Brand new MN Little Italy (22)

[Francagoestohollywood]

hello, ciao, etc

Minerva we were not that far away . I was not far from Truro. We went to Paradise Park with the dds an as usual they loved it.

I just feel ignorant regarding the schooling and teachers and how it all works. It is all so very different to what I was used to in the UK and I am just shocked at the lack of locker space , the huge zaini, the cost of books ( the scam that goes with them). The lack of playing areas and sports facilities ( Ok Venice is shorter than others but no places seem to even have a gym!)YOu ask other mums and you get a mass of feedback on what is good , bad , if you have the fortuna to get the good teachers as each year seems to get different ones others worse than others. DD2 is going to a private materna / nido for a year I know that one is good as dd1 went there. DD1 is also in a suore materna and we have had ups and downs there and teh good suore that almost ran the place has been moved on as the head suore is a nasty bit of work so now we wait and see how things are in Sept. DD2 teacher is still there and I should be going back to teach ENglish there so I am a bit more tranquilla. I do envisage sleepless nights when we go for the primary and lord help me the medie..... Mind you I might understand it better then.

Hi all, hope you don't mind me popping my head in here again after months of being totally awol... my excuse is new baby (she's 5 months old now and delightful!) and being holed up with my PIL in the arse end deep south of Italy for a month this summer with rare internet access , followed by a couple of weeks in the UK.
Also things have been extremely up and down with DP, so often I haven't been in the mood for "chatting". IT seems parenthood has brought out the 1960s meridionale attitude in him which I hadn't figured on being so strong in such a young, seemingly open-minded man.
Turns out he's more controlling than I realised before. We're trying to struggle on but there are some very dark days for me whenI wonder what I've got myself into.
Anyway, I'm still here and still log on occasionally to see what you're up to. Hopefully more often now! Ciao for now... :)

HI Spaghettina - Sorry things down there look a bit dismal .Parenthood does bring out surprises and I hope that you manage to work things out for you and your dd ( Congrats BTW). Keep popping in Little Itlay will most likely get going again when the dcs are back at school and we all have lots of free time on our hands !!!!!!!!!!! Yeah right!
I have been trying to stop dd napping in the pm in preperation for asilo and no sleep . SHe is now 4.5 as well Having no joy whatsoever she just falls asleep sofa , bed , even with head rested on table ! She is in bed by 8 and most days asleep by 8.30.

Thanks Rosa!
wish i had the same problem re- napping - my DD only takes quick power naps in the afternoon! :) Good luck with yours starting asilo!

hi Spaghettina-glad alls well with your dd. Sorry to hear things a bit iffy with dp. Come and let off steam here more often.
went to lake this weekend, very lovely. ds driving me insane bringing me his leaflet of Thomas stuff telling him which ones he wants for his birthday (not for another month!). Can't believe he is at the age to do that already!

Spaghettina - hang on in there - your baby is only 5 months+ and those early months of parenthood take their toll on you as a "couple". And spending a month with PIL would probably push me over the hedge! Good luck with everything and do use us to vent if you need to...

Anyway - inserimento of DD in asilo turned out to be non-problematic (fingers crossed it continues that way). She has 5 mins of shyness in the morning and then she is off to play with the others. However, we already received a message from the school saying that they had the first case of nits. On day 4. Oh joy.

LOL, I swear DD gets nearly as much entertainment from the playmobil catalogue as from the actual playmobil.
Spag, sorry to hear things are not going too well, things are tough as it is with a small baby and it can be very isolating. Where are you again?
Rosa, hope things have settled down for you, and your Dad is ok. I would've been seething too.
DD back at school today, so I'm back in my role as taxi driver. Quite a few have left her class so they are down to 13! They have a teacher everyone says is really good this year, so parents very happy this morning.

