Six and a Half Kids: DAY 6 SAN FRANCISCO

Busted. I didn't post my Day 6. It was my birthday, I get a pass. :)

While visiting Nana and Papa, I really wanted to go into the city for a day with the boys. One thing I have been wanting to do since reading this book with my boys is take them to Alcatraz. Back in the day, when company would come visit we would get them tickets to Alcatraz maybe a day or two before they wanted to go. No more. I checked on line for tours, and it was booked like months in advance in the summer. So Alcatraz didn't happen this time.

These two didn't really want to come to San Francisco that day, but I am sure glad I made them. We ended up having a lot of fun. Ryan had a work meeting in Oakland, so we took BART into the city and he headed off to his meeting in the car.

Joshua told me that the trains in the East Coast were way better than BART. I had forgotten how bouncy and loud BART is. It is still pretty cool I think.

We got off downtown at Powell and then took the Cable Car down to the Pier. I hadn't ridden the Cable Cars in years. It is something you just have to do at least once.

Doesn't Joshua look thrilled?

My cute boys...

Joshua did cheer up...probably because he felt so lucky to be taking a selfie with his mom.

In honor of Aunt Michelle, we had to stop at Auntie's Donuts...or whatever that place is called, and get a bucket of Cinnamon and Sugar coated deliciousness. To be honest, Mom was a little sad that it wasn't a gallon sized bucket, but that's okay.

A sweet girl on the Pier took our picture...all of us together!

Michael had really wanted to get a fresh crab, so we stopped at the wharf for one.

It turns out that everyone liked the crab, but Michael. He said it was too sweet. We feasted on crab and Sour Dough Bread.

We wondered up to Ghirardelli Square.

The kids were especially interested in this statue because they thought Sophie would like it so much. Ha ha ha.

A little out of focus...but I will take it.

We definitely had a few "moments" during our day. See below...Luke is holding up his fingers making the "Loser" sign at Michael. At this point, after spending about ten bucks per ice cream treat for these boys, I was about to send them off to Alcatraz.

Thank goodness I had Joshua as my other "adult" to herd the crew through the city.

There is nothing worse than public bathrooms in the city, so the beauty of having boys is that they can pretend they are taking in the views of the city, and relieve themselves at the same time. (Along with the 50 million other homeless in the city.)

What? Pee off the dock? We would never do such a thing.

I don't remember why these two wanted me to take this picture...but they were all being pretty silly at this point in the day. I think they were all daring each other to do random things.

We could not stop laughing when someone dared James to go take a picture next to these two people making out on the Pier. I wish you could see this guy busting us better. We were not quick enough with the camera, and I think they eventually heard the kids all cracking up. It really was a little crazy, the lovely couple carried on for quite some time and there was no holding a back.

I have been known to make fun of people that take selfies with their kids all the time, like it somehow justifies the selfie. However, I am so often behind the camera, and I wanted the boys to remember their day with MOM...even if the pictures are not so cute.

LUKE

MICHAEL

JAMES

JOSHUA

The Plan had been for Ryan to join us in the city when his meeting was over. How were we to know he would not be coming until 830 that night? These guys were getting really tired of walking.

These two were especially "cooperative" and just might have ran away from us at one point. We were literally playing hide and seek in the city. Not the safest game to play with your children. I would not recommend it. We found them and then were spying from afar, hiding behind bushes so they would not see us. I don't think other families do these things when they visit San Francisco.

We decided everyone was tired and we would just sit and relax for a while, in hopes that Dad would soon make it across the bridge to rescue us.

And lo and behold he did. Hurray! I wanted to take the kids to the other side of the city to see more, but everyone was tired, they wanted to head home.