Hawaii part 3

 And the final post of the VERY BELATED Hawaii posts.  At last!

The last couple of days, we spent whale watching, going to the aquarium, shopping, a luau, and one last trip to the beach before heading home.  Let me just say that if your going to do a luau, book it before you go.  And book the "Old Lahaina" because the next highly rated one was NOT worth $100.  The food was okay, and the show was entertaining, but not spectacular.  I didn't think it was worth it, and got sick later in the night from either the cheap liquor which I couldn't drink very much of or the less than spectacular food.

The aquarium was a fun trip.

 Whale watching was probably the highlight, although we didn't get as close to any of the whales as we had when we whale watched in Equador.  Each whale watching trip is different though and the captains of the boats cannot force the whales to do anything they don't want to do, including get close to the boats.

 This little fella gave us a nice show though.

 We also went to a dinner show, it was a Christmas show by a musician by the name of Willie K.  This was way better than the luau and I would recommend one of his shows.

 Shopping in Old Lahaina was a great day trip for the whole family.

At the Banyan Tree Square, a banyan tree first planted in 1873 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the missionaries' arrival, has grown 12 new trunks and stretches over an area of 200 feet (61 m).

 We had a fun time at the Luau despite it not being worth the money, in my opinion.

 Our last day at the beach, the surf was rough.  Kyle loves to snorkle, so we used the snorkle gear from our hotel, including flippers, and snorkeled away.

 

Our plane ride home was dissappointing. Although we had a "window seat" there was no window.  And we had our Christmas Eve dinner in an airport, but it wasn't too bad. We were home for Christmas Day.

Overall, Hawaii was a VERY FUN trip.  It wouldn't be my first choice in destinations, mostly because I've now visited many BEAUTIFUL beaches, and most were less expensive than Hawaii's. But all in all, it wasn't too shabby and it was fabulous to get to spend so much time with our family.

Hawaii 2

We went to Hawaii nearly a year ago.  I found this half finished post waiting in my drafts and decided it was time to finish this post once and for all. I find it a difficult task to write about trips.  I put it off and by the time that I actually start to work on it, I forget what we did.  So I'm going to post some pictures of our family vacation.  I'll make a few comments, but the details, well, they can be left to your imaginations.

Kyle found a coconut, and broke it apart to prove his manliness

It was suggested that we stop at a roadside to eat some of the local banana bread and snow cones. Both delicious.

He made grass stuff. It was pretty cool.

A cool black beach with a pressure cave where surf would force all the trapped air and water up through the geyser hole.

a neat cave my mom and I explored

Cat Cafe in Hongdae

Cat café

If dogs are a man’s best friend, cats, at least in their mind, are man’s imperial ruler.  The cat café in Hongdae, although the same concept as the dog café, is as similar to the dog cafe as inch worms are to noodles. They look the same on the outside, but anatomically are entirely different. Walking into the dog café, we were greeted at the door by several dogs sniffing our bags and shoes for smells and goodies from the outside.  The cats, on the other hand, made no acknowledgement that we’d even entered the room.  Servants are not worthy of acknowledgment.

The cat café was relaxing, the atmosphere, and mood reminiscent of a spa. Soft tunes hummed over the speakers, and slow movements part of the vibe.

Cats lounged around anywhere they felt drawn.  A cat walk above was home to at least five cats, their tails and legs hanging off at awkward angles. Korean ladies and girls sat comfortably on the floor with blankets with happily sleeping cats curled nicely in a ball across their laps.  Only a handful of men had come today. Sitting at the table, the cats, in usual fashion ignored us. So I moved us to the floor, where the cats paid us no more attention than at our table.  We soon discovered the secret to luring the cats in to our laps was not our calls, or willingly petting hands, but a cat treat of dried fish. The felines, once apathetic to our advances, were now wide-eyed and willing to climb into any lap, even an arch enemy’s lap, given that the treat was shared

We spent a little over an hour playing the luring game with cats, even persuading a few to sleep in our laps for a short time.

Kyle says he preferred the dog café, he is afterall, a dog person.  I’d have to agree, I enjoyed the dog café more, but the cat café was pleasurable on its on merits.

8,000 won at the door, and a free drink is included in the fee.

Used to be named Giocat but I think it changed its name...can be reached from Hongik University Station, line No. 2, exit 5; Hapjeong Station, line No. 2 or 5, exit 3; or Sangsu Station, line No. 6, exit 2. It’s close to the playground (by where the artist sell their wares) near Hongik University’s main gate..

Its on the fourth floor in a building near the Ho bar.

They even have a hairless kitty

Snowman cupcakes

This snowman looks a bit like he's melting... I had them make two extra for their parents but I'm pretty sure they were eaten on the bus home.

A creative snowman

What we made for the Christmas dinner

Yet another Pinterest project!  I decided to make a class out of these clever cupcakes. Not with my three and four year old tots but with an older afternoon class of all boys.  They didn't enjoy it as much as I did.  They did enjoy eating the candy that they were supposed to be using for decoration however.

Christmas Eve, before our Christmas movie marathon with the Irish, we sat in the kitchen, watching Kyle's favorite Christmas movie, " A Christmas Story" and decorated these snowmen.  I forgot to use the coconut I'd saved for these adorable, edible snacks.  Alas, I'll just have to make them again another year.

The recipe came from Paula Dean, a chef featured on Food network who is well known for her southern cooking style and decadence, aka: indulgent fatty and yet delicious foods.

Ingredients 

12 prepared cupcakes from one white cake mix
2 cans Prepared white frosting
12 Large Marshmallows
2 cups coconut

Candy for decorating:
Hershey kisses for a beret
candy corn for a carrot nose
mini chocolate chips for eyes and buttons
Fruit strips, cut in two for a colorful scarf

Directions

PreHeat - 350°

Frost cupcakes with a rounded mound of of the frosting.  Place the coconut in a bowl and dip the frosted cupcakes in the coconut.  Place dipped cupcakes on a baking sheet and put tray in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the refrigerator and using the remaining frosting as glue for the snowman’s clothing, eyes and nose. Place in the refrigerator when finished.  Have fun! Use whatever candy you like.  Make it your own.

Gobble Gobble Turkey craft

A little late, but as my perpetually tardy family always says, "better late than never." We never send birthday cards on time. Its a miracle every year if all the gifts are under the tree by Christmas Eve.

We made a turkey craft this year with my little preschoolers. It looks like it would be INCREDIBLY messy, but because my co-teacher and I controlled the paint brushes, it was actually surprisingly neat. We put the cut up construction paper on their table and let them decorate the border as they wished.  They then took turns coming to us to have their hands painted.  We pressed their little hand onto their paper plate. They then took the beak, legs and feet and glued them on themselves. I think their little turkey's turned out almost as adorable as the kids themselves, not quite though.