Hi MI, glad the inserimento went well :)

Hi Sputnik great about 13 . We have had lots of upheaval this summer at materna resulting with the lovely suora being moved on. Many mums moved the dc out so as a result we now have 3 classes of 20 and 3 teachers with one aiuto didatico which is a positive thing. Just hope the capo vipera suora will keep her nose out as she caused so much upset. I am bing asked to candidate as rappresante di classe but don't think I can fit it in !!! Anyway dd2 back on Thurs and dd2 fine mese but they will tell me neare the time after they see how the first gruppo is going.
Have to go and get 5mq of kitchen tiles domani and 8mq of floor tiles then onto Ikea to see the stuff we like da vivo. Thing is with the tiles in the car won't have much space for shopping ....Me thinks !

Minerva fingers crosse it stays positive I have heard that after the first 2 weeks sometimes there is a crisi I am just fdreading the whole thing and just hope that minirosa copes ok and I don't have to resort to the valium !

I am expecting a bit of a crisis when she gets "bored" in a couple of weeks' time, but I was nervous about the initial inserimento as she had never been left with anyone but close family members.

Thankfully DH decided to do the first few days of inserimento as he is totally relaxed about these things, so we thought he would have a calming influence.

Rosa, I would not worry about school politics too much - the teachers/aiuto are what your DD is going to work with. Sput - very impressed with 13 kids in your class, is that a state school?

Hello girls!!!!

May I say a big "CIAO" to you all!!

Hope you have been all right. Any news? Any pregnancies? Any house bought or sold?

All the same here really...

Yay Pippi-come back!!! Will let Rosa do the round up as she is so good at it . All fine with me. Holiday over and back to work. No news here except... me and dp have decided we would like number 2! No news yet-watch this space!
Good to hear inserimento went well Minerva. Enjoy Ikea Rosa!

Woo Gio! I'm really glad we had two, they are very sweet together 80% of the time.
Hi Pippi :) good to see you.
Minerva my DD is at an English speaking school that follows the British system, so yes private. Most of the classes are around 20 though, just that DD's class was kind of added on last year so took the new kids, some of whom were transient and have now moved on, so down to 13.
Re nido, mine were both pretty unhappy at first but settled in after a while. Another thing I've seen is kids who are ok at first, then got upset after 2 or 3 weeks when the realisation dawned that it was a permanent thing! Others just get right into it though.

Rosa I am an Ikea expert if you have any questions btw

Ds has his school visit yesterday - teacher and teaching assistant - shame he doesn't start for two weeks as he's so excited.

I can't wait - I need a life and in my part of London it's all part time for a month or two yet.

I initially thought that 4 and a bit was way too young but given it's like nursery anyhow - just get him there please as I'm jaded.

Oh and today was the first time in months dh had to look after ds - for about 50 mins - and when I get back he'd put ds down for a nap (ffs) and then when ds woke up he wanted to tell me had had lots of mummies - nonna being the main one. Pathetic. He's not had father / son time for a while and this is what he prioritises for his ds - erm nice.

Sooner ds starts school the better imo.

Those of you with kids full time at school - have you regained your lives?

Rosa, how was IKEA? [jealous] as I love going there (as long as I am kids-free).

Gio, glad you decided on number 2 (good luck); I am undecided at this stage but DH is pretty set on one only (understandably as my pregnancy was awful, DD was prem and was very sick when born etc...).

Hi Pippi - welcome back!

Sput, I am very worried re: fallout in a couple of weeks at asilo when the novelty wears out (DD also in the local "British" school...)...

Oh GIO Fantastico good luck with the prove!
Well a round up not much has happened really if you think we have had August ! Lets see :
Minerva has come back again and we are all discussing the school / asilio/ nido starting up again .
Franca popped in when back from holiday but has popped off again me thinks as she is dc loaded and getting ready for the start up of school.
Spaghettina popped in to say hi and her 5mth is adorable but DP not so at the mo.
Gio has been a bad mum by letting her ds run barefooted and also for drying him off and not letting him dry off naturally in the sun !
Sput had a bit of time as a single mum as dh was away working and has been dividing time bwteen the Uk Roma citta and countryside. her ds seems to be improving which is great news .
giveitago hasn't killed her MIl or her dp yet and her ds is off to school soon .Brangelina was espied on a bidet thread but has not been back on here. A few others missing off here as well come back Bucharest, Penthe, hot med and everybody else!
Me : Loved Uk nd now back surrounded by mess, house plans and general panic.
Sput I will call on you when we decide what we are getting form Ikea to make sure we get all the bits. Yesterday was bloody caos I got there at 13.45 got a parking spot by skin of my teeth s I espied somebody heading for a car and I was in the right asile !!! Walked round the mobile section and scribbled down all the things got to the restaurant and the queue was massive so went and got the bits I wanted ( cereal containers, towels for asilo etc ) then went to the shop and ate a packet of crisps and some daime balls in the car home!Oh I also bought in the day 200kg of piastrelle for the kitchen . I brought home 2 boxes DH doing the rest with the boat and his mates.

