Julia signing more

julia playing with her pacifier - Michael took!

jd on her trike

The week

A bit crazy here with the pilot ejection issue (boy, that sounds funny). Michael and his team have been working non-stop. I am at my frustration point since I can't fully unpack since I only have 1/2 my stuff. I keep saying - "I live in Italy. Go drink some wine. Eat some gelato." Yeah, that only works so well when your rear end keeps getting bigger.

Due to that, we've been walking around our town at night (I'm pushing our stroller). Our town isn't flat by any stretch of the imagination and the streets are very narrow so it is truly an adventure to walk around. Thankfully, my stroller is orange! The little ladies of the town love the girls - they fawn all over them (at least I think it is that since I don't speak Italian). I did have one man yell at me for not holding JD's hand when we were walking - I think. The past couple of times we've gone to the cemetery (how this started I don't know). JD is now very interested in dead people. GREAT. At least this has gotten us talking about the subject. The cemetery is very beautiful here - electric candles on all the graves and beautiful statutes. It also sits on a hill so last night JD and I watched the lights sparkle in Vigonovo.

I love the ladies here - you rarely see them in pants and they usually have their aprons over their dresses. I can't believe the number of times this week I have seen my other "Italian image:" people do talk to each other through their windows! They will lean their bicycle up against the house and the person in their house has their head out the window chatting or yelling.

Michael's car of his days before marriage is truly getting banged around. I backed into the gate in our driveway before it was fully open and then this weekend, I went to the laundromat on base and hit the very low curb (didn't know it until I pulled out). The header on the bumber completely came off. Just terrific. I just went there so the towels wouldn't be crunchy (this is how they are when you dry them outside).

JD was sick this weekend so nothing fun or exciting. We at least found a use for the bidet other than it's true use.

The week

I still don't have internet so it's catch while catch can on the blog and e-mailing (melinda!). We've submitted our application to the wi-fi place so we'll see how long it takes to get it. I also contacted Vonage to get an American phone number. All this technology! I know nothing so I am trying to learn. My kids will know more than me by the time they are 5. I don't want to be one of "those parents."

We are so blessed living in this community. There are so many terrific down to earth people here (and lots of Texans). Michael even said the other day, "I really like it here b/c there is such a sense of community." There are about 10,000 people in the Aviano military community - including all family members and civilian employees. We have a hospital, but no emergency room on base and a new school! There is a library, a bowling alley (Jacqueline loves), a movie theater (not new releases truly - they've been showing Harry Potter this week), a grocery store, Post office etc.

We found a church service we agreed upon only to discover today that it is moving to 5 on Sundays so we'll see what we do about that. On Wednesday nights they have a gathering with Sunday School for a full hour (including adult classes). I enjoyed that. We are studying "The 5 Languages of Love." Of course, it is interesting doing a marriage enrichment class when your husband isn't there!

Okay, so last week we went to the mall in Udine and Jacqueline was all excited about the restaurant in the above picture. You should have seen her glee! Michael and I couldn't bring ourselves to do it so we ate Italian food, but didn't realize we were sitting in the chinese food section so Michael had to order another plate of food! There was also a Mexican food restaurant - hmmm at an Italian mall.

Well, our stuff came the SAME DAY as Jacqueline started school. Also, we only got half of our stuff. We have some table legs, our bed frames, one side of Julia's crib, some of my clothes, glasses, but no plates... you get the picture. No one knows where our other stuff is. I also had the house perfectly arranged in my head, but our overstuffed green couch doesn't fit through the downstairs door so it is sitting in the garage. I hurriedly drove JD to school then back to the house for 15 minutes then to the base for Officer's Spouses Club to sign-up for all the fun stuff (the Vice Wing Commander's Wife had RSVP'd for me so there was no way I wasn't going to show up). I stayed for 30 minutes and left to go home then back to p/u JD. Aren't you exhausted? I know I am. So far we only have a few broken things. For some reason, one of the packers put tape all over our leather ottoman and wrecked it. The chair isn't here yet.

