Iolani Palace

Another thing on our Summer in Hawaii Bucketlist was to go see Iolani Palace.  There's quite a rich history and its very interesting to learn about King Kalakaua.  He was the first King to leave the island I believe.  He took 8 months to travel around the world meeting with other leaders.  He began to model dress, housing, etc after the British Monarchy.  When he had Iolani Palace built, he spared no expense.  Having materials shipped in from all over the world.  He upgraded the gas lights to the newest technology, electric.  He had the fanciest indoor plumbing with shower heads and flush toilets put in!  And having met Alexander Graham Bell, he had a phone installed so he could call downstairs from his office.  

His successor, his sister, Queen Liliuokalani had a much more turbulent rein.  Shortly after inheriting the throne from her brother, she moved to abrogate the 1887 Bayonet Constitution and draft a new constitution which would restore Veto power to the Monarchy and voting rights to the economically disenfranchised native Hawaiians and Asians.  

There's a whole lotta stuff that's wrapped up in that, but lets just put it this way.... the Americans didn't like that idea.  It was bad for them and bad for their business.  So they came in and arrested her. To avoid military clash and loss of life, she went willingly and temporarily relinquished her authority, hoping it would be restored.  

Another sad piece of information is that as the US moved in, they turned the palace into their military headquarters.  Furniture was rearranged, moved, gotten rid of and sold.  The palace became a museum in 1978 and It is a still ongoing, intricate and painstaking effort to regain, restore or replicate all that was lost.  

In 1895 there was a failed counter-revolution where guns were found at the base of Diamond Head.  She claimed she knew nothing.  They tried her and sentenced her to 5 years hard labor in prison and a $5,000 fine.  The did not make her do the hard labor and instead, imprisoned her in corner room in what was once her own palace.  The room was stripped bare and there she sat.  She composed many songs there.  And despite it all, remained strong in her faith.

In 1898 Hawaii became an incorporated territory of the United States.

Upon her release she had a year of house arrest.  She simply continued to write in protest.  She later traveled to the United States a few times to continue protesting and requesting the reinstatement of the Hawaiian Nation.  She filed claims against the US for lost property.  She brought lawsuits against the US under the 5th amendment seeking compensation for the loss of the Crown Land.  All were unsuccessful.

I love learning.  At the same time it does make my heart sad to think about this and other instances of how my nations forefathers acquired the land in which we live and play.  And I think about how we're not alone.  I think about how, throughout history, this is how land, property, kingdoms were established... by force, by taking. And there are lots of thoughts and emotions still bouncing all around in this brain of mine that I'm not sure will ever be fully sorted out.

For now, I will resolve to learn for myself and to teach my children the raw truths of history.  So that people and cultures and nations are remembered and honored.  And also, so that history can be our teacher and our guide for how we want to live now. 

Sweet kicks you get to wear when touring

throne room

Dining Room

Queens Room

King's Bed.
 Josiah asked if I could make his like this :)

The King's bedroom

Honolulu Museum Of Art - Spalding House

We've been doing SO much adventuring, exploring and learning during the weeks.  I have so much to catch up on so we'll start at the very beginning.  Early in our trip I got hooked up with a homeschool group and took the children on one of their outings to the Honolulu Museum of Art, Spalding House.  It was absolutely Fantastic.  I cannot say enough great things about the art teachers, the docents, and the exhibit!  It was called Plastic Fantastic?  All are on exhibit was made out of plastic or had something to do with plastic.  And it's purpose is to make us think about plastic, how we use it and how we dispose of it.

Bottle caps cannot be recycled here on Oahu.  They don't have the equipment to do that.  And straws are a single use plastic product and the teacher asked us to think about if we really need straws to drink out drink.  We cut straws to make flower-like objects and alternated them with bottle caps to make plastic lei.  Both children were so focused and loved doing the project.  They both still have their lei.

Next, we went on a guided tour of the art exhibit.  I found it so wonderful that artists are finding ways to take... essentially other peoples refuse... and transform it into something beautiful.  Just another everyday picture of redemption that is but a shadow of what our Heavenly Father offers us.  I love those glimpses :)

I am mesmerized by this next piece.  We walked into this room to see three walls covered in this art installation.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  Then the docent showed us to tables FULL of sea-worn plastic trash.  The children then picked whatever pieces they wanted and created a piece of art by layering and stringing them onto a thing piece of wire.  When they were done, they picked a nail on the wall and hung their piece up!  This gorgeous room sized art piece was made up of all these little pieces guests had made and now my children got to be a part of it!  I was just tickled.  And again, it was this beautiful, tangible picture of how each of our "little pieces" in life fit into a bigger picture and can collectively make a HUGE impact!

