Buon Anno! (This post AKA: The Waiting Game)

Does anyone else always feel that this time of year is like being in limbo? You just kind of float around, eating leftovers, doing lazy things, sleeping, waiting between Christmas and New Years? It's amazing and I like it.
Especially because those leftovers are Italian leftovers and those lazy things include watching movies, walking the dog, playing games with the kids, and blogging home to you!

Anyways, I'll start from where I left off. Christmas turned out wonderfully, considering I was a little mopey the whole day, since I was missing home. We stayed in all day, and in the evening before dinner, I called home and talked to my wonderful family! It was so great to hear everyone altogether and know that they were just starting a great Christmas day as mine was coming to an end. Neither of us had recieved each others gifts, but that just doesn't matter when I can talk to them! It was enough.

Alessandra was making some beef strips, and I made potatoes! With garlic and onions and I whipped them all up with butter and milk and it was amazing. Of all the things that are traditionally on a Canadian Christmas table, this is what I had to make. The kids didn't like it because there was too much onion and garlic. I may or may not have planned this in order to have more for me. Let's go with not for the sake of my reputation.
In the next days, we stayed in a lot, because Benedetta had a fever, and I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but she slept most of Christmas day between opening presents and dinner time. The whole family went together on Sunday to mass, and I stayed home to make Cheesemoons! Yes! They turned out great and I have been craving them for a month, so I was glad to be eating them along with some leftover sparkling wine from the night before. I also made some more phone calls home, which was amazing. I talked to many people this week! My mouth hurts from speaking proper English...

Also on Sunday, Val and Andy were back in town, so I headed over with some Cheesemoons and a bottle of wine and we had dinner. Her mom makes homemade binders, and they knew I was keeping recipes so they got me a stunning recipe book, for me to write mine in, and I also pretty much always have my camera in their face, so they got be a photo album, too! I'm really excited to use them. I'm even more excited to know that I really have friends here, getting me presents and things. But wait, there's more!

I found out about a week ago that I wouldn't be able to head to Swizterland for the week of New Years as I had planned. Alex's boss waited until the last minute to give out schedules, and she has to work everyday! So, at first, I was all stunned and schocked and stressed out. But, as I sat for ten minutes to think about my options, I realized, I have options.
I'm sitting in Europe with a week off over New Years. Where do I want to go?
Ha! I was giddy with a sudden excitement and freedom.
After much thought and consideration, I decided to head to Roma! Kira, a wonderful friend from Grimshaw, is going to be there from tomorrow until the 4th! We had originally planned to meet up afterwards, since she'll be living in a town relatively close to me until March, but now that I'm free, why not? So, I was relating this story to Van and Andy, and they both looked at each other, and said, Roma? Why not?

So the three of us are heading to Roma on the train tomorrow afternoon for New Years in the ancient city. Maybe. Valentina has just found out she has a few more chapters to do before her exams start, so she may have to stay in Urbino and study the whole time. Either way, I will be with Kira and I'm pretty much really excited to move on the next decade!

I stay for two days in Roma, then head to Pisa for an afternoon and then in Firenze on the 2nd and 3rd. I have been spending the last two days looking up trains and hostels. It is surprisingly hard to get a hostel on New Years last minute in Rome, but I got it done.

Also, my package came from home today! I really have the most thoughtful family! It was packed with green tea, newspapers from Grimshaw and Peace River, Moms Nuts and Bolts, cookies from Lisa and Grandma, a wonderful package from Randi with Norah Jones, La Dolce Vita, and an old film textbook, socks from Grandma, a friggin' sweet straw from Lisa along with my favourite tea that is only made in Edmonton (I can't believe you remembered) and a few other things that I appreciate eternally. I do not, however, appreciate the post here. Not only was my package delivered late, they made me pay 17 euros for it when Mom has already express shipped it. I do not know why, and when I tried to ask about it she was all in a huff and said she didn't know why, she just delivered. I knew their were cookies involved, so I paid the price and moved on with my life. I'm pretty much over it. A little more with each bite. I shared a huge plate of cookies and a large bowl of Nuts and Bolts with the family. They all loved everything!

So, feeling free as a bird and full as a... well, as a girl in Italy, I am packing today, and will be back to blogging in the New Year! Expect a delay, since I won't be back until the 4th, maybe the 5th if something fun and wonderful comes up.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve, and a great New Year! Have fun and take risks. Be safe and smart. See you all on the other side!

And if your plans get scoffed, don't start to fret.

Just make new ones that you'll never forget!

Buon Natale!

Ciao tutti!

I am here for only a moment to wish you all a very wonderful and Merry Christmas!

