Thursday was a drama filled day. When I woke up it was raining and very cold looking outside. The computer said it was 51 degrees outside so I dressed accordingly. The boys were having a hard time getting ready due to the cold weather so they were late for school and I was almost late for work. My boss came back from London in the late morning so we spent the rest of the day going over what the client had suggested. I left work early so that I could do a few things around the house. I baked the boys banana bread so that they would have a snack after school. When we got home I made Fil do his homework while Ruggie played. The boys were being little nightmares and were giving all kinds of problems. But at 5:30 we went to Basketball practice for Fil. It started to rain again while we were walking and Ruggie was jumping and skipping while hold my hand. He slipped and fell and took me down with him. I fell pretty hard and hurt my wrist and hip (old woman I know) but today it is feeling much better. Ruggie fell down two more times that night but luckily I was holding his hand or I probably would be writing about our trip to the hospital. When we got home I fixed dinner and begged Fil to finish his homework. As a little suprise (I don't know why I wanted to suprised them because they were being horrible) I made them American chocolate pudding. But their mother came home early and spoiled the suprise. The second she walked in the door Fil acted like I was the best person in the whole world....he knew that I would tell his mother otherwise. To end this horrible day I was cleaning the kitchen and dropped a drinking glass, cutting my hand in three places.....Thank goodness that day ended.
The weather was much better on Friday and I was hoping the boys' behavior was too. Come to find out the only thing that was nice WAS the weather. The boys continued to be little monsters but I decided to play the "invisible" card. I ignored them for 2 hours and this actually seemed to calm them down and they were nicer to me. Pat came home at 4 to take Ruggie to gymnastics and Fil stayed at home with me. I let him walk on my back for a massage and we played a little sudok. When Pat got home we started dinner because Balbina and one of Pat and Alberto's friends, Luca, was coming over. We had an amazing roast that tasted more like prime rib because it was cooked very rare. We also had cuscus (spelling I'm not sure) with homemade pesto sauce. The dinner was very nice and it was great to be in a room of adults for more than ten minutes.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Houston We Have a Problem
Last week we were in the park and an older boy (8 yrs old) played with Ruggie and at first the play date was uneventful. Then I guess the boy's sugar level went up and he was super hyper. He started yelling at his Au Pair and was being a total brat. I thought to myself "man I'm glad my boys don't act like that" (well all the time that is :-)
After dinner on Monday night Pat dropped the bomb on me that a friend would be coming over Tuesday night for dinner and I would have THREE boys from 6-8 by myself. All day Tuesday I was trying to prepare myself for the evening. At a little after 6 Lorenzo, THE BOY FROM THE PARK, came over. I guess you better watch you say... Actually the night went pretty well. Pat gave Lorenzo an paper airplane launcher for his birthday and Fil had a ball trying to put it together. The instructions were in English so I was the official translator. These were the most confusing instructions I have ever seen. After over an hour we finally got the launcher essembled but it wouldn't launch the planes. In the directions it showed you how to make a paper airplane but because I'm not a boy (that's my excuse) I could not make a decent aircraft. Fil finally figured it out and tried to get the plane off the ground. Despite the rainy weather outside the 50th launch inside was a sucess!! I fed the boys grilled cheeses and then we waited for Pat to get home.
Today I got a little further in finishing the drawings for one floor of the London flat I am working on. My boss will be back tomorrow so I am sure I will finish the floor plus start on the electrical drawings. When I picked the boys up from school today it was raining and a brisk 58 degrees....felt more like Winter than Autumn. When we got home Nonna Deana came over and I was a little relieved cause they are usually pretty good when she is around. But I guess there is an exception to every rule. That happened to be today. Fil was horrible. He hit Ruggie over the head with a hard folder and then started demolishing the house one room at a time. I asked him to take a shower and he gave the bathroom one instead. When I walked in the room looked like it had been hosed down. Every inch was covered in water. Then he looked at me with his sweet little smile and said "You clean it up!" and ran away. He went into the other bathroom where Ruggie was and picked on him until Ruggie retaliated and splashed him. Now this bathroom was covered in water. After swapping both decks this sailor requested for leave and gave them over to their mother. I went to a kabob place close to our house that I hadn't tried yet. I love kabobs (gyros really) but haven't had a really good one until tonight. It was fantastic and the man working was from Pakistan and could speak English. His name is Nadeeb and was a primary school teacher in Pakistan before coming here three years ago. We had a nice visit and then I came back home to relax until the boys got back with their mother. I told them good night and Fil wrote me I'm sorry card :-)
Hopefully tomorrow there will be clear skys, perfect for a problem free take-off with the boys. Houston this is Italia 1 signing off.
After dinner on Monday night Pat dropped the bomb on me that a friend would be coming over Tuesday night for dinner and I would have THREE boys from 6-8 by myself. All day Tuesday I was trying to prepare myself for the evening. At a little after 6 Lorenzo, THE BOY FROM THE PARK, came over. I guess you better watch you say... Actually the night went pretty well. Pat gave Lorenzo an paper airplane launcher for his birthday and Fil had a ball trying to put it together. The instructions were in English so I was the official translator. These were the most confusing instructions I have ever seen. After over an hour we finally got the launcher essembled but it wouldn't launch the planes. In the directions it showed you how to make a paper airplane but because I'm not a boy (that's my excuse) I could not make a decent aircraft. Fil finally figured it out and tried to get the plane off the ground. Despite the rainy weather outside the 50th launch inside was a sucess!! I fed the boys grilled cheeses and then we waited for Pat to get home.
Today I got a little further in finishing the drawings for one floor of the London flat I am working on. My boss will be back tomorrow so I am sure I will finish the floor plus start on the electrical drawings. When I picked the boys up from school today it was raining and a brisk 58 degrees....felt more like Winter than Autumn. When we got home Nonna Deana came over and I was a little relieved cause they are usually pretty good when she is around. But I guess there is an exception to every rule. That happened to be today. Fil was horrible. He hit Ruggie over the head with a hard folder and then started demolishing the house one room at a time. I asked him to take a shower and he gave the bathroom one instead. When I walked in the room looked like it had been hosed down. Every inch was covered in water. Then he looked at me with his sweet little smile and said "You clean it up!" and ran away. He went into the other bathroom where Ruggie was and picked on him until Ruggie retaliated and splashed him. Now this bathroom was covered in water. After swapping both decks this sailor requested for leave and gave them over to their mother. I went to a kabob place close to our house that I hadn't tried yet. I love kabobs (gyros really) but haven't had a really good one until tonight. It was fantastic and the man working was from Pakistan and could speak English. His name is Nadeeb and was a primary school teacher in Pakistan before coming here three years ago. We had a nice visit and then I came back home to relax until the boys got back with their mother. I told them good night and Fil wrote me I'm sorry card :-)
Hopefully tomorrow there will be clear skys, perfect for a problem free take-off with the boys. Houston this is Italia 1 signing off.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Move over Martha
After this weekend's adventure I was so tired and had a bad feeling about getting up this morning. But to my surprise I had no problems in the morning and even had a little spring in my step. Work was fine and I finally got to meet my boss' husband, because he is usually at work when I am there. I made a few improvements to my drawings I did last week and called it a day. For lunch I prepared Fil some fried chicken, a Capri salad and left over Mac and cheese-which he loved :-) He said "Before you didn't cook but now you are a great cook!!" Why thank you. The plastic bottle I had the boys paper mache last week was turned into an original vase complete with a paper flower. After our weekly English lesson, Fil, Ruggie and I went to Fil's first basketball lesson of the year. At the end of the lesson the coach told him that he was putting him in the younger class right before his cause come to find out the coach is trying to build a kind of dream team and only wants the strong players in that class. Fil was crushed and this "team building" has made an uproar in the mothering community. I have a feeling Fil will get to stay in his current class.
