Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Chillin with molly's second half once removed cousin!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Welcome baby Jodoin!!!
The little guy weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz and was born just after 9:30 am this morning (at least that's when the c-section was scheduled for, I don't have all the details yet). No name at this moment, but Robert (big brother) has taken to calling him "Baba".
Update from Jenn - "Baby Jodoin was born on friday at 9:56 am weighing 7.8 lbs and was 20" long. We are both doing great! As for the name, we are trying out Connor."
Update from Aunt Marissa - "We have a name! Welcome to the family Connor Austin Jodoin!!"
Disney on Ice
Molly and I scored free tickets to today's performance of Disney on Ice - Princess Classics thanks to our friend Corey. The show started at 10:30 and Molly LOVED every single minute of it... until she was done... which was just about intermission. We did a lap and then went back to our seats, but Molly informed me she was "all done now" and would like to go "that way please" as she pointed to the exit. Eh, she saw *most* of the show.
There was one part where I wasn't sure if I should be proud or concerned. It was during The Little Mermaid and it was when Ursula took Ariel's voice. Molly thought it was hilarious. The scary music just made her giggle and clap... as if to say, "You rock on with your bad self you big beautiful bad ass octopus lady!"
Hey, at least it didn't freak her out... that's something, right?
There was one part where I wasn't sure if I should be proud or concerned. It was during The Little Mermaid and it was when Ursula took Ariel's voice. Molly thought it was hilarious. The scary music just made her giggle and clap... as if to say, "You rock on with your bad self you big beautiful bad ass octopus lady!"
Hey, at least it didn't freak her out... that's something, right?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
weekend wrap-up
N was in Miami all last week on business. Rather than fly all the way across the country and then fly 2/3 of the way back (he had to be in Detroit on Sunday for a work conference) he decided to just spend a day with his old roommate Ryan in Atlanta. He gets back from Detroit tomorrow evening and it will definitely be nice to have him home again. Molly asked where daddy was this morning and then asked if he could be "home now please." I keep telling her soon, but she's starting to doubt me. Unfortunately 2 year olds don't quite grasp the concept if what day it is and what tomorrow means. I'm sure she's going to be supper happy to see daddy again when he finally does get home (as will I).
Molly and I went to the Ren Faire Saturday morning. We drove through the Garlic Capital of the world to get there and I could actually taste it the smell was so strong. The Ren Faire was great. We saw a few shows and did a lap around the entire place. The forecast was for the upper 60's, but my car was reading 82 when we pulled out. I'm just happy I remembered to pack a t-shirt for Molly to change into.
Since I was a week into solo parent duties and N was going to be gone for another half of a week I dropped Molly off at Grandma Lucille's for a sleepover on Saturday night. I ended up going out to dinner with the Jodoins, Chouns, and Connally/Shipmans, but then took off for the movies. My original plan was to see a double feature of Couples Retreat and Whip It, but Couples Retreat was sold out. I switched over to Zombieland (HILARIOUS) and bailed on Whip It as it was almost an hour before it started. I took full advantage of sleeping in Sunday morning and picked Molly up around noon.
Molly was a dream for Lucille and Jim. She told them when she was ready for bed and after a hug and goodnight kiss she crawled right into her travel tent and passed out. She started to make a little noise around 6:00 am, but did not get UP until almost 8:00 am. They went to the park that morning and had a blast. I love to get a good report after a sleepover.
I'm pretty sure Molly is going through another growth spurt as she has been sleeping A LOT. On Sunday I put her down around 1:30 when we got home for her nap. She had a massive diaper that needed to be changed around 2:00. Then she spent the better part of the next hour babbling to herself. Not upset, but clearly awake. I decided I would go in and get her at 3:00 if she was still up. She quieted down a few minutes before 3:00 and I finally woke her up at 7:00 (!!!) so I could get some dinner in her before putting her back down. She was back asleep a little after 8:00 and slept until almost 8:00 the next morning. That coupled with the need for new shoes makes me think "growth spurt."
I also think her second molars are slowly working their way in. She has been using her fingers and sippy cuts as chew toys and since she's sticking them in the far back of her mouth I have to think the molars are working their way down. I haven't seen any break through the surface yet (and it's pretty hard to get a good view), but SOMETHING is happening.
