Santa Cruz area?

[Dov]

We just did one of those find your spot things online. Santa Cruz came up as a place where we'd "fit in". I've been up there for a GPCA mtg once and I had a great time. I hear it's close enough to silicon valley to commute and not as expensive (although everything up there was way pricier than eastern Ventura County).

Our question is, is there coastal hill land that's affordable (1-2 acres) outside the city itself? What's living there like? Taxes, Schools, AP lifestyle, progressive Jews (reconstructionist temples), bohemia, etc.? Are there jobs for a high school math teacher in a non-traditional school environment and a multimedia writer?

[13moons]

Where to begin... Let me start by saying that I love Santa Cruz. I lived there for several years while I was a student (and parent) at UCSC. There is great support for AP, more natural food stores than chain grocery stores, and there are some very good schools available.
I can't speak to the jobs issue but I know employment is not easy to find-of course teachers are needed everywhere. What I can tell you is that the reason I no longer live in Santa Cruz is because I cannot afford to do so; I live 45 minutes away in an area that is slightly less pricey. There is a not-so-funny joke in S.C. that people would rather live homeless in S.C. than live well elsewhere-and the number of homeless people living there supports that statement.
I don't know how much land is available and I am not sure exactly what you would consider affordable, but I have not seen 1-2 acres of land available for less than about $200 thousand-no house.
Also the commute to Silicon Valley is still 45 min to an hour and over a winding mountain road-so you would have to weigh the benefits.
But, financial aspect aside, Santa Cruz is a beautiful place that I would gladly raise my family. Sorry I can't offer more specifics-I hope this is helpful in some way to you.
Good luck finding the right place for you and yours-I am on the same quest right now!:)

[Alegria]

Our hearts live in Santa Cruz and so do all of my ap mommy friends and their babies but we couldn't afford to live there and me stay home with my baby. She's two now. So our bodies live in Eugene Or. Maybe someday we'll find a way back to S.C. but it's doubtful.


Hey where are all the Santa Cruz Mommies?

P.S. Santa Cruz is great for activities for children, if you move their there is a great newspaper called "Growing up in Santa Cruz" that has a calander of daily events for children. We miss all the fun.

[veganmamma]

A lot of the land around Santa Cruz is really pricey because it's prime coastal land. I know rent and house prices in the city itself are really high, and that says a lot because I'm in the most expensive county in the country and I can't move to SC. (I am in the part of the county that drags down the average, but it's expensive here too.) I have friends at UCSC and they all live in tiny motels with 2 or 3 roommates because thay can't afford rent. If you can make it to Santa Cruz I would definitely do it. I put my Dad in the ocean there, we love it so much. As for the Jewish community, I'm not sure you'll find as large or tight knit a community as in SoCal, but the only Jewish community I'm really familiar with is in SoCal. It doesn't get much more Bohemian than SC though. Anyone can fit in there as long as they're a little left of mainstream. There is a great community of educators and students and not just at the college.

If you're willing to give up on the 1-2 acres of land, you may find the People's Republic of Berkeley a nice place to be as well. It's a different scene altogether from SC, but I'd say condusive to AP and a Bohemian lifestyle. We'd be there, but we opened a business recently, so we're stuck here for the time being. Also in the Bay Area there is San Anselmo and Fairfax. You may acquire the reputation of a Mar-in County Hottubber=) they are a little yuppier, but Fairfax is a small hippie-ish little town and there may be some land left in the surrounding hills.

Hope it helps and good luck! Hope you can make it out here, I really believe this is the best place in the world to live.

Lauren

[kelodo]

I just moved OUT OF Santa Cruz manly because it is NOW the most expensive place to live in California. Nothing decent is even under $300, 000. I love it there, but if I want a decent home for my family, it is NOT in Santa Cruz!!

[Geoffa-T]

I came to SC in '88 to go to UCSC, and haven't left! I'm 34 and have a 6 mo. old baby.
If you're thinking practically, and want to be a homeowner, SC probably isn't for you, unless you make a lot of money.
We don't, and much less now that I'm staying home to be with my baby, but I still absolutely LOVE living here. The weather is PERFECT, the natural beauty is stunning, and brings me to tears on a regular basis (the cliffs, the ocean, the sunsets, the blue sky, the great beaches, the redwoods and trails and state parks, etc.)
There is so much great stuff happening for moms and kids: for example: Mondays, Baby Jam in the a.m., a free dance jam for parents and babies, Tuesdays is the Attachment Parenting Support group's meeting time(they also have a play group), Wednesdays and Thursdays is Mothersong, a wonderful circle to sing and dance with your little ones, Friday is post partum yoga, babies included, and there's so much more. Really, some sort of regular activity or group every day of the week, often 2 or 3 in a day!
And now that we're totally broke, I find that a lot of the stuff is free or very cheap.
Walking along the 4 mile trail that wends along the ocean, Westcliff Dr., is free, salsa dancing on the wharf, every Sunday afternoon, watching the sun set and listening to the sea lions, watching people play beach volleyball, and breathing the fresh air, also free.
Strolling down Pacific Avenue and people watching is free: tons of street musicians and other performers, all kinds of people to check out.
5 minutes out of town, hiking into Wilder Ranch, rolling hills, into redwoods, views of the sparkling Pacific, also free.
Sorry to go on, but it's good to remind myself of so much that we do have.
We also have thought tons about moving, to be able to afford to own a home, but this IS "home", and impossible to imagine living elsewhere: so much to give up, the weather, the culture, so many friends, not to mention family.
So I've (at least temporarily) given up obsessing about buying a house, or believing that owning my own house is somehow the key to it all, the magic elixir that will lead to happiness, and realizing that this IS my life, NOW, and it's absolutely wonderful and full and blessed, just as it is.
So I'm spending my time loving my daughter and my husband and just feeling fortunate to have such a wonderful life: living in a beautiful place, having good health, a husband I love, a daughter who blows my mind and heart daily and has forever changed the way I will live, wonderful, close friends, loving family, a clean, peaceful dry and safe place to live and plenty of food! What else could I possibly need???
Also, there is quite an active Jewish community here, many different types, across the spectrum.
There's also lots of traffic, lots of rich dot-commers building bigger and bigger houses, crazy rents (we have a good deal, and we pay $1150/mo. for a small 1 bedroom cottage, but it's in a great area, very close to the ocean), etc., etc. But within it all, it's very easy to have a calmer reality that you create for yourself (much easier for me to say now that i'm not working, not in the traffic daily, etc, just in a little mom-bubble with my baby, living by her rhythms, walking with my mom's group buddies, etc).
Feel free to email me at sgeoffa@hotmail.com if you have any more questions.

