Thursday, August 8th, 2007
The morning had a more relaxing start, as our tired boys slept in until at least 6am, and their grandparents mercifully entertained them for a few hours after that so that Rhiannon and I could catch up on some much needed sleep. Colt went down for a late morning nap, and while he slept Rhiannon, Landon and I slipped down to the pool to splash around with Chloe. The pool itself is not well designed for a small child like Landon without any developed swimming skills, so he was restricted to hanging out on the steps when not being dragged around the shallows while playing “motorboat” with his dad. Landon is very cautious around the water, which is a good thing for my peace of mind, and would only venture out from the safety of the steps when his arms were firmly latched around his dad’s neck. I look forward to the days ahead when he will be able to swim comfortably through the aquatic realm.
Colt awoke shortly thereafter and we all piled in our cars for the half hour commute west to the town of Lahaina. The drive parallels the coast most of the way, and I immediately fell into the old habits of scanning the horizon for breaking waves. Unfortunately, as was the norm for the entire trip, the Pacific was exceptionally tranquil and the waves that lapped the shore measured less than a foot in height. After driving the wrong way down a one-way street in town we navigated to a safe parking spot and joined the rest of the family for lunch at Kimo’s. This waterfront restaurant was another favorite of my grandparent’s and we all ordered a round of mai tai’s and other tropical concoctions in their honor. Our table was directly against the seawall, and Landon was enthralled to discover some large shore crabs crawling over its rim. Leah and Chloe were not nearly as excited. We had an outstanding lunch, and any remaining leftovers were thrown over the wall to feed the hungry fish that cruised the shore. Landon and Colt had a blast as their uncle tossed French fries into the water and then pointed out the different fish that came to investigate a free meal. We all agreed that the lunch had far exceeded our expectations.
Landon still holds a strong addiction to trains, and has now fostered equal enthusiasm for the railway in his younger brother. To accommodate their obsession we ventured across town to the Old Lahaina Sugar Cane Train for a ride on the steam engine. The restored engine takes passengers on a round trip to the neighboring town of Kanapalii and back. The old line was bumpy, and the open coaches were hot in the windless afternoon, but the boys relished every minute. They scanned the views, studied the tracks as they passed underneath, pointed at the railroad signs and smiled. After we returned to the station from the hour long ride, both were ready for a repeat trip – their parent’s were ready for a drink.
After returning home we had a quiet evening and dinner while we watched the light fade on another day. After the boys drifted off to dream of the sugar cane train we gathered around the table for a few rounds of Boggle. Then as my parents also began to tire, Justin, Rhiannon and I walked down to the beach and shared a few drinks and stories under a big tree while the moon glistened off the ocean at our feet.
The morning had a more relaxing start, as our tired boys slept in until at least 6am, and their grandparents mercifully entertained them for a few hours after that so that Rhiannon and I could catch up on some much needed sleep. Colt went down for a late morning nap, and while he slept Rhiannon, Landon and I slipped down to the pool to splash around with Chloe. The pool itself is not well designed for a small child like Landon without any developed swimming skills, so he was restricted to hanging out on the steps when not being dragged around the shallows while playing “motorboat” with his dad. Landon is very cautious around the water, which is a good thing for my peace of mind, and would only venture out from the safety of the steps when his arms were firmly latched around his dad’s neck. I look forward to the days ahead when he will be able to swim comfortably through the aquatic realm.
Colt awoke shortly thereafter and we all piled in our cars for the half hour commute west to the town of Lahaina. The drive parallels the coast most of the way, and I immediately fell into the old habits of scanning the horizon for breaking waves. Unfortunately, as was the norm for the entire trip, the Pacific was exceptionally tranquil and the waves that lapped the shore measured less than a foot in height. After driving the wrong way down a one-way street in town we navigated to a safe parking spot and joined the rest of the family for lunch at Kimo’s. This waterfront restaurant was another favorite of my grandparent’s and we all ordered a round of mai tai’s and other tropical concoctions in their honor. Our table was directly against the seawall, and Landon was enthralled to discover some large shore crabs crawling over its rim. Leah and Chloe were not nearly as excited. We had an outstanding lunch, and any remaining leftovers were thrown over the wall to feed the hungry fish that cruised the shore. Landon and Colt had a blast as their uncle tossed French fries into the water and then pointed out the different fish that came to investigate a free meal. We all agreed that the lunch had far exceeded our expectations.
Landon still holds a strong addiction to trains, and has now fostered equal enthusiasm for the railway in his younger brother. To accommodate their obsession we ventured across town to the Old Lahaina Sugar Cane Train for a ride on the steam engine. The restored engine takes passengers on a round trip to the neighboring town of Kanapalii and back. The old line was bumpy, and the open coaches were hot in the windless afternoon, but the boys relished every minute. They scanned the views, studied the tracks as they passed underneath, pointed at the railroad signs and smiled. After we returned to the station from the hour long ride, both were ready for a repeat trip – their parent’s were ready for a drink.
After returning home we had a quiet evening and dinner while we watched the light fade on another day. After the boys drifted off to dream of the sugar cane train we gathered around the table for a few rounds of Boggle. Then as my parents also began to tire, Justin, Rhiannon and I walked down to the beach and shared a few drinks and stories under a big tree while the moon glistened off the ocean at our feet.
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