Typical Summer Day with the Brutons

For us, this summer, a typical day consisted of the following:

• 7:30-8am-ish--Henry wakes us up. He's decided recently that 9am is overrated. I disagree, but whatever. 


• 8am-ish--Derek or I, we take turns, gets up with Henry, changes his diaper, gives him some milk, and then plays for about an hour. Then, whoever was still in bed comes down to play with Henry and the other goes back to bed for 30-60 minutes. Yes, seriously. we are that lazy. 


• 9am-ish--we all have breakfast together. Derek usually has granola with dried strawberries, Henry has buttered toast and helps me with my bowl of cereal. 


• 9:15-ish--Derek and I take turns showering. I have to run into the bathroom and close the door before Henry figures out what I'm doing, because he thinks he should get to shower with me. I let him jump in with me a few times (ok, more than a few. It was easier when Derek was gone early in the morning) and now he thinks my shower time is his shower time. * sigh * 


• 10am-ish--once we're all ready, dressed, hair done, the whole bit, we go outside. Derek has been working every day up until the last week, so he was usually upstairs writing his dissertation and Henry and I headed to the park to play. We love the playground at Lammas Land, but if I have errands to run in centre we play at the one in Christ's Pieces. It's closer to the shopping. 


• 12:30-1pm-ish--I make lunch for us all. Pasta or PBJs are our staples, with quesadillas thrown in here and there to add variety. I know, so exciting. Once in a while, we have chicken salad sandwiches. 
• 1:30-2pm-ish--Henry goes down for a nap. He gets a bit of milk and a snuggle before he goes up to bed, and lately he has been so tired from running around outside he falls asleep in my arms. I LOVE that. While he's napping, I usually read for a while or work and then take a nap myself. 


• 3:30-4pm-ish--Henry wakes up, which means I get woken up. We come downstairs and have a snack. Our favorite is strawberries with cream or something chocolatey. The best. We also like to read stories for a while. Like, 8-12 of his books. 


• 4:30-5:30pm-ish--We either go for a walk (all 3 Brutons) or we play with Henry's toys. We prefer getting outside, though. Our usual destination is the Botanic Gardens, but sometimes errands or a playground win out. 


• 6pm-ish--Dinner! We try to stay consistent with dinner time, because Henry has a hard time if we don't. 


• 6:30-7:30pm-ish--Derek and Henry play while I get the dishes done. Honestly, I enjoy doing the dishes because it's "me" time. I don't have to worry about what Henry's doing, and I can just stand there, wash, and think. Or talk to Derek. When I'm done with the dishes (that doesn't take an hour, people), I play with Derek and Henry. We like blocks, the train, and reading stories. 


• 7:30pm-ish--Henry's bath time. We can't use the words shower, bath, tub, or clean without him running to the bathroom trying to pull his clothes off. He loves taking a bath. Especially bubble baths. 


• 8pm--ish--Henry gets "lotioned and potioned," and then we go downstairs for milk and story time. Derek reads to us from our book about Cambridge while Henry drinks his milk, then we have family prayer. Lately, we've been reading Owl Babies every night. He LOVES it and has even started mimicking Daddy's voice. We caught it on video tonight, and I hope that the video turns out (check back another time to see that, I hope). 


• 8:30pm-ish--my favorite part of the day: family hugs and kisses. Derek or I hold Henry, and he puts his arms around both of us. We have a good sqeezy hug, then say "Give Daddy kisses!" and Henry and I both kiss Daddy. Then Derek says: "Give Mommy kisses!" and I get kisses from both my boys. Then "Henry kisses!" you get the picture. I LOVE it. Now that Henry gives kisses, I ask for them at any opportunity. But this moment, this 20 seconds of hugging my boys, is the BEST time of the day. We are awesome. 


• 8:32pm-ish--Henry goes up to bed, waving "nigh-nigh" to whoever stays sitting on the couch. He goes to bed like a champ, talking to Duxford (his bear) for a minute or two before falling asleep. 


• 8:35pm-10/11pm-ish--Derek and I get to work. I actually work work, like, for Ancestry, and Derek either works on his dissertation or works on something he's designing or he reads the news/comics. This is quiet time for us, but it's still work. 


