A quick day trip to San Juan Island. Blaise and Laine’s buddy moved to a boat two years ago, and they’re currently docked in Friday Harbor. I think their plan is to cruise around the western Pacific coast for the next several years, and maybe over to the east coast after hitting South America? I’m not totally sure. But for now, they’re in Friday Harbor. And we made the trip over so the kiddos could hang out for the day—more like five hours.
The kids and I made the drive to Anacortes to catch the noon ferry to Friday Harbor. It’s funny, going anywhere with five kids is a piece of cake nowadays. Because it’s my normal. But I see the looks given, especially from parents with fewer kids. Not always bad looks, sometimes good and sometimes I can tell they’re overwhelmed with their kids and internally question how someone can handle five. And older people. They always look but I can never tell if it’s from a place of judgement or reminiscence. Either way, looks. The looks I remember the most were when I was pregnant with Baby, in the airport security line with Blaise, Laine, and Saige, and I felt so judged. It didn’t bother me but I could feel all the eyes looking at me, my belly, and then the kids. Heck, when I was pregnant with Saige, a Target checker asked if it was my first. When I said no, that I had a son and daughter at home, I was asked why I was having a third if I already had one of each. People. What’s that quote, never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity… I refer to that one often. Hanlon’s razor.
The six of us waited in the Anacortes ferry waiting room for about a half-hour before it was boarding time. Thankfully the ferry was on time. And it was fairly quiet for weekday during the last week of summer. The kids settled in on the ferry, taking up a booth with a table so they could play cards. It was empty enough that I sat in a booth next to them, sans a table, and enjoyed the ride on the Sound. Baby kept saying, “I see a whale!” Which were never whales. We did see some seals along the ride.
It was pouring in Friday Harbor. We hadn’t prepared for rain. I had looked at the weather and it was mostly cloudy with some drizzle. I should have had the kids grab rain coats but I didn’t. Eh, I’m not a snack mom or a coat mom. Blaise and Laine’s buddy met us at the ferry terminal and they quickly left to nose around Friday Harbor. I love having older kiddos. Independence is glorious. They quickly jetted off on foot and secured ponchos, thanks to their buddy’s mom.
The girls and I set out on foot in the pouring rain to the Whale Museum. It was on the list already but we went right away to have shelter from the rain. It’s a few blocks from the ferry terminal so we didn’t get super soaked walking there. Thankfully. It’s a cute little museum, with a total small coastal town vibe. The girls checked out all the stuff on display before separating. Saige found an old phone booth with a telephone inside that talked about whale facts (I think, I didn’t listen). Baby and Maive found a kid area, with coloring pages and crayons, and got right to making whale art.
The rain let up a bit and was now the standard PNW drizzle. The girls and I left the Whale Museum for lunch. I found a cafe a few blocks over that had a menu fit for all the kiddos. Standard breakfast and lunch stuff. Nothing fancy. We walked in to a packed restaurant and were told it’d be a 10 minute wait. We stayed outside until a table was ready; the restaurant is fairly small with no waiting area. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later a table was set for us. We sat down and the kiddos each picked out their food… just as the waitress came over and told us they were no longer making breakfast food. The girls had all picked out breakfast foods. Of course. There was no breakfast ends at X time listed, and the place is only open until 3pm so I figured the entire menu was available. Nope. The girls dealt with it well and picked out lunch food, but it was a bust. None of them really liked what they ordered but they ate enough to be fulfilled.
After eating, then what?! There’s a rock climbing place that Saige and Baby noped. The other option was the bowling alley. Sold. We walked over there and found Blaise, Laine, and their buddy waiting out front. It doesn’t open until 3pm and we had about 15 minutes to kill. Another group was waiting for the doors to open also. We all chatted a bit until the door was unlocked. We ended up getting two lanes next to each other. I offered to get a lane away from the big kids—so they could have their own space—but they said to get a lane next to them.
We bowled. The big kids bowled. Laine messed around with the picture-taking option to have her face next to her name on the score board. I think that may have been more her thing than bowling? But she’s competitive so she still bowled. We had each lane for an hour. When the hour ended, we hit up the arcade part of the bowling alley. We must have spent a good two hours at the bowling alley/arcade. Our ferry back wasn’t until 6:30pm, leaving us with a little over an hour to kill.
We separated from the big kids again. Only to meet back up with them, haha. The three girls and I went down to the waterfront to nose about. We made our way up a few blocks and found an ice cream joint. Just as I was about to pay for the girls’ ice cream, Blaise, Laine, and their buddy walked inside. Fancy meeting them there! They quickly each ordered ice cream to put on my tab, haha—they had gone through the cash I gave them. We separated again.
The girls and I went to the harbor to walk around and check out all the boats. I’m not a boat person. Not at all. My dad always had a boat growing up and I had no interest then to go out on the water and I still have no interest. Baby found a boat she wants when she’s older. More like a yacht. Hopefully she makes it in life to make the yacht a reality. I probably still wouldn’t be interested in boats even on a fancy one. But I’d visit her at ports! I always enjoy the story about Paul Allen not being able to build a helicopter pad on his Mercer Island property, apparently it’s against code? So instead, he bought a boat with a helicopter pad that was docked on the waterfront of his property. Clever.
We met up with the big kids AGAIN. Like, I couldn’t get away from them if I tried, haha. Nah, it’s all good. It’s not like Friday Harbor is big enough to never see each other. Nor are there that many things to do for young kiddos. They were also nosing about the harbor.
It was nearing time to catch our ferry. We walked over to the ferry terminal, hitting a small park on the way. Of course I had them stop for a picture. Maive found flowers on the ground that had fallen from hanging baskets along the waterfront. She’s too cute!
The ferry was there early. Or maybe it was scheduled to be there early? I’m not sure. While we waited to board, the kids played a game of Mama May I and Simon Says. THIS is why I won’t give them cell phones yet. They ask because of course they do. But I see kids their age glued to their phones. Yesterday, driving up to a friend’s house, we were behind the middle school bus. The bus stopped every few houses along Stillwater. I had no idea there were that many kids who lived up there. Each stop, a middle school kid would get out and immediately pull their phone from their pocket and look down as they walked to their house. And every time I see kids at the bus stop around here in the morning, they’re all glued to their screens. Adults also, at bus stops. Probably not ALL but like 99.9%, haha. But anyway. Their buddy has a phone and pulled it out but Blaise wrangled him into playing Simon Says. I don’t think he was amused but he played, and then seemed to enjoy himself because I saw a smile.
The ferry started loading and we said our goodbyes. I overheard a ferry worker say it was a good thing the ferry was on time because the day before it was three hours late. Phew. Thankfully we picked the right day to visit. Even if it was pouring. I’d rather take rain over a late ferry. It was an eventful day and everyone was ready to get back to Anacortes and then home. Baby was over it all and chose to sit alone and read on the way back. Whatever works, kiddo.
It was about 9:30pm when we made it home, and we all called it a day.
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