Enjoy the Sweets While They Last (Halloween 2018)

Halloween sneaked up on us this year-- project deadlines, grant proposals, travel, and general life-juggling stifled our creative process.  In keeping with tradition we did manage to buy three pumpkins and engage in the slimy business of carving jackolanterns.

 
Our ideas were narrowed down to a herd of unicorns or a family of poopmojis.  Being in a house full of boys I don't need to tell you which won by a strong majority. Anders was a dissenter this year, insisting on being his favorite animal, the sea turtle (or turdle if you ask me.)  He was so proud to have a homemade costume-- and probably pleased  that he could bend his mother to his will.

 Trick or Treating time we snapped our obligatory Halloween family photo before hitting our traditional route through the Duboce Park neighborhood.

 It's always a joy to see our neighbors on their porches handing out candy, and it's becoming more common for people to set up small bars and hand out mini cocktails in Dixie cups.  Trick or Treating for All!

 After 2 hours of winding through the cul de sacs and hiking up hill we returned with very heavy bags.  Each child got over 250 pieces, most of which was chocolate.

The costumes are sitting in a pile awaiting storage.  While we stress over making costumes each year, this year it became apparent that the end of the family costume is near.  Linus is heading to middle school next year, and there's a high chance he'll want to trick or treat with his friends and not us.  As with the huge bags of candy, I'm enjoying them while they last.

Weekend Turn Ups

Despite living very full home and professional lives, we see weekends as opportunities to do more.  Being outside, running free, and getting dirty are main ingredients to our usual weekend turn up. Most weekend mornings we figure out a place that's dog friendly, check the weather (and agree if we want fog or sun) then head out.  

The Marin Headlands was calling to us a few weeks ago, and on the way up we decided to take the boys to where we got engaged.  We forgot about the winding road that leads to the gorgeous city view, and Anders got car sick before we remembered his susceptibility to motion sickness.  Luckily I had wet wipes and wads of leftover restaurant napkins in the car to clean up.  We forced Magnus to donate his boxer shorts to Anders and we continued on to Rodeo Beach. Despite the stink of vomit we were all able to enjoy our view from above the clouds.

The waves drew a crowd of surfers that day.  Rather than head straight for the beach we hiked up a leash free trail.  On the way up we saw a training rescue operation in progress.

Our goal was to make it to the top of the hill and picnic at the battery. Without real pants or shirt Anders seemed to be quite happy. We lured him with fresh candy direct from Sweden for lordagsgodis.

Back at the beach we did the usual.  There's a calming effect for all of us, the sound of the waves with the endless expanse of ocean ahead, it's a kind of harmony that we achieve only in the presence of an ever changing body of water.

Eventually the sun came out and that's when we bounce-- Mattias has sensitive skin. The Marine Mammal Center was on our way out and I hopped out with the kids for a walk through.

The boys and I enjoyed their interactive exhibits and reading about the kinds of injuries and illness that affect marine mammals. The hospital was filled mostly with recovering sea lions and seals that were infected with Leptospirosis.  Knowing we had to clean the car upon our return to the city, we called it a day.

On another foggy Saturday we drove straight out to Ocean Beach.  Considered to some to be  inhospitable with cold winds and dangerous waters, Ocean Beach is a haven for surfers and one of the best off leash dog beaches around.  In low tide we can find sand dollars and dead jelly fish.  With an expanse of sand and space the boys always end up in the same spot together.

Afterwards we walked to a nearby taproom to meet Alvin for brunch and micheladas.

By late afternoon the sun emerged it was warm enough for a water balloon fight on our roof.  I gave Mattias a nice break and supervised the chaos. Mattias and Theo are both loafers and can't even by default and I give them a lot of credit for being active with us in the morning.  The reward for both is they both get to recharge on the sofa together.

Another fun spot, new to me not to the guys, is Treasure Island for bike riding.  Since we installed a hitch on our Subaru last winter, bike riding has become a staple in our list of activities.  Treasure Island is a very special place in my childhood-- my dad would take us fishing on the pier facing San Francisco regularly.  Catching smelt, playing with bait, and annoying my dad while we got bored are all very vivid memories of my childhood.

Once we arrive at the trailhead we set the kids off on their bikes and allow Theo to run off leash.  Theo prefers to keep watch of the kids and runs ahead with the pack. He also finds dead animals to roll in, seeking out "treasures" on his favorite island.

A nice new addition to the island is Mersea, a sweet waterfront gathering place that serves food with an amazing view. After running and biking we grab ice creams for the boys and a shandy to share. A hummingbird came to visit me as I waited, a perfect end to our active morning.