Browse Month: March 2013

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!!!

Air Plants

west elmOn Sunday, I met up with Elaine for brunch in Palo Alto and stopped at West Elm.  They had a whole garden section filled with succulents, vases, and accessories.  airplantsI couldn’t resist picking up a a few air plants to add to my collection of succulents.

vaseI already had this square vase and river rocks and all I had to do was drop these three little guys inside.  They don’t require any soil and you only need to “water” them twice a week by spraying them.

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?

Last Day on the Beach

Daddy and KumquatTuesday (3/5) was our last full day on Maui and it was spent at the beach.  In the morning, we took Kumquat out to say “Good Morning!” to Mr. Ocean.

familyWe tried to get a family photo but Kumquat was still not having it.

nookJason came along and was showing how easy it is to read on the beach with his Nook.  Silly Jason!

IMG_0668We then drove over to Ka’anapali Beach again for some more snorkeling and sun.  IMG_5889Brother and Joy had already set-up camp with an umbrella and chairs and Kumquat was ready to play!  IMG_5856We also took Kumquat to the Sheraton kiddie pool where the water was only one foot deep.  IMG_5879There were lots of other kids around and she blended right in with her floatie.

whaleFrom the beach, we were able to watch some whales playing pretty close to the shore.  There were also a bunch of turtles swimming in knee-deep water.  In fact, when Jes and I went snorkeling, Jes accidentally kicked one in the fin on his way out of the water.  They were THAT close.

beachKumquat had a decent time in the water too but then got splashed in the face.  Unhappy baby.

IMG_1059 Since we dragged the stroller out to the beach, Kumquat was able to take a nice long nap.  Jes stayed with her while the rest of us went over to the bar for a snack and some drinks.

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We had a nice spot overlooking the beach and shared a giant mound of nachos.

IMG_1060Here’s one of my tropical drinks.  This one was a melon-rita.  Tasty.

IMG_5914The weather was perfect and it didn’t get windy until the end of the afternoon.

IMG_5907Here’s a photo with my girls.  What a fun day!

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.