Costco sells Nutella. I'm not a hazelnut or Nutella fan, but the Europeans in my life are. So I bought them Nutella.

I decided to eat some one afternoon, spooning it on top of apple slices. Claus and Christian just fawn over it, so I wanted to give it another try to see what I'm missing.

It's yummy. I looked at the label and it read "11 grams fat." I was spacing out and I thought, 11 grams for the whole bottle? Maybe it's not as bad as I expected! I kept eating more. I noticed that it was being promoted as a healthy breakfast food, too. That seems to imply healthy. I kept eating.

I had just eaten a significant portion of the jar and was still not completely convinced that Nutella is low in fat. I generally operate on the premise that, if it's tasty, it has to be fattening. I double checked the nutrition label with Claus. "Eleven grams of fat. That's not bad, right?"

He looked at me like I was the "nut" part of nutella. "Eleven grams per serving. A serving is two tablespoons!" he corrected.

D'oh!

---

A shout out to my old friend, Navy sailor Keith Jones. He was a well-liked KHNL editor on the weekend show with me and now getting recognition for his military service on the NBC affiliate in San Diego where he now lives. Miss you, Keith!

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/station/as-seen-on/Saluting_MC1_Keith_Jones_San_Diego-113474604.html

***

Also reach me via DianeAko.com

For Christmas, Olivia asked for a rabbit. We have a dog, cat, and fish, and I would happily keep rodents were I not allergic. I would love to have a farm! I love, love, love animals, but I cannot have another mouth to feed and cage to clean.

She would nag and nag us and finally, our response became, "To eat?" To which she would say no and pout.

As a consolation prize, we go to my cousin's house to play with her two guinea pigs. The kids are really gentle with the pigs, and it's just a fun way to pass some time. Val grows lettuce for her pigs, which the kids pick and feed.

Of course, it was only a matter of time until she asked us for her own guinea pigs. "To eat?" we asked, much to her annoyance.

Actually, guinea pigs are a common source of food in Peru, and it's called cuy there. They scamper underfoot in many homes the way people in the US keep dogs and cats indoors. When it's time to source dinner, just bend down and select one.

When I was in Peru I tried one. There wasn't much meat, and honestly, I don't remember much about the taste. It wasn't terrible. As nourishment, I guess it serves its purpose.

I mentioned all this to my cousin Val. "So if you ever get tired of caring for them, you know you have options," I joked.

***

Also reach me via DianeAko.com

I wish I had as much energy as a three-year-old. One evening after work, when my parents had come to visit, we were all sitting around just being old and tired. We, being my husband, my parents, and me.

Olivia started dancing around wiggling her butt. Naturally, when a little kid gets any kind of positive reaction, they keep going, so our initial laughter prompted her to dance around the living room for some 15 minutes. She was shaking her booty and acting all crazy and laughing, while we laughed with her.

I decided to tease my mother, who is a retired professional dancer. "Wow, Mom. Who taught her how to dance? Did she get that from you?"

She looked at me and laughed. "Heavens, no." Then she went in for the kill. "She's so full of energy, too. She couldn't have gotten that from you."

Touche, Popo.

***

Also reach me DianeAko.com

For weeks, I've been hearing about Olivia's new boyfriend, Aiden. That means Tai's out. She met Aiden at preschool. I guess they have a lot more in common.

When I drop her off in the morning, I ask if he's there. She always says no. I was getting curious after all this time, so one morning I lingered on the topic. "Are you sure he's not here?"

"No."

"All the other kids are here. Are you just embarassed to introduce me to your friends?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered.

By this time we had arrived in the class, and she went to put her stuff away in her cubby. That's when I realized that all the kids have their photos by their names, so I decided to hunt for Aiden's photo. I was hoping she has good taste.

Thankfully, she does. He is a cute hapa boy with dark hair and big brown eyes. His hair was neatly combed back for a Sears-type portrait, so he has parents who care.

Later that day, I reported all this to Claus, who laughed at me. "You're spying on her? If this is what it's like now, what's going to happen when she's 13?"

***

Also reach me via DianeAko.com

One of the duties of any public relations job is to know the product one is representing. My job with Halekulani Corporation is not different, and I've been told to schedule in time to experience everything our two hotels have to offer.

I'm totally on board with that, though being the mom of a small child does throw a kink in my schedule (and energy). I finally found a good weekend to book a room at Waikiki Parc Hotel. When I stayed at Halekulani, I just took my husband, but we left the kid at home. However, I wanted to bring Olivia to the Parc because I think she'd love swimming in the pool.

I talked up the trip to Olivia way before we went. "Do you know where Mommy works?" I asked. I've been trying to teach her.

"A hotel."

"What are the names?"

"Halekulani."

"And?" I prodded.

She keeps forgetting. I reminded her, "Waikiki Parc."

I thought that she might remember more about it if I gave her some fun details, so I said, "We're going to sleep there next weekend! And it has a pool you can swim in!"

"YAY!" she cheered. "Are we going to sleep there forever?!"

"Oh," I laughed at her unintentional reference to a death euphemism. "No. There are other places people go to sleep forever. We're just going for one night."

That was the end of that conversation, or so I thought. The next day, the nanny reported back that Olivia said she was going on a sleep over next weekend... to Sea Life Park.

***

Also reach me via DianeAko.com