Maui Monday
On Monday (3/4), we all piled into the minivan and drove out to Iao Valley State Park for a morning hike. 
Everyone 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.
It was also a bit colder than expected. Regardless, there was a nice view at the top and a cute stream down below.
Unfortunately, Jia had a little misstep into the taro pond. Poor Jia.
Since Kumquat was riding on Jes’ back, he got quite a leg workout on those stairs!
Here is a family of Hawaiian chickens looking for breakfast. We saw them in the parking lot.
We 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.
After 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. 
She started a little grouchy but then had a great time once she had her milk.
Here’s a funny little fish that put on a show for us.
Her favorite part was the shark tunnel where she got to stand and stare at the sharks and fish swimming above.
When 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.
Once Jes and Jason woke up, we headed out to the pool. 
We also walked over to the beach for a little sand and sun.
Here’s our family photo with Kumquat still a little afraid of the surf.
For 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.
The 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.
Last year on 12/12/12, my brother texted me really early in the morning and said there was a sale with JetBlue for $12 one-way flights. So we booked flights for the parents to come up and it happened to land on Super Bowl weekend. 
They arrived on Saturday night and on Sunday morning we went to Chinatown for breakfast. We took a crowded bus and everyone was surprisingly accommodating to me because I was carrying Kumquat. Even the little old Chinese ladies were offering up their seats to me.
We browsed the booths they had set-up for Chinese New Year and I almost bought these goldfish for $3.
On Sunday afternoon, we all went down to Foster City to watch the Super Bowl at Jason and Jia’s. Mommy was rooting for the Ravens and had bet $50 on them. So when the 49ers almost made a comeback, it was pretty intense for her (and us). Fortunately she made some money that night.
Jes made steak sammiches and we all had a good time just hanging out watching tv and eating…including Koa, who got lots of tasty steak trimmings too.
Here’s a photo of my steak sammich with a side of jalapeno kettle chips. Yum.
We arrived at Paraduxx for our first tasting at 10:30 am. Seemed silly to be drinking wine so early but they again, why not?! It was nice and quiet out on the patio and we tasted a bunch of Zin blends with some tasty cheddar.
Our next stop was Robert Craig, which is where we are wine members. We all got a free tasting and got some extra pours from our lovely hostess Tia, who really loves her job. 
She gave us a nice lesson on the different soil in the area and we had a fun time just chatting-it-up with her.
At Morimoto, we sat down to quite a feast. In the front, there was a display of really pretty treats made by a little Japanese lady in the front.
The wine finally caught up to Jia and she struggled to stay awake for the first half of the meal. It was pretty funny. She couldn’t stop smiling and at one point, Jason told her to put her sunglasses on while she got a little shut-eye at the table. I missed that photo op.
Now, to the food! We started with two of our faves from last time, the tuna tartare and crudite with anchovy oil.
Then came the ahi pizza, which sounds gross but it was recommended by Tia and it was delicious! Basically, it’s raw ahi on top of a crisp wafer layered with jalapeno, tomato, and a creamy aioli. Initially, it’s just tuna that you taste but then all of a sudden the flavor changes into pepperoni pizza! Amazing. I think it’s the combination of all the flavors together that does it. We were skeptical when Tia described it to us but it she was totally right. Serves us right to doubt someone who makes a living off her sense of taste and smell.
Next was the Mori-cristo. It came from the late-night menu, which they now serve for lunch and was recommended by our server at the restaurant. It did not disappoint.
Happy New Year! This year we rang in the new year with Jason and Jia. We went to their apartment for a tasty dinner and just hung out watching TV. Kumquat and Koa played and also 
At about 8:30 or 9:00, Kumquat really tired and cranky so I helped her fall asleep and in the process fell asleep too. So I took a quick nap and woke up at 11:00 pm in time to watch the festivities on TV. When the clock struck 12, it was the beginning of 2013 and Jes was on the toilet and Kumquat had just woken up. Awesome.
At 12:02 am, the three of us had a big New Year’s Day hug and I got a big glass of champagne to make up for the tiny sip that I had last year while I was preggo.
The next day, I was up pretty early and took Koa for a walk to the dog run just next door to the apartment complex. We got a nice walk by the water and then Koa got to run off-leash for a bit.
The rest of the day was spent lounging around the house, eating breakfast and pie, and napping. Kumquat also got to watch part of the Rose Parade with me. Aaaah…that was so much better than going to work.
I must say that 2012 was a very good year. I spent the first quarter cookin’ a baby and getting ready for our newest family member.
I also had an awesome month off before Kumquat arrived and spent the last week hanging out with my mom.
Then in April, our lives changed forever when our beautiful baby girl was born.
The rest of Spring and most of Summer was spent at home recovering and learning how to take care of a little human being while keeping up with the daily chores.
Right before going back to work full-time, we took our annual trip to Oahu and baby came along too.
Then it was time to return to work and it was so hard the first week. Eventually, I adjusted and it was nice to have such good friends around. Jes also did a great job as a stay-at-home dad for a month.
In September, we hired Mirian, who has been a wonderful addition to Kumquat’s life. She takes her on outings, reads to her, and kept her on her schedule better than any of us. In fact, Kumquat started sleeping through the night after her first day with Mirian.
Then Fall and Winter arrived and Jason and Jia moved to California! It’s been so fun to have them around and we see them almost every week.
We celebrated all the holidays with our little girl and even took her to Disneyland. It was a busy Christmas trip home but totally worth it.
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