perfect outing

Yesterday was a fantastic day. Since my parents were in town, we decided to take Jonathan on an outing and take the paddle-boat pedestrian ferry across the river to the children's museum and then ride it back for a picnic lunch by the harbor. And it was perfect.

We arrived at the ferry before they had started running for the day, but Jonathan discovered to his delight that he could scare the seagulls by running towards them. He spent the 20 minutes we waited for the boat running back and forth across the docks after the birds, watching them flutter away and laughing with delight. The memory of his bouncing toddler run (where he looks like he might take-off after every step) accompanied by his perfect joy-filled laugh is one of the images I hope to never lose from my mind.

The boat itself was also a huge hit. The paddlewheel was mesmerizing and watching for the other boats and waving to the captain were all terrific.

And our little children's museum was a perfect destination. About an hour's worth of activity before heading back for lunch and nap-time.

It is amazing to me how having family in town motivates me to finally take adventures I've been pondering for moths and helps me enjoy even the simplest things more and take set backs with a little more ease. If only every day was so full of family, fun, and magic!!