Two and Two Half-Pints: Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

4 Nov- 6 Nov

On Friday morning we finally had daytime rain heavier than a mist for pretty much the first time since we've been here. I took the opportunity to dress Bryce in his rad fireman raincoat from his buddies Layla and Aeron. He misses them a lot, but skypes with Layla on occasion. They show each other their toys and new haircuts, etc. Bryce is a little confused when he sees things that he wants to touch, but can't.

Back to the rainy day... by the time we were finished at the library, the sun was out, the street was dry, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I've found that even when it is icky out here, it doesn't last very long. Things blow over pretty quickly. Like afternoon thunderstorms in Florida.

Friday night Ste and Cath Forrester arrived from Bolton. Ste is Stephen's buddy from childhood. They had a long drive due to some traffic near Manchester, but came over as soon as they checked into their B&B and we unwound with some pizza & bitter. Bryce took to Ste & Cath right away-- he met them once before, but he was only 5 months old at the time-- and when they pulled out a little gift of 5 plastic dinosaurs, well, that was just the icing on the cake.

Saturday we packed a lunch and strolled along the river. We decided, despite the cool and somewhat foggy weather, to finally go punting for the first time! It was pretty neat. Stephen teased me because I had designated myself haggler and when we were quoted a price I said, "Sounds good!" You see, it's off-season and it was early in the day and I guess the prices get a little ridiculous when it's nice out. It was a cozy ride along the college backs and we even had a flannel blanket for our laps. Ellis was pretty well behaved, but Bryce refused to sit for most of it. Thankfully his jacket had a hood on it which doubled as a handy leash-type device.

We strolled through City Centre a bit, picking up sweets at our favo(u)rite sweet shop (a mixed bag for Bryce, Dandelion & Burdock sours for Ste, and Lager & Lime sours for me!). We strolled through Gonville & Caius College (previously documented when Stephen's dad visited) and sat outside King's College and ate our packed lunch. By this point it had cooled down quite a bit and we breezed through the Market Square (I got a black pashmina for £3 to wear with my cocktail dress) and even found a butcher who is going to order us a modestly-sized Thanksgiving turkey to fit in our teeny oven. We make our way back home, keeping warm in the shopping mall and got back in time to tuck Bryce in for a snooze. Put the finishing touches on a homemade chicken pie and we had an early dinner so we could head out in time for the Bonfire Night activities! For those of you unsure of the history behind Bonfire Night, read about Guy Fawkes here.

Cambridge put on a very impressive Funfair in Midsummer Common, along with a fireshow, fireworks, and a bonfire. Bryce and Ellis were both agog over the flashing lights and loud music as we strolled through the grass to the fair in the dark mist. In addition to the real mist in the air, smoke machines accompanied all the rides making us feel like we were walking into a dream or maybe a cheesy 80's music video. We quit while we were ahead (after 2 kiddie rides for Bryce, fireworks, and bonfire) around 8:15 and tucked into some homemade apple crumble at home before putting the boys to bed.

Sunday we walked clear across town to the Botanic Gardens-- wow! The colors were absolutely luscious and I don't think my point & shoot camera could possibly capture their intensity. I am going to have to go back and try to permanently etch it into my memory, it was just that pretty. Found a Sunday pub lunch worthy of a re-visit that even satisfied Bryce and Ellis. I had roast beef with parsnips, mashed cauliflower potatoes, roasted potatoes, carrots, and Yorkshire pudding. Ste had gammon steak with fried duck eggs and "thrice fried" chips. Maybe not the healthiest, but man, worth every gram of cholesterol.

Bryce was as sad as us to see the Forresters leave (Bryce called them "Te-Caf" for Ste and Cath and it ended up sounding like "decaf" every time he tried for their attention...) However, we are excited to see them again since we will be in Bolton after Christmas.

We are so lucky to have such frequent and fun visitors. There is so much to see and do in Cambridge and it really makes us take advantage of our weekends instead of using them to do chores. Hence, the house is a pit. Must go now if I want to enjoy my weekend!

"Singin' in the rain..."

Bryce calls his fireman outfit his "siren coat."

This is what the rainy day looked like by 11:30 AM.


How one day's weather be so bipolar?

Spoiled-- Trike in one hand and a lollipop in the other

It's peak leaf week in Cambridge!

Punting on the River Cam!

The Bridge of Sighs, named after the one in Venice

Kitchen Bridge, St John's College


Student accommodation in St. John's College

Bryce and his buddy Ste in the punt, who got him to sit for 17 seconds.

The Mathematical Bridge (actually called "The Wooden Bridge"), Queens College

Ellis looking pensive, or maybe more perplexed

The Bonfire Night Funfair from the footbridge by our house. Yes, the sky was really purple!

Ride #1, a firetruck with a nice bell above his head to ring

Ride #2, a beach jeep. This one was like a mini roller coaster and it was pretty scary to watch since Bryce almost looked like he was going to climb into the back seat at one point...

Ellis in the carrier keeping snug

Waiting for the fireworks! When you look at the video below, keep an ear out for Bryce in the background yelling "Bang! Bang! Bang!" as the fireworks crash