The Aloha Boy

How many of us would gladly give our left knee to go to Hawaii (I would, gladly, right about now!!)! Can you imagine the impressions on a 7-almost-8-year-old boy?!

Remember, he chose the red suitcase and took ownership of it proudly, dragging it to the rental car we picked up at the airport upon arriving.

It was just a short little jaunt from there to our hotel (if you think in Atlanta terms, that is) where we all got "lei-ed" while Donica signed us in.

And he did say, when he walked into our room and peered over the balcony, 15 floors up, "It feels like a miracle. This is the best day of my life!" Kids know these things.

Before his step-sisters-to-be arrived the next day, Donica and I took him on the Atlantis submarine ride off-shore from Waikiki Beach. We had done it ourselves 4 years earlier and loved it. He had a blast.

But it was his own "ride" in the ocean every day that probably really made his day...and memories. The ocean became his buddy!

We had several walk-abouts from our hotel along the Waikiki Beach and especially loved visiting the Duke Kahanamoku statue whenever possible. That is one surfer dude to really look up to! WOW. Look at the difference in size.

Did you know that there is a live camera facing the statue that is constantly recording people who are having their picture taken for visitors who sign in? We saw Amy and Dennis there 2 years ago and Astrid (in Holland) saw me there this year. So Astrid asked if Nicholas could take a picture of me there....

...which he did! His little hands could hardly hold up my big camera but he did it and this is what he took! I'll never hear the end of it, I know. I will now have to teach him how to use a dSLR camera!

There were those rare times when there was nothing else to do but play his Nintendo DS. But, of course, that's why we brought it. While all the adults were enjoying a last-day Good-Bye, following the wedding, he, too, enjoyed himself. It was a good boy-sitter.

I already showed you the Diamond Head album from the last day when he and I climbed the crater before going to the airport. By then, everyone else had already left, including Donica (who is in Copenhagen and Hannover this week, incidentally). We made the most of our time, you bet. That post is here, in case you missed it.

If you want the full photo album of Nicholas in Hawaii, including the photos of him at Diamond Head, you can find it here. That's our Aloha Boy!

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As I mentioned, Donica is in Europe right now...after flying to Spain from the wedding, then to China, and now AMS, Copenhagen, Hannover and AMS by Friday. I will join her in AMS on Sunday, leaving this Saturday, God willing and the creek don't rise..

Knee willing, too! I've had some rough times since my surgery last Friday but that's probably because I overdid it the first 26 hours when I was feeling no pain. AND I wasn't elevating my leg. Now I'm being a good girl and think I'm seeing myself get out of the woods. It's been a humbling experience because it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. Must be my old age and stupidity. Other than that, I'm doing great. :)