MN Little Italy 8

[francagoestohollywood]

Benvenuti, ciao hello

Yes, it works really well. The only thing is you have to put it in the fridge for the topping to stiffen if you use crème fraiche.

I really want ot take DD to the UK for a few days, only I don't know when I can take the time off. I have a sudden bout of nostalgia, havent been back since Xmas 07 and am missing it.

Yes. We were thinking of visiting friends over the Easter holidays. But we have just been invited to a wedding of dh's dear friend in July (in Cambridge), so we might go then.
I miss Boots.

I don't know what I miss, it's intangible, though Boots is always missed of course. DD keeps asking when her cuginetti are coming to see her or when she can go to their house and I feel quite guilty at not taking her. Plus I'd quite like the full immersion in English aspect.

Easyjet have a discount sale on fares from March to June, but you have to book by tomorrow midnight which is tto short notice for me.

Brange, I was watching Dancing on ice...
I tried a few thing on the wii on sat night, and I'a to say it put me at 15 years more than I am, so not surprised at my legs still hurting from the step and back still hurting from the hula (though it felt great doing as my back was "unclicking"). til I came to london I was very sporty, cycling everywhere, years of dancing and swimming, couple of years of judo, tennis in the summer, but I hate "going" to the gym, quite enjoy exercising, but the getting there... so lazy, i know.. and no time now anyway... so as soon as dd's finished her feed, off I go...

ds is the same, "can we go to nonna's house today?".... and now he's really starting to refuse speaking italian, he's forgetting so much..... def need to do a month this summer...

so , what's this choc cake? (no, i'm meant to LOOSE weight, not putting it on...)

It must be a nostalgic morning. Ds has just finished going through his memory box, the one I made him when we left the UK.
Sunflower, you are brave ! I'm impressed esp by the hula hop!

franca, sorry, can I ask how did you find going back to italy after all those years?

I've never been able to do hula hoop, the hoop always fell down after 2 secs. Does it stay up more easily with the Wii Fit? If so, I might have to get it just for the satisfaction of making my hoop stay up.

Lol at Dancing on Ice - I do think they're brave, I went ice skating the other day at the outdoor rink here in Monza - after many many years - and spent the 1st half hour holding on to the edge. The most I've ever been able to do in my heyday was stop in a circle. I can't even vaguely iamgine being able to jump and land decorously.

X factor starts tonight, yay!

Oooh, franca... Guess where I am?...

was the same, useless with hula hoops when I was little, but I'm pretty good with virtual hoops !

Are you thinking of moving back to Italy then?

Penthe: in front of another dario argento movie? . Seriously, are you in Cambridge? I went for a month when I was 16 and I still have fond memories of the place. I was thinking that we could go to the wedding, then down to Exeter to see our friends and then maybe camping in Cornwall? The children would love it!

Sunflower, I think that after many yrs in the UK, there are many things about Italy that get on your nerves. A lot. Racism, excessive bureaucracy, un pc, no respect of rules (I couldn't stand those things even before living in the UK, but now it's even worse), etc etc. But, tbh, I find it much easier here. I find it is easier here to do things with other people. I like the fact that we have scuola materna and that school starts at 6. We live near very good friends and we share the children. Our families are near. I don't know. We still haven't figured out if moving has been the greatest mistake we've ever made or not.

You are brave considering camping anywhere in the UK. Mind you, I've done it and survived the experience. You'll just have to hope it doesn't rain all the time.

I do really want to go to Cornwall at some point though. I've never been (oh the shame!) but it has always enticed me. It would probably have to involve driving though and I know DP doesn't want to drive in the UK. Nor do I for that matter. Ho hum.

Come with us!
Since dh has been going on and on about being it high time we had more "adventurous" holidays with the dc , I let my imagination lose and fantasize about renting a camper van, driving though france, go to the wedding and then head south . What do you reckon? Mind you the other day i spotted a michelin guide to france in a camper van.

Guess how many questions ds have asked since he woke up this morning? (exhausted).

has

Lol! DP was talking about campers yesterday, just as we were driving past a huge concessionario. I've done the camper across Europe thing but for only a week, with my Mum and her partner, so maybe that put me off. I think it would be fun to do just the once though. Only problem is DP was talking about buying a sodding camper. I couldn't cope with having a camper holiday every year, it would drive me up the wall!

And he's supposed to be off sick? DD is also relentless in her questioning, it wears me out, also because like her dad she doesn't bother listening to the answers and asks me the same questions over and over again. I so hope she doesn't have the annoying repeat question gene.

What is that with man and automobiles? Dh keeps saying "this would be the right time to buy a new car". But our Multipla is only 10 yrs old and still going strong ! We never use the car during the week.
I'd rent a camper, likewise, I wouldn't want to spend every summer driving around in a camper!
Ds appears to be fine. He's quiet now, he's watching narnia.

right, done 20 mins on the wii, now DD's asleep so have to make lunch before DP comes back...

no, not moving back, at least DP's not even willing to consider it atm (had a brief conversation after Ds was born but it cut it short with "promise we'll talk about it soon" and that was 4 yrs ago, every time I try to explore the possibility it's well, can't move because my parents are getting older and already not that well (yes, they've had they're probs, but not unexpected ones, plus we still don't see them much mainly due to their testardaggine - and better don't start me on the subject or I'll bore you all to death), so what about my parents they're not getting any younger and at least we would have plenty of support, with family and friends close by (as we don't really have anyone here, and used to big family and loads of friends I get quite lonely), all with babies DD's age more or less and better fruit and veg and weather! not talking about starting school at 6!
but at the same time I know I'd miss the UK for the accessibility of everything, and all the things you mentioned (I've given up following italian politics)... and I'd probably be lost without eastenders and home and away... for now we're looking to move around cambridgeshire/suffolk/norfolk to have bigger house and garden - DS's always upset when we leave italy because of leaving his bike and big yard behind...

Sunflower, loneliness was my main problem in the uk. But in the last 3 yrs we were there, I had developed a few meaningful friendships and that had made me happier.
So how did it go on the wii?

sunflower, do you work?

did the step, but the hula was just too painful still

I have a very close friend who I came up to london with, but we don't see each other much, you know, no DCs so different lifestyle. DP's friends use to live not far, but they moved recently and they're the sort of people you have to book months in advance if you want to meet for a couple of hours.

yes, I work (when not in ML!), and a very good flexible job too (civil servant), so another reason to stay, plus as DP's italian is not great (the misunderstanding between him and my mu over the years are infinite!) and has no qualifications it would be very difficult for him to find a job and certainly impossible in the current climate.

sorry, must be a "feeling-sorry-for-myself" day...

Don't worry, it is ok to moan on here . Plus, as I said, I can empathize enormously with feelings of loneliness. I'd always had lots of friends in Italy and at the beginning of our life in the UK I kept wondering what I was doing wrong. I felt like an insecure teenager.
Will you be getting back to work? Isn't it a bit less lonely at work?