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Oahu: Day 4

Day Four: Saturday 4/26/14

IMG_3035We slept in a bit more this morning but it was still pretty early.  After such a successful day at the beach the day before, I thought I’d take Kumquat out to the beach again so keep the momentum going.  We packed up some pineapple and another Spam musubi(!) and headed out to see Mr. Ocean.  Kumquat walked down to the sand without even a hesitation that morning.  She sat down and proceeded to eat her pineapple with the ocean crashing right in front of her.  Amazing!!

IMG_3050It was so quiet and empty that morning and I just loved watching her play in the sand.  She still wasn’t ready to go in the water but she watched me scoop up water for her in the bucket and when I dropped off in front of her, she sweetly said “Thank you, Mama.”  My heart just about melted at that moment.

IMG_3066Huy later called and said he was hungry.  So, came over and we had some coffee by the pool and read the paper while we waited for Sam’s Kitchen to open.  I got the garlic shrimp, aloha chicken, and an island iced tea.  Yum.  Not a bad meal for being just a block away from the hotel.

IMG_3072After lunch, we went back to the beach for a little dip in the water.  Kumquat actually walked down to the water’s edge with Jes and stood in the water like a big girl!  I couldn’t believe it.  She’d let the water rush up to her knees and she didn’t see bothered at all.

IMG_3084We also went to the pool for about an hour before having to head upstairs to get ready for Yoon’s wedding.  Kumquat spent some time with Uncle Huy in the pool and went down the little tunnel slide without a floatie this time!  Wow, two big accomplishments in one morning for this girl.

IMG_3088 The rest of the day was filled with wedding festivities.  The first part of the adventure was heading out to Hale Koa to catch the shuttle that Yoon had booked for us all to get to the wedding at a Country Club.  She booked a much smaller bus but the company had run out and gave us the super tour bus.

DSC_4769 The wedding was set right next to the beach and there were only a small number of chairs for the family.  DSC_4779The rest of us stood in the back and tried to catch what was said in the super-short 10-minute wedding ceremony.  DSC_4781I snuck up a little closer and watched most of it through my camera’s zoom lens.  Isn’t it cool how close I can get with it?!DSC_4789Surpisingly, Yoon got a little choked up during the vows but she held it together really well.DSC_4800

Here’s the kiss at the end of it all.

IMG_3115There was a little time after the ceremony to hang out and take photos.   IMG_3101Here is Yoon’s family: dad, mom, Yoon, Kurt, and two younger brothers.

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I thought this moment between Andrew and Holly was very cute and caught it in a photo!

IMG_3144Shortly after the ceremony, the bus took us back to Hale Koa.  We grabbed a couple drinks and snacks at the bar before heading to the reception inside.

IMG_3132A few of us had to drop off our kids upstairs to the nanny waiting for us in Yoon’s hotel room.  She was nice but I barely really talked to her.  All I know is that she had been babysitting Keenan for the past two mornings while his Kevin had to work and Jen was busy with the baby.  I had never dropped Kumquat off with a complete stranger before and I wasn’t sure how she would do.  Luckily, she had eaten and was already rubbing her eyes.  So, we took her up along with Holly, Roy, and Andrew, showed the nanny where everything was in the stroller, and I snuck out before Kumquat could notice.  I don’t know what she did exactly but Yoon was there to distract her while she was freshening up.  We got an update from Kevin and Jen who dropped off later and said that Kumquat was already asleep and Andrew was watching The Little Mermaid on the bed.  Keenan was having a hard time separating but Andrew was sweet enough to offer his train to him and that did the trick.  An hour later, all three kids were asleep and the grown-ups were free for a couple more hours.

IMG_3165It was a fun reception including a Hawaiian feast complete with lomi lomi salmon, mac salad, kahlua pork, crab legs, and prime rib just to name a few.  Holly was all over the giant dessert table filled with tiny versions of cheesecake, cream puffs, chocolate cake, and fruit tarts.

IMG_3154The booze was flowing and it was all paid for by Yoon’s parents! There was table service and the waiter did a really good job getting all out orders straight.

IMG_3169By 9pm, the nanny was done with her shift but all the kids were sleeping.  Jes went up to roll ours down in her stroller while the Lams and Kwaks took 20-minute shifts hanging out in the dark with the kids.  It wasn’t the most ideal situation but it’s what they came up with and it worked.

IMG_3175Our kid just slept right through the music and drunk shouting.  This kid really does have my sleeping genes.

