Gluten Free at Disneyland

While I wait for my one billion Disneyland pictures to upload, I thought I would do a synopsis on eating gluten free in Disneyland, just in case someone is randomly googling "how do I feed my kid gluten free at Disneyland?"

For the most part, eating gluten free (GF) at Disneyland is just like eating GF anywhere else--doable, but a total pain in the ass.  It takes some planning and research, but anyone who has a celiac kid is more than used to that, so it really wasn't any more difficult than eating at a restaurant down the street.  Like anytime you feed your kid something you didn't personally prepare, it's a leap of faith--that the utensils and cooking appliances aren't contaminated with gluten and the people cooking the food are taking the precautions they say they are.  I can't verify that it happened the right way every time, but Norah is pretty sensitive to even trace amounts of gluten and save for a stomachache on the day before we left (which I suspect had more to do with the fact that she hadn't eaten a vegetable in four days), she did not get sick at all.

Before our trip I called the Disney dining number, which is the number all over the website that you use to make your dining reservations (I was booking our breakfast at Ariel's Grotto).  The operator said I could pick up a list of all GF options at the Town Hall on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom.  I asked if she could just email me that list but she said that while she could read me the list over the phone, she did not have a PDF of the list that she could send me.  I thought that was weird, but whatever.  I contacted the dining department over email and a few days later they did send me the list (not as a PDF, but a cut and paste).  It worked.

We stayed at the Grand Californian and planned to eat at the Storyteller's Cafe for dinner that first night.  It was around 3:00 pm when we first got there and got settled, and the kids were hungry, but our only option in Downtown Disney was a bag of kettle corn.  Which was tasty, but not the nutritious snack I was looking for.  There may have been other options if I had really looked for them, but there was nothing obvious and/or readily available.

We checked in at the Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand Californian, notified the waitress that we had a food allergy, and a few minutes later the chef came out to speak with us.  He gave us a few GF options, but the only one that appealed to a four year old was a cheese pizza with a GF crust.  Norah reported that it was delicious.

The next morning we were up very early (the time change worked in our favor) and decided to order room service.  It was not on the menu, but what I called down and asked what their GF options were, I was told they could do pancakes or waffles, no problem.  Done and done.  We got the pancakes and they were delicious and quickly devoured.

Lunch was at Toon Town at the hot dog stand, Pluto's Dog House.  My GF list said that the hot dogs were GF and I should just order a dog with no bun.  I didn't believe for a red hot second that all the hot dogs were GF, and when I asked about it someone came out from the back and put in a special GF order for us.  It took about five minutes longer than the rest of the food to be ready, which makes me believe that all of the hot dogs are NOT in fact GF.  So, when ordering I would not just order without a bun, rather I would specifically say you have a food allergy (I know, I know, celiac isn't an "allergy" but it is easier to explain it that way and when people hear "allergy" and see a kid they tend to pay more attention and take it more seriously).  The hot dogs in the kid meal are turkey and come with both apples and carrots, which is nice.

We had dinner that night at Redd Rockett's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland.  It was not on the menu, but I knew from my list they could do a GF pizza.  The first person behind the counter that I asked was uncertain but immediately went and got a manager who put in a special order for us.  It took about 15 minutes to get the GF pizza, which wasn't that long in the whole scheme of things, but a bit tough for a four year old who was tired and hungry and had to watch everyone else eating while she waited for her food to come out and then cool down enough to eat.

Saturday morning we did the Princess breakfast extravaganza at Ariel's Grotto.  The breakfast is served family style, so there's not a menu to order off of.  Instead, the table shares platters of fruit, cheese, and muffins; a waffle; a platter of bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and potatoes.  When I made the reservation, I verified with the operator that there were GF options, specifically pancakes or waffles.  The chef came out as soon as we were seated and brought Norah a GF blueberry muffin (Udi's).  She was thrilled.  The chef said that with the exception of the waffle, everything else was naturally GF.  When I asked about the GF waffles or pancakes she said that no, they didn't have that available.  I was very nice but explained that I was told it would be available and while there was certainly a lot of other GF options, my kid doesn't eat sausage and eggs.  The chef was SO kind and accommodating and said she would send someone across the park to find a pancake mix.  Our food took quite a long time to come out, but when it did, it included a giant plate of silver dollar GF pancakes.  What Norah couldn't eat they boxed up for her and she snacked on them the rest of the time we were there.