• 11pm-ish--we usually decide we want to watch something, a show on BBC or a movie. I know it's ridiculous to start something that late, but we both enjoy the winding down time and the chance to snuggle just the two of us. 


• 12am-ish--We haul ourselves up to bed. 

Honestly, it's a pretty busy typical day. I'm not going to miss juggling school, work, and Mommying, but I know I will miss this routine. The chance to stay in bed in the morning, or take turns, is wonderful when you keep the kind of schedule we keep. About once a week we go and visit Peter after Henry's afternoon nap, or we meet up with friends at the part around 10am, or something like that. Notice all the "ish" tied to the times, too. We're flexible. We like Henry to have a routine, but we also want him to be able to adjust when we are out adventuring or when we have other plans.

All I can say is, when I look at this, I'm proud of myself for making it through without becoming an insane person. Thank goodness Henry takes good naps so I can squeeze one in, too. 

Dancing in the Rain

We had a sudden, and very quick, burst of rain today. We were just getting ready to put dinner on the table, when Derek opened the front door to reveal pouring rain!

Of course, Henry and I couldn't just let that go...

Daddy stayed safely inside with the camera. :)

The Botanic Gardens

We go to the University Botanic Gardens a lot as a family. We bought an annual pass for me, and Derek and Henry both get in free. Derek because he's a student and Henry because he's awesome.

Anyway, we went this last Friday and enjoyed a nice walk around the gardens and feeding the ducks. I don't know what I'm going to do when we don't have the Gardens just down the street from us! So many adventures to be had...



p.s. For all of our American friends, it isn't the "Botanical" Gardens...it is just "Botanic." In case you were wondering. :)

Visiting the Fitz with Mummy

Today, we went to the Fitz! Mummy and I like to go here and there when we have a half hour and see a few things. The wonderful thing about having all the museums so close to our house is that we can go as often as we want--we don't have to see everything in one day.

This time, we looked at the British art and even got to go up on the balcony. Then, we went downstairs to see the Egyptian and the Roman/Greek artifacts. By then, I was tired and ready for a nap, so we headed out the revolving doors, down the stairs, across the street, and back to our house.

Ice Cream at St. Benet's

Ice cream at St. Benet's is the best. Of course, you cannot eat St. Benet's ice cream without sitting on the wall in front of King's.


 

Eating Dinner at the Trailer of Life

We grabbed dinner at the Trailer of Life the other night. Just some burgers and chips to eat in front of Great St. Mary's.

Cadbury Eggs

I love Cadbury Eggs.

I am writing an entire blog post about Cadbury Eggs, on my semi-serious family blog that documents our lives here in England. Ok, it's not really that serious of a blog, but kind of.

Anyway--back to Cadbury Eggs.

I am absolutely 100% convinced that Cadbury Chocolate is NOT the best chocolate in the world. That prize goes to Galaxy (congratulations!). However---there is something so delectable, so delicious, so wonderful about Cadbury Creme Eggs. I look forward to their appearance every year in preparation for Easter. This year, the minute I saw one in Sainsburys', I bought it, and didn't even wait to get down the street before I busted it open and shared it with my almost 1 year old (Derek has convinced me that true love means you share your true love with the ones you truly love).

Since that moment, I have consumed at least 150 eggs. (Derek just figured out that is about £50 worth, or $75. About right...).  The first 10 days I found them on sale, I ate 24. Now that I look at that--that's not really that many. Because now days--I eat 4 or 5 a day.

Yes, I have a problem.

Yes, I am keeping Cadbury in business.

Yes, I am destroying my teeth.

Yes, I will continue to consume as much chocolate as I can get my hands on until we leave this country. And then do it at home.

I have found one thing to be quite horrible here in England. At home, I often purchased Cadbury Mini Eggs in 2 lb bags for approximately $3.76 a bag. Expensive, but worth every penny. Here, I am unfortunately reduced to buying them bags a 1/4 that size for £1 each. It makes me want to cry every time, because it makes me look even more like a fat kid because I have to buy at least 4 every time. Or, I just go to multiple Sainsbury's while I am out shopping and get 1 at each place. Generally I save time and just buy 4 at a time.

But that's all right, because I always share with my boys. Derek generally doesn't mooch, but the minute Henry hears a wrapper, he kicks on the turbo and climbs up my legs, "mmmm, mmmmm"--ing the entire time. I can never resist that--he usually ends up with the first bite and the last bite, too.

