We’re back home after a week in Maui. And though it was not an educational experience per se, here are some thoughts upon our return:

• Hawaii is nice & warm even at night. Not so back here in the Bay Area, but we are thankful for our nice warm comforter.
• Sunblock works well, but the sun even better, at finding places you didn’t apply it.  Like the tops of my feet.
• It’s fun to play in the warm water at the beach, but kids love the sand even more.
• Food is much cheaper here.  Or rather, much more expensive in Hawaii.  For comparison, for a gallon of milk:
  • $3.79 at an Asian grocery store near our home in the SF Bay Area
  • $4.99 at Wal-Mart in Kahului
  • $5.79 at Costco in Kahului
  • $12.00 at Safeway in Lahaina (yikes!)
• Homeschooling moms are never truly on vacation: spelling quizzes in the car (”whale,” “mountain,” “library” among other new words), and the only “souvenirs” we brought home were a half-dozen 50% off hardcover children’s books from a Barnes & Noble store in Lahaina!
• There’s no place like home. The children (and we adults) happily returned to our beds, our house, our toys, our food, etc.

With that said, aloha & mahalo (thank you) for visiting our blog today; and we end with few more photos from our trip.

The family in Lahaina Town:

Matthew and Andrew on a branch of the famous Banyan Tree:

At the Maui Ocean Center aquarium:

The boys with me at the tide pool examining a sea urchin:

Calissa pointing out a big sea turtle at the aquarium turtle exhibit:

The children enjoying the lapping waves and wet sand at the Baby Beach in Lahaina: