Chelsea and Lance were up early to head south for their reservation with Kauai ATV in Koloa while we had a leisurely breakfast and mulled over our options for the day. The weather couldn't decide what it wanted to do - one minute the sun burst through the clouds while the next it was raining buckets.
We knew that it was more likely to be consistently sunny on the south shore, so we decided to drive down to Poipu beach.
We couldn't go anywhere without the canoes, obviously, or the sand toys, or the kickboards - but at least our kids are now big enough to carry some of their own stuff (just prepping them for ski season!).
The boys had an absolute blast at the keiki lagoon at Poipu beach - the waves were pounding the rocks surrounding the lagoon, but inside was pretty mellow. We had brought some snacks but eventually it was time to get out of the sun and find lunch.
Sam and I unanimously agreed on Puka Dog - my kids actually don't like hot dogs, but I knew the lemonade would be a hit. We remembered too late how the sauce tends to slide down to the bottom of the bun, leaving the last two bites soggy and soupy - and the spicy sauce is simply not (another argument to return to Kauai more frequently than every 2 1/2 years!).
We had tentatively planned to meet up with Chelsea and Lance after their dirty adventure, but the boys were fading fast so we loaded up the car and headed north. Jack was sacked out before we left the parking lot but Ryan kept chattering about everything he saw up until about Kealia, when both backseat occupants were sound asleep.
Upon returning to Hanalei we were able to move Ryan into our bed for a long nap; Jack perked up and was happy to entertain himself while Sam and I read on the lanai. Chelsea and Lance returned full of smiles and stories fro, the ATV tour. They agreed to keep an eye on Jack while Sam and I wandered around Hanalei. We browsed a few shops, including Havaiki, and I made a mental note to return to Java Kai in the morning. We strolled back to the house and I suggested we go to Hanalei Dolphin for dinner.
The food was great, though quite pricey. Sam and I both ordered fish dishes (monchong and teriyaki ahi), which were perfectly cooked. I was super excited when I saw the kids' menu - they offered tekka maki -sushi rolls with raw tuna, rice and nori (seaweed). My kids love sushi, but had never had this kind of roll before. I just ordered one meal for them to split (see above: pricey!) figuring four rolls each would be plenty - Jack practically inhaled his and started scrounging off Chelsea's spider roll.
The boys were also excited about the little plastic chopstick keepers the restaurant provided - they've attempted to eat with chopsticks before, but those little doodads made it possible for them to successfully move the food from their plates into their mouths.
The service was a little slow, but it was Friday night and the restaurant started filling up soon after we arrived.
It was a really nice setting, though as usual the mosquitoes gravitated right to me! While I was herding the boys off the anchor so we could leave we passed a family of little girls - the mom was just absolutely beside herself at the thought that they would climb on the anchor... she wouldn't last ten minutes with my little daredevils!
I would have liked to sit out on the lanai and enjoy the music but I was afraid of becoming one giant mosquito bite, so I settled for reading in bed and straining to hear it from the bedroom window.
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