We didn't really eat lunch that day, just had some snacks I had brought from home, given our enormous breakfast.  Dinner was at the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country.  They had GF buns, so Norah had a cheeseburger and then had sweet potato fries that were designated GF (cooked in their own basket).  This time we didn't have to talk to a manager, which was really nice because it saved some time, the cashier was very knowledgeable and accommodating.

We had breakfast on Sunday morning at Flo's V-8 Cafe in California Adventures (Cars Land).  There was nothing specifically GF, but their kid's "American Breakfast" was GF--it had fruit, eggs and bacon.  I promised my kid ice cream later if she would eat some eggs and it worked.  The chef came out to talk to us when I asked about GF options, but it would have been just as easy for the cashier to say, 'we don't have anything special, but this is what is naturally GF.'

For lunch we went back to the hot dog place in Toon Town.  For dinner, we tried to order room service from our room at the Grand Californian, and for the first time the entire vacation we got terrible service and a horribly rude Disney employee.  I called down and asked what their GF options were and was told, "nothing."  I asked if they could get a GF pizza crust from the restaurant IN the same hotel and was told, "no."  I asked if there was anything she was willing to do to help me get dinner for my four year old and was told, "no, we don't do that."  I have a sneaking suspicion it had everything to do with the person I happened to get on the phone and if I had gotten someone else it would have been different.  Instead, we got an asshole, so we just ate downstairs at the Storyteller's Cafe again.  We had the same waitress and she remembered Norah and got her pizza order in right away.

Throughout our time in the parks we did get some treats and snacks along the way--there are stands all over the place with fresh and dried fruit, and Norah did have the Mickey ice cream (vanilla ice cream dipped in dark chocolate).  The ice cream treat itself is GF, but it is made by Nestle and in a plant that also processes wheat.  This information was also on my GF list.  I went back and forth about it, but did ultimately let her have one and she was fine.  There was also a GF dessert on the Paradise Pier's room service menu, which was a bonus.

So, overall it was a good experience.  If I could wave a magic princess wand here is what I would change:

1.  Just put the GF options on the damn menu.  Celiac and other gluten related diseases are becoming more and more prevalent and lots of people are dealing with the same issues.  Just put it on the menu.  Then I don't have to wait to talk to the chef and then wait again for my kid to get some food.  I understand that it is not going to be made in advance, and that's fine, but lunch doesn't need to be that much of a production.

2.  Include some vegetables already.  It is a struggle to get fiber into celiac kids.  It would be nice if that cheese pizza came with a side of broccoli.  Or even some apples (like the hot dog did).

3.  Don't make the information so hard to get.  Put it on the website.  Everything else is there, there is no reason why this information shouldn't be as well.

Everyone, with the exception of the asshole at room service, gets a gold star from me, with special accolades to the chef at Ariel's Grotto.  It will be interesting to see how GF eating in a place like Disneyland evolves over the next several years.  When we go back, oh in like 10 years, I imagine it will be a piece of (GF) cake.

French Fry

My kids are awesome.  Really, they are.  They are funny and smart and kind and interesting.  I have to remind myself of that on a daily basis because they are 1) the world's shittiest sleepers, and 2) the world's shittiest eaters.  I have more sympathy for the sleep thing--hell, I am a terrible sleeper.  But the food?  Dear god.  Pick it up, put it in your mouth, chew it up, and swallow.  It's not rocket science.

Norah isn't that picky, she just doesn't eat very much quantity-wise.  Lou is very, very, very picky.  The number of things he will eat is very limited and what he will eat has to be presented in a very particular way.  He likes bread and he likes peanut butter, but won't eat peanut butter on bread.  He likes broccoli, but only if cut in a specific way.  That would be fine, except for the fact that his cutting preference changes on a daily basis.  He definitely gravitates towards kid friendly food--chicken nuggets, cheese toast, pizza, etc. but the kid won't touch mac and cheese.  He's so weird.  I definitely think he has some texture and sensory issues around food, which hopefully he will grow out of, but I may go insane in the process.  I am so very tired of mopping the floor.

