Oahu: Day 3
Day Three: Friday 4/25/14
On this day, we were up early again but sorta slept in until 6. I guess Kumquat was getting adjusting one hour per day. Once again, we had breakfast by the pool and it was looking a little cloudy. We were supposed to go to Yoon and Kurt’s BBQ today with a forecast of 40% rain. Yikes. This is one of my favorite photos from the trip.
We took a little walk by the pool and then said “hello” to Mr. Ocean again. Still scared.
Once Jes was up, we walked to McDonald’s for the Spam and Eggs Platter.
Afterward, we went back to the hotel and just hung out on the couches at Rum Fire. This had become our spot for reading, relaxing, and hanging out in the shade.
When it was time for the BBQ, we packed up our things and walked to Ala Moana Beach Park. People thought we were crazy for walking but it was only a little over a mile away from the hotel. This was the perfect opportunity for Kumquat to get in a quick snooze before the festivities. 
Once we arrived, Yoon had a full-on spread under the large tree complete with BBQ’d meat, mac salad, chili from Zippy’s, noodles, and pretty much everything else we were craving.
It did sprinkle at times but that tree was the perfect protection and it was actually kinda nice to have the rain every once in a while.
She laid out a bunch of towels and bed sheets for everyone to sit and eat. The kids all got a shovel and pail set along with blow-up animals. They had so much fun together.
The beach was a nice lagoon with gentle waters. It was perfect for Kumquat and was her first introduction to how fun the beach and water can really be.
By the end of the afternoon, she had soaked through her non-swim diaper (I didn’t think she’d actually go in) and couldn’t get enough of the wet sand.
After the BBQ, everyone headed back to the hotel to wash up. Yoon had planned Round 2 at Uncle Bo’s and had a reservation for 25 people to show up at 7:00. We were all late and some people arrived before they gave the tables away. We had a ton of food and plenty to drink.
It was so nice to have everyone together again after so many years. Lots of people arrived this afternoon and half didn’t make it to the BBQ so this was a lot of fun.
The happy couple received some “special” shots that evening and we all got a good laugh.
After dinner, a bunch of us went singing at a place Dayantha and the guys found the other night. 
Kumquat rode in the minivan taxi with everyone and also joined them in the singing room for the first half hour. What a trooper.
We were up by 5 (not too bad) and Kumquat did a decent job not waking Jes.
Most mornings we would go down to the infinity pool for breakfast. This infinity pool is so pretty. 
It looks like Kumquat could roll right into the ocean if I didn’t have the brakes locked on that stroller.
Lawson Station is the general store at the hotel and it’s awesome. They have just about everything you need to survive: milk, fruit, toiletries, souveniers, oh and did I mention Spam musubi, made-to-order udon, manapuas, and BUBBIES MOCHI ICE CREAM?!?! 
This day was designated as our pool day and after the beach, we rented a cabana (basically two cushioned lounge chairs with a shade) for the day. It was going to be our homebase from 8am-6pm today and it was awesome.
After a morning at the pool, we lucked out on having a sleepy toddler passing out in her stroller so we got a nice quiet lunch at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin. I had a tasty katsu-don with an oozy egg on top. Yum. It was delicious and big enough to have some left over for Kumquat to eat later when she woke up.
The location of our cabanan turned out to be the perfect location for relaxing, hanging out near the wading area, and enjoying a few drinks.
The Lams and Kwaks also joined us and it was like our own little corner of paradise.
Before dinner, we hung out near the hammocks and Kumquat enjoyed swinging with Daddy.
We were also greeted by a rainbow that evening!
Eventually, Kumquat had fallen asleep so she missed out on another dinner. She would have loved this one too.
We went to Marukame Udon, which has a cafeteria-style service and a line out the door all day long. The noodles are handmade in the store and it’s so cheap!!
The broth is very tasty and was even better with the soft egg added to it. Andrew ate up all the egg yolk before Holly could even try some.
I also picked up a Spam musubi for Kumquat’s breakfast the next morning. Yes, this kid ate a lot of Spam (aka “bacon” to her) on this trip.
We flew on Hawaiian Airlines (our usual) on Wednesday (4/23) and stayed in the Sheraton Waikiki this time. The flight went pretty well with the exception of when we were boarding the plane with a toddler who was screaming and refusing to walk and a husband who was on a conference call and couldn’t help.
I loved that Kumquat had her own seat and I came well-equipped with food, toys, and the iPad loaded with new apps and videos for her.
1) Kumquat puked in the car on the way to the airport (gross) and 
2) I spilled half a glass of mimosa all over my lap and didn’t have a change of clothing (stupid).
The Lams joined us on the flight, which made it an even more interesting flight. I think they had it pretty rough considering they were flying with an 18-month-old who didn’t want to nap and a 3-month-old who had to be held the entire time.
Luckily, they did get a moment of respite when Keenan finally fell asleep. They were exhausted that afternoon when we arrived in Honolulu.
Instead of renting a car for the week, I made arrangements for Roberts Hawaii to pick us up. It was great, they greet you at luggage claim, take your bags, and whisk you away to your hotel lickety split. Kumquat especially enjoyed the bus ride and Jes took a nap.
When we arrived, Dayantha and Krissy were out front and we we went to have lunch at Ramen Nakamura. 
Here’s my kimchee miso ramen with a side of fried rice. The ice-cold beer from the ABC Store threw it over the top for our first meal on the island.
The rest of the day was spent at the pool. Jes took his usual monster-long after-flying-to-Hawaii nap while Kumquat and I met up with the Fernandos. It’s fun having other friends in the same hotel – especially when they’re able to be an additional set of eyes on a constantly-moving toddler in a pool. Fortunately, she liked the pool and having the 1/2-foot wading area was perfect for her. The pool at the Sheraton is definitely a +1 over Moana Surfrider.
Dinner was at Duke’s and we stayed longer for drinks. I got my first order of poke and it came with furikake rice. Nice touch, Duke’s.
Yoon came by after another social function and we were lucky to have a kid that sleeps well in a noisy restaurant.
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