MN Little Italy 7

[francagoestohollywood]

Ciao, hello, welcome!

Yes! I have seen the cellophane covered sofa too. Bizarre!

I suppose tavernas are a country thing.

My grandfather had a settee he'd brought back from Asia many years before. Huge, ornate thing, must have cost him a bomb to bring back to Italy. All wrapped in cellophane, nobody was ever allowed to sit on the thing. Grandfather got given a plastic chair if he wanted to sit in the lounge, guests were ushered into the kitchen. Very bizarre but then step-grandma was odd - you got given pattini as soon as you stepped through the front door and a request to go to the toilet would bring on a near fainting fit. She'd even go and check you hadn't dribbled anywhere on her perfect marble floors.

Sputnik - me and dd shall meet you in the park and have playdates if you like . That's one thing I was hoping for if we live in a town is that she'll be able to meet plenty of other children to play with . Doesn't sound as if that's the case I'm not going to let it put me off though just yet.

btw, I have sent you an email.

Hello, we'll be off to Exeter in a few hrs (still have to pack ). Just saw a pair of beautiful shoes on the topshop website, which I hope to buy there (but exeter local topshop has a tendency for NOT stocking the items I like).

Anyway: yes, having a family nearby to lend support and babysit has def improved the quality of our life as a family (despite my mother and my aunt actually fight over how much time is spent with the dc), but I would never do like many italians (yes, I know that sometimes people can't afford to do otherwise etc) who leave their children in the sole care of the grandparents (whose age increase, as we have children later). I once met a grandmother at a park, who seemed quite old, with an 18 months in tow, she looked exhausted. Still she said she didn't want her daughter to send her ds to nursery .

Anyway rant over. Yes, lots of the children's social life seems to revolve around parks. I do find quite easy to chat to other mums/nonne etc, but then Italian is my first language. Found it impossible in the UK.
When I grew up it was very common to go play to another child's house, but that was alle elementari.
And yes, my Italian friends all have spotless flats, many with amazing furniture. I'm the untidiest. My mum tells me off. I'm instead happy to have acquired a bit of the British anarchism....

Delgirl, I think it may depend really on where you live, your neighbours, things like that. I think also it might change when they get a little older, I know my neighbours are always having people over, and other friends with older kids. Poggio Mirteto strangely only has 1 park, not that great. There's a nice play area up the mountain from us but we seem to be the only ones that go there other than in august.

This time I haven't received your email, but I just sent you one.

My inlaws are in Rome, so not that handy for us but DD regularly goes and spends the day and sometimes the night with MIL or SIL if she can skive off work. It's great but I wouldn't dream of dumping her on them 5 days a week!

I really wonder how mothers that work outside the home manage though with schools that finish at 12.30 if they don't have a handy Nonna. OK there are childminders but it's a lot of time to cover.

Have a good time Franca, and enjoy your shopping

hmm thinking of it I haven't seen a messy house either, except for mine that is. my mum manages to keep her flat clean ant tidy even when the four of us descend on her (and dh and I are super messy)!
actually I have got a friend whose -very big- house is always full of children and very messy at the end of the day... but she's got a cleaner everyday so the mess doesn;t last long. and LOL at taverna, spent much of my youth in those.

just sent it again, hope you get it.

My house is always messy to varying degrees from untidy to a nuclear bomb just hit . I am hoping to live a simpler, less cluttered life in Italy

