We asked the kids what they wanted to do this summer. Our trip is not until the end of summer break, and we actually get 9 weeks off this year! They listed off requests like mini golf on the north shore, rope swings, bikes, and playdates, but their big priority was as many camping trips as we could squeeze in at Polihale.
Kauai is busier now and permits are not as easy to come by anymore with the north shore closed down indefinitely for flood repairs. We invited friends and two families joined us, while many other families stayed on the west side and came over the next morning because they could not get permits. It was the second most crowded I have seen Polihale with what appeared to be over 100 (non-permitted) people there. It's a long beach so it did not necessarily feel crowded, but it surprised us to see so many tents and trucks.
We arrived in time to set up tents and enjoy a sunset swim.
Owen will not go anywhere near the water but loves to put on his full beach gear--including goggles and his floatie and run around
close to the water.
Brady on a wave:
Haven adores Kate and talks to her non-stop.
I print out pictures every 18 months just to fill a few frames. This one made the cut.
Jes and Haven:
Matt and Caleb:
He likes to take "serious" shots now but we all know his true colors:
Zachary generally avoids pictures but rushed to join Brady and O:
Megan and Chase:
That night, Owen begged to sleep next to Kate in the tent. "KATE! Come sleep, Kate!" he called again and again. She was so excited to snuggle with him. We disposed of our pack-and-play recently (it was ruined with mold), and this was our first attempt to get him to sleep outside a crib. FAIL. He could not settle down even with his big sister, and was up until 11pm, when he finally fell asleep in my arms as I talked around the fire.
Zachary set up his own tent that night next to his friend, Finn. The wind picked up and started to collapse his tent. As he worked to fix it, he was convinced he saw a boar. In the light of day, he admitted it was probably a dog, but it scared the lights out of him, and he prayed wildly and called out for Finn. They ended up crashing in Finn's tent the rest of the night and woke up bright and early at 5am.
Packing back up in the morning is torture, but we had many hours in the water to cool off. Kate braved waves bigger than normal while holding hands with Brady.
Both of them, ducked under the wave "mermaid style":
After months of rain, this was Zachary's chance to renew his relationship with sand.
I love this mid-wave profile shot of Brady and Kate:
Megan and Hilary:
Tired Lil Owen:
Me and Megan catching a shore breaker together:
By late morning, there was a big crew of friends.
Jason:
My surf sister and Spencer, my 6'8" talented friend who can catch ANYTHING on his 11' board.
Polihale surf is often a struggle, so I asked to borrow a foam board rather than taking out my normal ride. Foam boards do not hurt as much when they hit you on the head after taking a particularly bad fall off a pitched wave, which happens to me constantly at this break. This day, however, the waves were breaking beautifully, the drops were not too steep, the paddle back out did not take 20 minutes, and the waves rolled for days. It was the best surfing experience I've had here. I was excited Brady caught a picture, since I was so far away from the camp spot and the beach. Hooray for capturing me on an overhead!
Kate is our child who begs most ardently for Polihale trips. Joy!
She was such a good sport, even when her close friends did not show up until the next day. They all packed in plenty of girl time.
Water babies. I am trying to convince myself that this will be Owen someday--rolling in the water and not afraid it might touch his toes.
Damon took his dog out for a paddle and we all watched as the dog was flipped off the board by a big wave and struggled to shore.
Far down the beach, there was a "kiddie pool." I heard one child say, "I peed in the pool three times!" This is why I hate kiddie pools. Pee in the wide, recycled water of the ocean, not in the backwash. Eww!
Forever our sandman.
#luckywelivehawaii
