in the navy

Hey Mom, I think it would be cool to be in the Navy when I grow up. Just like Dad.




Okay, Son. But, you will have to brush your teeth and shave and get up very early every single day, and you might have to go weeks or months or years without seeing your beautiful family. You'll probably have to move every couple of years, too.




Oh, and you'll have to cut off all your hair.


 

Swim away! Swim away!



*Disclaimer* I am obviously very grateful for the Navy and for all who work in it for many, many reasons. Not least of witch is that it provides for me and my family and allows us to live in Italy.

correction

After a bit more research, I discovered that I got the date of the fire incorrect in my previous post. I'm pretty sure the fire happened on March 25, 1911...

Sorry for the mistake.

festa della donna

Today is a special day in Italy, and that's not only because it is Martedi Grassi (Fat Tuesday), which needs no explanation. It is also "Festa della Donna," or Woman's Day.

This day originated in 1908 when a group of women working in a factory in New York started a strike to protest against the horrible working conditions. Many of these women were from Italy. Apparently, on March 8th, 1908,  the factory owner locked all the women inside the building. Somehow, a fire started, and many women died that day. They died fighting for justice and dignity. To honor these women, March 8th has become International Woman's Day. Here in Italy, yellow flowers called mimosas are given by men to women.  It was fun to see them being sold on all the street corners today.

It is, quite simply, a day to celebrate being a woman. Due to commercialization and whatnot, this day has also become a day for women to go out and cut loose. Women who normally do not go out will go have a wild, "girl's night" on Festa della Donna.

I started making a list in my head of all the women I would like to celebrate with today by having a "girl's night." The list just kept growing and growing and growing, and I began to feel overwhelmed with gratitude for all the incredible women in my life.

Obviously, my list included you. So, if you are reading this and you are a woman, go out a do something crazy for me tonight.

I will be thinking of you as I attend a Martedi Grassi costume party with my friend, Rebecca. We're letting Tony come, too, because life is always more fun when Tony and I are together.

Happy Mardi Gras, Martedi Grassi, Fat Tuesday, and Festa della Donna to ya'll!

king cake??

I know you're just dyyying to find out how my attempt at creating a king cake went today. You can stop holding your breath, because I am about to tell you.

It didn't happen. I didn't even attempt it.

Um, well, you see, I sorta got a soar throat, which sorta made me not want to do anything, and making a king cake is quite a lot of work, so I didn't do it.

Instead, we made another Mardi Gras favorite: pancakes. And then we put chocolate chips in them. And then we put frosting on them. And then I discovered how difficult it is to make food look good in photographs, especially when you have no natural light. And then I realized just how talented all those food bloggers are that I love so much. And then I decided not to show you my picture, but to tell you that it looked sort of like this:

And then I poured frosting on my pancakes.

And then ate them.

And then I'll probably eat some more on Fat Tuesday!

king cake

In the spirit of Carnevale and Mardi Gras, today, I am going to attempt making this king cake. Hopefully, it turns out better than my Valentine cookies.

Wish me luck!

parenting

Raise your hand if you've ever spent a week wiping goop out of your toddler's eyes.

(Hand raised).

Raise your hand if your toddler suddenly went from cool, calm, and collected to testy, tired, and tantraum-ey.

(Um, both hands raised).

Guys, can I confide in you for a minute?  It's been a... how should I put this... a tough, trying, and all together difficult week of parenting. It started on Monday when Graham puked once every hour and had goop running out of his eyes and nose. Gross, I know, but I need to be a little graphic so you can feel my pain. Since Monday, he just hasn't been himself. He seems to be developing a habit that is common to many toddlers, but one he has never grasped. I'm talking about fit-throwing. Yep. There have been some doozies this week. Like, make mama's blood boil doozies. It's crazy, because one minute, he is happy-go-lucky, but as soon as something doesn't go as he expected, bam! He's in a state of fury. I'm really hoping it's just a symptom of this virus he's had all week and that it will go away along with the coughing and sneezing and runny nose. In the meantime, any parenting advice would be more than welcome. How do you handle a testy toddler?

Plus, the weather has been awful. Just rainy and windy and gross. March has definitely come in like a lion.

In more ways than one.

Because a couple of days ago, a fellow book club member (Yes, I go to book clubs. Two, actually. Don't judge.) discovered that her two-year-old son has a tumor on his spine. As a parent, this news does many things to my emotions. Obviously, it shines some perspective on my own goopy-eyed situation, but I don't need to go into those details, because, well, this is not about me anymore. Now, I'm asking you to send some prayers or positive feelings or whatever you believe in to this family. I haven't asked for permission to use their name, so just send your prayers to a family of 10 (8 kids! plus the parents) living in Naples, Italy. I know they are really hoping for a miracle right now.

Sorry to end with such sad news. I just can't stop thinking about this family, which inevitable makes me want to write about them..

Thanks for listening. 

Here's hoping March goes out like a lamb.

the grass is greener?

I will forever be fascinated by the curious human condition of wanting what one can't or doesn't have.

Today, my Italian neighbors came to me with a list of things they would like for me to purchase for them at the commissary. Things they cannot get in Italian grocery stores.

Here is their list:

3 cartons of Oreo ice cream
4 frozen pizzas
1 bottle of syrup
1 box of fruit loops

"Frozen pizza?" I exclaimed! "Mamamia!"

Naples claims to be the birthplace of pizza. There are pizzerias on every corner. Each making the most mouth-watering, authentic pizza in the world. And my neighbors want Digiorno.  With Oreo ice cream rather than the delicious gelato from down the street. Hmmm.

Can someone please tell me which isle the frozen pizza is on?