CannonVines.com & CoasterVines.com

Long Time, No Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:13:00 +0000

OK. So maybe I've been a bit remiss in my blogging duties.

Maybe I've had a few other things - ages three and almost two - keeping me busy most every second of the day. And as of late, maybe what little posting I've been doing has been on Facebook, the slacker's blogosphere.

But on a daily basis I enjoy the humor, madness, chaos and all around enjoyment these boys bring to my life, and often wish to share with our dear blog followers. Still, as says the Steve Miller Band, time keeps on ticking (ticking, ticking) into the future," and there are only so many hours in the day.

Nevertheless, I wanted to post this recent shot of Kristin and the boys. This same photo sits in a large frame on my desk in my office, just left of my computer screen where I can see it often and share with all who enter my space.

The photo is my center, my "happy place," or rather its subjects are. It brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.

I hope it makes you smile as well.

Look Who's Walking

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Today is Coast's birthday. Before the sun (and the kids) rose, Kristin and I had a few moments to reflect on the past year, and where we were 12 months ago. It's been a mad, amazing year and we've loved every minute of it. Thanks, Coast for hanging out with us.

As a prelude to CoastFest, Coast began walking this past weekend. Shocking how quick a few short steps here and there has turned into lengthy, if wobbly, strolls around the house. I suppose, not unlike his brother, he was determined to be mobile for his first birthday party.

In a related matter, we recently child-proofed the house again - safety latches, outlet plugs, etc. The dog, however, remains fully vulnerable. (Sorry, girl!)

Embedded in this blog post is a short video my dad took of some of Coast's first steps. If you're reading this post via email, Facebook, RSS or somewhere other than our official blog site, you may have to CLICK HERE to view the video. It's pretty funny and, in my humble opinion, worth checking out.

Tomorrow ... COASTFEST!

Mark your calendars for CoastFest!

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Who's ready to party?

Mr. Coaster is almost a year old. And if you care enough to follow this blog, you're invited to swing by CoastFest on Saturday, July 10 to help us celebrate.

As previously noted when we posted about Cannon's first birthday, fondly known as Cannonpalooza, a kid's first birthday is a pretty big deal in Hawaii. The local tradition is to throw a huge luau, invite everyone and their cousin, play music and party late into the night. It's a custom that predates Western contact, when the infant mortality rate was frighteningly high.

Should be fun. Life at our house is fun every day. Coast is taking his first steps, crawling after the dog with reckless abandon and had his first Chicken McNugget this week. (Ah, they grow up so fast.)

We'll be sure to post photos afterward for those who can't attend CoastFest.

And, of course, you will be missed.

Cannon's Current Top 10 Favorite Words/Phrases

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:36:00 +0000

And now, for your reading pleasure, Cannon's current top 10 favorite words/phrases.

10. Plane (We see dozens daily.)

9. Oi! (Used as an interjection, like an Australian would, typically when he hears something that gets his attention. Such as "Oi! Plane!")

8. Agua (Carmina, who watches the boys each day, speaks Spanish to them. 'Nough said.)

7. Night, night. (His evening sign off.)

6. Moon (The noun, not the verb.)

5. Truck (Oft screamed top of his little lungs and accompanied by much waving and pointing as we drive past them in the car.)

4. I don't know. (As in "Cannon, where's Daddy's sanity gone?")

3. Please (Spoken without the "l" so it's more like "peas," but we applaud the sentiment.)

2. Hey, baby! (Used innocently when speaking to Coast, yet sounds hilarious to hear him say.)

And Cannon's current favorite word is ...

1. Poopoo! (Self explanatory.)

Mele Kalikimaka ...

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day.

That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway.

We hope all of you are enjoying your holiday break. Our family is spending the day at home with Kristin's parents, drowning in holiday cheer and goodies. We may venture out later to try out Cannon's new boogie board or model Coast's new trunks, but Coast has a bit of a bug and keeps regurgitating his holiday cheer, so we may just hang out at the house. Afterall, there's no place like home for the holidays.

Here's wishing all a good one. Mele Kalikimaka.

Who's Naughty or Nice?

