Little Italy 24

[BananaGio]

Ciao tutte!

Eh eh... Villesse (where ikea Gorizia is) is one hr from Venezia Est, unless you get stuck on the 10km stretch of roadworks in san dona. Ergo, not that far (proud Friulian emoticon "we are not quite in Eastern Europe yet, just very close" ).
I would have thought Ikea Bologna may actually be bigger? Ikea Gorizia much nicer than the padova one though, and probably less crowded.

Just back from UK where we had two school assessments. Had a shit time though, as DD decided to get sick the night before the assessments (1 school is selective and 1 is not, but they still do an assessment, and without seeing the irony). So no sleep at all for either me or DH, and a rather frazzled DD. Poor thing, she did extremely well considering the situation - not that I know happened of course (the assessment is 121 with teachers), but she came out happy and clutching drawings, so cannot have been too bad. Have other two assessments planned for janaury, but we are considering canning them if we get into either school. We will see.

I suppose it's going to be decision time for us about whether we stay in Italy or move to the UK, as we need to start looking for jobs if DD has got to start reception in September. Feeling 50-50 at the moment tbh, even if I do miss London a lot. It would mean a lot of change, and get a new house etc etc. Argh.

We were thinking its about an hour as well. Mind you I am not sure if he really wants to go ...I don't fancy it but I want the unit. Not doing Bologna at this time of the year s the fog can be terrible.....We will see.
SO you think it could be a move back then? I can understand where you are coming from mind you as I am just praying that both my dds are intelligent enough and have the voglia to get a decent education with what is on offer here. I still hope to do 6th form in the Uk but who and what and when etc its still a long time away but also just round the corner IYKWIM.
I do want an Ikea wander esp if the decs are goodmaybe I will reconsider..... gotta go gt dd1

minervaitalica was it you that was thinking about coming back to saffron walden?

Rosa, yes the fog... Should be better this way, on average.
I find IKEA decs are a bit hit ad miss tbh... It depends on the year. I always end up finding something though. You ALWAYS buy something at IKEA.

Rosa, I know what you mean re:education. However, I did very well out of an Italian "provincial" education and ended up in a UK uni. I know someone who went straight to Oxford from a liceo classico in Venice so it has always been possible! If we decide to move back (to London, not SW!) it's not going to be becasue we are worried about DD's education. It's because professionally there are much better opportunities long term (for us but also for DD), and to us as a couple work matters. The issue is whether DD will end up hating us for it. not sure

Decisions,decisions, decisions for the minervas...I think your dd isstill quite young and will not suffer the change that much. Our dc were 5.5 and 3.5 when moved back to italy and only the eldest had mixed feelings, in that he'd have of course followed us anywhere and was happy to be nr his beloved gp etc but was upset about leaving his friends in the uk. I think dd will go happily where ever you choose as long as she feels you are confident iyswim.
I also have a good friend who went straight to oxford after a liceo classico in milan. Lots of friends (including me and) dh who didn't have probs in getting ma and phd at excellent universities in the uk.

Franca, good to know the experience of your DC - I tend to think that if we want to do it, we should do it sooner than later when friendships are more established. I think we will put her name down for a school, start looking for jobs (DH, that is ), and then decide in Spring next yr. It's nice to be on Little Italy MN when I get views from either side of the channel.

I really think that until the first year of scuola elementare children are easier to move.
It'd be very hard work to move our children at the moment (9 and 7 now).

Of course it depends on the child but I've seen kkids arrive in DD's class and make friends pretty much instantly, they are 7-8. Sorry I've nt been around much lately btw

hello sputnik!

Hi, back again. The scare is over, thank you, but it was stressful. And embarrassing: I was unpacking and suddenly found I'd lost some liquid. No colour and no smell, so the worry was that it was amniotic fluid. Had a scan the following day and all seemed ok, but still no explanation other than an educated guess that it might have been as a consequence of the antibiotics i'd just finished taking. Who knows? Did not get to see a consultant though and two weeks post-event I' m still wondering whether i am being reckless at just not booking one privately.

Nurseries: thank you for your thoughts. If we could he'd go only to the Italian one but it is almost an hour away by public transport, so it might be undoable,esp. given the English one is 5 minutes away on foot. We do read in Italian, he has an Italian nanny and I am now looking for DVDs in Italian, but pretty much everything else is in English. DH andI speak 15-85 Italian- English between us, though we are aiming for more Italian now.

Minerva: what a difficult decision! Where would you move to in London? You might want to check the Consolato website to see if there is an after-school programme for Italians near where you are. We have just discovered there is one near here but it is based at an English state primary where we have almost zero chances of getting in...

SG - that's a good suggestion - we would be moving somewhere south of the river, but I'll check - you never know.

I do not think you are being reckless by not getting seen by a consultant (after all everything is still going well fi the scan is fine) - however if that thought is making you stressed, why not book another scan in a couple of weeks? You are unlikely to regret that I think.

Hi Sput! I just assumed you would be very busy with your business in the run-up to Xmas...

