Thoughts and Words Ill-Sorted

This morning I spent coffee hour listening to a circle of British grad students who were dissecting swing states’ makeup and making plans to stay up late tonight to watch the election returns.  It still surprises me to hear the word “Ohio” uttered in an English accent by someone who knows my government structure better than I do, but I am getting used to it, since the American Institute here houses two or three political scientists for every literature scholar.

This evening, coming back late after a choir rehearsal and social, I stopped at the grocery store and saw a young guy stack three packs of Budweiser on top of one another and carry them to the check-out while balancing a roll of Scotch tape on top.  I asked, “Any connection between the tape and the beer?”  To my surprise, there was: the tape was to put a map of the US on the wall and the beer was to drink while watching the election.  I teased him that he’s supposed to pretend he hasn’t even noticed that the Americans were having an election, but he said, “Yeah, but, well, it’s the most powerful man in the world, really.”

Erin

Although giraffes were certainly the highlight of our zoo visit, we saw a range of other animals there.  The baby meerkat was cute:

But it was even more interesting watching the meerkats work together, with the sentinel keeping a close eye on all of the spectators.  It’s an interesting feeling being watched as you watch:

Sydney was quite taken with this blue-eared pheasant, and he seemed to be adding to his “to have when we settle down” list of birds by the hour.  Something tells me I won’t get to lead an ordinary Midwestern life (tidy lawn, kids walking to school, basketball in the driveway) if Sydney has anything to do with it.

We arrived at the pelicans’ home to find them clustered together and eagerly awaiting their dinner.  The grey herons gathered, too, so that they could snatch anything the pelicans dropped.  Watching the pelicans wiggle, toss, and stretch so as to help the fish slide down their throats apparently made an impression on Katherine.  She told me all about it on our walk to nursery this morning–with actions!

Our last stop was at the penguins’ pen.  They were, I think, the only ones in the zoo who didn’t find London a bit chilly that day.

On our walk home, Nathaniel let his no-nap personality ring throughout Regent’s Park, so Sydney did a lot of herding while I stood laughing.  Katherine being Katherine, she decided to help.

Lest anyone wonder where such a sweet boy got his stubbornness:

Oops, off again:

Erin

We have returned from a long day at the zoo, and we’re ready for a rest.  Sydney and I both have our feet up, and both kids are sound asleep.  Needless to say, missed nap times and needing to be “good” on public transportation will always make outings a challenge with the kids, but we still had a good time.

Our favorite stop was our first: the giraffes.  There were three giraffes, and we got plenty of opportunity to see them inside and out, stretching up and stretching down for snacks.  With little kids, there really is just something about big, easily recognizable animals.  Nathaniel didn’t need to be asked before piping up with “‘raffe!  There a ‘raffe!”

More to come, but by now I’m keen on curling up with a book in bed!

Erin

Our recent trip to Devon had Sydney firmly resolved never to take a full-family vacation again while the kids are small, but we are, ahem, going to give it another go.  Sydney thought of taking Katherine to the London Zoo while she’s enjoying a week off of nursery, but schedules and such made us decide to try going as a family tomorrow.  We don’t know if we’ll be able to corral Nathaniel sufficiently for the rest of us to enjoy the sights and the ride into town (I would be tempted to just keep the oat crackers coming . . .), but all of our books and songs about animals have left us quite keen on seeing the real thing.

Erin

As Katherine sings in a tone that’s closer to fog horn than to music, laughing all the while, I ask, “Are you being obnoxious?”

“Yeaaaaaaaaaaah.”

“Noxious,” contributes Nathaniel.

So, “noxious” goes around our house like wildfire, lasting a good two hours before they tire of it. They clearly think they are getting away with something 🙂

Erin

Katherine is technically on a school schedule at nursery, so this week she is off for fall break, along with the rest of the school kids in the area.  After a bit of thought, I decided to take her to Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, which happens to be just down our road and is housed in a gorgeous building.

Katherine really enjoyed the chance to sleep in while I took Nathaniel to nursery, and she liked the long cuddle we had when I got back.  She scootered to the museum and then alongside me when it was time to pick up Nathaniel.  She and I both enjoyed the chance to visit the exhibits without having to chase after her younger brother, and she was impressed by the dinosaur bones, collections of shells–and all of the other kids on holiday who were there for an outing.  Yes, despite her facial expression in these pictures, I think she did actually have fun.

When instructed to smile:

Erin

When Katherine stays upstairs for a long nap, Nathaniel takes advantage of the quiet to enjoy having the toys to himself.

Erin

Every other Monday we get a big box of vegetables delivered to our door, and each time it feels like Christmas to both the kids and the adults in our family.  After five years of basing our weekly cooking on whatever Sydney’s garden produced in abundance, it helps keep us in the habit of cooking to use up whatever’s handy, and we’re always surprised by the contents of the box.  Recently, the kids have been getting a hand in things, too.  Katherine always lays claim to the tomatoes when she spies some, and she helped me shuck the corn in the last box.  Nathaniel, meanwhile, is very fond of the squash, since they’re one of the few items I think might survive his attentions, and he was delighted when we had a whole box of them delivered last week.

Erin

We are finally settling into a bit of a rhythm around here.  Both kids seem quite keen on their nursery days.  Nathaniel is moving up from the baby room to the rowdier one Katherine is in, and I’m quite happy that they regularly come home with wet clothes tucked into backpacks after play in water, or, as earlier this week, green paint in their hair.  I don’t know whether, on the whole, I get a lot more work time with the kids at nursery, given the walking and other things, but it is quite nice to have some time that doesn’t have to come at the expense of Sydney’s.  He and I work things out reasonably well by now, but it still helps to have some outside source to tap when both parents need some time away, particularly when you know the kids get a different kind of play than we provide.

I am really, really enjoying my postdoc opportunity.  The reading groups, lectures, weekly coffees for fellows and staff to get together, office space, etc., are all quite surprising and welcome after two years of going it alone in Oxford and working in libraries and at home.  I have been a bit nervous because I’m scheduled to give a paper as part of my postdoc in just a few weeks, but I had a few ideas come together in a flash yesterday that will, with a lot of work, help me put together something I like in time.  Of course, I do have to submit nearly 30 job applications in that same period of time, but now I at least see the way forward.  I also visited Grinnell College’s study-abroad program in London last week, after a friend made introductions for me, and I had a wonderful time learning about a kind of teaching I’ve never done, but that, as one who studies British literature, I might have the opportunity to do in the future.

Sydney is still struggling with fatigue since he’s not quite shaken the terrible sleep of our baby days, but he’s keeping busy with lectures and teaching.  He and I regularly sit down with the calendar and bargain with each other so that he can go to the lecture on Wednesday but let me have the one on Friday, etc.  We are occasionally bothered that we can’t both be gone at the same time, but, more often than not, we are simply reminded that we’re in a great place for attending wonderful events, and we’re glad to have the chance to fit in some, if not all, of them.

Erin

We have to record it for posterity, even if we face the usual problem of dim interior lighting.

Erin