Monday

Kids play trains.

Max celebrates the espresso machine working with a cup of java.

Chandler just picked up the clarinet and he can already jam!

TLC from TLC

Max looks out of his element. When I said that we need another kid he said: I'm not so sure anymore. They just sleep and eat and cry and poop all the time. 2 days later we watched Shrek 3 - where coincidentally Shrek says the exact same thing. Great I married an ogre.

the Craisis make Pizza!

Chandler pours in the flour.

PU the yeast stinks!

Tyler kneads, then rolls.

Ian gets crazy with the toppings.

Lucas and Sophia get in on the action too.
(I know Mike hates this pic, but I love it, I think Lucas looks so much like him when he says CHEESE!)

Christmas Cookies

I love making Christmas cookies and apparently so does Auntie Holly, she had sprinkles galore!

Shakin the sprinkles.

Tyler trims the tree.
Auntie Holly, Tristan and Chandler at the Christmas Cookie Extravaganza!

Mike makes an Italian flag inspired cookie.
Max gets in on the action.

Hey no lickies!, we're not done with that frosting yet!
Finally, the kids get to eat a cookie!
Look what Pia made.
Hmmmm I know just the medicine to make Ian-Banian better...
Christmas cookies cure EVERYTHING!

Ahhhm!

Over the river and through the woods to

Costco! That's right, England has Costco. Despite the fact the Cranes only live a few km (as the crow flies) from 2 Costcos (yes thats right there are 2), it takes FOREVER to get there! In fact we saw a bird flying parallel to us and it was actually going faster! It took so long, that even the driver (Holly) started saying 'Are we there yet?' Eventually we made it, but...apparently the car did not want Holly to fill it up with MORE shopping and trapped her (see foto below).

I actually think this was just a clever ruse of Holly's to get her Coach bag in a foto.

Big Ben. Tower of London. Blah Blah Blah...this is the real tourist attraction!

Howdy Neighbor...

Look it's Wilson. Oh wait, no that's just Auntie Holly, who despite having...

...got the coffee machine to work.

...had a cup of hot chocolate using the fixed machine

...made blueberry pancakes

...and cuddled the kids...

did not have enough time to also get dressed and do hair and make-up, hence the clever disguises.

Waitrose

Okay this is cool...waitrose (pronounced way-troze) is like Safeway. You can check out a scanner, scan your own items and be on your way without waiting in check-out. The scanner also prompts you for sales and specials of the items you are buying. cool, huh?

Land of Harry Potter, Colin Firth, Big Ben and much much more!

Diary of getting ready for Christmas out of home:
6:30 alarm on sleep.
6:45 turn off alarm.
6:50 get up, make coffee, check FB for the last time before departure
7:oo still on facebook, Sophia wakes up
7:05 pour cheerios and milk and back to FB
7:20 freak out that so much time was wasted on FB start trying to clean BA, kitch, LR, MB and sm BR (ie the whole house) and repack etc etc etc until..
13:00 pack car, drive 2 minutes to CMC metro station.
13:10 buy tickets, jump on train to Central Station.
13:30 get off, walk up the stairs with: 1 backpack (ea), 1 purse (for me), 1 laptop (Max), 2 suitcases stroller and Sophia.
13:40 after having walked around around a big, giant obtrusive wall arrive at bus station
14:00 get on very full Malpensa Express Bus (7 Euro ea),. The crazy driver has the heat turned up high, the radio mega loud, Max's seat is broken and slides every time the driver brakes and carbon monoxide is filling the air in the back half of the bus. Luckily I packed a PB&J, cookies (from francesca) and a juice box because Sophia (and Max) were starving and we didnt have time to pick up lunch.
15:00 nauseated, tired and hungry we arrive at Malpensa (but cant get out luggage because the door is broken) can't figure out how to get to the BA check-in.

side story: apparently BA and a couple of other airlines share the same check-in counters. The check-in screens tell you which counter number you need to go to, but an unmarked/unmanned security station blocks the view of the counters. So basically you have to ask other uninformed passengers and anyone around what you have to do/where you have to wait. finally the security opened for us and this was the scene:

2 Caribinieri (one short guy, one tall guy). SG asks for, then looks at our passports passes them on to TG. Shorty looks for us on the passenger list, TG looks at our passports in more detail (?). SG tells us to move over and calls next in line. NIL hands over her passport and TG is still looking at our passports. SG can't find NIL on passenger list and asks if she is going to London. NIL says no she is going to Russia, isn't this the Russian airlines, this is where she was told to stand (doesn't speak italian well). SG says no this is the flight for London/England this not going to Russia . Poor NIL can't figure out what is going on doesn't know where to go. Finally TG looks at SG and explain the flight is to London, the obvious thing is that SG would explain in Russian or English that BA and the Russian airlines share security/counters and her check-in doesn't open for another half hour). Instead SG turns to NIL and shouts 'Volo per IN-GHI-TER-RA!' Ahahahah what an idiot. Finally another passenger comes up and explains to the poor lady in Russian what is going on.

18:00ish...hooray we finally made it to Heathrow! Sophia wanted to take the pictures, so this is all we got:

Parks of Paris

after breakfast Laura took us to a nearby park. It was really beautiful, felt like we were hobnobbin with the elite. It was clean and lovely and no traffic (those dont exist in italy, it was a dream!). Not sure who had more fun, the kids or the big kids (i mean the dads).

Group foto in front of park statue (i think it is louis the 13th).

cranes horsin around on the see-saw

sophia stylin and profilin in her wet weather gear.

Max monkeying around.

ooooohhh she moved. the girlies touching holly's belly tryin to feel the baby kick.

Aimless Wandering

As Chandler named us the Panes (parisi+cranes) (or taking inspiration from him, i said we were the Craisis (pronounced crazies) in front of where the Bastille used to be, but now there is a monument instead (which looks like it is growing out of mike's back).

Bastille square, crazy people ridint bikes in everywhich way traffic!

Ian convinces Max to give him a shoulder ride.

Our jealous little girl can't be usurped!

Lucas refuses to miss out on all the fun!
wonder if max's shoulders hurt.

Lago Maggiore

Drove out to Lago Maggiore and had some lunch in Stresa with Holly and Mike.



Took a little boat to Isola Bella, as usual Sophia is not happy to be in a picture with her mom and dad...




Got to the island and ran into Mom and her Posse. Unfortunately I dont have a pictures of that and someone will send me one! I knew that they were staying in Stresa, but I thought that they had already visited the islands. We didnt get to chat much as they were leaving and we were just arriving. Max is such a good Daddy, he played with Sophia and carried her around the island there isnt much room for a stroller and there are too many steps. Note to self, bring the baby wrap instead of leaving it in the car. Luckily the museum was nice and they held onto the stroller at the entrance until we finished walking around. Unfortunately we arrived late and so poor Max had to cut his garden tour short and run back to the front and get the stroller.