Thanks to credit card airline miles, the first month of 2011 was split between two places: home and Maui (Ivan's favorite photo of the trip above). We started off the New Year with German toast and Canadian bacon. Unfortunately, I seem to be the only one who likes savory items for breakfast, but the German toast (like French toast, only the bread is dipped into the egg and milk separately) was a hit.
We also got a number of new items for the house, including some baskets to help organize items in the house (finally) and a wireless router so that Galina can listen to Echo Moscow in her room. My favorite item, however, is an ice cream maker. I used it for the first time right before a snowstorm to make Cookies 'n Cream. The boys and I polished all 1.5 quarts of it within three days.
Nikita resumed his routine of school and extracurricular activities (including chess tournaments) soon after New Year's, and I am making a more concerted effort to help him read English by using the I Can Read! series. The effort is starting to pay off; in Maui, he spontaneously read aloud some words and phrases. In terms of me reading aloud, Nikita enjoyed Alice in Wonderland while Ivan loved Little Bear. And we're caught up in the Harry Potter DVD series. Nikita is upset that HP VII is in the theaters because it meant we can't watch it for free.
The other major event before Maui was Cirque du Soleil - Dralion, which unfortunately was not worth the high (though discounted) price. We went right after Nikita's school, and Ivan actually fell asleep one-third of the way into the first half, and Nikita wanted to leave during the second half. The boys were not very impressed with the acrobatic feats or electronic program music; only the clowns engaged their attention. I liked the final act which incorporated Double Dutch - do girls still jump rope in playgrounds? Igor was sad that the show was a flop because he remembers how much he loved the circus the first time he saw it, but perhaps the circus (at least this one) cannot compare to the cartoons and classical music the boys experience. Indeed, I already know that Ivan prefers watching opera to the ballet.
Maui was fantastic. Igor and I were pleasantly surprised because we expected the crass commercialism of Cabos San Lucas, but instead found better beaches than Kauai and great opportunities for biking. We quickly settled into a routine of mornings and late afternoons on Keawakapu beach: Nikita swimming and building (see photo on right), Ivan being tossed about by the waves and baking sand cakes. We were also able to watch for whales on the beach. I saw tails and spouts, but Igor twice saw whole whales jump out of the water. We would head back to the condo for lunch and a nap. Nikita also had to do some schoolwork everyday before the boys could watch the Tom & Jerry DVD we brought with us. 
What really impressed me was how much we could see in one day. Armed with our trusty guidebook Maui Revealed, we drove through the lava fields past Makena, got goodies (cherimoya, rambutan, and Harry Potter wands) from the Kahului swap meet, and marveled at the fish at Maui Ocean World (see left). We also dutifully drove the Road to Hana, but Igor and I actually preferred the views on the southeast part of the island. The Halfway to Hana banana bread wasn't bad, either. And I am grateful that Facebook put me back in touch with an old childhood friend, May. She and her husband made a fabulous dinner of blackened salmon, and the boys made a new friend: 
Perhaps the coolest day trip was to the Haleakala. The photo on the right was taken from the Leleiwi Overlook, and in the upper right corner you can see snow on the Big Island's Mauna Kea (Haleakala also received snow about a week before). The drive, however, was the toughest because Nikita not only experienced motion sickness, but apparently is also sensitive to altitude. While we stood in awe of the crater (Igor was reminded of Nepal) and looked for Haleakala silversword (I found a flowering one), poor Nikita was retching. He wasn't normal until we were back at sea level, so he couldn't enjoy the Alii Kula Lavender farm's lavender scones and lilikoi jelly on the return trip.I learned a few things for future trips. First, pack only three T-shirts each for the boys (we always buy more), and consider a gift budget (to rein in Nikita's constant requests for trinkets). Second, bring my polyester reusable bag, knitting, and thicker books. The Reader and Man's Search for Meaning don't cut it. Thankfully, I was able to find something (20 under 40: Stories from the New Yorker and Built to Last) at a Border's that was going out of business - the most populated sections were romance novels, manga, and the Twilight series. I also learned how to play sudoku. Third, pineapple and ginger not only make a great drink (Cafe Pasqual's, Sante Fe), but also a great cookie with macadamia nuts (Hula Cookies). Now, if I can only find a good recipe so that I can pair it with coconut ice cream.
Our Maui trip was amazingly well-timed. We missed three huge snowstorms, including one that occurred right before we arrived. We worked off our jet lag shovelling our stairs and digging out our cars. I gained a new appreciation for our front-yard bushes, which provided space to put the snow. I also had a couple of days to prepare for the new semester and fight a sore throat.
Thankfully, jet lag and the weather were not able to stop us from seeing the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet. I liked their Beethoven's Quartet in E minor, Igor preferred their Schubert "Death and the Maiden" Quartet (I loved the slow movement), but we both agree that the quartet should not have played the subdued Debussy as an encore.