There was plenty of dancing that night and an event wouldn’t be complete without Dayantha doing a little “Ditty”.

IMG_3206Here’s a group selfie that we took at the end of the night.  It was the best one out of the 4 that I took.  We managed to squeeze in 10 people.  Someone should have snuck in right next to Yoon on her left!!

IMG_3190Mahalo for a wonderful night, Yoon! We were so happy to celebrate this special day with you.  Congratulations to you and Kurt!

Oahu: Day 2

Day Two: Thursday 4/24/14

With the 3-hour time difference, I was well-prepared for an early wake-up call.  We turned down the crib when we checked in and had Kumquat sleep on the second double bed that we had in the room.  She did just fine but I slept with her just to make sure she didn’t wake up with a head injury.

IMG_2713We were up by 5 (not too bad) and Kumquat did a decent job not waking Jes.

IMG_2717Most mornings we would go down to the infinity pool for breakfast.  This infinity pool is so pretty.  IMG_2863It looks like Kumquat could roll right into the ocean if I didn’t have the brakes locked on that stroller.

IMG_2720Lawson Station is the general store at the hotel and it’s awesome.  They have just about everything you need to survive: milk, fruit, toiletries, souveniers, oh and did I mention Spam musubi, made-to-order udon, manapuas, and BUBBIES MOCHI ICE CREAM?!?!  IMG_3520

On top of that, there’s a Peet’s coffee in the hotel and they also sell Dole Whip!  Whut?!  I seriously wouldn’t need to leave this hotel if zombies were attacking Hawaii and we were on lockdown.

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While the beach was still empty and quiet, we took Kumquat back out for her daily “aloha” to Mr. Ocean.  IMG_2749

Yup, she was still not having it.  She clung so tightly that I didn’t really have to hold her.  We did make progress though.  There weren’t any tears but she still wouldn’t stand on the sand.

IMG_2775This day was designated as our pool day and after the beach, we rented a cabana (basically two cushioned lounge chairs with a shade) for the day.  It was going to be our homebase from 8am-6pm today and it was awesome.

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The day before, I took her to the kiddie pool (it’s only 1.5 feet deep) and she was still not sure of standing in it.  The water came up to her chest and eventually she was brave enough to stand and walk around.  Unfortunately, she stumbled and went right into the water – face and all.  I picked her up out of the water and she didn’t cough or cry.  She was mostly spooked and confused.

From that day on, we kept her in the floatie and she was happy again.  It was also nice to have Jes there to help supervise.  It’s scary taking a toddler to the pool by yourself!

IMG_2782After a morning at the pool, we lucked out on having a sleepy toddler passing out in her stroller so we got a nice quiet lunch at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin.  I had a tasty katsu-don with an oozy egg on top.  Yum.  It was delicious and big enough to have some left over for Kumquat to eat later when she woke up.

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After lunch, we headed back to the pool and met up with the rest of the gang.   IMG_2795

Dayantha and Krissy had gone to Foodland and brought me some poke and Maui Onion chips.  It was perfect with my Mai Tai.IMG_2790The location of our cabanan turned out to be the perfect location for relaxing, hanging out near the wading area, and enjoying a few drinks.

IMG_2810 IMG_2807The Lams and Kwaks also joined us and it was like our own little corner of paradise.

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This kid got used to this whole vacation thing really quick.

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It was so fun hanging out with Holly and Andrew.  Andrew is in an “I don’t like taking pictures” phase.

IMG_2837Before dinner, we hung out near the hammocks and Kumquat enjoyed swinging with Daddy.

IMG_0861We were also greeted by a rainbow that evening!

IMG_2850Eventually, Kumquat had fallen asleep so she missed out on another dinner.  She would have loved this one too.

IMG_2856 We went to Marukame Udon, which has a cafeteria-style service and a line out the door all day long.  The noodles are handmade in the store and it’s so cheap!!IMG_2859The broth is very tasty and was even better with the soft egg added to it.  Andrew ate up all the egg yolk before Holly could even try some.IMG_2858I also picked up a Spam musubi for Kumquat’s breakfast the next morning.  Yes, this kid ate a lot of Spam (aka “bacon” to her) on this trip.

Quick Trip to SoCal

IMG_1505We had to do our taxes in Cerritos this year so it was a good excuse to go home for the weekend.  The drive down on Friday wasn’t too bad (8am-3pm) with two stops.