[Dov]

Thanks for the continued posts on the thread. We're also looking into Mendecino county (heard a rumor land is cheaper than S.C. area.... so far, our searching says "sorta"). I was looking into Half-Moon Bay (inland) but a friend who just bought land there says it's gone through the roof (they ended up with a mortgage because they just couldn't keep looking anymore after three years).

We're definitely looking for land (no buildings or easily demo'd ones with no zoning hitches) and less-intrusive zoning (we need to not be prohibited from: building with strawbale and alt. energy, using a temporary shelter for 3-6 months while owner-building—all things that in SoCal is becoming a major no-no under the latest ultra-right wing zoning nonsense... I have no idea why when the rest of the country is allegedly loosening up... somebody's making bucks somehow, I can smell it). $100K is our land budget max so that's already ruled out small cities and "quasi-suburbs", we're talking boonies mostly now.

Anyway, that's the latest from us. We're still tracking info and following up on leads. If the individual in the white house gets appointed to a second term we'll be looking at Canada or Costa Rica anyway... what a strange, evolving plan... ;)

[bunny's mama]

hi dov,
we just (about a month ago) bought our first place here in half moon bay. it's been our dream to live here since moving to the bay area about 7 years ago, but we never dreamt we could afford it. we're a one income family, but we live fairly simply and we don't do debt (anything other than our home, i mean). this is a beautiful little town and we're just beginning to get involved with what looks like a very liberal jewish community (see www.coastsidejewishcommunity.org) here.

my dh and i are also big fans of santa cruz (just 45 miles south of us). that town rocks. there is so much to do and see there. however, i find the HUGE numbers of homeless folks and panhandlers there really upsetting. and forget commuting to silicon valley from SC, that'd put you on the road for at least 1.5 hours each way. yikes. lots of folks do it, though.

mendicino county is lovely (we love ukiah) but as far as finding work close by, you might have a problem. and the cost of living is high there, as well. the fact is that pretty much ANYWHERE in the bay area (well, any neighborhood you would *want* to live in with your kids), you are looking at costly homes and land. interest rates a great now, though, so you may find you can afford more than you imagine, depending on how good your credit is.

anyway, i'd be happy to chat with you more...feel free to PM me or email me.

[Dov]

Thanks for the link, bunny's mama. I'll email you when I get a chance later this week. Sounds like your story may have some great nuggets from which we can learn more. We appreciative of others' insight(s) we can get as we go along.

Today we're taking the day off and going for a hike.

[bunny's mama]

tee hee hee, dov. jews going for a hike on xmas day??? what else is there for us to do besides bowling and chinese food (g-d bless the chinese restaurants :wink ) we hiked as well. hope yours was good. talk soon.

[Dov]

Yeah, we usually go to the movies on the 25th (You find out who's in your community by the flicker of the silver screen...a real bonding event) but we opted to get into the hills this time instead. Our 5 yo dd wore her rucksack with her own waterbottle, fleece & rainshell with lunch for the first time (much to Dad's relief!). She was so proud of herself.

We found a little waterfall and did some scrambling down into the narrow ravine to climb back upstream through the rocks to get to it. We're so proud of her... not one complaint and she was totally loving it. Usually she encounters a tough section of challenge and breaks into tears or gives up before she even tries but not this time. A real breakthrough for her. It was an honor to share the moment with her.

Our 3 yo ds however, oy, more tantrums and trials. He'll get there with his sister eventually. After yesterday, we're very hopeful indeed.

Back on topic, I think we're going to try to run up north after Pesach... if anyone has good camping spots in Half-Moon Bay and Mendecino (coastal area primarily) drop a post here and we'll followup.

[bunny's mama]

dov, there is a nice little state beach right near us. from either hwy 101 or 280, take hwy 92 west to half moon bay. go left at hwy 1 (cabrillo hwy) and then right at the first light (kelly ave.) if you follow kelly all the way down to the ocean, you'll see campsites. i think it's called st. francis state beach (??)

in mendicino county in ukiah you can camp at orr hot springs, a real incredible place. i think they are at www.orrhotsprings.com (or you can just do a google search on their name). that place rocks.

[Openskyheart]

Bumpin' for Missgrl! Hi Missgrl!

Bumpity, bump, bump

Laura :)

[Missgrl]

thanks laura:hug

My big question...is how do you all manage with the high costs?
We REALLY REALLY want to move there soon....

[bunny's mama]

i'm not sure how we manage. i guess the salaries tend to be higher here, as well (i'm not too sure about that, since i don't know what folks are making in other parts of the country).

[kazmir]

Missgrl

Hi, I'm in Santa Cruz area - a little east on the coast. I have been here 9 yrs and moved over here on a transfer from the SF bay area. My now DH was living here and I moved in with him. We have managed to buy a home and I work part time, mostly for benefits. My DH has held many jobs in the area, only commuting over to San Jose for about a year in 95. We both have since had jobs local.

It is expensive to find housing these days. The UC and closeness to Silicon Valley have created a rental shortage. Lately though I have seen more for rent signs up. If you want to move here and buy a house I would recommend getting a realtor and letting them work for you in finding a good deal. I think there are some out there especially if you can do fix up work yourself. That is how we got our home. Alot of sweat!

Good luck to you!

Robin

[ajsmom]

Hey Robin-

Please give Sara a big Happy Birthday hug from Aidan and me!

You are so right about the fixer-upper. We are living in one too and our realtor hung in there with us for a whole year. We even looked at the house we bought when they were asking $20K more for it.

We have 3 for rent signs on our street right now but each house costs over $2K/month. But hey, it's four blocks from the beach!

Take care,

Rebecca

[Missgrl]

Just wanted to check back and say we are planning on joining
your area very soon!:bouncy Sometime soon after Easter we
will be leaving Texas (where I lived my whole life) and going to
Santa Cruz.!!!
Can you say excited and nervous at the same time???

I sure hope to meet some of you when we get settled!

[ajsmom]

This afternoon after darling ds, 2.5 yrs old, helped Mommy with IRAs at the bank, we went to the beach and spent an hour excavating sand, running after everyone and everything, watching dolphins and seals, pelicans and marbled godwits (very cool birds)....

Yesterday, we had the most beautiful rainbows and a coral pink sky as the sun set into the ocean...

Tomorrow we may go to the Blue Ball Park or the excavator park or maybe the watercolor exhibit in Santa Cruz...

Actually, we are also getting ready for a garage sale, out of town guests, Easter, laundry, dishes, yadda yadda yadda but we are doing it HERE where everyday is lovely, even the foggy ones.

What is bringing you to Santa Cruz? Work? Destiny?

Have a very safe trip,

Rebecca

[Openskyheart]

Missgrl,

YAY! Looking forward to meeting you!

Hey, maybe you and your dc, Rebecca and her ds, and my dc and I can all meet at the blue ball park. My dc love the blue ball park!

