Owen, Sara &
Andrew Hoelter

“…So, they had to go from the edge of my carpet all the way around outside past the dinnertable across the yard, onto the cherry tree (the big knot on the trunk), down, back across the yard, up the steps. It’s okay to have a giant carry you–I am the giant! Then they have to go through the window, though the kitchen and back into my room. But then, they had to cross the entire length of the carpet in a flying machine, and then you had to go out the door then they had to stay out there for a while and see if they could meet up with old friends.”

“Remember Mom? This robot was lost out there. Then they had to fly back onto my bed. The race ends there.”

Mom: “who won the race?”

“Obviously, (guess!) the good guys.”

Mom: “Why? Are they faster?”

(voice lowered for emphasis) Because they’re good, actually the best.

Mom: “What did the bad guys do to be so bad?”

“They’re evil!”

“They now each have a gun (the good guys). The bad guys, after landing on my bed, took off to find a weapon of their own. They found a little missle launcher, but haven’t found a missle yet. They found a stoplight and thought it might be useful. Then, they found what they wanted, but they still didn’t have something to put it on. They found a steering wheel, which of course would come in handy, and a large fan. Then they found what they were looking for, but it didn’t work. Then they found another thing and this time it worked. So they installed it. This one is a plain old laser.”

“The largest of the good guys missle and lasers is the lawn mower laser, it’s green like grass, which is why it’s called the lawn mower laser, because the grass gets cut into the lawn mower. The next little ship is driven by the robot (good) it has a water laser (because water is poison and poison is water in Legoland). The last missle is a dynamite launcher. The moment it’s launched, the fuse is lit by friction in the air. And that’s all the lasers. And the missle.”

Did you follow all of that? I’m tasting some influence from “The Empire Strikes Back” and Looney Tunes, with undertones of 7 year old fascination with weaponry and domination! Ah, Legos…

I took my cub to pick blueberries today!

As we began packing to return from our trip in Maui, it became clear that one important item was not accounted for: Owen’s dear stuff dog named Newspaper. It appears he liked it so much on the island that he decided to stay (isn’t that what most of us want to do anyway?).

Well, godspeed to you, Newsie. We will always remember our trips with you to Montreal, Wisconsin, and Washington DC. We hope you enjoy your endless supply of sun, sandy beaches and Mai Tais.

Artists rendering of Newspaper's current appearance

Maui! We’d had enough of a rainy spring, said “pooh-pooh” to a 5 hour flight with 3 little kids and headed to Hawaii for some sunshine and adventure. Peter and I honeymooned here 11 years ago and have been itching for a swim in the warm ocean ever since we left.

We had the extreme good fortune of being “test guests” for Julie Mercer’s (Auntie Jen’s Mom) condo in Kihei. Very comfy digs, I tell you. If you find yourself headed to Maui, we highly recommend contacting Julie for details! (By the way, we ARE available to test other people’s vacation homes, as well!)

Our days started early, on the beach like this, (at Big Beach in Makena)

And included lots of sand castle building and unbuilding, (at Ka’anapali Beach)

And digging big holes, (at Ulu’a Beach in Wailea)

And eating sand

And some body surfing/getting rolled around in big waves. (at Ulu’a Beach) Owen became quite the body surfer!

One day we drove to the top of Haleakala, the volcano that makes up the south end of Maui, over 10,000 ft high! Here is Owen peering down into the “erosional valley” at the top (not a crater, we learned). It was amazing to be up ABOVE the clouds and the views on the drive up/down were great, too.

Another day we went to Lahaina for a ride in a Yellow Submarine (this delighted our 3 year-old Beatles fan). While not REALLY a submarine, we did ride below water level over a shallow reef and saw corals and lots of fish.

We also rested at the “World’s Largest Banyan Tree” and attempted a picture of our fantastic 3. Drew was attempting a “moon”–tough to do in a onesie!

Another day we took at drive to the other side of the island (the wet and rainy side) and took a hike in a bamboo forest

to this waterfall. Owen and Peter scrambled up a 12 foot rock wall to get to another one as well!

