At one end, the city of San Francisco meets the ocean. It's a dramatic place with big, cold waves, rocky outcroppings, cliffs and ruins. I'm a big fan of Ocean Beach. It's almost an anti-beach. You don't see rows of people suntanning or prancing around in (shudder) bikinis. It's filled with people playing frisbee with their dogs, runners, surfers in wetsuits, people reading and a few brave soles swimming around in only swim trunks. On one end you can build bonfires. On the other end you have Seal Rock, the Sutro Baths and The Cliffhouse.
The boys loved the ruins of the Sutro Baths, especially Finnian!
The boys loved the ruins of the Sutro Baths, especially Finnian!
He loved digging around in the sand inside the ruins. I was just holding my breath hoping he didn't find something gross or cut himself. He was super excited about all the "sea glass" he was finding. He knows that I love sea glass and I didn't have the heart to tell him it was just broken beer bottles. He loved it just the same and I left with a pocket full of treasures.
Steven, taking in the awesomeness...
The tide was out and the kids enjoyed the combing the sides of the rocks for starfish, crabs and other little sea creatures. Steven took them up on top of the rocks.
some more favorites from the day. This first one is the sun peeking out from behind the fog.
some more favorites from the day. This first one is the sun peeking out from behind the fog.
Aric Hoek says:
I of course love the silhouette of the two of you on the top of the hill. Very nice. Going to be at the next meeting? I know we need to talk before hand.
(07.31.10 @ 04:45 PM)
Incredible! If you are ever in the San Francisco area, make sure and visit the Muir Woods. Quick tip, I would recommend going on a weekday. We went on Saturday and it was pretty crowded but, even with the crowds, it was still very cool. Anyway, the Muir Woods is the home to the magnificent redwoods. If you ever need to feel a little small, this is the place to go.
This is an example of the "be careful!" moments. One the other side of them was a small trail and then a sheer drop, eek!
I'm a huge fan of Moleskine books. The boys each have one that they draw in (or collect stickers or write or whatever). Our favorites are the ones with the elastic closure and the inner pocket. On this day, Sayer used his to keep a record of all the animals and plants that he saw, so cute!
Winter Wren, I'd like to take this moment to publicly apologize. 5 and 7 year old boys are incapable of doing much of anything quietly, including tromping around the redwoods.
Sayer did take a moment to meditate. It only lasted for about 3 seconds. Despite the very frequent "get down from there!" and "be careful please!" warnings, we did manage to soak in some of the magic. It's a truly beautiful place.
This is an example of the "be careful!" moments. One the other side of them was a small trail and then a sheer drop, eek!The view up was so amazing that it was hard to pay attention to much on the ground.
This one is my favorite from the day.
Julia says:
I love that area with those redwoods! Truly wonderful photos.... I'm sure you have a ton more that you didn't post. can't wait to go there sometime again myself...
(07.29.10 @ 09:10 PM)
Ashley says:
I really want to visit the redwoods someday. They are so majestic. Your photos are great I love them all, but if I had to choose one that I could call my favorite it would be the last. I just love the texture! Thanks for sharing!
(07.29.10 @ 11:32 PM)
Alyne Harding says:
I love that last one, especially! You should sell it as a poster. I'd love to hang it on the ceiling over my bed!
(07.30.10 @ 09:35 AM)
Z says:
I just got back from San Franscisco and these pic are so great!! It was nice to see some familiar sights.
(08.06.10 @ 09:13 PM)
When I lived in San Francisco (many years ago) the Mission District was coming up as one of the cool new neighborhoods to live in. The neighborhood was much rougher then. Now it's a blend of the new wave of people moving in and the folks that have lived there forever. Don't get me wrong, it's not all fancy lofts and boutiques. In fact, it's much better. It has a tremendous amount of character, a unique blend of residents, good food and lots of amazing murals. You can read all about its history here. A few days ago, we met our new friends Gina, Jasmine, JJ, Stella and Bodie for a playdate in the Mission (they live in the neighborhood). We let the kids run wild at the playground for a while and treated them to frozen fruit popsicles.
Next to the park is a community garden. The kids hunted for and ate strawberries and goose berries and ate carrots straight from the ground. They watered plants and gathered limbs. Finnian and I watched the bees fly around the lavender.
After the garden they played more- their energy is astounding to me by the way because it simple never ends! Jasmine did manage a few minutes of quiet time on her Mom's lap though.
Next up was lunch and a walk. Finnian stopped me at one point and asked me to take his picture. His sweet face just melts me.
After more play at a second playground, Gina took us on a tour of Balmy Alley. It's one alley completely covered in amazing murals. Here's a virtual tour for you.
This next one is my favorite!
And, finally, our motley crew all together for a photo. I tried my best to get all 6 to look at me and smile but, of course, that would never happen. So, I did my next favorite thing. I got them all to scream for me. The other alley walkers got a big kick out of it I have to say.
Isn't Heart's Desire the best name for a beach? Or almost anything for that matter? Heart's Desire is a little hidden away beach in the Tomales Bay State Park. It's perfect for kids because the water is a little bit warmer than the ocean water and there are no waves at all.
Finn declared it "the best beach ever!". This declaration was because on that day, on one end of the beach, there were a bunch of washed up jellyfish. After finding out that they didn't sting, the kids spent the rest of the day gathering them, throwing them around, digging holes and burying them. One child, NOT MINE, even put one on their head.
They took a few jellyfish breaks to hunt for cool rocks with barnacles, make sandcastles, bury themselves in the sand and so on but it was pretty much all about the jellyfish.
As for the adults, we supervised the jellyfish effort from afar (ew!), snacked, talked, read books and relaxed. I enjoyed the overcast skies and took pictures.
Alex says:
You guys should come to Newfoundland - there's Heart's Desire, Heart's Content, Heart's Delight... and of course, Dildo Run. hahaha. Beautiful pictures, Farrah. :)
(07.25.10 @ 11:20 AM)
Claudia Eubanks says:
Beautiful pictures!!!!!!! Wow. Makes me want to go.
(07.26.10 @ 10:06 PM)
Rachel says:
I love looking thru these photos and remembering all my fond memories with you and your boys :)
(04.27.11 @ 02:17 PM)
I love how my kids manage to bring the silliness out of me. They are masters of the silly. They can be silly as hell without even trying to be.They make me laugh like I never really laughed before. It's this laugh that comes from my heart. It's like half true love and half belly laugh.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all smiles all the time. No, they do a good job of making me crazy too and, in that moment, I am for sure not laughing. It's funny though how it always seems that they get me laughing at some of the most stressful times. It's like they know that I'm at the end of my rope and need a good laugh. This is exactly what happened the other day at lunch. It started with Finnian, my silliest child, letting me take crazy pictures of him.
And then, Sayer and his friend Joel lightened my day just by being 7 and loving (so completely) the milkshakes we bought them.
My previously dark and frustrated mood was washed away by a few of life's most simple pleasures, including my own chocolate malt. I'm glad I was willing to let my tension go and roll with the moment and embrace the silly.
Christopher Brown says:
Great pictures and a better message. Chocolate milkshakes and the ones you love help you to enjoy the moments happening right now. Thanks Farrah.
(07.23.10 @ 08:16 AM)