Browse Category: yum

Weekend Visitors

San JoseMy parents drove up on Friday to bring my Aunt (Pa Jim) up to visit us in Northern California.  She’s visiting from Thailand and it’s been a while since I had seen her.  When I was younger, she stayed with us for a year in order to take care of me and Brother.  Brother was in Kindergarten and because it’s only half-day, we needed someone to pick him up and hang out with him until I got home.  She’s a funny lady and likes to do things her way.  In Thailand, she takes us around and her driving is quite an adventure from the backseat. They were staying with my uncle in San Jose so we all met up at Cousin Ishya’s house.  It was a lot of fun seeing everyone together again with the addition of three little ones taking over the house.

hair styleOn Saturday, my mom, dad, Pa Jim, and Uncle Sak came up to visit us.  Pa Jim, in her own funny way, played with Kumquat and even attempted to style her hair.

smileCheck out how she pinned down this wiggle worm.  Luckily, Kumquat didn’t mind it a bit.  Look at that wacky hairdo!

Pa JimFor lunch, we walked down The Embarcadero to the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market.  It was a gorgeous day in SF.  roli rotiOnce we got there, we headed straight to Roli Roti for some porchetta sammiches.  It’s been a few months since I’d had it and it was delicious!  Everyone else thought so too.

grandparentsAfter lunch, we kept walking down toward Fisherman’s Wharf/Pier 39.  It was a nice long walk and everyone got quite a workout.  Here we are taking a little break and letting Kumquat roam around a bit.mini donutsWhen we arrived, we picked up a dozen mini donuts from Trish’s.  Mmm…they came out nice and warm.

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By the afternoon, it was time for them to head back down to San Jose.  Here’s a photo of 3 out of 6 Chamkasems together again.  Thanks for visiting!!!

Until next time…

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We left Maui on Wednesday (3/6) morning and it happened to be Brother and Joy’s wedding anniversary too. Happy Anniversary!

It was a good week of sun, water, and family time. The house we rented was awesome and perfect for the seven of us. Loved having easy access to the beach at any time and the convenience of a full kitchen. Of course we missed the whole “hotel feel” of a vacation at times but we were still able to get a taste of it at the Sheraton pool and bar that was just steps away from where our beach camp was located. It was also so nice to have family around to enjoy this experience and also to help out with watching Kumquat. What a treat!

IMG_0520Also, thanks to Yoon and Kurt for coming over from Oahu to hang out and that bucket of rice lasted us three meals!!

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The flight from Maui to Honolulu was short but painful since Kumquat decided to be h-angry right as we were landing. The 2-hour layover in Honolulu was just enough time to sit down for a proper meal.

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Luckily the longer flight from Honolulu to SF was not as bad. She slept for a total of 2 hours and I had the Ergo to hold her and plenty of snacks to keep her occupied.

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A vacation to Hawaii is definitely different now with a 10-month-old in tow but totally worth the extra luggage, lack of reading, and time lost in getting out of the house each day. Bringing her pack-n-play and feeding seat was worth it and Kumquat did quite well with the time change there and back.

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Also, thanks to my mom for keeping Koa company while we were gone. Hope you had a fun vacation in SF!

So our next trip will likely be back on Oahu again.  Not sure how we’ll be able to pull off staying at the Moana again but who knows what life will be like next year.

Luau

DSC_0686For our last night, we took Jason and Jia to Old Lahaina Luau.  Jia had never been to a luau before so this was a nice way to finish the trip.

DSC_0675 DSC_0683Kumquat had her plumeria and hula shirt on and she even got a lei.

DSC_0666Dinner was tasty and cocktails and wine was unlimited.  Our server, Vincent, was pretty funny too.

DSC_0745Here’s a photo of the tahitian dancers.  Shake it, ladies!

IMG_1097And check out my lava flow.  Brother pointed out to me that it looked like a little man in a hot tub holding my straw.  Do you see it?

Maui Monday

DSC_0531On Monday (3/4), we all piled into the minivan and drove out to Iao Valley State Park for a morning hike.  DSC_0534Everyone was ready for a 45 minute hike up the mountain but it was actually just a 10-minute walk up a paved path and some stairs.

DSC_0546DSC_0543It was also a bit colder than expected.  Regardless, there was a nice view at the top and a cute stream down below.

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Unfortunately, Jia had a little misstep into the taro pond.  Poor Jia.

DSC_0541Since Kumquat was riding on Jes’ back, he got quite a leg workout on those stairs!

DSC_0563Here is a family of Hawaiian chickens looking for breakfast.  We saw them in the parking lot.

da kitchenWe had lunch at Da Kitchen Cafe and I had Fried Spam Musubi and Kimchee Crabcakes (bottom left and right).  They were soooo tasty!  I also tried Jes’ saimin and Jason’s garlic shrimp fried rice (top left and right).  Those were just as good!  Yum yum.  This was one of my favorite meals on the trip.

maui ocean centerAfter lunch, we went to Maui Ocean Center.  Jes and I always visit this place each time we’re on Maui and this time we got to take Kumquat.  milkShe started a little grouchy but then had a great time once she had her milk.

jumping fishie a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Here’s a funny little fish that put on a show for us.