IMG_1517When we arrived, Alice was there and it was fun to see Kumquat playing with her.

IMG_1539She also enjoyed having tea in the backyard like a regular suburban kid.  My mom also had dinner prepared (of course, it’s the Magical House!) so we enjoyed some Chicken Rice and soup.

IMG_1565On Saturday morning, Brother and Joy came over.

IMG_1596After breakfast, we packed up the kids and headed out to Huntington Beach.  As soon as we got out of the car, Kumquat cried and was in panic mode for the first 20 minutes.

IMG_1584It was nice just being out there on the sand and enjoying the sunshine and view.  It’s funny how neither of the kids were very happy in this picture.

IMG_3165For lunch, I planned a big family gathering to catch up and to also celebrate Kumquat’s 2nd birthday.  My mom picked up an ice cream cake and we ordered all our favorite dishes.  This picture that Brother took cracks me up.

Kumquat was so cute while we all sang “Happy Birthday” to her.

IMG_1631 It was also so nice to see the cousins again.

IMG_1661Later that afternoon, Holly and Andrew came over.  Andrew as a little quieter than usual but it was nice to do some catching up.

IMG_1667Our tax appointment was at 6:30 so Jes and I left and it took the usual hour and a half to get it all done.  There was a bit of a wait so we went to Starbucks to pick up coffee and went back to finish the paperwork when the office assistant called.  Afterward, we had a nice Japanese dinner without the kid.  It’s so rare that we get a date night.  It’s funny (and a little sad) that tax night became date night.

IMG_1686On Sunday morning, we left relatively early and the drive back was easy (9am-4pm) with three stops.  I hate these super short trips to LA but always glad that we did it.  I miss my family.

Thank you, Dog.

IMG_6314 This morning we called the vet to see how our pup was doing.  The blood tests showed no change in his creatinine (still 7) and overnight, he did not pee.

We went to see him around 9:30 and found him not as bright as yesterday, with labored breathing, and this look of defeat in his eyes.  After a thorough review of all his tests with the vet, we decided that the best thing for him was to let him go peacefully.

IMG_6318He still had the catheter in so we asked for that to be removed and I took him for a short walk outside for old times’ sake.  He tried to put a little hop in his step but he was obviously struggling.  He sniffed around but he didn’t try to pee.  When we got across the street, he pooped himself and seemed quite surprised by it.  When I took him toward the entrance to the hospital, he pulled back a little but once he got inside, he picked up the pace.  IMG_6321We laid him down on a towel in the exam room and after one last goodbye, the vet came in with two syringes.  One put him to a deep sleep and the other one stopped his breathing.  It was quick, painless, and I could hardly tell that anything had happened until Jes said that he was dead.  He looked so peaceful when we left him.  I think this was the right decision but it still makes us sad.

DSC_9136aHe lived a full life of 9 1/2 years and it makes us feel little better knowing that.  He was born on a ranch in Arroyo Grande in the company of his dad, mom, aunts, brothers, and sisters.  He grew up in Irvine and then moved to San Francisco.  He was such a good dog: gentle, independent, quiet, clean, and most of all very loyal.  He comforted me and kept me company when Jes was commuting to North Carolina every week and greeted us at the door with such excitement every time we’d come home.

DSC_7865He quickly adjusted to city life and loved going to Fort Funston, Chrissy Field, and Tahoe.

IMG_2893He knew a few tricks including the standard sit, shake, and lie down and even today when I told him to “go neh-neh”, he went over to the towel to lie down.

DSC_0027aIf someone new came over to our house (even if it was just once), he’d remember that person for life and greet you out in the street.  Otherwise, he would look away and pay no attention to any stranger passing by.

IMG_5063He loved babies and when Kumquat came home from the hospital, he was so curious and so protective of anyone holding her.  Whenever she would make a sound, he’d run over to the crib to check on her.

DSC_7381He played on the floor with her when she was little and he tolerated all her crying and complaining.

IMG_7383They were instant buddies and Kumquat adored him.  I think it was mutual.

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He allowed her to pull his tail, pat him roughly on the head, poke him in the eye, and play with his kibble without a single sign of aggression.

