We are all doing well. Great actually. The kids are at a stage where they play with each other ALL the time. From the moment they wake up to the time they sleep, they revel in each other's company. I can now relate to my friends and neighbors who always told us that 2 years apart is a great sibling age gap.
Our friend A has been renting a place in the redwood forest near Santa Cruz area since February of this year. And we have visited him three times already. He has a garage-converted-into-a-studio, right in the middle of redwoods. It's a short hike away from an excellent play ground for the kids, and about 15 mins away from the beach and many state parks.
The owner of this place, who lives next door, has a daughter and son our kids ages. Right from the first time we met them, the kids hit it off. They love bouncing together in the huge trampoline under the redwoods....
They love to chat, do crafts, play games - they immensely enjoy each other's company....
Every time we've been up there, including last weekend, we have been blessed with good weather, which makes our beach outings a ton of fun.
Whether its building sand castles, flying kites, playing ball with daddy, or paddling the waves.....the ocean always works its magic on all of us.
During our walks, we can hear the loud squeaks of the Acorn woodpecker or the harsh sounds from the Steller's Jay. The banana slugs, when spotted by the kids, bring us to a standstill. The slugs move oh-so-slowly and the kids are fascinated by them.
Last weekend, we walked 3+ miles in the forest. To make it more fun, we did races on the trail. We sang songs. We learnt about the flora and fauna. We stopped at the Redwood grove for lunch. And we stopped by the visitor's center to view the exhibits.
The kids love climbing and jumping off of fallen tree trunks.
It is a true Shinrin-yoku experience - breathe....relax....wander....touch....listen....heal!!!!
And we can't wait to visit again :)!
