5 Years, 8 Months

For Easter, the boys received a care package from their former nanny Kasey, containing all kinds of goodies, including a gem sticker craft. Because of the fine motor skills needed (first you have to twist the pen-thing into the provided wax, which allows the tiny gems to stick to the pen-thing while being placed on the sticker) I wasn't sure how well it would go. As usual, the boys' skill surprised me and they did wonderfully. 

Henry, hard at work:

Henry left, Jack right, crafting among the Easter treats:

Suave Jack, showing off his creation: 

Silly Henry showing off his work, with Jack over his shoulder:

The boys were fascinated that the chocolate bunnies were hollow, and were studying the lack of innards with flashlights:

The boys' preschool sent home frames with tin sheet pressings that the boys did. The boys' names in their handwriting are pressed into the metal among the other designs. To the left of each frame are the alternate photos the teachers didn't end up using. 

Henry:

Jack:

Doling out herb seeds for the boys to plant in a cool rolling planter box Steve found:

My parents came to visit, and started their time here with a belated birthday celebration for me. 

Birthday pie (I'm not really a cake person) and gifts!

The boys received gifts too, including the most adorable Hawaiian shirts ever:

Henry wasn't thrilled about posing for pictures, but Jack was happy for me to take another with his Hawaiian shirt. 

Henry's favorite thing about grandparent visits is getting grandma to play board games with him. Here they face off playing Sequence for Kids:

Jack loves having more people around to read to him. Storytime with Grandpa:

It's also very nice having other adults around to supervise. Grandma watches closely over the dirt pit activities (showing off the well-loved digger Grandpa refurbished for them):

And, of course, there are always projects. My dad and Steve work in the background on replacing the side gates:

My mom was busy too. She took the suitcase full of loose Legos we received from Steve's brother Philip and turned them from this...

... to this!

The organizational efforts are still holding up after several weeks of use, and the boys have been really pleased that they can find the pieces they want. 

We made sure to do some fun things too, including taking the "beach train," which travels from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk up into the redwood forest. 

Steve, Henry, Jack, Cindi and Larry waiting for the train to depart from the boardwalk: 

Jack, Henry and Steve traveling through the forest: 

Jack, loving the adventure:

Jack, looking more grown up than seems possible: 

Henry, relaxing and taking in the scenery: 

Deviled egg break! 

We took a picnic lunch to eat in the 45 minute layover in the redwoods before the train returned to the beach. 

Mom, Henry, Jack and Dad, ready to head back to the beach: 

Grandpa, Grandma, Henry, Jack and Steve, ready to roll:

Grandpa, Grandma, Lisa, Henry and Jack, waiting for departure: 

We bookended this visit with another celebration. Since we wouldn't be seeing my folks again for several months, we celebrated Mother's Day, my dad's birthday and Father's Day. 

Jack and Henry with birthday boy Grandpa, while Grandma looks on:

Jack, Henry and Grandpa:

Visits are always too short, and soon it was time for Grandma and Grandpa to go home. It has been a wonderful thing to have the house next door to allow guests to easily stay for as long as they wish while having their own separate space. It's something I never would have imagined we'd have.