Blue skies and warm sunshine. Apologies to California for ever saying a bad thing about this place. You can’t beat springtime in January. I guess I needed to go away to realize how nice it is out here. A year in Paris did the trick and we’re as happy as can be. Of course we miss the museums and the carousels, but we’ll trade them for the chance to lie in the grass at the park! After all, “grass is for babies to run in” as Elodie likes to say.

She’s having fun exploring all the little pockets of nature that abound out here. Every few days we like to go to the campus of UC Berkeley where we might listen to the noon carillon concert while we enjoy a picnic lunch, or just stroll around in search of squirrels and pinecones. Otherwise, we go to the park two blocks from our house, or the one behind the hospital where Elodie was born. She has a German babysitter who brings her 19-month-old daughter along, so she has a new friend and she’s learning German. Even though they’re a year apart, they’re the exact same size. We’ve been spending a lot of time with our good friends Gina and Francis too. Francis is just a few months younger than Elodie but he speaks so well and so clearly. I babysat the two of them one morning a couple weeks ago and was impressed by how well they played together. I was nervous about how I’d be able to handle two rambunctious toddlers, but it was surprisingly easy and I feel much more confident in my capabilities.

Our big project of the moment is finding a preschool. We visited one beautiful one yesterday and amazingly, I ran into a friend from New York who I hadn’t seen in over five years! I think it was a sign that we should pick that school. I did like it better than the one I saw today. I’ll see another play-based one tomorrow, and then Wednesday we’re going to visit a Montessori school. It’s a fun process visiting all these different types of schools and seeing how each one is different in design and philosophy.

As usual, my favorite thing to do is walk around and gaze at the architecture. The houses and buildings of the East Bay contrast profoundly with the dazzling structures that line the streets of Paris, but I have to admit they’re exquisite in they’re own way. Berkeley actually has a rich architectural heritage, with lots of examples of works by famous local architects like Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. I love the mix of Victorian, Craftsman, and modern buildings from the 1950s and 1960s. There’s a dazzling array of different styles on campus too. I’m planning to feature more architecture on the blog, and am thinking about a monthly series that will showcase some of my favorite Berkeley houses. I’m also planning to do something with food — one of everyone’s favorite topics.

Thanks so much for being patient with me as I transition from place to place. I’m happiest when I have the time to update Tidepooler, and I think I’ve finally figured out a good schedule so I can get my regular work done, and have a little extra room in my week to devote to my blog. Thanks so much for reading! Hopefully you’ll be hearing back from me again real soon!