Excellent point Rebecca...Santa Cruz is a great place to raise kids. Hmmm... what should we do today? Plan our vegetable garden, pick up some fresh baked bread at Gayle's bakery, and head to the beach for an hour? Go to Natural Bridges and ruuuun down the wooden path to the butterfly trees - then lie on our backs and try to count the butterflies? Hmmm...so much to do :D

Laura :)

[ajsmom]

If they hadn't put in those lovely large balls we might use her name when we talk about the park... nah, we'd probably call it the big slide park.

I only go to Gayle's alone! My ds is is too rambunctious for most eateries. He's climbing all over me while I type this! I used to take him in the sling but he's too big for it now.

How old are your little ones? Is there any hope for me when he turns 3? I did get him to sit at Bay Federal while I did the IRA thing yesterday. He only ran down the hall toward the employee area twice!

We live in Seacliff so we try to get him to the wide open beach often!

Enjoy the full moon,
Rebecca

[Missgrl]

Destiny......it's all destiny baby!!!!:bouncy
And my fingers are crossed that it works out!

home..none
job...none
just our high hopes and our courage!:thumb

[kazmir]

Hey Rebecca, glad your new home is working out well. I love Seacliff - we lived there for 3 years before moving inland to the village. Maybe we'll see you at the beach one of these days. Sara's b-day is saturday and I'll be busy until then, she's very into her birthday party this year!:D

My dh,dd and I sometimes ride down to Rio Del Mar and hang out at the beach in the afternoons.... hope to run into you then!

Blue Ball Park! Gotta love the place, too bad about the name!

Missgrl - hope you make it here! and hope to meet up sometime!

Robin:thumb

[veganmamma]

Yay! I'm not in SC, but I'm not too far away! We have family & friends there, so we're there a lto! I'd love to meet some of you too.
L

[mountain]

What do you guys think about Capitola or some other more inland burb? We want to move somewhere near the ocean, but not in the city (tho Santa Cruz IS a great city!!!) I now there's cool people EVERYWHERE, but we are in cowboy-ville in Sonora, CA...It gets kind of aggravating to deal with closed conservative crap all the time...
We have a southwestern restaurant that is named "Garcia's Taqueria"--some of you deadheads may know why--and we serve from scratch & organic selections--this is kinda out there but does anyone know if we could keep going over there?

[veganmamma]

LOL all my cousins are in Sonora! It is cowboyville, lol, one of my Sonora cousins moved to Santa Cruz to get outta there! I'm not too familiar with capitola.
L

[Openskyheart]

Mountain,

Capitola, Soquel, and Aptos are all cool small towns south of Santa Cruz. Capitola is probably the most conservative of all of them (as well as the most expensive). Soquel and Aptos have a more deadhead vibe, and Capitola has a more chic/money vibe. HTH.

There are lots of Taqueria-type places all over Santa Cruz county, I'm sure another good one could do very well.

Laura :)

[ajsmom]

But realized we are ocean people and stayed here. Last year we finally bought our first house - 750 sq ft - in Seacliff, part of Aptos. Dh drives over the hill to San Jose to work, a long commute but I wasn't going to work and have a child. Otherwise we could have bought a bigger house but hey - less house to clean.

Seacliff has quite a few rental houses and some apartments too. Things are sitting vacant but they are pricey. We can walk to the beach in 5 minutes.

Capitola is pretty but very hard to get around in on weekends and in the summer. Lots of daytrippers from San Jose. It even jams up the freeway.

We don't go to Santa Cruz a lot because the afternoon traffic is SO BAD! We have only one freeway with 2 lanes and after 3 pm it can grind to a halt. You might consider looking in the Scotts Valley, Felton, Boulder Creek areas. They are in the mountains but close enough to get to the beach. then you can have the lovely mountain setting and the salty sea spray nearby. We looked for houses there too but ended up by the beach. It's great.

We aren't deadheads but we do love good mexican food!

[kazmir]

Yumm, please come to Aptos! We don't have a good taqueria here! I have to drive to Santa Cruz for a good veggie burrito! Like others said, Aptos is more rural than Capitola, Capitola has more red tape to go thru as it is incorporated. Aptos is in the county.

Robin

[mountain]

:D Thanks you guys for any info!

Sorry Dov---not meaning to hijack this thread!!!!

If anyone knows the best places to camp around the Aptos, southern Santa Cruz area, will you let us in on it?

Kasmir, we are vegetarians too so we have lots of veggie options--we make the best grilled veggie burrito....mmm

Veganmomma--I waver between moving to a cool town or fighting to make this a cool town lol...I'll let you know how it goes! P.S. We are the ONLY place in town that has a Vegan Burrito--people are like "huh, what's that" sometimes, but it's good to educate, right?

[kazmir]

Mountain - There's lots of camping in our area. New Brighton State Beach has a nice campground on the bluffs overlooking the bay. It is very wooded and beautiful. Seacliff State Beach is right on the beach but its good only if you have some kind of RV. Its not set up for tent camping. Manresa State Beach has walk in(about 100 yards) tent camping that is on a bluff, not many trees but close to the beach. There is also a nice KOA in Manresa, I think its called the Santa Cruz KOA, that is also within walking distace to the beach and has full hookups and tent camping. We have stayed there occasionally, they have a heated pool and playground for kids that we like and its a nice one night get away for us. We may go this weekend, depending on the weather. think thats it in Aptos for camping there is a lot of hiking also at Nisene Marks State Park. Check out the State Parks website for info.

Have fun!
Robin

[Missgrl]

Originally posted by kazmir
There is also a nice KOA in Manresa, I think its called the Santa Cruz KOA, that is also within walking distace to the beach and has full hookups and tent camping. We have stayed there occasionally, they have a heated pool and playground for kids that we like and its a nice one night get away for us. We may go this weekend, depending on the weather.


OH MY!!!!! That is where I stayed for almost 2 weeks! Wonder if I saw you
there and didn't even know it!:bouncy

Well ladies........I am finally here! It took us almost 2 weeks to find a rental but we finally did (and am paying too much btw)! It is close to downtown
Santa Cruz. We looked in surrounding areas, but we wanted to get our feet
wet and get right into the city for the first few months or so.
It's excited b/c I finally know about all these areas you guys have been talking about. Excet the Blue Ball park...haven't heard of that.

Things are still very crazy with me though. We just moved into our house 4 days ago and we still have to go back to Texas to get the rest of our stuff. But I can't wait to meet some of you and get some friends around here!

[Openskyheart]

Welcome to Santa Cruz where the fog is extra foggy, the sun is extra sunny, and the granola is extra crunchy!

When you get settled, let us know - we'll give you directions to the blue ball park and meet you there!

