then and now

I keep thinking back to a year ago, when Oliver was brand new and tiny.  There are so many differences between him then and now.  Something about the first year of life is pretty incredible, with all the changes we go through in that time.  And there's a pretty big difference between one month old Oliver and 13 month old Oliver. I thought I'd mind more that he was growing up and turning into a toddler, but I actually just love this age.  He's so cute and fun and silly.  He enjoys playing games and making us laugh, and even when he doesn't sleep, he's always so cheerful and interested in the world.

A year ago, he basically slept all the time.  My mom actually got a bit concerned about this and at one point asked me if I thought he knew he could be awake and not eating, instead of just alternating between eating and sleeping 24 hours a day.  Now I look back and laugh, because shouldn't she have remembered what newborns are like?  And now eating and sleeping seem to be his two least favorite activities at the moment.  He'll do them, but he'd always prefer to be up and exploring.

I used to be covered in spit up, and I gave up on even changing my clothes when Oliver would spit up on me because it happened all the time.  I was always carrying a rag or two to wipe him down with, or to mop up the floor, especially if we had left the house.

Although, to be honest, a year ago, I was still getting used to leaving the house with him.  Now, he get that full-body wriggle of excitement when we go to the door, because outside is his favorite place.  It's going to be rough once the freezing cold and snow hits, because he has learned how to point, and makes a beeline for the door to tell me that he wants to go outside, please, right now.

Now I spend my days wiping down his high chair, and wiping sticky fingerprints off windows and doors and my shoulder.  He's still getting the hang of swallowing all his food, so even when he's put plenty into his mouth, he stores it in his cheeks for hours.  So that is my life right now, sticky hands and slobber, wiping his nose from the near-constant cold he keeps catching, holding his hand as we walk outside, pushing him in the swings over and over, watching him start to play with toys and enjoy books.  Wiping down his highchair.  Cleaning up toys and building him towers, so he can knock them over again and dump out his box of toys (because that is the best bit, isn't it?)

Last year, he was a tiny little thing that I carried with my everywhere I went.  I'd sort of do my own thing, meeting friends or reading books or watching Netflix, and he would sleep through 90 per cent of it.  Now, my days revolve around him: his nap schedule, walks to the park, reading books together, playing with toys, feeding him.  It's true that it doesn't really get easier (and probably big kids are harder than babies or toddlers), but it really gets so much better (and I say that as a baby person who loved having a newborn).  My husband especially comments continually on how much fun Oliver is now.  I mean, I used to spend my entire day cuddling him, but now he can cuddle me back, and that's worth all the sticky fingers and messy diapers and cold trips outside in the world.

(almost) wordless wednesday: oxford

I can't help but want to share these pictures.  There is almost nothing I love more than an old university town.  I may not be a student anymore, but those were great years, and sometimes I miss them.  I mean, not everything, but learning new things and discussing literature and writing essays.... it was fun.  I still really want to take my husband to visit my old university town some day (maybe this year?), but for now, we'll both just love Oxford.

 There's just something about the energy in a student town that I find so appealing.  I know that for the students, tourists are so annoying (although I never really minded them back when I was a student... for some reason, I enjoy giving directions and didn't even mind the few times when they would take pictures of us).  I really do my best to convince Sam we need to visit Scotland and my old university, because nothing beats Scotland, but Oxford comes pretty close.  It has awesome history, fun stores, and so many gorgeous views.  It's been one of my favorite places to visit, although yes, I will say Cambridge is a close second.  (Or maybe even better, but only because I have friends there which makes the experience so much more fun.  In fact, I can't wait until next month when I get to go visit friends there again.)  In any case, easy access to places like this makes all the hassle of living here worth it.  (Except maybe visa hassle.  I'm not sure anything is worth that.  Oh, well.) 

memories

picture found here

Yesterday, I was talking to my husband about our earliest memories.  He doesn't actually believe you can have memories until you're five or so, but I'm pretty sure I have actual memories from before that.  I think my earliest memories are from around ages two or three.  My brother was born two weeks before I turned three, and I remember the night he was born...going to a friend's house in the middle of the night, lying in a bed that as far too big for me, and waiting for my parents to come back.  I also remember my mother taking me out to lunch after an ultrasound, when she was pregnant with him.  I suppose that means I was about two and a half. 

Growing up, it was a bit of a family joke that I'd traveled the world.  I don't remember any of it, but the autumn I turned two, my parents moved to London for my dad's work.  They traveled around during that time, taking me places like Paris and Rome and Vienna.  When I grew up, and talked about wanting to visit cities like that, they'd always tell me, "you already have!"  It was pretty annoying.  I wish I could actually remember that trip.