Lastly, we went outside and ate lunch on the grass under a gorgeous shade tree.  Then we explored the grounds, which are just as stunning as the art itself.  There are sculptures dotted about and stairs winding down and through a beautiful botanical garden.  

Jen, this ones for you.
See if Greg can make you one :)

This is Josiah's smile.  We're working on him not looking
terrified whenwe ask him to smile.  But at least he's looking
at the camera.  Its a start!

Finding our Groove

I mentioned in the last post that we've found our groove.  I no longer feel overwhelmed or like a fish out of water.  I don't want to brag, but people have stopped me and asked me for directions FOUR times 'cause they think I'm local.  And I actually was able to give them directions!  It ain't no thang **brushes off shoulder** .  Maybe it's our tan skin.  Or my kids beat up razor scooter that she zips around on.  Or perhaps its the even more beat up jogging stroller, loaded down with lunch cooler, towels and snorkel gear that I haul my almost 4yo around in because I'd rather push him than wait 1-Million hours for him to walk.  (his nickname in speedy.  The kid is in NO hurry to do ANYTHING.  EVER.And I love him SO!)  Whatever it is, its all good.  But honestly, in the touristy part of town where we are, most people aren't here for more than two weeks and the majority don't speak English... so I don't think its too hard to look "local". :)

This $5 razor scooter we picked up on CL
has changed Ella's outlook on walking
everywhere while her brother gets to ride in
thestroller.  Its her own new skill/freedom!

So, If you're in the area here are a few things we love... South Shore Grill is THE place to go for $2 fish tacos on Tuesdays.  Wailoa Shave Ice tucked away in the middle of the strip mall off of Ala Moana is the only REAL (as in finely shaved ice off a block... not a crunchy snow cone) shave Ice we've found and its only $2.50 for a small.    Makers and Tasters Food Truck spot on the corner of Ala Moana and Ward is a super great place to go for food too!  There are cute tables with umbrellas, pretty white lights strung about and a little mouse that lives in one of the planters.  Careful though, if there's no wind, the flies are fiersome!  Sam's Club on Keeaumoku St. is WAY less busy, and so much cheaper than Cosco!  We got out of there for $199.  Thats crazy good here on Island.  The swap meet at the stadium IS a great place to find some deals.  But there's a lot of cheap imported crap too.  Bargain, don't ever pay asking price.

And trust me, If there was food there that pleased
Josiah... There's something for ANYONE!

We have joined the summer reading program here and have explored many of the libraries.  We have found our faves.  Once a week, we board the bus, spend time reading, hit the gas station across the street for milkshakes, walk to the playground to play and finish our shakes, then come home with oodles of new reads!

The Bus system is awesome.  But daBus App is useless.  Use their info line to speak to a SUPER helpful real human or use googlemaps and click on "transit".  Never fails.  If you're in the Waikiki area, you really can't go wrong with the #8.  And just ask the drivers if that bus will get you where you want to go before you insert cash.  They're super helpful.  

I dare say we're getting used to the city.  The road noise inside doesn't keep us from falling asleep anymore.  And the lanai went from completely unused, to fairly frequented when I decided to pretty it up with lights and candles and make the best of it.  The quieter nights to sit out on the deck are Mon-Wed.  You're still going to hear the beeping of the buses and the cars.  The occasional hot rod, show-off, clearly compensating for some shortcoming, mortorcyclist will still peel out from the stoplight and rev his engine at 100mph right below your lanai but whatev.  You make the most of it by looking at your pretty lights, holding hands with your hubby and not so silently wishing bad karma, and high priced tickets on the motorheads.  

This is the evening view from our bedroom.  Don't worry.  I still long for peace and quiet, for wide open spaces, for the lack of light pollution on our 3 acres on our dead end dirt road at home.  But city sunsets aren't too shabby.

Beach, beach and more beach

Yes, I've been an absentee blogger as of late.  I think that's a good sign.  It's a result of us hitting our stride here in Hawaii which I feel like we hit at about a month in.  We have our routines.  Our fave local eating spots.  A church we love.  We know our way around.  We add in a new adventure each week and of course venture out of the city every weekend.  

Bellows Beach.  The winward side.  Beautiful
 white sand.  Big waves.  The kids are not big fans.

Of the MANY cute bathing suit options
at Wally World back home... Ariella
chose the giraffe with sunglasses.  A
lesson in letting go for this type A mom.

A fun sea urchin find at Magic Island.  We've learned which ones
you can touch and which you can't.  

 Across the street anda  bit of  stroll down the beach boardwalk gets us to the Hale Koa beachfront hotel.  Its for military or DOD employees only and we have access to their HUGE, warm, saltwater pool.  Its become at least a weekly afair.  And we have fun with our underwater camera.

