seeing the city

It has been a while for Emmett and I, but we had a real Muni adventure today. Emmett's friend Augie's grandmother invited Emmett and I to the Mission branch of the library's story/singing time so I decided (Emmett doesn't have any say, yet) that he and I would head on over there. I am trying to see how much we can do car free (neither of us has been in a car since returning from Clear Lake) and I have that love of buses, so Emmett and I headed to 24th and Mission by bus. I tell you, that Emmett kid is a real sport on the bus and was fascinated by everyone and everything that he saw. It took us a good 40 minutes to get there as we had a transfer, but we were only a little late for the big show and it was definitely worth the trip over. There was a woman from the library who lead a bunch of songs in both English and Spanish and the kids were really into it (Emmett not so much as he doesn't know how to clap or sing, but he was enjoying watching all of the other kids and adults). The place was standing room only and I am sure that we will make it a frequent Thursday activity.

I mixed it up on the way home bus-wise (for locals: I went 5-Fulton to Van Ness then 49-Van Ness/Mission to 24th/Mission) as we walked to 24th and Castro and took the 24-Divisadero home. I have grand plans for Emmett and I to take all of the buses in the city during the upcoming year. On the walk to Castro St. Emmett snoozed in the stroller---something that I used to fight as we were approaching nap time as I didn't want to hamper his nap at all, but now I am starting to flow with it as he still is seeming to nap when we get home. I am operating on a 2.5-3 hour windows of activity schedule, where I have to have him back in bed no more than 3 hours after his last waking for the first two naps. It seems to be working so far.

Andrea had a shorter day today so I had my first try at getting some work done from home. I think that next week will be better, but before today I had gotten zero done. Between laundry, cooking, and taking care of the little one, there is not a lot of free time it seems.

Emmett and I also returned to a hardware store this evening---the one that I took him to in the Haight on one of our first outings together. It was funny to think, while walking along Haight, about how I pushed him in the stroller fearful of every bit of cigarette smoke and every cough within a city block, and now we walk Haight without a care in the world. Well, I still won't let him touch anything and would like to keep strangers from touching him, but we are mostly care-free. Oh, and a woman sat next to me on the bus on the way back who had a two-and-a-half month old. Talking to her made it feel like Emmett is 100 years old compared to when he was 2 1/2...rather than in the "time flies" way, I mean this in the "development sure comes fast over the first few months" way.

Anyway, here is a still from the post-hardware store, pre-bedtime tickle festival. I took video but only after he stopped really laughing hard, so will have to see if I can capture something better later.