We opened presents this morning under the tree, and as the children played with their new toys, I made French Toast, dad style. They turned out great and Leo loved them, along with almost everyone else. Benedetta, however, has a fever and has been sleeping since after we opened presents. Sarah was also too excited to play with her new toys to eat. I was ok with that. More for me!

It's been a really chill day. The rain came down as we ate lunch, and right now Alessandra and both the girls are having a nice afternoon nap. Guido, who arrived yesterday afternoon, is doing some dishes and helping Leo with his new mp3/camera/game system. I've been eating. Ha, and playing some with the kids and doing some writing and we all watched Harry Potter 6, because Leo got it this morning! It pretty much just made me want to read the books again. Or any book for that matter. I haven't read an english novel since I got here... I'm starting to have cold sweats. Oh, and as for the snow, it was only really here for two days, so I'm glad we enjoyed it while we did. I've been told it'll come back, but I'll believe it when I see it. The rain came and washed it all away. It's been between 10-15 for the last few days. Nothin' like it.

Another quick note, I have now been away from Canada for three months. Another anniversary! And what better way to celebrate than Christmas.

Anyways, I await a phone call home and other places, dinner with the family (when I am making mashed potatoes, because really, what's Christmas without them?), and a nice quiet evening with vin brule and maybe the Pink Panther, which I got the kids for Christmas. The new one with whats-his-face.

And please, think of how it would feel to not have the people who are around you today, and be sure to give an extra hug or caring look or share the last piece of pie, at least. Thanks :)

Missing you all, but enjoying a calm, spirited, Italian Christmas!

Here are some pictures to send you off. I'll have some more along with stories in the coming days.

This afternoon, drinking from my cup from Liana and Myles, as ususal.

View from my porch this morning!

Not just a party. THE party. It has arrived. We'll be having this tonight after dinner.

The table after dinner last night.

Me and the Christmas tree.

Guido and the kids

Much love and keep warm!

Merry Christmas

1 More Sleep!

That's right folks, it's Christmas Eve!

Here are some of the things we have been doing to prepare:

I made this pinecone! Not, like, the chemical make-up, but I painted it and stuck it in the tree!

Micia!

Benedetta with what will be the top of the Christmas Tree.

So, here I have the parts:

The Tree

The decorations. So, with these, we have been working on them since I got here, I think. Alessandra made the dough, and the kids cut the shapes, and once they are dried, we painted them and glittered them and eventually we had these! These are the survivers.

The kids! (The one you don't recognize is the daughter of Alessandra's friends from the north)

The tree, and Christof wearing an apron because he was making pizza. Amazing.

Here we have all of the parts coming toghether:

Lights on the tree, and Sarah starting the decorating

Ha, so this one day, while they were making these decorations, the cat stepped one of them before they dried. Alessandra painted it and the kids think it's just dandy.

The tree, halfway done

Leo contemplating where to hang his next decoration, Benny untangling something, and Sarah in shock and awe at how shiny everything is.

Alessandra and Sarah, Oh, and Bella!

I love this one of Alessandra and the tree!

All done! Me and Benny and Leo

Benny and I with the tree

Leo putting on some finishing touches.

Cat in a tree!

This star is hanging on the door.

Alessandra and the kids, oh, and Bella!

Today Guido arrives for a whole week! He was here a month ago, also, for Sarah's birthday, and about two weeks ago for a weekend. The kids are pretty excited. Except, sometimes they are asking when Babbo (Dad) arrives, and sometimes they are asking when Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) arrives. He comes on over and leaves presents for the children tonight. Then, on the 6th of January, an old witch comes at fills their stockings. Coal if they are bad.

I went to a concert last night in the theatre here, which is amazingly stunning. There was a whole string orchestra with a choir for the first half, and a woodwind orchestra for the second half. All of the songs were a bit too classic for be to actually know. They weren't my idea of traditional Christmas music. But, I was so happy when they turned down the lights, put on Santa hats, and played We Wish You a Merry Christmas as they lowered a huge lit-up star from the ceiling. They do this show every year, here. Everyone was greeting each other and talking about how big kids had gotten and how their lives were. It was nice to be among the town this way. Also, listening to Italians sing in English is hilarious. I'll have more on that later. I'll also be looking up some info on the Theatre, because I love it and it's beautiful. After the show, I headed to a cafe and had a hot rum. It tasted like Christmas.

There has been lots to do, and I brought the girls to a fun "spettacolo" (show) the other day. It was for kids and it was all interactive and things. The girls loved it. Therefore I did, too. Leo also had a Boy Scout play, but it was at the same time as the concert at the theatre. I had to choose!