Hi everybody sorry I disappeared!

Rosa, sorry to hear about nonno, I hope things have settled down.

Spaghettina, sorry to hear things are tought with dp at the moment. It takes time adjusting to having your first baby... and there are some men who want to "control" every aspect of parenthood without actually being helpful. I hope you manage to find a new balance as a couple with children.

GIO: fingers crossed for number 2!!!

As for settling into asilo nido. Yes, it is quite normal for children to have a set back after a few weeks.
In my experience they also have ups and downs. They go through stages of walking into the nido all happy etc and other stages when they are a bit sad to let you go.
This is at least what happened to mine in their early yrs. Mine went to nursery part time when they were about 12 months in the UK.
DD attended 2 yrs of scuola materna comunale in Milan, which has been a fantastic experience. Ds still speaks fondly of his day at his nursery in the uk.
Over all, I'm a great believer in asili nido etc.

Yes me too.
Rosa I was beginning to worry you'd got lost for a bit there! Are you getting an Ikea kitchen? I've been reading about how highly rated they are, and I love mine.
Loved your round-up btw.

No not gone for the kitchen as I saw what I liked in the SME its a Veneto Cucine one but I can't find it on the site. I did look at the Ikea ones but it all got a bit too much and after seeing the take a number and wait in the kitchen section yesterday I still don't think I could have coped !!
I am going to get bathroom units a table and probably chairs and a few other units and some more of my beloved Trofast !!!! ANd as Nonni we hope are coming at the start of Nov for minirosas 2nd ( yes 2nd)birthday we are going to hire a van and go get it all then as I know my mother can cope with the dds!! Mind you we have a big estate car so it might fit in that but a van I have more scope for buying !

Yes I know what you mean, I have to give credit to my DH for being an utter hero and getting it all himself, and what's more doing it on 15%-off-everything day, which must've been chaos. He made 2 trips with our estate car.
I still have your floor plan on my desktop btw, did you decide to knock down any walls in the end?

Ohhhh I had an IKEA kitchen in London... It was great once it was put in properly but that took 14 months.... Argh I feel bad just thinking about that horrid time with half a kitchen... Rosa I can totally understand your despair at living in a building site.

Really want to go to IKEA now though.

Anyway - I am keeping fingers crossed for the weather over the weekend as I would like to go and pick some plums/apples/figs from my Grandma's garden. I have quite a few blackberries in the freezer so I can see a large crumble coming for pudding on Sunday...

I love the Ikea kitchens, I'm particularly fond of the free standing ones. But I've always had awkward spaces and felt I was never going to be able to plan one!
Plus, one of my biggest frustration was that there was no IKEA in Exeter, the closest was in Bristol and dh was very reluctant to go .

Have I ever told you that I worked at ikea for 6 months when I was at University? I think I did... it was one of my fa work experience!

Anyway, rosa, when are you planning to move to your new flat? So exciting!!!
And I can't believe that minirosa is nearly 2 already!I remember getting your texts about labour like it was just yesterday!

MInerva I am lucky I don't live on site as its a total overhaul the new place. Mind you where we live right nowpretty much resembles the chaos that is at the new place.
Yes sSput we did do quieta few alterations.
We closed the door between the smaller bedroom and the hall. Moved the doorway over frm the kitchen to the middle of that wall ( and enlarged it) and also knocked a space between the kitchen and the smaller bedroom thus becoming a kitchen diner. We also knocked down the wall in the hall thus making it an open space all be it a small one !