Molly and I went to the Ren Faire Saturday morning. We drove through the Garlic Capital of the world to get there and I could actually taste it the smell was so strong. The Ren Faire was great. We saw a few shows and did a lap around the entire place. The forecast was for the upper 60's, but my car was reading 82 when we pulled out. I'm just happy I remembered to pack a t-shirt for Molly to change into.
Since I was a week into solo parent duties and N was going to be gone for another half of a week I dropped Molly off at Grandma Lucille's for a sleepover on Saturday night. I ended up going out to dinner with the Jodoins, Chouns, and Connally/Shipmans, but then took off for the movies. My original plan was to see a double feature of Couples Retreat and Whip It, but Couples Retreat was sold out. I switched over to Zombieland (HILARIOUS) and bailed on Whip It as it was almost an hour before it started. I took full advantage of sleeping in Sunday morning and picked Molly up around noon.
Molly was a dream for Lucille and Jim. She told them when she was ready for bed and after a hug and goodnight kiss she crawled right into her travel tent and passed out. She started to make a little noise around 6:00 am, but did not get UP until almost 8:00 am. They went to the park that morning and had a blast. I love to get a good report after a sleepover.
I'm pretty sure Molly is going through another growth spurt as she has been sleeping A LOT. On Sunday I put her down around 1:30 when we got home for her nap. She had a massive diaper that needed to be changed around 2:00. Then she spent the better part of the next hour babbling to herself. Not upset, but clearly awake. I decided I would go in and get her at 3:00 if she was still up. She quieted down a few minutes before 3:00 and I finally woke her up at 7:00 (!!!) so I could get some dinner in her before putting her back down. She was back asleep a little after 8:00 and slept until almost 8:00 the next morning. That coupled with the need for new shoes makes me think "growth spurt."
I also think her second molars are slowly working their way in. She has been using her fingers and sippy cuts as chew toys and since she's sticking them in the far back of her mouth I have to think the molars are working their way down. I haven't seen any break through the surface yet (and it's pretty hard to get a good view), but SOMETHING is happening.
Better in theory...
So before we went to Kauai I purchased a few float suits off the web. Think wet suit style, but bathing suit material, and a built in life vest. I thought Molly would love it. It would give her more freedom in the water and I just thought it was the best idea ever.
Boy was I wrong.
I attempted to try the suits on a few times before we left (I ordered three in different sizes and styles) and it was a HUGE fight with a freakin' octopus! I swear Molly grew extra limbs to kick with. We then just tossed the suits in the suitcase with the intention of trying them on in Kauai with N around. We tried to get one suit on in the hotel room and got it on enough to know that it was too small. So the next day I grabbed the larger one and brought it down to the lagoon with us. For some strange reason I thought it would be easier to get it on IN the water.
Once again... WRONG.
Molly FREAKED. Now she's usually pretty good about going with the flow, but there was just something about these suits that she didn't want anything to do with. We got this one on enough to realized it fit perfectly, but she was tearing at it screaming, "Off! Off!" so we had to take it right off.
Like I said... better idea in theory.
So, if anyone is interested in a Body Glove Kids Float Suit Blue, 2-3 (20-30 lbs) or Blue, 3-4 (25-40 lbs) or a Swimsafe Floatsuit - Navy/Electric Blue Size 2-3 let me know. The smaller Body Glove was tried on once on dry land (in the room) and the larger one did get wet when we got it on in the lagoon. The Swimsafe one has never been touched.
Boy was I wrong.
I attempted to try the suits on a few times before we left (I ordered three in different sizes and styles) and it was a HUGE fight with a freakin' octopus! I swear Molly grew extra limbs to kick with. We then just tossed the suits in the suitcase with the intention of trying them on in Kauai with N around. We tried to get one suit on in the hotel room and got it on enough to know that it was too small. So the next day I grabbed the larger one and brought it down to the lagoon with us. For some strange reason I thought it would be easier to get it on IN the water.
Once again... WRONG.
Molly FREAKED. Now she's usually pretty good about going with the flow, but there was just something about these suits that she didn't want anything to do with. We got this one on enough to realized it fit perfectly, but she was tearing at it screaming, "Off! Off!" so we had to take it right off.
Like I said... better idea in theory.
