So here we are at the end of another year, and what a year it was. With COVID stay-at-home orders, quarantines, online learning and all our cancelled activities, it would seem like the year would drag on but somehow it flew by faster than the rest! Strange how that happens. In the end, we have so much to be thankful for though :) We've stayed healthy, employed, and (mostly ;) happy despite all the changes.
Our small island is currently faring well as far as COVID goes with a decrease in cases but with tourism open now it's possible we're headed for another spike after the holidays just like the rest of the country. We'll just have to wait and see. The big kids are doing 100% online learning and attending a COVID safe enrichment program at Imiloa Astronomy Center during the weekday. This helps to give them some social interaction which makes a huge difference. The twins are in their last year of preschool at Keikiland and doing well there too. We're very thankful for childcare since Allen and I have continued to work throughout the pandemic. This past summer Allen left the pharmacy school and is now the Pharmacy Director at Hilo Medical Center. And I'm still working in a pediatric primary care office close to home.
And here's the latest and greatest on the kids...
Esme: She's 9 1/2 and growing up so quickly! She's the typical oldest child - responsible, bossy, helpful, and conscientious. She misses school and her friends a lot. She's devoured tons of books over the past year and we're always looking for new recommendations. Recently she went back to playing soccer and tennis. She's also taking piano lessons and continues with Kumon for her favorite subject - math. For Christmas Esme has a long wish list that includes Airpods, slime, toys, legos, scrunchies and other stuff I can't remember right now.
Chan: Chan is 7 1/2 now and definitely our middle child. Sometimes it even seems exaggerated cause he's surrounded by girls. He gets bossed around from every angle! Chan always has a lot to say (he never stops talking) and definitely needs/wants a lot of validation. He's very busy and active which is great. The twins are like his little minions and follow him everywhere. He's into basketball and baseball. He also loves to read. Graphic novels are definitely a draw but he reads whatever he can get his hands on, even Esme's books. Chan also continues with Kumon for math. For Christmas Chan wants a black water bottle, a robot to clean his room, a hoverboard and a toy stick horse to ride on (so random!).
Poppy: Now 4 1/2 she's quite the fashionista at her young little age. She's attracted to anything with sparkles or that shines and that pretty much sums up her Christmas list. She's also very bossy and independent, most of the time. She's definitely "twin A" and she lets Eve know it. She's 9 minutes older! They (mostly) love having a playmate around all the time and still don't mind sharing clothes. I wonder when that will change. Her big accomplishments for the year were getting her ears pierced and learning to ride her bike without training wheels.
Eve: Also 4 1/2 (plus 9 more minutes) and is a goofy little girl. Eve is very particular about how she does things and smart in her own way. She loves to cuddle and read books. She's definitely the baby of the family. Her Christmas list includes a soccer ball and a Barbie (even though we already have tons of hand me downs and a dollhouse for them). Her curls remain but they're definitely starting to grow out. Finally this year she started to sprout up and is a few inches taller than Poppy. Prior to this they've always remained within an inch and a pound of each other.
Happy COVID Christmas
We opted for a smaller tree this year but with the kids getting bigger it looks even smaller in this pic!
Thanksgiving weekend in Hawaii, at the beach where we got married 11 years ago :)
