Week 25 - Waiting......

Week beginning June 15th 2015

This week was all about the last day of the school year, and waiting for Millie to arrive.

Phoebe was slightly more excited than the rest of us, and had a countdown app running on her IPad for the event.

I picked up our new van on the Wednesday, perfect timing for some treks planned for Millie. We are calling it the lounge room on wheels. It is so comfy.

 

School finished early on Friday, and all my girls farewelled a friend.

For Lexie, besides her teacher, Mrs Rosenquist, was Zac, Mattia, Stefano and Matteo. They all go to another school next year.

 

Georgina said goodbye to Grant, Siorzza (bound for Zurich) and Luca who is moving to Singapore.

Phoebe no longer has Mara in her class. They were born on the same day. Thomaso is moving to another school, he will be missed.

So come Saturday, we headed out to Malpensa to pick up the most precious bundle, Mille! Phoebe spotted her first, looking in reasonable shape considering the 27 hour journey. What courage to fly with only an authorised stranger for guidance. It is so nice to have her with us.

 

On Sunday we had a BBQ to farewell the Honneycutts. Todd, Jupy, Grant, Zac and Janna were returning to Michigan USA the following week. The weather was perfect, not too hot.

 

I was organised enough For the BBQ to pick these hydrangeas from our garden here.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Week 24 -

Week beginning 8th of June

This week I am photoless! We are limping across the finish line to the end of the school year. We are all slightly frayed at the edges.

Lexie had a pool party for Geramie, and I was due to play tennis with Jane. Unfortunately for her, she lost her apartment keys on a jog around Monza Park, so I had a walk in the park instead, looking for them. We never found them, so she had to go to school to get her son's, then the go through the painful process of getting another one cut. They are no ordinary keys, they are coded, so I can't wait to hear what that costs her.

We farewelled Sushil on the Saturday night at Janine's house in the centre of Monza. Sushil, Lorenzo, Leonardo and Luca are moving to Sigapore for the next chapter in their lives. It was a great night, until, when walking back to the car park with Luisa and her husband, Luisa went over on her ankle. She was in quite a bit of pain, but eventually was able to walk the short distance home. Due to me many experiences, I was able to give her a few tips for a fast recovery.

Phoebe and George presented their projects at the Expo on Sunday. We elected not to go as the weather was so wild. In poured with rain. We had a lovely lunch with Diana and Marcello instead.

Posted with Blogsy

Week 23 - Georgina's Camp

Week beginning 1st of June

We had Monday (Lunedi) and Tuesday (Tuesday) off this week, but we didn't go away as Justin had to work those days, and the Saturday, to help with installs in England.

Lexie had her first sleepover at Elisa's house, not much sleep was had, but she had a great time of course. Francesca, Elisa's mother asked what Lexie's favourite food was. Therefore she had fi sims at dinner and porridge for breakfast. Thank you Francesca, first time porridge maker! Maybe Lexie has started a trend in Milan.

On Monday I gave a cooking lesson to Alessandra. We covered pavlova, pastry (for lemon tart) and doughnuts. She took the pavlova home to top with cream and berries on another day, but her husband and sons had other ideas. They ate it plain, crazy! She made a lemon tart soon after.

 

Georgia went to Azzura's house after Azzura's Confirmation for the family celebration. I stayed for a short while when I picked her up. It was an quick insight into one all Italian family. The following day George had her residential trip to the north east of Italy.

 

She had three days of action filled adventure - rock climbing, hiking, riding a long flying fox. They also visited the 5000 year old Iceman, Ötzi, found in 1991 in a glacier near the Austrian border. A very interesting discovery and also the museum.

Lexie played mini golf in the heat at Diego's birthday party. It was 30 degrees overnight for three night running, complete with thunder and lightning. We had planned to spend the day with the Pozzoni's, but we postponed as it was just too hot on the weekend. The most we manage is the visits to the Gelataria past gorgeous lanes, and houses like the below.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Week 22 - Ho Hum

Hi All, just a standard week ferrying kids to school. The highlight was Sean Brown and Jo Seaton to dinner on Wednesday night. Claude had a shampoo and trim, which I managed to book for him using only Italian! Slowly I progress in learning the Italian language.

George had a play at someone's house, where Lexie tried to break herself by scootering down a 40 degree slope with a metal garage door at the bottom. Fortunately she was making a lot of noise so I knew she was ok. Nasty scabs though, right on the ankle bone. We left soon after!

Lexie made the most of it by limping that night.

Posted with Blogsy

Week 21 - Birthdays

Week Beginning 18th May.

This week was all about birthdays. Unfortunately, neither of the two birthday people were in Milan with us. Justin, on the 20th was in Wales driving 6 hours to Cookham Dean. Not much of a birthday for him. Consequently we celebrated on the weekend in a half hearted sort of way. Mum's was on the 24th, and as you probably read, she had returned home. We had a long Skype chat and she managed to NOT open her gift from us until the evening in Australia so we could witness the reveal, quite an achievement for her.

Posted with Blogsy

Week 20 - Mum and Dad, Naples and Pavia

Week beginning 11th of May

On Tuesday morning, Phoebe left for a school residential trip to Naples, Capri and Pompeii. How fabulous it sounds! She flew out from Linate at 7am.

Mum, Dad and I had one final outing before they left on Friday. We had a day trip to Pavia on Wednesday, a lovely Medieval town to the south of Milan.

 

We found a kitchen ware shop, so Mum was in heaven. I bought a Joseph Joseph julienne gadget, once I worked out how to use it, it slices carrots beautifully. We walked through a market and saw this bike shop.

We parked near the river and this bridge.

 

On Friday I successfully dropped Mum and Dad off at Terminal One, Malpensa Airport, and took the below shot. I love how none of us know where to look on the IPad.

Gee I will miss them.

It hailed on the way home from the airport, so I was not surprised to learn they spent two and a half hours in the plane on the Tarmac waiting for the storm to pass. Fortunately they still made their connecting flight in Hong Kong.

Phoebe returned from her residential trip on Friday night. She was full of news, and had a fabulous time.

Saturday night we had Emma-Dilemma Gold, Frank Versache and Grant Showbags Sjoberg over for dinner. The girls put on a play based on Claude on Holiday, we were all very amused and entertained.

Posted with Blogsy

Week 19 - Ticks and dinner

Week beginning 4th of May

This week was fairly lacklustre after they joys of Siena. I got Claude back from the kennel. His teeth weren't too clean, so I gave him a bone, which turned out to be a mistake.

I say this because he chewed the bone for a while, then buried it. When he dug it out again two days later, his head became covered in ticks. Disgusting! I removed at least 30 ticks, and Justin removed some as well.

He is strictly on dental sticks or five minute bones from now on. I had a tick on my earlobe on our trip round Australia, and am still traumatised!

Mum and Dad came back on Saturday, earlier than originally planned, from their bike trip, to spend more time with us before their departure on the 15th of May. It was in the northeast of Italy, ending at Lake Garda.

We had an amazing dinner at Camp Di Cent Pertigh with a large group, organised by the lovely Alessandra. The food was excellent, octopus salad, saffron risotto and coconut and passionfruit pannacotta. Plus a limoncello to wash the dessert down. Great company.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy