Brand new MN Little Italy (22)

[Francagoestohollywood]

hello, ciao, etc

have say thats one thing about the UK, cheap kids toiletries and reasonably priced kids stuff! The excitement when they opended an everything is 1€ shop in Pantelleria!!!

having said that I did not complain when DC got burberry hand me downs!

giveit your MIL sounds like a character! how old is your kid BTW?

hello everyone! and welcome to all the new LIers! sorry to hear about all the mad MILs!

been a bit AWOL for same reason Penthe, especially after I MN kept on cutting me off at the end of long posts - sooooooo much easier talking, but could never leave you lot, sometimes you're the only ones that truly understand!

Rosa congratulations!

re colthes, depends, some stuff cheaper in uk, some in italy. DS's "good" stuff mainly from next and from "Z..." in italy (I looooooooooove that shop as it's not all brown and navy for boys). track bottoms/shorts, mainly from italian market or tesco. for DD, well, she still has plenty of "expensive" french and italian clothes, as she can still fit 12mo, so all birth presents, but again, I stocked up on Z sales last summer and next and mothercare.

so, italy was good and bad at the same time - kids loved it and spent most time outside (despite the weather) but that meant no rest for me as DD's need CONSTANT supervision as she climbs on to anything!!!!!! or opens every cupboard etc (finally people agreeing she's worse than her brother!!). looks like we just got back on time (terrible flights with DS being sick both ways). didn't even do any shopping there, no time, was hoping to get dress and shoes for wedding, so will have to look here now...

DD started developing eczema on her wrists just before we got to italy, so not sure if the change of weather/grass/spring has made it full blown but has been prescribed cortisone cream too for the worst patches, just hope it's not to the extent of DSis (total nightmare for her and mum since she was a baby, made worst by various allergies, and still on light therapy at 25!)

right, back to look at mobiles, need to change mine as it keeps on packing up, but trying to decide if the iphone is really worth the hype... open to any suggestion!

He's almost 4 and not speaking Italian and ao I'm bit pissed off.

But dh speaks Italian to me - what't the point of that- thanks for the language instruction but it's ds that needs it.

Ds does like his Italian gm but as they cannot communicate (she speaks only a dialect and there's nothing to do in her village and no other kids).

Yes and I've got to say I've posted on relationships and posters have given me a hard time as they don't understand that my life isn't a UK one.

It's been frustrating as I don't stop mil from seeing ds and mil doesn't stay in a hotel when here - that I spend more than 1 hour per year with her. I could never deny mil or other family contact with ds. Why would I?
I wouldn't expect those values anyhow as I'm part asian and our culture is similar.

In about one hour I find out about ds's primary school application choice - it should be fine as we live opposite the school of choice but dh doesn't understand the stress with schools in the UK. Agh - but I'm sure it will be fine and a big topic of conversation when we meet up with ds party friends from his nursery tomorrow afternoon dressed as a transformer.

Sputnik, yes, I remember we shared the same passion for scandinavian fashion , do you know, I've just become a fun of nordickids on facebook . Mind you, I haven't bought from that website in yrs

Camo, welcome back! Sorry to hear about dd eczema, it's a nightmare. I hope the cortisone cream works asap.
I love "Z" too! (especially for boys and babies, I find girls clothes after 3 too "grown up")
If I had to change mobile phoen and could justify the need for it, I'd deffo go for an iphone. But I'm an apple lover, I'm writing from a minimac!

Rosa, glad to hear you might have found your man (for renovation )

Giveitago, fingers crossed for school. I have to say that Italians are starting to get stressed about school too. At least here in Milan, especially with middle schools (primary schools seem to be pretty much good on average here). Is there really an Italian school near you?

Hi franca

Italian school as in italian evening classes for children of italian origin and there arey all over the place - nice for the kdis.

But I'd expect you'd need to have some level of italian the first place and ds doesn't have this.

All is not lost as he's almost 4 so very young - but in his case italian school won't be able to compensate for what he's NOT learning at home.

No excuses - dad speaks italian and very limited enlgish so ds should have more italian than he does.

I'm going to give it until 6 years and if it's not happening then I'll abandon.

And we've got into the primary of our choice - cool - I can see into their playground so I can check up on him. LOL.

re clothes and buying in dh's area it's all chicco (hate it and the expense) and prenatal. I'll look out for this other stuff though.

Just heard about this volcano ash business and also the stuff about the italian doctors arrested in afghanistan - dh reckons it's to do with the horrible UK secret services stitching them up. Could be I guess.

Oh I see, of course!
I think that your dh should be very consistent in always speaking Italian to your son, so that at least ds understands the language without problems.
It's bizarre that he is not speaking in Italian to him, I've always found unnatural speaking in English to our dc, my instinct has always been to use my mother tongue with them.
Good news about getting 1st choice school.

Yes, there is a suspicion that the english secret service has something to do with the arrest of the 3 doctors. The Italian govtm doesn't seem to be that pro active, as "Emergency" the NGO managing the hospital where the 3 doctors have been arrested is considered a "lefty organization"

Welcome back Camo! Family visits always hectic I find. I rarely get to do the things I would like to do when I get to the UK.

Giveitago I would think your DS needs to speak Italian most of all for the sake of his reltionship with his dad and that side of his family, no?