Alessandra dilligently made cookies and I dilligently ate them all. Then she got a package from a previous Au Pair with more cookies! And all sorts of goodies for the kids. This is an interesting thing: Presents don't wait until Christmas. They get their one from Babbo Natale, and they don't expect anything more. When they recieve parcels like this, with presents, which they have been, they open them up right away instead of waiting until Christmas morning. I'm excited to see how tomorrow morning goes. Wow. Christmas is tomorrow morning. I am going to be making French Toast! I'm pretty excited about it.

Also, today, we have been relaxing, mostly. The kids all had baths, because we found some lice on Leo. Fun!

At 5:30, there is another Spettacolo that takes a band playing all sorts of instuments all through Urbino. We are hitting up centrale with the kids. After this, Alessandra will be preparing dinner, which is always fish on Christmas Eve, and we've been playing Christmas Carols in the house everyday. Then there is a midnight mass at the huge Cathedral in town. The whole family may not go, because it may be too late for Sarah. I'm going for sure, even though it's not the Grace United church service. I've been slightly worried about this, actually, because this is a tradition I know I'll be missing wholeheartedly. I'll let you know if I run wailing from the church. I'm in good spirits, because I'm full of cookies and anticipating great food and a fun time with the kids and, well, it's Christmas.

However, the rain has come and washed away all of that beautiful snow from the pictures I have up. It's really strange not having a white Christmas, but it was +15 today and will be again tomorrow. No one can complain about that. I've come to terms with it. I am also quite tired, today. Sarah has not been sleeping through the night, and therefore neither has anyone else in Urbino. The kids have been a bit bad lately, and they are wearing my patience. But, I keep up with my calm and graceful attitude (which means threatening no Babbo Natale and yelling as loud as they are to show them how stupid they look) and hopefully good will prevail.

This has been my Christmas Season. It's been really fun and interesting. I've learned quite a bit and now I know more about Italy that I ever would have. I've had a great time with the kids, when they are good, and Alessandra has been slightly more relaxed than usual, considering she doesn't have classes to teach. What'll happen is, I'll be having a great time, eating cookies or drawing pictures of princesses and Christmas trees, and suddenly I'll stop to think what everyone at home is doing right now. Makes me sad that I'm not there, as you know, but then I snap out of it and realize that I am here with good people and doing interesting things. Yes, I am missing Christmas at home, but this is the only time I'll be able to experience Christmas in Italy for the first time.

So, wishing you all a Merry Christmas Eve! I hope the service goes well in Grimshaw and the roads are great for everyone! I also hope everyone else in other parts of the country, or the world for that matter, are enjoying their own traditions and preparations for the big day!

I'll have some new ones for when I get back!

Ho Comprato Stivali

So, standing at the mike, I decided that since I was in Italy, I would sing something I wrote in Italy. I had written a sort of song/poem, and had been singing it for some weeks with the kids. It's called Warm Milk and Honey, because I really love warm milk and honey.
So I sang it. A cappello. Scared out of what wits I have left.
But once I was done, they clapped and all were cheery. I know that usually doing something crazy while abroad includes a bunjee rope, or a airplane, or too much beer, or all of the above, (and I'm not discounting these ideas from my plans) but this was pretty crazy for the moment. Afterwards, we all helped the boys carry their equipment to the car and one nice lady gave me a ride home.
These are all the pictures I got. Cherish them.

Alessandra, the organizer, and coworker of hers, reading a very hilarious skit that I understood nothing of. Don't worry, I laughed anyways.

One of the singers of the night. Not the one who sang Hallelujah, but he was just as great.

Now, the moment you've all really been waiting for....
SNOW! Ah! I was SO excited on Wedneday, when after cineforum, I walked out of the building to a nice skiff of snow on the ground and cars! It was so great! And in the morning Leo came banging on my door to show me! I pretended I hadn't seen it already.
And then, two days later, it snowed again! Like a lot, and big huge flakes, too. There is about 3 inches of snow, which by the sounds of it is A LOT for here. Like, too much. I say, not enough. But, there are chains on the tires of the buses and cars and there are snowplows out and about. There were only 4 people in Leo's class yesterday. Yes, I said yesterday. They have school on Saturdays here, if I hadn't already mentioned that.
Anways, here are some pictures from the snow in the last week:

Walking from Cineforum

A piazza with lights and snow and everything!

A car with Buono! (Good) written on the windsheild. There was a different word on every car parked on the street. Someone else was pretty excited, too!

The day after, walking Bella! She thinks the snow is just nifty.

My bus stop and my bus! With snow!

Bella drinking from a puddle that has been here for over a month. Gross. It was turning kind of slushy at this point, though!

The park... with, you guessed it, snow!

I think I have some of these same pictures withough snow, too. It's fun to compare!