Laura :)

[Missgrl]

Thanks Laura!
It's comforting knowing I "kinda" know someone here! You'll
be the first person I contact!

[ajsmom]

Have a safe journey and we'll look forward to a tribal visit at the park.

Happy trails,
Rebecca and Aidan

[Missgrl]

Allright ladies! I'm ready now....ready to plan a date with you
guys and get some friends around here!
Let's start planning!:banana

[ajsmom]

We can play any day. Aidan naps at noontime, sometimes earlier...

I like mornings to meet, around 10 am but my gal pals all like to play later. So, someone, pick a time and a day and we'll be there.

Must find sunscreen now...

Rebecca

[Missgrl]

Rebecca, about where do you live and what age is Aidan?
I'm in the downtown area and I have two boys....5 and 21/2.

anyone else?

[ajsmom]

Aidan will be 3 in August.

Next week we can play any day. I have a dentist appt Friday morning but should be out by 10 am. Let us know what works for you.

I hope the fog burns off more than it did today...

Rebecca

[Bestbirths]

Our son wants to attend college at UCSC (Go Banana Slugs!!) :banana , and since he is disabled, there is a chance that we may move to Santa Cruz to support him in this effort. I see that the family bed might come in handy with the rent situation being so high, LOL. My dh is in home theater, so I have been checking out the job market which looks pretty good for Cal in general, but dh may be in for a commute to somewhere. I would like to get a copy of the paper "Growing Up in Santa Cruz", does anyone have the phone number or email for that publication? We would be doing a lot of butterfly watching and free stuff if we lived there, but I think we would fit in from what I have read, and that is comforting! You all sound so nice!:love

[ajsmom]

Here is the Growing Up in SC website: http://www.growing-up.com/

Does your son use a wheelchair to get around? I ask because UCSC is a very hilly campus and the buildings are spread out in the woods. There are lots of bikes paths and I am sure it's probably accessible. My brother used a wheelchair but he chose Chico State - totally flat. But that was 20 years ago...

We live in a 750 sq ft house with two tiny bedrooms. One is the bedroom, the other is the office. I don't know how we'll cope when ds wants his own room. Pitch him a tent in the backyard!

[Bestbirths]

No wheelchair, but ds did mention that he would love to have an electric motorized scooter to get around campus with.

My son's disability is Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He is sensitive to smaller amounts of chemicals than would bother the normal person. Exposures to even trace amounts of pesticides, fragrances, exhaust fumes, pollution, etc. can give him severe symptoms like nausea, headaches, insomnia, and bodyaches. He is sensitive to ink, and has had to be homeschooled largely without books, yet he scores in the top 2% of the nation. We recently discovered ebook readers though, and he can read those. We will have to get his college textbooks converted to ebook reader somehow, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. :scratch

The neat thing about Santa Cruz that I think makes it a good fit for ds is that many people there know about this illness, there seems to be more of an environmental awareness and more of a compassion and understanding. :heartbeat

When he went to visit UCSC campus and stayed in the dorms, he noticed that there didn't seem to be chlorine in the water. Is it true that the campus does not use pesticides? (that's what I heard). The air was really good there, the climate made him feel more energized. The staff at the college dorms where he stayed for three weeks really bent over backwards to accomodate him. It just seemed like they really "Got it" when it came to dealing with his illness. :p

The Ecology house in San Fransisco is an example of housing built especially for people like my son. It is the only low income housing for the chemically sensitive in the country. They have eleven residents and the waiting list to move into the place takes years. Although initially the house had some bad press, the safe housing has really helped most of the residents. There also is a large support group for MCS located in Larkspur. It makes me feel like he wouldn't feel "so different" in Santa Cruz, maybe he could fit into that culture more easily :hippie

[ajsmom]

Is your son allergic to mold, mildew and pollen?

I ask because this spring has been particularly full of all these and it was a very wet spring for us. Up on campus it might be different because the sun pops out of the fog sooner there than here, right along the coast. When we bought this house we had to rebuild rooms that had mildewed and we run a dehumidifier every day. I am not allergic to anything that I know of and this spring even my sinus system felt the effects.

You probably have a handle on what needs filtering for your son but I thought you might like to know what it's like in the foggy/sunny mix we have here.

FYI- our summers are foggy and cool, September and October are the warmer sunnier months. Go figure!

[Bestbirths]

My son is very sensitive to mold, mildew and pollen. That is one reason why housing is so important for him. To give you an idea, here in the Kansas City area where we live, we had a home where the monthly payment was $300 per month, but it was moldy and over 50 years old. We had to upgrade our living place to where we are living now (3 bed 2.5 bath 1,500 sqare foot) where we rent and pay $975 a month. This is because ds needed to have a dry basement, newer construction, and no mold. When he relocates to Santa Cruz, he has to have housing with no mold, no mildew. This means that our rent is going to be really high, sometimes we have to look at 100 places just to find the one that he will be able to tolerate. There are so many other amenties that help him tolerate a home, like a place away from pesticide usage or pollution where the previous tenant has not been a heavy fragrance user, or smoker, no bad pet odors lingering, central air, etc. The way we find a rental is that we go down the list and give each place the "sniff" test. It only takes about 30 seconds to walk into a place and tell if it is worthy of going in and checking out. We have gotten pretty good at "the sniff test" over the years, and even been able to help other people with MCS find tolerable places to live. I can only imagine that it will double or more in cost for rent over Kansas City prices if we came to Santa Cruz, but it's all worth it.

[Missgrl]

ajsmom.....WOW....my ds will be 3 in August too! The 21st to be
exact. He is very shy though and hasn't been socialized much.
Neither has my 5 year old. In Texas we lived on a 30 acre farm
and didnt have to leave much. So they are both wizards with
animals and nature stuff but when it comes to other kids and
playgrounds they are forgein. That is one of the reasons we
wanted to move here..to get them socialized!
Oh and we almost rented a small house in SeaCliff. I really
wanted too but the house was so small for 4 that my dh
talked me out of it.

The fog is thick. NOt burning off until about noon or 1:00.

Let's just throw out a day and time! How about Wednesday
at about 11:00. I don't know...you know better. Would it be
better to be later when it is sunny? That is fine with me.
You pick a spot since I'm clueless!

Bestbirths~I just moved here so I feel like I can't offer you
anything. But I love it here. Everyone is accepted and friendly
no matter how you look, dress or act. It is very open minded
and laid back. Good luck and we'd love to have you here!

[Openskyheart]

Wow! End of the school year-stuff makes life busy!

I would enjoy getting together with you two too. My kids are older than yours, but love to play on playgrounds. They were just asking last night to go to the blue ball park...so...

