Day 1 - Monday, 12.31.2012 (by Christian)
Everyone was worried about how Micah would do on the two long flights to get from Missouri to Hawaii, but it turns out that I'm the one they should have been worried about. About six hours into the second flight, I became airsick and spent the remaining two and a half hours in the tiny bathroom in the back of the plane, sitting on the toilet with a mask on my face, an oxygen tank in my lap, and wet towels full of ice cubes on the back of my neck. Micah and Mommy did fine, with Micah waving and babbling away to our fellow passengers all the way to the Aloha state. When we arrived, Micah finally got to meet his grandma in person. He immediately reached out to her and gave her a big hug. Surprisingly, the stranger anxiety he had been experiencing in the preceding months suddenly vanished and it was like Grandma had been holding him his entire life.
Day 2 - Tuesday, 1.1.2013 (by Yoli)
Happy New Years! I was well aware of the typical Hawaiian "festivities" that take place annually to ring in the new year. I expected some fireworks, kids playing with sparklers, and maybe a firecracker or two. I was not prepared for the island to turn into a war zone. For the two hours before midnight, it sounded like a D-Day reenactment outside our window. Needless to say, Micah was repeatedly startled awake by the paroxysmal explosions of firecrackers. We finally figured out that the only way to keep him asleep was by taking turns keeping his ears plugged, which meant another night of inadequate shut eye for us.
We stopped at Christian's grandmother's house in the morning for a quick visit and then headed over to TK (Christian's brother) and Michelle's house for a special treat: osechi-ryori, a traditional Japanese New Years's meal. Osechi consists of a wide array of colorful dishes including kuromame (simmered black soy beans), kurikinton (mashed sweet potato with sweet chestnuts), hamachi sashimi, and tazukuri (candied dried sardines), which were surprisingly good! Each ingredient in osechi has meanings, such as good health, good harvest, happiness, prosperity, and so on. Michelle also prepared a traditional mochi rice cake soup that was absolutely delicious. What a unique and tasty feast it was! We ended the evening with a belated Christmas celebration with Christian's family, opening presents and enjoying a wonderful New Year's dinner of grilled teriyaki chicken.
Day 3 - Wednesday, 1.2.2013 (by Yoli)
It has been wet and gray outside since the day we arrived and I'm beginning to think we landed in Seattle instead of sunny Hawaii. We continued our week-long Christmas festivities by watching as Micah tore into his presents from Christian's family. We then decided to check out the award winning Waikiki Aquarium. As we moved along from one exhibit to the next, Micah was so mesmerized by all the colorful tropical fish. We saw a wide array of jellyfish, sea eels, stingrays, endangered monk seals, and even reef sharks!
We ended the evening with a visit to TK and Michelle's house where they prepared yet another incredible meal for all of us. We dined with their kiwi friends, Victor and Vanessa, who had just arrived from New Zealand earlier in the day. Having heard so much about these two incredible people, I was so happy to have finally met them. Our dinner consisted of fresh som tam (green papaya salad), delicious thai green curry, and homemade mango ice cream. Good conversation, great company, and oh-so-ono food!
Day 4 - Thursday, 1.3. 2013 (by Yoli)
One main item on my Hawaii to-do-list was to get a haircut which, as evident by my ridiculous Rapunzel locks, was long overdue. Ever since I became pregnant with Micah, I have put myself on the back burner and it was a treat to finally have a little "me time". Two hours later and nine inches shorter, I was a new woman! We met with Christian's Dad and stepmom, Patty, for some traditional Japanese ramen at Yotteko-Ya and savored each delightful sip, knowing that it may be years before we had this again. Since it was raining yet again, we ended our visit with Dad early and headed back for Micah's afternoon nap. It was our fourth day in Hawaii and we still had not seen the ocean. Rain or shine, we decided to take our chances.