After bball it was 7:30 and I was relieved to arrive home to a cooked dinner. Pat had fixed steak (which cost 36 euros a kilo roughly $50 a lb!!) carrots, fried potatoes, and a potato pumpkin soup (sounds strange but was really good). After dinner I noticed we were out of biscotti for breakfast so decided to bake some blueberry muffins. I whipped those up and closed down the kitchen. Another great start to another great week in Italy.....all I have to say is Move over Martha Stewart!!
After bball it was 7:30 and I was relieved to arrive home to a cooked dinner. Pat had fixed steak (which cost 36 euros a kilo roughly $50 a lb!!) carrots, fried potatoes, and a potato pumpkin soup (sounds strange but was really good). After dinner I noticed we were out of biscotti for breakfast so decided to bake some blueberry muffins. I whipped those up and closed down the kitchen. Another great start to another great week in Italy.....all I have to say is Move over Martha Stewart!!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Mission Possible
....Code In....
Simpson, Lindsey Simpson...
...Your mission if you choose to accept it is to have a wonderful time in Monte Carlo and Cannes for your birthday.....Do you accept?....Yes.
The Hollywood of France. Monte Carlo was amazing. I have never seen so many expensive sports cars in all my life. I couldn't tell if I was at a car show or a casino. On Saturday morning Andrea came to pick me up and we headed to Monte Carlo. We arrived around 11:30 and had time to visit the royal palace-which was nice but not as elegant as the casino and then went to the cathedral that houses the tomb of Grace Kelly. We ate pizza at a sidewalk cafe along the street where they have the grand prix race every year. We took a walk around the harbor, but unfortunately it was hard to see some of the boats because they were having a VIP yatch show. All the yatchs were for sale so from the bridge we each picked out which one we wanted. We both decided on Lady Anne which was 68m (223 ft)long. After our shopping spree we went to the casino to get the money to pay for our new boat. Woa, can you say underdressed? No matter how cute my tee shirt and jeans were, it just didn't cut it. In order to get on the main floor you had to have a tie if you were a male and a cocktail dress if you were a female. So we decided to go to the slot machine room with the rest of the obvious tourists. We played a few...disappointing because they were all in English and most you can find in Vegas. I lost 10 euros pretty quick but Andy made 16 so we quit while he was ahead. From the casino we decided to head towards Cannes. We stopped in Nice and walked down the main street and the beach. I had an icecream while we sat on the beach. I was in Nice in June but this weekend I saw all new parts and really enjoyed the city. When we got to Cannes it was about 5:30. We checked into our Best Western hotel-exotic I know-and then headed to the main blvd along the sea. We went to the theater where they have the film festival and took pictures with some "stars". After "networking" we found a seafood restaraunt on the strip where I had a piece of Salmon out of this world. While we were eating this family passed the restaraunt and thought I knew them but couldn't place them. After dinner we walked back to the theater and watched street artists paint with spray paint and the same family was also watching. I finally figured out who they were, good friends of Pat and Alberto's, and went up to say hello. The last time I saw them was in May so they were surprised I remembered them...Small world
The next day we slept in until 8:30...which is late for both of us. We found a small bakery by the sea and had french pastries...yumm. Andy really wanted to swim so we went to the sea and he took a bath (that's what Italians call going for a swim in the water and really taking a bath..confusing) while I sat and read my book. We figured we saw most of Cannes so we headed to an old Medival Village, St. Paul de Vence. Che Bello (how beautiful) We both fell in love with the place. He kept saying how he couldn't believe he had never been there before. Most of the shops were art galleries so we spent time looking at the art. We went to the local church and out of all the churches I have seen in Italy I think this is my favorite. I was very suttle in decoration and had small wooden pews. There were three small stain glass windows and some amazing paintings on the stone walls. I didn't take any pictures of it cause I was in awe and forgot. Oops. We had lunch in this tiny cafe in a basement of a store. Really good food and I had my first French crepe..buono. While we were eating we met three people from Boston and then an older couple from Idaho. We wanted to miss traffic so we decided to head back to Torino, even though we both wanted to just stay and open an art gallery for me and a wine shop for him. Unfortunately we did hit traffic and it took us 4-1/2 hours to get home but we drove along the cost and could see Nice and Monacco from the clifts so it was worth it. All in all this was one heck of a gift. I really enjoyed myself and can't believe all the beautiful places I am getting to see. I have posted the pics so check them out when you have time.
This message will self destruct in 30 seconds.....
Simpson, Lindsey Simpson...
...Your mission if you choose to accept it is to have a wonderful time in Monte Carlo and Cannes for your birthday.....Do you accept?....Yes.
