Crooked house and a Hypocrite

We're about to go back to the States for the summer and they are about to begin work on the house, so here are a few of things that drive me crazy that hopefully will be fixed by the time we get back:  Aside from the fact that the tiles are u-g-l-y throw backs from the 70s, they are also totally crooked.  If you look closely at the way the light reflects you can see all the tiles are laid at different slants.

And the thin, cracked and dirty linoleum of fake ugly throwback tiles from the 70s.  Who puts linoleum on stairs??  We're the third owners since the original guy who built this place and nobody bothered to change it, I guess it's just me that thinks its gross.

Ripostiglio or closet/pantry/place to hide our junk.

Remember a few weeks ago after my parents cleared out the weeds and then my dad cut out that nasty plant that was full of bugs and had nothing to do with the rest of the plants?  And then that crazy lady Anna Maria came and yelled at me because she said that plant belongs to the condominium and besides the gardeners were supposed to come and clean up the place any day now...well guess who went and hacked up one of the plants (probably because the gate wouldn't shut). If you guessed Mr Anna Maria you would be correct.  I just shot her the evil eye and laughed it's still full of weeds and over grown trees, but now there is an ugly hacked up bush too.  Now it's totally confirmed, I know who the old psycho busy body of the building is.

I Think I Killed the Old Lady Upstairs!

OH HELLS NO!  Of course this happens the day after my parents (namely my dad) left and on the day Max is in Rome for a class.  I went outside to take the garbage to the curb (at this new place, each house takes out the garbage from his/her own general garbage can and puts it on the  curb and it must be in large transparent bags.   That's so that the garbage people can see whats inside and fine you if you don't separate your garbage.  Inside the bag can been opaque bags (like shopping bags), but the exterior bag must be transparent.  Weird and contradictory.  The other garbage (cans, glass, plastic, food) go into separate bins and we haven't quite figured out who takes those out yet.  In any case it's a nasty mess over there.  But I digress).  I as I picked up the bags, I noticed that some peanut shells were falling out and I was muttering begrudgingly under my breath about which idiot member of my family just through the shells into the bin and not put them in a bag (and they were in the wrong bin too). Then I noticed that the bags had holes and PLOOF, as I pulled one of the bags towards me a little black scurrying ball fell out... and so of course I screamed bloody murder.  I scared the people walking down the street and the old lady upstairs, god I hope I didn't induce a heart attack.  And I still had to walk the stupid bags to the curb!  I walked in the most awkward position keeping the bag as far away from me as possible in case another one of those things fell out!  As revenge, the people across the street were falling over with laughter as the realized from my stance what I was screaming about. I the proceeded to run back to the bin, slam the top shot and run upstairs, slam and lock the door-you know just in case he came back a knockin.
side note:  I have now seen a mouse scurry across the whole court and dart into a whole under our garage.  Max just bought packets of poison and shoved them in the holes and bin, but what if one of those stupid things dies outside the hole and I have to see it or walk over it....thank god we are LEAVING soon!

Goodbye Grans

My parents are going back today.  I realize that we are leaving in a few days to go back for the summer too, so it's not like we will never see them again, but A) does my dad have to wear that shirt again??? Is that really his fancy shirt, I just noticed he wore that when the Nonni came over and now, two times he could dress up a little.  And now any slim chance that he had to being bumped up to first class is now gone.  Ups to my mom for not fighting with the guy and still pretending she knows him.  If I were her I would have stayed back a few people in the check-in line just to get gain that chance back.  and B) does my daughter HAVE to make that face in every picture?  This year's Christmas Calendar is going to see 12 months of that! We are such the Adams Family.

Ciao for now, see you in a week.

Mini-Mes

Circus School Recital

Did I mention that Sophia has been going to circus school.  Yeah I could insert some clown joke in here, but it's just too easy, so I will skip it this time.  Anyhoo, of course on the hottest day of the year, in a theater even hotter because being full of parents (including myself) and video equipment and bright lights .

Sophia one of the kids dressed in orange and red and represents fire, the other kids are water or firemen.

This morning I downloaded all the pictures off all the memory cards, put fresh batteries in all the cameras and handed out specific directions to everyone mom=hold vivienne, max = film sophia's part, dad=take pictures with the small point and shoot, me=take pictures with new camera with gigantic lens.  I was really unsure about how the pictures would come out with the new camera since I hardly had time to try it out.   My mom did an awesome job, my pictures came out so-so,Max got a great video (that is too long to upload here), my dad, however, must have take 100 pictures of 1) us sitting down 2) us taking pictures 3) the backs/sides of random people heads 4) the kids playing on the bleachers BUT not one single one of the recital.  What is it with old people and taking pictures?????  He is always the first one to ask me to send/upload/download/print pictures, but when all he has to do is push a button, he can't seem to do it.  argggggghhhhhhh. He's asian, shouldnt snapping pictures be in his dna?? And so I spent the afternoon going through and deleting the pictures and you're looking at the two decent shots that were left.  Well at least that is over, on to the next adventure.

Don't Wanna Even Know

....what gave me these welts.  Since we've been here, I've had been bitten constantly by unseen little creatures and now these welts.  I scrubbed the grout of all the floors except for the one downstairs (haven't had enough time).  I sat down to color with Sophia (we have no tables yet) and anywhere my legs had touched grout had these nasty itchy lines...eeeeeew!

The It's Not Your Birthday Pool Party

It's been as hot as mucco (snot) up until today. We've been trying to organize a day when the weather is nice to utilize Sophia's pool. Today was the only day available, but it's sort of breezy and coolish.  Aah well that's the way the biscotti crumbles.  Luckily kids don't seem to care what the weather is like and they splashed and shouted and had a good time anyways.  Most of the kids we invited over (except for Giorgia and Valentina) are going into 1 year elementary, so it was a good excuse to see them and say farewell for the summer.

Cristian, Giorgia, Claudio, Vale and Sophia splash and scream to their hearts' content.

Claudio clowns around for the girls.

Mom takes care of Vivienne.