He's growing up just fine, just not out.  He's about to fall off the growth chart, weight-wise, although he is maintaining an above average height.  He's making me go slowly insane.

He had a terrible virus this past week that resulted in a high fever and super sore throat for several days.  He pretty much ate nothing for almost a week.  Some cheerios and a few blueberries.  On our way home from the doctor (strep test negative) yesterday, I stopped to get him a milkshake (doctor's orders).  He wouldn't touch it.  He did, however, want the french fries I got for myself and he ended up eating the majority of the serving.  I attempted to use this new found love of his to my advantage and today I made him both tofu and sweet potato fries.  He fell for it with the sweet potato but would have none of the tofu.

At least it's a start.

Like a Rock Star

This video is long and probably not that interesting unless you are 1) related to us,or 2) Ruby.

Happy Halloween!

Love, a Nice Witch and Nemo

Sarcasm

Norah is a witch for Halloween this year. She was supposed to wear her costume to ballet today but in the 4 minutes I had to get her ready, it could not be located (its gotten a lot of wear lately).

She was bummed but wore her Snow White dress instead. When the teachers oohed and awed over her she said in the sweetest possible voice, "I am so happy my mom couldn't find my witch outfit so I could wear this dress instead. That's sarcasm."

Next thing we work on is tone.

Grindstone

Radio silence over around these parts.  It's been a hectic couple of weeks.  I have been working.  A lot.  Based on the number of hours I am logging when compared to my salary, I think I am making about a $1.75 an hour.  Good thing it's not all about the money.  They don't mess around here in Texas.  The death penalty is scary shit and it moves fast.  I haven't woken up this many nights in a cold sweat in a long time.

In more uplifting news, Norah is really starting to come into her own as an artist.  This is her rendering of her lady bug pillow pet.  Do you see it?  Look again.

Lou is doing really well in school.  He is very popular among the teachers for his killer smile and complete disregard for me when I drop him off (the other kids lose their shit when their moms leave).  He has shockingly been on his best behavior this far and has not bitten, tackled, or head butted anyone.  Knock on wood, please.  A firetruck visited the school last week and he was the only one in his class who would go inside.  And then they had to pry him out of it.  He still doesn't eat much lunch there, but Bubby picks him up and brings him home, and he will usually eat in the car or the front porch.

I keep having to buy him new shoes.  He weighs as much as your average nine month old but has the shoe size of a fourth grader. (Not really, but close.)

We are just now starting to see him try Norah's patience.  She's still remarkably kind to him given the kind of physical and psychological pain he inflicts upon her on a daily basis, but there have been some moments of frustration as of late.  He loves to wrestle her, body slam her, steal her ponies, etc.  The other day she had had enough and she whacked him with her pillow.  It was the greatest day of his life and he will now bring her a pillow with which to hit him.  Sigh.

It was cold here for about three hours a couple of weeks ago.  Then it got hot again.

Amy and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch on a Friday morning.  It was empty, save for us, and Lou decided he was king of the pumpkins.

There was a great playground right next to this field, but the diggers got more attention than anything else.

Norah has a very definite opinion about what she will and won't wear these days.  This was a monumental day (because she decided to wear pants).  She needed new shoes as well and she picked these out.  She calls them her pom-pom shoes.

BVZ and I took the kids out to dinner last weekend and it was a disaster.  I don't think one single piece of food made it into Lou's mouth and all Norah wanted to do was eat the container of whipped butter instead of her (frightfully expensive) gluten free pancakes.  The only highlight was when I asked Norah if she wanted a chip.  She took it and said, "don't mind if I CHEW."  We cracked up and she said it was a line she heard on Word Girl.  She also said she had been waiting for days for the right time to say it.  She's four and her comedic timing is out of this world. So is, apparently, her memory to recall things she sees on television.  She's a bit of an idiot savant when it comes to tv.  The other night she was trying to get out of going to bed and so I made her fold laundry.  BVZ was emptying the dishwasher at the same time and she said, "See mom!  We work hard so you don't have to!"  Kid loves commercials.

