It’s been so long since I’ve blogged I don’t remember when it was or what it was about… It’s not that life has been boring, rather, it’s just been every day busy. Days go by, and unless significant activities or events take place it seems as though you just can’t quantify how you spent your time.
They say that time passes faster as you age, and while that’s possibly true, it could also be that we don’t take the time to sit still and reflect on what we accomplished and make the effort to bank those memories that are important to us as we go through life.
A family vacation though is one of life’s big events you are bound to remember. This November we spent 10 days on the island of Maui with Josh’s family. The last time this great all-time event occurred was back in 2011 when none of us had kids. This time, there were 12 of us in total; four of them between ages two and six.
The kids (especially the three girls) enjoyed the pool at the condo so much we usually had to drag them out (or bribe them) at the end of the day. The positive peer pressure and endless hours in the water was a fantastic way to hone in on their independent swimming skills. Our girls were both eager to don the goggles and dunk their heads and swim under the water… and probably influenced by their new mermaid swimsuits from grandma!
The beach was also a fun place to hang out, and although we did build some coral towers at our local beach one day, we also went to Kihei cove, snorkelled at the black rock beach, and spent some beach time near the surf breaks while taking turns on the water.
When we weren’t hanging out by the pool, we tried to sneak in as many surf sessions as possible. It was a bit harder though, as we needed to jump in the van for a short commute to the break, which meant we either loaded the kids up and all went, or just one of us ended up going. We tried a few different breaks, including Kihei cove (which was bigger than usual), Lahaina Harbour, and the local Kanapaali one that was nearest to the condo.
We all went to a luau one of the evenings, which was a BIG hit for the kids. We made the splurge to sit right up front on the floor cushions so they could see the action live and up close. They LOVED watching the dancers, and didn’t miss a beat when they had a chance to dance in an open space themselves. The only unfortunate part was poor little Zo (who is 3) was a bit traumatized by the pig roast, and we had to have a little chat about the food chain and the circle of life, while being very empathetic to her concerns about the poor little piggy. I think she’s ok now, but I sure felt bad about her little broken heart.
We took the kids to the aquarium as well, which was a great way to spend an afternoon. We saw various fish, jellyfish, and other sea life. I’m quite sad to learn (after the fact) that we missed the octopus!! The kids loved the big tunnel where the sharks and stingrays swam overhead.. I think they have some memory of swimming with them in Moorea, French Polynesia a couple of winters ago.
All in all, it was a great trip. We didn’t see everything we set out to see, but we’ll have to save that for next time. I’m glad we chose to stay on the Kanapaali side of the island this time as it was much closer to Lahaina for the shops, restaurant options, and also groceries and other amenities.