Merry Merry!

December always brings the heat (HAHA UNINTENTIONAL. Upon rereading- December is usually cold but busy but this year its bringing the heat in hotness and business). But, WOW. What a crazy, busy week I've had. I was not only working my normal 45 hour week nannying, but we have 2 family members visiting AND I decided to help out at the school substituting in the preschool for about 20 hours this week, clocking in 65 hours between subbing and nannying. I've been an elf at the North Pole. AND I fought off a cold. I think I deserve a pat on the back for this week. Woah.

I haven't written on here in so long! I don't even know where to begin. Here we are on Monday, the day before Christmas eve and the energy in this house has been buzzing for days. I'm writing while the oven preheats and in between batches of gingerbread and sugar cookies.

Here is a picture of the dudes eating cookies we made together for the first round of gingerbread

Because we live on Maui, its still warm and sunny out. This makes making cookies in the afternoon quite the hassle- it was melty goopy and crazy making cookies on this particular day. The five year old took the beautiful sunny day as an opportunity to start a business venture: GINGERBREAD COOKIE SALE 

His mama helped him make the sign "We are selling Gingerbread. Come to the Gingerbread Stand. They're super good."
How could you not want to spend between 1-5 coins (those were the prices) for one of those cookies! Look at that smile!!!!

So serious. 

We've still been doing Elf on a Shelf and its still really entertaining. The Kula Mama is good at crafting ideas for Mr. Thompson. I've been helping her some days and its been so much fun- I really think that when I have kiddos I'll do something similar to this.


Here are a few pictures from the week :)

One morning we woke up and the tree was covered in snowflakes that he (I) had so carefully cut out and placed on the branches. He left them paper after we ate breakfast I showed them how to cut out snowflakes because I just so happened to know how to make them too. 

Thompson brings a little of the North Pole with him to Maui all the time. He started making a snowman but somebody must have woken up before he finished. He stops moving as sooooooon as somebody opens their eyes.

The boys though this was so cute- the Kula Mama and I made the little snowmen and accessories. 

Thompson (Kula Mama) finished making his snowman and he (I) made an igloo out of sugar cubes! He sure does love sugar. The three year old loooooovvvess sweets and asked, "can I have some of his sugar cubes". So funny, I had hot glued them all down so even if he did get one off they weren't safe to eat so I had to convince him that Thompson would be totally bummed if he saw him eating part of the igloo he put so much hard work into. 

Here he is almost ready to snatch the sugar cubes from Thompson

This picture is really tough to see because I took it through the window. Thompson (Kula Dad) wrapped their tree swing in tinsel! Sillly, silly Thompson. I have a better picture on instagram but for some reason it won't show up on my computer. They looked ALL OVER the house for him before they thought to look outside. Here they are at daybreak, when the sun was juuuust starting to come up outside with him. They wake up before the break of dawn almost every day- the five year old is spry, bright eyed and bushy tailed. The three year old always needs a few minutes to adjust but soon he's running too.

Thomspon brought ICECREAM for breakfast directly from the North Pole. It was peppermint flavored- and so delicious. He also delivered super sugary instant hot cocoa mix (we normally make our own, stovetop) They were shocked, totally shocked, that they got to have cocoa and icecream with their breakfast.

I didn't get a picture but last Friday Thompson was sitting in a tiny teepee tent and was roasting marshmallows over a fake candle. He brought them a platter of smores materials WITH peppermint bark and santa chocolate. Thompson's main food group is sugar. The boys are convinced that his sugar consumption is why he is so tiny.

He also sat on top of the shelves in the living room with a bunch of paper airplanes the day that their older sister and brother flew in from the Mainland. I wasn't there this day but their Mama told me that they determined that he flew up to the top of the shelves on one of the paper airplanes he made. He is incredibly magic.

This was another day that really stumped them for awhile. Thompson was in their toy loft! He had challenge one of their dinosaurs to play him in checkers. Thompson (the Kula Mama) decided to set aside the checkers pieces and to play with reeses! Silly Thompson! The next day the boys woke up and checked to see if he left them some chocolates to eat- AND HE HAD EATEN THEM ALL (we had put them in the freezer for cookies). Thompson needs to work on his diet.

I was really surprised that they didn't say "WHHHAAUUUTTT WHUT WHAAAAT??! OUR DINOSAURS CAN MOVE AND PLAY TOOOO!??" But I think they just assumed Thompson's magic carried over to the dino and that the dino can't just move on its own. 

The dudes got this awesome treehouse from a friend. It had no furniture and the people who lived there were always just walking around their empty house and jumping from floor to floor, sad that they didn't have anything to do.

Thompson would have none of that.

He brought a dining room table, chairs, a bookshelf so they can start collecting books and reading, a bunkbed and more! The dudes are convinced that he made all of this by himself. Just as he hand sewed all of our stockings. PRECIOUS.

Thompson made a snow angel on our kitchen counter last week. It was pretty easy to set up the Kula Mama just dumped some fake snow on the counter and then moved his arms and legs- voila! When the five year old showed me in the morning he clasped his hands  and brought them up to his heart and said, "Oh, isn't Thompson just the cutest! I just wanna pick him up and give him a hug!" I just about melted. They love him so much, its the cutest thing!

Its been a long month of December. Thompson needed to have a relaxing time in a hot tub of marshemellows. He and his good friends the Soap Bear and the Rubber ducky were having a grand ol' time. The five year old asked, "Bets, where do you think he put his hat?????"

I LOVE THIS. Buddha, Elf Angel and the Nativity. Beautiful! The boys were excited because they got a book about the Nativity and a new little sound box with a Christmas song. I don't remember which song it is, though. 

LAST DAY! We decided to put Thompson back where he came from on the first day- just right on top of the mantel. He brought gifts and put them under the the 'grateful tree' just as he did the first day. I'm gonna miss Thompson and I know they will too! It was a super fun experience and I really loved watching the glee and excitement they had every morning searching and finding the little elf.

Last weekend I went to my friend Suzy's Christmas Party and the we adventured up to Waihee ridge trail! I loved the party- it was really fun to meet more of the "West Side" folk and she had a great band play. Here is a snapshot of the party and a snapshot of our advennnture!

This week we've been ALL ABOUT goats. We've gone to the goat farm 2 times and plan to go again sometime this week. The boys checked out a book about goats today when we went to the library and have been wanting to paint goats. The five year old has decided that goats are in fact, his favorite animal.
Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the Goat Adventures and detail a bit more about my week at Waldorf, my sunny winter solstice and my day off with pals at Mystic! I've been having a lovely, bustling month but it all feels very worthwhile and exciting.

I cannot WAIT to go visit my friends Brooke, Gordie and Kelsey on the Big Island! I'm so excited! I can barely stand it- a whole week off with pals from home! Plus, everyone I've talked to has said that the Big Island's energy and vibes are ENTIRELY different- for being so close the two isalnds feel very different. I can't wait to experience it! STOOOOKED!


I miss my family so much during the holiday season but I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be having a Mele Kalikimaka!

Aloha pumehana,

Betsy