Hills and Throwbacks

We had high hopes of going to the ZOO today... then I got sick again! Thankfully this time it's a cold and not a flu, but it still isn't going to be okay to spread germs on our friends' kiddos. I generally don't mention to my kids what are fun plans are in advance, but this time I did, and Sophie is super bummed to be missing the zoo. So am I, for that matter! I love giraffes and peacocks and sunshine.

There's always next week! Thankfully we spent all day yesterday out and about, and the girls are kind of wiped out today anyway.

This is a picture of one of the hills we climbed yesterday. These SF hills don't mess around. In honor of the fact that it's Throwback Thursday, here's a little story for ya... When Sophie was born, we lived swallowed in a spot with big hills similar to this. We had thought of everything we could possibly need for a registry, gotten everything I thought I would need, and thought it'd be a cakewalk to do life. But those hills, oh those hills! Every single place I needed to go - stores, coffee shops, restaurants, banks, etc. were up or down those hills. When I registered, I looked for pretty strollers with great reviews. I didn't think to look for lightweight! The stroller I had must have weighed 25 lbs with the carseat inside {Sophie turned 6 months and I got my first umbrella stroller and never once looked back}. One particular day, I needed to find a place to get fingerprints for my part-time job at the time, and I found myself on a hill very much like the one above... halfway up the side with the stairs and realizing that I had trees blocking the squares of sidewalk to the side of the stairs... I had to maneuver the BEAST of a stroller around the trees and up the stairs slooowwwly and was nearly in tears by the time I got to the top {as a reference, the photo above was taken about 2/3 of the way up this particular block... these are not short hills}.

OH the lessons you learn after having a firstborn. I would love to have given my 26 year old self some serious SF mothering lessons starting with A. The bus systems that take you nearly everywhere you want to be. B. The fact that all sidewalks with smooth surface beside stairs are deceiving... there will always be planter boxes or trees in your way but not until halfway up. Take the smooth side! C. Ever heard of a good Ergo? I could have had things SO.MUCH.EASIER. had I only known any of those three things.

Anyway, every time I walk up stairs on a sidewalk {which is often}, I remember those days of early motherhood fondly.

Happy Throwback Thursday. xoxo