Little Italy 25

[Rosa]

Greetings, Ciao , Welcome , Benvenuto

8,15 Start for school is toooo early...poor things

he was ok for the rest of the week and then again this morn had to be peeled off me to be taken by dp. I could hear the sobs down the road. dp called me after and he ds said when dp went- give Mamma a kiss from me - as if he was going away for a week! Just went out and when I passed the fruit and veg man who always gives ds free fruit every morning on his way he stopped who he was serving to ask what was up with him this morning. As did the guy in the alimentari. And our neighbour...ah well pazienza, am sure he was fine after a while and his teacher was telling him how she went to the Stadio yesterday to watch Roma so that helped with the issues a bit methinks. How are all the other mini LI's today?

Oooh poor masterGio, I really hope he gets settled asap, it is hard, I know!

Rosa, does dd start at 8.15? Mine at 8.30, I agree, it is too early! Next year ds alle medie will start at 8.

My dc are fine, they had a lovely weekend in the countryside, we took dd horse riding, it's been her third time and she really likes it, but I can't really take her in Milan, as too expensive and too far from where we live.

Ds today has the "prove d'ingresso". Yesterday we revised the Italian verbs, shame that he confuses the congiuntivo with the passato remoto

Hope things improve Gio, I know how hard it is to leave them at school unhappy.
Mini sputniks are doing fine, school is good, and DD has taken up Aikido and DS had a trial lesson today too. The teacher said he's a little young still, but he followed pretty well so we'll do another trial lesson and decide. I hope he can do it, I'd love him to start a sport and I don't think he can handle swimming lessons yet, too much sensory input so a bit overwhelming for him.

Aikido sounds cool!

Gio any better ???
Yesterday was the first full day but seemed to go ok , and no tears here...But its early days. 8,15-16,15 is a long day IMO especially as the cortile is out of action so they can't run .. This pm I am taking them both to the park with scooters or bikes even if minirosa is shattered DD needs exercise ! Thurs she can have a prova of Hip Hop and friday ginnastica artistica ( avviamento ) . She is keen to do both but they clash on a MOnday so it might have to be one lesson a week of each. She is also keen for ballet but its a pain to get to , then there is no place where you can wait inside if its bad weather and I will have minirosa who will no doubt be bored! Plus that is also twice a week ...boh will do a few trials and see what she prefers. I went to my first gym lesson last night. It was prove but it was all my old class so the instructor basically picked up from June ....talk about tired!! Right have 5 hrs ahead to clean , tidy , throw out , etc etc

It is a long day, I agree. Luckily the dc's school has a wonderful garden, BUT the new Preside has just shortened the length of the intervallo lungo. We are not happy.

Ooooh activities, activities... Rosa, I always advise to choose the activities that are as near as possible (lazy emoticon).

Whoops, posted too soon. Impressed by your diligence at going to the gym. I haven't been swimming in months. I will start next week.

Sounds like you're getting back in the swing of things Rosa! Agree with Franca about going for the easiest option, waiting outside if its raining or whatever sounds a pain.

Re exercise, I started doing resistance training at home during the summer, as it was too hot to do the shred anymore, and I'm a total convert, I feel so much stronger, the last of my shoulder problem cleared up and I'm losing weight. It's not huge weights, I do easy version press ups, squats, and use 4kg dumbells, but I need a trip to decathlon now as those are getting too easy. Apparently you lose muscle as you get older, and this is my bid to combat that!

What is resistance training? I need to start thinking seriously about my muscle tone. I have lost a few kilos last year, and my arms are all floppy.

Resistance training is anything designed to build your muscles really, as opposed to cardio which is good for the heart etc but doesn't build much muscle. so it can be lifting weights but also body weight exercises, like push ups and squats. I can't do a pruper push up yet, but you can start doing them on a worktop or table and work down as it were. If you're interested all you need is a set of dumbells and maybe a mat.

ooh Sput that sounds good. I want to start again post broken ankle but am worried re the Shred being too much pressure on my ankle as still got slight limp and aches when been on it for a while. Do you follow a particular workout? Any useful links?
DS still a nightmare this morning. Fine when pick him up but hates length of the day. Hopefully wont go on for long like this ...
Agree Aikido looks good! Think we are going to do calcetto once a week and swimming once although am very as our pool has been closed down and is proving hard to find somewhere that isnt ridiculously priced.

Sounds good Sputnik, I really should stop being so bloody lazy.

