Monday, July 24, 2006

Pahk mah cah in hahvahd yahd

Well, we made it. We arrived in Cambridge last Wednesday (almost two weeks ago) and were greeted by hot, humid weather. Though I guess we can't complain too much because it was apparently much hotter in the Bay Area after we left. Gee, sorry we missed that.

But the fact that it's taken me two weeks to post this should tell you how crazy things have been since we got here. We've been unpacking and trying to settle in. And Jen started classes last Wednesday. So, it's nutty.



The apartment is nice, but comes with quirks. The owner keeps all her stuff here and we're not allowed to pack it up. Even though she never lives here. And good thing too, because the place is apparently a kind of time capsule to her life in the mid-1980s. For instance, the centerpiece of our kitchen is this wonderful picture clock of Madonna, from her "Like a Virgin" days:





And we have a wonderful set of Encyclopedias (uh, hello. Internet?)






Not to mention, a killer record collection:



But it's in a great neighborhood, with lots of great shops, restaurants and funky stores. If only we had the time or money to visit any of them, it would be even better.

Jen has been busy, overwhelmed, but excited to be out in the academic world. Here she is leaving for her first day of classes:



And I've been trying to keep the kids amused with a rotating schedule of parks, pools, libraries, touristy stuff, and visits to relatives for grilled cheeses. We checked out the local Children's Museum and lo, it has an entire floor devoted to construction. Of course, Liam went bonkers. In fact, much of Boston seems to be under construction, including the local library. Not to mention the Big Dig. So it's a dream for Mr. Liam.




Still, he clearly misses his friends in Oakland and Heart of a Child. As do we all. He told Jen the other night that he wanted to bring all his friends out for his birthday party. Sigh.

Kalian just seems to roll with the punches. Despite a nasty heat rash and a few rough nights of sleeping (or not sleeping), she's emerging as a perky, independent little person who enjoys dancing and eating non stop.

As for me, it's been quite a lifestyle change. I'm exhausted but enjoying myself at the same time. That's not to say the transition to full-time daddy hasn't been frustrating and overwhelming at times. But fortunately, Cambridge is generally pretty kid friendly. And we've met a few folks on the playgrounds in the neighborhood. More thoughts on this later. But for now, both kids are napping, a rare harmonic convergence. So I'll sign off and take this moment to do....nothing....

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