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:33:00 +0000

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we'd better get the boys out to chat with Santa. Cannon was eager to engage the jolly old elf, but Coast was skeptical. He shared with us that he was getting too big to be visiting Old St. Nick and, instead, opted to stay home while we took Cannon to see Santa, thus the posted Coast-less holiday photo.

Though he didn't seem quite as relaxed as he typically is when hanging out with an over-sized bunny, at least there were no tears or fits of fear. Maybe it's a small Christmas miracle.

The holiday season has been a blast already. My folks visited in early December. Kristin's parents are here through the holidays. Cannon is beginning to grasp some of the most quintessential holiday rituals, including gift giving. Or more accurately, gift receiving. The grandparents have been spoiling both boys thoroughly and we feel lucky to have such giving parents.

We're all looking forward to the coming week - less work, more play, some beach time and reveling in holiday spirit.

The holidays came a wee early for Kristin and me. We've finally purchased a new computer and are able to put my dinosaur of an old PC out to pasture. Not only is uploading images of the family easier and speedier, so is getting online and sharing with our friends and family. So - theoretically - our updates will begin to occur more frequently going forward

If we don't find time to post between now and Christmas, on behalf of the whole family, Mele Kalikimaka!

Harvesting Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Few and far between.

That's been my posting schedule as of late. Though I think anyone who cares enough to follow this blog understands. Part of the challenge is the dinosaur of a computer I have, but we plan to update in the coming weeks, which should - hopefully - allow me to post easier and more often.

In the meantime, I'll share this photo taken at "The Harvest Festival" this past weekend. A neighborhood church puts this on each year. Games, music, fun for the kids. (Check out this shot of Cannon from last year's event. They grow up so fast!)

Additionally this past weekend we began converting 5 boxes of material weighing some 800 pounds into THIS. Paperwork says to expect project to take between 6 and 24 hours, "depending on skill level." I'm hoping to have this up by Harvest Festival 2010.

We've been photographing the progress. Indeed, that should be an interesting blog post.

Stay tuned.

The First & The Furriest

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:13:00 +0000

We wanted to let you all know that we've secured Coaster's domain name, so from here on, if you type in either of the boy's name and add "dot com" you'll wind up at our blog. Again, that's ...

www.CannonVines.com

or

www.CoasterVines.com

Things here are real, real good. I'm looking forward to the week ahead. Kristin's folks arrived just prior to Coast being born and were a huge help juggling duties for the past month. (Thanks again!) But they returned to Arizona late last week and we're finding our groove as a family of four. (How do single parents do it???)

I'm taking the week off to bond with the family. I'll do my best to post multiple images (like this shot of Coaster at bath time) and maybe a movie as well. Does anybody Facebook? Maybe I'll try and start a family page. Any Facebook believers out there?

And yes ... will include shots of Cannon, which people have been asking for. He's talking up a storm now. Light. Bird. Plane. He even pointed to Coaster and said "Baby!" the other night. Way cool.

By the way, the dog thinks we've lost our minds. I caught her looking at me from underneath the dining room table tonight (that's where she goes when she tires of Cannon tugging her tail and saying "Woof!"). It was an utterly perplexed gaze. I swear I could hear her internal monologue.

Why? Why did this happen? We had it so good, just the three of us. Hikes in the forest. Walks on the beach. Now there's one kid that wants to ride me like Seabiscuit and another that wails every other hour, 'round the clock. Please, for the love of all that's good, no more. No more!

You'll always be our first "kid," Rugby. And our furriest.

A Shoulder To Drool On

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:46:00 +0000

These posts seem to be getting more and more succinct.

Also, here's a link to some photos we took at the hospital with an automated machine they had. Number one is my favorite.

More to come.

We've Got Napping In Common

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:08:00 +0000

I've rekindled my love affair with napping.

Fortunately, it's something Coaster and I have in common.

More photos to come.

There's No Place Like Home

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:41:00 +0000

No great prose tonight, just a quick note to let you know we're all doing well, out of the hospital, back home and enjoying our time getting to know each other.

Admittedly, we're all pretty tired, but that's to be expected. In fact, I'm going to go try and get a few winks in right now, much like Coaster in this shot.

