New to the Lone Star State

Funny how we had never been to Texas in our lives before this year, and here we are living in the Big D, as Dallas is known, wondering what adventures lie ahead.

We had heard about the incredibly hot summers from several people, but as a southerner from Tennessee, I thought it would be a breeze as long as we had some sweet iced tea and the A/C. Little did I know... Most days, it reaches the upper 90's farenheit and sometimes goes above 100. The humidity is unbelievable (I thought Texas was supposed to be dry!) and people don't really go out much in July, except at dusk, but that's when you become prey to the ravenous mosquitoes. We had often left our windows open in Montreal throughout the summer months, but in Dallas, you basically have to batten down the hatches and thank God for the invention of air conditioning. A brief walk from the house to the car and you're covered in sweat. Needless to say, our ice cream expenditure has dramatically increased since our arrival.

One thing we have enjoyed about being here is the friendliness of the people. In Montreal, making eye contact with a fellow pedestrian on the street leads to a stare-down, causing both people to wonder, "What does that strange person want from me?" Here, people usually smile and say, "How're ya doin'?" or "Good mornin'." Customer service has been outstanding (except for the electricity service providers and water services- we had a bad experience our first week leading to a day without water and a day and half without power). In general, it makes the big adjustments much more bearable for us.

Liam, our 8-month old, has been amazing through all the changes. What a great baby we have! He travelled well from Montreal to Chattanooga, Tennessee by plane and then from Chattanooga to Dallas by car, which took two full days of driving. He didn't seem to mind all the chaotic boxes and piles of stuff around him as we packed up in Montreal and then unpacked it all in Dallas. He loves to spend his time on his tummy, reaching for objects, and pivoting around. He loves animal sounds, balls, and anything he can use to make noise. He often babbles on to his stuffed animals and has a fantastic laugh. Earlier this week, I was shopping at Target with him, and he got a little ticklish. His hilarious laugh was contagious and as I pushed the cart past several aisles giggling myself, I spotted at least three or four other shoppers who couldn't contain themselves in response. What a delight he is!