So, if anyone is interested in a Body Glove Kids Float Suit Blue, 2-3 (20-30 lbs) or Blue, 3-4 (25-40 lbs) or a Swimsafe Floatsuit - Navy/Electric Blue Size 2-3 let me know. The smaller Body Glove was tried on once on dry land (in the room) and the larger one did get wet when we got it on in the lagoon. The Swimsafe one has never been touched.
Halloween
My favorite part about Molly's birthday being in October is that I get to do Halloween themed birthday parties for her. This year she is definitely into this holiday. She's been obsessed with her Who's There on Halloween? book since we got back from Kauai. Again is usually the first thing we hear as soon as we finish reading the last page. Now that all of the stores have Halloween stuff out (and our neighbors have their decorations out) Molly is super excited to point out all the pumpkins, skeletons, and spiders (and anything else she might spy with her little eye). I'm loving it! I can't wait to take her trick o' treating.
Monday, October 19, 2009
First Merrells
Friday, October 16, 2009
double standard
Miss Molly would not let anyone sing Happy Birthday to her. As soon as someone would start it up she would immediately say, "No singing!" Then last night we were video conferencing with N and Molly starts singing Happy Birthday. Of course as soon as N or I tried to join her she would say, "No singing", but then would launch right back into the song herself. The nerve!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
20 is the new 10
When I got Molly up this morning she proceeded to count to 20 for me. Very little hesitation and just went straight through in correct order. That's my smart little cookie!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy 2nd Birthday!
Molly turns two today.
TWO.
Time flies indeed.
We got together with a few friends and family yesterday and headed up to the Arata Pumpkin Farm in Halfmoon Bay. The main draw for me was the hay bale maze, but I think the kids were still a little young to really enjoy it. However, Jamie (6 years old) thought it was AWESOME so we might have to return here for another birthday when the little ones are a few years older. Still, we got some GREAT pictures so I'd say it was worth the trek!
Molly carried around this cute little pumpkin all day, but we left it behind!
I also realized last night that we never gave her a taste of her own cupcake cake. We have a few cupcakes left so she will definitely be getting one today for lunch. Not that she's a huge fan of sweets, but still... the girl needs a little something on her big day!
Molly's latest obsession has been numbers and letters. She sees them EVERYWHERE and is constantly pointing them out. Some days she'll have a favorite (right now it's W and 8) and will says those regardless of what she's pointing at, but for the most part she gets them right. Getting through a parking lot can take a while because license plates are the. best. thing. ever! She has sung the alphabet song correctly up to H and can count to 10. She does know the entire alphabet song, but she tends to skip parts of it. She also sounds like a stuck record when she gets to W and it sounds something along the lines of, "dubba ewe ew ew ew ew eweeee", ad nauseam!
When we were in Kauai her favorite thing was to push the buttons of the elevator. We would ask for 3 (going down/upper pool level) or 4 (our floor) and then she would shake her hands and say, "No more!" (a learned behavior after she tried to press ALL the buttons).
We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and they have this very open lobby where they have live exotic birds during the day. Molly knew all of their names (Niele - Hyacinth Macaw, Rico - Green Winged Macaw, Duke - Blue and Gold Macaw, and Malie - Moluccan Cockatoo) and would say hello to them every time we passed by. There were also two bird cages out by the pool just outside our room. We could see Lilikoi (Yellow-crested Cockatoo) from our balcony. The other bird was named Sugar (White-crowned Parrot, seen below) and was located by the Captain's Bar.
My mom wanted to get her used to having the "Happy Birthday" song sung to her so she started in as soon as we got back from our trip only to be met with a "No singing" from Molly every single time she started in on the song. She continued this all day yesterday. She would also say she was 10 whenever anyone asked her how old she was. I know she's wise beyond her years, but I think 10 might be pushing it. ;-)
However, Molly is a total mimic these days and I've actually caught her singing along to songs on the radio or tv. She LOVES to dance and shakes her booty any chance she gets. She also has a GREAT imagination and can make a game out of the smallest thing. We have had a few instances of the "terrible twos", but these have mainly occurred when she is overly tired or hungry. For the most part she's a pretty laid back kid who goes with the flow. She has her moments of shyness (especially if she just woke up), but warms up pretty quick.
