In the meantime Son2 and I took a walk. Several yards from the driving range we saw this tree. See the shape of the hollow? It was a perfect and vivid commemoration of Son1's first day at the driving range with Daddy.
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Plans changed on the North Shore. Son1 needed a longer nap. No Haleiwa. Our plan was to drive until there was a reason to stop. Hubby guided the van away from Haleiwa at Weed Circle (named for the Weed family), toward Waialua. We drove and drove and drove on the two lane road, and soon we were out of Waialua and into Mokuleia. I had never been this far out on the island, all the way to the northwest tip. Hubby had almost been this far, but not me.
Mokuleia is really underpopulated. Just over a thousand people live in Mokuleia. We wound around a bend that cradled the beach. and our eyes caught dozens of brightly colored kites scattered in the air. This was the kite surfing beach! We kept driving, because Son1 was still snoozing. We drove a couple of miles until we could drive no more at Kahe Point. Here the road became 4 wheel drive accessible, only. We doubled back and headed toward Mokuleia. You might recognize it from these LOST scenes. Just feet from the parking lot, Son1 woke up!
The kids could see the kites from the road and were thrilled to skitter from the van to the beach. Above the beach several guys laid out their gear in the grass. We didn't see any women. Just guys. The guy on the left was laying his kite out flat to inflate. The guy on the right was pumping up his kite. He had two different battery operated pumps. His kite board was just beyond.
Kiteboards are shorter than surf boards. The four tethers from each kite were laid out probably at least twenty to thirty feet long. The surfers wore sturdy harnesses and anchored the tethers to them. The kites were propelled by catching the wind, not by actual surfing. The wind conditions make kite surfing really dangerous. The wind can pick the kite up into the air with the surfer. Strong winds could also drag the surfer below the water. Hubby knows someone that was dragged into a tree by the wind at this beach. Most all of the kite surfers take instruction from kite boarding centers to learn the techniques.
The distinct kite shapes catch the wind at different rates. Below is a foil kite, or a power kite. 
A very scraggy trail amongst chunky green plants led to the beach. I set Son2 down in the warm sand for an instant to capture the sight.
We mostly saw lei kites, or c-shaped kites. The surf was a bit rough at the wave breaks, and the shore was a rocky entry.
I was almost done taking my shots when I noticed a pair of familiar shoes next to me. 
I was startled. Son1 stood with me at the water's edge. Up the beach Hubby and Son2 were ready to get out of the wind and flying sand. They made their way to the car. Son1 and I followed just a few minutes later, climbing the same trail we followed to the beach.
It was time to pick pumpkins. First we traipsed through the fields in search of gourds and pumpkins. The fields were really dense and undisturbed since it was early pumpkin season. The plants were thick and viney. The kids got excited and plunged through into the green vines. They tangled a few times trying to escape the green ropes.
We scooped up pumpkins and gourds several rows back. The adults were loaded down with the treasured crops, corralling preschoolers, and dodging gusts of red dirt all the way to the tractor ride. We waited patiently and mounted the flatbed cars where bales of hay awaited us. We bumped and bounced through the pumpkin fields for several minutes. Since it was still so early in pumpkin season, the tractor trail was very fresh and hardly driven. The dirt was not packed, and the conditions were perfect for flying dirt. I think the kids were a little scared.We plopped down on some outdoor rugs to wait for the bus. After some hand sanitizer, the adults handed out snack bags. One of the teachers mentioned I was awfully generous with the snacks. Oops. Then I looked around. I looked at all of the other kids guzzling 16 ounce water bottles. No way. Not me. I was super stingy with the water. I told the teachers, my son, and his friend there was no way I was letting my two kids drink 16 ounces of water before getting on the bus. They looked down at the other kid. Oops. We still had a thirty minute ride back on the bus. I was not taking any chances. I had to share a seat with two preschoolers!
On the way out we asked the farmer teacher (not me, ha ha, for those of you that don't know I taught for several years before becoming a SAHM, I was the original "Farmer Teacher") about weekend parking. She was generous and shared free parking passes with us, and I took one. I AM GOING BACK even if we were a dusty mess on the field trip!