Mine and Bella's footprints

A rose with snow. This is why I love Italy. There will be flowers all year, whether is snows or not. It's just that furtile and just not that cold. People are still putting out fresh flowers in their pots.

Benny at Leo's schoolyard. There was a sort of festival where Leo sang, "So This is Christmas" (Is that the actual name of it? I don't think so, but you all know what I'm talking about) with his class.

Leo at the school

Waiting for the bus the day that it snowed more! I had two shots of them here, Benny looked the same in both. She thought it was hilarious.

The street where I live.

The girls experimenting with the snow.

Across the street from the bus stop. Not the same one as from the other picture, just incase you were confused.

More snow!

Then, today, after the snow had time to settle and the clouds headed out, leaving only the sun and happy thoughts, I took the kids out to play! Here you have it:

My first Italian Snow Angel!

Me and the girls. Leo is pretty good with the camera.

Someone had gone and written TI AMO (I love you) in the snow in big letters.

Benny and Leo on the hill, ready to Bob, as they call it, and Sarah chilling out on the hill behind them. The yellow building behind them is ours.

Bella! Look at her short little coat of hair!

This kids!

Me and Bella and Bob and Leo's glove. I said he was pretty good, not really good.

My new boots! Yes! Sadly to say, my rubber boots have failed me horribly and broke in three places. My feet have been pretty wet up til Saturday when I hit up the market. (This is also where the title of my post comes in. I have boughten boots. I really just wanted to show off that I've been studying the past perfect tense and I'm acing it.)

While Leo and Benny rode with Bob, Sarah and I made heart patterns in the snow. She kept saying over and over again, "Uno grandissimo, grandissimo, grandissimo.... (and so one) cuore." (A really big, really big, really big... (and so on) heart.)

More of the landscape

Our building and Sarah at the table and Leo by the tree. I don't really know where Benny was at this point. In the snow? Definately. (Also, in case you didn't know, you can click on the pictures and they should open in a new window much bigger and more wonderful)

The sun! And the snow! My perfect winter day!

Me and the landscape. And a new touque from the market. I also got real wool socks. Knee highs.

So, may my newly winterized face be a Ciao and Happy Holidays to you! As for the holidays here, I had a hard few in this week. I was very deperately wondering why on Earth I was here for Christmas and not at home with my wonderful family and amazing friends.

Then it snowed, and you know when you're at a party, and you hardly know anyone, and you really just feel like leaving, but maybe something fun or interesting will happen, so you stick around, and then, all of a sudden, your best friend shows up and you have a lighter heart and a really gret time? That's how I felt when it snowed. I know that Canadians know best of all that weather affects mood drastically, but this was a slap in the face reminder for me.

After I felt better, I had the best day with the kids I think I have ever had, and I head out tonight to Valentina and Andrea's for our last dinner before Christmas and my trip. I just need to remember, that even when it's rainy and cold here, I have a home and family and friends here. And even when I am lonely, when it is rainy and cold, I have the most amazing home and the most wonderful people in Canada who I cannot wait to see in June. I truly, honestly wish I could hop on home, even if just for Christmas day to sit in front of the tree with my family and watch the snow from the front window and the fake fire on TV and sing carols and eat oranges and make cookies with Lisa and go skidooing with Rollie and make nuts and bolts with Mom and serve brunch with Dad (Apparently I'm missing the food a lot right now), but I know that being here is going to be wonderful and fun, if I want it to be. And I do, so I am going to make it that way.

Also, I have been smartly reminded by Peter that I really haven't told you much about the traditions going on here. I am going to take some pictures today and tomorrow and post them along with what I have learned about how the Christmas season is celebrated here. I think I never really thought of it, because so far it's been pretty much the same, or so I thought. When he brought it up, I realised it really is quite different, in the little things, and few big ones.

I also think my newly found lightheartedness comes from the fact that I have finally finished all of my shopping. For the kids and everything. Sigh of relief. I also have boots and everything I need for winter, as well as train tickets for Swizeraland a week from Tuesday. I feel relaxed, festive, and I have gelato as a Christmas Present for Val and Andy, as I will now be referring to them. She is making pizza tonght and I am bringing the wine, as always. Looking forward to tonight and the next week.

I hope you all are, too. I know many of you are either awaiting a trip home, making a trip home or finished a trip home. I'm wishing you all safe roads and warm weather, this week before Christmas! And trust me, coming from someone whose heart has gone from feeling like a lump of that cold, slimy gunk in a forgotten slew, to a balloon full of sunshine, if you need some help getting into the spirit, but up some decorations, play some good ol' Christmas tunes, make some cookies, talk to the people you love and play with kids in the snow. That's about all you need. Ever.

Auguri!