My daughter is still in school this week, so she won't be available at 11:00 on Wednesday. Next week at that time is good for us, though, Oh wait, no...next week at that time is the last day get together for my son's homeschooling program. Sigh...I tell ya, once they have lives outside of the family, the scheduling gets hectic!

Well...I'll keep checking in to see times/places that you decide upon and see if we can make it.

BTW, my daughter is performing at the Strawberry Festival downtown this Saturday at 2:00 outside at the Walnut street Women's Center (Shelter?), something like that. Anyway..we'll be there from 1:30 on... if that sounds fun to you, maybe we could at least meet each other there!

Love,
Laura

:)

[Missgrl]

Hi Laura:wave
Glad to see you back on this thread!
Looks like tommorrow is a no go anyway b/c no one has
responded yet.
Next week is good for me too and it doesn't have to be
Wednesday. I just threw that up in the air. Are there any
other good days?
ANd where is the world in Blue Ball Park?????:scratch

[Openskyheart]

Hi again!

Actually, next Wednesday is not good for me, but Thursday would work! Or Monday, or Tuesday, just not Wednesday ;-).

Now that we've built the blue ball park up so much, I fear it will be quite a disappointment! It's actually called Jean M. Ayers (?) park, or something like that, but it has these immovable giant blue balls that have been placed there as decorations, so all the kids call it the "blue ball" park.

It's in Soquel. You take Hwy 1 south to the Bay Ave./Porter Street exit. Turn Left on Porter which will take you into the cute little town of Soquel. You will come to a stop light. Keep going through the stop light, Porter now turns into Old San Jose Rd. You'll go up a little hill, and will see Soquel High School on the left. You're almost there! Keep going a little ways, and you'll see it on the left. You can't miss it - you'll see the giant blue balls! Turn left, park, enjoy!

Can you believe the fog today?!!! My poor daughter went to school in shorts and a T shirt! (Well, and a jacket - always bring a jacket in Santa Cruz - I'm learning!).


Laura
:)

[Missgrl]

OK.....let's make a plan for next Thursday then at Blue Ball
Park say around 11:00. How's that work for you?
Feel free to change the time or whatever! I'm just ready to
make some friends around here!:bouncy

OH and the fog today was bad. It was the first time since
we've lived here that the sun didn't show it's face. Hard to
believe yesterday I was in a tank and shorts on the beach and
today I was in a sweatshirt all day. I missed the :sunshine

[13moons]

Hi all-is this an exclusive gathering at the park or are others welcome??? I actually live in Salinas but often in Santa Cruz and the 40 minutes would be worth the drive to actually meet with other like-minded mommies. My girls are almost 9, almost 6 and my son turned 3 in March.

Bestbirths-Hopefully I can offer you a little more info for your son. I went to UCSC about 4 years ago and lived in Family Student Housing there so I'm pretty familiar with things. I will for starters agree with what others were saying about the mold/mildew issue-we had lots of trouble with it and had to move from one apartment because of it. Unfortunately, because of the tight housing market, options are very limited and as you apparently know ridiculously pricey. (but of course, sooo worth it!:) )
Also, it is not true that they don't use pesticides on campus-they do use them frequently. In fact, even in Family Student Housing where there are hundreds of small children and babies and pregnant moms they sprayed the perimeters of our houses and sprayed our yards and our playgrounds for bugs several times a year even if we didn't want them to. Unfortunately, they are even less cautious around other areas of campus.
But, on the up side, people are more aware of MCS. My daughter's preschool teacher at UCSC had it and people were always very accomodating and understanding. I also had two different classes where, in a lecture of 350 people, a notice was passed out in the first week explaining that one of our students had MCS and that we should refrain from wearing perfumes and other scented products, etc. to class. because of the illness and symptoms it would cause in this individual. oh and they do observe a no smoking within 25 feet of any building rule all over campus. So, your son would definetely not be alone or considered different. If you have any more questions I might be able to answer, feel free to PM me or post here.
And just for general purpose info, UCSC is a great school and there is TONS of free fun stuff to do in SC and it is an awesome place to be-the ONLY reason I am not there is because of the cost of living. So I live 40 min. away and drive over whenever I need more crunch in my life!:)
(Sorry so long!)
:hippie
jennifer

[Openskyheart]

Missgrl - Thursday at 11:00 it is! I have it on my calandar.

Jennifer - it is not exclusive. The more the merrier. I have a son who's almost 9 and a daughter who's almost 7. Hope to meet you there.

And think sun!

Laura :)

[ajsmom]

For some reason I am not receiving email notification from this thread but I am glad that a day has been selected. Aidan sometimes naps around 11 am so we'll see what the day brings. He has been surprising me lately, maybe he is in transition... I really hope we can make it. We may show up at 10:30.

Seacliff is great but the houses can be tiny - like ours. Our neighbors have 3 boys in a small 2 bedroom house. They have a small front yard and those kids just spill out if it... We are fortunate to have a nice sized backyard, that's why we bought the house. Now if our cat could just catch one more gopher...
Rebecca

[kazmir]

I would love to join you too! But, I work 3 days a week (t,w,th). If you meet on a monday or friday, I would enjoy hanging out. I live in Aptos and have a 3 yr old dd. She is in a small home daycare while I am working.

Maybe next time or maybe a late afteroon at the beach I could make. I'll keep checking in!

Robin

[ajsmom]

This Saturday there are festivities at Seacliff State Beach to celebrate the Cement Ship. It's from 11 - 5 and we'll probably head down there around 2 pm or so. Let me know if anyone wants to hook up there.

Robin, I like Mondays for park too because ds seems to need something fun on Monday after a weekend full of Dad. He looks over in bed now on Monday mornings and sadly says, "Daddy is not here." Then he makes ME make a cave out of the covers so he can look for bats. He and ds spend lots of time in the cave on weekend mornings!

[Missgrl]

Yeah......lots of people here!!!!!
So for next week let's plan on Thursday around 11:00 or
10:30ish (for ajsmom) and see how it goes.
Then for next time we'll plan a day that kazmir can do!
At Blue Ball Park!

and 13moons you better be there!!!!:LOL:LOL:LOL

ajsmom~~what kind of festivities will be there?

[kazmir]

Rebecca - We may see ya down there! Its a busy weekend but that may be a nice chance to go for a bike ride down to the beach and relax! I'll let you know later in the week. Sara is starting to play t-ball with our bubs group at BlueBall on saturdays, Sara with a bat!:eek

Hope to see everyone sometime soon!

Robin

[ajsmom]

There's music, face painting, games and crafts, children's art, ice cream social and a raffle. We like the booths hosted by environmental groups.

Of course I think the pier is closed due to storm damage from last winter. But the beach is fun too. We go to the beach a lot but I have never made it into the visitor's center. It will be open too.

