Little Italy 23

[BananaGio]

Siamo qua!

anyone watching Emilio Fede squirm on Annozero?

Rosa that sounds delicious! I usually cut the pandoro horizontally, than toast the slices in a pan, add icing sugar and cream... tis yummie.

Euro, at what the teacher told you, I second what the others have said. But if she has agreed on the sticker reward thingy then she mustn't be that bad! Is ds in prima? Does he do tempo pieno or just mornings? It is still very early days, he might only need to adjust to all the tasks/compiti they have at school.

To be honest with you all, I've been feeling quite disheartened about the whole school thing lately. You know that I've always been quite optimistic and quite happy of ds's school, but I've been a bit lately.
The children work a lot, they march like fast trains. They have a very long day, and thanks to the bloody reform, less time to do more creative things.
Also, ds class changed the math teacher this year, the one they had the first 2 yrs was lovely, quite laid back and very enthusiastic. The new one is very efficient, very well spoken etc, but seems very ambitious, so now the class has 2 teachers who both want the children to perform well the whole time and I'm not sure I'm happy with it.

Ah no, I'm not watching it (bunga bunga con fede?), we don't have the antenna! Will watch it on youtube tomorrow.

Minerva, the psyc sounds lovely

I mean, I'm happy if the children do well of course, it's just that they seem to be under pressure to get voti etc the whole time (again, bloody Gelmini reintroducing marks for small children)

Apologies for my outburst last night - it was the end of a very long day!!!! Euro, your dinosaur idea is a good one though - I am keeping it in my backpocket for the future.

Franca, I know what you are saying (voti for primary kids is plain silly), but do you think your DC feel the same? I remember my primary school teacher used to give us one little "test" every day (one day maths, one day italiano or whatever), but I certainly do not remember being stressed about them at all - it was just normal iyswim? It may just feel "normal" so not necessarily "stressful".
I know that does not ameliorate the situation of them not receiving as good an education as you would like, but if they are happy and you can provide "creative" stimulation at home (clever presents, weekend stuff) I am sure things will work out...

Will check out the Fede thing though... I still think he is the best comedian in Italy at the moment...

Franca, re school, I feel your pain...my Ds is in terza and the amount of homework is unbelievable. We have also had voti basically from day one (as far as I remember they got happy/less than happy faces for about a month or so in prima then it was cold hard numbers).
I'm not looking forward to next year when DS2 starts and it'll be two lots of homework, I think it will probably tip me over the edge into full blown madness. Especially because DS1 is very hormonal a complete nightmare at the mo and has these mad drama queen attacks throughout any homework session - last week's fave was "Perchè mi hai fatto nascere se devo solo fare compiti?"
I'm perfecting my deep breathing and counting to a very high number...

Poveraccio DS1 Spook
I must admit I wish materna would last for years! Am dreading the whole compiti thing. And when DS realises school is not just for playing and drawing!
Apart from watching Fede squirm I was fascinated by the skin on his face! And the contrast to his neck! I don't think I have ever seen a man that colour or with skin that rubbery looking!
EC what a silly woman that teacher is! Your kids have 1 full time parent at home! And even if you both were out working all day that would hardly be unusual!

Minerva ..that is what we are all here for. I must say it does sound as if the scholls are going the Uk way we will be having merenda searches next . No kinder permitted!

Well this time exactly 2 years ago I was lying in bed with the laptop in a panic. I was being advised by Brangelina and Sputnik on what to do should I go to hosp or not as was loosing small amounts of fluid Minirosa was born at 19.18 on this very day 2008!

Happy birthday Minirosa , have a lovely day

Spooktrain, my ds is in terza too, while dd has just started prima. My ds is a drama queen too ! Last year he always threatened he would run away from home and once he was already on the stairs !
The amount of compiti is quite shocking, isn't it, luckily at the moment ds will do his on saturday mornings otherwise he can't go to his football match in the afternoon. Dd, on the other hand, is very keen and does hers without complaining.

Minerva, no, I don't think the children are stressed by the voti etc, I just would like them to do also other things in those 8 hrs. We do all sorts of things with the children during the w/e and in the afternoons, but children should all have the same opportunities, I think.

Gio, same here, I wanted scuola materna to last at least until University... we've been really lucky with our local materna.

Happy Birthday Minirosa.

Yep Rosa - right about the schools in the UK - ds only allowed water as a drink - was tempted to smuggle in robinson orange but I was advised not to and I've avoided packed lunches as there's a list as long as my arm of stuff we can't have and I can't digest it ('scuse pun).

