MN Little Italy 15

[francagoestohollywood]

welcome!

tbh i don't think i'll have another. i suck at pregnancy, suck at babies and right now i even suck at marriage. on which note let me go talk to dh after shouting at him for an hour...

INTERCET????? What was I trying to say????

Are all school uniform made of such unnatural material like Teflon etc? I did touch a skirt in John Lewis and boy did it feel sintetica (mum was appalled)! Anyway I do see the point and probably will see it even more after first year. What did you get McC? M&S seems to do pretty things however the jargon is very scary: 'Teflon Coated' 'Stain Defence? & Stormwear?'!!! What about dear old woolen pleated skirt, cotton blouse (I loath this word) and woolen jumper (don;t get cotton jumprs in winter)?

Ah the joys of being a foreigner mum...

I thought exactly that when I looked at the M&S uniform stuff, why no cotton skirts, fgs?

I have never read War and Peace, so might be up for that. I started To the Lighthouse and it was one of the very very few books I never finished, I was about 18 though.

I also have The Road on my mental list, but I'm currently on my 3rd post-apocalypse book in a row (not intentionallly, it just happened that way), so maybe in a few books time!

Just back from another very short beach trip and overnighter at the new house, we are getting there slowly. Fridge arrives tomorrow.

Go on Sputnik join us on a War and Peace epopea!

Very jealous of your beach trips! We had ONE sunny day yesterday and the park was jammed packed - busier that Rimini a Ferragosto.

I have started To the Lighthouse as well back in my youth and never finished it. Seemed slow and not in tune with my life, I bet I'd like it now.

Yes, W&P as cozy read to get us through Autumn and Winter!

Speaking of wanting more babies, when did you ladies know you wanted no.2? I don't have any "urge" at all to have another (DD is 14.5mo). Will it happen to me? Or will I never feel it? In some way, I hope not, as I'm not sure that DH (as much use as he's been with DD anyway!) could handle another baby. But I feel bad thinking that DD could be an only...

Hmmmmm.

Also envious of beach trips. I long to swim in the sea...

MM - sorry that things are tough right now.

Well, we got to the beach about 6, so not long there but everyone else was leaving by that time and you don't have to worry about the sun. DH and SIL had both been working, it's a complete novelty for us to do things after work. DH would normally be home at 8.30 in time for dinner and bed.

I'll order W&P and tackle it as the night draw in, I love nothnig more than a big fat book.

Re no.2, I couldn't contemplate another baby before DD was 2, agree pg and first year (even 2 years) suck in many ways, delicious and cute though babies are. Actually now DS is 2 I feel like my life is turning back to some kind of normality.
It is really nice having 2 though, in our new house they are sharing a room and they woke up and played together without bothering us this morning, normally DD wakes and zooms straight in to our room, think she is lonely on her own! Must reorganise her room here too and squeeze DS in there somehow so we can detatch the cot.

yes! I like this War and Peace book club! Let's be ready to start it mid sept then.

I always knew I wanted more than one but wanted a bit of a gap to gain my mind and body back as I was quite shell shocked. It felt right when dd1 was 2.5. It happened quite soon after that. Also because by then you'd forgoten all the PITA of pg.

Again I do believe somehow that if I ever will feel really broody it might be when dd2 is at that age.

Sputnik dd1 has started to go to dd2 in the morning too which is such a blessing. she also used to come straight up to ours. It is sooo nice to lay in bed half asleep listening to them singing/reading/laughing.

YYY, exactly Pippi! There is a nearly 3 year gap between mine, I felt like I had had a chance to recover a bit. Though there was also an element of having to start all over again with the baby stuff. Anyway, I feel I am out of the woods now, no way am I going for no.3. Anyway, I have got rid of all my baby crap.

Just remembered I actually have a copy of W&P, along with quite a few other Russian novels that once belonged to my FIL. MIL wanted to chuck them so I rescued them and promptly forgot I had them. So if I enjoy W&P I'll move on to Anna Karenina.

Yes exactly. I am not sure once we are out of the woods that I do want to go in it again this time. I am not even sure my body will recover from it (it will if I do some excercise but since realistically I talk and talk and watch Beeny in the evening instead of going running). Anyway DH made his point more than clear and I hope this will make me think along the same lines. I cannot get rid of baby stuff though even though they fill every crevice of the house.

