My first week in numbers

We've been here a little over a week now, which seems crazy given how long the lead in to the move seemed to last for. It's flown by in a flurry of new experiences and setting up of our new lives, so rather than try and write it all down for a mammoth post, I want to give a flavour of what we've been up to in numbers:

Days of substitute organised: 2 (got these on Monday after talking to the principal of the local elementary school)

Number of interviews attended: 1 (I submitted it on Tuesday night and got the phone call on Wednesday morning. Had the interview on Friday, waiting to hear back whether they want to see me teach! Watch this space...)

Sunny days: 7 (out of 9. Additional stat: I last saw a cloud 5 days ago. It makes a massive difference to how we play with the kids, and it's lovely being able to spill outside armed with towels, toys and suncream with no intention of coming back inside because it's too cold or cloudy)

Tractor rides by Jake: 7 (this includes both tractors. We arrived 11pm last Friday, and by 6.05 the next morning, he was up and asking about a tractor ride)

Times I've opened the passenger side door to get in to drive: 14 (I still can't make it look deliberate. Additional stat: Number of weird looks I've got for doing this: 3)

Times I've cracked my left hand on the door trying to shift gear: 8 (My brain is slowly adjusting to the fact that everything is in the same order (pedals and gears mainly) but just on on the other side of the car)

Cost to fill up the car (a Honda Fit over here, Jazz in the UK): $18 (I couldn't believe this when it happened, given that the tank was pretty much empty. Makes the idea of a long commute a bit more palatable)

Number of favourite foods/restaurants eaten from: 2 (Dos Amigos burritos and Calef's sandwiches. It's a nice change of pace not to have to rush round everywhere because we're on a time limit. We've also had Chinese and pizza, both of which I prefer over here. Slimming World diet starts next week!

Points scored by me in Ultimate Frisbee: 2 (additional stat: Number of times I felt like throwing up during the game: 12. I forgot how fit you need to be to play and how much sprinting was involved! It will act as a good motivation to get fit, as well as a way to make friends).

Uncomfortable yoga positions attempted: 4 (across 2 sessions. My wife's parents bought me an extra long mat that feels like I'm practicing on thick carpet, so I'm hoping to offset the pain of Frisbee (and rowing) with some relaxing yoga too. Not the same without my regular yoga buddy Matt, as there'll be no-one to stop me from falling asleep at the end!)

Hours spend playing outside on the dirt pile with Jake (and Sophie on a towel): 15 (and counting. Jake is loving the ability to be outside all day, and we spend all morning this morning playing on the massive mound of soil that's sitting waiting for gardening season. He's turned it into a regular construction site, complete with toy vehicles and access paths. I don't want to be the one who starts to use it for it's intended purpose.)

Number of virtual babysitters: 2 ( Moving across the world in 2016 is made much easier by being able to reach out to anyone with an internet connection (and in these days of cheap data, that's nearly everyone) with a decent quality video call. I've  been on Skype with my parents twice now where I've needed to go do something, and the quality of the video and the fact that Jake and Sophie understand video calls means that I've left them alone with my parents. This has led to some very cute moments, and Jake insists most days on calling Granny and Grandpa to show them his latest block creations.)

It's been another busy week, but much less stressful than our last in the UK and much more enjoyable (perhaps because we got out to a movie on Tuesday, perhaps due to the sunshine, perhaps because the job situation is moving quicker than we thought!). More to come this week as I venture into the world of American education...