On that note--please enjoy this photo of my beautiful son reaching for his second ever Cadbury Egg.

For Sentimental Reasons...

My baby turned one this past Saturday. I can hardly believe it. It seems like just a few weeks ago he was tiny and helpless and couldn't turn over. Now, he's climbing up my legs as I stand at the counter trying to type this.

I pulled all my favorite images and videos from the last year and (mostly for myself) put them together into a video. I know it's long, about 21 minutes, but I honestly didn't know what to cut out--because everything I put in here I love or it represents a significant event/milestone in Little Brute's young life.

If you feel like watching it, please do. I've watched it a million times and I still cry--my baby is growing up!

Man--he sure is adorable.



Henry's Birthday Video from Jennifer Bruton on Vimeo.

* This video is password protected on Vimeo. If you are following my blog--I'm ok with you watching it, obviously. So, the password is: Little Brute

Moments You Wish You Had Videoed

Sometimes, a video camera ruins the moment. Especially with Henry, because he is such a ham and just sits and grins at it (I've creating a monster...a delightful one). But I wish I had whipped it out today.

By baby crawled from one end of the room to the other today.

This brings me both joy and horror--all in one breath.

Honestly, I've been wondering when it was going to happen. A lot of my friends have babies younger than Henry that have been crawling for a while now. Henry has been close for a couple months, but Derek and I have not been encouraging him much since we moved in to our little house in Cambridge--put off the increasing dangers that come with crawling and let the kid learn when he's ready. A lot of things about our house are not baby friendly--things we can't do much about.

That is a piece of the horror--how will I protect him from all the cupboards, heaters, plugs that I can't find safety covers for, and tile floor that he's already banged his head on a few times? I understand I can't protect him from everything and that he'll have to learn on his own, but there are some things a mother should be able to keep away from her child until he's old enough to understand why he shouldn't touch it--then make his own decision.

The other half of the horror--my baby is crawling--he's growing up and becoming more independent. I have loved every stage of his life so far. As he gets older I miss things he did as a tiny infant, but love that he reacts to me, smiles at me, reaches for me, and chants "mamamamama" when he wants to be held. I also love that when both Derek and I are in the room he reaches for me (sorry Daddy, love you--but I'm glad he's a Mama's boy right now!). I love that he has learned to crawl, all on his own.

So yes, Nana and Papa, Grandpa and Grandma, your Little Brute is crawling.

Oh--and don't worry that the first thing he crawled towards is a rather menacing looking heater with all sorts of sharp corners, places to get fingers caught, and tile beneath it. Sheesh kid...


The P.S.:

I took a video of Henry today, the 4th, so you could see him crawl in the early stages. :) Just a few little crawls, but still cute.

Our Home in Cambridge: The First Floor

In just about everywhere but the States, the first floor is not the floor you walk in on: it's the one at the top of the first flight of stairs. At our home here in Cambridge, we have a ground floor, which consists of our "living areas," and a first floor--two bedrooms.

The way up consists of an incredibly steep staircase, with a turn at the bottom. Don't worry--I've already tripped up it twice and missed the last stair at the bottom once.

At the top, if you take a quick right, you find yourself in Henry's room. His cot (or crib, as we Americans say), was lent to us by the Relief Society. The other bed was there already, and we were pleased that the duvet cover was blue!

Henry's hat, made by Nana, even has it's own hook!

Henry has a very "English" view: lots of rooftops!!

Next to Henry's room, is the master bedroom. 

We have a lovely window that gets lots of morning light. 

Closet 1

Closet 2

My jewelry tray--found at a Charity shop. It's partner holds our napkins on the table. :)

I love the doorknobs and locks on our doors. 

Little Brute lounging on the bed. :)

Mornings at the Bruton House

Around 8 o'clock I hear the voice of my baby from the next room. I've never known anyone to be so happy when they wake up in the morning: he oos and ahs, kicks his legs in excitement, examine his blanket (as if it's brand new, every day!) and will usually do that off and on for about 20 minutes. Sometime around the 20 minute mark, Derek or I go in and greet our Little Brute with a "Hello! Good morning!" and "How are ya?" This is usually met with legs kicking in excitement, wide blue eyes, and a big two-toothed grin. 