When Sam and I were back in Boston two months ago, it was obvious my youngest cousin didn't really remember us.  All my older cousins were old enough when we moved away that they know us well enough, but he was only about two then, and had no memories of the hours I spent babysitting him.  (I once had him on my own for a week, but of course, he doesn't know that.)  It's sort-of sad how we don't remember much  at all from our first few years alive.  But I also think it's fun to recall my childhood memories; most of them are pretty happy and sweet.  I know several people who don't like to talk about their childhood at all, though, so obviously not everyone has good memories. 

(This is my 100th post!  I'll pretend like that's some sort of accomplishment, but I know it isn't really.)  

moving overseas

Today I'm linking up with Postcards from Rachel to write a little about being an ex-pat.  My husband and I initially moved to London in 2011, and even though I spent four years living in Scotland before that (for my undergraduate degree), moving 'on my own' (even if that means with my husband) was pretty different than moving to attend university.  For one thing, I wasn't dropped off by my mother, and for another, we were in charge of finding our own housing and getting our stuff there.  It turns out, we're pretty bad at moving.  Seriously, our move to London was one of the worst days of my life, because everything kept falling apart.  So, if you ever find yourself moving internationally...try not to be as stupid about it as we were.

via

Some complications arose from the fact that we moved to London via Paris.  Because that's where my parents were living at the time, and my mom's company paid for my ticket there.  Our first difficulty was in trying to find a flat.  We began this process basically as soon as we knew for sure we were moving to London, but the housing market in London is really quick-moving, and there's no point in looking for a flat in May if you don't want to move in until September.  (And, quick tip: if you're moving to the UK to study, and you want to avoid council tax, don't move in until exactly when (or even after) your course starts, because you will be charged council tax even for the 10 days you live somewhere before the 'official' start day of your course.  Silliest £11 I've ever had.) 

I had a few friends living in London, but nobody who could really offer up the space for two people to crash and look for somewhere to live.  If you're ever moving somewhere, and you actually have friends there, you will be so glad you crashed with them (pay them if you have to!  it's worth it!), because if we'd done that, it would have saved us so much headache.   Instead, we decided to find a place online.  I soon discovered there were there main difficulties with this: first, almost no one wanted to rent to someone who wasn't going to view the flat, even if we said we didn't care.  This ruled our so many great places for us.  Second, nobody really wanted to rent to students.  Third, anyone who did accept students probably wanted a rent guarantor.  This means a UK landowner, to back you up on your statement that you can pay the rent.  Failing that, sometimes the landlord (usually estate agents blame the landlord for this) will accept six months of rent up front.  (And let me just say, six months in London is a lot of money.) 

In the end, I found a landlord via a student website who was willing to rent to us.  (These are pretty great resources, if you're moving as a student.)  I'll stop rambling now, but there were further difficulties in transferring money to him (because we didn't have a UK bank account yet) and then getting the money ready upon arrival.  Somehow it worked out and we got to move into our tiny one-room place.  (Meaning it was just one room, complete with a bed and table and sink.  But I did love the area we lived in, so I was didn't mind.)  (Not too much, anyway.) 

I'm using a friend's computer, so I don't have any of my own pictures, but I'll just end with saying that all the hassle was worth it in the end, because our time in London was awesome.  I even love it where we are now, because living by the seaside is my dream. 

happy weekend

picture via

I'm so excited that it's finally the weekend!  I'm half-dreading this trip, half-thrilled that I finally get to go back to the US.  I've missed Boston, and maybe we'll even get to see some snow?  Just kidding, I'm entirely ready for spring now.  My dad's birthday was yesterday, and we always debated whether or not his brithday was in the winter or spring.  He always thought he was a spring birthday growing up, but really, March 8 is kinda wintry, especially in Boston.  (We also used to have bets going on about when the last snow would finally melt... it was always pretty fun, and gave you a reaon to hope the snow stayed on a little longer!) (since I'd always chose a later date than he did.)

Enjoy your weekend! 

(almost) wordless wednesday: paris

My parents lived in Paris for several years, so Sam and I have spent a good portion of time there since getting married. Several months, really, since we basically moved in twice, in 2011 and 2012. So on a gloomy day like today, it's nice to look over the pictures. I'm so glad we got to see and experience Paris in all its variety, from museums to shops to cemeteries and walks by the Seine. Enough that Sam can recognize places in Paris when we see them in films! I'm so proud, ha.