Goodnight.

Say Aloha To Coaster Spence Vines

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Coaster Spence Vines came into the world at 8:24 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2009, in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and measured 19 inches.

Mother and baby are resting and doing very well.

Here's the first photo of Coaster ever taken, just a few minutes after he arrived. More photos to be posted here soon, so check back or type your email in the box at right to be notified automatically.

And yes, you can call him "Coast."

We plan for everyone to be home this weekend. Feel free to reach out to us then or leave your comments here.

And thank you all for your support!

Momentos From Uncle Ed

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:16:00 +0000

So why exactly is Eddie Vedder making an appearance on this blog?

Last week Kristin and I had what was quite possibly our last date night before Baby Vines Part Deux comes along, and boy was it a doozy!

When I heard Eddie Vedder (front man for Pearl Jam) was playing a show on Maui I was stunned. Rare is the occasion mainstream musicians play our island, much less a musician of Ed's stature. And most anyone who knows me knows that I've been a Pearl Jam fan for almost 20 years now, and an admirer of Ed in particular.

Our dear friend Mary helped us get great seats - seventh row. (Thanks again, Mary!) The show was exceptional, as expected. Our new little guy - in utero - was moshing up a storm and clearly enjoyed the gig as well.

After two encores, we began to file out when Mary's friend, who had gotten us the great seats, handed us three VIP, backstage passes. And that's when the real adventure began.

We sat in a private courtyard drinking Corona (just me and Mary, not Kristin) and chatting with about a dozen strangers for a good half hour. (Only person I recognized was big wave surfer Dave Kalama, a known pal of Ed's.) Then Ed came rolling in, grabbed a beer, lit a cigarette and started making the rounds.

As people began to leave, we eventually went over and thanked Ed for the great show - and the dude couldn't have been more gracious. We started chatting and here's the best part. We didn't talk about music, or surfing, or sports.

We talked about our kids.

Ed has two daughters, the youngest of which is 10 months. He asked when the new one was due, we told him about Cannon and commenced commiserating on the trials of juggling two kids. Kristin told him I'd tried to convince her to name the new one "Vedder Vines" (I was mostly kidding!), to which Ed laughed and suggested that "Eddie" might be a better name - a good Hawaiian name, too. (Waterman Eddie Aikau comes to mind.)

We'd been talking for several minutes when Ed reached into his pocked and pulled out two signature Eddie Vedder guitar picks

"Here," he said. "Something for the boys when they get a little bit older."

We thanked him and continued to chat. A few beats later he reached into his pocket again and extended another offering.

"Something for Dad, too," he said, and handed me a chrome tour Zippo lighter.

"Use it to light that cigar," he said, nodding to Kristin's belly.

It was pretty surreal to talk about my boys with someone I've followed and admired for so many years. I look forward to the day I can crank up some old Pearl Jam music and give the boys their picks - a little something from Uncle Ed.

The Home Stretch ...

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:01:00 +0000

Enjoying our last few moments as a family of three and excitedly anticipating the welcome of our fourth.

Spent 4th of July at the beach during the day and at home with the (cowardly) dog in the evening ... grilled hot dogs ... spent this morning eating pancakes ... reading books ... talking with Mimi, Pop and Uncle Chris on Skype ... getting the house ready for Grandma and Grandpa's visit ... putting together the bassinet and baby bouncer ...

Thursday morning the new little guy arrives, if not sooner. Stay tuned at CannonVines.com. We'll post the new guy's name, weight and more at our earliest opportunity.

Keep us in your thoughts.

Ultra-Amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:25:00 +0000

We're in the home stretch.

Just a little more than 30 days to go. Doc took a look at the little one this week and said he's healthy as can be. Very healthy, in fact. Six pounds and nine ounces thus far, to be specific. And we've still got four weeks to grow. Start your wagering on the exact birth weight .... now.

We were fortunate enough to be able to see him with the amazing 4D technology ultrasound equipment they had. Check this shot out. A little hard to make out, I know, but after a close look you can see most of his face, including his eyes, lips and button nose. That's his left hand/fingers up beside his face. Does he look familiar to you?

