Fancy dinners & fancy dress

21 Oct- 3 Nov

The days are darker now that we turned the clocks back last Sunday.  Bryce is confused when he wakes up from his afternoon nap in the dark.  His active imagination is also causing him to ask to keep the light on and he says, "(S)cared, Mommy!" when he wakes up.  I walk in and he says, "Not (s)cared, monstahs no real."

We had our first "Scarlet" occasion at St. Edmunds College, Stephen's Inaugural and Matriculation Ceremony, where he was honoured as one of the new Visiting Scholars of the College.  We dined at the "high table" with the Master and the other new Fellows and Visiting Scholars of the College.  I got chummy with the woman who sat across from me, who later revealed herself to be the Master's wife.  Having had two sherries and two glasses of wine by that point, I tried to rewind the night thus far to see if I had said anything offensive, but my brain was already too blurry.  Maybe hers was, too.

Dinner was really fancy and there was way too much silverware, but I made it through without creating too much of a mess.  (Except for when I was buttering my roll and it fell into my lap.)  Thankfully it was dimly candlelit and I'm quite sure no one noticed.

The weekend that followed began the "Festival of Ideas" in Cambridge.  Saturday marked the beginning of half-term (the mid-semester break for school-aged children) so there were all sorts of family activities on around town.  We went to a storytelling gig which had musical accompaniment.  We heard The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  As you would suspect, the violin played the part of Baby Bear, viola was Mama Bear, and cello was Papa Bear.  A few other instruments (flute, piano, percussion) rounded out the stories and there were finger puppets for those needing more reasons to sit still (Ahem, Bryce).

Sunday we went to a Science event where Bryce got to model different seedpods out of paper and then put them up a big wind tunnel thingy and he would have stayed there all day if we hadn't introduced him to the hissing cockroach that Stephen held, a stick insect, and a pitcher plant.  He really seems to have a keen interest in all things Science and I'm wondering if it's nature or nurture.

I forgot to mention that the Thursday prior, the neighbors next door-- three grad students at the University-- came by to let us know they were having some people over and that it shouldn't get loud, but they wanted to let us know in any case.  I took the opportunity to hit them up for some cheap babysitting!  Starting one week from that day-- our 4th Anniversary!

We were going to just go out for a nice meal, but there is a place we wanted to try before we left Cambridge and we figured we're only going to get more broke as the year goes by, so why not go now?

The Midsummer House (the only 2-star Michelin restaurant in East Anglia) is only a 5 minute walk from our house and presented us with the most amazing meal that I ever remember having.  Now coming from New York, where Stephen and my favorite pastime is eating out at amazing restaurants and trying all sorts of new and different dishes, this is a major deal.  The only drawback was that we didn't get to talk about our relationship and our marriage because we were so distracted by the food!  Note to self: future anniversary dinners must be ho-hum so as not to outshine our ever-enduring marital commitment!

Last but not least, we celebrated Halloween / Samhain at Bryce's new buddy, Xan's house.  It was awesome: 2-year-olds in "fancy dress," lots of tasty treats, bobbing for apples, decorating cookies, and "lucky dip" for little pumpkins.  Bryce chose to be Stegosaurus, which I went over my £20 budget on buying supplies to make, but not by much.  (£5 sweatshirt, £8 glue gun, £1.50 green paint, £4 sponges, £3 camo pants, £1 socks that look like dino claws= £22.50)  It was between that and a monster.  I'm glad he chose steggy because he absolutely loved his costume and wanted to wear it constantly.  He really embodied stegosaurus with his realistic "roar!" and I'm thinking this child has a future in method acting.

As you might imagine, he was very happy when the neighbors down the street invited us to come trick-or-treating them on Halloween night because that meant he got to wear his costume yet again.  Ellis was not so pleased.  He gets hot and uncomfortable in Bryce's old sushi costume.

Speaking of Ellis, some updates: he is officially mobile to the point of making his way out of one room to get to the one that I'm in in a matter of under a minute.  He has also rejected purees and will only have what we're eating.  AND he doesn't want to be fed, he wants to do it his own self... wonder where he gets that?

Alright, I know this post is entirely too long, but the people who really care don't skim, they read all the way through, and I know who you are: Mom & Dad and Auntie Carol.  Extra points for those who read the whole thing and aren't related to me by blood.  Big hugs!!!  XOXOXO 

Yes, that is a real bowtie and yes, my shoes are fun to walk in but hurt like Hell.

Ste in his robes which he had to wear through dinner.  Remind me why we found him a tux that fits him so well?

All aglow by the end of the night

Bryce listening to Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Can't remember which pretty building this is, but they're everywhere.  Easy to get confused.

Trinity Lane

Bryce reacts to the hissing cockroach-- eew!

"Keleton!"

Pub lunch with my boys!

Bryce on his regular Monday playdate in Milton with Emma and Xan.

Bryce was so excited to see a jack-o-lantern when he woke up.  He liked putting his fingers in its mouth and pretending it bit him.

"I'm quite sure these things are edible!"

Two pumpkins!  But the big orange one in the foreground has the little one beat in the tooth dept.

Boo!

4 years! 27 Oct 2011

The Midsummer House

"Roast loin of venison, savoy cabbage, blue cheese, pinenuts, and cocoa nibs"  Holy. Moly.  Yes, I was the tacky diner who whipped out my camera to take a photo.  But look at the hottie in the background!

I only know 6 words on this menu.

"Cannelloni of chestnut, milk chocolate, kahlua and coffee"

One day I will get used to the 24-hour clock.

Brothers swinging!

In the big disc swing!

Pretty autumn leaves

Now that's a big tire!

"Roarrrrrr!"

Check out my plates!  (Did you know it takes lots of paint to paint a sponge?  It also takes a long time for them to dry.)

Ellis in his sushi costume for 5 minutes

Steggy pulling Calvin (Xan) on the fwactor!

A VERY loving hug.  (Xan's face says "help!")

Ellis & Hobbes (Emma) sharing a very romantic smooch

Pretty autumnal colors in Milton Country Park

Xan, Bryce, Alexander innately being dudes

Again?!  Seriously?  I... can't... breathe!

Bryce with the neighbors, Charlotte and Chloé, sister witches, on their way to trick-or-treat

"Am I doing this right?"

"Oh C'mon, girls, knock a little louder!"

"Trick or Treat!!"

Ellis looks up at me halfway through one of Bryce's tantrums and keeps me from crying.

Bryce playing "Sleeping Bunnies" at playgroup this morning

Bryce's first unaided drawing of a human