See the shower on the outdoor post on the right? It spouted hot water which was so nice after returning from the beach. We used the hose below the shower to wash sand from our boogie boards. The cabin had a full shower inside, too. The outside shower was just to shower off the sand, not our birthday suits. Below was our view from the lanai.
At the edge of the beach is a water jetty, confined by rocks on either side. It is exceptionally shallow for several yards. This was safer for our children than the rougher high tide waters at the beach. We crossed over the rocks at the edge of the beach and into the jetty. Along the rocks we spotted dozens of sand crabs. We watched as they scurried sideways out of our sight.
Son1 wasted no time. He jumped on his boogie board, determined to ride some waves before the sunset. His daddy grabbed the leash on his boogie board. He guided Son1 gently into the waves at first. Then he and Son1 got this idea. Son1 laid on his back on the board while Hubby pulled, just like an inner tube pulled by a speed boat. So Hubby led Son1 over the lightly clapping waves with unexpected twists and turns. Their laughter was swallowed by the sound of the impacting waves. I beamed. My sweet son esteems his father. He is his hero. 
We finally called time when I spotted a Portuguese Man O'War floating past. He was alone. A lot of people mistake them for jellyfish, but they are actually 4 dangerous polyps. Their jelly bellies (full of gas) float at the surface, and those long blue stringy things can be as long as 30 feet below the water. Their sting causes whip like marks on humans that sting and burn and get into the lymph nodes. They are particularly dangerous to small children and can cause them to go into anaphylactic shock. 
Hubby caught the Man O'War and laid him on one of the rocks. The tide would take the Man O'War out later. We have seen the tentacles come loose and sting people on the beach.
We explained to the kids about the Man O'War and his danger, and why it was time to get out. We climbed back over the rocks, out of the jetty, and onto the beach. The waves clapped crash, crash, crash at the shore as we padded along the sand to our cabin.
After showers and jammies, Son2 snuggled into his pack n play. Son1 and I slung and pinned our towels and suits on the clothesline behind our cabin while Hubby fired up the grill. Son1 was still too excited for bed. We grabbed his flashlight and our shoes and walked to the edge of the beach in front of our cabin. We stood goggling into a dark black sky, filled with infinite stars. I asked him if he could count them all. He tipped his flashlight skyward, aiming at the stars. He counted 23 stars, he announced. I smiled and hugged him. I didn't tell him he was right. I didn't tell him he was wrong. I just said WOW!
It was bedtime. Before I had put Son2 to bed I showed Son1 his bed in the light. He practiced sneaking into a dark room without waking his brother. But that didn't work so well when it was actually his bedtime. Those boys had plenty to talk about in the dark. They were as quiet as two boys could get, and Hubby and I were starving. So we just let them chatter. Eventually they would fall asleep.
I told you how much I L.O.V.E. charcoal grills. Aaah but they are so rare these days. Everyone has gas portables. These cabins are equipped with charcoal grills, though! So Hubby grilled us flank steaks, prepped by Costco. He also steamed broccoli in the kitchen.
We packed two kinds of cookies for dessert. But at the end of dinner Hubby pulled out a carrot cake he had picked up at the shopette. He knows I L.O.V.E. carrot cake. Aww folks, now that is romance. You must know we were without children for nearly 8 years from the day we met until Son1 arrived. We ate out all of the time over those eight years. Going out to nice restaurants, seated next to strangers at the nicest table with the most awesome views just doesn't qualify as romantic to me as blatant thoughtfulness, now that I am a mom. Maybe it's because I am out of the work environment where I was used to tons of recognition and affirmation. Hubby filled my love tank so much more with charcoal and a carrot cake. And I am not saying I am giving up on nice dinners out. No way. But charcoal and carrot cake warmed my heart.
We were exhausted. The kids were still awake giggling and laughing, jumping up and down, and opening closets in the dark. We had gone in to regulate a few times. Finally Hubby and I laid in bed, and he said they would fall asleep eventually. They were just having fun in a new place. Sigh. They finally laid down some time around 10 at night. We prayed for them to wake up late.
