of kindergarten sillies. 

In kindergarten, the rising first graders start sewing a baby blanket in January.  Once the blanket is done, the children sew a baby.  Isaac's blanket has three large mountains and a sun.  He named his baby Mountain or Mauna in Hawaiian. 

When all the children have completed their blankets and babies, we-the parents-are invited for the baby naming ceremony.  So very sweet. 

Kai's birthday verse from his teacher

Ok, so these men brought me on one of the most fun hikes I have ever been on.  It is called the Commando Hike. 

We hiked up through miles of river and up and through these fun monkey branches...

Chimneyed up waterfalls...

climbed up into dark lava tubes with a flowing river and waterfall (I felt like I was in Goonies)...

crawled out a ditch grate...

and ended up at a glorious waterfall.

An epic hike with these fun mandudes.

I'm excited to say that I am published in this beautiful book to support teachers. 

As a birthday gift to Kai, our dear friend Li treated us to a resort night at the Grand Wailea. A place not to be missed if you are traveling with kiddos and have some money to spend.  

As always we are wishing you all well and hope our paths continue to cross.  With so much love,
The Jacksons