[13moons]

:D I will totally be there but I might be a few minutes later--I am teaching a class in Salinas until 10 AM (poor high schoolers only think they are out for the summer!) and then I'll get the kids and come up. Oh yay! Mommies who I don't have to explain homeschooling and cloth diapering and extended breastfeeding to!!
...but maybe someone could bump in a reminder like on Tuesday just in case...:D
:hippie
Jennifer

[Missgrl]

Allright 13moons!!!:banana
I'll keep bumping it up for all of us!

[Missgrl]

Here is your requested thread bump up!!!!
Are we still on for THursday?????:bouncy

[Openskyheart]

We'll be there - rain or shine :eek !

Laura :)

[Missgrl]

Fingers crossed for SHINE!:sunshine

[13moons]

fingers totally crossed for ds to be feeling well again:( He seems to be getting better...
:hippie

[ajsmom]

Glad I checked in on my own. How gloomy is it?!?!?!
We'll be there around 10:30. I'll be the one chasing the blond flash of hair around the equipment!

[Missgrl]

Are you getting email reminders for your other threads you
are participating in???
If not you must have that option turned off in your options
page.
I'll tell you how to fix it if you need me to!:nod

[Missgrl]

:banana:banana
Just wanted to say I had so much fun at the park! It was the
first time in over a month I got to hang out with girls!! So for that I want
to thank you and hope we can meet up again soon!:grouphug

[13moons]

:( I am sooo bummed we didn't get to go-my son had been throwing up for 6 days, then got a fever of 102 and I wasn't really sure whether he was all better or not so didn't want to chance it. I'm sure you all can appreciate that!
So, it was fun??? And, will there be another date scheduled??
:hippie

[ajsmom]

Yes, it was fun and I am very glad the morning turned out so nice and sunny! It's a great park for everyone too. Did everyone get to go down the big slide on the hill?

Jennifer - I am sorry you couldn't make it. I'd love to play again soon, I know Robin said Monday is good for her because she works. We're busy this Monday but can play the following Monday, the 23rd. Is that a good day for you?

Missy - It's so weird because I did receive the most recent post notification and my options have always been checked to receive them. That's why I am so puzzled... :scratch

Missy and Laura it was so nice meeting you and your children. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer but I was surprised Aidan held on as long as he did. He was almost asleep as we arrived home. He keeps asking when we are going to go back because he didn't remember to touch the blue :eek balls when we were there.

Have a great week everyone!

Rebecca

[Missgrl]

Jennifer~Hope to see you at our next gathering! YES it was
fun and you would be a great addition!:banana

Monday the 23rd sounds great to me! Just name a place and
time and maybe my boys will unglue themselves off my leg
sooner!:LOL

[13moons]

hmmm...on Mondays I have my nephew while my sister works until almost 3:00-darn. Maybe I can convince my mom to take over that day. :D

Time and place? Any preferences?
:hippie
Jennifer

[Missgrl]

13moons~Can you bring your nephew?

[13moons]

good question but no, not a possibility -it's kind of a long story...
anyway, I'm sure grandma wouldn't mind taking over for the day if she's not busy. I'll check with her!
Do you guys want to get together same time, same place as before or do osmething different?
:hippie
Jennifer

[kazmir]

The 23rd works out good for me. I don't have childcare that day so I have the whole day off! I am up for either blueball or the beach. The Harbor beach is nice, there is a coffee shop and a taqueria right there, and all the boats to check out.

Let me know and we can be there!

Robin

[Missgrl]

You know I'm new here...so don't think I'm a goof.
Where is the Harbor Beach? is it the same as Seabright Beach?
I go to Seabright Beach all the time and at the end of the beach
is the Lighthouse and on the other side is the Harbor.
Is the coffee shop and the taqueria close to The Crow's Nest?

[kazmir]

No problem asking...

the Harbor beach is on the other side of the lighthouse, by the Crow's Nest. Its also called O'Neil beach cause thats where the shop is. There are too many beaches in this town!

Robin

[Openskyheart]

And...just to confuse the issue...it's also called Twin Lakes beach! But the big sign at the beach itself says "Harbor Beach." There is a good possibility I will be there tomorrow with my sister and her kids (oh, and my kids too ;-) ). Is that when you are planning to be there?

Laura :)

[Missgrl]

OK~Are we still on for Monday the 23rd?
I'd like to to:bouncy

Are we set for Harbor Beach? What time and where should we
meet? I've never been to that beach so I don't know the size
or look of it.

[ajsmom]

I like 10:30 or earlier but if others need a later start time, go for it.

We all had colds :shake this week so we will be very ready to get out of the house and play. :bgbounce

I think I need directions because Yahoo maps puts Harbor Beach at a different place than Twin Lakes Beach. Is it the beach on the ocean side of the Crow's Nest and O'Neil's? Do we park in the lot for the Crow's Nest?

I've only lived here for 14 years - you'd think I'd have a clue...

[Missgrl]

Now I'm :nut
You know I have no idea!

[ajsmom]

Until we run into each other... I spend so little time in this part of town that I can't even pick a landmark for meeting...

[Missgrl]

Well Rebecca....since it appears to be only me and you that are
going to meet let's just do it somewhere else. Let's make it
Blueball park again. ONly b/c it's a place we both know and since
it's short notice (tomorrow) we don't have time to chit chat on
a meeting spot. I'll be there around 11:00!
I will check in on this thread in the morning to see what you say.
OR....just type in if you want to meet at a different place or time.
I"ll be there!

and to all you other moms.....if you see this thread, just come
to where we say!!:LOL:LOL:LOL:LOL

[ajsmom]

We'll see you at 11ish then!

Blue Ball Blue Ball Blue Ball!!!
:eek :thumb :scratch :idea :shake :bolt :hammer :bawl :Puke :bigeyes :jaw

[kazmir]

HI, sorry to be so late and lame. We just got back into town from a wedding and my MIL was able to watch dd, so I'm at work today. :(

I really want to get together sometime with everyone. I have monday afternoons and fridays off normally. I'll keep on checking in and maybe next week we can meet up monday afternoon at Harbor beach. I'll get some good directions for a gathering place.

Also, the 4th there is the "World's Shortest Parade" in downtown Aptos. Its pretty fun, we can walk there from our place. After there is a festival at Aptos Village Park with children events, musice and food. Thats our plan for the 4th. If anyone wants to join us, we ususally park a truck along Soquel Dr to save our spot.

Have fun this morning, sorry I missed it.

Robin:thumb

[Openskyheart]

I hope you guys have fun at the blue ball park today! We're not going to be able to make it today - but a beach day next week sounds fun!

Laura :)

[ajsmom]

you are neither! You're busy that's all.