The Hollywood of France. Monte Carlo was amazing. I have never seen so many expensive sports cars in all my life. I couldn't tell if I was at a car show or a casino. On Saturday morning Andrea came to pick me up and we headed to Monte Carlo. We arrived around 11:30 and had time to visit the royal palace-which was nice but not as elegant as the casino and then went to the cathedral that houses the tomb of Grace Kelly. We ate pizza at a sidewalk cafe along the street where they have the grand prix race every year. We took a walk around the harbor, but unfortunately it was hard to see some of the boats because they were having a VIP yatch show. All the yatchs were for sale so from the bridge we each picked out which one we wanted. We both decided on Lady Anne which was 68m (223 ft)long. After our shopping spree we went to the casino to get the money to pay for our new boat. Woa, can you say underdressed? No matter how cute my tee shirt and jeans were, it just didn't cut it. In order to get on the main floor you had to have a tie if you were a male and a cocktail dress if you were a female. So we decided to go to the slot machine room with the rest of the obvious tourists. We played a few...disappointing because they were all in English and most you can find in Vegas. I lost 10 euros pretty quick but Andy made 16 so we quit while he was ahead. From the casino we decided to head towards Cannes. We stopped in Nice and walked down the main street and the beach. I had an icecream while we sat on the beach. I was in Nice in June but this weekend I saw all new parts and really enjoyed the city. When we got to Cannes it was about 5:30. We checked into our Best Western hotel-exotic I know-and then headed to the main blvd along the sea. We went to the theater where they have the film festival and took pictures with some "stars". After "networking" we found a seafood restaraunt on the strip where I had a piece of Salmon out of this world. While we were eating this family passed the restaraunt and thought I knew them but couldn't place them. After dinner we walked back to the theater and watched street artists paint with spray paint and the same family was also watching. I finally figured out who they were, good friends of Pat and Alberto's, and went up to say hello. The last time I saw them was in May so they were surprised I remembered them...Small world
The next day we slept in until 8:30...which is late for both of us. We found a small bakery by the sea and had french pastries...yumm. Andy really wanted to swim so we went to the sea and he took a bath (that's what Italians call going for a swim in the water and really taking a bath..confusing) while I sat and read my book. We figured we saw most of Cannes so we headed to an old Medival Village, St. Paul de Vence. Che Bello (how beautiful) We both fell in love with the place. He kept saying how he couldn't believe he had never been there before. Most of the shops were art galleries so we spent time looking at the art. We went to the local church and out of all the churches I have seen in Italy I think this is my favorite. I was very suttle in decoration and had small wooden pews. There were three small stain glass windows and some amazing paintings on the stone walls. I didn't take any pictures of it cause I was in awe and forgot. Oops. We had lunch in this tiny cafe in a basement of a store. Really good food and I had my first French crepe..buono. While we were eating we met three people from Boston and then an older couple from Idaho. We wanted to miss traffic so we decided to head back to Torino, even though we both wanted to just stay and open an art gallery for me and a wine shop for him. Unfortunately we did hit traffic and it took us 4-1/2 hours to get home but we drove along the cost and could see Nice and Monacco from the clifts so it was worth it. All in all this was one heck of a gift. I really enjoyed myself and can't believe all the beautiful places I am getting to see. I have posted the pics so check them out when you have time.
This message will self destruct in 30 seconds.....
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Buon Compleanno
Today was one amazing birthday. I figured with age the butterflies would go away but I still was excited like a small child when I woke this morning. I wore a new dress that I brought from the states even though it's just me at the office. I reached my goal and finished the library and finished two of four elevations in the dining room. So I hope to finish that room completely tomorrow but only have three hours tomorrow since I pick the boys up early. For lunch I had left over pasta and the last piece of chocolate cake from last night. I went and got the boys at 4 and had to buy milk so I splurged and bought them a chocolate egg each. When we got home the mail man was delivering packages. He was carrying two and both were for me!! One from my parents and one from my Aunt Diane and Uncle Gary. The boys could hardly wait to get upstairs to open them. My parents gave me a scarf and a purple hat. We all tried it on in the mirror and had a fashion show. My zio and zia gave me a box full of AMERICAN food!! Can you say Mac and Cheese!!? The boys begged me to fix it for dinner but their grandma bought homemade pasta from that pastaria so we had that and fish sticks. I'm turning into a gormet chef :-) We all went to the park and Balbina met me there with her Brazilian friend. He speaks English really well so we had a great conversation. Balbina baked me a chocolate cake!! The boys were really enjoying this birthday. I fixed dinner for the boys and we each had a slice of cake. Like father like daughter: I put my piece in a glass with milk and ate it like that. And just like my dad use to do, I told Fil a bedtime story about one of my adventures on my grandparents farm.
I got this idea to go to Paris for my birthday at teh beginning of Sept. So all month I have been planning and trying to save money. Balbina was going to go but then we found out tickets were 95 euros each way. So Andrea and I were going to go. We were going to take the night train complete with bunks but it was 205 euros one way and 95 back and last night Andrea called and said that he didn't think it was worth all the money just to stay 1-1/2 days. So at the end of Oct there is national holiday and everyone gets 3-4 days off and my parents said I could go then....so keep your fingers crossed that will work out. So my wonderful Paris plans are delayed. I was disappointed and Andrea was like I know we still have to go somewhere this weekend cause you were planning so hard, where would you like to go? I wasn't sure so I told him to come up with something and make the arrangements. So tonight I got the surprise that we are going to Canne France and Montecarlo. He is forgiven for delaying Paris :-) We are leaving at 8 on saturday morning and driving to Canne. We will come back late Sunday. I'm really excited cause I don't really know that much about the two cities except for the film festival and poker. I will take lots of pictures.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I am slowing coming off my sugar high so it's time for bed.
Buona Notte Tutti
Lindsey
I got this idea to go to Paris for my birthday at teh beginning of Sept. So all month I have been planning and trying to save money. Balbina was going to go but then we found out tickets were 95 euros each way. So Andrea and I were going to go. We were going to take the night train complete with bunks but it was 205 euros one way and 95 back and last night Andrea called and said that he didn't think it was worth all the money just to stay 1-1/2 days. So at the end of Oct there is national holiday and everyone gets 3-4 days off and my parents said I could go then....so keep your fingers crossed that will work out. So my wonderful Paris plans are delayed. I was disappointed and Andrea was like I know we still have to go somewhere this weekend cause you were planning so hard, where would you like to go? I wasn't sure so I told him to come up with something and make the arrangements. So tonight I got the surprise that we are going to Canne France and Montecarlo. He is forgiven for delaying Paris :-) We are leaving at 8 on saturday morning and driving to Canne. We will come back late Sunday. I'm really excited cause I don't really know that much about the two cities except for the film festival and poker. I will take lots of pictures.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I am slowing coming off my sugar high so it's time for bed.
Buona Notte Tutti
Lindsey
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
It's a Wonderful Life
Today was a home run...I'm talking a Barry Bonds smash!! This morning I was suppose to go to the post office for Mathilde (my boss) before work. She told me where it was but that didn't really mean I would be able to find it. I left the house at 8:45 and at 9:20 I still hadn't found the office (and yes I stopped to ask someone but they didn't know). I went to the Polytech University campus because it was rumored that it was located there. It felt nice to be back on a campus early in the early morning like I was going to class. I was even handed a flyer for a student survey. I messaged my boss' au pair to ask her where the office was and I met her at the house so that we could go together. As it turns out the office was at Polytech and was right behind the building where I asked this guy if he knew where it was!! At 10 we headed back to the house/my office but stopped for a cappucino cause we were already late and I usually take coffee at that time. I worked all day on the library of this flat in London. I hope to finish tomorrow and start the dining room. When I got ready to go I went to find the au pair, Barbara cause you have to have the key to open the door from the inside. She was on her way back from downtown so I was locked in the house!! I wasn't too worried yet cause I still had 15 minutes until I had to pick up the boys but I was getting a little antzy (spelling I don't know). I walked around the house to see the rooms. It is an incredible house but is kind of in a sad state cause all the walls need paint and all the furniture looks like it is falling apart. You just get the feeling that the house is frowning at you. I am happy to report that my house is always wearing a smile. It is really homey and full of character.
Alberto's mom met Fil after school and went with us to the park. I really like her and she talks slow so that I can understand her, well at least try. I understand 50% of what she says so not bad. I saw three other Au Pairs in the park and talked with them for awhile. One is from Virginia and is leaving in Oct, but she has been here for over a year. The other is from Cali and one from Ireland. After the park I showed the boys how to make a volcano out of a top of a plastic bottle and vinegar and baking soda...unfortunately it didn't errupt but I guess that's why they call them science experiments...they don't always work. After that I helped them papermache (spelling?) a bottle. Tomorrow we are going to paint it and I might let them wack it with a stick, you know to let out so built up energy or nanny frustration.
