From the north shore to the north shore or from September through (mid-)November

Boy it’s been awhile since I’ve posted much other than stuff from my Instagram feed, so let’s see if I can catch up a little bit.

The September Edition

September kicked off with our (third) annual Labor Day weekend to the North Shore. While I absolutely love our annual jaunt out to the other side of the island, I also equally love that we have a family tradition that can last decades. This year, Emma and I played hooky the Friday before Labor Day and instead enjoyed a day of…

…train rides around a pineapple field and airbrush / spray on tattoos,

…pineapple treats,

…and sea turtle beach (otherwise known as Laniakea…. which translate to immense heaven, perfect for a place where there is an extremely likely chance of seeing sea turtles).

After that we grabbed a quick bite for lunch before heading out to our airbnb home for the next couple of days at which point one of us spent the afternoon hauling half the household into our rental (me) while one of us just took a break, relaxing and being overall ridiculous about the hot sun (not me).

Ryan finally joined us and we spent the rest of the holiday weekend hiking…

 …playing at the beach

…and eating at our favorite spots (Kono’s, Cafe Haleiwa, The Elephant Shack, Giovanni’s and Scoops of Paradise) as well as trying out some new places too (The Beet Box, Aji Limu, Delices Crepes, Waialua Bakery and Juice Bar and the Kahuku Farm Stand).

Back at home the funniest thing happened. A girl that Emma hasn’t gotten a long with for most of her time at day care brought in the same toy as her for sharing. And started a friendship that is still going strong now. If only it were that easy for me and my nemesis.

For my birthday my team took me out for lunch…. and drinks…. (shhhh!)

and “dress up like a community worker” day at school let Emma doctor all her friends.

I took the day off to chaperone Emma’s school’s trip to the fire station one morning and since the heat from the walk was no joke, ended our day with our favorite dessert.

And thanks to the grandparents we were able to sneak in a couple date nights before my workload picked up in October. There was Grondin,

Mud Hen Water,

Kan Zaman,

and the awesome Hale Aina Awards, annual dining awards with the voters being the Honolulu Magazine readers. I believe there is a big awards ceremony, but we just went afterwards for the food and drinks!