Compare to Cannon's 4D images from about 50 days before he was born: HERE. Similar? Maybe. Will be interesting to see how much the little dudes look alike.

Here's a second shot as well.

Tongue Twister

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:57:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know Cannon is doing great.

As some of you know, Cannon was born tongue-tied. (Ironic that my offspring would be tongue-tied, I know.) In order to avoid any speech problems, the specialists suggested we get his frenulum clipped, or as I knew it as last week, "that piece of skin under your tongue."

So the little guy had surgery yesterday morning and all went well. (Attached shot of Cannon in his gown, pre-surgery.) The whole thing took two stitches and 20 minutes and, in retrospect, seems it was far more traumatizing for us than Cannon.

Today, he's back to his normal self - laughing, playing, rocking along. You wouldn't believe someone was in his mouth with a pair of scissors just a day earlier. What a trooper! He's our little rock star!

"Baby Face" Vines

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Sure. He looks cute. But don't make him angry!

Several friends remarked that Cannon looked something like a gangster in THIS shot from last summer. (I think it was the hat.) I didn't think much about until ...

I took this shot of Cannon last week. It was a bit overcast so he had his track suit on. Then it hit me, he does appear as if he could have a nickname like "Baby Face" Vines.

His tough look drops a bit, however, when you realize is foot is in the lid to his bottle. Not very "gangster."

Happy Second Easter from Cannon

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Wow. What a difference a year can make.

We picked Kristin up from work on Friday and went out for Mexican. Cannon behaved perfectly at the restaurant. (Frankly, we were a little surprised!) Afterward we stopped in to see the Easter Bunny.

Check out his new photo then click HERE to compare it to last year, when he was only six days old. Time flies!

We wish all of our family friends a happy Easter weekend and posperous Passover.

Oh boy. (Here We Go Again!)

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:35:00 +0000

I'm ashamed that I haven't been updating this blog like I once did. More and more is happening around here each day, which means I have more and more to share in proportionately less time. Hence, the weak stock photo shown here. But I'm overdue in sharing the news that Baby Vines - The Sequel - is a boy.

This means 75% of you who participated in our poll were right!. This also means the girls - Kristin and Rugby - will soon be outnumbered, and the tide of testosterone at The Vines house will rise again. Should be a hoot.

By the way, Cannon's birthday party was a blast. Photos to be posted in the near future (I swear!), but just wanted to say mahalo to everyone who attended and sent well wishes. Special thanks to my parents, who flew in for the fun and were vital in party planning, preparation and execution. Thanks, guys!!!

Mark your calendars for Cannonpalooza!

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Most of you know that a kid's first birthday is a pretty big deal in Hawaii. The local tradition is to throw a huge luau, invite everyone and their cousin, play music and party late into the night. It's a custom that predates Western contact, when the infant mortality rate was frighteningly high. If a child made it through their first year of life it was a major milestone, a cause to celebrate.

Today, things are a wee bit more commercialized. Most first birthday parties are a big affair, complete with a band and an inflatable bounce house. While we won't be having either of those things, we will be celebrating Cannon's first year in about two weeks.

Welcome to Cannonpalooza!

We figure anyone who cares enough to be reading this is invited to drop by. Now, we realize many of you live abroad, or are at least a considerable swim away. Nevertheless, anyone who can make the trek will be welcomed with open arms. Details on the faux concert poster above. Join us if you can.

By the way, for those of you reading this via RSS or email, make sure you surf over to CannonVines.com. New color scheme on the site to match the invitations.

And one last note - a huge, HUGE mahalo to Mary Cajski, our talented friend who designed these awesome invitations for us. Thanks, Mary!!!

Cannon's New Video: Through Ten Months

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:08:00 +0000

Home Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 07:29:00 +0000

It's quiet here. Too quiet.

Kristin and Cannon have been gone this week. Committed to a business trip in Arizona, Kristin decided to bring the wee one along. It's been a good opportunity for Kristin's folks to spend some time with Cannon, and he got the chance to meet his uncle, aunt and cousins.