Pat came home and fixed my special birthday dinner. We had pasta like linguini with a tomato sauce and sausage. Wow..Wow. Then had a "salad" raw meat with thin sliced parmesaen cheese, salt and pepper and oil. At 9 Christiana from upstairs came and Alberto came home from work. We had my birthday cake and they put two candles and a "3" candle on top and sang Happy Birthday in English while bringing it to the table. They also served a special sparkling white wine cause Alberto knows I love it. I cannot even put in to words what a special moment that was. After making my wish they gave me presents!! :-) Christiana gave me gelatina-small jelly candies shaped like fruit. They are like those orange slices you can get in candy sacks at church. They came from a special shop here that is known for them. Pat and Alberto gave me this green shirt with a green wrap. It is by far the weirdest thing I have every seen and took me, im not kidding, 10 minutes to figure out how to put it on. But even though it is weird I love it. The shirt only has one sleeve and ties on the other side. The green is a mix between emerald and hunter and Alberto was like "wow that is your color". The wrap is the same color but striped and it ties too. I feel like I'm putting on a straight jacket when I put it on but I really do love it and am now super Italian.
It's funny how quick my mood changed. Yesterday I was a little bitter in my blog and now I am suffering from face cramps because I have been smiling for 5 hours straight. It is a Wonderful Life!! Thanks to all of you for being apart of it. Now that I have taken my victory lap around the bases I am heading to the dugout. More to come in tomorrow's game.
Ciao,
PS The blue loo pics and my birthday are on the web so check them out.
Alberto's mom met Fil after school and went with us to the park. I really like her and she talks slow so that I can understand her, well at least try. I understand 50% of what she says so not bad. I saw three other Au Pairs in the park and talked with them for awhile. One is from Virginia and is leaving in Oct, but she has been here for over a year. The other is from Cali and one from Ireland. After the park I showed the boys how to make a volcano out of a top of a plastic bottle and vinegar and baking soda...unfortunately it didn't errupt but I guess that's why they call them science experiments...they don't always work. After that I helped them papermache (spelling?) a bottle. Tomorrow we are going to paint it and I might let them wack it with a stick, you know to let out so built up energy or nanny frustration.
Pat came home and fixed my special birthday dinner. We had pasta like linguini with a tomato sauce and sausage. Wow..Wow. Then had a "salad" raw meat with thin sliced parmesaen cheese, salt and pepper and oil. At 9 Christiana from upstairs came and Alberto came home from work. We had my birthday cake and they put two candles and a "3" candle on top and sang Happy Birthday in English while bringing it to the table. They also served a special sparkling white wine cause Alberto knows I love it. I cannot even put in to words what a special moment that was. After making my wish they gave me presents!! :-) Christiana gave me gelatina-small jelly candies shaped like fruit. They are like those orange slices you can get in candy sacks at church. They came from a special shop here that is known for them. Pat and Alberto gave me this green shirt with a green wrap. It is by far the weirdest thing I have every seen and took me, im not kidding, 10 minutes to figure out how to put it on. But even though it is weird I love it. The shirt only has one sleeve and ties on the other side. The green is a mix between emerald and hunter and Alberto was like "wow that is your color". The wrap is the same color but striped and it ties too. I feel like I'm putting on a straight jacket when I put it on but I really do love it and am now super Italian.
It's funny how quick my mood changed. Yesterday I was a little bitter in my blog and now I am suffering from face cramps because I have been smiling for 5 hours straight. It is a Wonderful Life!! Thanks to all of you for being apart of it. Now that I have taken my victory lap around the bases I am heading to the dugout. More to come in tomorrow's game.
Ciao,
PS The blue loo pics and my birthday are on the web so check them out.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Blue Loo
Ciao Tutti,
I was waiting to write a blog until something really interesting happened and then got overwhelmed in life, before I knew it four days passed. Unfortunately I am still feeling very overwhelmed by my two jobs that are my life. I don't really have any time to do anything else lately. This week I have the boys every night (even my birthday...I know I was sad) except Friday.
My job is going pretty well so far. Tomorrow will be the one week mark. I finished two room elevations and presented them to the client (my boss presented them) and today I worked on the other 4 rooms. My boss told me that she is leaving tomorrow morning and won't be back until next Thursday, so I will be in the office by myself and have a to-do-list longer than my leg. Little bit shocking, but I really feel sorry for their au pair cause she has only been here a week and a half and have her two girls for a week straight without any help. So I guess things could always be worse. My favorite part of my job is the bathroom :-) It is a blue loo. It is a 6' x 6' box that has a sink, toilet, mirror and a drain in the middle. The whole room is a shower too!! It blows my mind everytime I go in there and I love it. Plus the walls and floor are covered in small blue tiles. I will take pictures soon so you can all experience this amazing design.
My other job, being a super hero, is going okay. I am having to fight way more crime than I want to. Fil is starting to be really mean to me everyday because I think he is jealous of my now active social life. On Sunday, Balbina came over and we hung out in my room and then went out for pizza. Andrea and I see each other once or twice a week and Fil is always curious as to where I'm going and what I'm doing. I have made some friends at his school who are american au pairs, so we talk while we wait for the kids. Fil informed me (in a not so nice tone) that I could not talk to these girls but I have to hurry home with him, while carrying his bookbag, so he can go to the park with his friends. To his dismay I like my social life and will continue to practice it.
Tomorrow we are going to have a family dinner to celebrate my birhtday cause the parents are going out on Thursday (my actual birthday) I was sad that I can't go out with my friends or anything but oh well maybe I'll celebrate by watching a disney movie with the boys :-) That really does sound fun cause I brought all of my favorite ones on DVD.
I will let you know when I get the blue loo on the web
I was waiting to write a blog until something really interesting happened and then got overwhelmed in life, before I knew it four days passed. Unfortunately I am still feeling very overwhelmed by my two jobs that are my life. I don't really have any time to do anything else lately. This week I have the boys every night (even my birthday...I know I was sad) except Friday.
My job is going pretty well so far. Tomorrow will be the one week mark. I finished two room elevations and presented them to the client (my boss presented them) and today I worked on the other 4 rooms. My boss told me that she is leaving tomorrow morning and won't be back until next Thursday, so I will be in the office by myself and have a to-do-list longer than my leg. Little bit shocking, but I really feel sorry for their au pair cause she has only been here a week and a half and have her two girls for a week straight without any help. So I guess things could always be worse. My favorite part of my job is the bathroom :-) It is a blue loo. It is a 6' x 6' box that has a sink, toilet, mirror and a drain in the middle. The whole room is a shower too!! It blows my mind everytime I go in there and I love it. Plus the walls and floor are covered in small blue tiles. I will take pictures soon so you can all experience this amazing design.