I fell asleep quickly but used "the facility" a few times that night. I drink a lot of water when we go to the beach, and I had my fill late at night. It was a little frightening. The toilet wasn't bolted to the floor. The floor wasn't quite dry from the showers, either. I almost fell to my death more than once. Hubby's sleep was rough. The bed was no Heavenly Bed. Ohh it was far from it. And the sheets were sandpapery. But it really wasn't about the bed, and the whole idea of sleep was overrated. The kids were up just after 6am, when the sun rose. But I was nowhere inside the cabin. On my Hawaii Bucket List was to watch a sunrise on the beach. Hubby never really knew that. I just hadn't figured out how I could manage that with small children.
The last time I woke up was about 530am. I dressed quickly, and grabbed the cell phone for pictures. I walked along the beach alone, uneasy in the dark. I could see where the ocean touched the shoreline over and over. I knew the rapid movements riffling from the sand into the water were sand crabs. I barely made out their bodies. I wanted to test the water in the dark. Was the ocean as warm in the early hours as it is during the day in Hawaii? I am not sure, but it definitely was warm, much warmer than I thought. The sky opened, and the clouds separated. I could see a little light. I had an idea. My best chance at decent pictures with a camera phone was to stand above the water's reflection and below the sky's reflection. I treaded toward the jetty and climbed onto the rocks. I cannot imagine a better place to see an unobstructed sunrise.
As the sun rose higher the beach glowed. The clouds pushed open, the sun's rays kissed the top of the rumbling ocean and gleamed on the warm sand. I sat high on the sand, quietly, alone, reveling in the stillness of the beach. I looked down and saw this pint-sized mound of sand with a hole alongside. Oh! A sand crabbed peeked out, and ran furiously into the surf. I laughed and looked up to see another mound, another hole, and another crab make the same break for the ocean. I looked around and around. Up and down the beach were hundreds and hundreds, maybe even a thousand of these mounds with holes alongside. Then I noticed some of these crabs were not so small nor so cute. Some were the size of apples. Some granddaddy crabs were the size of grapefruits. Now they were bordering on creepy.
I was startled by the sound of the cell phone. The kids were up. I brushed myself off, said goodbye to the stillness of the early morning, ready to greet my kids.
We had planned to eat breakfast at Boots and Kimos in Kailua. Eating there was also on the Hawaii Bucket List. It is one of the infamous places on Oahu that people say you HAVE to try. It is a small local homestyle place, and the breakfast line is usually an hour long on the weekends. It has been voted best breakfast place several times over. Since we live several minutes away, we have been discouraged by the long wait with small children. But Bellows is just a few minutes from Boots and Kimo's.
The restaurant is named for two brothers, "Boots" and "Kimo." The restaurant opened 14 years ago. Boots and Kimo have since passed away, but Boots's sons run the place now. People make the long wait for the infamous macadamia nut pancakes. They are made with super creamy macadamia nut sauce. Hubby and I ordered a plate to split.
We each ordered the "Pakalolo Omlette". Pakalolo literally means marijuana in Hawaiian, but all substances in the omlette were completely legal. It was filled with tomatoes and onions and other veggies. My omlette came with a side of fried rice. But that went to Son1. Hawaiian fried rice is Son1's favorite breakfast food in the world. He made sure a thousand times over we did not forget his sacred fried rice. Poor Son1. Whatever will he do when we leave the island? Hawaiian fried rice is a breakfast staple in the islands.
Hubby clicked my photo, and in the background caught a photo of the asst. manager's arm. I wanted to share this tattoo with you, for a couple of reasons. First, I don't have any tattoos at all, which means I don't have any Hawaiian tattoos to show you. Second, Hawaiian tattoos have been culturally relevant to the Hawaiian people for thousands of years. Originally the Hawaiian people used bird beaks, claws, and fish bones to make tattoos. Hawaiian tattoos usually have geometric and symmetric designs, and were a tribal way of marking themselves. Now they are part of cultural pride. People do entire limbs, across their chests, or torso, or small areas. Tattoos are very common in the Polynesian Islands.
After a filling and delicious breakfast, we drove back to Bellows. We packed the car so we could check out and spend the entire day on the beach. As I was cleaning the kids' room, I noticed a hulking millipede slither past my bare feet! Eeek! They aren't really harmless. Usually they just curl into a tight ball if they are scared. But if you make them mad enough they can emit a gas that can cause blisters. Ewww! We said aloha to our cabin, which made Son1 terribly sad, until he saw the beach.
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