The next night (a Monday) had been exceptionally long and I knew BVZ wouldn't be home anywhere close to dinner/bath/bed time, so I made a bold move and took them out to dinner by myself.  At a place down the street we go to a lot that has gluten free pizza.  It's not a kid restaurant per se, but they have servers who look the other way when terrorists under the age of two grind blackberries into the (cement) floor.

It was awesome.  I discovered the key is to 1) order a basket of sweet potato fries before even sitting down, and 2) order my food to go and instead of trying to eat myself, I just drink a glass of wine and pay attention to them.

(Lou had just gotten a haircut here.  He looks like Dennis the Menace.  Or maybe a white supremacist).

Reid was sick with a nasty virus last week that caused a scary high fever and 48 hours of misery for everyone involved.  We assumed he was over it and so I didn't pay much attention when he and Lou shared a lemon several days later.

And here is where we are today.  102 to 104, cranky and miserable.  He did start saying "cut the cheese" in the midst of his discomfort, so at least we know he's still in there somewhere.

Scary Halloween decorations are out.  Every time we walk past this guy Lou points and shouts "Uncle Mark!" which I think is hilarious until we walk past the scary lady with the red hair in the tree and he points and shouts, "Mommy!"

Speaking of Halloween, Bubby took all three kids tonight to a pumpkin festival and then back to her house for a sleepover.  Megan sent me this picture.  All of a sudden living in Texas is pretty damn sweet.

Paradise

It's no secret that Ruby is one of our very favorite kids.  Her parents are also some of our very favorite grown-ups.  Ruby's dad turned 40 this week and celebrated by renting one of the most awesome houses I have ever seen in Santa Barbara.  We were lucky ducks and got invited to join them.  

BVZ could not go because of work commitments, so I got to make the trip by myself.  As in three glorious days without work, or kids, or a house, or a snoring husband.  As in two plane flights by myself where I got to pee alone, eat alone, and read alone.  I read more in three days than I have in three years.  

Ruby's parents have a group of friends that have been tight for 15+  years and vacationing together forever.  They are all awesome.  It was an awful lot of fun.  A's husband also could not make the trip, so she was my date.  She was a fabulous date.  

With the exception of one grocery store run, I did not leave the property the entire time.  There was no reason to.  This was the view from the back porch of the house.  50 feet from that umbrella was the beach.  Which was connected to the ocean.

This was the house.  I think it was seven bedrooms, probably more bathrooms, giant kitchen and multiple living rooms.  It was gorgeous.

On Saturday night a private chef came in to prepare a four-course birthday dinner.  I am still dreaming about that goat cheese.

Thanks S's for a great weekend.  I would go anywhere to hang out with you guys.  Even if I had to bring the rest of my family.  

Dancing Girl

Norah loves ballet.  LOVES ballet.  We took a break over the summer to move and then the new house was too far away from the parks and rec center she was at before.  Luckily a brand new dance studio was scheduled to open August 1 not far from the new neighborhood.  Not so luckily, construction was delayed and the studio didn't actually open August 1.  It's still not open.  They  have no idea when it will open.  In the meantime, they have a makeshift studio in a double-wide trailer out in the middle of nowhere.

Norah could not care less, of course.  All she knows is that she can finally do a pirouette and got a new ballet dress. 

Some of the other parents requested that the studio provide a margarita machine while we wait in the hot sun on an uncovered porch while the kids are in class.  I can get behind that.

Norah's Dream Come True

She's been trying to get him to hold her hand during walks for, oh, 18 months now.  It was her greatest triumph. 

Soccer

Norah took a soccer class back when she was about two.  Despite my best efforts, she wasn't that into it.  I have spent the past two years planting the seed and a few months ago, ahem, totally on her own accord, she expressed that she wanted to try it again.  I told her she would have to wear shorts, which she refused.  Thankfully, we were able to compromise on a tennis skirt, which is a skirt on the outside and shorts on the inside.  