What's this voti business and what's it for?DS at primary has a thing called golden time - neither of us knows what it's for and he hasn't earned any yet anyhow. In fact, he's on the only one in the class who hasn't earned any of this golden time.

Guy Fawkes tomorrow and I'm thanking god it's Diwali as well so I can get the fireworks (I'm phobic) out of the way in one weekend.

Have lovely weekends all.

Voti are marks, given to the children's works. They range from 1 (very very very bad) to 10 (excellent).
They have been reintroduced at primary level by b* Gelmini (the current govt's minister of education) in an effort to reintroduce discipline () and "commitment to learning"... I think it is a load of bollox, as it is not by giving voti that you improve your teaching methods, no?

Happy belated birthday minoirosa.
I have to say its nice to hear I'm not the only one with drama queen son. The late latest today was, 'I hate this house so much, I want move away by myself! All I do is homework.' I'm. Losing it slowly.
The teacher who accepted the stickers is the maths teacher. Who tries to encourage him to do his work in other classes but its hit and miss with maestra di Italiano! He refused to work yesterday in italaino. Someone suggested I take him to a psychologist. She's no longer my friend! Not really. But I wonder if that would me understand his stubbornness. My mum says that's lazy parenting! Trying to find a quick solution, 'children aren't usually easy'!
I dread next year! When do they start with the voti? I do miss materna!

ah I miss Guy Fawkes! Hope minirosa had a a lovely birthday Rosa.
watched Pinocchio with ds and dp for first time (for ds) yesterday and he was terrified!

I feel for him Gio, Pinocchio has always made me uncomfortable!

Eurocommuter, ds last week told us he "wanted other parents, as we aren't that fun..."

QUick pop in after a manic week . Went o Ikea sat with a truck and got everything including 55 packets of pens for regali for the bimbi a dd1s asilo x natale ! Minirosa had a lovely birthday however she was given a piano keyboard (ELC) dd1 has promptly borrowed , a dancing singing teletubby which does not have a volume button and a tambourine ( including a few other QUIET thinsg thank heavens!)
Parents leave domani ......Then its back to normal if that exists.

Rosa! Glad to hear the IKea trip went well.

Have a lovely day with your parents

enjoy the rest of your time with parents Rosa.
Anyone know if you can get mixed spice in Italy and if so what is it called? Want to make a christmas cake

Mmmmm not sure Gio. You need rosa !

BAnana I have never seen mixed spice in Italy - I just make my own for Xmas cake and anything else that requires it (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, ground ginger pounded in a pestle and mortar). Or I just add cinnamon and nutmeg if I am feeling lazy.

Freezing and tipping down with rain here; I wonder how people in Veneto are doing as the rain is really going for it here...

Minerva, I've just read an interesting article about Veneto, here. Depressing reading, really.

Grey and cold here too.

Franca and Euro: at the height of last night's wobbly DS1 told me that we aren't actually his real parents.
I just hope the real ones come and get him soon then

I have signed him up for scouts now, and they take them away for a weekend EVERY MONTH. What's not to like? will it actually work? he seemed quite enthusiastic after the session on Saturday afternoon. We had the parents meeting last night and so I missed Saviano on Fazio - did anyone see it?

Lol Spooktrain

Boy Scouts: I'm pretty sure ds (now 8) would love attending, as he likes nature, adventure etc. But at the moment I really don't know where to fit it in his weekly schedule

I didn't manage to watch Fazio too. Our aerial doesn't work, and I wanted to watch it on streaming from raitv.it, but my mac is too old and I couldn't load the program to watch it. grrrrrrrrrr. I need a new mac

What gets me is there are hundreds of people t have lost homes, livestock , livelyhoods etc and I for one would like to help out in some small way but nobody seems to be organising anything . One chap lost 19,000 chickens I bet they cost more than Eu1 to replace.Berlusconi and Bossi visiting the place today hurrah hurrah so more of our tax money wasted . Mind you I heard Zaia wanted to stop taxes on these people for a bit berlusca won't have that will he?
I agree with mixed spice I would just use cinammon and nutmeg. I must make my cake. I have to do it when DH is not in as the oven is on for hours.....Main computer broken so its back to the laptop that jumps lines and misses out things....SO typing will be even worse than normal!!!!

Berlusconi and Bossi are a week late in visiting, aren't they?
I'll let you know if I can find some organization collecting funds.