Gio, sorry to hear your ankle hasn't healed 100%. I am sure ds will get used to it, as I said ime with both my children the first year can be a real rollercoaster... there are so many things they need to get adjusted to. But I am sure you will both find your way

Get used to school I meant. I've just re read my post, it didn't make much sense, it looked as if I was still talking about your ankle

Gio this would be perfect for you as there's no impact, another reason I started it was I was beginning to get a sore ankle from shredding, as well as getting too hot! Basically I use more or less the same strength moves as in the shred, but with heavier weights and I do 4 sets of 10. So eg 10 reps of squats or dumbell rows or whatever with 40 seconds rest in between. I have an ebook which explains why exactly this way of doing things is the key to eternal youth, it's quite hypey but honestly I've felt great since doing this. I can forward it to any of you if you like.

Yes, please do Sput!

please Sput. So how many exercises do you do then, how long for and how often? sounds ideal.
this morn was worst so far. ds flung himself on the floor and had to be pulled away from dp down the corridor screaming papà dont leave me. che palle ragazze! going to talk to maestre today as its there open day for parents after school

did you start off with 4kg from start sput?

Oh no! I am sure the teachers have seen this all before, and I hope they have good advise. Poor little boy. It is a big change.

BElieve me I have a long way to go , I must have put on about 5/6 kg this summer and I just have to get strict with myself but at the moment its not working!! I have the shred and the idea was to do it days I diddn't go to the gym but again its still in thepacket !
Gio , I hope you get some answers poor master Gio , it must be terrible for you all . DOes he calm down once he is there? what does he say when he comes home again? Yesterday DD1 did Geography for the first time - not sure what will see when she brings the cartella home on Friday. Tis chucking it down here right now, thankfully dh is at home so I can do the dds one after the other and not have to drag the other out! The schools are right next to one another yet dd1 comes out at 4 , will be 4.15 when the works are finished. Minirosa at 3.30 or 4.30 - 5 ...WOUld make life easier if they could just do it a bit earlier .....

Hurrah 2 mornings and no tears! Bribery works! We made a sticker chart and if we get 10 days of stickers with no tears his nonno is buying him biliardino table. I was all for something small and cheap but then thought for once if nonno wants to sweep in with his cash and be the saviour then so be it if it means he goes happily to school. And he got a oggi sono stato superbravo written in his agenda yesterday from his maestra so that pleased him. Long may it last....

Well done master gio.....we haven't got the agende yet so have no idea what is going on!!!!!! Lets hope tonight her zaino has more info in it and at least we can see what she has done thsi week. She leaves her cartella at school mon- fri and then takes a small bag for piatti and merenda daily.
Dh birthday today I have got all his friends to go to the restaurant first as a sopresa for him. Tell you I deserve a medal for sacrificing my precious evenings out da soli with him as there are so few. We have the ex maestra babysitting , my SIL will go mental when she finds out as she hates her with a passion ... So much so that she defriended me from FB for 2 weeks whilst a pic of this person with my dd was in circulation !!!!! Dd1 likes her though ! Vado because I must make the house presentable.......hard but dh says we can go to ikea next week on a go see trip for a new sofa and book shelves!

Glad it's going better with MasterGio, strategic bribery definitely has it's place in parenting!
Sorry to drop out the other day, DS was off a day sick so couldn't get to the computer. So weights... I was used to using 2kg for the shred but found going up to 4kg not a problem. Usually I work out 3 times a week, for 20-40 minutes, some of that is resting time. Today for eg I did press ups, calf raises, dumbell rows, squats, chest rises, those bicycle ab things then straight up rows, most of them you'll know already from the shred. All of them I do this 10 reps times 4 sets thing. First time I did it I got to the end and thought, oh, is that it? But you'll feel it the next day!
Anyway, this ebook I have gives details, including how to do the exercises, there are 3 levels and the first one is only 4 exercises, then basically you can add in as you choose. PM me with your emails and I'll send it, it's be sunday though as I'm about to leave and will only have the tablet with me.

Ciao ragazze,
Well done Mastergio, so pleased to hear he is more upbeat!
And well done rosa for organising dh's birthday! (cant believe sil defriended you, .

I am in Copenhagen, joined dh who has a conference and I have just met the actress who plays sarah lund in The Killing. So excited!!

How exciting franca! Loved loved the killing. Had a week of very late nights watching just another one on the ipad in bed.
Have pm'd you sput, thanks for that.
How did the surprise meal go Rosa? Was dh pleased?