I am a rock, I am an island......

I learned something relatively unimportant about myself the week of my San Francisco trip. I will do anything alone, but very little with kids. Alone, I am fearless, adventurous even, but with kids, I am weary, afraid and trepidatious.

While I was in San Francisco I went to The Ferry Building, Little Italy, China Town, all through the Financial District, the Mission District, in about a dozen cafes, through a museum, to Sausalito, to a movie, and to lunch by myself and loved every minute of it. There was one moment of the day when I thought, "I haven't even heard my own voice for over 4 hours.... this nice"

I was like this when I lived in New York too, I went everywhere alone! My roommate worked the night shift, I worked the day shift, so I did most things by myself. I went to Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, Broadway, Time Square, and took the train and bus up to Boston and cruised around Boston mostly by myself too. I am totally in my comfort zone doing this.

But, when it comes to kids I am a complete looser. If someone gave me free tickets to OMSI I'd probably have to pass unless I had a sister or a very close friend to accompany me and even then the timing would have to be perfect, my kids would have to be on their best behavior and all the stars would have to align for me to work up the nerve to do this.

My only explanation for this is that kids stress me out more than most things, the running around, trying to keep them contained, constantly counting heads to make sure no one has been kid napped or run off, my stress level is at a 10 when I take kids to most things, but walking alone through NYC at night even around homeless people and crack whores doesn't even phase me. (Sorry I said whores on my blog)

Which leads me to my next point, I LOVE Moms that can take their kids to do things and actually enjoy doing it. I wish I was blessed with this gift. I have found a few blogs this summer and they blog about all the cool things they take their kids to do, like bike across the Brooklyn Bridge, go to Washington Park, go to Lagoon in Utah, go to the Beach, when I go the the beach all I'm thinking about is which kid is going to go under and out first. I really admire strong Moms, I wish I was a little stronger. Just a few of the things I enjoyed alone in San Francisco
(my favorite breakfast, chocolate banana cream pie with a gingerbread cupcake)

The Ferry

Building

Tartine Bakery,

I was hoping to get some eclairs, but they sold out, so I got a piece of chocolate cake instead, but it did inspire me to come home and teach myself to make my own eclairs,

they were a success if I do say so myself.

Mission Pie,

they say pie is gaining in popularity when compared cupcakes, I can see why.

I couldn't decide, I got peach and banana cream.

I'll say it, Fisherman's Warf is the most overrated thing in San Francisco, way to touristy.

The best candy shop in Little Italy