Hawaii -- days 3 & 4

Thursday

This morning I got up and watched the sun rise again with Brenden, who had missed it yesterday. There is something so invigorating and serene about being up early and on the beach watching the day begin. The peaceful moment was interrupted, however, when we noticed the hundreds of little white crabs scrambling all over the sand, and realized that the tracks and holes and mounds that we were sitting on were from them. Brenden pushed his luck by poking a stick into one of their holes, and was terrified when it popped out and ran over his foot, causing Brenden to run full speed back up to the house.

Breakfast. Playing in the house. Packing our things. Then on an adventure to Waikiki. The goal: Japanese tourist sighting and surfing lessons. We found both in droves.

Brenden and I signed up for a surfing lesson, while Scott and the others played in the surf and the sand. We had a great time and both managed to get up and ride quite a few waves.

It was sort of scary and very tiring but totally thrilling. On my first wave I screamed the whole time, flailed my arms, and as the wave was dying out I forgot the teachers instructions so I kept yelling "now what? now what?" On my second wave I crashed into a big canoe. By the end I had improved my form a bit. Brenden was a pro. Chris rented a board and rode a few waves with us.

We grabbed a Paradise Burger, went to Yogurtland, hit an ABC store - doing the whole Hawaii tourist thing. Everyone fell asleep on the way home.


Friday
This morning we planned to go snorkeling at Hanauma Bay before the tour buses arrived. Oliver tried to get us up at 6:30am, but we held him off until 7:30. Breakfast, pack our things, and we were out the door and in the water by 9am.

Scott pulled the boys around on a boogie board. There were tales of octopus and sea turtles but we saw tons and tons of tropical fish. Big ones, small ones, individuals, schools, of all colors and patterns - right there below the surface just a few feet from the shore. Amazing. June and Huck played on the shore.

Chris watched the kids for a bit so Scott and I could go out together.

We stopped for a "plate lunch" and "shave ice" on the way home, then took it easy around the house and the beach out front for the rest of the day.



Could it get any more picturesque here?!

We searched multiple video stores for a copy of North Shore, but unfortunately no luck. Sushi and pho for dinner. Chris & Renae went to the movies while Scott & I stayed with the sleeping kids.

North Shore (the real one) and Polynesian Cultural Center tomorrow.
Aloha