I recall when a freind came round to use my computer it was just before dd christening and so we had had a mega tidy up and clean up. I did the usual scusa x il disordine and she said hai ragione e un po disordinata ..From that moment on only my Uk friends have been over . I do have one mum friend that I know will be ok with it but the rest are perfect AHHHHHHHH.
Just been for lunch with family- I am so angry wil SIL . RANT RANT Arrived and she asked for plastic cups for her dc- Guy said sorry we don't have any - she said 'but what about the children' - I had 1 spare and her dd is 6 and can manage a glass easily. Then we all had variying primi and secondi they bought them out good timing etc. However they forgot 1 contorno when it arrived it was cold- She went nuts and said to waiter service is not as good - you haven't cleaned plates up - the kids were still eating. I had put dd pasta plate under mine simply as it was sporco and she was eating salad and bread off a side plate. I wanted the ground to swallow me up- we pass this place minimum twice a day they have a huge platea outside and we are on first name terms with the staff. MIL wheelchair wouldn't fit in bagno and she will not hop ( she had 6 feet to get to loo ) so they took her back to friends place for a wee. I then escaped with a wriggling ( thanfully )dd who is now asleep.
FGS - RANT over.
Franca have a great time in Uk spend lots and order the shoes from top shop on line if they don't have them and get a friend to post them over !!!
Rosa now crawls over the toys to the sofa- looks at the untidy book shelves, messy sofa , and thinks about how to make it tidy

ah rosa how I understand... not a big fan of SIL myself as you know!

rosa how much are roughly primigi boots/shoes in italy? here a pair of boots is 40pounds. seems rather a lot, to say the least. is it a normal price? and kickers?

Primigi Pippi I don't know as I have not seen many round - mind you I think Prenatal now stocks them. SO next time I am going past I will look . Naturino a pair of ankle boots ( winter) you are looking at Eu65 easily. Last winter a pair of long boots ( dd size so 23 ) EU 80 ....She got ankle boots.
Kickers are caro - Last time I looked in mestre a pair of sandals were EU55 - Same price as Naturino.
I got dd winter boots in Jones - the Jones make They are viola with flowers and a bit different from the Clarks / startrite stuff- Paid £30 I think.She better not grow out of them before this winter I will be so cross !

80 euros
I was thinking of looking for some boots for DD, but maybe not!

It's horrible isn't it when someone is so negative, it can totally ruin a meal out.

Pippi, DD has Primigi shoes, cost 37 euros but she is a 24 so I don't know if they're a bit cheaper over a certain size. There were some boots out too and they ranged from 55 - 64 euros, but the proper winter collection isn't in the shops yet. Primigi is cheaper here than Chicco and Naturino. I love Naturino but alas no one in Monza sells them any more.

I agree boots are extortionate, I'll only ever buy them in the sale if majorly reduced. It makes my heart bleed to only get one season's wear out of something that cost 60 euros.

Rosa, I'd have hissed at your SIL. I can't stand people being rude to waiting staff. Is she normally like that?

so those are the prices... oh well. don't think we'll try for no 3!
at least now i can buy them with a guilty conscience !!!

Lol at n° 3 depending on the price of shoes!

You'll have to find a good stockista or outlet - if you're not fussy about styles you can buy last year's models for 20 euros. I've done that a couple of times but unfortunately most of what's left over are over-sequinned monstrosities like Lelli Kelly or Barbie.

I finally managed to get around to doing my dichiarazione dei redditi, one day before the scadenza. I now feel liberated and carefree, another millstone out of the way for another year. I still have to argue with comune di Milano about the rubbish tax they're trying to get off me for when I'd already moved away. It never ends.

Have you heard from Hot Pippi? Has she had her baby yet? We're past Berlusconi's birthday so it's safe for him/her to come out now (says she who shares her own birthday with an infamous dictator).

23 of april?

haven't heard from hot, maybe she's already changing nappies.

there's a primigi outlet one second from my mum? maybe I should send her there.

No, 3 days before. Who's on the 23rd? I can only think of Shakespeare, Lenin was 22nd and Hitler (also Massimo D'Alema - interesting, huh?) was on the 20th.

Try the outlet, otherwise if there's an outlet for a shoe shop chain they also hugely discount stuff they don't sell.

