Mele Kalikimaka

Rejoice! Jesus was born this morn in a lowly manger! If you stop and listen you can hear the heavenly hosts singing praises to the newborn King. Santa stopped at our house last night leaving our stockings overflowing with treasures that lit our sleepy faces as we came down the stairs! We thought of him hanging out on Maui with a mai tai, the reindeer, and Mrs. Claus as we peered inside our stockings with glee.

This Christmas was one of our most laid back. We took our time enjoying what Santa had left for each of us. While HS charged up his Air Hog (a really cool car that travels by following a beam on the walls), he built his Bionicle, and created new aliens with HH in his Ben-10 Alien Creation chamber. It delighted my heart to see him so excited and he marveling at the fact that Santa knew just what he really had wanted. This has been the first Christmas that HS tried to challenge the notion of Santa and he kept strong in his belief that Santa is real. I can only imagine what he'll share when he returns back to school!

LD played with her adorable wood kitchen and made her doll "Corrie", her Christmas bear from Nana & Grandad, and other dolls wait patiently for their chance at being pushed merrily through the living room in LD's new baby stroller. LD also delighted in wearing her cooking apron and calling grandma & poppop on her new pink Ariel phone. She chatted and cut her fruit while keeping an eye on her big brother who would pop over to the kitchen to play, too. She was obviously very content that Santa realized how much she loved to mirror her mommy!

We feasted on our traditional jilted eggs (poached eggs with a basil tomato sauce on toasted English muffins), cinnamon rolls, and of course mugs of Christmas brew left by Santa for HH & I and milk for HS & LD. Poor HS was more than ready to dive under the tree to find a present to unwrap by the time breakfast was complete.

Our family was more than generous this year...each gift we received was followed by a "WOW!" or a "How did h/she know that I love (insert word 'Bakugan','dolls', 'Ben 10')?" "This is just great!!!" It took us the greater part of our morning and well into the afternoon for us to finish unwrapping the presents. LD allowed big brother to assist in opening her gifts quickly ended as she desired to have her own moment listening to the sound of the paper being ripped and then the intake of air as she looked at what treasure was covered by the now mangled gift wrap. The problem we encountered was that she wanted to play with each of her toys (unwrap, get it out of the box, play) while HS wanted to see everything before setting his mind on playing with just one at a time. We preserved and took a mid-morning break for LD's nap~ perfect for us to have our own break watching "UP" and for me (SQ- Scullery Queen) to prep, stuff, and begin baking our 15 lb turkey.

Throughout the day, the squeals and giggles of two very happy & loved kiddos filled our hale as Christmas music inspired a jig or two from HH & me (we love to turn the music up and dance...it's quickly becoming a nightly family event!). Dinner was very simple: turkey, homemade stuffing, and green bean casserole. We toasted with champagne and sparkling cider to a wonderful Christmas and wishes that the same would be said for all of our family and friends.

It is comforting to know that even with 75 degree weather, Christmas in Hawaii does have the same meaning and feeling as Christmas' past. Our Christmas stroll led us throughout our festively decorated neighborhood and reinforced that Christmas does indeed fill us all to the brim with goodwill and cheer. We passed friends and neighborhood children who were all wearing grins from ear to ear.

As we settle in for the night with our eggnog and mincemeat, it would be wonderful if our family over the pond could be sitting with us around our tree. Our thoughts of family and friends who are far away are sent with loads of cheer and wishes for a wonderful Mele Kalikimaka!

Santa's Gift

After a TDY ("Temporary Duty Yonder" for non military people) that was only suppose to last for a week, HH found himself stuck for four more days, totally missing the holiday preparation at our house and the fantastic caroling party with friends at our hale. Our spirits took a dive, but after laughing hysterically at Kendo dressed as Santa, we were once again feeling the holiday spirit and counting once more down until HH's plane touched the ground and his suitcase could be rolled back into our hale.

With a rather bumpy travel beginning (more than 2 hours delayed out of Charlotte, NC) and yet again the potential to miss Christmas, Santa brought us an early present this year. Just in time for Christmas eve mass. Thank God for a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Christmas could begin.


PS: After this experience I can safetly say I won't be to pleased with a TDY to anywhere snowy during the holidays!!!

