Boys, Boats, and the City by the Bay

In an impressive last hurrah, summer has decided to finally settle in around here. We've been shivering and wearing fleece jackets for the last few months, squinting our eyes in the fog and dreaming of sunny days at the pool. Now, all of a sudden, the temperature has leapt up to 90 degrees, 95 degrees, 100 degrees and we're all sweating, staggering around, and bitching about the lack of air conditioning. That's human nature for you. The grass is always greener...

In any case, some of Max's preschool colleagues decided to take advantage of the warm weather for a boat ride to San Francisco, and we were only too happy to tag along. It was a great adventure, if a bit chaotic. We had six boys tearing around the ferry boat, literally climbing the walls, yet thankfully we managed to avoid losing anyone overboard. Back on land, we explored Pier 39, checked out the seals, engaged in passionate, teary battles over a loan crab leg found on the deck, rode the overpriced carousel a few times, purchased some tourist schlock, fought over a pay telescope with views of Alcatraz, scarfed some lunch on the run, and sent our blood sugar levels through the roof with mammoth ice cream cones. Then it was back on the ship, more tearing around, and a short drive home from the Alameda ferry terminal. Both of my boys are dead asleep right now, the surest sign of all of a summer morning well spent.