The ups and the downs

So it has now been two months since we set our feet on English soil, and we're all in one piece, living in a nice place, in a nice neighborhood, slowly getting to know the lay of the land. I have a job I like. Nothing has gone wrong. And yet... it's been a tough time these last few days. Karen & I have both been feeling pretty down, exhausted, disoriented. Part of this has been the kids, who in addition to being their usual 1-2 year old handfuls have also been under the weather (Sadie=ear infection, Parker=teething+shots).

Part of our funk has to do with the "two month trough"... I can recall something like this in previous relocations I've done. Basically after two months, the novelty has worn off, adrenaline is gone, the romance of discovering a new culture has started to fade (such that you stop noticing charming little differences between here and home like "wow, aren't oat cakes cool, why don't they eat these back home" ). The basic "survival" mentality of getting everyone fed and clothed has passed. But we haven't yet had time to replace that agenda with anything new and more lasting: we are lacking a daily rhythm of life, weekend routines, a sense of community, connections to others, and -- for Karen more than for me -- a sense of purpose beyond simply raising our wonderful little munchkins. We also are feeling the distance from friends and family more acutely.

We know that, with time, things will get easier, but getting there is a very slow process. Kids+work+shopping+laundry+fixing things when they break simply does not leave room for much else at this point. And things seem to be breaking quite a lot (most recently our washing machine). Most of all looking forward to that time when the kids start sleeping more reliably (and a bit later; Parker if you're reading this I'm referring to you).

Having said all that, some good things to report this week. Our little boy started walking. The long-anticipated first unassisted step finally came a few days ago (Andrea the nanny got the first good look) and the little guy has been on a tear ever since. He can go about one step farther each day... meaning he's currently at about 7 or 8.

Meanwhile Sadie, despite her ear infection, has been generally doing great and attended her first day of "school" today (which will begin in earnest next month). And Karen and I managed to have a fun night out on Sunday, hearing bluesman Joe Louis Walker at the jazz club Ronny Scott's. That was hot!