Random Things

1. We survived 'Parkle Girl's birthday party. It was a little more exciting than I would have liked because I misremembered what time it started. I was off by half an hour. As in, the first guest arrived and I thought, "gee, they're awfully early." Then the next guest arrived and I figured it out. Fortunately, the kitchen was clean, and the rest of the house was mostly ready, but the food wasn't quite done and I hadn't managed to pick up the lego debris left by the boys. One of the moms we've known for a long time helped with the fruit while I ran around like a crazy person. In spite of all that, I think it went well.

2. Overheard yesterday evening:
'Parkle Girl: Only girls can be doctors
Mr. Personality: No, girls can be doctors and nurse practitioners.
Universe Man: Anybody who wants to can be a doctor. Or a nurse practitioner. Or anything else.
I guess I'm doing a good job, and evidently all the kids' healthcare providers are women.

3. I've found my spinning mojo. I don't know where it was hiding. I think it didn't like the way I was spinning the merino batts.

4. I still don't know where my knitting mojo is. I hope it comes home soon.

5. Now that we've survived the trip to Hawaii and the birthday party, it's time to deal with Pesach. It never stops.

A Week Ago, We Were in Hawaii

Actually, it's suprising that I'm getting to posting something this quickly.

We returned last week from a week and a half on Maui with my in-laws. We had some wonderful times and some awful times, and about the awful times I'll only say that being sick on Maui is just as miserable as being sick at home and that there are pluses and minuses to having to work while you're on vacation. (One of the pluses is that you get paid).

We started out on what my in-laws call "the other side" at Kaanapali.


While there, we went whale watching, which was fantastic! LSH snapped this picture. We were very impressed.



The next day, we took the long and winding road to Hana. I didn't drive. This turned out to be a good thing, because I lack depth perception and on the way back, I felt as though we were going over the side of the road any number of times. LSH assures me that we weren't, and I believe him, but that's how it felt.

That began a bit over a week at my in-laws house. There were many exciting adventures, interspersed with relaxation, whale watching from the lanai, and coming up with ways to entertain kids who have only brought a certain number of books, toys, games, and videos with them. (The local public library and beaches were key with this last part).

Koki beach was a huge hit.








So was the black sand beach at Wainapanapa State Park. The sand there was declared excellent for building sand castles.



We celebrated 'Parkle Girl's 3rd birthday and she danced the hula for us.



There was a fantastic hike at Kipahulu to Waimoku Falls. All the guide books tell you it's a 2 1/2 - 5 hour round trip, but it only took as 2 1/2 hours, and that was with 'Parkle Girl walking the top 2 miles or so (of the 4 miles) and a stop to eat and enjoy the falls at the top. I guess we're in better shape that I thought!



Later on, we went to Hana Bay, which the kids also declared excellent.





And then there was swimming (and sliding) at O'heo Gulch. The pools there are closed to swimming for safety reasons when there's been too much rainn and when we hiked earlier in the week, the pools were closed. We got lucky though, and when we called to check a couple of days later, they were open. We all had a fantastic time!


The boys even found a "water slide."



The family agreed that whalewatching and swimming at O'heo Gulch were the best parts of the trip, and the kids added Hana Bay to the list.

There was lots more fun and tons more pictures, but now we're all back home and I've got one question.

When do we get over the jet lag?

I'm so tired that

I just shook the cookie sheet instead of the can of cooking spray.

And then couldn't even write a sentence properly.