MN Little Italy 16

[TheMysticMasseuse]

I HAVE STARTED A LITTLE ITALY THREAD!!!!

hooray for me!!!

CJ- I am English, shacked up with an Italian (in sin lol) been here in the deep south for 15 yrs (and counting)

Miss everything about England except scary hoodie teenagers with knives in their socks,and hordes of teenage mothers "'aving a fag" down the precinct while their poor children (for t'is always plural) sit bored out of their tiny minds in the pushchair....

Gio- for you and ds.....chin up, this too shall pass....would you consider pulling him out altogether if things don't improve? Is that a possibility for you?

McCloud- that's v well put, the freedom to be who you are.....and so true...

Also have penchant for intellectual lefties, Tony Benn yum-yum.

Penthe, hope dd feels better soon....

Off to school....

(PS never had playpen or baby walker) (no room for the first, so never considered it, and didn't see point of second, dd just hoiked herself around holding onto things)

Playpens... mmmm they were quite popular in the 70s when we grew up, weren't they?
I don't have a position on playpens. Surely they are perfect with those children who are able to entertain themselves. I suppose dd would have been happy for a little while in a playpen. But since she is a second, and ds would have screamed blue murder in a playpen (he needed constant interaction from the word go) I've never bothered buying one

On Mumsnet playpens are disliked so much for the same reasons as baby walkers mcc. Some research probably on how they hinder mental development or prevent parents to bond with their offspring 24/7 .
But again, I expect you use playpens because your dc enjoy a bit of time on their own and you'll pick them up as soon as they get tired and want a cuddle... I used a baby walker for ds half an hr a day, he used to whizz around in the kitchen while I got his dinner ready. Otherwise he'd have starved. Now, that's bad

Yes, I agree that people are more free in the UK, and I love the fact that people can re invent their lives, change careers, move areas without second thoughts.

But imho this is the positive side of a high degree of individualism that made me very unhappy and feel isolated.

Lol, what exactly is wrong with starving your children?

I think playpens will never be banned, as they stop accidents happening, and no risk of child being left in it so long that he becomes mentally retarded, as any child, even the most placid will scream blue murder. I think they probably help with bonding as you get some time of peace without having to worry about baby killing himself doing something stupid. But I agree, some kids will never stay in it, mine do for a little while, big believer in screaming being good for the lungs anyway. I think on mumsnet most mums want the baby on the boob 24/7 whilst making organic lentils soup. e

What are you reading at the moment? Are you joining me with Guerra e Pace?

Camo have you started it? ARe you going to live near the sea?

Nothing, but apparently starving them damages their mental development ! And their fine motor skills !

I'm reading a children's book (say for age 10/12) to review.
I also bought Ruth Reichl "Not becoming my mother". I really like her, I discovered her in the US. I recommend here

It's still too hot here to start war and peace...

You deffo have forgotten those nspcc ads mccloud

Deffo need an autumny weather for w&p, does not suit hot.

Book sounds interesting, have made note of it.

Would you go and stay in a villagio/camping even if their website looked crap? Though you know the area is lovely...we have zero money this year so we have to go to cheapest villaggio we can find really..

when I picked up ds he looked fine and the maestra said he'd been fantastic today and only cried when I left for 10 mins! He seemed happy, told me he played on the slide and wants "ancora scuola". Phew! There is light! And I have 2 days break before the tears start again....In the meantime I gave him a Thomas jigsaw I was saving for his birthday as a reward so he is a very happy chap. Thanks for the advice and for listening to me this week ladies, was very much appreciated. You also have 2 days break from me and my woes
Big playpen fan as well. DS made it very clear when he'd grown out of it by attempting to throw himself over the edge but for a couple of months leading up to that he loved it and so did I!!!

Mcloud I think if I knew the area was great and I was just using the villagio for sleeping then would definitely go. Where are you thinking about?

hello girls... AIBU to be insanely pleased that i have been quoted on this week's talk round-up (re the pooing in peace thread)???

Yes, mcc I agree with gio re the villaggio!

Gio glad that he's had a good morning! Have a lovely weekend (going anywhere nice? to the seaside??? ).

where, where? link please!

saw it MM!

in Campania;

check your email franca!