Clan Cookery

Cookery \Cook"er*y\ (k[oo^]k"[~e]r*[y^]), n.

1. The art or process of preparing food for the table, by dressing, compounding, and the application of heat; cooking. [1913 Webster]

2. A delicacy; a dainty. [Obs.]


Oh my, if you stepped into our hale during this holiday season you would think we had all gone nuts. Tis the season to bake, bake, and BAKE! With HH off to a TDY to the East coast, he left the kids with a cookie fiend. I can't resist the smell of cookies baking in the oven and the act of decorating them for friends and HH's work. Maybe I should look into a "Cookie Bakers Annyomous"...I am Scullery Queen and yes, I have a problem...over baking!

The kiddos love the process just as much as me. They wore their aprons, helped mix up the dough, and then eagerly awaited the arrival of the baked cookie to decorate. HS is getting to be a real pro at cookie cutting and this marked the first year that he did all the measuring himself...with doubling the recipe! LD was just as thrilled to pat flour all over the counter, the floor, her face, her brother's face, and then put a big fluff of poweder on Kendo's nose.


I'm changing our name from Clan Hale (home) to Clan Cookery from now on during the holiday season! Stop on by for a warm gingerbread cookie, Christmas Incredible (ritz crackers with peanut butter in the middle dipped in chocolate), or a sugar cookie decorated with a Hawaiian flare.

Carols and Cocoa

Here we come a-caroling among the palms so green;
Here we come a-wand'ring so fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you.
And to you glad Mele Kalikimaka too.
And God bless you and send you a Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
And God send you a Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

I admit it. I can sometimes be a big nerd. Christmas traditions that I enjoyed so much as a child pop out during the holiday season. This year, I couldn't shake the memories of caroling parties that I so loved participating. I contemplated the idea of doing it here in Hawaii. The looks of surprise were almost comical as I described the invitiation to come over two days before christmas eve and enjoy a good ole fashioned caroling party: Hawaiian style.

The crockpot was filled with chili and surrounded with all the trimmings for a good bowl of chili; the mulled wine was filling the air with the smell of Christmas cheer; and our friends arrived donnning hats, scarves, and Santa hats. There was no mistaking that this indeed was a caroling party.

We enjoyed feasting on food before beginning to spread our Christmas cheer around the neighborhood. We headed out into the warm Hawaiian air with the spirit of Christmas written on our faces and hearts. To each house around we sang a song and shouted out "Merry Christmas" and invited them to join our rousing crowd as we continued around the neighborhood.

Our caroling voices lasted for over an hour. We giggled, we sang loudly and gave one another hugs and pats on the back. What better way to end the party than with hot steaming hot cocoa? The kids filled the livingroom and eagerly festooned their cups with whipped cream, mini-chocolate chips, and candy cane swizzle stick. The joviality and laughter left me full of happiness that even though we may not be faced with freezing cold temperatures, even in paradise, hearts are warmed when friends come together to raise their voices in song.

Next year, maybe you can join us for our clan's 2nd Annual "Carols and Cocoa" we'd love to have your voice and laughter join in spreading holiday goodwill and cheer.

2C the Red Nosed 2nd Graders

If you had been a snowflake falling in HS's second grade classroom this year, you would have been able to enjoy the sounds of the Christmas spirit descending upon 22 second graders in 2C.

After phenomenal parent support setting up the classroom, the "elves" rested for a minute before the excitement began...



1st, they all became Rudolph...



then, they enjoyed making angels for their family tree...




next, they competed in some reindeer games: "Christmas Package Unwrap Relay" and "Pass the Candy Cane Down the Lane"





then, their teacher and aide opened their gifts from the class...a seek out adventure with clues written on twine.



Once the gifts were all unwrapped, they enjoyed the desserts and treats brought in by some of the parents (boy did I have a good time decorating the cereal cookies to look like little Santas!)



Ahhhh...the joys of class Christmas parties! This one truly left us all in the spirit of the season...ready to shine brightly and spread Christmas cheer!

