Gobble, Gobble...Wobble, Wobble

Aloha and Happy Thanksgiving!

What more can we say besides Leif is just a wonderful boy. We have been able to make it back to the beach again and he simply loves exploring the sand, trees, and even enjoys being in the water. He especially enjoys splashing the water in his buckets and crawling in the sand. He has always like being outdoors and this is becoming more evident as he laughs, smiles, and squeals when we go to the beach!



I love the beach!!


Maybe the other toy will taste better.



Yup! It sure does!







OOO! I want that , too.


It's not hard to get overhead waves when you are only 29 inches tall.


Sweet, I found the ball.


Mom...where does sand come from?


These margaritas are great!



Oh do I have an idea!!



We have been having a lot of fun taking Leif to parks as well. If there are big kids there it is even better for him. He loves to follow all the older kids around the playground though he often becomes a little shy if one of them stops to talk to him.


I like going for walks with my dad.


I should have paid for the upgrade to first class.


Supporting Dad's home team even though they get their butts kicked.

Amanda and I thought Leif would be walking by Thanksgiving but as the days approached he just didn't seem ready to. Low and behold, to our surprise one night when he decided to just let go of the furniture and toddle, wobble, and sway to the other side. Since then he prefers to walk over crawling and is so incredibly fast. One minute he is in the other room and the next he is right next to you.

Finally, Thanksgiving was a real treat. We started Thanksgiving's Eve at the Kauiho's (Uncle Kimo, Auntie Tasha, and cousins Dylan and Elijah) watching them cook prepare their great big Imu (traditional Hawaiian oven) to cook the turkeys in (about a dozen or so people came by to drop some off). The imu is big enough to cook a 400 pound pig! On Thanksgiving day we went to the Putegnat's to eat lots of potatoes and stuffing. Leif loved his Mom's stuffing the best.

That is one big imu!


I love my Mom's stuffing!


WOW! Smashed potatoes!

We can't wait to see all of you and hope that it is sooner than latter.

aloha and a hui ho

Cory, Amanda, and Leif

All Treats...No Tricks

Once again, Leif has experienced another first for holidays. This time it was the all hallowed Halloween. The best part of the trick-or-treating experience was Amanda and I were able to score a little chocolate! Leif dressed up as a little honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) and needless to say it was a big hit.







Load me up with the good stuff!



We also carved our first pumpkin which he loved to look at once it was all lit up. All in all, Halloween was a lot of fun. It is so amazing to watch how he changes and though he is still shy of his first birthday it seems like he is growing up so much.






Aren't we cute!!!

Since the University of Hawaii Warriors football team is doing so well we thought we would attend a game this season. Currently we are trying to get tickets to the last game of the season against the University of Washington. As such, Leif picked up his first Warrior shirt to show his team spirit! Perhaps one day he, too, will be a rainbow warrior like his dad.






Leif learning the three point stance...but he can't count yet.

As you can see in the video he is greatly improving with his locomotion. Amanda and I both feel that there is a good chance that he will be walking by Thanksgiving. He has been walking bare foot this whole time so today we finally got him his first pair of shoes (he already grew out of his slippers--flip-flops for you off-islanders).

A big aloha to you all and hope you are enjoying a sunny and warm fall like us!!

a hui ho

Cory, Amanda, and Leif

October Nights

A big aloha to all. October means the days are getting shorter and the heat of summer is slowly turning into pleasant winter temperatures. Often we enjoy going to watch the sun set at Ko Olina...there simply isn't anything like it.

Leif would like to leave a little message for you all:

azng n ythkb, hjjh

We also recently went to the Waikiki Aquarium. Not the biggest aquarium on the planet but high quality. Leif enjoyed watching the fish, slapping the glass tanks, and absolutely loved the monk seal educational talk.

Just this weekend we went "pumpkin pathcing." Yes, that is not exactly a verb but it is what we call it in our family. This has been a tradition since Cory and Amanda first started dating and we were very excited to share this event with our wonderful son. Need less to say, he had a great time and helped his mom pick out a great pumpkin. His Halloween costume will be great so stay tuned to see photos of that after the 31st.

With aloha,

Cory, Amanda, and Leif

Fall in Paradise

Fall has officially arrived here in Hawaii and this means the average high temperature is now around 87 degrees instead of 90--and it feel better, too.

Leif is changing so much. He has given up his "army" crawl in favor of a more traditional crawl, though he is still mastering it. His walking is improving as well. He can stand alone for up to ten seconds if he is not too distracted and can now hang on with only one hand and walk where ever he wishes. Amanda and I are both constantly impressed with his efforts yet know we are on the verge of having to endlessly chase him down.

Leif still loves his reading time and often is quite content sitting by himself and "reading" his board books. He will sit for long stretches, flip through the pages, and simply talk to himself.

We have been going to the beach more these last few days as Cory is on Fall break from school; we are finally able to play wth those beach toys Grandma Mary got for Leif last Easter. It has been quite relaxing but a bit depressing as there has been no surf for quite some time. Things will be looking up soon though as the winter season is fast approaching and there will be "planny" waves on the north shore.

We miss you all and look forward to a visit soon--the weather is always great, the beaches are always warm, and the ocean will certainly wash away any stress you may have!

aloha

Cory, Amanda, and Leif

The Terrible Teething Times

Aloha

It seems like there are some experiences in our lives that are so traumatic that we push them from our memory in hopes of never having to relive them. Circumcision and child birth are two that may fit this category and teething is in strong contention for membership. Leif has four teeth all in different stages of breaking through his gums. He currently has his two front-bottom but the two front-tops and both adjacent are on their way. One on the top-side ones has barely broken through while the other three are all visible as white specks under the gums. This of course means discomfort and wakeful nights--for all. This may not seem too bad for some of the more experienced parents but lets not forget to add that Leif also has "pink eye." Needless to say, things are a bit rough right now.

The good news is that Leif is sleeping in his crib again and is enjoying eating solid foods. Some of his favorites include: sweet potatoes, applesauce, pears, carrots, and "mum-mums." He also likes eating bits of rice. The other weekend he had his first poi and loved it. Now the only thing missing from a complete island diet is a little fried spam and poke. Leif is also becoming more and more mobile. He is not a crawler but loves to stand up and walk around furniture.

Cory has started back at UH for his last year of his master's degree. He is currently taking a course in conducting research and it looks like he will be presenting some of his findings in a regional middle school conference at the end of October. Cory has also accepted a position on Ilima's Leadership team for next year as the 8th grade mathematics coach. This is certainly a step up in responsibility but it is right up his alley.

Amanda has found time again to get back into quilting. She has a few great projects started and many more ideas on paper. She is still going to yoga classes and loving it as it is not only great exercise but also provides some well deserved alone time.

Enjoy the recent photos and if you begin to think that you could use a little rest and relaxation in paradise feel free to come and visit--life is great here!

aloha

Cory, Amanda, and Leif Kalama

Aloha! School is back in session for Cory, Amanda has been going to yoga, and Leif gets to play with his new friends Elijah and Dylan. We traveled back to Washington to say aloha to auntie and sister Emily at the end of July--A difficult yet releasing time.

Back at home Leif has been learning to crawl, though just barely. He has gotten up on his hands and knees and has moved backwards a wee bit. However, he is rolling around like crazy. You put him in one spot and a couple of seconds later he is across the floor (easy to say in such a small space). He also loves his bath time!

It looks like this will be a great year at Cory's school as the kids are truly wonderful. This is also the last year of Cory's Master's work and then it will be on to Ph.D. (yikes!). Enjoy the photos and hopefully we will see some of you in our neck of paradise soon.

a hui ho