Molly is also really affectionate. She loves to snuggle in close to you on the couch while she watches Sesame Street. She also started to say "owie" a lot because she got kisses in return, but lately realized she can just ask for kisses instead. Every now and then she'll be running around and playing and will just stop and run over to you and squeeze your legs in a big ol' hug and then goes right back to whatever it was that she was doing. LOVE that!
A few weeks back at story time another little girl grabbed a book out of the hands of another younger boy (closer to 1 year than 2) which caused him to burst into tears. Well, Molly would have NONE of this and marched over to the little girl and took the book away from her and gave it back to the little boy so he would stop crying. Awww, warms a mother's heart.
TWO.
Time flies indeed.
We got together with a few friends and family yesterday and headed up to the Arata Pumpkin Farm in Halfmoon Bay. The main draw for me was the hay bale maze, but I think the kids were still a little young to really enjoy it. However, Jamie (6 years old) thought it was AWESOME so we might have to return here for another birthday when the little ones are a few years older. Still, we got some GREAT pictures so I'd say it was worth the trek!
Molly carried around this cute little pumpkin all day, but we left it behind!
I also realized last night that we never gave her a taste of her own cupcake cake. We have a few cupcakes left so she will definitely be getting one today for lunch. Not that she's a huge fan of sweets, but still... the girl needs a little something on her big day!
Molly's latest obsession has been numbers and letters. She sees them EVERYWHERE and is constantly pointing them out. Some days she'll have a favorite (right now it's W and 8) and will says those regardless of what she's pointing at, but for the most part she gets them right. Getting through a parking lot can take a while because license plates are the. best. thing. ever! She has sung the alphabet song correctly up to H and can count to 10. She does know the entire alphabet song, but she tends to skip parts of it. She also sounds like a stuck record when she gets to W and it sounds something along the lines of, "dubba ewe ew ew ew ew eweeee", ad nauseam!
When we were in Kauai her favorite thing was to push the buttons of the elevator. We would ask for 3 (going down/upper pool level) or 4 (our floor) and then she would shake her hands and say, "No more!" (a learned behavior after she tried to press ALL the buttons).
We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai and they have this very open lobby where they have live exotic birds during the day. Molly knew all of their names (Niele - Hyacinth Macaw, Rico - Green Winged Macaw, Duke - Blue and Gold Macaw, and Malie - Moluccan Cockatoo) and would say hello to them every time we passed by. There were also two bird cages out by the pool just outside our room. We could see Lilikoi (Yellow-crested Cockatoo) from our balcony. The other bird was named Sugar (White-crowned Parrot, seen below) and was located by the Captain's Bar.
My mom wanted to get her used to having the "Happy Birthday" song sung to her so she started in as soon as we got back from our trip only to be met with a "No singing" from Molly every single time she started in on the song. She continued this all day yesterday. She would also say she was 10 whenever anyone asked her how old she was. I know she's wise beyond her years, but I think 10 might be pushing it. ;-)
However, Molly is a total mimic these days and I've actually caught her singing along to songs on the radio or tv. She LOVES to dance and shakes her booty any chance she gets. She also has a GREAT imagination and can make a game out of the smallest thing. We have had a few instances of the "terrible twos", but these have mainly occurred when she is overly tired or hungry. For the most part she's a pretty laid back kid who goes with the flow. She has her moments of shyness (especially if she just woke up), but warms up pretty quick.
Molly is also really affectionate. She loves to snuggle in close to you on the couch while she watches Sesame Street. She also started to say "owie" a lot because she got kisses in return, but lately realized she can just ask for kisses instead. Every now and then she'll be running around and playing and will just stop and run over to you and squeeze your legs in a big ol' hug and then goes right back to whatever it was that she was doing. LOVE that!
A few weeks back at story time another little girl grabbed a book out of the hands of another younger boy (closer to 1 year than 2) which caused him to burst into tears. Well, Molly would have NONE of this and marched over to the little girl and took the book away from her and gave it back to the little boy so he would stop crying. Awww, warms a mother's heart.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Kauai, week two
I forgot to mention in my last post that we went to a luau Friday night before Lucille and Jim left. It was at the Sheraton which is just up the street from the Hyatt. The entire hotel hugs the beach so we were sitting right on the water. Molly LOVED the dancers. She even bolted for the stage at one point. I think she wanted to join them. She was actually imitating the guy dancers more so than the girl ones. I think she liked how much they stomped their feet.
