Back home

So back home, we understand it is SNOWING like crazy, lol!  What a great week to go to Hawaii!  Anyways, so my dad tells Carter to call my brother and see if it's snowing there.

C: "So is it snowing there or what?" (no Hello, no nothing....)
listens
C: "You know the place we used to live?  There's snow there." (did we suddenly move to Hawaii for good?)

This kid cracks me up.

Paul's doing well in the Mixed spiel-they lost their first game barely, but have won ever since.  Dad brought the computer and we are able to keep tabs on how the tournament is going.  There will be at least one game tomorrow (Sunday), possibly 2 and there's possibly 2 on Monday as well.  There are several good teams to beat, still, but Paul's got a great team of his own, so we'll see!

Henri's Head

What happened to Henri's head?  He stood too close to grandpa and Carter making smooshed pennies.  You know the machines you put in 2 quarters & a penny?  Then you crank this huge crank to smoosh the penny?  Yeah, he was too close to the huge crank.  There was blood and ice and bandaids involved.  But really, what is Henri without having a huge bump on his head???

Lydgate Park and Kauai Plantation Railway

First up today was Lydgate Park, known for two baby pools and an enormous play structure...

then headed to the Plantation, enjoyed a fresh tangerine...

on the train around the plantation. 

the plantation house-6000 sq feet, 3 bedrooms

 they grow a row of each different plant, with sugar cane as a wind break in between.  All the food grown is used at their restaurant, 22 north (think the Herb Farm).

Pineapples below.

They started with 4 wild boars.  now they have 60 and you can feed them.

then we hit Hilo for some souveniers and our free mini-sarongs, then Costco for macadamia nuts in every imaginable variety in huge packages.  Paul will be very excited to get his presents!

Waimea Town Celebration

This afternoon we visited Waimea Town Celebration we had corndogs that were dipped in batter and fried right in front of us.  Fried Poi balls, we tried a yummy coconut with rice flour fried then covered with honey and Portugese donuts.  Also a flying saucer which was like sloppy joe meat in between bread and toasted.  The boys each got a slide whistle and Carter & Erin tried the super-trampoline.

Waimea Canyon

We drove up to view the Canyon this morning...

view from the end of the road, over the ocean

Same area, looking towards the island, near one of the wettest places on earth.

The trail, slippery, muddy and no guardrails.  I made it about 3/4 of a mile, decided it was not a kid-friendly trail.

Henri sporting his latest band-aid.  What would he do without a bump on the head?

View towards where we are staying as we drive down the mountain.

Hawaii Videos

Hawaii Day 1 & 2

Introduced the kids to shaved ice.  Valerie liked the spoon straw more than the ice.  Henri had strawberry, Carter had coconut.

Henri wasn't giving his up for anything until it was done.

 Valerie modeling her new swimsuit in the pack 'n' play we got at a resale store for $10.Valerie's Cabana

the "bay" to the left is only about a foot deep, so the kids hung out there the rocky part on the right out across the water is full of tidepools with fun fish to see and check out.  The boys went out there with grandpa & I.

Hawaii hasn't changed Valerie's happy disposition.

Waiting in the car with a sleeping Henri.

2nd beach, the babies had enough of the sun, so we found this great tree to hunker down under, a cabana with places to hang up all our stuff, put the pack n' play and play in the shade.

Erin & Valerie at the first beach.

Henri at the first beach.

Carter at the first beach playing with the trucks we got at the resale shop.

 Snorkling at the second beach, it was near the beach, shallow and easy snorkling, there were many more, colorful fish than this...