Hawaii, Day Seven (last part) – Luau!

We tried describing a luau to Tad when we were planning the trip.  The best we could do was “it’s like a Hawaiian dinner party.”

Which is what he promptly began calling it.  “We’re going to a Hawaiian dinner party!” he told everyone, while I quietly mouthed “luau” behind him.  I had even found the perfect shirt for the occasion.  Gymboree had their obligatory summer shark line, and there was a Hawaiian-print shirt among them.  Sharks poking out of the water among the palm trees and islands.  It cracked me up.  I got it for him to wear to the luau.  Which meant everyone else needed to dress up as well.

The Webmaster had found his shirt (which has a mini shark print all over it) on his birthday.  I had bought Tad’s shirt here at home.  Thumper had a hand-me-down shirt from one of his brothers, who’d received it as a gift from my aunt and uncle from one of their previous trips to Hawaii.  Ane was wearing a sundress she’d inherited from Auntie which had a tropical floral print (I bought Auntie that dress – I think it was for her 9th grade party!).  I finally found a shirt for Rerun and a sundress for myself at the Dole Plantation store (which was HUGE).

There were fun activities to do before the food was served, including holding parrots…

… getting airbrush tattoos…

… and going on a canoe ride around the lagoon.  This is the only thing that Tad really wanted to do, and we stood in line quite a while for it.  When our turn came, Rerun joined in.

The boys rowed with more enthusiasm than skill.

Which means I got splashed.  A lot.

Tad was somewhat apologetic.

Once we were back on the shore, I got Rerun out carefully, because it wasn’t like we had clothes to change into if they fell in the lagoon.

And Tad promptly ignored me and had wet shorts for the rest of the evening.

Good thing it was warm.

The kids had a pretty good time at the luau!

With the exception of Thumper, who was kind of confused by all of the hoopla around him.

The show was fun and impressive, but loud.

Ane and Tad – along with Belle and Berry – joined in the hula dancing lesson onstage.

I think the older boys enjoyed the show – and I know Ane did – but Thumper had hit the end of his capacity to cope, and spent most of the show distracted on the iPod and eating chocolate cake.  The things you can get away with on vacation…

And on our way out, the performers were around for pictures.  Ane asked if she could get a picture with one of them.  She picked this guy:

I must say, she has good taste!  (We teased her a bit.)

Then it was time to get back to the house (it was late) and get in bed – we had to be up on time in the morning!  We had a plane to catch!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 26th, 2016 at 12:33 am and is filed under Children, Family, Vacation Tales.
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