Josiah wont look at the camera.  Don't worry, he's not drowning.

  The super cool thing about Hawaii is that all beaches are public.  Even if there is a resort or something on it, it still has to be open to the public.  We could go to a different beach each day and never hit the same one.

Ala Moana park just a short jaunt away

Josiah is much more of a "play in the sand" kind of kid.  He
enjoys the water in short stints

Man made Lagoon the kids prefer just across the
 street at the Hilton

This is our "everyday" beach.  Its right across the street.
That's diamond head in the background.  We swam with sea
turtles twice right off this beach!

She's really starting to look the part.

Ko'Olina Lagoon #2.  Most people just set up at #4 bc its right next
to the parking lot.  But if you're willing to walk down the lovely
paved boardwalk to #2 it's way less crowded, no resort chairs and
lovely thatched umbrellas free for anyone to use.

The Underwater Death Trap

If you know me, you know that waters of the moving variety, ie. rivers and oceans, are not really my jam.  Bless his heart, (I hear that's what southerners say to be polite when they'd really rather say the opposite) my husband found an excursion that promised to place us in tight quarters with 60 other tourists, seal us up and plunge us 100 feet down into the ocean.  Joy.  Joy of all flippin' joys.  

Here's a view of Waikiki Beach and the city I've been describing to y'all.

I have always thought it remarkable that there are servicemen (and women? I don't know) that LIVE on submarines in order to protect our country.  I DO NOT KNOW how they do that...  How they adjust, live, eat, breath, sleep, don't go insane on a submarine.  I have always said I would NEVER want to go on one and would NEVER want to go out on sea trials like some of Jason's co-workers do.  Then I toured the USS Albacor which is on land and I can freely walk out of anytime... and my feelings were 100% affirmed.

So when my husband found a tourist submarine for our family to adventure on... AND told our children AND got them excited about it before discussing it with me....  I wanted to wring his handsome little neck.  I truly did not see the point in paying approximately 1 million dollars to suffocate in an underwater claustrophobia inducing, underwater death trap.  I'd have been more than happy to sweep that little idea right under the rug and have our children be none the wiser.  

The boat that took us out to the subs.

But I did the good thing.  The parent thing, where you sacrifice your own desires, put aside your own fears, and plaster a big old happy grin on your face and pretend you're SOOOO excited.  Especially when you're children start saying the night before that they're a little worried about going down in the ocean... what if something happens and they can't swim out?  Well, then you just tell them all the logical things you've been telling yourself over and over... about how safe it is and how long its been running and how nothing as ever gone wrong.  And you pray.  You bow your head and pray for them and their concerns and reassure them, once again, before you kiss them goodnight.  And then you lie awake in your bed a little longer and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you peace and gentleness, to give you the power to be the mom He wants me to be to these kiddos tomorrow even if you're inwardly flipping out.  

I know, I'm a little dramatic, a little high strung, a little nervous-nelly about certain things.  But this is the stuff that really goes on in my head... in my life.  And I promised y'alll I'd keep it real.   It's who I am and each additional year God chooses to bless me with, I learn more and more how to embrace it and trust Him to shape me and use me in spite of it.... or because of it... either way :)  

The underwater death trap.

In case you're wondering.... we survived!  Shocker I know.  It really was fun, despite Josiah coming down with a fever that very morning.  He fell asleep at 11am IN THE SUBMARINE and slept the whole time even with a very loud tour guide speaking the whole time and we knew something was up.  So, the boy missed it but the rest of us had a very neat adventure.  

There goes Ella.  Down the hatch!

No, my WB was not insanely off.
That's what the colors
actually looks like in the sub!

We saw 2 green sea turtles eating and coming up for air over and over again as we waited on the dock.  We had a nice cruise out to the subs and just as we were pushing off we spotted a large pod of dolphins leaping through the surf.  We got to watch the sub surface which was neat.  And then we saw fish galore, huge moray eel and a giant sea turtle as we passed reefs, shipwrecks and plane wrecks.  (All the ships and planes were placed there to help sustain reef growth).  

Did you know that when you are that deep in water, certain light wavelengths cannot get through and so some colors are intensified and others you cannot see!?  My nails were painted teal green and Ella had some blues in her dress, but down as deep as we were you could not see those colors.  Weird and fun.  We learn so much here every day! 

I learned pictures really don't come out well when taken 100ft down in water and through a submarine port hole.  So we focused more on just enjoying the experience and snapping a few here and there.  In total we were under water for an hour but it really felt like 20 minutes.  Kuddos to our tour guide.  He was hilarious!

A beautiful view of Diamond Head on our cruise back to shore.