tHe FonduE faMily: aLoHa ApriL 2012

I was promised a Hawaii trip before I delivered babe #4.

And in April, we made it happen.

This would be the 3rd year in a row being gone for Easter, so we had to ask the bunny once again, to come early to our house.

He did, and he even brought some stuff for our trip.

That’s one smart bunny!

Unfortunately, we also had to miss big Dexter’s baptism.

That didn’t make us smile:(

DAY 1

Two days after I returned from Vegas, we loaded up and boarded a plane bound for L.A.

The first trip went pretty smooth- as the kids all napped.

And our layover wasn’t so bad either, thanks to my bday present, Mr. Ipad.

(Actually, I’m pretty sure that was more of a family gift, since I didn’t see the thing the whole trip)

I know. woo.

And I also had a celebrity sighting, Dolvett from Biggest Loser.

I expected an entourage or something, but I seemed to be the only one who cared about him.

Maybe no one noticed him in his wheelchair with a busted leg?

Or maybe that was his clever disguise??

I dunno, but I’d recognize those bulging biceps anywhere!!

The second flight was a different story.

6 + hours, 7 1/2 months prego, with 3 kids (including 1 2 year old), – in flight gaming consoles and food (unless you count peanuts) = Nightmare^ 1000

Boy were we glad when we landed. And tired. And hungry. And M was sick.

So after eating very expensive sandwiches for dinner, we went to bed and slept as much as we could between M’s coughs.

DAY 2

The kids woke up and M ran out to our lanai that overlooked the pool and the ocean at the same time.

He said, “Oh Mom, I wish we could live here!”

I couldn’t agree more.

C, on the other hand, tried to convince him that Hawaii is only for “gulls (girls).”

I think this is due to the fact that she was in absolute heaven with all of the flowers and the sundresses.

She spent the whole trip accessorizing.

And E was just a daddy’s boy the entire time, kind of driving us both crazy.

After VERY expensive pancakes, we headed over to see the penguins, the parrots, the koi fish and the flamingoes that hang around the hotel.

As you can see, darling C was overcome with joy.

Me and my entourage

Me and my Lover (The kids requested to be our personal photographers. And I think they did a mighty fine job!)

Our cousins, the Roberts, really like Hawaii!

We boarded the bus and headed off on our Pearl Harbor tour that we thought would be about an hour.

Turns out they have about 4 exhibits that should take about 2 hours each.

So we had to reduce to a bear bones, Reader’s Digest version.

As it was a very hot day, that was plenty for us!

USS Missouri.

Pretty darn cool.

Then we headed back to take a dip in the hotel’s man made ocean.

And one in the real ocean.

E was in LOVE with those waves, and spent countless hours playing in them.

His first taste of salt water was priceless to watch.

DAY 3

This girl’s hair was completely in its element.

Headed straight for the beach.

Not quite sure who took this picture.

But I took the rest of them and I’m pretty proud of my work!

My adorable little family just chillin in paradise.

I just took this to show my sister I was wearing the shirt she gave me:)

Inevitably, sister C caught the brother M’s cough.

The next night, we got no sleep as she purposely coughed her head off all. night. long. (at least it felt intentional!)

The next night, we set them up an extremely comfortable bed out on the lanai.

And then shut the door, hoping to get some sleep.

But as I lay down, I suddenly got extreme anxiety that one of them would take up sleep walking and then climb over the 4 foot railing and plunge to their death.

Motherhood, right? He’s gotta love me:)

So I made D go back out there, wake up the sleeping children, pack up their bed and then bring them back inside.

And we didn’t sleep a wink as she coughed her head off once again.

DAY 4

The weather was questionable, so right after discovering a Walmart, we headed to the Dole Plantation.

Five pairs of Sanuks and 3 custom bracelets later, we actually exited the gift shop!!

The kids each got their Hawaiian names inscribed on cute little bracelets.

I give you . . .

Emeki, Kahalaliki and Makakoi!

The Dole Train ride

Then we headed to the temple Visitors' Center.

On the way there we stopped at a roadside vendor and bought coconut, papaya and pineapple so fresh that after 5 bites our tongues were completely raw!

And as we drove around (and I contracted) we discussed what we would do if I actually went into labor.

I didn’t like our options one bit.

Told Danny just to drop me off at the hospital and I’d send him a text message once the baby arrived.

We laughed, but with each contraction I got the willies!

Crazy babies

In the Visitors’ Center, we watched a church movie that ended with footage of the Christus.

C turned to me and said “I love Jesus. So much!”

I smiled at her and said, “Me too.”

Then she added, “Jesus is cu-ute!”
That’s my C girl.

E just waved at everyone everywhere we went.

And when his sister exasperated him he would say “C, No No No! Naughty. K?? Mad!”

He speaks in shorthand.

And M worked so hard on his loose teeth that he lost 2 of them in one night.

We wondered what the tooth fairy did for her kids while in Hawaii.

We found out that when she accidentally goes to bed without fulfilling her duties and then wakes to find the kids quietly searching for either the lost teeth or replacement money,

she quickly slips a five dollar bill under the mattress and thanks the heavens for the teeth that somehow disappeared.

Weird.

Kinda like Christmas morning when C cried that she missed the family Elf on a Shelf and I tiredly glanced over to see the sack containing said elf still on the kitchen table, having forgotten to fly back to the North Pole.

Total slackers, that Fairy and that Elf!

DAY 5

We went to the Honolulu Zoo and were pleasantly surprised by all it had to offer.

I somehow lost the few pictures we took. Dang

DAY 6

Easter Sunday

We had our Easter dinner prepared for us by Benihana’s.

We decided we don’t love that place.

They don’t even have tempura fried sushi and that, should be a crime!

But luckily for us, we found that we still LOOOVE Cheesecake Factory and in Hawaii, we also don’t mind The Outback.

We figured if we were gonna spend an arm and a leg for each meal, we might as well start going for the classics that we recognized.

And we ate very well!

DAY 7

We discovered that IHOPs in Hawaii . . . are still disgusting.

Horrible, awful experience.

We also attempted to take the kids to an aquarium where they could swim with dolphins,

but learned the people who ran the place were morons and got all confused when dealing with pregnant women and also could not count.

So we decided to take advantage of our hotel amenities one last time instead.

Our view.

Us trying to be all artsy.

And I think it was a swing and a miss!

DAY 8

Our last night was very short and awful. D was now very sick and neither of us got any sleep.

We got up in the middle of the night, woke the kids and said goodbye to Hawaii.

Then we got on the most miserable flight of all, D with a fever and me manning the 2 year old the whole way with an idiot captain who kept waking the kids up by reading the entire menu and reminding us to fasten our seatbelts every 10 minutes over the intercom.

And don’t forget the annoying flight attendants.

We got home way late and needless to say, there are no pictures.

Except of C’s brand new suitcase that didn’t exactly survive its maiden voyage.