One Year Later

As of today, we have been in Austin exactly one year.  That's nuts.  BVZ and I were talking about it the other day and it simultaneously feels as though we've been here a week and at the same time, ten years.

I guess I am finally starting to feel settled.  I am working three days a week and my job is intense.  The death penalty is different in Texas.  Defense work here is in the trenches.  I love what I am doing and what I am doing is terrifying.  It keeps me awake at night.  BVZ has a lot going on.  His firm is busy and growing and he hasn't quite found the work-life balance we were hoping for.  I guess we somehow thought we were moving to an alternate universe, not just another state, but he still doesn't come home at 5:00.  Or even 7:00.

The kids are thriving.  When we first moved here Norah went to a pre-school that was just okay.  It was far away and her teacher was kind of an asshole.  She's at a different school now.  It's two minutes away and her teacher is awesome.  The school has its own splash pad.  She officially starts pre-K next week.  She is (kind of) reading and writing and drawing things that aren't just scribbles.  She has the memory of an elephant and can re-tell a story like nobody's business.  She's still a huge chicken about anything even remotely physical.  She's getting ready to start ballet again, is going to take swim lessons, and really, really wants to play soccer (I think that's way too many activities, not to mention way too expensive, but I am not going to dissuade her from anything that will make her a little ballsier).

Louis is incredible.  He is a really physical kid, and extremely agile.  He runs, dances, climbs, and has a mean right hook.  He loves music and cars more than life itself.  He talks more and more every day and surprises me with how gentle and kind he can be (despite his quick and sometimes wicked temper).  He has been with Bubby on the days that I work, but will start a part-time pre-school program in two weeks.  He's going to love it and I think will do great.  As long as he doesn't get kicked out (you know, that whole pesky biting thing).

They both are making me nuts with their eating habits and one, if not both, end up in our bed on a nightly basis.  But, that's a story for another time.

Loretta the cat is still mean as a snake.  I have a new cooking club.  It's been great to be around old friends and make new ones.  It's hard to get out and do stuff sometimes because it's really hot here.  I still don't do hot so well.  It's tough to load kids in the car when it's 104 degrees outside.  

But, of course it goes without saying that our lives are totally and completely different having my mom and sisters here.  The kids love their cousins.  Really, truly, love them.  I mean, they loved them before, but this is different.  And then there's the whole grandma, aunts and uncles readily available for just about anything.  It makes a big difference.  A really big difference.  

Then of course, there is the house.  It's a great house and a kind of dream come true.  It's a good neighborhood with nice people and lots of kids.  I feel really fortunate to get to live here.  Life is always a trade-off, of course, and we were obviously precluded from anything even remotely like this in California.  I know that a big house isn't everything (believe me, I know), but I feel really good that our kids will grow up here.  And that BVZ and I might not actually murder each other sharing one sink.

I don't have many good pictures and we've done pretty much no decorating.  But, we're getting comfortable and it's starting to feel like home.

The kitchen is big and the ceramic tile is easy to clean.  Which is awesome because I mop it approximately 17 times a day, which is roughly the number of times Lou is in there.

The playroom is awesome.  These kids better appreciate it. 

The media room now has a 128 inch movie screen and high def projector and is BVZ's dream come true.

This is the upstairs guest bathroom.  It is one of four places in the house in which you can either shower and/or poop.  That might actually be BVZ's dream come true.

It's been a good year.