Day: September 2, 2006

Andy and I are both slightly socially handicapped. We are not full-blown geeks, but we do have some troubles getting conversations started, especially with strangers, and it takes quite a while until people are not strangers anymore. I am the more extroverted person, so people notice it less, maybe also because I often try really hard to be open and make contact. Older relatives have told me I was very shy as a kid.

Leilani is very different from both of us: when she sees kids – newborn to young teenager – she coos, flirts, smiles, and if nothing else helps sticks out her tounge… She really wants to meet children, and enjoys their company, even at the height of “stranger anxiety”. She only allows 4 or 5 familiar adults to hold her right now, but she will happily allow a 6 year old she has never seen her before to pick her up.

Yersterday in Hilo at the airport she was really bored. I didn’t want her to crawl too much on the filthy floor, so I held her by both hands and let her walk – she went straight for a family with 3 little boys, 5 to 8 years. I looked up and saw them all watching us and smiling 3 boys**, parents, grandparents… – I am still not used to all this friendlieness, Leilani has smiling karma, I think my entire life before she was born I saw less smiles than in the past 9 months… anyway. Leilani had started the smiling and they were all looking at us and smiling back. I mean…. I could not just turn her around and walk away… my heart pounded, from some misguided stagefreight…. I had to talk to an entire family of complete stangers… I did, awkwardly but I did. They were incredibly nice. Once I said hello and introduced Leilani, the boys took turns playing grimacing, singing, crawling on the floor in a make-believe catch game, Leilani was laughing loudly and enjoying all the games and attention so much.

I think a lot of the social behavior is learned, I really hope she keeps her friendly open ways. Often I admire some of our completely outgoing, spontaneous, smalltalking friends, it seems to open so many doors…

**On girls I would not have been surprised, but it turns out the mother runs a daycare in their home, and they constantly have babies there, and the boys just love them.

OK the good news: I snorkeled in the clear waters of Honaunau, pristine corals, colorful fish, turtles, incredibly beautiful… then a nice whole family swim – Leilani in a floatie far out into the at Ho’okena bay, I got to see an entire movie (Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman), we got to see the lava – from a great distance – and we did one (!!!) very nice hike, and another short walk on a petty nature trail. Totals about 7 hours. The trip did not make the list of my 3 worst vacations. Oh, and more good news. We took some nice pictures (but not of a smiling baby). Leilani did not poop her diaper on the trip. And we are back now…

The bad news: We drove almost 600 miles in 6 days, and stayed in 4 different places. Most of my time in the car, it seems was spend calming the upset baby (Leilani hates the carseat, and driving in general, she likes flying though) or being upset because Leilani was screaming, or fearing the cops because she was not in the carseat but on my lap. Leilani’s being upset did not just vanish getting out of the car… she missed her laying down and nursing naps, got overly tired and screamed at the top of her lungs at bedtime, stressed (loudly) about the hot Kona sun (94F – 34C) when Andy wanted to look at the Puako petroglyphs – we turned around. We wanted to see the lavaflow up close and I chickened out – 4 mile round trip over uneven lava, return in the darkness. Andy did not get to see the Pu’u Loa petroglyphs either, another unshaded lava hike. We actually went to a lot of beautiful places, but did not have enough time to really see them, hike them, explore them. The Volcanoes cabins (at Namakani Paio) were filthy, cramped and expensive.

The conclusion: I’ll plan the next trip, not California, which we will change the planning together, but the one after. We’ll stay 3-4 nights in one place, limit driving to about 1 hour on most days, do more hiking, swimming, snorchling, playing instead. Andy can take one of these 3-4 days off family and drive around and explore on his own.

Leilani, Andy and Mauna Kea at the saddle:

Snorkeling at “Two-Step” right near Honaunau place of refuge heiau:

Sunset at Ho’okena Beach:

Ho’okena swimming:

Black sand baby:

Lava entering the ocean:

Lava watchers:

Cabin at Volcano National Park (Namakani Paio campground):

Thumbs down:

Just found a few old photos, no links on this one…. big island photos coming soon.