Sunday - N got up and headed out for two more boat dives while Molly and I hung back at the hotel. We hit the salt water lagoon for a bit and then headed back up to the room. N got back just as I was putting Molly down for nap time. He headed down to the pool and I stayed in the room for nap time. We hit Roy's that night for dinner. Molly had their "Kid's Tasting Menu" which was super cute. We eventually had to take turns going on walks with Molly as she got bored, but still had a great meal.
Monday - We headed up to north shore and hit the Na Pali coast for a hike. Molly was in the Deuter on N's back and I had the diaper bag back pack on mine. We made it about 3/4 of the way to the first beach. Once we hit a spot in the trail that was steep rock with a little stream coming down the rocks I made the call to turn back. It would have been tricky to climb up period, but there was no way I wanted N to attempt it with Molly on his back and he agreed. All in all it was about a 3 mile hike and we saw some gorgeous landscape. Afterwards we headed to Tropical Taco and grubbed down and then drove back to the hotel.
Tuesday - We got up and hit the breakfast buffet one last time and then went down to the lagoon for our last swim of the vacation. Molly fell asleep on the way to the airport and I didn't have the heart to wake her, but I should have. She slept through the car rental check in, flight check in, and agricultural check in. We woke her up to get through security and she didn't fall back asleep. So the flight was a little long.
All in all it was a FANTASTIC vacation. I can't wait to go back!
Sunday - N got up and headed out for two more boat dives while Molly and I hung back at the hotel. We hit the salt water lagoon for a bit and then headed back up to the room. N got back just as I was putting Molly down for nap time. He headed down to the pool and I stayed in the room for nap time. We hit Roy's that night for dinner. Molly had their "Kid's Tasting Menu" which was super cute. We eventually had to take turns going on walks with Molly as she got bored, but still had a great meal.
Monday - We headed up to north shore and hit the Na Pali coast for a hike. Molly was in the Deuter on N's back and I had the diaper bag back pack on mine. We made it about 3/4 of the way to the first beach. Once we hit a spot in the trail that was steep rock with a little stream coming down the rocks I made the call to turn back. It would have been tricky to climb up period, but there was no way I wanted N to attempt it with Molly on his back and he agreed. All in all it was about a 3 mile hike and we saw some gorgeous landscape. Afterwards we headed to Tropical Taco and grubbed down and then drove back to the hotel.
Tuesday - We got up and hit the breakfast buffet one last time and then went down to the lagoon for our last swim of the vacation. Molly fell asleep on the way to the airport and I didn't have the heart to wake her, but I should have. She slept through the car rental check in, flight check in, and agricultural check in. We woke her up to get through security and she didn't fall back asleep. So the flight was a little long.
All in all it was a FANTASTIC vacation. I can't wait to go back!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Kauai, week one
Grandma Lucille and Papa J headed home this morning. Translation: our babysitter is gone! We all had a great week while they were here. Molly has pretty much lived in the salt water lagoon and "swimming?" is usually the first word out of her mouth in the morning. She has been getting up at 6:00 am pretty much every day since we've been here. N and I have been taking turns on who gets up and does the morning walk while the other sleeps in. So her night time sleep has been averaging about 10 hours (usually 11 at home), but her nap time has been averaging in at about 4 hours (usually 3 at home) so it's still the same amount of overall sleep, just slightly shifted. N and I have also been taking turns with who gets to camp out in the room during nap time. OK, let's see if I can remember everything we've done since we arrived.
Friday - Molly, N, and I landed first. Lucille and Jim were scheduled to land about an hour after us. We figured that would be enough time for us to get our luggage, get the rental car, and pack it up. Well, our stuff FILLED the trunk so N decided to drive Molly and I to the hotel and then turn around and head back to the airport while I checked in. Once we got all of our stuff to the rooms we immediately headed down to the lagoon and got to swimming. The best part of the lagoon is that it's a VERY shallow entry and there are NO waves. Molly can wander in at her leisure or just sit down and shovel sand into her bucket. The sand is also crushed up shells which can be a little rough on the tootsies, but unlike fine sand you'd find on a beach it does NOT get in your eyes. Score one for the lagoon!