The last time Micah "swam" in anything other than in the comfort of his own bath was when he was four months old, and he absolutely despised it. We were prepared for another failed attempt and expected a rather short visit to the ocean. Much to our surprise, we had a little fish on our hands. Micah quickly went from sitting and splashing to crawling on all fours. He splashed with delight as he waded deeper and deeper into the ocean. Soon it started raining and the little bit of warm sunshine was fading away. While we were all shivering in our thick wetsuits, Micah was having a blast and seemed completely unaffected by the conditions.
We finally called it a day and ended the evening with some delicious local poke and mochi ice cream for dessert. While Micah drifted off to sleep dreaming about swimming with dolphins, Christian headed over to his brother's house for a stag party to celebrate TK's last night as a bachelor. Michelle and her girlfriends came over and we chatted into the night over a bottle a wine. All I know about the boys' evening was that there was plenty of alcohol involved and many hours of texas hold'em, which apparently was dominated by TK.
Supposedly, they didn't let him win...
Day 5 - Friday, 1.4.2013 (by Christian)
We woke up to more rain this morning, pocketed with brief moments of sunshine. A hole in the rain clouds provided us with an opportunity to take Micah on a stroller ride to Manoa Marketplace for some hot coffee. We sat at a small cafe sipping our coffee and watched the rain come down in wispy sheets as the wind carried it along. Another break in the clouds and we rushed home, sloshing the stroller through rain puddles. As we neared the house, the rain resumed, and we raced the stroller up the hill while holding our umbrellas over the little man. After a brief nap we headed to Baba's (my grandmother) house for lunch, pictures, and conversation. Another nap and we headed to the beach, where Micah continued to demonstrate that he was half boy, half fish. He ate lots of sand, drank the ocean water, and laughed when we tossed him into the air and let him fall into the water with a splash.
We dropped off Micah with Mom to sleep and met up with TK, Michelle, Victor, and Vanessa for the one of the most amazing dining experiences I've ever had at a small little sushi restaurant called Morios. This "rehearsal dinner" consisted of a multi-course "omakase". The Japanese translation of this most coveted of sushi experiences literally means "I trust the chef". The first course was the buttery neck of a giant maguro. This was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. The fished melted in my mouth as I ate it. It was almost buttery in texture and sensational in taste. This course was followed by the most amazing softshell crab tempura. Next we had clams in a clam broth/soup that was delicious, followed by a plate of the freshest hamachi, maguro, salmon, red snapper, and top shelf clam sashimi. This giant plate of sashimi was followed by lobster sashimi that was so fresh that the lobsters were still alive and moving while we ate. After we finished the sashimi lobster tail, they took the still moving lobsters away to make our next course and brought out an assortment of nigri sushi, including seared moi, hamachi, unagi, and salmon. We finished off the meal with lobster miso soup and hot tea. The highlight of the evening was when the chef came out to share a celebratory toast with TK and Michelle. He pulled a bottle off of a high shelf and dusted it off. Inside the bottle was a coiled up snake submerged in a clear liquor. We were informed by the chef that the snake in the bottle was highly venomous, but we shouldn't worry, since he had carefully removed the venom himself. With slight trepidation, TK and Michelle respectfully downed the shots. It was an unforgettable meal with great company!
Day 6 - Saturday, 1.5.2013 (by Christian)
Wedding day! TK and Michelle's wedding took place on Tantalus, where they reserved an architectural masterpiece called the Liljestrand House, designed by Vladimir Ossipoff in the 1950's. Panoramic views of Diamond Head, Punchbowl Crater, and Pearl Harbor could be enjoyed throughout the afternoon and at night the Honolulu lights brought the whole scene to life. What a beautiful backdrop for a romantic and intimate wedding in paradise! Congratulations to TK and Michelle. We love you both and are so thrilled to welcome Michelle into the family!
