After surfing we hung out at the pool on Tuesday. On Monday evening I had gone with the kids to Hilo Hattie's to get Trevor another aloha shirt and Drew a Hawaiian dress. They talked me into getting outfits for the whole family and we decided to try to take some pics before dinner. Maybe these will make an appearance on our Christmas card this year...
The we headed to dinner at Longboards. The kids were good enough to get up and take pictures of our last sunset.
Waiting for dinner
What a beautiful family!
Ahh the sunset
The following morning we checked out of our room and lived like orphans at the pool until we left for the airport at 6:30. In the morning the kids got to build rafts out of boogie boards, noodles, and duct tape and race them.
Getting ready for the race
Lining up next to their much larger and older competitors
They had to race to the end of that tunnel, turn around and come back.
Kids lost the first race but got to race again. They won this time only because Trevor's larger size and strength meant that they went crooked when they paddled and ended up crashing the other team into the rocks.
Drew spent some quality time with the camera around the pool.
Hi Daddy
Self-portrait
Leaving for the airport.
This has truly been a wonderful vacation. Drew was very sad the last day. "I don't want to leave Hawaii because I've had such a good time here". We were a little looser with our money - investing in activities that I hope the kids remember for a lifetime and I think it was worth it but maybe you'll have to ask us after that credit card bill arrives! Back home and back to reality...
On Tuesday morning we had our first try at surfing. We drove to Goofy Foot Surf School and got almost all the way there when we realized that we both forgot to bring money. Vacation brain! We were about 10 minutes late but surfers are obviously way laid back and don't care. Since the kids are under 8 they got to take private lessons and Ryan and I were in a group with another family of 3. It was only two hours but we had a blast and even opted for the professional photos so we could prove that we'd done it. Best news of all - Ryan's knee didn't get damaged - yay!
All dry and full of confidence!
Drew's instructor was named Keith and he did a phenomenal job with her. She was just springing right up and riding the waves all the way to the beach!
Keith helping Drew get started on her first run
Look at that concentration!
More laser-sharp focus
Trevor's instructor was Michael. He had dreads and a very zen-like relationship with the ocean. Very cool guy and gave Trevor great instructions.
Michael coaching Trevor
That tongue sticking out is genetic - you will see it later..
Now we have a smile
High fivin' another instructor
You won't find as many good pics of Mom and Dad. It is harder for us old farts. We had way fewer turns due to the group lesson and I'm not sure how good our instructor was. He have the basic how to at the beginning and then just had us keep trying but without any great feedback about what we might be doing wrong. We did get some good feedback from other instructors towards the end who just happened to be watching us wipe out.
First run, smile on my face, dry - it was all downhill from there
There is that tongue I promised. Not sure who it comes from but my sister and I both do it and so does Trevor.
Ryan catching a wave
Might be hard to see at this size but we call this his "Beaker" face like the Muppet. He was getting ready to run into someone.
Trevor and Drew together
We all had a really good time and the grown-ups were really sore the next day!
Wow, Maui is kind of a nightmare - really long line that we could see for security (there is only one security line for the whole airport) and it took forever to get the rental car. Ryan was very frustrated because people were just being stupid like the couple in front of him that needed the "return the gas tank empty and pay $7 per gallon or fill it up yourself" options explained three times with various scenarios. Hopefully security won't be too bad when we leave at 1030 at night. We got to appreciate the wonderful customer service of Hawaiian Airlines again. Right after we picked up our luggage and Ryan had disappeared to get the car (for an hour) I asked Drew where her baseball hat was. Apparently still in row 21 on flight 126. Just like the time we drove to Volcano from Kona (2 hours) and had forgotten the pack n play (7 years ago), Hawaiian came through for us and hand delivered the hat to us. One little girl was very happy.
The resort in Maui is nice. Our room wasn't ready so we went out to the pool. Very crowded as in only 2 chairs in the whole place that were available. They seem to have lots of complimentary activities which is nice and the prices are a little cheaper (like $6.50 for a kiddie smoothie at the bar instead of $10).
We went to the E Ho-onanea which they describe as the Hawaiian torch lighting ceremony (although Trevor was quick to point out that absolutely no torches are lit).
Pretty dancer
Singer guy
D &T posing with the hula dancers
Cute kids in a banyan (?) tree
The pool is pretty cool here and is definitely about the warmest pool that we've ever been in. The beach is really shallow but has good waves. It is really shallow for quite a while. They just installed some balance equipment around the pool and this really fun game called Neos Playworld System that requires you to jump around and hit various lights. There are about 8 games to choose from and you can have 1-3 players. It is pretty fun and Trevor and I worked up a sweat playing a little. Here are some action shots:
One weird thing about this resort is that they have kitchenettes with a full size dishwasher, a microwave, a sink (without disposal) and a mini-fridge. Last night we had a rotisserie chicken and some very unhealthy sides that can be heated in a microwave (like mashed potatoes and a cheesy broccoli rice thing) and tonight we had steak (on the grill) and baked potatoes. It does allow us to eat breakfast and lunch in. Ryan is having flashbacks to childhood cooking scrambled eggs in the microwave and I discovered that you can make real oatmeal in the microwave too. It is a little runny but it works. I went for a run today on the sidewalk that runs up Ka-anapali beach. People are kind of clueless here too. When you are running toward them, all the way over to the right, they won't move over and you have to awkwardly twist your shoulders to the side so you don't hit them as you run past. Coming up from behind they have no clue you are there - even if you shout (coming up on your left). People are just wandering around - stopping suddenly to get sand from their shoes, taking pictures, looking at menus posted at restaurants... Maybe I'll hit the gym tomorrow - I'm not sure I can take another day like that - it must be like trying to run in Manhattan.