All these pictures are from September 2011, by the way. Look how short my husband's hair was! We'd only been married about a month back then. Ah, it was a nice trip.

the new year

Last night, 2012 ended and we welcomed in 2013. We spent the night eating pizza and ice cream, and watching the first three Bourne movies. (That my husband had never seen! Astonishing!) At midnight, we watched the celebrations in London, a ten-minute long firework display choreographed to pop music. It was pretty spectacular. It looked like this, if you don't mind a crappy picture of the TV:

Maybe it was because 2012 was such a London year, but this was MILES better than what we saw in Paris, last year. We walked down to the Eiffel Tower and watched it light up...kinda like this (which it does on the hour every night, anyway):

...except maybe it had some multi-colored lighting going on? In any case, it was terribly lame compared to London's display last night. Sorry, Paris. It was less crowded than London, at least. Plus we could just walk home afterwards, which I like. I'm actually a big fan of Paris, so I'll forgive them their inability to celebrate the beginning of a new year.

Anyway, happy new year and may 2013 be better than 2012! Where is your favorite place to ring in the new year?

London

I missed another day, yesterday.  I went to London and sort-of missed the opportunity to write anything, coming back too late and too tired to open my computer.  Maybe I'll post twice today to make up for it?  Maybe. 

So, oh, London.  London is my favorite city.  I fell in love with it when I was fourteen.  For the first time, I thought, here's a city I could live in.  And really, it is the best.  I love the brick buildings, the bright red buses, the tube.  I love the museums and parks and restaurants.  I miss it all the time, miss our little life (I don't really miss our one-room flat, though, because it was ridiculous).  I do miss our neighborhood, and the lovely church-yard I walked through to get to the library.  Maybe we'll move back someday, but even if we don't, at least I got to live there.

the churchyard, during our one little snowstorm last year.

same place in the spring

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

Paris.  I've spent quite a bit of time there, visiting family with my husband, and right now, I'm missing it.  I celebrated Christmas there for the past two years, so now, it's a little weird to think of a Christmas away from Paris.  I love the tiny shops and amazing food, the cathedrals, the size (it feels tiny compared to London), and most particularly buying a baguette for less than a euro.  It's a pretty great city. 

Sunday Social

First of all, happy Remembrance Day!  Living in a town with tons of old people (seriously), I hear stories about their youth all the time, and I really think it's important not to forget about either of the world wars.  They had a serious impact on us and the future, and were pretty devastating.  Thanks, veterans.  I love the tradition of buying and wearing poppies, so of course my husband and I will be sporting ours today.   

OK, now onto the questions.  Even though I live in England and might not really have a true Thanksgiving this year, this is still one of my favorite holidays.   I really loved it as a kid, when it meant the countdown to Christmas was on, and we were almost there.  Plus, an extra two days off from school was awesome.  And it just solidified the fact that fall was hands down the best season. 

Favorite Thanksgiving Memory - when I was in high school, I still remember my favorite Thanksgiving.  We were at home, instead of my Grandparent's, and all my family had come to visit.  It snowed (which I love), and we played a game of (American) football with some friends in a nearby park. 

Favorite Thanksgiving Food - this used to be rolls, but I have moved on to sweet potatoes.  I never had these growing up, because my mom detests them, but since moving out, I've been able to try them, and they are the best!  Last year, my husband and I may or may not have celebrate Thanksgiving purely with sweet potatoes.

What is a Thanksgiving Tradition you and your family have?  We always play a game of Scrabble. My husband is ridiculously good at this game, and we don't actually own it, so we probably won't be doing it this year.  Maybe Boggle instead?  (The only game we brought with us to England.)  Still, as a kid, I loved that evening time after dinner and before pie, when we sat around the table and played Scrabble.

Show us a favorite Thanksgiving picture(or 5) from years past - OK, so my computer recently crashed and I lost a lot of stuff.  Still, here is a picture from Thanksgiving at university, when my friends used to take the opportunity of friendship with me to celebrate a 'real' American holiday.  Don't mind how awkward we all look, or my closed eyes. 


What are you most looking forward to about this Thanksgiving? Like I said, who knows if my husband and I will really celebrate this year.  We'll probably just have a small meal together, but maybe we'll invite some friends to celebrate their first authentic American holiday.  Of course, it isn't Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, and so far, most people seem skeptical of that.  Either way, it is fun to start new traditions with my husband, now that we're a new family.  You better believe that sweet potatoes will feature in all of our future Thanksgivings (sorry, Mom).