Settling into life here is going well.  I enjoy not having to cook twice a week and instead sitting down with everyone to eat a common meal. I did make one common meal so far but I realized quickly that I am not a short order cook and can’t balance all those pots and stove at once. I think I’ll try a stew next time.  

When I get home from work I find my son on the porch watching the preschool age kids run around.  Sometimes he’ll join them and bask in their glory since they think a fourth grader is the coolest.  Next my teenager comes home and walks the dog. He’s on the autism spectrum and some neighbors already asked what is the best way to get to know him.  He loves it here – enjoys the smaller school with a private school feel and already feels comfortable talking to some of the neighbors – especially the ones with pets.  He loves animals.  

Speaking of animals, the dog is enjoying all the new smells. Cats hate change but our female calico, Boo, has taken charge as the queen of the house. The two male tabbies were not to be trusted inside with their territory battles so I got a creative contractor to build a catio which is also a screened in porch for humans to enjoy.  The cats moved in and Dulce quickly found all the high up pathways and tunnels. Then we had our first tragedy.