Back on the ranch, I wait patiently for Saturday, when my family comes home and life returns to normal. Though I miss them both madly, admittedly, I'm squeezing 18 holes in tomorrow morning. (A tiny perk of having some extra time on my hands.) The dog, I'm convinced, is excited for their return as well, if only because she's sick of me droning on about my day and forcing her to play fetch with me for extended periods. I think she could use a rest.The sibling rivalry continues. Cannon is standing on his own for longer and longer periods. Not to be outdone, Kristin felt the baby move this week for the first time. Though it's been less than a year since Kristin was pregnant with Cannon, I'd already forgotten how utterly amazing the whole pregnancy process is. Exciting times, indeed.

Missing my boy, I've taken advantage of quiet evenings to put together another movie. It will likely be posted on the blog (http://www.cannonvines.com/) by the time this you read this. It covers approximately the last five months and has some pretty priceless shots, including images of Cannon at Halloween, with his grandparents, in the snow, in the tub, on Christmas day, even eating his first sandwich. It's pretty crazy to see how much he's changed. I'm sure I won't recognize him when he returns home tomorrow. Enjoy the movie.

Baby Steps

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:40:00 +0000

In a bold attempt to reclaim the spotlight on this blog, Cannon took his first steps tonight. It was a legitimate point-A-to-point-B promenade of three or four paces, from one ottoman to another. Indeed, he seemed pretty proud of himself. Kristin and I were pretty excited as well.

Back to my opening statement. I can't help but wonder if this was Cannon reminding us that he was the inspiration for this blog.

Has the sibling rivalry begun?

Like many things in the future, the kids are going to have to share this blog space. At least for now.

I'll leave you with a shot of Cannon from our trip to frozen tundra of Seattle in December. Yes, Cannon's first Christmas was white. We got several feet of snow while we were there and got out in it enough to take a few memorable photos. The kid would make a great Eskimo.

Boy Meets World?

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:23:00 +0000

We visited the doctor this week, and Kristin had an ultrasound. We've uploaded one of the shots here. The little one looks healthy and all is going well, and though it's still very early in the pregnancy, the doc looked things over and said our new addition looks "suspiciously like it's a boy."

Woah! Could there be another little dude on the way?

For those who don't know, on Kristin's side of the family, Cannon is one of seven grandsons. Zero granddaughters. It's a heck of a streak if this one indeed is a boy. Another ultrasound in about three weeks should tell us for sure. Until then, check out the ultrasound for yourself, see what you think, and be sure to make your guess at our poll in the right column of our main blog page (CannonVines.com). And like last time, please, no wagering.

We, of course, only want a healthy child, though there has been some speculation that a second boy might make for a more convenience. Lord knows, boy or girl, the child will be wearing Cannon's hand-me-downs until her or she can buy his or her own clothes.
It's hard to believe Cannon's birthday is just around the corner. He had an appointment with his doc this week as well and all is fine. He continues rank in the 95th percentile for both his height and weight, which isn't news to anyone who has seen him recently. He's an ace when it comes to pulling himself up to a standing position, and can wobble hands free for a solid four or five seconds. He'll be taking his first steps any day now, I'm sure. As Kristin frequently observes, "He's got to learn to walk soon because I can't carry him anymore."

A quick side note ...

Monday is our anniversary. It was six years ago we wed, committing to travel life's unknown path together, hand-in-hand. That path has now led us to a growing family. How lucky can one guy get?

Happy anniversary, Kris.

Baby. New Year.

noreply@blogger.com (Todd A. Vines) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Just a quick note to wish everyone a very happy new year. I know there are many who are glad to see 2008 end, but we were blessed with the addition of Cannon this year, making it the most special year of our lives.

The blessings, it seems, will continue in 2009.

Though some of our close friends and family already know the news, for those who don't - Kristin is pregnant. Baby Vines part deux is due in mid-July, and we couldn't be more excited.

We spent the holidays in Seattle, under heavy sweaters and several inches of snow for the most part. We've got some great shots of Mr. Cannon which I resolve to post in the new year. For now, here's a shot of us at Chris and Michelle's place, between flurries.

As we say in Hawaii, "Hau'oli Makahiki Hou." Or, as they say everywhere else, "Happy New Year!"