There are a lot of soccer programs in Austin, not surprisingly.  All but one are held inside, again, not surprisingly.  That's the only way soccer can happen before December.  

She loves it and she's actually pretty good.  She is a good listener and follows direction well.  She's a fast runner and maybe, just maybe, one of these days, her foot will actually make a connection with the ball.

We enrolled Lou in the parent participation class, mostly because it happens at the same time (different field).  He likes it fine.  He is in the very youngest class (18 to 24 months) and is the very youngest kid.  There is a big difference between 18 and 24 months.  Basically, he can't listen or follow directions.  At all.  He just does his own thing.  He kicks the ball when he feels like it.  He mostly sits on the ball.

He still looks cute doing it.

First Day of School(s)

Norah's first day of Pre-K was a little anti-climactic.  She started her new school in July and although she moved classrooms (from Crocodiles to Kangaroos), there wasn't a break.  So starting school wasn't that exciting because, well, she'd been going to school all summer.  Pre-K is different though, with more academically oriented work.  There's still a lot of play, thank goodness, but the focus is shifted slightly.  The teacher she was supposed to have decided not to come back to work after having a baby and so there's been a bit of a scramble to sort things out on that end.  She's had a "substitute" for the past few weeks and the new teacher apparently starts next Tuesday.  

Norah has been a really great trooper about the whole school situation.  She's had a lot of upheaval and some bad luck.  This is her third school and on Tuesday it will be her sixth teacher.  Good thing she's so easy going.  The other day the aide told me that during free time some of the girls decided to work a puzzle and she overheard Norah complementing them on their work and offering encouragement.  I think the exact words used were, "good job, honey.  You are doing really great work."  Ha.  They think she's inspirational.  I think she's bossy.  Tomato, tomato.  

I missed her first official first day because I was in Houston for work.  I made a cute sign that had the date and "first day of pre-k" and instructed both Bubby and BVZ to take lots of pictures.  Even though we have a DSLR camera, both dummies decided to use their iphones (oh yes, Bubby has an iphone) and every goddamn picture is a blurry mess.  This was the cutest one I got from inside her classroom:

She likes school and I have no doubt it will be a successful year.  Her letters get better every day and she is creeping towards becoming a beginner reader.  Cousin Megan brought over a bunch of chapter books a few weeks ago and Norah has now decided that any non-chapter book is totally beneath her.  She loved a Nancy Drew and a Sophie the Awesome and we are on book two of Junie B. Jones.  I know Junie B. is a bit controversial because she's mouthy and naughty, but I think she's freaking hilarious.

I work three full days a week now and Lou has been on the wait list at Norah's school for months. Problem is, we need a three-day-a-week spot and that requires another kid in the same class who wants a two-day-a-week spot.  Those are hard to come by because most 18 month olds at a large facility like this one are in full time care.  Bubby has graciously taken care of Lou all three days a week for a while now, and while they are loving their days together, it was only supposed to be a temporary solution.

Part-time childcare is hard to come by and even harder to come by in a geographical area close to Norah's school.  A popular thing here in Texas (maybe elsewhere too?  I had never heard of it before moving here) are these MDO's, or Mother's Day Out programs.  It's basically half day pre-school.  Which is great unless you have a job and can't wait until 9:30 to drop the kid off or be there to pick the kid up at 1:30.  Thankfully, my job is flexible enough that I can roll in after such a late drop off and Bubby is willing to do the 1:30 pick up and then hang out with Lou (and wrestle him down for a nap) until Norah and I get home.

The other wrinkle is that most (maybe all?) of these MDO's are associated with a church.  Now, I have no problem with church and I have no problem with church childcare, it just isn't necessarily for us.  Okay, really not for us.  I won't get into my search process because I don't want to offend, but EVOLUTION IS A REAL THING.  Anyway, I found a place that meets our needs.  It is in fact in a church but a church I can deal with and the staff is great.  He is there to have fun and play with other kids and for that I can handle a Christmas program involving the nativity.  He is totally going to be an adorable wise man.