Day 7 - Sunday, 1.6.2013 (by Yoli)
After a beautiful morning walk with Micah and Christian's Mom, we headed out for our first hike of the trip. After being stuck inside the house for most of the trip because of the rain, we were ecstatic to finally get outside to enjoy Hawaii. We decided to try the Hawaii Loa Ridge Trail and hike as long as possible, but still make it back for Micah's next nap. We were lucky to have avoided any rain during the hike, but what we did encounter were some crazy, strong winds. We were all getting blown around so hard that we had to stop several times to catch our balance in fear of being blown over the edge. Needless to say, Micah did not enjoy the howling winds. We kept it short, enjoyed our yummy lunch of manapuas, and took in the breathtaking views that surrounded us.
We met up with Baba for a scrumptious buffet at her retirement community. Afterwards, we spent time with Baba, TK, and Michelle, building playing card towers for Micah to plow down and watching Baba's face light up as she watched her 7th great-grandchild play. While Micah snoozed away for the night, we stayed up and taught everyone how to play a Chinese card game called "Ja Dan". An easy game to learn, but can be frustratingly difficult to master. Amazingly, Baba, being the eldest of the group, seemed to pick it up the quickest. As she would say, "I've got card sense". It's no wonder she's a wiz at Bridge!
Day 8 - Monday, 1.7.2013 (by Christian)
On Monday, we drove out to the North Shore to meet up with Dad and fly sail planes. Yoli went up first and flew like a champ, staying up for almost an hour before soaring down to earth. I was a little reluctant to go up with Dad in the sail plane, since my previous flights had all resulted in nausea and at least one very messy cockpit. Taking off was actually the scariest part for me. I don't like not being in control of things that I am riding in or on and when we were getting towed into the sky I realized that I'm basically at the mercy of propeller plane in front of us... that is until one of us pulls the tow hook release. Once we were released from the noisy, smelly tow plane, it was all so serene. I can totally understand why people love to fly sailplanes, but it is something I will never be able to do (unless they make a cure of motion sickness). In stark contrast to Yoli, I only lasted about 10 minutes before I started feeling sick. Luckily, Dad was a good sport and took the plane down right away. I think he could tell I was getting queazy. Thanks, Dad!
After flying sailplanes, we stopped by Matsumoto's shaved ice for a midday snack. As good as it was, I must conclude that the shave ice at Waiola's Shaved Ice is "Mo' Bettah!". If we ever get to vacation in Hawaii with our mainland friends, I'll know where to take them! Micah wasn't picky about the shaved ice at all. Dad kept shoveling the rootbeer flavored shaved ice into Micah's mouth and Micah kept on munching it down. I think Dad's got a best bud for life now. We drove up to Dad's house where Dad proceeded to grill some monster steaks on the grill. We ate, talked, laughed, and played with the little Micah man while giant avocados dropped onto the porch like falling boulders. Dad's house is in the middle of what used to be an avocado farm and we were lucky enough to take home one of their buttery avocados for Micah to chow down on. It was great catching up with Dad and Patty and we even got to spend some time with Pono, Aute, and their rambunctious son, Rahotu. That night, after heading back into town, we met up with TK and Michelle for some tasty ramen at Goma Tei. So yum! Eating food we can't get in Missouri was definitely one of the main themes of this trip.
Day 9 - Tuesday, 1.8.2013 (by Yoli)
Blue skies abound this morning as we took a walk to Manoa Marketplace for some manapuas and fresh fruit at the farmer's market. After a long morning nap for Micah, we headed out to Hawaii Kai to hike Mariner's Ridge trail, also well known to the Robinson family as "Car Mountain Hike". Cleverly named for the car shaped rock on top of the mountain, Christian and TK grew up with this trail literally in their backyard, and at least for Christian, this was a very nostalgic hike that he wanted to share with his son. The trails starts out overlooking the valley where he spent most of his childhood and ends on top of a ridge that surmounts an
incredible view of the eastern coastline of the island.
