SF Tour (AKA--How Many Stops Can We Make with 5 Kids In Tow)

Our day in the city started with the view from Twin Peaks. I have always loved coming up here with visitors because if you get a clear day (or even mostly clear like it was this time), you can see so much of the Bay from this spot.

We were missing Daddy-o and Bug who left on a backpacking trip the morning before.

(We're so glad my brother and his family came to play with us all week!)

Next stop: Golden Gate Park! 

We were going to just drive through it, but it was time for a lunch break and thanks to our SF adventures last summer, I knew the perfect playground to stop at.

The kids had so much fun on these slides.

And the carousel.

R loved her ride. This little girl is the sweetest, and I was so happy that unlike the last time I'd seen her, she actually liked me this time and would let me hold her and talk to her. In February, only Daddy-o was given that honor.

After our lunch stop, we drove out to the coast to the Sutro Bath ruins.

I thought this place was so cool when Daddy-o and I visited a few months ago, and I knew the kids would like it.

There were a LOT of birds there.

And a few harbor seals, too.

From their, we took a short hike to where we could see the Golden Gate bridge.

(It was a little weird to only have these two with me. I kept looking for Bug and feeling like I was missing someone.)

And then, we drove over to the Presidio, where we could actually walk on the bridge.

The 4 explorers.

View of the city.

The first tower. I've never walked any farther than this. While it might be fun to do the whole bridge someday, it is also so loud and the bridge shakes as the cars go by, which makes it a little nerve-wracking, especially with kids. So maybe it wouldn't be that fun.

Such a beautiful bridge.

Enjoying the view.

Bean had a lot of fun with her cousins.

Fisherman's Wharf for clam chowder and a little exploring in Musee Mechanique were next on the list. Peanut really wanted to try this vibrating chair. There are so many weird things in that place.

On the way to Ghiradelli Square, we found a pirate who everyone insisted looks like Daddy-o.

I think the kids liked ending the day with a little chocolate.

Donuts, Rollercoasters, and Reunions

Duck Donuts was on our list of must-dos while in NC, and we lucked out that Friday was National Donut Day! After we'd already ordered a dozen donuts, we found out we could each get a free cinnamon and sugar donut, so we walked out of there with 17 donuts! We didn't eat them all right then, but those first warm donuts were the best.

Wish Duck Donuts was a thing on the west coast.

And then we were off to Carowinds, where you can stand on the NC/SC border. It was a first visit for Peanut and I, and the other three were so excited to go back.

Bean was mostly excited to meet up with a bunch of her school friends who were all going that day.

We didn't see her until it was time to go home, but she had a fabulous day hanging out with everyone.

The rest of us went back and forth between doing rides together that Peanut would like (Plants vs. Zombies was a hit),

(the Dinosaurs Alive was a bit of a flop only because most of them were NOT alive that day),

and then splitting up so Peanut and I could hang out in Camp Snoopy

which he really loved,

and Daddy-o and Bug could ride the rollercoasters. Lines weren't too long and they got to ride the stuff they wanted to the most.

Overall, it was a pretty good day. A little too hot and muggy to be outside for so long, but mostly fun.

And the fun didn't stop there--we left the park at 4 so we could make it back up to Huntersville for an Alexandriana ward reunion. Our church congregation that we were a part of the first 7 years we were in NC had dwindled in numbers to the point that in 2015, we split and were assigned to be a part of two different existing congregations, which was hard for a lot of us because with our small numbers, we had bonded in a way you really only can when you serve so closely with the same group for years. It was so fun to visit with those who were able to make it, and we missed all those who have moved away or who couldn't come.

Tilden Park Field Trip

We had our first charter school field trip the other day. That's one of the things I've been looking forward to after joining this charter--occasional field trips that I didn't have to plan. I also thought we might meet some other homeschooling families, but that didn't happen this time around. Our field trip was to the botanical garden in Tilden Park (Berkeley) and they had enough docents that we were mostly divided into individual families. 

So, the four of us got a private tour of the gardens. They are organized by the different ecological environments found in CA, so we got a mini tour of the state. We learned a few new things, and the kids impressed the docent with how much stuff they did know, and how many of these environments they have been to and could tell her about. We're doing our best to get familiar with all things California.

I love that there are people like this who volunteer their time to share their passions with others.

And I love that these three kids get lots of nature time in school.

(And that we have these awesome redwoods we can visit.)

After the official field trip ended, we had a picnic and went to visit the carousel.

This is the 3rd Hershell Spillman carousel we've been able to visit--the kids love them because of our time in Michigan when they were tiny. CA has a couple more we'll have to go visit.