I was legitimately worried that he was going to bite another kid, but so far (two days in) so good.  He loves the outside playground and seems to get along fine with everyone.  He could care less when I leave him (the other kids go bananas when their parent takes off), which I find reassuring and a wee bit sad (for me).  He's thrilled to see Bubby when she gets there.  He didn't eat a bite of lunch the first day and only had a nibble the second, but I suppose that's to be expected.  He didn't bite another human person.  I am focusing on the positive.

We are committed to the school at least through December, but after that we will likely move him to Norah's school when and if a spot ever opens up.  I just need the more flexible hours and two different morning drop off are a giant, enormous, colossal pain in the ass.

Yay for school!

Louis: 18 Months

As of about a week ago, Louis is now closer to two than he is to one.  He's a great kid.  He has changed so much over the past six months and his baby days seems so very long ago.

He's a string bean.  He's still at the 75% for height, but is now hovering at just above 10% for weight.  He lost about two pounds when he had that awful stomach virus and hasn't seemed to be able to put it back on.  He's only about 22 pounds and doesn't have an ounce of baby fat on him anywhere.  He has enormous feet and I am buying him new shoes every month.  His hands are also big and he has super long fingers and toes.  He still wears 12 month pants because anything else just falls off him, but they are ridiculously short.  Good thing he'll be able to wear shorts here until December.

His eating is hit or miss.  If he likes something he will pack it away like there's no tomorrow.  If he doesn't, it goes straight to the floor.  That would be frustrating enough, but what he likes/doesn't like changes on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis.  I would love to be able to send him to bed without dinner some nights, but when you have a skinny kid you make allowances you might not otherwise.  His table manners are atrocious.  He's a big milk drinker and has never met a cracker he did not like.

His sleep is also pretty hit or miss.  We had a long stretch of him sleeping through the night without issue, but lately he's been regressing and waking up several times a night.  He's not upset when he wakes up, he wants to play.  He's going crazy developmentally right now, so I get that his brain is on hyper-drive.  I am so not into playing cars and/or jumping down all the stairs at 2:00 am, but he sure is.  We are pretty zombie-fied around here.

He loves, loves, loves, LOVES playing with cars of all kinds.  He's also really into trains and legos and balls.  He's very physically agile and I anticipate with be a good athlete.  He is fearless and will climb and jump off just about anything.  He's a fast runner.  Really fast.  I actually have to run to keep up with him.  He loves to play hide and seek.  He loves being in the pool.  He doesn't like being in his own floaty but totally digs jumping off the side.  I have anywhere from 3 to 5 heart attacks every time he's in the pool.  He loves being outside.  After dinner most nights I take both kids out back and spray the hose at them, riot gear style.  They can't get enough of it.

We went through about a month of the worst tantrums on record.  He would get angry at anything and everything and lash out physically, either biting Norah or Reid, or scratching and hitting me.  He didn't do it all of the time, and recovered quickly, but it was really upsetting when it would happen.  He's for the most part (knock on wood) stopped getting so pissed, so quickly, and I think (knock on wood), we are passed the worst part of it.  He starts a pre-school program on Thursday and I would be lying if I said they idea of him biting another kid at school didn't keep me up at nights.

When Norah was a baby she would sit through me reading book after book after book.  That has never changed and if she had her way we would read 15 books a night (we've started doing chapter books and I have to put strict limits on how many pages we do).  Lou was the opposite and had no patience for anything except the shortest of stories.  As he got a little older he got really into those first word books (the ones that aren't actually stories, but rather sight words with pictures) and now he is obsessed with any and all books he can get his hands on.  He can't get enough of them.  Thank goodness.  His current faves are a Cars book I got him at Target and the Wheels on the Bus  one that came all they way from London.

His communication is getting better every day, which I know is directly related to the decrease in tantrums.  He's started to put together two word sentences, most notably "Mama's car!"  He wants to look at, touch, or ride in my car on an hourly basis.  He adds to his vocabulary every day.  His receptive language is off the charts and he understands just about everything we say.