In the afternoons, we napped and then swam at the condo pool which had a big tile Orca in the bottom. Sara was never fully convinced it wasn’t going to bite her. This was Owen and Sara’s most favorite thing–swimming every day.

We ate our share of Maui pineapples and mangos, and (at Owen’s request) bought a coconut at the farmer’s market. A woman with a big machete chopped off the end and stuck in a straw! We all tried it, but Drew was the only one who went back for seconds and thirds and fourths…

After dinner, we would seek out a sunset (at about 7 pm!) across the street from the condo

or along the fancy Wailea Beach walk

We took some self-portraits

And finally got a picture of everyone looking in the same direction! Taken by a mother of three (teenagers) who Drew very effectively charmed (a recurring theme!).

We had a GREAT time and are still cleaning off the sand. We’ll be back someday!

Now that Owen and Peter are out of school, we are LOVING summer. Our recent adventures have included:

A Father’s Day “puppy pile” with no injuries! **LOVE that Daddy**

A trip to the Oregon Zoo with the Grandparents Hoelter and cousin Jackson…

A day that was nearly warm enough to slip’n’slide!
*Not recommended for those over 30, DON’T be fooled by the little cushion provided.

An attempt at Dragon Boat Racing at the World Beat Festival here in Salem! The CHAOS Water Babies (despite needing to come up with a much FIERCER name) did not capsize, run into the bank or win any races, but we did have a good time and got wet in the Willamette on a sunny day. In case you wondered, it’s best to paddle in unison…

Lots of yard work and gardening, including the transformation of the part of the “back 40” into a play area WITHOUT broken glass and bottle caps.

And a BBQ/Birthday party for our big 3 year old. It was a lovely evening with new/old friends and family, piles of bratwurst and  chocolate cake! With sprinkles! AND popsicles! Here she is sporting her latest Beaver Gear. Her response, “I’m good at soccer!”

Hope you’re all having a lovely summer, too!

Normally when we come to this day of the year—the last day of school—I would have pictures of Owen carrying an egg on a spoon, passing it quickly to a classmate. There would be a shot of Sara looking on, wanting to join in, and Drew hanging out in the backpack.

Not this year. Owen, who has stayed home sick just once this year, came down with a fever last night, and thus missed the very last day of 1st Grade. He was a classy kid throughout the day, assuring himself that “there’s always next year”, even though he was missing Field Day.

The day did have its upsides: A rainy 57° F June day is not a great day to be outside, and with the little ones at daycare, it was just Owen and Dad. This meant iPad time, a sack lunch meant for school but eaten at home, a two-hour nap, and, best of all, a full-volume screening of “The Empire Strikes Back”. Feel free to now do your best Chewy impression out loud.

It was also the last day of sorts for Sara. She begins preschool in the fall, and is home for the summer. She’s been going to “Billie’s house” since she was two-months old and has always loved it. She is excited about school, but we know she will miss Billie and her friends there. At least she will get to visit when we pick up Drew.

Nov. 2008: Sara and daycare friends saying goodbye for the morning.

It’s fun to watch these kids march forward in life—sometimes as planned, sometimes in unexpected ways. They both ended the day happy, you can’t ask for more…

Owen dragged a box out into our backyard this afternoon, and also (in an surprising glimpse of thoughtful big sibling-ness) brought up boxes for Sara and Drew. They became “kennels”. The kids were “puppies for sale”. They furnished their kennels and a very peaceful 30 minutes passed. The only requirement of the presiding adult was to accept the “puppy mail”, which consisted of bits of Owen’s schoolwork from last week. Apparently, puppies REALLY like to send mail. It was lovely!

Peter took advantage of our nice weather and (long naps) to dig a trench in the yard. I think it will hold an electrical conduit of some sort. Trenches, and the dirt piles that they produce, are highly desirable to the toddler in search of gross things to taste and dangerous places to climb…

I have to say, I’m a little embarrassed to go public with the amount of dirt our children are allowed to consume while we take pictures of them…