San Francisco - Day Three - Aquarium and Union Square

From the moment we arrived in San Francisco, Sullivan would not stop asking to see the "BIG EESH!" (aka big fish). I thought the seals at Pier 39 would satisfy his aching need for big fish, but apparently they didn't. And since San Francisco boasts an amazing aquarium within walking distance from our hotel, we decided we'd better check it out, or risk Sullivan blowing a coronary. Sullivan loved the aquarium, SO much. And so did I. And since it was a lot cheaper and SO much better than the aquarium we went to in Las Vegas in December, I deemed it money well spent. A great way to spend a morning.

After the aquarium, and one more carousel ride at Pier 39, we took a quick bus ride to Union Square for the afternoon and gawked at all the amazing stores. The flowers at Macey's were amazing. Sullivan especially loved the Macey's escalators.

That night we had a dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Russian place near Fisherman's Wharf that got great reviews online. It was amazing. I had offered to take the kids back to the hotel so Heather, mom, and dad could actually eat a meal at a restaurant in peace without wrestling with two kids, but they declined...and wouldn't even consider it!? I was shocked!? Apparently my kids weren't as much of a bother as I thought they might be to my fam. They love them as much as I do. Bless their souls!

Traveling is more complicated with kids, no doubt. But it's not impossible, and it's certainly still quite enjoyable. Ideally, I would have preferred to explore San Francisco, minus the kids, at my leisure, with no nap schedule, no three-year-old mind to deal with, and no nursing five-month-old to feed in the most embarrassing of places. But if I waited for the ideal situation, I'd probably never travel anywhere. And I've just decided that is not an option. Lucky for me I have the most amazing family who love my kids, and didn't mind in the least that they were tagging along with us. They even seemed happy about it!? They were SO good to them, even when they were being impossible. And they made it so easy on me. Four adults to two kids is a pretty awesome ratio for travel. :) And honestly, kids just add another element of fun and adventure.

I'm pretty sure we would have been terribly bored without Sullivan to entertain us all week...the BIG WIND, his ball rock, his repeated meltdowns over his broken choo-choo and then his broken truck (barely noticeable breaks, mind you...which he is still getting upset about even now that we're home!?), his love for the big eesh (fish), his love for rocket boat, excitedly screaming "YAY" at the top of his lungs on a cable car full of morning commuters. And then when he'd take my face in his hands and sweetly ask me "are you happy mommy?" multiple times a day (to which the answer was always YES, of course). And let's not forget his incessant need for a "cookie snack," or a snack of any kind really...everything is a snack to him.

And as for Eliza, her most memorable moments were her 10am meltdowns...one while trapped on top of double-decker tour bus, and one on a packed cable car on the way to the aquarium. Both at 10am sharp. Both not super awesome. But other than that she was a perfect, adorable, kissable, squeezable, angel face, so we'll forgive her for her moments. Even the 24-hour round-trip drive was a breeze with these two. I'm pretty sure I hit the kid jackpot when it comes to good travelers. I think I'll keep them.