The hard part of doing
the Hula with a mermaid
is learning how to
breathe underwater!

         My pixilated friends and I took the rainbow bridge into the mists of old MolokaŽi, Hawaii to visit the students at Mauna-loa Public School. We had our visit with the students in their computer lab and then enjoyed a lunch in the Coyote Café . . . Aloha Patti! Patti is the wonderful and talented singer who runs the cafeteria (you see, in Hawaii, nothing is ever as it seems. Why, we had an encounter one rainy afternoon with two Kupuas frolicking along a secluded forest path disguised as a couple of dogs.)

         During our visit to the student's computer lab we handed out a Mermaid Hula Dancer craft project for everyone to color, cut-out, and assemble. We thought you might enjoy doing one or two, I've included a drawing of me too, just in case you didn't want to have Tilo the Mermaid doing the hula all alone.... then again, you could make 10 Tilos and color them all differently and give them each a new name. You could even use the basic body and design a few of your own flower leis...or... well, you know the possibilities of where you could take this project are as endless as your imagination? Of course you know it!

         The basic body parts are held together by punching holes in the indicated places and inserting a closed two-pronged brad into each hole. When the brad prongs are inserted, pry them open in opposite directions and bend them over on the backside of the hole. The paper parts held together will move back and forth. To make it easier to move the body, puppet-like, I have added instructions for a "handle".

         Our deepest thanks to the students Mauna-loa School for their beautiful smiles and gracious hospitality.