The Monday before our stuff came, Michael and I had the pleasure of attending a VIP dinner with a visiting General. We were taken by shuttle bus (somewhere - I still don't know where) to an old restaurant - stone building. We started (the 12 of us) with Olives in the Olive grove and Prosecco (a type of sparkling wine). It was delicious. Then we headed inside to start on our first of many courses. The wine served at dinner was grown locally. Our first course had bruschetta and other appetizers. Then we had lasagna (but it was with a white sauce), next came some risotto, I can't even remember what the primi courses were, but there were about 3-4. They also served us one of the best things I've ever eaten - fried sage leaves. I can't even describe what they tasted like, but the men were a little reluctant. The secondi course was pork with cheese on top and roasted tomatoes and potatoes. Dessert was a creme carmel of sorts and figs etc. We also were treated to flavored grappa for our appertif.

Most of the guests were fighter pilots so needless to say, I feel indoctrinated to the AF now. It was just fascinating listening to a whole different side of life in the AF I know absolutely nothing about. I also now know the legend of Jeremiah Bush whiskey - the General informed us all about it. I also know how to make my own limoncello - another delicious appertif here. The grappa is more like gasoline to me. Again, terrific people serving the AF well here. If you haven't seen the latest news on our fighter pilot that had to eject check out estripes.com for the news. Michael hasn't been getting any sleep working on this issue - at work at 5:30 and nights past midnight. The pilot is so lucky to be here. He definitely had a guardian angel working for him.

pictures of Jacqueline's 1st day at the Asilo

Jacqueline running to Asilo - don't worry she was crossing the street carefully! She loves it. On the way to school she told me "she is big now and I wasn't allowed to cry about it." Today, she didn't want to leave and was upset she couldn't stay for the "big kids" lessons b/c she is a big kid too! She yelled at Michael that she gets to stay for lessons on Monday.

The nun - "We have nuns like in 'The Sound of Music' that we watched at G'ma and G'pa's."

Her room -


Her teacher Maestra Marzia. Love her. She and I are finding ways to communicate. She knows more English than she lets on - learned through the movies she told me today. I let her know I was starting lessons next month! The nuns just prattle on to me like I know Italian even though the know I don't.

The school - Michael said it looks like a war zone! Well, it does, but it's 100. I hope I look this good when I'm 100 especially if I've had thousands of children running all over me.

Pure Jacqueline, posing for her 1st day.

The video is of "the swing." I knew she would love it, and I can't get her off! Today she was excited b/c she got to sit in the front seat. There are some wierd blips in the video. She held her own against a boy who wanted her seat and thought he could bully her off. She did almost fall off shortly after the video, but she's got the hang of it now. Today she had me get on - yeah. My big butt, from all the pasta, wouldn't fit. No surprise there.

The two videos below didn't take -

september 11th

I have much to write about so I hope I remember it all. It's another beautiful day here in Italy. I am sitting outside blogging while looking at the green mountains with a bright blue sky above them. AHHHHH. Next time I will bring my camera so you all can sigh with me. Thank you for reading - I'm glad to know someone besides my mom is!

Last Friday night I went to Jacqueline's Italian school for the parent-teacher conference. The school was peeling and looked so old on the outside so I wasn't too impressed at the outset. I turned the corner and PRESTO - the playground - the center of the universe for any preschooler. The equipment was new and there are some really cool pieces. The nun in charge was conducting a service. I, of course, didn't understand a lick of it b/c it was in Italian. She wasn't your stereotype scary nun as she had much joy in her face! It was interesting being in a school with Christian images - I hadn't expected that.

There were four teachers up front. One was really cute and she looked like she would be fun (a great barometer for how good of a teacher she'll be I know). I also thought JD would love her red glasses and long hair. Well, that is who she got! Love her. JD's classroom has all new furniture and is newly painted. The school, by the way, is old as it is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this year. There are 25 kids in her class between the ages of 3-5. She only goes for an hour the first few days b/c it will be "so hard" for the 3 year olds then two hours and then three. Obviously this means I will be spending lots of time in the car. We didn't get into the school by our house.