You know, Aidan is napping in the early afternoon that is why we like mornings for play. I also like Mondays because my ds has every other Friday off. Even if ds is home on Fridays we can still usually make it. We are taking my car in for a makeover on Friday morning near Morrissey so we could easily pop over to Harbor Beach to play...or Twin Lakes Beach...

We'd love to meet up for the parade so just let us know what your truck looks like and we'll be there.

Rebecca :sunshine

[Missgrl]

Friday at Harbor Beach is good for me too! I just someone to tell
me where to go to park so I'm not wandering around the whole
time you guys play!!!:LOL and we need a time

Laura, if you can't come this Friday....let's for sure make a plan
for sometime next week. I'd love to see you again and ask some
?s about ocean alternative and the nursery coop!

[kazmir]

This friday will work for me. Lets meet at the Harbor beach. You can park in the Crow's nest parking lot and pay or drive along the beach front to park in an empty space. There is a row of business along the beach side of the parking lot. Lets meet on the other side of them,on the beach, in front of El Palomar Taqueria. They have chairs and tables. Once everyone is there we can get closer to the waves...

What time???

Robin

[ajsmom]

We are dropping our car for repairs at 9 am so we may head over that way for breakfast or something. How does 10 am sound?

Rebecca

[kazmir]

Sounds good to me. See you there

Robin

[Openskyheart]

Friday morning looks good for us, too.

Missy, let's see each other Friday, and make a date for next week to talk about programs.

:)

Laura :)

[Missgrl]

What was up with the heat today??????:eek
Man it was hot! Of course I'm use to it being hot, being from
Houston, but there everyone has air conditioners! I was sweatin
all day.

Friday and 10 sounds good for me too!.....now watch me
complain that it's too cold!:rolleyes:

Laura~that sounds great!:)

[ajsmom]

Good thing we went to the beach today! Have a great weekend and keep that sunscreen handy.:D
Rebecca:hat

[Missgrl]

I had fun at the beach on Friday! It was so nice to meet you Robin!!! Sorry we missed you Laura! I think my ds was sorta looking forward to seeing your ds.....though he wouldn't say so!:)

I know this is short notice (it is sunday nite) but anyone want to meet tomorrow for something? Monday's are always blah days where I want to get out after my sunday!

If n ot tomorrow........lets plan a new date!:banana

[ajsmom]

We are running errands this morning but this afternoon or tomorrow sounds great. I still really like the Blue Ball Park but we can go wherever the fun is. Seacliff Beach is fun too.

Also, on the 4th of July, folks can park at our house and then we could walk to Robin's truck via the railroad tracks, just out our back gate...

Rebecca :thumb

[kazmir]

Hi, Friday was fun! Looking forward to our next meeting! I may be up for someting this afternoon. We have a baby shower at noon at work and then I'm off to pick up Sara. I'll have to see how she is feeling and if she got a nap in...... ya know!

That darn fog! Its back in a big way.... everyone chant - off shore flow, off shore flow!

I'll finalize things for the 4th and post where the truck will be parked for sure tomorrow.

Robin

[Missgrl]

Let's plan for tomorrow then! Afternoons are just way too unpredictable for me with the boys. And i need to do some grocery shopping today:gross

Blue Ball is fine with me again! Say 11:00ish again??????

OR!!!!
Do you guys ever go to the Seymour Center Marine Lab? The first Tuesday of the month is FREE. We went last month and loved it. We could do that tomorrow.

Whatever...let's just do something!:bouncy

[ajsmom]

We'd love to go to the Seymour Center. We'll probably try to get there around 10:30. we haven't been since their Christmas lighting of the whale craft sale...

We have to bail on this afternoon because Aidan is going to sleep through most of it, I think.;)

[Missgrl]

Great!!!
I'll get there around 10:30 too. Just go on inside and I'll find you somewhere. It's not that big or busy so it won't be a problem. I'll go in too if I get there first!
Anyone else want to meet us there????

[kazmir]

Have fun tomorrow - I gotta work :(

Robin

[13moons]

darn-I am totally not hooking up here.:(
Mornings are just totally shot for me for most of July-the kids have various activities going on. I'll keep checking and see if anyone plans anything for a little later in the day cuz I'd love to get to meet you guys!:)
Glad you are having fun though!
Jen:hippie

[kazmir]

Here are the specifics for anyone wanting to go the the Aptos Parade. We are parking a pickup on Soquel Dr. to save a spot so we have a meeting place. The Parade starts at 10 am and we will go down about 9:30. Mike's mom has lent us her white ford truck and we will park it in front of Aptos Station along the RR tracks. After the parade we are going to go to the children's festival at Aptos Park. It has games, music, food and activities for the kids.

If you want to come later. We are going to head back to our place by 4:00 and hang out and BBQ. Our hot tub will be ready to go so bring something to BBQ, something to share(salad,dessert,etc...) and your swimsuit! If your interested, PM me and I'll give you my home info.

Hope to see you here!

Robin, Mike and Sara

[Missgrl]

Thanks Robin!:hug
i'm going to Rebecca's house and walking to the parade w/her! We'll see you there. I'm pretty excited about this "short" parade!
Rebecca, I'm emailing you!:bouncy

[ajsmom]

I am looking forward to the parade!!!

I'm not sure yet if we'll make it over later for BBQ. I'll let you know at the parade.

If anyone wants to park by my house and walk over to Robin's truck with Missy and our tribelets, just let me know.

Must get sleep now...
Rebecca:zzz

[Missgrl]

Rebecca......I had to PM you b/c I'm having major email issues!!!:angry

[kazmir]

Cool! The truck is in position as of last nite. I just hope we don'e get at ticket, they put in 2 hr parking signs in the last couple of days?! There are a bunch of trucks parked already so we can all protest the tickets together! Its an Aptos tradition to park there before the parade...:o

We will be there at about 9:30 or so....bring a chair if you want.

See ya then!

Robin

[Missgrl]

Thank you so much Robin for letting us hang out at your "spot!" My boys had a really fun time. Ds2 was so excited that he got to pet some dogs (even though we have dogs:shrub).

When can we all meet again for a play time??? Sometime this week I hope!

[kazmir]

WE had fun too! The park was fun, they had a bouce house that Sara loved and a BBQ and Band. We stayed until 1:45 then went home for naps and clean up before other friends came over.

We are going to the Boardwalk tonight. We went yesterday but there was no power so I promised Sara we could go tonight. Its 60 cent ride nite and we are meeting some others. Maybe we'll see you down there?

We are heading out of town on a camping trip thursday for the weekend. I'll catch up to you guys next week!

Take care!

Robin

[ajsmom]

I heard that the 18th is the start of blackberry picking at Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville. If anyone wants to go pick with us, I'll call to verify the date. They open at 8 am and the fog - if there is any- burns off by around 10 am. Then it gets hot. I am thinking of showing up at 9:30.

