Late last week we returned from what I dubbed the California Farewell Tour 2009. It’s not really a farewell tour, it’s more of a rock star farewell tour–those tours where they allegedly say goodbye forever and then promptly start touring a year or two later. It had just been a long time since we had last visited my California family and with the upcoming arrival of Besh’s little brother, we figured it would be a while before we made it back out west.
Sadly, our agenda become far overbooked almost immediately. Just to accomodate immediate family and some extended family that I hadn’t seen in perhaps a dozen years our schedule was packed so we didn’t get to see a fraction of the people I wanted to see. I think the next trip out I’m just renting a big room and filling it with food and drink and telling everyone to come on over.
Besh, of course, had a blast. He got to sleep in a big boy bed of his own in the hotel. A rollaway that he managed to rolloutof almost every night until we pushed it against the wall–then he just got out and insisted on joining us in bed where he promptly aligned himself perpendicularly to his parents, forming the most uncomfortable human ‘H’ in history.
Other notable Besh highlights:
We went bowling for the first time and Besh rolled a 115. Sure, we had the kid bumpers deployed and he used the metal frame that rolls the ball after aiming more often than not, but I bowled on the same lane and only got a 113 while Sara got some insane 140 score. So I guess all those hours on the Wii paid off.
We visited the beach in Half Moon Bay and proved it is impossible to have a dry visit to the beach if you don’t bring swimming gear. Rolling up pants never works, and there’s nothing quite so uncomfortable as wet, sand-crusted jeans. Wait, there is: wet, then dry, sand-crusted feet.
After it was closed on a previous visit, we hit the Children’s Museum (Discovery Center, whatever) in Sausalito. Really cool place, even if Besh was officially too tall for the toddler’s area (he’s 43 inches and the height cut-off was 42 inches) and he was a bit young to be playing with all the other older kids. But a great facility with a killer view of the Golden Gate Bridge from every building.
Took a boat tour of the bay so Besh got to see sea lions, dolphins, Fort Point, the Golden Gate Bridge from underneath, and a good close look at Alcatraz. After all that, I think he was most impressed with the boat’s snack bar which sold Ritz Bitz (small Ritz with cheese spread sandwiched between them). ”Daddy, I LOVE those!”
Also had a great day swimming in a pool in the East Bay where Besh’s favorite game was to insist he could swim (nope). Fortunately, he didn’t drink the entire pool.
But of all these moments, the most memorable was when we first got off the plane. After a record-breaking hot summer in Austin, we step off the plane to gorgeous blue skies and 72 degree weather.
Besh: “I’m cold. Can I please have my jacket?”
Me: “Cold? Besh, this is great weather!”
“No, it’s cold. I want my jacket. I want to be melty.”
Sigh. Despite all my best efforts, I’m raising a Texan.