Trevor snorkeling
Tomorrow morning we are going to do some surfing. Hopefully another adventure that is expensive but worth it. Drew is already a little nervous and not expecting to do well. I'm sure both kids will do better than their mom. We were going to do Haleakala for sunset tonight but decided not to. My only regret is all the super warm clothes I packed which took up a ton of room in the suitcases! Ugh.
Sad to have our last couple of days on Oahu. I love Hawaii and Ryan always asks why. People are so friendly and I love that they have the coolness of a different culture and yet, it is still part of the US. They are also always trying to preserve and teach us that culture - by using Hawaiian words and entertaining with song and dance. Ko-Olina feels like our Marriott home.
We met some cool people this time around - Betsy Liberty and Lou (not sure what his last name is) and Theo and Melody Gekas (and all their kids). The kids played together and the parents enjoyed some cocktails.
Christy, Melody, and Betsy - the bathing beauties!
The men are holding court (and doing some serious drinking around a trash can!
Last day on Oahu was just for us and Betsy and Theo (the Gekas had gone home). Trevor and Ryan finally hit the beach past the JW Marriott to see the monk seal that has been beaching there for 14 days and molting. I saw it several days but it was always when I was out for a run without the camera. Her name is Pohoku.
That looks like a totally kissable snout!
Here are some pretty pictures from their walk back
This is some sort of pretty fruit (?) that just falls from the trees here.
View walking toward the JW Marriott Ihilani
Drew had too much fun in the sun and actually had a little siesta by the pool
Relaxing on a pool float that someone gave us when they left the resort.
That night we were invited to share food with Lou, Betsy, Charlotte, and Lucas in their room. We brought a little pasta and a horrible bottle of wine (for some reason Ryan thought Fancy Pants would be a good blend) but they had made two kinds of fish, burgers, and an excellent salad. We bailed on them pretty quickly for a showing of Happy Feet 2 on the lawn that started at sunset. Maybe our vacations will bring us together again...
The pace of blogging slows down at this point because there isn't that much to report - we are just hanging out at the pool.
Day #5 – Fun in the sun
Kids slept until 730 today, which was
great. I fed the kids breakfast then
headed out for a run while Ryan went to the pool with the kids. At 1100 we went inside to build Tamiya
racecars. It was too complicated for
Drew and almost too complicated for me.
Poor girl just sat there for an hour while the instructor guy and I
tried to figure out why our car wouldn’t work.
Ryan finally fixed it for us.
Trevor's cool car
Drew's cool car
Then Ryan brought lunch down for us and the kids asked when
we were going to do something else.
What do you mean, something else?
This lounging by the pool thing is all that is on the agenda for the
next several days! Had steak for dinner
and then went for ice cream. I’ll leave
you with two quotes for the day:
#1 – Trevor swims over to his dad in the pool and says,
“Drew won’t listen to me and I didn’t hurt her and I am telling you. That’s what you always tell me to do so make
her listen.”
#2 – Ryan asks, “Drew how was dinner?” “It is as good as a goat running away which
means – excellent!” What?????
Day #6 – Kids got up around 730 again. After breakfast Mom went for a run and Dad
took the kids over to the JW Marriott to see sharks get fed. They didn’t do the shark feeding but the kids
got to see the sharks in the pool – they were all baby hammerheads. Then they went to walk through the Disney
Aulani Resort. Trevor thinks their pool
is way cooler than ours – it has a lazy river.
After that we went to a kid golf thing.
They were using giant plastic clubs to hit tennis balls off tees toward
a Velcro target. Trevor did pretty
well. Drew was trying left-handed and it
was her first time. They got some cool
schwag – Trevor got a Ko Olina golf hat and Drew got a ladybug luggage tag and
notepad.
After that we headed back to the pool where we made friends
with two couples from California (one from the Bay Area and one from Huntington
Beach in Orange County. Dinner was pasta
with salad and some good bread. Mommy
finished up the third Ivy and Bean chapter book on the folded out foldout couch
between the two kiddos and then promptly fell asleep at 800. I’m blaming it on the jet lag but maybe it
was all the afternoon drinks…
Day #7 – Drew woke everyone up at 630. Daddy got up to get the kids breakfast and
Mom got to sleep until 830. Drew and
Mommy headed out to a 9:00 hula lesson.
It was a pretty entertaining hour.
A little embarrassing to be learning hula in the middle of the great
lawn at the resort with 5 other people but oh well.
Doing the hula on the lawn
Towards the end Drew was getting bored –
especially after some of her “friends” from yesterday (like 12 year old girls
in bikinis) were like “Hey Drew, we’re going to be at the pool – see you in a
little while”. We then headed over to the pool for a little
swimming before the all-important Tamiya car race. It was a double elimination and the kids were
in different brackets because Drew’s model is the slower one.
Waiting for the race to begin!
Drew ended up winning first place (she was only
competing with one other kid) and Trevor came in second. It was rough for him because his car was
going so fast that it flipped off the track and whizzed through the lobby. When that had happened in previous heats the
ref called a “do over” and Trevor felt he was cheated.
Happy Drew with her prizes - 2 hot wheels, a ribbon, a certificate, and a plastic trophy.
After that we came back to the pool before heading up to
make ice cream in a bag. That was pretty
cool and I may try to do it at Drew’s friend party this year. After that we went to an “owners only”
activity where someone cut up pineapple, papaya , and mango for us to eat. It wasn’t nearly as cool and the brochure
made it sound. Back to the pool until it
was time for dinner and that was it for day #7.
