The discovery of a great playpark! Building on a hill makes for a great slide area!
Colton immediately called the children onto the Pol Ex "ALL ABOOOAAAARRRDD." I think Ruthie was the only one to comply with his efforts.
This is the toddler end of the park, you can see the top half of the sliding area, then on the left is yet more sliding and climbing apparatus. On the ocean side of the park (to the right in this photo) were basketball courts, tennis courts, and a baseball field.
It isn't only lizard hunting that is a big hit here, there are a few monstrous toads that live in the pond and fountain area at the top of our complex and after the sun goes down they hop down the path - we have actually seen them hopping right down the sidewalk - to the sand. Jared and the kids have been catching at least one, maybe there is a family and we're catching different toads, but we've had success on more than one occasion. Colton was keeping watch (he is holding a colander and managed to "check on" the toad regularly without crunching any toad body parts in the process of slamming the bowl back down). I don't know if these pictures do the size of the frog justice - he is HUGE.
In our searches to solve Jared's rash mystery, we learned that the plumeria flower is poisonous when eaten, and children are often treated for consumption because they smell so sweet! just an fyi :) don't eat the plumeria flowers.
So, Jared's rash story: he came upon some folks hunting and gathering in the overgrown field to the north of our building. He asked them what they were doing, they proceeded to tell him they were picking mangos, then show him how! Jared found a few mangos on some low branches (they grow on trees the size of maple trees) and pick them. Apparently upon picking them he exposed his shirtless skin to the sap of the tree. A person can have an allergy to mango skins and tree sap without having an allergy to the fruit that you actually eat. Needless to say, we have tried a few different things but are currently treating as poison oak, with calamine lotion. He has spots on his neck, face, chest, and belly, that are terribly terribly itchy and spread when he itches them! All for the love of free fruit ;) He was mad enough when he read about the mango rash that he threw them all away. So much for free fruit.
Colton is digging the lizard hunt here ... Jared catches tiny baby lizards and Colton holds them for Ruthie to see. Ruthie isn't so into it. She runs the other way. She seems to be a little wary of the frog too but is brave enough to examine it at a very close range.
A fine example of our poor parenting skills: Colton playing the gameboy so we can eat at a restaurant in relative peace and quiet ...
We made a trip to Hapuna Beach. The wind was blowing so hard this was all we saw of Colton - the top of his hat. He yanked it down far enough over his face so that he could barely see the sand castle he was building, the hat covered his entire face. We had more sand in ears and hair than I thought was possible, but the sunshine was incredible! We've had quite a few overcast and even rainy days in Kona, but an hour north got us right out of the cover!