I know re shoes- Dd grew out of her winter ones in Feb this year we went o get a replacement and it cost us Eu54 in the sale !!! Must look harder for Primigi as they seem quite good.
Saw doc this am - dd2 is 2.5kg and about a week ahead of he due date- I haven't put anything on since last weigh in ( phew)and I have the ok to swim ( hurrah hurrah ) thankfully have a friend in the prenotazione and it looks like I might be able to start next week- its the physio pool so numbers are limited , water is so warm I cannot wait just to flop in and float .
SIL is not normally as bad as she was but it was so uncalled for . DH would have paid as normal and then had a quiet word in the ear of the owner if needed. NOw her ds has an autite so we are back to mega tragedy- ds is actually fine in himself but for once her OTT doc calling paid off !!!

Swimming sounds great, you really understand why whales evolved in water when swimming with a huge bump. Just don't what I did - tried to pull myself out of the pool after 40 lengths with my arms only, having forgotten that I was somewhat more cumbersome. I buckled under the weight and splashed back into the water, causing general panic all around.

Glad to hear babe's doing well. How's your DD's eye? Poor nephew with the otite.
I had to laugh the other day at the park though, there was this little boy with a fascia on to cover his ears as it was a bit windy and his mum was obviously worried that he might get earache. The poor child also wears trousers pulled up to his armpits so his belly never gets exposed to potentially life threatening correnti d'aria. The boy in question must be about 6 or 7, so definitely embarrassable age. He never plays with anybody though. His mum is weird, very highly strung with a squeaky voice always telling him the potential terrible consequences of his every move. She brings Scottex to the park to sit down on too.

DD eye is much better thanks - she has a small black circle bit like tiredness under one eye and a tiny scratch. Nephew seems happy enough to be honest he was out with us yesterday and happy as larry.
Going to buy baby vests - been all though my stuff and can find 3 tiny ones only - short sleeved and cotton. Found tons and tons of 6-9 / 9-12 all the multipacks from Tescos !! SO need to get a few more little ones - If you get an earthquake its me passing out at the price of them-.NOt buying Oviesse ones as find them cr*p so its Iana I think.
Have image of you pulling yourself up out of pool - We always joked that they reinforced the steps in and out of the pool with the bump ladies getting in and out.

Come in Bucharest, would you like a virtual cannolo with your coffee?

I am so glad to have found you all - all of this talk of messy houses and expensive shoes is just what has been on my mind since I moved here!! I have taken to flylady (system of routines for keeping house tidy - there is a thread somewhere on mumsnet) to try to keep me in order - but still never quite mange to keep what is a teeny tiny flat (35sqm) in order. So far no cousins/aunts have popped over....i will be so embarrased if they ever do! My English MIL is the same - she really struggles to keep her place tidy and has to make a real effort incase 'the italians' pop over!

In terms of shoes - glad to see some recommendations, I would also recommend Geox. God forbid they aren't made in Italy though but ds has a pair of Geox sandals and they have been fab through summer. We are now very late in getting his autumn/winter shoes though, and living in a small village there aren't a huge selection of shops. I am also car-less atm so relying on MIL for lifts - I hate not being independent!

Sputnik - how old is your dd? My ds is 32mths and has just started scuola - he doesn't speak much (still only two word sentences) so we are worried about his speech development - the ideas for Italian songs/stories is a really good idea and I am gonig to look them up myself. In fact I am thinking of getting ds a CD player for christmas. I know he does speak some English at scuola but his Italian does seem to be progressing a bit - mainly since he started attending from 9-4 and spending less time with me!

I am hoping to start swimming soon - but our local pool is currently being refurbished. I am also dreaming about finding a pilates class for me to attend - this would be really pushing it though! I am currently the talk of the village though for cycling my ds to nursery. Okay I am 14 weeks pregnant (not big though). It isn't very far i.e. two minutes! - but most other parents seem to use a car! I just don't get it - in such a beautiful place how can you justify using a car? I am not an environmentalist - but this is a little thing that I can do. My MIL heard that someone in the next village had even heard about me cycling to the scuola! It is sooooo hard not to conform to all of the village ways....but at the same time I don't want to be the talk of the village either . I am sure I will work it out.