The teacher asked me all about JD's personality (in Italian again through my translator - Michael's terrific assistant, Linda). At the end she said, "I think she'll be teaching me English by the end of the year." We all laughed. JD is most excited that she may eat octopus for lunch as that is what one girl told us she had sometimes. A group of people said last night she will be so disappointed when she goes back to the US and all they serve are grilled cheese and hot dogs.

On Saturday we did head to the mall in Udine. A beautiful drive through the countryside. It looked like a warehouse from the outside, but a typical mall inside. The size was deceiving b/c it was really big! I'll talk more about this adventure later when I have my camera with the pictures. I've added some more pictures of Florence to the top of the post.

9-7 pics including Florence

September 6, 2007

Interesting few days here. It has gotten cool so since we don't have any blankets -we had to sleep with towels over us the other night. Thankfully, yesterday, I talked to a friend and she loaned us about 10 blankets. I only have two pairs of pants for Jd and only a few long sleeve tops for jl so, much to my dismay, we will have to go to Udine to the H and M there to buy some clothes. I will try to get a coat for myself since I don't have one -it's been in the 50's at night w/ a high in the mid60's. It might warm back up tomorrow.

Well, we have two cars (but the license plate doesn't fit on the Tahoe so we aren't driving it yet)
On Sunday morning we got up early to go to the train station in Pordonene. The night before we decided to take a test run since we hadn't driven to the train station previously. For some reason, we decided to use the nav the next morning and it got us lost and we just made it on the train. We later discovered that I had progrommed in the wrong train station. yes, it was loads of fun trying to figure out where the train station was at 6:30 in the morning.
JD loved the train for about the first thirty minutes. We played a lot of "I spy" and watched some dvd's It was only a four hour trip to Florence - when you are from Texas - four hours is a short trip.

When we first got to the train station, I was thinking, "This is Florence?" Not impressed as I had heard so much about it. It was a comedy walking on the cobblestone streets with our car seats and luggage. I know we would have been on some show! The hotel was great and near the market. I bought a couple of beautiful scarves which will serve me well now with the change in the weather!!!
We went to a church near the hotel that was started in 383. Wow. Still wasn't charmed by Florence, but the artwork in the church was incredible.
We then just headed out walking (again another challenge since we couldn't bring the stroller and the car seats and luggage). We turned one corner and then, I understood, my breath was just taken away by Florence. I wish I could characterize it better, but it is just so old and buildings are fabulous. We didn't do any museums, but we will do that on our next trip. It is fun traveling with our girls b/c people automatically gravitate to us. They want to make Julia laugh and touch JD's curly blonde hair. People also can't believe Julia's name since it is popular here (and we live in the Giulia region of Italy- we must have known when we named her that we were coming her).
Okay, so the next morning we are on the train to Livorno to pick up the car. The Italians do not believe in lines so it was a challenge to get a cab at the train station. You have to be quite agressive. Our terrific cab driver found the warehouse at the port. When we got upstairs, they said so sorry the paperwork isn't done and it won't be done till tomorrow. yeah. Great w/ two small children in tow. My "type A" came out as politelly as possible- uh, you told us last week it was a go and come pick it up - what happened between then and now? Sorry - it wasn't done - just big talk.
We just sat in the office and let jacqueline color (I thought if we sat there maybe the paperwork would be magically done, but as they love kids, it really didn't matter). We then went downstairs for lunch as all offices close from 12:30-2:30. JD needed a nap so we had her sleep outside their office on the cold tile floor (again me thinking sympathy). They all came back at 2:30 and 5 minutes later the paperwork was magically done! They even drove us in this tiny little red car to the place where the Tahoe was. I guess a little wine and a nap during reposo worked!
We discovered on the fourish hour drive home that we cannot drive 80 mph on the autostrada when it is so windy. The wheels seem to actually lift off the pavement. Tuscany is magical. I saw some paitings in Florence and wondered if it would really look like that - the sunflowers and Italian cypress. I can tell you - it does. I actually saw some of the landscape depicted in the pictures.
Another interesting thing that you would never see in the states was a chapel at the rest stop. We said some prayers for safe travel and patience with small children in the car (and gratefulness for having the car).

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller