San Francisco- Day 3

We manage to sleep in until 430am. I’m happy about the additional hour until it becomes apparent that I have woken up with the worst headache I’ve had in 15 plus years. It’s bad. Ice picks in my temples and all the throbbing. I am sorely tempted to send the boys away so I can nurse my head in peace but today is the one day we’re set with a car so we can see the Redwoods and we cannot cancel. Or I suppose we could, but I won’t miss that.

I am a baby. I hate being sick. I would call into work with the sniffles. The fact that you still have to parent while feeling like you may have the beginning stages of a brain aneurism (Yes, these are my thoughts. I am a baby and a hypochondriac.) is the worst part about having kids.

I pull my shit together-ish and after discovering that the bug now refuses to eat eggs, pancakes, yogurt, and toast we carb load him with a bagel and we’re off.

We go to the Bay Area Discovery Museum and it’s the best children’s museum we’ve been to. There’s zero tantrums, lots to do, and plenty of grackles and pigeons to keep our animal obsessed youngest occupied. I keep guzzling coffee in hopes my head will stop trying to drive proverbial needless through itself everytime I move.

On the way to the Muir Woods Derek convinces me to try this newfangled thing called Tylenol for my head.(I’m a hypochondriac who also believes I’m immune to medication.) Unexpectedly, it manages to make the headache manageable.

We set off for a majestic hike through the Redwoods with the kids strapped to us. The stream is sparkling. The trees are grand and imposing. The light is peaking through the foliage like a Disney movie set. The birds are chirping. But this is what I’m hearing:

I: Mommy, what number is this?

Me: It’s a path, it has no number.

I: What number is it now?

Me: We’re still just on a path, there’s no number.

I: What number is this?

Me: There’s no number.

I: Mommy, what number are we on?

Me: Four.

I: Are these the Redwoods?

Me: Yup.

I: Are these the Redwoods?

Me: Yes, they’re all Redwoods.

I: Are these Redwoods?

Me: Yes.

I: What number is this?

This was on repeat for, no fucking joke, the ENTIRE 2hr hike. Normally I love answering his questions but holy shit, dude… I was not into this rinse and repeat version of 20 (exact same) questions.

We ended the hike with the requisite gift shop $20 sandwich no one would eat. Mouse desperately tried feed it to a wooden bear but alas, the bear also refused the sandwich. He was devastated the bear wouldn’t eat, but convinced he made a new friend. All in all, not the worst day.