We celebrated RJ’s birthday with a train party at our house!  This big 4 year old loves trains, building, gears, mechanical things and water play.  He also loves pretend play with his big sister and is very sweet to other kids.  He likes to make people laugh, is physically fearless and moves like an athlete.  He is learning to manage frustration, strong emotions and to follow the rules.  He has taught us to be stronger, calmer and more creative parents and that we still have much to learn!

We went camping at Henry Cowell State Park and took an old fashioned train into Santa Cruz for rides at the boardwalk.  It was a great trip!  We didn’t bring any toys/devices for the kids and they were very creative playing with sticks, leaves and the forest around them.  We enjoyed roasting marshmallows over the campfire, cooking pancakes on our stove, relaxing in the hammock and being outdoors!  We feel like we are entering into a sweet spot where the kids are well behaved, curious, cooperative and old enough for new adventures.

We went to Oregon for the total solar eclipse, it was a great experience!  Here is a video of when The kids went wild during the eclipse and a Time lapse video of us during the eclipse.