Catalina Queen

In "Navy world", meeting people, making friends, and saying farewell are synonomous to breathing. We can't live in the military world without those three things happening. The announcement that a dear friend's spouse has received orders and is now beginning the process of PCS (Permanent Change of Station) can set off an emotional whirlwind for those who are closest to the departing military family.

I have many friends that I love to talk with, but some leave a heavier footprint than others. So, when one of my dearest friends here announced she was PCSing and would be gone within a month's time, I had very little time to prepare. DF is a keystone of our neighborhood spirit or Queen of Catalina Lane, my new nickname for her; she inspired Aloha Fridays, Catalina coffees, girls movie nights, holiday potlucks, and the list goes on...her footprint is substantial and she will be missed.

I get misty eyed whenever I back the cat bus from the garage and see her house without the infamous "Rebel Road" sign hanging from the fence. Tears form when LD calls out "SOOONNNNNJAAAA" as we take our evening strolls and I know Sonja won't be appearing from her lanai with outstretched arms to pick up LD. Yep. The throne is empty. Her inspiration though will live in the hearts of those who knew her here. Those that will meet her at the next duty station are lucky to have such a gem coming and I can only pray that they'll let her make the same footprint on their hearts as she's left on ours.

I can write this blog freely now...we've been keeping their move a secret from her daughter and son who are on the mainland. Their Christmas this year, will be full of the magic of parental love and joy. I wish this family all the best in 2010. May fair winds and following seas surround the McClelland clan as they begin their next Navy adventure. We look forward to our military paths crossing once more. I'll be peering over the next fence waiting for your voice welcoming us to another neighborhood.

'Tis the Season

The holiday season gets so chaotic. It seems with each year, I try to add a little more merriment, a little more holiday touch, and I'm always thinking, "will the kids remember this when they have their own families?" "Is this something that they'll look back on and think, 'how cool was that!'" What will they peg as our family traditions Yes, I know. I stress too much. I don't know how my parents did it...I think of my childhood as one big beautiful umbrella that kids love to dance with. It was multi-faceted, more fun than pain, and so exciting.

Well...today I paused. It really doesn't matter what I give to my kids that is tangible. My parents gave me much more than just gifts to shake and unwrap under my Christmas tree. They gave me random acts that have created what I consider Christmas: decorating sugar cookies, singing to Christmas carols around the piano, and toasting eggnog by the Christmas tree. Christmas cards in stacks ready to be mailed out to their "military family" and families spread over the country, the scent of cinnamon filling the air. Chiding us to write to Santa or else he may not know what he's going to be bringing to our stocking, then lauging over our mightly "dream" lists that we developed after hours of salivating over the JCpenny toy book.

Yep. Those are just some of my memories of my childhood Christmas. After my pause today while waiting to mail a box at the post office, I'm left with one thing: I've got huge shoes to fill. 'Tis the season to be jolly!

Joyful Noise

It's every parent's dream: a smiling child all dressed for a winter concert, music filling the air with children's voices, and the pride in watching your child sing as loudly as they can while making motions with their hands. Of course, in your dream, there are no heads in the way, no screaming children, and it is almost as if the entire concert was just you, HH, and LD as the audience.

Reality: children smiling, chatting, T-died t-shirts and jeans to set the mood for their song, and loads & loads & LOADS of people. So many that even though we arrived at the seating time of 6:15, the line was already wrapped around the church so our seats were in the back. Did we let that dampen the spirit of the season? Nope.

The classes all did a fantastic job with their songs and HS stood with pride in the back row. Gotta love a child who knows exactly where they are standing because he helped us identify him very quickly and for the times I stood up (yes, I'm one of those parents) to get a picture, he was clearly in my lens. He sung out, smiled with pride, and although most of the concert we couldn't see anything, the music of the children brought tears to my eyes (question: why is it that I cry more during the holidays than at any other time of year?). LD stood on my lap and clapped with the music, swayed her tush to the music, and for the hour we were in the church, couldn't keep her eyes from the front.

The lesson I did learn about my dream versus reality: next year, I'm going to the student performance during the day where I can sit and just take in the joy and not miss a smile. Then, for the evening performance, it won't matter where I'm sitting because I will have already had that moment of peace.

Sing out, HS! Let the joy of the season fill your heart and share it with others all year long!

We've been Elved!

