Tortilla coming in from right amidst dive-bombing hands.

Eating with Ben is a full contact sport. I remember taking a similar picture about 9 months ago up at Turtle Bay. Here we are at Cholo’s in Haleiwa after snorkeling in Shark’s Cove. The fish were super large up there! We were all a little snarly at each other at first, fighting traffic, trying to find a parking spot (we ended up with a ticket, too) and then who got to snorkel with Sam first (always a joy) while the other wrangled the biggest fish in the cove (Ben). Anyway – the fish were amazing. As soon as I plunked down into the somewhat chilly water I saw a unicorn fish – literally as soon as I looked around. Saw humuhumu, wrasse, moorish idol, parrot fish, a cornis, lots of butterfly fish, surgeon fish, and more. My friend April and her son, Ben, were there, too – they have moved here to Hawaii so they’re taking in all the adventures they can right away. Big Ben was really funny to watch getting his mask on over long, thick hair! He was like “Miss Alli! I am having a little trouble seeing the fish!” with his hair totally flopped over his mask. Very funny! They had a good time and explored the windward side on their way home. Dave took Sam out into the cove proper this time and they both swam all around the rocks out there, spotting a puffer fish among other very large parrotfish. Sam did really great with Dave using his snorkel and staying calm while clearing it out every now and then. I am very impressed. Another “license” for my big guy. He takes it all in stride, though. When he came back he made arrangements for Dad to watch Ben while he would take me out to show me all the fish. Such a cute guy – had to take a rain check on his plans, but next time! I love snorkeling with him. He holds my hand. Dave says that’s cheesy and only advertisements for resorts feature couples doing that. On another topic – we have a difference of opinion about how refrigerators should look inside. I think a cleaned-out (i.e. nearly empty) fridge is the sign of a good shopper – one who knows precisely how much her family eats in a week and supplies accordingly. We are not throwing food out, we’re eating it all. Dave wants a fully stocked fridge at all times, so he has tons of options. I think that is a recipe for waste unless you have a really big family or frequent guests. Plus, when do you clean your fridge if stuff is on the shelves all the time? Anyone else want to weigh in here? Do remember I moderate your comments before they appear – ha ha!