You can bring your own containers, they weigh them first, then just pick until you're done. I expect picking with my ds to last less than an hour, easily. He has never picked berries but likes to wander and run. He may also stand there and eat them, I hope.:D

Anyway, let me know if you want to join us.
Rebecca

[Missgrl]

:crying So sorry I didn't get to this thread till now (sunday)!
I would have LOVED to go their with you!
Did you guys have fun?
Wanna go again this week????

Anybody want to meet at a park Monday or Tuesday?:D

[kazmir]

I would love to go berry picking sometime. We can't go friday, Sara has gymnastics at 10 am and I promised she could go. I may be up for something after that (11:30ish) if someone wants to go to the beach on Friday.

Robin

[seraph]

Hi, I'm Sara, mom to 4.5 month old Kaia. I live on the West Side and I'm a SAHM. Berry picking sounds fun! I hope to meet you all sometime.

[ajsmom]

I live in Seacliff and my ds, Aidan will be 3 years old on August 1st. I found Mothering magazine just before he was born and I give thanks each day that it and this website exists.

We have been through thrush (yes, he's still nursing), a crown for a molar, and other things that, had we not had this forum to consult, we would be living in a whole other world than the happy one we find ourselves in each morning.

And speaking of nursing, we forgot we have a La Leche League meeting to attend this Friday so we can't go berry picking on this day. Next week looks good on Monday or Tuesday morning but I will call them first to see if there are any berries to pick.


NEW Topic! Peggy O'Mara will be speaking on August 7th at 6:30 pm at Pacific Grove Adult School. The topic is her new book "Having a Baby Naturally". I have a pdf file announcing the event so pm me with your email and I'll send it along. We will be on our way to Vegas that day and won't be able to attend.:(

Must get sleep now...Rebecca:zzz

[13moons]

Hey--this is out of left field but, was it Laura who said that she homeschooled her kid(s)? Anyone else?
I ask because I homeschool too-my oldest anyway, the middle went to "regular" school last year for kinder and we're still discussing what's going to happen this year.Anyway, I am wondering if you work with a particular program or support group in the Santa Cruz area? We are with a great program here in Salinas but unfortunately have had a lot of trouble finding families that we want to hang out with outside of school functions. There are a lot of really nice people in our program, but we have yet to meet people who have enough similar interests, etc that we would actually want to hang out just for the fun of it. Which has been really okay up until this last year. My daughter has definitely reached an age where hanging out with kids at park days and school things is not enough (even though we do a lot of that)--she really needs to find a good, close friend(s). I think we might have more luck with a Santa Cruz-y crowd but when I lived there, we were just in preschool so I am not familiar with the hs community at all. Any suggestions?
thanks...:hippie

[ajsmom]

Next week one can pick blackberries, raspberries or strawberries. I'd like to pick blackberries if no one else cares. They are open from 8-5 and we hope to pick around 9:30 for 45 minutes or so, depending on what ds does.

Monday or Tuesday works well for me, it doesn't matter. So I pick Monday unless Tuesday is better for you. If anyone wants to meet at my house and follow us there in the car, great. Just let me know and I'll get my address to you.

Have a lovely weekend,
Rebecca:yum

[Missgrl]

Several things to say......
First, I am meeting ajsmom at her house at about 9:30 on Monday morning to go blackberry picking! So please everyone join us!

Second, Hi seraph:wave....glad you came on over to this thread! hmmm wonder who sent you here! I live off Water Street and Ocean Street so we are pretty darn close!

Third, 13moons.....Yes it is Laura that homeschools one of her children. Don't know where she's been on this thread lately. I've talked to her about a homeschooling group she does tons of stuff with so maybe send her a PM!

REBECCA~I'm dying knowing Peggy O' will be here...mad that YOU won't be though. Now who can I go with???:crying OK....Santa Cruz newbie here...where is Pacific Grove Adult School? Please send me all the info!

[veganmamma]

I posted about this here awhile back and I wanted to update everyone. The new thread for the MDC West Coarst Gathering in Santa Cruz is here:


http://216.92.20.151/discussions/sh...&threadid=76253

Thanks,
Lauren

[loved]

Do the posts stop at page 6? I wonder if this will make it here. ..

Hi! My name's Lesley and am moving to Santa Cruz from Anchorage the beginning of next month. I have so appreciated this thread - Thank You Lauren for directing me here!
I am very nervous to be leaving Alaska but am excited to meet new people and develop new relationships. I hope I can make Santa Cruz my home...I am really used to wide-open spaces. It's sooo hard to move!
It sounds like a wonderful town with lots of open-hearted and minded people.
I too, am curious about the homeschooling community. My son is 6 and this year I hope to jump right in and tackle it. I know I will need a lot of support. My dh is skeptical (and actually, so am I - though I am mostly excited about it!).
Can you tell me where to start? Do I need to contact Califronia education department? Can I start a program up here and have it "transfer" to there? I'm sorry that I am so lame at this...I really don't know what I am doing!! (HA! Do any of us with this whole parenting thing?!)...

And I would love to get together with you all. What a gift the internet is...

Love,
lesley

[Mamasquared]

Hi All:
I'm Amy, a SAHM with a 3 month-old dd, Anneke (prounounced like Annika with a soft a). I live on the "near east side" on Market. I would love to get together with other moms on young babies.

I am also looking for a CSA, if anyone uses one they like. I was looking at Live Earth Farms. I know it's late in the season, but I was a little busy this spring and early summer!

[ajsmom]

Ds and I just returned this morning from a LONG drive to L.A., Las Vegas, Rawlins, WY, and Folsom. Almost 2 weeks and I am SO GLAD to be home!!!!!!!!!!

Lesley- this community is so rich in homeschooling but since my ds is just 3 yrs old, we haven't checked out much. The homeschooling forum is probably a great bet for setting things up in California. Also, look back through this thread for Laura's post because she homeschools and was very informative at the park one day. I suggest a pm to her. Here are a couple of homeschooling sites for California:

http://www.hsc.org/ and http://www.cahomeschoolnet.org/

Please post when you arrive and we'll set up a get together!

Amy- Congratulations on your new bundle of joy! Is a CSA for organic produce? If so, there are several in the county that deliver to places around you. Try this site to locate a CSA: http://www.caff.org/farmfresh/


I usually go to the Farmer's Market at Cabrillo College on Sat. There's one on Sunday in the East Cliff/Live Oak area.

There is an attachment parenting group that meets in Santa Cruz for meeting other moms of newer wee ones. I joined a group at Watsonville Hospital for a year and it was really good for us. Growing Up Santa Cruz is a good place to read about different places to meet folks.

I'm off to unpack the rental car...
Aloha,
Rebecca