My other job, being a super hero, is going okay. I am having to fight way more crime than I want to. Fil is starting to be really mean to me everyday because I think he is jealous of my now active social life. On Sunday, Balbina came over and we hung out in my room and then went out for pizza. Andrea and I see each other once or twice a week and Fil is always curious as to where I'm going and what I'm doing. I have made some friends at his school who are american au pairs, so we talk while we wait for the kids. Fil informed me (in a not so nice tone) that I could not talk to these girls but I have to hurry home with him, while carrying his bookbag, so he can go to the park with his friends. To his dismay I like my social life and will continue to practice it.
Tomorrow we are going to have a family dinner to celebrate my birhtday cause the parents are going out on Thursday (my actual birthday) I was sad that I can't go out with my friends or anything but oh well maybe I'll celebrate by watching a disney movie with the boys :-) That really does sound fun cause I brought all of my favorite ones on DVD.
I will let you know when I get the blue loo on the web
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Simpsons
Thursday was another good day at work. I got connected to the server and began working on drawing elevations for a flat in London. The plans are already finished but I am adding details to the elevations and making sure they match the floorplan. It took my most of the day to get connected to the server but are tech support guy is amazing!! He is located in London but we talked over skype and he installed this software that allows him to work on my computer. Technology amazes me. After work I picked up the boys and took them to the park were they played for a couple of hours while I continued to practice my Italian with my two grandmother friends. One of them tells me a new recipe everyday and I try to remember it just in case I cook.
After the park I got the boys ready for dinner because there aunt and uncle took them to dinner....this means I had two hours of freedom!! I cooked this amazing meal for myself, eggplant and bowtie pasta with tomatoe/pesto sauce,listened to this amazing piano player on a cd and ate my meal out on the patio. After I cleaned the kitchen I took a hot shower and got ready for bed. The boys showed up right at nine and I got them ready for bed (not an easy task but all in a days work) and then went to bed too.
Friday was a ver relaxed day at work because my boss was out of the office and I only work 3 hours on Mon and Friday. I finished working on the kitchen elevations and started on the laundry room. I picked the boys up at 1 and fixed lunch for Fil and myself (Ruggie eats at school) Pat came home early to fix a special dinner for a business meeting so I had help with the boys. Even though Pat is in the house this makes my job a little harder because the boys are meaner (yeah sometimes it's hard to believe) when their parents are around. To escape the abuse I took Ruggie to Blockbuster so that he could rent a movie for that night while their parents had their special dinner. I ate a small dinner with the boys (an amazing chop of fresh tuna and lemon....I love the food here) and then headed out for the evening. Andrea picked me up at 9 and we went to The Simpsons movie. This was opening night for the movie so the theater was packed but luckily you have assigned seats in Italy so no worries. I really enjoyed this film because all these Italians laughing at American pop culture and cheering and clapping. Andrea translated a bit but for the most part I understood everything. After the movie we went to an Irish pub to hang out some more. The pub is a popular hang out for English speaking students at the two universities so it was interesting to hear so much English in one place.
Today (saturday) I slept in and had the boys for the morning. Fil was being a punk again and I decided to give him the silent treatment until he starts treating me right. I have continued it for the weekend so I will let you know how effective it is. This afternoon I met a new au pair, my boss' from Cezch Republic downtown. We walked around the center for awhile and then went to this graphically pleasing pizzaria. The walls were covered with weird pictures of movie stars and accents of red were everywhere. Definately my new favorite place-visually. But the pizza was really good too. Afterwards we went to GROM and walked back to our homes-not very far away. We had a great conversation and have a new friend :-)
Not sure what my plans are going to be for tomorrow but don't worry I will let you know. By the way I love the title of this blog because it is so misleading. You don't know if I will talk about my family, Bart's, Jessica's, or OJ's.
After the park I got the boys ready for dinner because there aunt and uncle took them to dinner....this means I had two hours of freedom!! I cooked this amazing meal for myself, eggplant and bowtie pasta with tomatoe/pesto sauce,listened to this amazing piano player on a cd and ate my meal out on the patio. After I cleaned the kitchen I took a hot shower and got ready for bed. The boys showed up right at nine and I got them ready for bed (not an easy task but all in a days work) and then went to bed too.
Friday was a ver relaxed day at work because my boss was out of the office and I only work 3 hours on Mon and Friday. I finished working on the kitchen elevations and started on the laundry room. I picked the boys up at 1 and fixed lunch for Fil and myself (Ruggie eats at school) Pat came home early to fix a special dinner for a business meeting so I had help with the boys. Even though Pat is in the house this makes my job a little harder because the boys are meaner (yeah sometimes it's hard to believe) when their parents are around. To escape the abuse I took Ruggie to Blockbuster so that he could rent a movie for that night while their parents had their special dinner. I ate a small dinner with the boys (an amazing chop of fresh tuna and lemon....I love the food here) and then headed out for the evening. Andrea picked me up at 9 and we went to The Simpsons movie. This was opening night for the movie so the theater was packed but luckily you have assigned seats in Italy so no worries. I really enjoyed this film because all these Italians laughing at American pop culture and cheering and clapping. Andrea translated a bit but for the most part I understood everything. After the movie we went to an Irish pub to hang out some more. The pub is a popular hang out for English speaking students at the two universities so it was interesting to hear so much English in one place.
Today (saturday) I slept in and had the boys for the morning. Fil was being a punk again and I decided to give him the silent treatment until he starts treating me right. I have continued it for the weekend so I will let you know how effective it is. This afternoon I met a new au pair, my boss' from Cezch Republic downtown. We walked around the center for awhile and then went to this graphically pleasing pizzaria. The walls were covered with weird pictures of movie stars and accents of red were everywhere. Definately my new favorite place-visually. But the pizza was really good too. Afterwards we went to GROM and walked back to our homes-not very far away. We had a great conversation and have a new friend :-)
Not sure what my plans are going to be for tomorrow but don't worry I will let you know. By the way I love the title of this blog because it is so misleading. You don't know if I will talk about my family, Bart's, Jessica's, or OJ's.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
In Deep End Without Floaties
Hey everyone, sorry for the mini vacation on blogging...okay here's a brief recap of what has happened in two days.
