2010-01 JAN

Kaua'i 76 images

Sam's pics 31 images

Sam's Bday 84 images

1	2 Can you find Santa??? The boys really enjoyed this. We were on a little run, spying on the Obama compound ;)	3 I'm gonna get you mommy!	4 Bumper boats are always a big hit with the boys - even at night!
5 The First Circuit Court in Honolulu where I had to go retrieve some documents from microfiche. Mom was thankfully there to entertain the kids while I reviewed and printed...	6 Becca - thank you so much for the German cookies! See what happened to them when the savages got their hands on them?	7 "Mom, I gotta show you something. This is how you find Orion's belt. You hold it up like this, then line the stars up [in the crack at the bottom of the box]." This just cracked me up! One other funny Sam-ism I keep forgetting to mention is a story Mary related to me during their visit. He was out boogie boarding with her and wanted to go back to the same spot they'd just been in. So he said "I want to go back to the same atoms where I was." Mary really couldn't believe her ears! The other night he said "Mom, you know, atoms are even smaller than grains of sand." Righto.	8 "Ride Daddy's boat! Ride Daddy's BOAT!!!"
9 We all got out on the water just before gale force winds and waves kicked this calm, creamy ocean into a frothing, white-capped playscape.	10 Racing Dave and Ben. I'd have a fighting chance if Sam were up front, as he was on our trip out to Flat Island in a few minutes. Thanks for capturing this, mom!	11 And for playing with little guy, showing him how to cheer for a football game (when it got too cold to hang at the beach), and feeding him yummies while we battled wind and waves :)	12 The adventurers made it out to Flat Island, and took a brief hike to watch the SUPers riding a few waves.
13 Neat tide pool on the northwest side.	14 Now back at the beach, Sam is playing while Dave loads the truck. I really got a workout paddling back! I fought the wind and current on the way out, but by the time we were coming back I had to fight an even stronger wind/current to get home! Ha ha...but I do like it rough - not so boring :) The wind was howling in my ears, and feel the water slapping the bottom of the SUP and making it vibrate under me. Like riding a horse, sorta...	15 Sam is such a boogie boarder. He was having so much fun out there!	16 "Watch this, Mom!"
17	18 Gotta pull my shorts up before I get this roller!	19 All set...	20 Oh no, hoppers up! He got huli-ed by this one!
21 Sam the Ham :)	22 This is our favorite part, I think... and here's puffer fish for Ben to see up close after so many visits to the fish ponds to see our "friends." He's going "Puffer fish TO-DAY!"	23 A sting ray!!! Whoa - big!	24 The kids both got a kick out of tossing lettuce to the turtles. Happy to pay $2 to help keep this attraction afloat. It's the best aquarium and marine mammal show around.
25 This guy was tired and kept flopping around, looking like he'd fall right into the water!	26 Kisses!	27 Entranced...even with shave ice in the paws. It's Ben's naptime so he's squirmy but still quite interested.	28 This dolphin show at 1:45pm (in case any locals are interested) was really lots better than the other one at noonish out in the big pool. We were able to sit in the shade, closer, and could see the animal's entire bodies - in and out of water. So we could see the tail flukes working, bodies twisting to build up projectile force to get out of the water for a high leap that made the boys really take notice.
29 Ben loved this - "Ball-ball! Ball-ball!"	30 Taking another close look on our way out.	31 And look who we found cleaning! Such a nice girl, and the boys really loved getting to look at her equipment and bubbles for a long time. She waved, did shaka, high-fives - so nice. What a great time! We are members...one of my favorite places to go.	32
33	34 Nice trip to the zoo with Mom and Richard, followed by some Mexican food.	35 Sam loves cacti - this one is blooming beautifully!	36 Tortoise snuggles...
37 I like what my mom said about this guy's teeth - "croc snack tools" :)	38 Meerkats are always a big hit :)	39 This rhino couple was very funny. She (on the left) seemed annoyed at him. Shoved him around and out of the pool, then across the pen. Maybe she wasn't done harping on something :)	40 Watching the "monkey show" :)
41 Out on a bike/run together. What a nice morning the three of us had!	42 And Ben jogged a half mile himself! He just kept jogging and jogging after Sam (up ahead on bike). I kept asking if he wanted a ride and he would say "nope!" in his funny way. He bunches his arms up high to jog - knuckles bumping into each other as he rotates his torso side to side. I guess I'll have to video it for you :)	43 Out on a hike with just my boys. Nice to just be the three of us sometimes when we're exploring a new trail.	44 Sam is such a great guy. We ended up on a different trail than we'd intended so did some backtracking to figure out how we could have gone wrong with a GPS and a map in hand! Confusing signage made for a nice adventure.
45	46 See folder above for all the fun!	47 On our way to the birthday weekend campout!	48 Biking and running around Hickam AFB - what fun racing through huge sprinklers! See how soaked Sam is already?
49 Those two boys are so precious! There are moments when they like each other :) Ben is really into "reading" now.	50 A morning on Pu'u Pia - Sam's favorite hike.	51 Lots of roots on Hawaii hiking trails! Can you say slippery when wet???	52 Ben pick-pocketed my GPS from my pack pocket then started using it! I heard lots of beeps and was wondering what was going on!
53 Our friend Sean complying with some silliness :)	54 Love all the moss - reminds me of WA hikes.	55 Finding a geocache and swapping out some treats. Sam got a great National Wildlife Federation pocket puzzle. Ben chose this crazy dancing chicken!	56 "Ben peeing"
57	58 Look at that pout!!!	59 Learning shapes with the help of a nice leaf.	60 Sam with his pocket puzzle prize. Just liked the expression here :)
61 And this one, too!	62 Some bumper boat fun for Sam's official birthday on Wednesday. See Dino got to come, too?! Mom and Richard got a soaking, too! Thanks for the pictures mom!	63 Ben loved shooting and I loved having someone to blame for really getting people good!	64 Sam sneaking up on us :)
65	66 Look at that face!	67 Like our dino cake? I put every candle in the house on there. Sam's wish: to write a note to the teacher when he goes to school. Sweetness.	68 Blowing it out!
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