Little Brute is then brought in to our room for another 10-15 minutes. We have a couple of toys we pull on to the bed with us, and he sits and plays between us while we doze/laugh at his joy (mostly doze). Around 8:30, he gets bored of that and starts to realize he hasn't had breakfast. 

Now that he has a high chair, breakfast is a lot more fun. Derek and I sit and eat our granola, alternating between our bites and spooning pureed fruit into Little Brute's mouth. He bangs his tray in approval and generally asks (demands) a bite or two of our breakfast. Watching him discover different textures is rather hilarious--granola usually means a confused face with lots of "mmm, mmm, mmm" as he figures it out. 

After breakfast and clean up, Little Brute and one or both parents sit on the floor and play. Blocks, his musical elephant from Nana, and stack-able cups are the current favorite, though about a week ago it was the small fabric bag the laundry hampers came in. Everything goes in his mouth at this point, and he usually gives us a low down on what it tastes like as he munches away at it. 

Around 10:00, yawns, eye rubs, and fussiness begin to make their appearance. Sometimes, a bottle is the ticket to get him nice and cozy and he goes straight to sleep; other times, the bottle is still greeted with eagerness, but a the customary two songs are needed as well. 

Little Brute is learning how to go to sleep on his own, however. After two songs, he gets put in bed, whether he is asleep or not. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well he has taken this--the first day, he was shocked that he wasn't rocked all the way to sleep and told us about it for about 15 minutes. The next day, he was indignant that we didn't get the message and yelled for around 10. After that, he understood what was going on and 2-3 minutes or nothing are all he needs to remind us that he's there and he's going to sleep. 

Nap time for Little Brute means shower time for Mama. Luckily, Brute usually sleeps at least half an hour (sometimes more), so that's the perfect amount of time for me to get myself together, my hair combed and teeth brushed, and sometimes I can work for a while before he wakes up. 

Mornings here are, as you can see, quite chill. It's more about enjoying each other's company than it is hurrying to get ready. Of course we have those "hurry and get ready" days (like Sundays before church), but I'm grateful Little Brute is such a morning person--his giggles and kicks make it a lot easier for me to get myself out of bed and greet the day. 

Our Home in Cambridge: The Ground Floor

Now that we've decorated a bit, this place really feels like home. We even got a scented candle (Cinnamin Sticks!) which has helped considerably, too.

So, here's our Living Room:

I was hoping for a fireplace... but I LOVE the bookshelves!

We found our rug at the British Heart Foundation Charity shop. 

In Britain, they have on/off switches on their outlets. 

This couch converts into a bed! The arm rests go down, it's pretty sweet. This wall needs something...we're hoping to find a nice painting of Cambridge we can bring home. 

Our mail slot!

Our new "cushion." In England, throw pillows are "cushions"

The doorknob on the door into the kitchen. LOVE it!

Our nice big window! It had hideous curtains on it, but we found some nice ones at Primark.

Just next to the door into the kitchen is the cupboard under the stairs, affectionately known as "Harry's Room."

Then, we have the kitchen/dining area:

Our oven and "the hob," or stove. :)

our washer/dryer--all in one!

Our doorbell--sounds just like the one in 101 Dalmatians!

Our fridge--1/2 the size of most American refrigerators. 

Both vase and napkin tray courtesy of a charity shop. 

Our Walmart whiteboards--where we keep track of each other's schedules

Of course we have our narrow little hallway with the backdoor:

:)

And then the fanciest of rooms, the bathroom. :) Also: note that the bathroom sink and tub have two faucets: one for hot water, one for cold. So if you want cool or warm water, you have to make your hands go back and forth really fast. :)

I'm happy to say we have continuous water heaters: one for the shower and one for the kitchen/bathroom sinks. AWESOME.

One of the first things Derek noticed was our towel heater. 

Cupboard, which as obviously once a fireplace. Too bad it isn't still...

We have a nice LONG tub--I can stretch my legs all the way out! It's narrow, but it's nice. :)

So that's the ground floor of our little home! We do really love it here. I'm so grateful to Pembroke College for letting us stay here; it's usually let out to professors. We know that the Lord has His hand in getting us this place.