Yesterday was my last day of "freedom" before I started my design job. I spent most of it watching "American Idol" reruns on Youtube (my addiction). I know that sounds lame but I was trying to be lazy and it sounded fun. At 5:30 I took the boys to a stationary store to buy their school supplies. The shop is a hole in the wall run by this nice man named Mossimo. The store was so crowded with parents and kids that there was a line going outside. After waiting our turn we bought all the essentials we needed and headed home. Pat and Alberto planned to go bike riding for an hour so they entrusted dinner to me. I have cooked for the boys before and make my lunches but I wasn't really prepared to make dinner for the whole family especially when the menu was already set. Alberto told me to cook roast beef, zucchini and pasta with pesto. I was scared cause I've never cooked roast beef, but Alberto TOLD me to cook it for one hour. When they got back from their ride dinner was served...kind of. I made just enough pasta for the boys but they wanted more and were mad that I didn't fix more (Cinderella apologized), the zucchini shrank so there was only enough for Pat and Alberto and one small serving each, and turns out that the roast beef was only suppose to be cooked for 20 minutes not an hour!! But I still testify Alberto told me an hour...suprisingly enough the meat wasn't too tough just more than they prefer. I only ate a banana because I had planned to go running with Andrea. So my first experience with cooking for all of them was like swimming in the deep end without floaties for the first time; I didn't drown just a little water logged. While they ate I met Andrea and we went for a run through the park. This was amazing therapy because the cooking stressed me out so it was nice to run it off. We ran for thirty minutes (I know I was a little suprised myself) and then we walked for awhile to cool down. By the time I got back it was time to go to bed and get ready for my new job.
My first day of work was great. Even though I didn't do much design work it still felt good to be in a design studio (nothing like the smell of fabric samples in the morning....) I spent most of the day trying to get logged onto the server and am still not connected. I love my Mac but it makes it very hard because the rest of the world still uses Windows....but if they only knew how amazing Macs are...enough preaching....I was briefed on what projects are being worked on and what exactly I will be doing. I am excited beacuse I actually get to help design several projects as well as do all the finish work for an exisiting project, not to mention all the final drawings for a flat in London. I can tell that I am going to be very busy but I will get some great experience.
After work I took the boys to the park and sat with Nonna Deana and another Nonna. I love hanging out with them (even though I don't always understand them) because I feel like I am in a Woody Allen movie or something. They are your sterotypical Italian grandmothers; fast talking-hand waving-loud laughing women. I know that life is a race and we are all running after the prize but after today I learned that the pace of the marathon was turned up a notch. I am turning in early tonight so I can function tomorrow and finish the day with a decent lap time.
Yesterday was my last day of "freedom" before I started my design job. I spent most of it watching "American Idol" reruns on Youtube (my addiction). I know that sounds lame but I was trying to be lazy and it sounded fun. At 5:30 I took the boys to a stationary store to buy their school supplies. The shop is a hole in the wall run by this nice man named Mossimo. The store was so crowded with parents and kids that there was a line going outside. After waiting our turn we bought all the essentials we needed and headed home. Pat and Alberto planned to go bike riding for an hour so they entrusted dinner to me. I have cooked for the boys before and make my lunches but I wasn't really prepared to make dinner for the whole family especially when the menu was already set. Alberto told me to cook roast beef, zucchini and pasta with pesto. I was scared cause I've never cooked roast beef, but Alberto TOLD me to cook it for one hour. When they got back from their ride dinner was served...kind of. I made just enough pasta for the boys but they wanted more and were mad that I didn't fix more (Cinderella apologized), the zucchini shrank so there was only enough for Pat and Alberto and one small serving each, and turns out that the roast beef was only suppose to be cooked for 20 minutes not an hour!! But I still testify Alberto told me an hour...suprisingly enough the meat wasn't too tough just more than they prefer. I only ate a banana because I had planned to go running with Andrea. So my first experience with cooking for all of them was like swimming in the deep end without floaties for the first time; I didn't drown just a little water logged. While they ate I met Andrea and we went for a run through the park. This was amazing therapy because the cooking stressed me out so it was nice to run it off. We ran for thirty minutes (I know I was a little suprised myself) and then we walked for awhile to cool down. By the time I got back it was time to go to bed and get ready for my new job.
My first day of work was great. Even though I didn't do much design work it still felt good to be in a design studio (nothing like the smell of fabric samples in the morning....) I spent most of the day trying to get logged onto the server and am still not connected. I love my Mac but it makes it very hard because the rest of the world still uses Windows....but if they only knew how amazing Macs are...enough preaching....I was briefed on what projects are being worked on and what exactly I will be doing. I am excited beacuse I actually get to help design several projects as well as do all the finish work for an exisiting project, not to mention all the final drawings for a flat in London. I can tell that I am going to be very busy but I will get some great experience.
After work I took the boys to the park and sat with Nonna Deana and another Nonna. I love hanging out with them (even though I don't always understand them) because I feel like I am in a Woody Allen movie or something. They are your sterotypical Italian grandmothers; fast talking-hand waving-loud laughing women. I know that life is a race and we are all running after the prize but after today I learned that the pace of the marathon was turned up a notch. I am turning in early tonight so I can function tomorrow and finish the day with a decent lap time.
Monday, September 10, 2007
One Lump or Two?
On Saturday afternoon I went with Alberto to a friends house to watch New Zealand vs Italy Rugby match. Apparently NZ is the number one team in Rugby and man did it show. They killed Italy 76-14. Those of you who don't know (don't worry I just found out on Saturday) each goal is 5 points and a field goal is 2 so like in football you can make 7 points per score. So 76-14 was a really bad lose. This was the first time in my life I have watched a sporting event with guys where we drank tea and ate cookies during halftime. It was a little strange but the refreshments were good. For the rest of the day I just lounged around and went for a walk.
On Sunday Andrea came and picked me up at 9:30 and he took me to a lake in France. It was only about an hour by car and once we got there we hiked down to the shore and then back to the car. We went to a small village for lunch and ate in this amazing little restaraunt that looked like a swiss chalet. The food was out of this world and the company wasn't bad either. After lunch we went back to Italy and found another lake and took a small walk around, we were both very full from the meal so we took it slow. We decided to go to an abby on our way to Torino. The abby is still in working order and was built in 983-987. The amazing part of the building is that is was built on top of a mountain so you can see the mountain coming up out of the building. The complex was built as a form of pentence and must have been a horrible sin cause that thing was huge! We came back to Torino around 8 and decided to have an appertivo (happy hour...even though we just had coffee with chocolate). Pat and Alberto wanted to go the movies at 10:30 so I came home a little after 9 and stayed with the kids. There was a huge thunder storm last night. I am a very sound sleeper but about 12:40 there was a clap of thunder so loud I sat up straight in bed wide awake. I just knew I would hear little feet coming towards my room but no one woke up. I finally went back to sleep after I checked my pulse.
Overall the weekend was amazing and very relaxing at the same time. P.S. I have posted the pictures on my photo website so you can see the mountains and the Abby.
On Sunday Andrea came and picked me up at 9:30 and he took me to a lake in France. It was only about an hour by car and once we got there we hiked down to the shore and then back to the car. We went to a small village for lunch and ate in this amazing little restaraunt that looked like a swiss chalet. The food was out of this world and the company wasn't bad either. After lunch we went back to Italy and found another lake and took a small walk around, we were both very full from the meal so we took it slow. We decided to go to an abby on our way to Torino. The abby is still in working order and was built in 983-987. The amazing part of the building is that is was built on top of a mountain so you can see the mountain coming up out of the building. The complex was built as a form of pentence and must have been a horrible sin cause that thing was huge! We came back to Torino around 8 and decided to have an appertivo (happy hour...even though we just had coffee with chocolate). Pat and Alberto wanted to go the movies at 10:30 so I came home a little after 9 and stayed with the kids. There was a huge thunder storm last night. I am a very sound sleeper but about 12:40 there was a clap of thunder so loud I sat up straight in bed wide awake. I just knew I would hear little feet coming towards my room but no one woke up. I finally went back to sleep after I checked my pulse.
