Aloha and Ahui Hou to the Harveys!

The last Harvey day was the absolute epitome of life in paradise. The sun was high and bright, the trade winds were ever so slight, they sky was picturesque, and the water was warm. We scrambled to get all three children, four adults, and all of our beach gear packed up for an early morning drive to the North Shore. We pulled into Waimea Bay Beach Park and slid into two empty spots, just as the lot filled up.

Waimea Bay is one of the top white sand beaches in the world. Our family loves Waimea more than any other beach on Oahu. It is never crowded on the sand, though the parking lot gives a different impression. The lot is on the smaller side, though. In the summer, the waters are super calm and flat, like glass. In the winter, this is the place to be. It looks completely different, with waves as high as 30 feet, and the inshore break can be up to 12 feet. Waimea Bay is a filming location for LOST and also home to the Quicksilver competition in the winter. The surf is amazing and dangerous, and also sadly, fatal. The Harveys last saw Waimea Bay when the surf was up. This time, they had a completely different experience.

We sat on the beach for just a few minutes. The water was too inviting. Since the bay has a remarkably strong under tow at the shore we swam a little farther out for calmer water.

A few guys were paddle surfing the width of the bay. Paddle surfing dates back to early Polynesia, with Hawaiian roots. The boards used are slightly different than regular surf boards. They are longer, may have more fins, have padded decks, and concave hulls. Remember what happened when we saw a paddle surfer the other day?

There was a second attempt.

We swam and enjoyed the island's warmth until the minutes on the clock ran out. Just to give you a closer look at the bay:

Right before we left, J slipped matching sarongs on herself and on little A. They were too cute!! Hawaiian sarongs are fringed on the ends, with bright colors, and usually have animals or plant prints.

We stopped in Hale'iwa (pronounced Ha-Lee-Ee-vah) for lunch. J had asked us previously about that teriyaki cheese fries place that I blog so much about. A guilty smile spread across my face when she asked, with a spatter of pleasure. Another diet cheating day!!!! It was a Grass Skirt Grill day! I have never actually shown you what this place looks like. Our favorite seats are at the far left, outside. That's where the two tables are with the longest benches. The door to the restaurant is at the extreme right. The owner of Grass Skirt Grill owns Strong Current, the surf shop next door, too. All seven of us had teriyaki cheese fries, to prove to y'all we are good parents. We devoured our cheeseburgers with 1/2 an avocado roosted on top. The kids feasted on chicken strips, but they all wanted teriyaki cheese fries!
After lunch the Harveys stopped by the Dole Plantation for a pineapple whip. J had been dreaming of one the moment she stepped off the plane. They are so wonderfully unique, we usually buy them, too, each time we ride the Dole Plantation train. And Son1 knows. He reminds us of their existence. But no pineapple whips today for the Farmers! We hurried home, lest Son2 take a mini nap in the car, and then skip his afternoon nap entirely.

The kids napped, and J and I ran out the door for some last minute shopping. She knew exactly what to buy. Some of the last things she picked up were Hawaiian Island Tea packages. These are specialty teas blended with all-natural ingredients and exotic tropical fruit flavors. The teas are so fragrant and flavorful. This is a Have to Have item if you are a tea drinker!!

We returned home, and had our last supper together, well, at least for 2008.

The Harveys loaded all of their belongings in their car, we walked them outside, and bid them Aloha Ahui Hou! (Aloha Ah-who-ee Ho!) This means, goodbye, until we meet again. It is a beautiful way to say goodbye in Hawaii. It's never really good bye. And yes, there were tears, but only for one little boy. In the 3 1/2 years we have lived in Hawaii, Son1 has cried only twice at guest goodbyes. And both times were for the Harveys. That says something.

Ko Olina Day

Son2 just wouldn't go down for a nap, regardless of our patience with him. He got up a little late, and it threw off his morning nap. Forget it. We snatched him from his crib and headed for the lagoons at Ko Olina.

At the edge of the Marriott resort are four large lagoons with white sand beaches. Small channels cut through the beach rock terraces that connect the lagoons to the open ocean. These channels allow water from the ocean into the lagoons, but are narrow enough to prevent high surf, so the water is perfect for families with small children all year round. (Otherwise, during the winter months the surf can get pretty rough, particularly on the North Shore.) These lagoons are about ten feet deep at the centers. The coastline was cut almost twenty years ago to create the four lagoons, and sand was imported to create four artificial beaches, one in each lagoon.

Well, by the time we got out there, Son2 was hungry. Hubby and Son1 got in the water while I fed Son2. I dropped his spoon in the sand accidentally, so I fished around for something to clean it off. Swallowed sand doesn't come out the other end too easily. I spent a smidge too long looking for a wipe in my bag, because I looked up and caught Son2 eating sand. Sigh. So much for avoiding sand in the mouth.

He was pretty anxious to see what his brother was doing. I hurried and changed Son1 into his integrated wet suit and headed for the water.

Son1 was doing some exploring in the water. This is a special boogie board we got Son1 with a kind of diver's mask attached to it. The rubber mask is sealed into the board and then pops up and out about three inches. Since the lagoon allows open ocean water in, a lot of sea life comes in, too. Often we see fish in the lagoons. Son1 calls this his surf board.
Meanwhile, we put Son2 in this floatie. We have a few of these. We are fortunate that our babies are apt to sleep in floaties, lulled by the water. Since Son1 loved to nap in these floaties, we tried the same for Son2.
We slather the kids in SPF 30 and dress them in SPF50 wetsuits for moments like this. They just won't wear hats in the water. Fortunately, neither of them have ever sunburned. Hubby hung onto Son2, standing over him casting a Daddy shadow, blocking the sun. He let Son1 and I take our turn exploring with his board in the water. We turned it sideways, laying on our tummies, and the two of us kicked and peeked through the mask until it was time to go home.