Oahu

In this season of life we travel. A lot.

Okay, so the entire time J and I have been together we've travelled a lot. But I still do recognize that it is simply a season. And it likely will not last forever.

There are so many pros and cons to it that I'm not sure, if forced to choose, I'd rather the life in which we aren't gone so much, or the one where we are.

For every trip the kids and I take, J takes five more. At least. Probably more. And since we all actually like him, that's not our first choice, obviously. But since he's on the road so frequently, he acquires miles like a bandit, which allow us to go places with him that we otherwise would never be able to afford to go because plane tickets are a killer - like going to Oahu.

But us being gone a lot makes things a little chaotic and discombobulated. H is such an active little extrovert and is insistent on participating in activities. But that means she also misses a lot, too.

It's also another huge factor in educating them. They've missed over 6 weeks of school this year - they cannot do that in "real" school. And the kiddos need to be with their papa. Sometimes, even if it isn't some place "fun," they just need to be with him. Because he's their papa and they're his babies and that's just how it works.

But there are so many perks to travelling. All the new places, new people; always learning new things hands-on. I'm not sure the kids would know what to do with themselves if we stayed put for too long.

I know I wouldn't. I'm nomadic at heart. An ever-moving gypsy. Planting roots too deeply in any one place is actually a bit daunting to me. And travelling helps prevent those roots from becoming too deeply seeded.

So when J said he was off to Hawai'i for two weeks, the kids and I were eager to go. Mostly because, well, beach. I'd been to Oahu twice before, and admittedly there are a lot of other places I'd rather go, but I've got water babies and who in the world is going to pass up an opportunity to Oahu (especially when the alternative is Indiana, ha)?

The kids were stoked. They're such awesome little travelers. J flew out a few days before us so it was just the kids and I, our carry-ons, and two car seats making the trek (seriously, if you fly with kids who still are in a 5 point harness seat, it's worth the pain in the ass to take that seat onto the plane with you. Trust me. So worth it. Not mention safer, but that's for another day. It's just genuinely an easier flight when they're in their car seats).

In Oahy, they got to go on several hikes. B was so proud of himself for hiking up one 570 foot mountain all by himself. H perfected her back float. They both couldn't get enough of the ocean. Or the pool. They met a sweet little boy who eagerly helped teach them to surf. They were pretty bad-ass, not gonna lie. They snorkeled their little hearts out. They hiked some more up mountains, volcanoes, and waterfalls. They enjoyed the Honolulu Zoo. They held crabs and sea urchins at the Waikiki Aquarium, and learned about sea-cucumbers and other aquatic life by pushing the correct numbers on their audio devices as we walked around the aquarium. They played real-life I Spy in an aquarium full of the some of the world's tiniest sea-life, including itsy bitsy seahorses. They learned how pineapple is grown at the Dole Plantation (and indulged in a dole whip!), and navigated themselves through a giant maze using a map! They made new friends every where they went. They ate their weight in fish tacos (and maybe J and I did too!). They chased feral chickens and swung on tree vines and stood their ground in some pretty fierce wind on a mountain top. They had so, so much fun. And my heart only swelled a little bigger watching them in all the wonders, always in awe that I could possibly love these tiny people and their papa more than I did the day before. But I will end this now before it becomes a mushy love story about my stellar family and leave you with a bazillion photos of these great people!

Never mind it was past 1am their time; they insisted on playing on the beach our first night there. And were absolute soaked by the end of it. It was lovely! 

 

 Sometimes, you just need a papa to give your tired tiny legs a break.

 

 He braved the dole whip, even though it was outside his chocolate ice cream comfort zone. And he loved it!

 

 

 They had a pamphlet of the different birds found in Oahu and were diligently searching for them all.

 

 B's "stop taking pictures all ready" face, and Miss H trying to smile but definitely not into it, ha.

 

 A coffee farm? With free coffee tastings? This might just be better than a winery!

 

Some pretty serious wind at the top of the Pali.

 

 

 

 Totally stoked to find some brightly colored popsicles that were made with natural dye!