It was a beautiful day and much less windy than the day before. We reached the top in 43 minutes, which was definitely impressive for hiking with a 20 pound 9 month old on your back. We had our manapuas for lunch at the top of the mountain and tried to make it back to the car for Micah's nap. Unfortunately, he fell asleep in the carrier and despite our best efforts at baby transferring, we failed. A ten minute nap and he was smiling and awake for the rest of the afternoon.
We took advantage of the little bit of daylight we had left and went to the neighborhood pool for a swimming lesson. Christian's Mom was determined to teach Micah how to hold his breath underwater. With her past experiences as a lifeguard and a swim instructor, I confidently left Micah in her hands. After all, she is part-seal and did manage to teach TK how to dive underwater for rings when he was a year old! Mom splashed Micah back and forth, gave three counts, one incrementally louder than the last, and dunked him head first into the water. Up he came just a second later, wide-eyed, flapping his arms like a fish out of water, and still holding his breath, stunned about what had just happened to him. We all clapped and cheered for our little swimmer. He did four more dunks that day, reacting similarly to each one, holding his breath tight like he was born to swim! We were so proud of him!
Day 10 - Wednesday, 1.9.2013 (by Christian)
On our second to last day of the trip, we headed back to Ala Moana beach park so Micah could play in the water one last time before returning to the bitter cold. We took turns playing with Micah and paddle boarding in the breezy ocean. After dunking Micah in the ocean a couple of times, we played on the beach and Micah kept trying to eat the sand whenever we took our eyes off of him. After the beach, we went and got more shaved ice at Waiola's. This time I really savored the shaved ice, knowing I wouldn't have the chance to eat this again for at least a year.
After Micah's afternoon nap, we headed to the park for some photos with Mom and headed back home so Micah could sleep and Yoli and I could head out on our date. We went to our favorite restaurant on Oahu, Cafe Miro, for one of the best meals of our life. Cafe Miro features a unique cuisine that is a fusion of French and Japanese cooking. For starters, Yoli had the best lobster dish I have ever tasted, while I had an assortment of five different appetizers that were tasty and creative. Next were the seafood dishes. I had grilled opa with a daikon sauce while Yoli had the abalone and scallops. For the entree, Yoli had a pan seared opa with almond brown butter sauce and I dined on rack of lamb that was simply delectable. This incredible meal ended with an assortment of desserts that included a macadamia nut ice cream served in a small waffle bowl, a mini creme brûlée, a very light and airy cheesecake, along with bite size pieces of fresh fruit. What an amazing night of dining out with the love of my life!
Day 11 - Thursday, 1.10.2013 (by Yoli)
A week and a half flew by so quickly. I had so many things on my agenda for the trip and I thought I could have done it all during our short stay. Although the weather was not perfect, we truly made the most of everyday we had. We spent the last day in Hawaii doing exactly what we came here to do...spend time with family. After getting some of the island's best manapuas at Libby's, we headed out to Tantalus to do a quick hike on the Pauoa Flats Trail. TK, who is an incredible photographer amongst numerous other talents, had offered to take some family pictures for us during our trip. However, between planning for his wedding and our jam packed days, it was challenging to find an ideal time for a photo shoot. Thus, we decided combine our last hike with a family photo session. Unfortunately, this did not work out as well as I had imagined. Not only did it rain during most of the hike, but we also chose to do this on one of the muddiest hikes on the island. I haven't seen the finished products yet, but I would imagine that most of the pictures captured our experience perfectly: matted down hair covered with leaves, muddy ankles and shoes, wet clothes...and all of us still smiling. I wouldn't have it any other way. The hike wasn't a complete bust. TK did manage to collect twenty or so Arabica coffee plants that he is planning on growing in his backyard. We cleaned up well and headed out for a family dinner at Roy's in Hawaii Kai. Micah behaved like a complete gentleman in the nicest restaurant he has ever dined in. While he enjoyed a delicious feast of cheese quesadilla, grapes, and avocados, we indulgenced on a variety of fresh local fish cooked to perfection. What a great way to end our trip: happiness, gluttony, and surrounded by the people we love.
