British-isms

We've come to appreciate that British English and American English are too very different languages. Lately, I've been enamored with two new phrases.

I spend a good amount of my time waiting outside Margot's nursery for drop-off and pick-up. This is when I get to chat with several of the other parents or carers, many of whom are British. Most of us are lugging along well-bundled babies as well. The most recent topic was how our little babies - most six to eleven months - are growing up so fast. Soon, they won't be babies anymore, but toddling about. The inevitable next question is, "oh, are you feeling broody now?" I, of course, thought they meant that I was looking moody and gloomy. That's just what I look like before caffeine. Apparently, the other meaning of broody is wanting to have more babies.

The other expression is "things went all pear-shaped." As in, I brought the kids home from nursery seeming fine, then things went all pear-shaped when Margot spiked a fever and Owen had horrible diarrhea. Things went sadly wrong, awry.

So, am I feeling broody? After about two weeks of things being all pear-shaped, I'd say, "certainly not."