Snips, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails: Hawaii

Ahhhhh, 10 days in paradise—where do I even begin?

We were lucky enough to get to spend 10 days in Maui with Tom’s family last week. We had a fabulous time. Sunshine, beaches, swimming pools, sand, and family time—the boys (and me) were in heaven!

Jack had been anticipating this trip for some time. I don’t think he truly grasped what it meant to go to Hawaii, but he sure was excited. Whenever we’d ask what he wanted to do when he got to Hawaii, he’d reply, “Eat some chips.” See I had purchased some Maui Onion chips from the store in the weeks before our trip. We told Jack that these were something that was from Maui. Jack LOVED the chips and couldn’t wait to get to Hawaii to eat some more!

We caught an early flight (7:30am), which meant that we were up around 4:00 and out the door by 5:00. The boys had their eyes open, but I don’t really think either one of them was really awake! We were quite a sight getting to the ticket counter—2 suitcases, 2 backpacks, 2 car seats, and a stroller. We made it, however, with no major hassles.

Side note: We got some very exciting news that morning as we headed out the door—the boys’ little cousin, Zoe, was born at 4:17am! I haven’t gotten to meet her yet (and it is killing me!) because we were gone and now that we are home I’m battling the tail end of a cold. As soon as I get to meet her, I’ll post pictures and details about sweet little Zoe!

Once on the plane, Jack was mesmerized. He got his own seat by the window. Although it was a long flight, he kept himself remarkably busy coloring, watching movies, looking out the window, and playing trucks.

We arrived in Maui around 2:00 in the afternoon, which meant we had plenty of time to get our swimsuits on and hit the beach!

Jack wasn’t sure about the ocean at first, but boy did he take quickly to the sand and to the pool!

Emmett, on the other hand, could have sat and played in the sand and the ocean every day all day long. The first couple of days he was really into eating the sand and ate it by the mouthful!

We spent the majority of our days at the beach or swimming in the pool. Jack swam every day in the pool until his lips turned blue and his fingers and toes were wrinkled like raisins.

Emmett played in the sand until he was completely covered in it. He also loved to run right up to the edge of the waves and tickle his toes in the surf.

The boys discovered the tide pools right in front of our condo and spent hours playing in them looking for fish and hermit crabs.

Uncle Tom dreamed up elaborate sand sculptures, which he and Jack built together—a bulldozer, a dump truck, a whale. One day, he even let Jack bury him in the sand!

We chased bubbles on the lawn.

And played on the beach even more.

Occasionally the boys slowed down—and when they did, they fell fast asleep!

The girls slipped away one afternoon for lunch at Hailemaile General Store.

Each afternoon, we enjoyed pupus (Hawaiian for “nak naks”) on the lawn with the family. Jack even got to have his long-awaited chips.

At night, we gathered in Jane and Tom’s room for dinner. Each family took turns preparing meals for everyone. At sunset, Jack loved blowing the conch shell. He couldn’t quite make a sound by blowing, so he just yelled into it instead.