MN Little Italy 13

[Rosa]

E primavera ...Buona Pasqua Tutti .......

I think it is very hard to understand and navigate a school system that is so different from the Italian one. And English parents seem to have so many expectations, which always end up making you (me, I'm talking about me !) doubt your parental skills.
This underlying feeling of "failing your children" if you make the wrong choice is quite daunting, isn't it? Add the modern obsession of demanding "results" from a very young age and it gets overwhelming!
I've always thought, choose the local school (unless it's falling to pieces) and see how it goes. Secondary is a hard one, as there are a million things you cannot predict: how academic is your child (plus, there are children who are bravi alle elementari and not later and viceversa, and so many other changes), what is your child's strongest subject/interest etc and what the sec school will be like in 7 yrs time. Some that you rule out now, can become very good in the space of 5 yrs.
Otherwise move back to Italy! Where of course state school will soon destroyed...

brange mi ha paccato !

sunflower lovely - what a smile....
scammed on buggy and dh was laughing ..we were at the zoo in lignano and the delivery people called saying they had delivered a bicycle to me by mistake and could I check my package ......I had to call a neighbour to open the door to them so they could swap it ! Lovely en famille day mrosa did a Huge poo up her back /arms !!! gotta go one handed typing with grump here !!!

LOl at passeggino and lol at lovely day en famille: minirosa did a huge poo

lol at the buggy

ah... so many childhood memories of lignano zoo and parco heminghway.... always loved them... talking about miniR's poo, did you get the results?

oh yes the green poo ... what happened?

franca saw you on the tax thread. I laughed in understanding at your post about coming to mn to taste some leftiness... thought at the average italian and your torinesi in montagna .

ciao must go and watch the apprentice to update sputnik.

I feel I've got nits... yuk.

Yes, did you get the results of the green poo?

Pippi , I think that on MN the quality of the debate is often very satisfactory. I think the Brits debate much better than the Italians, no?

My torcicollo is still pretty bad, even my physio was baffled

I am waiting with baited breath, Damon

Sorry your torcicollo is still bad Franca.
Speaking of Italian debate I always think of those interminable programmes with Santoro, where everyone talks at once and doesn't even pretend to listen to the other side. After 3 hours they have still got nowhere (not that daebates on MN go anywhere either)!

Hi everyone.

Sorry for the school stress, Pippi.

And also that your neck is still giving you grief, franca.

I MUST stay away from that tax thread. I watched the budget today on tv, while trying to stop DD, who is pulling herself up and cruising all the time, from finding my mug of tea, and when Darling announced the 50% rate of tax, I was " Bloody hell! Finally! Socialism!" However, I can predict the bleating from certain quarters already. How can anyone come on here and complain about that when there are so many threads about redundancies and people struggling on benefits? Some people need to get a grip.

Phew. Ranted here instead of that thread!

Thanks Sputnik, it's taking a lot of time to heal and it's getting me down a bit.

Oh gosh, i can't watch Santoro or the other guy on rai tre anymore. First of all because Casini is always invited (btw, he's plastered Milan of posters of himself holding his children from his second marriage... don't give a fig about how many times ones get married, but given he is a catholic leading a catholic party ) and second because they talk on top of each other and shout. I only watch Travaglio, but mainly because I fancy him !

Oi, Penthe, come back! Your dd is cruising already? Bless!

We miss you! How are things? We booked a hotel in C btw

Awww, I miss you guys too.

Yes, cruising - I can't believe it. I was a slow walker (18mo), so was hoping lazily that I would be spared early walking from DD , but it looks like she'll be walking soonish. Still, I think it'll make her happier and less frustrated, so I suppose I shouldn't mind chasing after her too much!

Hotel in C? Cool. I'm still keen to meet up, if you are (and obviously if you have time - I know how hectic these things can turn out to be).

Things are ok: we've not moved yet - still working out which things we should do first (and how to pay for them ) before we go. We might, after all, do the barn first, for storage reasons (one of the most pressing reasons for needing lots more space), and live in the house as it is to take time to figure out a plan of action. There's still some scary damp that needs investigating though. Eeek. Garden is lovely, however - it's been gorgeous weather here the past couple of days.

Seen those posters in Rome too.
Are you going back to the physio Franca? Hope you get some improvement soon. I've had this thing in my shoulder for a while now too. It got a lot better while I was away but is coming back again now I am back at the tram tram of cleaning, driving etc etc. I might try an osteopath, but they're only open in the afternoon, wich is a pain for childcare.

Sorry, that should read: "one of the most pressing reasons for moving was needing lots more space"...

Are these posters for the European parliament elections?

Oh me too, it'd be lovely to meet you. They do have an intensive program of festggiamenti, but I'm keen to find a bit of time for myself... and I will. Will keep you posted.

Damp sounds scary, do investigate asap. And how's the heating?

I saw a UKIP one today - sporting this kind of image, saying "he would never allow it" (or something similar) about £40 million per day to Europe. I was quite shocked, actually, though I realise it's tame in comparison to some of the electioneering that goes on in Italy, for example!

They don't appear to need an actual reason for putting up political posters here. Actually that's one of my bugbears, they have these supposedly temporary hoardings for political posters here, in our comune they have been up for the last 3 years or so. I am totally fed up with it.

I should point out, I mean I'm shocked about the bluntness of the poster, rather than morphing into a Daily Mail reader who is irritated about £40 million to Europe (pretty small beer, I should think - less than £1 a day, per UK citizen...).

Ooooh, Sputnik! Good idea! I love croquet.

Damp definitely scary: may have to replace supporting beam. Holy crap.

I must remember to email you my mobile number before you come over.

Actually I was really shocked a month or so ago, we went to a shop that sells furniture etc and they had a poster outside featuring Hitler. It was supposed to be funny

Don't you think the word croquet looks more like a toasted sandwich? Croque monsieur, etc?

penthe I'd suggest you do exactly that. It is not satisfactory to do the storage bit first bit it is the best plan. we did our garage first (dh'd idea, I'd have done the house) and it was a life saver. Don't know where we'd have put our stuff when we did the house otherwise.

THE APPRENTICE UPDATE: sputnik, Ben was normal today and the team he was in won the task. the american lady went, she was team leader and useless. It was right she went but IMHO siralan should have addressed those who did sod all. ahhhhhh I'm glad you wanted to know, I've been dying to tell my strategy to someone else rathen than dh all evening!

NIGHT NIGHT

It was Mercatone Uno I think. DH took a picture we were so gobsmacked.

Sputnik yes, sometimes here in Milan posters appear with not much reasons, often with pics of blond -supposedly attractive -women of the extreme right (think daniela santanche'...)

Penthe, I'll let you know exactly which weekend will be around. I also have an english mobile number