Not Smarter Than a 3-year-old

There's nothing more humbling than realizing the small person whose shoes you tie and bottom you wipe knows more than yourself. Yesterday, child thing #1 asked me out of the blue, "Mommy, do you like abstract paintings?"

I was so busy searching my brain for the definition of abstract painting, I didn't even realize I should be wondering how in the world she knows what that is. I must have looked as confused as I felt because she soon took pity on me and explained.

"You know, Mommy, a painting that has colors and shapes, but not really a picture."

Oh.

Whales!

Check off the bucket list: seeing whales in the wild. Awesome! As a Valentine's treat to each other, we took a whale watching cruise, and we certainly got to see some whales! Apparently humpbacks are not too fond of cold water, so in the winter they migrate from Alaska to Hawaii, where people like me get to fawn over them.


The child thing kept a sharp eye out, and it was only a few minutes before the sightings started! We spotted lots, but because we chose to sit at one of the few tables with glass windows (the boat was mostly open air) as it greatly reduced the likelihood of someone falling overboard, and because of all those other people who also wanted to see the whales, we didn't get a ton of great photos. But here's a really good one Scott took of a mama whale's tail and her baby right next to her:

And here's a shot of the top of a whale. I know in this photo, it looks pretty small, but that was definitely not the case! Our naturalist told us that when humpbacks are born, they already weigh about a ton! And the largest documented humpback whale was around 80 feet long! Wow!


Perhaps this is not the most traditional Valentine's Day outing, but, we had a great time, and what an awesome experience it was for all of us! And now I love whales! Almost as much as the turtles!

Best Friends

Can you think of any better way for a three-year-old to spend a warm afternoon than sitting outside with her best friend eating a fudgecicle? And I don't use the term "best friend" lightly.


Let's call this friend "Owie," shall we? Let me illustrate how much Child Thing #2 and Owie adore each other. Owie recently suggested an even trade to her mom. Owie's little sister could come live with me and Child Thing #2 could live with her so they could be sisters! And every day, without fail, I answer the question, "is today a school day?" because if it's not, we get to play with Owie. Sure, these two girls have spats over sharing toys and etc., but Owie's mother and I agree that they would forgive each other for anything.



But here's the best part: Yesterday, a certain three-year-old told me, "Emily Elizabeth and Clifford are best friends."

"That's right," I responded. "Who's your best friend?" I fully expected to hear "Owie, Owie, a million times Owie."

But instead, she pointed her plump little finger at me and shouted, "You! You! You! You!"

:D I just love being a mom!

Gettin' Around

Here's a little clip of the new crawler in our house. He's getting around pretty well these days!

Hawaii Tourist Review--Ko Olina Lagoons

The Lagoons at Ko Olina is our favorite beach to go to to swim and play. The entire thing is man-made, but don't let that bother you. This is an awesome beach, especially for kids. I know a 3-year-old who got knocked down by a big wave her first trip to the beach and has been leary of the ocean since then. But because the rock barriers protect this beach from the open ocean, it's almost like swimming in a pool, and even she will get in the water here. Plus, as I recently learned, there's some decent snorkeling along the rocks toward the back of the lagoon.

Here's what I know about the lagoons: there are 4 (pretty much)identical lagoons in a row. They are all beautiful, but we generally opt for lagoon #4 because it has the most parking. You can plop your beach chair down in the sand near the water, or claim a shady spot in the grassy area surrounding the lagoon. The only problem is the parking. There's not much, so it's best to arrive early (by 9 a.m. or so), especially on a weekend.

This place gets two thumbs up from me. It's all a family could want from a day at the beach (unless, of course, you are looking to surf or boogie board).

Christmas in Texas

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year! We got to take child thing #2 to Texas for the first time (and yes, we have begun the brainwashing process to turn him into a Texan, even if he can never claim to be a native). No matter where we go, Texas is always home, and it is always good to go back. The best part, of course, is spending time with our family and old friends, and saying goodbye to the people we love always makes me a bit heavy-hearted. But when this is waiting for me at the other side, it certainly makes it easier to leave that beloved Texas soil behind.

Big Waves, Little Regrets

Want to know what gets Hawaiians really excited? Fifty foot waves! Really! Fifty feet! I never knew waves could get that big! But last week they did, and the whole island went crazy. Though I was tempted to check out the surf, the rumors of road closures and displacement shelters scared me out of it.

I'm not one to take my children into a natural disaster.

As it ends up, no roads got washed out and no houses got swept away, so now I wish I would have taken the chance. I comfort myself with news that the traffic was HORRENDOUS since everyone wanted to see the waves, especially the Eddie Aikau surfing contest, and it would have taken us hours to get there.

Since I don't have any pictures to share, I will refer you to the blog of the photographer who recently took our family portraits (that I love!). Check it out! Crazy!

Big wave photos here