He's not a huge cuddler (he won't let me rock him at all anymore), but will crawl up in your lap and cover your face with kisses.  He loves to watch Melmo (ie, Elmo) videos on my phone and knows how to sweet talk me into letting him have just one more.  He terrorizes and idolizes Norah at the same time.

He's a really funny kids and likes to do stuff to make us laugh.  He and Norah crack each other up.  He has one of the best laughs I have ever heard.  We love him a whole lot.  I think we'll keep him.

Changing Room

The downstairs bathroom has a shower stall.  I don't think anyone has actually showered in it yet, but it's nice to have.  A couple of weeks ago I started finding piles of Norah's clothes in there.  She would apparently pick out an outfit upstairs in her room, walk downstairs to the spare bathroom, and get dressed in the shower stall.  Then she would leave her nightgown and hanger wadded up in a corner of the shower.  She told me it was her changing room and getting dressed in there made her feel mysterious.  

I need to put a laundry basket in there. 

That's a Pig

Close Call

Our house in California was built in 1942 and so we were lucky if there were two outlets per room.  It made plugging shit in a challenge.  In this house, built in 2006, outlets are everywhere.  Sometimes multiple ones to a wall.  In our bedroom there is a place to plug in 12 different things.  Ridiculous.  

Despite the fact that there are electrical outlets in abundance, there is a serious lack of overhead lighting.  My office is problematic because there is no light fixture and lamps can only do so much in a room with high ceilings and lots of square footage.  First world problems, I know.  When you first go up the stairs there is a landing with a few steps that leads up to the play room area.  In that landing there is a giant built in desk with shelving.  I would like to think that someday it will be a perfect place for kids to do homework.  As of right now it is a great place for puzzles.  Not so much for messy art projects (because of the carpet), but lots of coloring does go on.  Anyway, even though there's a desk, there's no overhead light in the area.  Which is so stupid because there's not a good place for a lamp.  

There is, however, an overhead light in the hallway right outside the guest bedroom and bath.  For the past couple of weeks every time that light in the hallway would be flipped on there would be a giant POP and then it would kill the entire circuit, cutting power to the hallway, guest bath and bedroom, and hall light outside Norah's room.  You can kind of see it here.  The open door is the guest bedroom.

It was super annoying because we'd have to reset the circuit in the garage every time someone forgot and turned on that light.  It concerned me because of the POP though and so last week we finally got someone to come out and look at it.

Yeah, some dumbass had put two 75 watt bulbs in the light fixture, even though the fixture CLEARLY said that it had a 40 watt max.  The electrician said that we are incredibly lucky that it didn't start a fire in the insulation that would have likely spread into the attic and then burned down the entire goddamn house.  The wires and insulation in the fixture were completely burned and melted.

My guess is that it probably wasn't the previous homeowner that put those bulbs in, but the idiot realtor who didn't realize the severity of his actions and just wanted to brighten up that dark hallway.  We are spending the weekend checking every.single.bulb in the house and then putting new batteries in all of the smoke detectors.

Then I am going to send a mean email to the realtor.

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.

Na Na and Louie

Norah has been an awesome big sister since the day Lou was born.  She dotes on him, loves on him, shares her stuff with him, wants to take care of him, etc.  There's been no jealousy*, no regressions, no nothing.  She really is the best big sister ever.  

Lou, however, does not necessarily return the favor.  I mean, sure he loves her in a big way. When he wakes up every morning, "Na Na" is what he yells.  He follows her around and is generous with the hugs and kisses.  But, he also steals her shit all the time, pulls her hair, bites and whacks her on a regular basis, and generally wreaks havoc.  Norah is incredibly patient with him.  I keep waiting for the day that she knocks him into the next room, but apparently that's not her nature.  He's a lucky dude.

 All I can hope for is that they will always share this truly genuine affection for one another.  I sleep better at night knowing that Norah will always look out for Lou.  And he needs it.  He's a monster. A cute monster for sure, but a monster nonetheless.

*She could pretty much care less if I pay attention to Lou, but if Megan and Trevor ever favor him over her, all bets are off.  Let's just say Norah can get a bit, ahem, possessive when it comes to Megan and Trevor.