I am the same with exercise, it is taking me longer to recover from no.2, hopefully I will get there in the end. Go on, get rid of the crap, it's liberating!

War and Peace, you guys are brave- personally i feel that no one will ever give me back the loooong boring hours i spent reading it, i am sure it's great but there's only so much description of battles and military campaigns a girl can take. The only thing i remember (and it's hardly a cliffhanger so you won't hate me) is that natasa insists on breasfeeding all her children herself, thus scandalising polite society. A Mnetter ante litteram :-)

i also always knew i wanted more than one and went for it as soon as i felt vaguely human again. i think my current broodiness is due to the fact that i know once things get a bit easier (when? when?!!!!) i will not want to go back to it, and so i feel i should do it now before i get a taste of freedom again.... but dh doesn't see it like that, and perhaps he's right

otoh i do feel so terrified of the future what with the move and everything that it feels good to know that i've got a "project" up my sleeve if all else fails...

MM, sounds like you should get the move done and see how you feel then, don't envy you though.
Although where you are going would also be DH's first port of call to look for a new job if he loses this one, or they propose sending him somewhere he doesn't want to go, as his employers force people to rotate to new countries every 4 years. G would definitely be preferable to most of the places we could end up!

well sputnik we could always set up the Little Italy geneva branch :-)

Might take you up on that! We have 4 years still to go here though.

well who knows where i'll be then...

Or anyone, for that matter. Right now I'm off to bed.....

Hi everyone! back from hot hot hot italy to miserable surrey late last night! real shock to the system!

belated happy bday penthe (we're the same age!) and cin cin sputnik to the new house!

MM, I always wanted at least 2 (3 really, but reached a compromise with dh - still, not sure I could face 3 now!!). I also wanted a bit of a gap, but not too much, so thought about 2.5-3 years. then put it off for another year because of where we were with work but then I felt kind of "it's now or never". but we've also been lucky to get pg stright away both times. I get broody time to time, but then I think about the delivery and come back to my senses!

oh, how I need a proper holiday! things back home are very tense, as usual, and dd was very clingy so always with me to begin with, with DS turning into a bit of a brat - won't listen to me at all, just to dp , so on top of all also had to endure "if he was m son" etc comments from mum and dad. didn't even go to the beach as much as I wanted, and good in a way as it was always turning into a mission with mum complaining we were too slow and how it was pointless going mid afternoon etc etc. didn't get too see friends much either . I went out less and worked more than at home, didn't even managed to read la settimana enigmistica, never mind books!!
then I come home to work ringing me to see if I fancy swapping jobs with s.one and realising that I'm back to work in only 10 days after nearly 14 months .

but it was worth it, DS's italian has come on soooooooo much (with matching tan!) and dd has gone from houdini's little helper to master escapologist! OMG she's soo active, so hard work and sooooooo cheeky

oh, and DP built a conservatory too before joining us, not finished, but sooo impressed.

got w&p somewhere....

Welcome back Camo. You've been missed.

Camo and MM welcome back !

MM: I'm impressed by your in depth knowledge of Dirty dancing.
Who is Ayn Rand?

3 child. No, I think I left it too late. Mine are now 7 and 5, I'm not sure I could go back to have another one.
There's been a time in the past when I felt really broody, but didn't have the guts to actually act on this feeling (and convince dh to have a 3rd, he is not that keen), but nowadays I really don't feel that physical urge of reproducing again, as much as I love babies.
Plus I do have a really bad back, not sure a pg would help.

Pippi, lol at uniforms!! It was terribly depressing. ANd the smell of those teflon trousers! I bought lots of white proper cotton polo shirts in italy for ds when he was at school in the uk.
There are also lots of websites selling organic cotton uniforms (try google it), they are pricier of course, just don't mention it on MN
Not sure you'll ever find a wool jumper. It is weird how wool jumpers are impossible to find on the high street in the uk. But it's becoming the same in Italy .

Sputnik which post apocalypse books did you read?

