Life of Larisa or LOL

Latest new thing...giving my oldest kid a haircut.  Yep.  Somehow, in the almost eighteen years I've been his mom, I have never given my child a haircut.  He has definitely had haircuts.  Multiple.  Too many to count...just never with my hands.  Isom gave him all of his childhood haircuts (from sitting in the high chair times to recent Covid times).  We did the specialty barber shops that give lollipops and let you sit in an airplane while curly locks fall to the floor.  And of course he has had his hair cut by my  lovely bestie Sarah ( she is a true professional ).  Gabe's haircut needs seemed to be covered between Isom, himself (he has dyed and chopped his own hair numerous times too), and Sarah.  There was no need for me to step in...until today when I saw an opportunity for trying something NEW. Gabe graciously allowed me to potentially butcher his hair.  His motto has always been "it's only hair, it'll grow back", so clear...

Summer is here!  Zach (age 9) and I have devised our "Summer Fun Adventure" lists (we love a good list around here).  We each made up a list of fifteen items that we hope to accomplish during summer break.  One of the items was tie dyeing clothes.  We amended the tie dye plan to one of the latest TikTok fads, bleach dyeing.  Normally bleach and kids, not a great mix.  We took a couple of precautions however---gloves, adult supervision, and using it outdoors.  I'm happy to report, no bleach got in our eyes or on any clothing other than the clothes we intended.     Number fifteen out of fifty-two, bleach dye, was a fun and inexpensive success.  Thanks goes out to my super exuberant assistant Zach.  He probably would have bleach dyed all of the clothes he owns if left to his own devices.  Ultimately we decided on three shirts for me, and three shirts for him.  And then Isom decided to join in at the eleventh hour with a ...

Week twenty-one of 2021 and ideally I wanted to be blogging my twenty-first new thing.  Instead I am on new thing number fourteen.  I'm a little behind.  Big things have been happening.  My oldest son Graduated from High School.  My husband and I celebrated our twenty-first wedding anniversary.  My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and my nephew were in town visiting.   The timeline on my 52 New Things List hit a temporary bump in the road.  But, I leaned into my goal with a recent date night, when Isom and I experienced Kailua Towns version of a wine tasting.   New Thing number 14, Wine Tasting at D'Vine Kailua Wine Bar .  Hawai'i is known for many things---chocolate, coffee, scenic beaches, beautiful flowers, the spirit of Aloha, but grapes/vineyards/wineries...not so much.  I was excited to learn that there are more Wineries on O'ahu than I previously thought.  And although D'vine Wine Bar offers wine tastings, it is ...

Lucky number thirteen this week, another hike, but a new spot (for me) to watch the sunset...and with NEW friends.  Double new.   This week I hiked Tripler Ridge for sunset.  It is a trail I have hiked a couple of times before, but this past Sunday was my first chance at hiking it for sunset.  It did not disappoint.  New thing number thirteen made me appreciate how lucky I am to live in Hawai'i.         Tripler Ridge is located at the back of the Army Base that houses Tripler Army Medical Center (which also happens to be the hospital where I was born).  A current military or military dependent I.D. is necessary for access to this trail...thank goodness my friend Jennah has just the I.D. needed.  Lucky.    This trail starts in the Moanalua/Salt Lake area of O'ahu and the entirety of the trail takes you to the summit of the Ko'olau Mountains providing a glorious view of Windward O'ahu.  We only did a portion of th...