Susie Sunshine reporting

It's amazing what a little air conditioning and pool-side service can do.  We've been at the Honua Kai ("Maui's newest resort!") since Thursday.  It's good here.  Man-made waterfalls, pools shaped like lazy rivers, the best beach in the world, fluffy towels, and an on-site store selling artisanal locally-sourced shade-grown fair-trade everything (for 3/4 again what you'd pay at a similar market in Napa - but these chocolate cupcakes are to die for!)

It's 10:00 AM, and Christopher and Aemon are down by the pool.  Aemon might be convinced to go down the water slide today without his floaty vest.  Roane's been napping since 9:00, and I'm lounging in the master suite, drinking coffee, watching Avatar on the big flat panel and writing this.

At noon, Joanie The Amazing Nanny is coming back (she sat for us on Saturday night as well) to watch the kids for four hours so Christopher and I can float in the ocean and sit by the pool, drinks in hand, and read our books. Quietly.

Saturday night's grown-up dinner was great.  We strolled down to Duke's Beach House at sunset time, and enjoyed margaritas and a lovely meal.  Of course, we ordered dessert.  Christopher had the trio of creme brulee's (no caramelized crust? Wha?) and I chose the Haleakala Lava Cake ("rich flourless chocolate cake with a caramelized pineapple creme anglaise").  My cute little doughnut-shaped chocolate cake arrived sitting on a healthy pour of creamy-looking sauce.  I of course expected pineapple-ish flavor on the first bite, but it was oddly salty. OK, I thought, with the popularity of salted-whatevers these days, maybe they're going for a salted-caramel-hint-of-pineapple-essence thing. Another bite. Hmmm.  They're a little off the mark. Another bite. Arrugh, this is not good. Is that a chive in there? Yes, that's a chive. That can't be intentional. Hey. This is like a cheesy buerre blanc that you'd serve over fish. Or mac-n-cheese. WAITRESS, you put FISH SAUCE on my CHOCOLATE CAKE! (And it took me several bites to figure that out.) Yeah, the dessert "chef" switched the squeeze bottles. I did not have to pay for my fishy lava cake.

The boys have gotten into their grooves.  They like routine, and once we established an expected chain of events (get up too early eat breakfast watch PBS Kids put Roane down for a nap take Aemon to the beach or pool have lunch put Roane down for a nap swim more take a bath chill out have dinner read stories go to bed) everyone's been MUCH happier.  The little guys have been sharing a room for the first time in their lives, too! It turns out that Roane screaming 3 feet from his head does not actually wake Aemon up.   This bodes well for moving them in together once we get home.

Roane has been working on his consonants (specifically, DADADADADADADA; he's really REALLY into his daddy right now.  But, depending on the inflection, it could mean "what's THAT" or "lalalalala I like to make noise".  I think I'm "ba baaa" but I'm not 100% sure. That could mean either "I want to play with that tube of sunscreen now" or "mama".)   I am of course a wee bit concerned that his chain of ear infections (one a month since August) has muffled his hearing, thus delaying his language. We're waiting and watching - and listening - closely.

His walking has been progressing nicely too.  He always looks surprised and delighted when he makes it across the room.  Getting Roane to sleep through the night, however, remains the Holy Grail.  All that jolliness and solid napping during the day has to be paid for somewhere.

Tomorrow is Monday, and it's packing day. Sigh.