Never heard of Z...
I was really pleased last week we were at our old place and I got to visit the second hand clothes stall for the first time in months. They'd obviously got a batch in from France and I picked up a DPAM skirt and top, some really nice leggings and a plain white shirt she can use for school, all for 8 euros. God I miss that stall, they have some second hand stalls on the market here but their stuff is crap and costs more.

zeta

Oh that stall sounds good...
Dh's aunt always manages to find incredible bargains at her local market and also buys for the dc. I seem unable to do so. I went to the market the other day and got attracted to the posh stall selling cashmire . (I didn't buy anything though)

Yes I second what Franca says about speaking Italian, me and DH speak fluent Italian, but still both feel unnatuaral speaking it to the DCs, we speak English at home.

Franca do you get a discount with Nordickids if you're a fan then? I'm thinking of renegotiating my mortgage for this and this

Sounds like you've got an up-market market there.

Ladies - well the plot thickens in terms of the gps - but sorry to say I wouldn't trust the berlusconi media to tell anything like the truth. Almost nothing in UK media wich means it could be the UK secret services actually.

Erm - dh NEVER speaks to ds in Italian - only to me and then in dialect and gets very angry if I don't understand. Bonkers.

I have friends whith an Italian parent and their kids are doing fine and it makes me feel bad for ds. I could teach him bits but my Italian is aqcuired so it will be patchy (but effective!).

They have some kind of competitions, but I haven't looked into it properly.
Dress and tshirt deffo worth renegotiating a mortgage. oh look, should we have another baby just to put it into this?

Oh there's a Zeta at the centro commerciale just down the road here, will have to check it out...

Yes, I was in a posh part of Milan after an errand and got attracted by the posh market. You should have seen the fruit and veg stalls!

So giveitago, does your dh speak in english to ds? Really bizarre!

The news about the arrest of the 3 doctors was actually given by the times, which gave wrong news, such as that the doctors confessed being part of a conspirancy to kill the local governor. But it wasn't true, the docs didn't confess.

oooh look at this

Better go DD wants me to do some baking.....

Have to admit DS had a couple of babysuits from Nordickids this print but shortsleeves and in yellow and a red one with little birds, I still have them.

Awwww lovely.
Yes, it's time I started cooking some dinner too.

Nordic kids - are you guys really rich? I'm off to mothercare - more in my price range for pjs - than goodness for the sales.

My ds will learn italian by hook or by crook. But not at italian class yet. I will next week shout at dh and make him do it. What's the point of speaking to ds in bad english and me in dialect. Wrong language wrong person. And I've started telling his community that he's not speaking to ds in Italian - so I'll shame him into doing it. If ds doesn't get along with it then fine - but at least he will have had the opportunity. Although I've heard that his family are hoping that ds will spend a year in italy with his gran and at school - no chance. Perhaps that's why dh doesn;'t speak to ds in Italian - he wants the force the issue. No chance.

Ciao !! I don't think I ever bought kids clothes in Italy, my mum used to buy them in UK and then bring them over with her. Here in UK I buy from Next, Asda, Tesco, Matalan and occasionally John Lewis. The only thing I will sepnd a bit more on is shoes. DD LOVES Lelli Kelly's and they are much cheaper in Italy than UK so always get her a couple of pairs when we over. Same with Geox for DS.
DH always speaks to our kids in Italian and I try although at the moment I'm trying to unscouse their accents so hearing my accent will hopefully stop them saying Books and cooks in big scouse accents !!
As for MIL, mine is actually clinically mad, such a shame as she is a really nice lady who has suffered so much. BIL called the other night and she had stopped taking her meds and threw herself out of the window, thankfully groundfloor. She has had an xray and going to call in a bit to see how she is. She told BIL she had a vision and it told her to do it. I've told DH that when we go in May under NO circumstances should she be left alone with the children. Its took him a while to see my point of view but god forbid she shuld do anything to them .... Its hard coz they adore her and want to be with Nonna. When we lived there she was fantastic with them but I just can't take that risk anymore.

No not really rich, but like to dream! I was slightly richer before I had DS and was working more. The rest of his baby stuff was hand-me-downs from DD, so I justified it.

Sorry to hear about your MIL Busy

NOw that was a site I diddn't know - and they do minirosas size I really musn't seeing the situation...They are adorable. A friend gave me a bag of clothes yesterday I sware it is worth about EU800. 3 Burberry dresses with tops. Blu Marine stuff and a beautiful Arc en ciel dress Agatha della Ruz or is it Cruz anyway minirosa will look lovely if it fits her as it might just miss a bit .....
Busy sad about Nonna esp if the dcs adore her hope she settles ok on the meds.
Oh che fortuna ladies- The day after we signed the owner died - ok so she was 98 and in Casa di riposo but what a fluke or was it destiny and she was waiting until it was all sorted?
As for my architect he is not bad really.....

No, not rich, just daydreaming (and I don't have small babies anymore )

Busy, so sorry to hear about your mil. How sad.

Rosa, wow... poor lady. Maybe she was waiting...

Actually MIL had THE MIL from hell. MIL was 16 when she fell pregnant with DH, DH's father was about 10 years older and the idolised son. His mum never thought MIL was good enough and as soon as DH was born took over big time, she even had a key to their apratment and would just let herself in. She fell pregnant again with BIL and not long after he was born both kids she seperated from FIL and lost custody of both kids. From what DH remembers he was always told his mother was evil and they told him to spit and swear at her !!! Was only when they became teenagers they saw their mother again and once we had DS she moved down to Sicily, she was in the north, to live with BIL.
When we left 18 months ago the effect of us leaving, more so the kids, caused her to have relapse. Its like she's re living having her kids taken away all over again.
It always amazed me how much Sicilians would spend on clothes for the kids. I wonder if ASDA opened a clothing department, would it really take off ??

God what an awful story, poor poor woman. I will never moan about my MIL again.