Just the Girls and Topaz

While Tim was in Virginia for a week, Amber and I and Emerald and Topaz played. The Dole plantation has a train called the Pineapple Express that tours the pineapple fields. We thought the kids would enjoy that and had planned to do it while we were at the maze on another day. The weather was much more pleasant, even slightly sprinkling while we were riding the train. One of the things you learn on the train is that pineapples never get riper after they are cut, so it is best to refrigerate them if they are not being eaten immediately. Pineapple also acts as a meat tenderizer and aids in digestion so it is good to add to meat dishes.

On Saturday we were planning to go to the Swap Meet in Honolulu, so Amber and I drove down. When we got there, the Stadium was closed for a University of Hawaii football game. So, since we were already in Honolulu, we wound around until we came to the Bishop's Museum. There is a new traveling exhibit there on dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are huge and robotic so they move and roar. They are both in the building and outside on the grounds of the museum and they looked a little too real to Topaz. He totally freaked out and had to be carried past them. He pulled his hat over his eyes because as long as he couldn't see them, they must not be able to see him. On the other hand he totally enjoyed the normal volcano exhibit. It seemed that as far as Topaz was concerned we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Imagine my surprise when we pulled out of the parking area and suddenly he began to cry in the most heart-broken fashion. This continued all the way with him begging "More dinosaurs pleeeese!" Finally in desperation we stopped at a Walgreens in Kaneohe and bought the child a small stuffed dinosaur to remember the occasion and the tears stopped. Children- no matter what you do it is tough to get it right!

Because I have given this story the title of the girls and Topaz, there is another experience this week that fits. There is a playground at the mall in Kaneohe where both Topaz and Emerald enjoying playing. This time Topaz was running around as usual and he came to the top of the green hill holding the hand of some little girl. Together they ran down the hill and when they came back up he had two girls by the hand. Once again he ran down and once again he came back this time with three little girls. It seems boys this age have no shyness around little girls.