Paddling

        This week, we went kayaking.  This time, we went into the ocean.  Kayaking in the ocean is harder than in canals or rivers because there are waves.

me kayaking

First, we kayaked to flat island.  It is a tiny and flat island.  Flat island has a lot of birds.  We also kayaked to a beach where we played.  The sand was very soft.

Flat Island

         We also went stand-up paddling.  It is like surfing, except there are no big waves and you have a paddle.  It is hard to stand up paddle.  I crashed into a lot of parked boats.   Stand-up-paddling was fun.

       

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

        Can you say Humuhumunukunukuapua'a?  Humuhumunukunukuapua'a is the Hawaiian name of the state fish, the reef trigger fish.  A lot of  Hawaiian fish names are long and hard to pronounce.  I can pronounce a lot of fish names.  My favorite fish name is Lauwiliwilinukunuku'oi'oi  because it is really long.  Lauwiliwilinukunuku'oi'oi is the longnose butterfly fish.

        Humuhumunukunukuapua'a means reef fish with nose like pig and this is how you pronounce Humuhumunukunukuapua'a:

hoomoo hoomoo nookoo nookoo ah poo ah ah

         It's a lot easier to pronounce Humuhumunukunukuapua'a if you break it up.  When I get back, don't be surprised if I ask you to say Humuhumunukunukuapua'a.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

Poems 

by Alex Desch

a haiku:

Look a cherry tree

Somebody has cut it down

It's George Washington

another haiku:

The bears are sleeping

Nobody should wake them up

I'm getting attacked

a limerick:

There once was a ball named Bally

A lot of the time, he was jolly

It happened one day

He did roll away

To golf ball that was named Fally

       

Maui

        We went to Maui for a vacation last week.  On Saturday, we went on a boat ride.  We made two stops to snorkel.  We snorkeled at a tiny island called Molokini.  We saw fish we've never seen before.  We saw trumpetfish, kikakapu.  We even saw a spotted eagle ray.

Spotted Eagle Ray

         We also went to Haleakala, the volcano.  It was a long drive because Haleakala is very high, 10,023 ft above sea level.  It was very windy and cold at the top. 

Me at Haleakala

There is a plant called the silversword that only grows on Haleakala.  It is a bush with spiky silver leaves.

Silversword

        On our last day in Maui, we went on the Atlantis submarine.  We had to go out on a boat to get to the submarine.  We saw a lot of fish, coral reef and eagle rays.  We even saw a sunken ship.  It was cool!

School of Kikakapu from submarine

Polynesia

        This week, Joseph and I went to a school where we did science activities.   We learned about oil spills and expanding marshmallows.  We put a marshmallow in a vacuum and when we took the air out of the vacuum, the marshmallow grew.   We made phytoplankton models  out of random materials that had to sink in water and sink slowly but we had to use a metal rod.  We also did circuitry with a set that had a light bulb, a beeper, a buzzer, a switch, alligator clips and batteries..  Circuits are wires that go around in a circle.  We completed circuits that lit up light bulbs and buzzed buzzers and we took a quiz about circuitry.

        We also went to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  It is a place with Polynesian activities.  We did spear throwing.  You throw a spear by making a tunnel for the spear to go through with your hand and you use your other hand to push the spear through.  We also wove fish out of palm leaves.  We could cast the line and the fish slid down the line.  I also went real fishing.  There was bait on the fishing pole.  All the fish came toward the bait.  The fish ate the bait but I wasn't supposed to catch any fish.

We also learned to play the ukulele.  A ukulele is like a guitar, but it has four strings instead of six.  It is a Hawaiian instrument.

We also went to a show where we had a chance to do a Tahitian dance.  The performers taught us the dance and then  they picked three people in the audience to dance on stage.  Daddy was one of them.  He did a really good job.  I also made a bracelet out of colorful kukui nuts and wooden beads.  The Polynesian Cultural Center is cool.

     

Parasailing

        On Sunday, we went parasailing.  Parasailing is where you are on a parachute attached to a boat.  The boat moves and you go up in the sky.  It is like being a kite.  When I went parasailing, half of my body got dipped in the water.

        I also had science class this week at the park.  I found a lot of things at the park.  I found a button, a dime, a thing to close bags, a broken rubber band, and 5 legos.


     

Pancakes

Pancakes are yummy

Pancakes are a circle or puff

Syrup goes on pancakes

Butter goes on pancakes

Bacon goes with pancakes

Pancakes are breakfast

Pancakes are fun

Pancakes are cooked

They can be burnt and the opposite of burnt

Pancakes are cool

  

Fall Break

        We attended a lot of camps this week.  We did Bishop Museum camp.  We studied Hawaiian words.  Then we studied the Hawaiian phases of the moon.  We went to a room where we learned about lava.  Someone who works at the museum put lava rock in a furnace and later we saw lava coming out of the furnace.  The lava rock melted into glowing lava.  We went to a building that had marine life exhibits about abysses, which are deep trenches in the ocean.  

        We also went to Hawaiiana camp.   We learned a chant.  We made poi by taking the skin off of taro roots and then pounding it.  I do not like the taste of poi and it looks disgusting.  We played a game where you match the Hawaiian word with the English word.  My favorite part was the game.

        At another camp, I learned how to make a balloon dog and I learned card magic tricks.  A video of me doing a trick is shown below.

          

My Birthday

        We went to Waimea Valley this week.  It was a place with activities to do.  First, we wove fish out of palm leaves.  It was fun.  We also made Kukui nut tops.  It was fun to spin them.  We went to a pool under a waterfall.  You could go under the waterfall and get wet.  After that, we went to an area with Hawaiian games to play.  In one of the games, there were 2 poles that you throw wooden discs through to get a point.  Whoever gets the most points wins.  The game was called Moa Pahe'e.

Me playing Moa Pahe'e

We also took a Hula lesson.  It was fun.

Me doing Hula

        On my birthday, we had pancakes for breakfast.  I had four pancakes.  It was yummy.  I played the Wii for a long time.  It was fun.  We also went 3-D mini golfing in the dark.  It was cool.  I bought 3 lego people, a lego car, a puzzle and a fan light with my birthday money.  I like to play with them.   We had Shave Ice instead of cake.  It was yummy.  We went home, had macaroni and cheese then went to bed.  My birthday was fun!

Me eating Shave Ice