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August 9, 2014

Hello from the Halperts!

Things are starting to settle down here in Austin, and since we are so far away from everyone now, I thought I would start a blog to keep you all up to date on our family.

I'll start off by saying that we have been here just over three weeks now. The move went surprisingly well. All of our stuff arrived on time and intact, and we all made it here safely!

Jim flew to Austin a couple weeks before us, so it was just me and the kids on the plane trip down. I wish I could say that they were perfect angels, but I'm afraid that we were that family on the airplane. In hindsight, I can laugh when Jim calls it my 'worst flightmare,' but at the time… oh boy.

It started out great. They were so well-behaved while we were waiting to board that I even got a couple compliments. I was so proud, but I should have known it was just the calm before the storm because almost as soon as we sat down on the plane, Philip began fussing. He was clingy and wanted to sit in my lap, but because he's two-and-a-half now, he needed to be in his own seat until we were in the air. Of course, he didn't like this. Normally, he is our mellow child, but because he is a mama's boy above all else, I had to practically wrestle him into the seat next to me, all while he was screaming like I was restraining him to be tortured and crying "Mama, peas! No!" as loudly as he could. Needless to say, it was a little embarrassing. A flight attendant came by after a few minutes to offer a juice box and a cookie to calm him down, but Philip was so worked-up that he would have none of it; however, Cece, who had been sitting calmly the entire time, gladly accepted.

Eventually, after what seemed like forever but was probably maybe ten minutes, Philip tired himself out. I was able to distract him with looking out the window as the plane went up, but then it was Cece's turn to act out. She wanted to be able to see out the window, and it was "not fair at all" that Philip got the window seat. Then her ears hurt due to the air pressure. Then she had to go potty, but the fasten-seatbelt sign was still lit, so we had to wait, and she wasn't happy about that. And then, after I was finally able to take her to the bathroom, we returned to our seats only to have Philip decide that he had to go to the bathroom, too. Cece stayed behind, and when we got back, I found that she had not-so-innocently buckled herself into the window seat, which upset Philip and started a fight that was ultimately resolved by allowing Philip to sit on my lap. The rest of the flight included a spilled soda, kids forgetting to use inside voices, more complaining about ears hurting, and the grand finale of Philip freaking out again over having to sit in a seat by himself for landing.

I love those two more than life, but never again will I fly with them alone.

Anyway, now that you have heard the story of our epic flightmare, like I said before, Jim flew down two weeks ahead of us. We thought it would be best to have him get everything settled and moved in so that it was less crazy and overwhelming for the kids, and I'm so glad we did that because by the time we got here, he and our friend Darryl had the kids' rooms painted, unpacked, and ready. It was perfect. Philip is still too young to care what his room looks like, but watching Cece walk into her room for the first time was a little bit like watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, without the tears and screaming. She was so excited for her new big girl room: pale blue-violet walls, a wallpaper border that matches her new floral comforter, and a sheer canopy-like curtain that hangs from the ceiling and drapes around her headboard. They did such a great job—and who knew my husband had such an eye for interior design? :P The highlight of it all, though, is definitely the mini art studio that Jim set up for her in one corner. All of her art supplies are neatly organized, and she has a little easel and table for all of her projects. She flipped out when she saw it and then quickly declared her bedroom "best room ever." It was so cute.

That said, our Cecelia is a very sensitive little girl and is having a bit of a hard time adjusting. Everything is fine in the daytime, but once she starts getting sleepy, she suddenly remembers everything that we left behind. She misses her grandparents, her Aunt Larisa and her Aunt Penny, her preschool friends, her dance class, and the old local playground. The other night, she even came into our room crying because she was sad that she didn't say goodbye to the ducks at Lake Scranton. We have had nights like that with her a few times a week ever since we got here, and it just breaks my heart. She's just too sweet for her own good. I think she is starting to come around, though. We Skype with the grandparents and aunts all the time, found a new playground, and just signed her up for a ballet class that starts in a few weeks.

Philip, despite his airplane antics, is still as easygoing as ever. I don't know if it's his personality or his age or a little of both, but there really hasn't been an adjustment period for him at all. He takes things as they come and is curious about his new surroundings, which means that I occasionally find him climbing into low kitchen cabinets, pressing buttons on the dishwasher, or playing with the springy doorstops in various rooms of the house. His favorite part in this whole move was the unpacking that we did during our first few days here. He insisted on "helping" take things out of boxes but ended up just playing with the empty ones after about five minutes; after about an hour, Jim found him napping inside a large one next to the living room couch. Oh, that boy cracks me up.

As for me and Jim, we're adjusting pretty well. We joke about how we're finally real adults now since it's the first time either of us has lived more than a few hours from where we grew up. So many unfamiliar faces and places can get overwhelming, though. It feels kind of strange and even a little unsettling sometimes, knowing that I can't just call my mom or sister or in-laws and have them come over. It's definitely an adventure, but Jim and I are figuring it out together. We are hoping that once we get everything unpacked, it will start to feel more like home.

We like our new neighborhood so far, though. It's in a really family-friendly area and close to everything we need. Jim's commute to the city is only about 30 minutes, and when Cece starts Pre-K at the end of the month, we'll even be able to walk to her school. (Side note: Can you believe my baby girl is already old enough for Pre-K?)

Jim started at Athleap full-time on Monday as Director of New Acquisitions, and then on Tuesday, he helped sign a major new client. He was so nervous that morning, but I knew he could do it. This has been his dream job since college, and I am so proud of him. I know I wasn't exactly a big supporter of this whole thing in the beginning, but we have both agreed that it really did turn out for the best. Waiting a year to completely jump into this allowed the company to gain its footing. Instead of Jim having to work pretty much 24/7 like he did when the company first started, he will be working a fairly normal schedule, with the occasional trip out of town. He had to work so hard when Athlead was in Philadelphia that the kids didn't see much of him at all, and I know it was really hard on Cece in particular. This week, we were lucky to have had him home for dinner and bedtime every night. From what it sounds like, it should become a pretty regular thing, so we are all happy about that.

The job hunt is still on for me. I've submitted more applications and resumes than I can keep track of, but I haven't even gotten an interview yet. To be honest, I'm not too discouraged because I'm really enjoying this extra time with Cece and Philip. I may not sit next to Jim every day at work anymore, but spending time with our kids instead definitely has its perks. Just like their father, they are both fun and funny, and as a bonus, I even get a nap during the day!

Anyway, this concludes my first Halpert Family blog entry. We love and miss you guys so much!

Love,
Pam


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