MM! have been thinking of you and positive things about switzerland!

done mcc!

hello everyone sorry i came on really quickly early on to gloat

McC... so sweet of you to think of me... what positive things were you thinking??? i need to knwo them, although it is nice enough to know you were thinking positive things!

gio, happy that ds is settling in a bit better at school... it takes a while. and Buch, am at the horrible maestra!!!

speaking of meetups... what do the london gals think of a meetup on the monday morning of half term?

fine by me.

monday am fine here too, it's my day off!

funny you've ben talking about playpens, DP just got it up yesterday! not sure how much we'll use it with dd, but we did use it quite a bit with ds. at the moment dd loves going in-ou-in-out of the gate.

gio, glad it's been better!

McC - yes!! started it this week!!! only just as I haven't had much opportunity, plus I'm trying to read it slowly instead of my usual fuga as there are too many names to remember and I'm also reading the notes. but so far so good. hoping the dcs will sleep in the car tomorrow so can read a bit more.

back later, DP needs to print maps for tomorrow!

I am jealous of you and w&p. weather cold enough now to start it. As soon as I finish Jane Somers, which I love, I will join you.

good luck camo.

Gio- great news! Light indeed.....have a lovely weekend spoiling him and yourself.....

Thanks for the cooking compliments - I just wish I had time to cook more and better - I would love to cook more just don't have the time......
Gio so glad things are better and I hope when MOnday comes he will still be happy to go .
baby walker - Girello right ?
PLay pens I have one never used it with dd1 but with minirosa I will have to use it sometime as she is a MONKEY - She hates it with a passion right now even loaded with toys but I can see it coming in handy.
Sputnik as for driving out of Rome you deserve a medal . I have only done the outskirts of Roma - mai piu. Milan I get in a sweat just doing the ring road . I managed Florence lots ( bit its small). Palermo I aged 20 years in 5 mins and its the only time I braked and shut my eyes as if waiting for the 'crunch'.
Ordered my clothes for the wedding I hope they fit ! I cannot believe I did a M&S order and forgot to order any knickers !!
Bucharest - at Tony Benn not my cuppa who was the one that had a duffle coat - Michael Foot ?
Penthe hope all well in your camp.
Oh me ...Married to a Venetian I hail from Berkshire / Cornwall 2 dd I hate Italians who cannot queue and the sheer paperwork - for anything especially when its waste of time stuff . Berlusca is a pratt and how he got re elected I don't know ( I seriously suspect a fiddle). I love the general way of life , the wine , the food but I miss the UK esp my family and all the things you can do there that you can't do here ...but that is down to Venice as well !

You drove in Palermo? Respect woman . This summer we took a cab in Milazzo from the harbour to the train station and he drove so fast I closed my eyes the whole time. I was too petrified to say a thing.

Most Italians shouldn't be allowed to drive!

Yesterday night I saw Bignardi interviewing Saviano and , che paese . Very depressing stuff.

Rosa why don't you set up a cake making business, selling lovely cakes to venetians for their little alvises?

mm, i have been thinking of what is exciting about Switzerland and beside the vicinity to the mountains, opportunities to ski, lovely walks, trekking, swimming in lakes, things you have obviously thought about, I cannot think of anything else! I loved the Paul Klee centre in Berne, I have been trying to think of famous Swiss writers and I can only come up with Rousseau! How long are you going to be there for? I would definetely seek refuge in a nice Masters if I were you.. I envy you that!

I went from the airport to Cefalu - I was given an upgraded car as a piacere ( the one time I would have been happy with a punto !)- I had the driving instructions on a tape recorder / walkman ( shows how many years ago) I honestly thought I was not going to make it and if I had seen a sign for a station / taxi rank I would have stopped and given up. When I got to the hotel they were super polite and nice - I was shaking I think !( I was a manager back then ) and they offered me sweet wine all I wanted was a strong G&T.
Then driving from there to Taormina I went though some very small villlages - you know where you think mmmmm magari I will not stop for a coffee and a wee ( da sola etc etc ). In Sardegna when I saw the bullet holes on the road signs and the super blindata carbinieri I have never broken so many speed regulations in my life- Especially the tratta about 20 km where there was no signale for the mobile . Oh happy days.
I have been asked to do a few cakes but I am a bit unsure as if I stuff them up I can't charge people for them when its family it doesn't matter plus I plan ahead so get stuff from the UK.
DD1 cold which went to Minirosa is on its way to dh and me ...both with mal di gola - So dh will be in bed domani vedrai !!!!!!

I loved Switzerland but I only really went there skiing ( from Cervinia - Zermatt) or when I went to Geneva airport . Plus a few weeks hols. Everybody soo polite and so clean .