Howzit!

I've been absent from here for about a week! So much for keeping to at least one post a day! I am cutting myself slack, though, because December is ALWAYS the busiest month. Between working 45 hours a week, sending Christmas love letters to like 50+ people, yogaing, adventuring and elf-on-a-shelf-ing I barely have any time to collect my thoughts and put them on here. Next week, I'll be adding substitute teaching every single day on top of my normal work week. PHEW.

Now, for some updates.

Elf on a Shelf has been SUPER fun. Basically, to catch you up to speed if you haven't heard about it already...'Scout' elves come down from the North Pole baring a book as a gift from Santa to explain his visit. The elf travels back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa and returns to your home in the wee hours of the morning and is 'frozen' as soon as a family member wakes up. Because he obviously looks like a toy we elaborated with a note from Santa that says that when he 'freezes' he takes the form of a North Pole toy elf. In the story, it is explained that if the elf is touched by human hands his magic will dissipate and he won't be able to return from the North Pole. As soon as he enters your home, the children must give him a name and he will return daily until Christmas. Our elf is named Thompson.
Some elves are mischievous at other houses but out elf is really cute and doesn't do anything naughty. Here are some pictures of Thompson's visits.

This is day one. The unnamed elf was on our mantel place. He had left a gift, with no gift tag under our paper grateful-tree. The boys found the gift first and were perplexed why none of the adults knew where it came from and who it was for. We 'let them' open the gift and they discovered the elf whilst opening the gift. We read the story and they were SHOCKED. Absolutely SHOCKED that Santa would send them an elf just days after they asked if elves watched them or if it was just Santa himself. SHOCKED. They named their scout elf Thompson.

Day Two (you can see the 'grateful tree' behind the table. We think of things we're grateful for and and write them on an ornament and stick them on the tree. 

Day Two: Thompson brought us all a snowflake breakfast from the North Pole! He brought Hot Chocolate with Snowmellows (massive marshmallows) and Snownuts and SnowFlakes. The dudes were stoked. "DO YOU THINK MS. CLAUS MADE THE SNOWNUTS?!!?!" Everyday Santa asks Thompson to bring  a 'scroll' to the boys. This was the first time they received 'the scroll'. "Santa" mentions little things Thompson reports he is proud of or concerned about. Santa was worried that the boys were being wasteful with their food- the boys asked their mom and I to finish their donuts and asked if they could save them for after school. 

Thompson sewed us all personalized stockings! He carefully sticked our names into the top part and sewed a winter themed animal or figure that he thought represented each of us on our stockings. How thoughtful. What a kind little elf he is.

On the third day Thompson had overheard us talking about getting our Christmas tree on Friday so he brought a miniature tree complete with working lights down from the North Pole on the fourth day (Friday). He said he was excited to see what our tree would be like! 

He brought the advent calander and also rode in on a sleigh complete with golden reindeer on Saturday and Sunday but I forgot to take pictures. Santa's scroll let us know that Thompson REALLY wanted to bring the entire team of reindeer down but Santa thought Maui was a really far trip for them just before the holidays so he suggested he bring fake deer. BUMMER. I really wish Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, "Vicksom", "Donder", "Blicksen", "Comic" and Cupid (the boys alllllllllmost know all of their names, but sort of improvise where there is uncertainty) would have come but the golden deer were cool too. 

Day seven- today! Thompson was missing sledding in the North Pole! He has been spending so much time on Maui he had to figure out how to enjoy his favorite activity. So, he was sledding on our staircase! Sillllly Thompson.


Even though Santa isn't real, the magic and wonder that come along with 'believing' is so awesome. Everyday the boys wake up and run down stairs to see what he is up to. When they come home from school, they check in with him. They talk to him. The three year old came busting in the house yesterday and stood on his tippy toes (Thompson was up high on a shelf) and we asked what he was doing, "I'm showin' Thompson my jewels I found!!!!" Its so cute! They love him.

Last week I bought these pendants from some Wookie Hippies in Paia. They had a lot of work out and they were selling their stuff for really cheap. I loooove the center one.

Last week the Five year old made me this when we were coloring before dinner time. "BETSSSSSSS! I made you a Buddha and he is in a square of your favorite color! AND IT SAYS LOVE! And there is a heart!"

I love this. I love my job.

I love this. Local artists have so many creative ideas that I'd never seen before. So much inspiration out here! Octopus christmas ornaments made out of coconuts- wonderful.

A car-stopping sunset. This photo was taken just across from the Waldorf school- my favorite place to watch the sunset. You can see all of the West Maui Mtns and both the North and South Shores of Maui. So gorgeous. Even though I live 20-30 minutes from the beach (far, relatively) I LOVE BEING UP COUNTRY. Its not so hot all the time and THE VIEW! Goodness. So incredibly beautiful up here. 

This is the older gentleman who was casually riding in/driving a limo. He was smoking a fatty cigar and watched the sunset solo. I didn't see if he got in the drivers seat or the back. 

I love that tree! I love this earth!

The Haleakala Holiday Faire was this weekend! So many awesome all-made-on-Maui vendors and fun activities. We prepared for the candle rolling all week at our house and it was a great success. Other activities included LIVE music all day, wand making, wool angel making, tropical flower angel ornaments, 'gentle creatures' petting zoo, gnome ornament making (I'll post a picture of mine sometime), gnome garden making and candle dipping (different than rolling). It was such a production! And all of the food was incredible and fully donated by area restaurants so all of the funds-raised went directly to the school! Awesome! Such a lively and beautiful event!

SUNDAY FUNDAY adventure with new and semi-new friends! We went to a roadside, off the beaten path bamboo forest. This picture is deceiving- this was not a park and the bamboo was thick almost everywhere. Where there were paths they looped and we just wandered around for a bit. Bamboo continues to fascinate me- its just like tallllllll rod-grass. I like shaking it. This was all reallllly young bamboo, too. So it didn't get quite as dark as other bamboo forests I've been through.  

WEEEEE SAWWW MORE RAINBOW EUCALYPTUS and it never gets old. It just doesn't. get. old. SO beautiful!

MASSSISIIIVVVE rainbow eucalyptus trees. Sam is climbing. She is another nanny for a Waldorf kid. Very cool girl. Also from MI. Its funny how big and small the world can seem. 

Sam has come back down to the ground and Aum and Sam are watching as Monica just monkeys up the tree, effortlessly. All of these humans are lovely. 

RAINBOOOWWW!

Just a little casual acro yoga on Hana Highway.

Adventure Sunday Selfies. I love this lookout point. Its the only town you can really see on Hana highway other than Hana. Also, the view of the ocean here is rad. 

ACRO! check out that tree!

Came home from adventure sunday to a 'scroll' on my door. ANOTHER TOOTH LOSSSST! Wahooo! I love these notes. Also, I love that all the notes I receive now are in scroll form because that is how Santa does it.

Today was great. Just trying to get all of these cards sent out! Its hard to predict the mail- so I'm trying to send them out early. So grateful to have so many loved ones to send these holiday love notes to!

Aloha pumehana,

Bets