DSC_0601 tunnelHer favorite part was the shark tunnel where she got to stand and stare at the sharks and fish swimming above.

uncleWhen we got back to the house, everyone took a nap.  Brother, Kumquat, and I were the only ones awake and we just sat around watching the Travel Channel.

IMG_5819Once Jes and Jason woke up, we headed out to the pool. IMG_5834

We also walked over to the beach for a little sand and sun.IMG_5841 IMG_5854

Here’s our family photo with Kumquat still a little afraid of the surf.IMG_1013For dinner, we headed up the coast to Ono Tacos.  It’s a pop-up shop that’s along a random sidewalk and has a few tables and chairs.

IMG_1014ono tacosThe fish tacos were so good and the ceviche was really fresh.  This was also one of my favorite meals of this trip.  We had a pretty tasty day overall.

Shopping and Pool Time

houseOn Sunday (3/3) morning, I was amazed that Kumquat was sleeping in.  Once she woke up, it had been over 12 hours since she fell asleep the evening before.  Brother and Joy were up with me again and they made Spam, eggs, and rice while I cut up the pineapple.

DSC_0427Here’s a little look at our vacation home.  This is the front view.  There are two master bedrooms with master baths for each room upstairs.  On the ground floor, there’s a smaller room with two twin beds and a detached bathroom.  That’s where Jes and I slept since it was closest to the baby who would be sleeping in the livingroom.  There’s a decent kitchen, livingroom, and diningroom on the first floor as well.  In addition to the house itself, we had our own patio in the back complete with chairs, a table, and grill!!  DSC_0429Here’s the view from our house – not bad, huh?!  It was even nicer from the bedrooms upstairs.

DSC_0441And here is Puamana Beach, which is just past those coconut trees in the previous photo.

ice creamWhen the rest of the house woke up, we packed up for a little shopping trip in Lahaina.  One of the first stops was at Hula Cookies and Ice Cream.  We got a few cookies warm out of the oven and scoops of ice cream.  I got the Kona Mud Pie ice cream that was so delicious.

honolua bayOnce the baby woke up from her nap, we went to Aloha Mixed Plate for lunch.  Sadly I didn’t take any photos but it was your typical Hawaiian mixed plate fare including teri beef, mac salad, poke, and loco moco.  Afterward we drove up the coast to check out Honolua Bay. It was a beautiful bay but there’s not much of a beach – too rocky for a 10-month-old.

minivanOh and check out our dope ride.  It’s a minivan with automatic doors and plenty of room for all seven of us.

leoda'sOn the way home, we stopped at Leoda’s for some pie. We shared the pineapple lemon tart and the Olawalu lime pie.  My favorite was the pineapple lemon tart.

poolOnce we were home, there was enough time to go out to the beach and then to the pool.  We hung out at the beach for a little while but the surf was starting to get a little crazy.

poolSo, we headed to the pool and it was pretty fun watching the baby float around in the pool.  Brother did his impression of a breaching whale and we all got a good laugh.

dinner

dinnerFor dinner, the boys made a tasty steak and asparagus dinner on the grill and we all went to bed with full bellies.  Today was a good day.

Saturday Run and Sun

lilo & stitchOn Saturday (3/2), I was up really early and Kumquat seemed to adjust to the time rather easily.  Brother and Joy were up too so we started the morning by watching the first half of Lilo & Stitch and then headed outside to check out the beach just a few steps away from the house.  IMG_5684

IMG_5679It was so pretty out there but Kumquat was spooked by the crashing waves.  She was clinging onto me like a scared little monkey and was in tears for most of the time we were out there.

morningWe did, however, have enough time between cries to get some photos taken.  By the way, did I mention that our 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house totally rules?!  It was the perfect size for all 7 of us under one roof.

IMG_0451 Once everyone else was awake, we all managed to get our butts and running shoes out the door for a morning run.  runYep, all 7 of us went for a run…to the nearest McDonald’s!  I think I ran a total of 2 miles since I went ran too far past the street it was on and it actually felt like more since I had to push the stroller too.  mcdonald'sWe were all rewarded with a Spam, eggs, and rice platter and then a fried haupia and fried apple pie for dessert.  Man, the inside of the haupia pie tasted like my mom’s kanom krok.  After breakfast, we walked around Lahaina to browse the shops and the art fair under the banyan tree.

beachOnce we got back to the house, Yoon and Kurt had arrived.  They flew in from Oahu for the day and went to Ka’anapali Beach and Black Rock with us. We rented two umbrellas and four lounge chairs for a fun day at the beach.

IMG_5711Jes took Kumquat out to the water for a second try today but she was not having it.

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She wouldn’t take her eyes off the waves and at one point needed G-raffe to help her keep it together.  Poor baby.  Everyone took turns using our snorkels and fins that afternoon and Brother and Joy saw a turtle.  I stayed on the sand with Kumquat who was having trouble settling down for her afternoon nap.  Poor thing was so stressed out.

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Luckily by the late afternoon, she was back to her old self and we went to Happy Hour at Hula Grill.

beer and pizzaAfter our very late lunch, the girls went back to the house to clean up and the boys went to Costco to pick up some supplies.  They came back with two Costco pizzas (our dinner that evening), a case of beer, and a bunch of other things for our steak dinner for the next evening.  Our fridge was stocked!  Kumquat was also lights-out at 5:30 pm.  I thought she would wake up at 8 to eat but she slept ALL NIGHT.