IMG_5091When he was younger, he would run up to 5 miles with me, play fetch with his tennis ball, and play tug of war with anything.  On the first day we brought him home, he pooped himself when he heard a car zooming nearby.  Funny that that was what he did on his last day of life too.

whatchadoin_aHe housetrained himself and the only time he had an accident in the house was when he was really sick and no one was home to take him out to poop.  If we were home, he’d sit by the door and make a quiet whimper or he’d wake me up at 3 am with the same quiet whimper to make sure that Jes (aka Bossman) wouldn’t wake up.

DSC_3143aHe wasn’t much of a lap dog but he appreciated a good head, back, or belly scratch.  His favorite spot was on his back just in front of his tail.  It would make his squirm and rub himself up against your leg for more.

DSC_1484He loved baby carrots, pizza, and Indian food.  Whenever he’d hear an egg crack in the kitchen, he’d come running even if he was sound asleep in the other room.  I can still hear the belch that he would make after a long drink of water.  I still wait for the clicking sound of his nails on the floor when we sit down to eat at the table.  If you gave him a treat, he would gently take it from your fingers.  He especially enjoyed getting baby carrots from Jack or Kumquat.

rainydayHe hated water – especially baths.  He had the most distinct “cry” when he’d get a bath.  The rain bothered him but he tolerated it.  He also hated being tied up outside of Safeway and Starbucks but he was always a good boy out there.  Yes, he chewed up some of our things, scratched up the bottom of our sofa, shed twice a year, was a little stubborn, super cat-like, and was a little barky at some of the neighborhood dogs but all in all he was still the best dog we could have asked for. I’m sure we’ll find his hair everywhere in the house for many months and maybe years to come but I’m ok with that.

Here’s a video of how playful he was.  He cracks me up sometimes.

DSC_4629aHis best friend was Fabian Fox and had a whole posse of stuffed buddies that he’s left behind.

Here’s a video of him with one of his first toys.  What a cute little puppy he was!!!

teresakoaIf you’ve ever watched him for us, you’d know the drill about him and public places.  The usual script would be: “Yes, he’s full grown.”  “No he’s not a fox.”  “He’s a shiba inu.”  “You can try to pet him but he won’t let you.”

IMG_2686He loved to nap all day and preferred the couch when no one is home.  He also enjoyed sitting by the window to watch the trees sway in the wind.  When his water bowl was empty, he’d let you know by sitting right in front of you and staring or going over to the bowl and digging inside to make a noise.  One time, he told me he needed water by looking at me, then his bowl, then the fridge, and then back at the bowl.  Genius.

mrkickyI could go on and on about him and I’m so thankful for having this blog for him.  Maka Koa will always be a huge part of me and this family.

I’m so thankful that Kumquat was able to know him as GoGo. This afternoon, she saw his leash on the floor and went looking for him.  It made me sad but also thankful that he had such an impact on her early childhood.

P1100145Dear Koa Bear,

Thank you for being the best dog ever.  We love you and will never forget you.  I hope that you are at peace now and have plenty of grass to sniff and oodles of things to pee on.DSC_0198aSay hello to Genie, Cookie, Pepsi, Doogie, Franny, Zooey, and Smush for us, k?  They’ll show you around.

Love, The Girl, Bossman, and Kumquat

Sick Koa

IMG_6064For the past few months, Koa has been throwing up pretty frequently.  Sometimes it’s just a clear mucous and other times it’s his entire bowl of kibble.  When we took him to the vet last month, she said it was normal and that he might benefit from Pepcid once a day.  She also said that he could have an allergy to something in his food.  So, this past weekend, I started him on Pepcid every morning and also bought him a new kind of kibble.  As the days went on, he wasn’t throwing up anymore but he also became super lethargic.  I mean, he’s already a really lazy dog that sleeps all day but when I took him out to walk, he would pee all of it at once (abnormal for a guy that usually pees on every vertical surface down the street) and then sit down and pull back toward the house.  It’s been going on for about 4 days now and we’re getting increasingly worried.  I called the vet yesterday and she said to just stop the Pepcid and monitor him for any improvements.  So far we haven’t seen much change.  It’s a bummer to see that he no longer has a hop to his step and suddenly wants to just sleep all day.  He hardly eats but he drinks lots of water.  He’s still pooping but it’s kinda squishy.  I know this is a pretty gross blog post but I thought I’d just tell everyone that’s he’s not doing so well.  Hopefully it will all pass like a bad cold and he’ll be back to his old self in a few more days.  Here’s a video of him on our walk this morning.


We only got to the perimeter of our building before he wanted to head back home.  For anyone of you who have walked him, this is NOT normal for him.  Poor doggie.