I'm not sure what happened to our clan. One minute we were all sitting around watching "Rudulph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and the next we were wearing little green elf suites and dancing around!

Hope you enjoy the giggle break from your holiday planning!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Look Who's Two!

Happy Birthday dear one!
It's been another year of fun!

We've watched you explore the world:
crawling to walking;
Babbling to talking!

You have enjoyed playing
with your dolly,
making all of us jolly.

Music inspires delightful twirls
Smiles form that are brighter than beautiful pearls.


Oh how can it be true?
Our Princess is now TWO!

Maestro and Tissues

Oh my, today was one for my "tear jerker" memory bank. HH has been studying piano since the beginning of September. He has truly gotten into a groove that makes my heart sing. Much like watching him in karate, the shoe seems to fit for playing piano. Now I know what all the hype is about when it comes to attending your child's 1st ever piano recital. I was blubbering before I even got into the car to take him there. I had tissue out even before he began playing, and I was trying to pull myself together enough to sit down and play his accompaniment to "Jingle Bells."

I can't say enough about his piano teacher. She is phenomenal and from the quality of the students' playing during the recital, her love of playing has filtered through during their lessons. HS counts down the seconds until he can head over to her house to play. He beamed when she told him that he played well for his two songs. It is true...he'll do whatever he can to please the people he truly admires.

It will stay in mind watching as HS walked so confidently up to the Steinway grand piano and introduced himself and his musical selections to the audience. He then played "Chimes" and "Jingle Bells" with focus, calmness, and a slight smile as we all listened to what to some may sound juvenile, but to all of us in that room, we marveled at the sound and playing of a young pianist. When combined, they all lead to one thing: melting my heart with pride.

Maestro, pass the tissues, please!

The Many Faces of LD

After spending a great deal of time in the car with LD over the Thanksgiving weekend, I had to laugh when I came across this series of pictures. No photo shop here...these were taken in rapid succession on one of our outings. It's interesting how much personality is trapped within one little person. What I love is that each never lasts for long...from full blown tantrum to giggling at her own babble to crying because she's sleepy....she hits them all.


Kissy faces...she loves doing this and scrunching up her nose! If you do it back to her, she'll love it even more an then will usually go into a giggle fit that is fit for a little queen!

Faker cry...just done to let us know that, "hey, I may be little but I'm gonna be heard!" Otherwise known as the "I'm TWO that's why" cry.










Smiling, giggling, everything is perfect in LDland.















Downright upset over whatever seems to be a bother...the seatbelt latch, sippy cup not flowing fast enough, big brother reading "her" book, or simply I turned off the Music Together CD (after listening to it on repeat for the past week).

Deck the Hale

Deck the hale with fronds of palm trees,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our surfer apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Hawaiian carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing sun before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the ukulele and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me in wish Aloha,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
As we snorkel among Hanamua's treasures,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Melekalikimaka from Oahu,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

This holiday season marks our second Christmas on island. It doesn't seem possible that the year has already come full circle. I think with the same season year long, I get lost in the warmth. However, traditions will not be shaken. Although not at our hale the day after Thanksgiving to put up the tree, our tree trimming wouldn't be put off. We enjoyed putting the tree up on Sunday and our hale is ready for wishing everyone Melekalikimaka!



HS couldn't wait to help put up the tree this year. Last year, he joined the ranks of being old enough to truly put the tree together (OK...I admit it, we do artifical Christmas tree beauty). This year, he decided that the only job I had was to help put the branches into the proper placement. Other than that, he sorted the branches and followed the handy guide. It's so nice to have such a nice little Elf to help lighten the load.


LD was a riot. This is going to be a fun year with her...she helped decorate the tree with us. We really thought she would grow tired of putting the ornaments onto the tree, but she never tired of it. In fact, she surveys the tree and will move around ornaments that she sees needs to be in a slightly different spot. Elf #2 in training!



We all stood back and marveled at the tree this year. It is indeed a beautiful sight to have the tree up and all aglow. The candles are in the windows and although we may not be seeing snow this Christmas again, our spirits are not dampened. It's Melekalikimaka time again! An Eggnog toast around our tree and we are ready to enjoy the holiday season to the fullest!