Saturday - We headed down to the breakfast buffet and decided to head up to the East Shore and check out the Lydgate Beach Park. We first headed to the Kamalani Playground and the Kamalani Kai Bridge. It was this huge wooden structure with two slides. Molly and I climbed up to the top and crossed over the bridge so she could go down the less intimidating slide (the other one was super twisty and enclosed and VERY dark). She LOVED it. We headed out the beach, but the surf was up and after a few moments the wind caused sand to get in Molly's eyes and since her hands were already covered in sand it got a little tricky. We decided to check out the 'Opaeka'a Falls next. There are a LOT of roosters on this island and Molly immediately started to chase after them as soon as we got out of the car. I really wish I could have taped her imitating their cock-a-doodle-doo... it was priceless!
Sunday - We headed west this time and kept an eye out for a good breakfast place. When we saw a full parking lot we decided to turn around and take a look. We ended up at the Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co. and it was delicious! The only downside was that Molly had an epic meltdown. It was impressive. I think even the Russian judge would have given her a 10. So, nap time happened early that day. That night we left Molly with Grandma and Papa J and headed to our absolute favorite restuarant, Roy's. I got the surf n' turf and N did their tasting menu. Soooooooooo good.
Monday - This was the day Molly woke up at 5:00 am. This also happened to be my morning. Ugh. We did a lovely walk around the premises. Meandered down towards the beach and saw the sun come up. Molly LOVES to pick up all the plumeria flowers on the ground and hand them to me. If she finds a better one she'll swap that out with whatever flower I'm holding making sure we both have one in each hand. It's super cute. We then went back up to the room and changed into our bathing suits and were in the pool before 7:00. Heh. Yeah, that's a first. After the breakfast buffet I could barely keep my eyes open so I went back to the room to shut down while everyone else went back down to the pool. By the time I woke up N had booked us for shore dives, boat dives, and ziplining. Score!
Tuesday - This was the day of the tsunami warning and our afternoon shore dives were canceled. Of course the warning was lifted shortly therafter, but we had already rescheduled. I stayed behind with Molly while N, Lucille, and Jim headed up to north shore to do a river kayak trip. They were all plenty tired by the time they got back to the hotel.
Wednesday - We ziplined. It was awesome! The place we went to was Kauai Backcountry Adventures and they were great. The land we were on used to be part of an old sugar plantation that shut down. When the land went up for auction Steve Case purchased the 22,000 acres. It was nice to see a new part of the island. N took pics and video. To be uploaded soon.
Thursday - Once again we left Molly behind with Grandma and Papa J (gotta love relatives) and headed out for two shore dives at Koloa Landing. The last time I dove was our Australia trip all the way back in 2005. The last time N dove was a year later when he did a boat trip down by the Channel Islands. I'm very happy we did two shore dives as our first dives back. It was nice to get back into the swing of things at a calm site with a smooth entry.
Friday - However, I MUCH prefer boat dives which is what we did next. The red flags have been out since we arrived so it was a little rough when we headed out. We were on a small boat with 8 divers total plus the captain. Our first dive spot was called Turtle Landing. We saw a few turtles and quite a few white tip reef sharks hanging out under some of the rocks in little caves. The second dive spot was called Sheraton Caverns and there were 4 different turtles hanging out on the surface to greet us. We actually saw more turtles at this location and that was fine with me. I hung out and took pics of all the cool turtles while the rest of the guys squeezed their way through some "tight" and "dark" tunnels. Not my cup o' tea. It was so great to be back in the (warm) water. We must not let it go so long before our next dive.
Saturday - Today we dropped off Grandma and Papa J at the airport. When we got back to the hotel I called the spa and booked a luxurious facial and massage. (Spa tip of the day - chamomile tea bags, cooled with ice water, are an excellent compress and will help hydrate dry skin) N is going to do another dive trip tomorrow and we plan to hike the Na Pali coast on Monday.
