Cousins in Kauai, 2: Zodiak, Sea Cucumbers

Three comments we would be crazy to make about the week:

1.  I wish we had more photos.

2.  I wish Owen talked to me more.

3.  I wish we ate better food.

With 8 cameras/phones to pull from, we have basically every moment covered, and there were so many moments worth covering.  I was not even on the zodiac trip but after looking through these photos dozens of times, I think maybe I was, and it was a good time.  Kind of like viewing photos from when I was three years old and I'm sure I remember the childhood moment even through I cannot remember the names of some high school and college friends.  If you show me a picture of me with the Loch Ness monster, I'll probably remember meeting him.  So yes, this zodiac trip was a blast and I don't even remember throwing up off the side of the boat!  Or maybe I went surfing while everyone else was on a zodiac because I didn't want to throw up.  It's one of those.  With the surfing story, it is possible one of my kids removed the hide-a-key from the car so I locked my keys in the car like always only to end up locked out and walking a mile-and-a-half on the hot concrete with my longboard to get to my friend's house and beg a ride home (and paying a locksmith).

You couldn't ask for a better day on the ocean.

I asked the kids how interested they were in a boat ride a couple weeks before cousins arrived.  The first question?  "Will there be free drinks?"

No better backdrop for skinny dipping:

Hitting up Scottie's on the way home.

I got Owen a special drink from Kauai Juice Co for since the other kids were getting free drinks, too.  He biked all the way there before booking it back to go to CrossFit and a playdate with Ace.

That afternoon, our family-with-all-kinds-of-endurance went to the beach.  We held sea cucumbers while they peed all over us, pointed out crabs, and found an eel in between pretending it was fun to sit in the blazing sun on adorable rockers.

Blake!  Love this tender moment.

Another Walker/Owen gem:

That night, we all went to dinner at Keokis.  Owen played the room waiting for dinner, hugging everyone and posing deliberately for photos.  

No one will ever believe me that he has hard days when he oozes the affection like this.

COVID restrictions meant the adults sat at their own table.  

Nacho deconstruction.

The always-spectacle hula pie scene:

As soon as the pie was done, Owen wrapped up in Cory's arms.

Like uncle, like nephew.

Owen eating "freak food," what Uncle Cory calls his gluten-free products:

I think it was right around this time that Owen realized he could do no wrong and everyone would laugh and smile for whatever he was doing. Center-of-attention is his happy place.