Overall the weekend was amazing and very relaxing at the same time. P.S. I have posted the pictures on my photo website so you can see the mountains and the Abby.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Duck Duck Goose
What a wild Friday night...I am still recovering and nursing a bad sugar hang over. Yesterday was Ruggie's birhtday party and I think I ate more sugar than I have in years. So needless to say today I am very dizzy and feeling the effects. But anyways...the party was a great success. Thirteen kids showed up and the party lasted from 4-8!! After everyone left one family (one of the four that went to America this summer with my family) stayed for dinner and we had take out pizza.
During the party the kids were getting restless so we brought them to the living room to play games. I taught them how to play duck duck goose and it was a BIG hit. They ran and screamed around the circle and even said "duck duck goose" in English. They also discovered M & M's, even though everyone calls them smarties. I don't know but it was hard for me to understand how no one knew about m&m's the candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand. Ruggie got lots of new great toys that should keep him busy for a couple of weeks. This morning I got up and tried to repair the house. Alberto took the boys so that I could clean and put things back into place. This afternoon I am going with Alberto to a friends house to watch a rugby match Italy vs New Zealand. He thinks they will lose cause NZ is the number one team in the world. I don't really know anything about the game but thought it would be nice to watch a sporting event on tv since I really miss watching ESPN. I was thinking last night was a beautiful night for a high school football game. Well I will be back before the Super Bowl and March Madness so it will be okay.
Anyways hope everyone has a great weekend and I will let you know how the match goes
During the party the kids were getting restless so we brought them to the living room to play games. I taught them how to play duck duck goose and it was a BIG hit. They ran and screamed around the circle and even said "duck duck goose" in English. They also discovered M & M's, even though everyone calls them smarties. I don't know but it was hard for me to understand how no one knew about m&m's the candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand. Ruggie got lots of new great toys that should keep him busy for a couple of weeks. This morning I got up and tried to repair the house. Alberto took the boys so that I could clean and put things back into place. This afternoon I am going with Alberto to a friends house to watch a rugby match Italy vs New Zealand. He thinks they will lose cause NZ is the number one team in the world. I don't really know anything about the game but thought it would be nice to watch a sporting event on tv since I really miss watching ESPN. I was thinking last night was a beautiful night for a high school football game. Well I will be back before the Super Bowl and March Madness so it will be okay.
Anyways hope everyone has a great weekend and I will let you know how the match goes
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Dinner and a movie
Tomorrow (Friday) is Ruggero's birthday party (his birthday was Aug. 25th) so I needed to get him a gift. I called Balbina and we went downtown to one of my favorite toy stores. I loved the one in Madrid but the one here in Turin was very small and I was a little disappointed. I ended up getting him a tub of colored clay. I thought this would be nice for us to play together and doesn't smell as bad as playdough- I hate that stuff. After our trip to the center I picked Ruggie up from school and we spent the afternoon at home while Fil was at his grandmother's. I took Ruggie to meet Fil, Anna and Marta at 6 to watch Shrek Terzo (Shreck the Third). I watched the English version on the plane ride over so it was nice that I knew what was going on. The theater wan't that nice and the movie stopped in the middle so we thought it was broken but after 10 minutes or so it started again. There is no such thing as stadium seating here in Turin so it makes it difficult to see sometimes. But all in all I was glad to go to the theater. After the movie the girls went home and I took the boys to a pizzeria. I was kind of scared to take them by myself but it worked out fine and we had a nice time while Fil and I talked in English. I am so proud of him, his English is really getting good and the kid is so technically savvy it blows my mind. Ruggie behaved and played with his new cowboys and indians he got yesterday. This afternoon he set them up in the living room and the indians lived in the no mans land of vcr/tv while the cowboys lived in the plush (pun intended) land of the carpet. It was so cute to watch him play and listen to him in Italian. My date night was very nice and like all the other dates I have had, ended in no drama....enough said :-)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Pinocchio the Imposter
Yesterday was a pretty normal day without any big news. Ruggie went to school until noon and then Filippo went to his grandmother's for the afternoon. Ruggie and I stayed at home and played and he took a nap while I read my book. At five we went to the park and met Fil and nonna Deana. We got home at 7 and started to prepare dinner because Balbina, the girl from Houston, was coming over. She arrived at a little past 8 to a house of chaos. The boys were hungry and restless while music blarred in the background. Dinner was simple, pasta with bread crumbs and a plate of five different kind of cheeses and gelato, but very tasty. Balbina said she like my family and they seemed very interested in her.
Today went like Tueday until lunch because I had both boys for lunch. I fried chicken and made grilled cheeses (I know a weird combo). Fil asked me if I made the chicken and when I said yes he was suprised said, "Wow bravo che buono!!" I smiled....and they didn't think I could cook--well I didn't either. Fil went with a friend to the swimming pool and ruggie took a nap. At 5 we went to the park to play. After 30 mins or so a guy dressed in funny colorful clothes with fake nose and carrying a bag shaped like a large sneaker came parading through the park asking the kids to watch his spetacolo (come to find out it was an infomercial to get some birthday party gigs). So we sat down to watch this "clown" thinking we were in for a treat. I know I'm not a clown expert but I'm pretty sure this was the worst preformer I have ever seen. It was horrible. He took out a magic wand and was getting the kids to shout spells at it. I was expecting flowers to pop out the top but instead he pulled out a minature chair (for a doll house) and stuck it on the end of the wand and then pretended to balance the chair while singing. Give me a break!! But the finale came when he told the kids they could buy a suprise for 3 euros. The kids went begging for the money and when some were lucky enough to succeed all they received was a puzzle piece and a plastic disk that entitled them to a balloon animal (he could only make a dog and a sword). Some of the parents became outraged and luckily the police were in the park. I was with a grandmother when she called them over and told them what this man was doing. Later I saw two more parents giving the police an ear full. They couldn't really do anything to the guy but for a minute I thought things were really going to get interesting. The guy called himself Pinocchio but he didn't look like a real boy, just a clown school dropout.
When we got home we got ready for dinner and met Pat's two sisters, their husband and boyfriend, and Nonna Deana at a quaint little restaraunt tucked away in the hills of Torino. We had a great time talking and eating the amazing food. We were celebrating Louisa's and Ruggero's August birthdays so we topped the meal of with fabulous deserts.
Exciting news...I have a hot date for tomorrow!! I am going to take the boys to see a movie and then out for pizza :-) Sorry didn't mean to get your hopes up but it should be fun to take them somewhere in public where they can't kill each other. I will have all the wonderful details of my night out on the town so tune in tomorrow.