Friday - Molly, N, and I landed first. Lucille and Jim were scheduled to land about an hour after us. We figured that would be enough time for us to get our luggage, get the rental car, and pack it up. Well, our stuff FILLED the trunk so N decided to drive Molly and I to the hotel and then turn around and head back to the airport while I checked in. Once we got all of our stuff to the rooms we immediately headed down to the lagoon and got to swimming. The best part of the lagoon is that it's a VERY shallow entry and there are NO waves. Molly can wander in at her leisure or just sit down and shovel sand into her bucket. The sand is also crushed up shells which can be a little rough on the tootsies, but unlike fine sand you'd find on a beach it does NOT get in your eyes. Score one for the lagoon!
Saturday - We headed down to the breakfast buffet and decided to head up to the East Shore and check out the Lydgate Beach Park. We first headed to the Kamalani Playground and the Kamalani Kai Bridge. It was this huge wooden structure with two slides. Molly and I climbed up to the top and crossed over the bridge so she could go down the less intimidating slide (the other one was super twisty and enclosed and VERY dark). She LOVED it. We headed out the beach, but the surf was up and after a few moments the wind caused sand to get in Molly's eyes and since her hands were already covered in sand it got a little tricky. We decided to check out the 'Opaeka'a Falls next. There are a LOT of roosters on this island and Molly immediately started to chase after them as soon as we got out of the car. I really wish I could have taped her imitating their cock-a-doodle-doo... it was priceless!
Sunday - We headed west this time and kept an eye out for a good breakfast place. When we saw a full parking lot we decided to turn around and take a look. We ended up at the Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co. and it was delicious! The only downside was that Molly had an epic meltdown. It was impressive. I think even the Russian judge would have given her a 10. So, nap time happened early that day. That night we left Molly with Grandma and Papa J and headed to our absolute favorite restuarant, Roy's. I got the surf n' turf and N did their tasting menu. Soooooooooo good.
Monday - This was the day Molly woke up at 5:00 am. This also happened to be my morning. Ugh. We did a lovely walk around the premises. Meandered down towards the beach and saw the sun come up. Molly LOVES to pick up all the plumeria flowers on the ground and hand them to me. If she finds a better one she'll swap that out with whatever flower I'm holding making sure we both have one in each hand. It's super cute. We then went back up to the room and changed into our bathing suits and were in the pool before 7:00. Heh. Yeah, that's a first. After the breakfast buffet I could barely keep my eyes open so I went back to the room to shut down while everyone else went back down to the pool. By the time I woke up N had booked us for shore dives, boat dives, and ziplining. Score!
Tuesday - This was the day of the tsunami warning and our afternoon shore dives were canceled. Of course the warning was lifted shortly therafter, but we had already rescheduled. I stayed behind with Molly while N, Lucille, and Jim headed up to north shore to do a river kayak trip. They were all plenty tired by the time they got back to the hotel.
Wednesday - We ziplined. It was awesome! The place we went to was Kauai Backcountry Adventures and they were great. The land we were on used to be part of an old sugar plantation that shut down. When the land went up for auction Steve Case purchased the 22,000 acres. It was nice to see a new part of the island. N took pics and video. To be uploaded soon.
Thursday - Once again we left Molly behind with Grandma and Papa J (gotta love relatives) and headed out for two shore dives at Koloa Landing. The last time I dove was our Australia trip all the way back in 2005. The last time N dove was a year later when he did a boat trip down by the Channel Islands. I'm very happy we did two shore dives as our first dives back. It was nice to get back into the swing of things at a calm site with a smooth entry.
Friday - However, I MUCH prefer boat dives which is what we did next. The red flags have been out since we arrived so it was a little rough when we headed out. We were on a small boat with 8 divers total plus the captain. Our first dive spot was called Turtle Landing. We saw a few turtles and quite a few white tip reef sharks hanging out under some of the rocks in little caves. The second dive spot was called Sheraton Caverns and there were 4 different turtles hanging out on the surface to greet us. We actually saw more turtles at this location and that was fine with me. I hung out and took pics of all the cool turtles while the rest of the guys squeezed their way through some "tight" and "dark" tunnels. Not my cup o' tea. It was so great to be back in the (warm) water. We must not let it go so long before our next dive.
Saturday - Today we dropped off Grandma and Papa J at the airport. When we got back to the hotel I called the spa and booked a luxurious facial and massage. (Spa tip of the day - chamomile tea bags, cooled with ice water, are an excellent compress and will help hydrate dry skin) N is going to do another dive trip tomorrow and we plan to hike the Na Pali coast on Monday.
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