Saturday Morning

Bright blue skies greeted us this morning as we strolled from our apartment to Harvard Sq. in search of breakfast. The air was dry, and cool, and the sun was shining. We were happy campers.


Just around the corner from our place is Brattle Street, home of some of the most historic and beautiful sites in Massachusetts. After some coffee and pastries in the Square, we wandered to Harvard Yard where the kids found their own outdoor playgrounds: a yew bush to climb, the Science Building Rocks to jump, the fountains to splash.


Then we made our way to an actual playground on Oxford Street. It has a proper name of which I can not recall at the moment, but to us, it will now be known as the "paradise playground". It has the coolest climbing structure, a spraying fountain, a water station, a sand box, a basketball hoop... something for everyone. Our little climber Momo was in heaven with the climbing structure. He must have gone up and down it 10 times before deciding to play with something else.



We stopped by Harvard Museum of Natural History on our way home. I am impressed with their Dinosaur collection, their glass flower exhibit, and many other interesting creatures for children to look at.



There is a lot to explore in our new home town, and neighborhood. And so far we are quite happy.

Connecticut

We visited our dear friends in Connecticut this weekend, Peter, Laurie, Sam and Caleb. Seeing them here in New England makes us feel like we have family here. Their home in Guilford, Connecticut is a lovely old home with a wonderful backyard full of flowers, vegetables, and things for the kids to explore. By the end of our visit, we were calling it our 'country home'. Laurie is a painter and Peter is an architect - so imagine their combined talents and tastes! I love the colors in their home. Even the frog in their pond has a color that goes perfectly well with the rest of the place.

Outing

We are still exploring the area for the children. Yesterday someone told us about a park by the Charles River with a playground and a waterpark. Perfect, we thought. But with the ominous thunder clouds, we were not certain about our outing. Then we were reminded of the definition of a 'passing shower' here in New England. The shower came, and went, and then there was enough sunshine for water play!

Harvard

Miller Tarn Yoon MacDonald

Claire Dara Yoon MacDonald

Harvard College, Class of 2025.

40 years after their father graduated.

Or is it just wishful thinking?

Regardless, it was a fun place for them to explore. We told them the story about the purple lady who used to check out books at Widener Library. She was always dressed in purple, from head to toe. And she was there for over 20 years. Where did she go, we wonder?

The Chess Master, on the other hand, is still there, waiting to be challenged.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod. Hyannisport. The Kennedys.

And exactly 3 hours and 41 minutes of sunshine.

It may not be that apparent here, with the photos of sunny blue skies. Believe me, all of those photos were taken during the 3 hours and 41 minutes aformentioned. Maybe the last photo of me and Momo gives you a hint of the rest of our one week vacation on the Cape.

I sound like a Californian, don't I? Well, I felt like a Californian the whole time we were on the Cape. It got to be a joke between me and the kids when the sun did come out, I asked them: "Guys, what is that?" They would firmly answered: "That's the SUN, Mommy, the SUN!" On the last morning there, of course, we woke up to the first sunny skies. Claire ran up to me and said: "Mommy, the sun is out! It's your favorite day!" And within two hours, we had to leave.

Anyhow, life should not be all about weather. And we did manage to enjoy some of the Cape, even without the sun. We ventured to Provincetown one day, the first for all of us. Jim and my father took the kids on a train ride one day. And Jim and Momo got to ride a 'duckmobile' another day. Sadly, we did not connect with the Kennedys. But I would rather have connected with the sun.

We made it

Looking at these photos, you will know that we are no longer in California. Walden Pond alone is a give away that we are no where else, but in New England. Coming back, especially with my whole family here, is like a walk in the past. But the past it is not, since I have my future with me: my two children. Today we visited the town of Concord, home of numerous authors, and the beautiful Walden Pond. The kids had a blast playing in the water. My father even got to do a blog talk by the pond. We visited a museum, strolled through the town, and treated ourselves to ice cream at Dairy Joy, my favorite ice cream shack in Weston. We went by my old high school and the children got to play in a playground there. I have only been back here two days, but so far, it seems to me that in some ways, things have not changed here. But so many years have passed that it is me who has changed, and it's refreshing to see the old things with different eyes. Stay tuned for more adventures!

This is it!

I am sitting on the floor of our empty house, with the computer on my lap. This is it:the last day of living in Santa Cruz, at least for a little while.



We had a busy week seeing people, saying good-bye, maximizing our time here. We had a beach get-together, a park get-together, pool-time, school good-bye party. I hope the kids get an idea of what they are in for!



Transitions are hard, but they are important. We will learn and grow from the changes; we will make new friends and new memories elsewhere. Santa Cruz had been wonderful to us, our little family. Au revoir, et a bientot, j'espere.