Frog Country (sans the tadpoles)

From the moment Billy was offered a position at TCU I've had mixed emotions. Don't get me wrong, the relief of having a permanent source of income felt incredible. But truly, if asked to list the places I'd least like to end up, the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex (and it's actually called that) would have appeared in my top (meaning bottom) three. And it's not just because of the plentiful and vaguely threatening Texas slogans I've seen on bumper stickers; I've always been a Midwesterner at heart. Forget the mountains--views of soft green pastures take my breath away. Designer clothes excite me less than farm-fresh produce. And I prefer small towns to cities or even tropical beaches. However, after a five day trip to Fort Worth Billy and I are ready to put on some cowboy boots and open our hearts to our new hometown.

I have to warn you, this is a boring post of the update variety. So if you're here to laugh at my clumsy parenting, wait until next time. But if you're a relative, long distance friend, or cyber stalker, this post is for you. Here's a review of our trip (with picture order following the categories):

1) TCU: I was caught completely off guard by the beauty of the school. It has a very different feel than Miami; it's more like a luxury resort than a college! The grounds are immaculate, the buildings are fancy and sparking clean, Billy's office is really nice and everyone we met was accomodating and friendly. As we walked around,our mouths hanging open, we decided that this must be what it feels like to work for a for-profit business!

2) Fort Worth: The city was fantastic. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't the winding streets lined with shady trees and adorable bungalows. The area right around TCU has so much to do--the zoo, botanic gardens, museums, shops, and so many beautiful (and probably unaffordable) neighborhoods. It's a place I can imagine loving.

3) UCC Preschool: One of the best parts of our visit was finding a preschool for Charlie. The school is part of University Christian Church, which is a very progressive and welcoming church right on campus. Jimmy is even on the wait list for the toddler class!

4) Our new home: After touring a bunch of duds, we found a place we think will be perfect. It's three blocks from Billy's office, three blocks from the preschool, and walking distance to the shops, and possibly the zoo. While it's only the upstairs of a duplex, it's surrounded by the aforementioned adorable and unaffordable neighborhoods we ogled at all weekend.

But, truly, the best part was coming home to our kids. It's amazing how much we missed them. I feel so much better about this giant move knowing we're planting our family somewhere lovable.