Hi, I've survived one of the most violent colds I've ever had!

SG: no, not reckless at all. When is your next appointment?

SG what a scare . If it was me I wouldn't be able to stare tranquilla and would probably just go for a scan to put my mind at rest. I am sure Ds will absorb more than you think. We are having some great sayings with DD1 (5) Mum Ho flushato the gabinetto. Papa me pumpare la gomma ( of her bike).
Franca not another of you terrible colds I hope you don't get nasty infections , coughs etc and also that the Dc don't get it - or was it them that gave it to you ? MInd you children art starting to be at home with various colds coughs and I believe anche vomito ( Rosa cowers in the corner)
I have just made banana and canella cupcakes as Dh is home so he has gone to get minirosa. Thing is they smell so good I am not sure that I will be able to resist.......

Rosa, : "ho flushato il gabinetto" is a firm favourite of my children too!!!

Yes, very nasty cold, heavy sneezes and red eyes... but dh is responsible for this, not the dc this time! Mind you, I am too bracing myself for the vomit bug, I so hope to avoid it this year... (fingers crossed emoticon)

at flushato, lots of made up mixes of the 2 here as well (and not just from ds- I am also known to invent Italian words if can't think of the real one...)
Did anyone see on the news/read about the accident at the Rome supermarket yesterday. Delivery lorry's breaks failed /weren't on and crushed 2 women who died. Its our local supermarket, we were going there at that time but ds was moaning so much re going to the giardinetto with his mate that I gave in and changed direction. So thankful he moaned! Makes me so angry to think about it. It's the most dangerous place, basically a condominium with a driveway, I have always hated going in and out on foot with ds. Can't believe thinking about it that they were ever given permission to have a supermarket there. Poor women!

I saw that on the Rai this morning Gio- How very scary. Of course they would give permission to put a supermarket there as its money in the comunes pocket.
We have a Prix that I hate going to . to access it the calle is wide enough for 1.5 people - no joke you have to step aside to pass . It is at a dead end. The only other exits I have seen are into the magazino which I presume backs onto the canal. It is a complete fire hazzard , narrow inside with boxes piled up. If I have to go as I want something cheap I rush in and out so fast . It would not pass any EU fire regulations at all.......

Franca how are you feeling ?

Gio, , yes I read about the accident in the newspaper, how tragic! Phew, you were really lucky to change your plans, and yes, from the pics it really looks like a bizarre and dangerous place to have a supermarket!

Rosa, I am much better, thanks. And I also finished buying presents for the dc... which is good. Now I have dh, my mum, mil and her sister to think about.

heard today it was a handicapped lady and her carer who were killed. A third woman managed to get away.
Rosa you are right re money I am sure. Profit obsessed supermarket giant and corrupt comune, 2 of my most hated cliches!
I am about half way through presents. Ordered my photo diaries for parents. DS sorted. DP wants music so easy. Just a few more bits to get for others. I do love internet shopping!

Oh dear, how dreadful Gio...

Internet is your friend and also your enemy I know I have ordered too much but I keep forgetting then I printed out all my orders so I could count that I had the right number of gifts for the dds then threw the lists out !!!! I want to get dh a phone cover from photobox but I need a photo of the 2 dds together- this weekends goal !
Corrupt don't get me started. Its sad about the people but I bet it will get swept under the rug and kept quiet so they hope everybody forgets.I could not believe when DH said that they want to keep noted how much 'paga' we give the children and if dh gives me any money urm he maintains me and doesn't give me any money as a gift its called a marriage !
Minirosa has a very dry cough no cold before last night it got so bad she was sick ..... So levotuss out but she has napped this pm without coughing boh vediamo ! Freddo qui ......

Oh no, tosse! Poor minirosa. Mine both have naso pieno and sniff all the time. I have to remember to buy Orso Vit, mind you they are eating an enormous amount of clementines, so their Vit C intake should be good!

Internet or no internet I have no idea what to get to mil, my mum etc. I think I'll get dh a casco for skiing plus some books I already bought.

cough turned to febbre but all very brief - She is still a bit snotty but it all seems to be moving along ok waiting for dd1 to get it now. However we went out for lunch yesterday in the fog and damp but it was a nice change. I have given in and let the dds put the xmas tree up this afternoon ...Will have to do some re decorating as all the baubles are at the bottom!!!

Oh gosh thank goodness it went fast.
Lol at having to re decorate the Christmas tree. We did it on saturday.

Tomorrow I am off to the hairdresser, hurrah! I had 1 cm of ricrescita already. And then the dc will be off for the Sant'ambrogio short holiday.

OMG that is horrible about the supermarket :(
I have indeed been busy with my new business but thngs seem to have quietened down now. I am thinking in the new year of doing it properly and reopening my partita iva. I know I'll get hammered with INPS as soon as I do but then again I paid it already for 10 years and if I'm ever to get anything out of it I have to put some more in gah.
However I am getting interest in my stuff, including a magazine (in Norway!) that will be featuring me in February.