A Grand Reunion!

My in-laws are in town!  It's been a reunion long time coming. We had become used to seeing K's parents about quarterly, either with their visiting us up here including to cover childcare breaks, and a trip or two down south to Orange County per year. My mother-in-law lived with us and provided months (Iver for about nine months, Niall for about three) of exclusive childcare in their lives as infants, and as a result, has an incredible bond with both boys. Due to COVID, the last time we saw them was at the end of Februrary 2020 (pre-pandemic). The last time they were here was almost a year and a half ago, in November 2019!  They've missed the boys (and so many of their milestones) as well as our Humboldt weather so much. We'd cancelled a last-summer trip to OC for my father-in-law's 70th birthday, and didn't feel comfortable with having them travel before we (and they) were fully immunized. Thanks to the medical miracle of vaccines, they were able to feel safe coming up to spend a couple of weeks here (and we, despite the unvaccinated munchkins, felt comfortable enough allowing it).

Iver was so excited for their arrival on Saturday (he told us, when we told him we may have future visitors this spring-summer "Just tell me the night before! I won't be able to sleep because I'm so excited!"). Despite the kids' usual bedtime being 8 p.m., and my in-laws' flight from LA due to arrive around nine, Iver begged us to be able to stay up and wait for them (and even go to the airport to pick them up). Both boys actually wanted to make the trip and, given the special nature of this year and this reunion, we allowed them the privilege (knowing that our lives, at least when it comes to the kid that doesn't nap, may be a bit more challenging the next day due to exhaustion and meltdowns). We requested that Iver try to sleep for an hour before they arrived (and he did since he was so motivated!). His behavior was predictably rough today; however, it was still worth it.  The glee in their eyes and those first hugs were magical! 

Iver had made them this cute "Welcome" sign.

 Hooray for their favorite horsey!

It was a lovely Humboldt Sunday to take the grandparents to their favorite outside spots.

 Houda Point

Moonstone Beach 

   

  

Jumping for seeing-grandparent joy!

Who knew that, for fourteen months, hugging (or even seeing) your grandparents would become such an elusive (sadly, forbidden) thing for young kids?  It's precious to have this privilege back and it felt... surprisingly normal.  We're so happy this day has come.  

Sea "food", Sea life

Hunting for sea creatures is among the kids' favorite activities.  The beaches in Trinidad, especially the tidepools, abound in crawling and swimming crabs and sea stars.

Iver in particular loves finding (dead) crabs in the sand. 

They pretended to "eat" them. 

 

A (rubber) fish

Beautiful Baker Beach on a sunny Saturday.

(This was just after I slipped on a rock and plunged my whole leg and shoe into the cold ocean water! Squelch, squelch.)

(We have learned after more than a few visits to Baker that this is also awkwardly either an official or unofficial beach for nudists.... but we [and the kids] still enjoy venturing to it). 

While the iPhone photos don't do them justice, we saw seals bobbing just offshore... 

... and basking on a sunny rock.

Bless Trinidad, its coastline, and sea life! 

(Bath) Bombs Away

I am not really big on home crafty projects but they are a fun way to occupy the kids. While (except for labor) I haven’t taken a bath in decades, the kids love to be in the tub and have/use bath bombs (we have been gifted some, but they are very expensive to purchase).

My friend Tessa shared this Bath Bomb recipe and, since we had almost all of the ingredients already at home in the cupboards (we just had to purchase citric acid, which is used for canning, something I have never done and don't plan to start doing), Iver and I took a crack at it.

Ingredients
- Epsom salt (1/4 cup)
- Cornstarch (1/2 cup)

- Citric acid (1/2 cup)
- Baking soda (1 cup)
- Essential Oil of choice (we used lavender) 10-20 drops
- Moisturizing Oil (we used coconut oil) 2 tsp
- Spray bottle with water
- Mixing bowl 
- Mold (we used a silicone mold like I used for freezing baby food and in the Instant Pot).
- Whisk
- Measuring cups, spoons

- Food coloring (if desired; this was our own twist!)

- Gloves (like latex or nitrile), if you desire to keep your hands clean (we opted out)

Instructions:

1.  Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk

2.  Add (liquid- may need to be heated up) coconut oil and essential oil drops, continue mixing

3.  Drop in food coloring (if desired; this didn't actually mix very well and led to speckling, which was okay)

4.  Grease mold with coconut oil

5.  Spritz water to the mixture (fizz may occur) until it becomes a consistency that can be "packed" together

6. Pack mixture into molds, leave for 24-48h until dried,

7. Pop out and enjoy! 

 Bath Bombs Away!

Monday's Mustachioed Truths

 

                                     (Thanks to my SIL, Katherine for the captions)