Mccloud, I read a Cechov collection titled "I racconti della maturità". I found them superbly written, and yes, a bit depressing. But so revealing of the late 1800 russian society! Incredibly interesting.

Camo, I'm sorry to hear the holidays didn't go as well as you planned! You might find time to relax ... at work, like most of my working friends claim è

for cotton uniforms you could try www.eczemaclothing.co.uk. mind you they're 4 times more expensive than the plastic ones, but the quality on that website is usually superb (i buy pjs for dd1).

Ello
MM sorry about your hols sounds like mine here ( less the sun of course).Mind you I don't mind as I want to do as much as I can for parents whilst I can so its ironing , washing , shopping etc but its hard work with 2 of them and also this house has lots more dangers than my Italian one and Minirosa is in to everything she can get her hands on.
Dh back in a very very hot Venice so glad still to be here. Probably we are going to start a house search on the mainland but need to find out where good schools doc etc are not sure where to start but agree we cannot go on hanging in there and hoping for Venice.
War and Peace erm not sure I would probably make a start and then you would be on page 5000 and I would still be on page 20!
School uniforms I touched some in tescos the other day and thought ....Child would sweat from APril onwards, Freeze from October as plastic doesn't keep a child warm. The shirts were not even cotton .....
Pente re No2 I would have waited but the bio clock was ticking . I would have aimed for 3-4 yrs between them but saying that I love the way dd1 has started 'teaching' minirosa how to do some of her toys - Not so much on teh removing of afore mentioned toys when she wants to play with them but can't complain really.

Hi rosa, how is your dad?
I'm sure your parents are so happy to have you around helping them out and having the dds to dote on...

Gosh yes, we will probably start flat hunting in milan in september... I feel for you...

oh, yes, rosa, forgot to ask about your dad, hope he's better.

My parents are still relatively young, but when i'm back there I'm suddenly a teenager again, treated and made to feel like one anyway. I do help with the chores, but unfortunately there's tension from a marriage that should have ended years ago, or could have been saved years ago had they or my gran moved out. then there's my 24yo sis going on 13, treating the house as a hotel (I mean, in 4 wks I was there I think she slept at home 5-6 times, stayed in 3 nights, the rest spent out partying/on the phone/sleeping on the couch, behaving like a spoilt brat really. and then the arguments between the 3 of them, me trying to stay out of it (got burnt a few times by trying to intervene, especially when I said that mum and sis are exactly the same so there'll always be attrito), I am constantly walking on egg shells. then I feel guilty for longing for london, so I feel homesick and want a house there so I can be close but avoid the wars (and have a place 3 times the size of this with a football pitch for a garden)... vicious circle really

oh, well, might go and view a 6 bed house next week, really need to move out before I go insane in this hole!

uniforms, don't get me started. ok, they come out of the washing machine virtually dry, but why oh why have those trousers!?!? t-shirts always look grey and have you checked the shoes? thick hard black rubber! winter is the worst though. at least girls can wear tights under skirts and dresses. I sent mum on a hunt for white long-sleeve polo shirts for ds and made him wear tights under his trousers (luckily he felt too cold to complain) last winter

should really carry on with the un-packing but keep on getting side-tracked by the grey dust covering everything (feeling a bit less impressed by the conservatory..)

sorry about the rant, just in a ranty mood, and now dd's waking up and must go

Oh dear Camo, I'm so sorry to hear this. My mum has this tendency of treating both me and db like teenagers. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

As for uniforms. I remember I bought ds 2 white polo shirts with long sleeves at IANA (very warm and soft) and one from Benetton (a bit more expensive but nicer) when he was at school in the uk. Also 2 canottiere, you know cotton on the skin and wool fuori
I also refused to get him thoase obnoxious black shoes. Thankfully his school was a bit lax uniform wise.

I love British uniforms, cheap and easy to wash, no way I would spend money on my grubby boy for school.

Had a terrible day and wish I was somewhere else with someone else. HOpefully a good night sleep will improve my mood.

Cannot wait to hear about your new homes, Rosa surely there are some nice places on terraferma (love this word) no? Camo you want to move area don't you? Sorry about general grimness fo the holiday, it's hard I know. Dream of city break without kids...

Off to bed...