Today went like Tueday until lunch because I had both boys for lunch. I fried chicken and made grilled cheeses (I know a weird combo). Fil asked me if I made the chicken and when I said yes he was suprised said, "Wow bravo che buono!!" I smiled....and they didn't think I could cook--well I didn't either. Fil went with a friend to the swimming pool and ruggie took a nap. At 5 we went to the park to play. After 30 mins or so a guy dressed in funny colorful clothes with fake nose and carrying a bag shaped like a large sneaker came parading through the park asking the kids to watch his spetacolo (come to find out it was an infomercial to get some birthday party gigs). So we sat down to watch this "clown" thinking we were in for a treat. I know I'm not a clown expert but I'm pretty sure this was the worst preformer I have ever seen. It was horrible. He took out a magic wand and was getting the kids to shout spells at it. I was expecting flowers to pop out the top but instead he pulled out a minature chair (for a doll house) and stuck it on the end of the wand and then pretended to balance the chair while singing. Give me a break!! But the finale came when he told the kids they could buy a suprise for 3 euros. The kids went begging for the money and when some were lucky enough to succeed all they received was a puzzle piece and a plastic disk that entitled them to a balloon animal (he could only make a dog and a sword). Some of the parents became outraged and luckily the police were in the park. I was with a grandmother when she called them over and told them what this man was doing. Later I saw two more parents giving the police an ear full. They couldn't really do anything to the guy but for a minute I thought things were really going to get interesting. The guy called himself Pinocchio but he didn't look like a real boy, just a clown school dropout.
When we got home we got ready for dinner and met Pat's two sisters, their husband and boyfriend, and Nonna Deana at a quaint little restaraunt tucked away in the hills of Torino. We had a great time talking and eating the amazing food. We were celebrating Louisa's and Ruggero's August birthdays so we topped the meal of with fabulous deserts.
Exciting news...I have a hot date for tomorrow!! I am going to take the boys to see a movie and then out for pizza :-) Sorry didn't mean to get your hopes up but it should be fun to take them somewhere in public where they can't kill each other. I will have all the wonderful details of my night out on the town so tune in tomorrow.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Slap Jack?
Oh first day back on the job as official babysitter. Honestly I was a little nervous about having both boys all day today but knew in my heart that it would all be okay. After breakfast I taught the boys how to play slap jack on the living room carpet. It was a big hit (pun not intended) and kept us all in high spirits. Then we got around for the day and got dressed. Pat asked me if I would organize Ruggies toys so I started the task after our daily teethbrushing exercise. Ruggie helped for awhile until he found some long lost toys that seemed more interesting. Filippo made all the labels for the plastic tubs and attached them after I was finished sorting them. The morning went very smooth and actually had a great time cleaning out his toy box (for those of you that don't know, I love organizing things-especially other people's things). After lunch the boys were starting to get stir crazy and began to pick each other apart. But luckily Pat had rented two dvds so I popped one in just before the blood started flowing. After the movie we went to the park and played for two hours. The park was packed full of childern and I talked with several mothers and grandmothers I hadn't seen since July. We took a short break from the slide and the monkey bars to eat some gelato. At half past 6 we came back home to find Pat interviewing a lady for the housekeeping job. From the long day and lack of naptime, Ruggie broke into a raging fit but I was quick to play the mom card (okay not to quick cause he slapped me in the face and bit me before I gave him over to his mother--nothing like a welcome home gift). Things settled down and we had a good dinner and a quiet evening at home. I guess Jack wasn't the only one getting some "personal" attention, but for the first day back with both boys I thought it went pretty good and looking forward to tomorrow.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Return of the Jedi
Well it's September and I'm back in Turin. I arrived on Thursday the 30 of August about 7:00 in the evening. The flights were long but good and I'm happy to report I still love airplane food. On the plane ride to Turin I met an Italian guy named Andrea and after talking with him for awhile he said I could call him Andy cause no one has ever called him that. We talked the whole way home and exchanged numbers and emails. Perhaps you will hear more about Andy in the future.
When I got home I was greeted by everyone but Filippo because he was at boy scout camp for the week. We went to a sushi restaraunt the was incredible and I heard the family's stories about America. Turns out that Alberto's favorite place in America is Denny's and Yellowstone. Pat was really missing Starbucks because she had two expresso shots every morning!! On Friday I slept until 11:30 and then had lunch with Pat and Ruggie. Friday evening we made dinner at home and I learned how to make a new sauce for penne pasta. Saturday Ruggie and I colored and spent 2 hours at the park close to our house. I had a really good time with him and was suprised at how much English he remembers. Saturday afternoon I met up with a girl from Houston who's mother is a friend of my Italian family (small world). I went to a store like a Walmart and really enjoyed it cause I didn't know Italy had such "modern conveniences" :-)
Today I got up and went to church and met the pastor, his wife, and several regular members. Even though I would probably not go to a church like this in the states, I really enjoy meeting the people and letting God show me just how wonderful his creation is. Even though we all come from different countries we are similar. After church I met up with Balbina (friend from Houston) and her aunt and cousin. We ate at McDonalds and then her family left for Germany (where they live). Balbina and I went to Parco Valentino--The Central Park of Turin. I loved it. It's right on the River Po and is huge. We walked around for awhile and then found a cozy spot where we put our blanket down and read our books for hours. We listened to a guy play the guitar and watched people pass. After several hours we decided to get some dinner and head home. We ate at Donner Kebab and ate it on a park bench. Sunday was very relaxing and the end (I fear) of lazyness. Tomorrow I will have both boys on my own!! So may the force be with this jedi.
When I got home I was greeted by everyone but Filippo because he was at boy scout camp for the week. We went to a sushi restaraunt the was incredible and I heard the family's stories about America. Turns out that Alberto's favorite place in America is Denny's and Yellowstone. Pat was really missing Starbucks because she had two expresso shots every morning!! On Friday I slept until 11:30 and then had lunch with Pat and Ruggie. Friday evening we made dinner at home and I learned how to make a new sauce for penne pasta. Saturday Ruggie and I colored and spent 2 hours at the park close to our house. I had a really good time with him and was suprised at how much English he remembers. Saturday afternoon I met up with a girl from Houston who's mother is a friend of my Italian family (small world). I went to a store like a Walmart and really enjoyed it cause I didn't know Italy had such "modern conveniences" :-)
Today I got up and went to church and met the pastor, his wife, and several regular members. Even though I would probably not go to a church like this in the states, I really enjoy meeting the people and letting God show me just how wonderful his creation is. Even though we all come from different countries we are similar. After church I met up with Balbina (friend from Houston) and her aunt and cousin. We ate at McDonalds and then her family left for Germany (where they live). Balbina and I went to Parco Valentino--The Central Park of Turin. I loved it. It's right on the River Po and is huge. We walked around for awhile and then found a cozy spot where we put our blanket down and read our books for hours. We listened to a guy play the guitar and watched people pass. After several hours we decided to get some dinner and head home. We ate at Donner Kebab and ate it on a park bench. Sunday was very relaxing and the end (I fear) of lazyness. Tomorrow I will have both boys on my own!! So may the force be with this jedi.
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