Time to return...to blogging that is!

My life here in Florence has changed a lot since I last wrote. I now have both kids at home, one studying for A levels via the internet, the other home schooling with me, well if you call watching the Cartoon Network home schooling...I'll go into the why's on my school blog.

I stopped blogging because everyone said that pictures are what people want but I'm now seeing a trend away from that. It seems, like children who start with picture books, that blog readers are progressing too, so expect words!!!!

Did I have 4 cats last time we spoke? Pretty sure I did. So my life, 24/7, is now 4 cats, 2 kids and the occasional husband. I'm saying it here, where it's unlikely my kids will see it, we've agreed our relationship is finally past its sell by...we just have to work out the disposal now.    That's all I'm saying for now, other than its been going off for a loooong time. So he's mainly in Spain and returns here just to see the kids. Their antipathy towards him speaks volumes. My son is 18 and my daughter now 9, they aren't stupid. 

Anyway, my son is basically a vampire...sleeps all day and is awake all night, with very few real friends here but when I suggest returning to the UK he doesn't want to! His first love is Anime/Manga. Here it is both cheaper and more widely available than in the UK. He collects models of his favourite characters. They would cost twice as much, even if he could find them, in the UK. Obviously, to him, this is a good reason to stay here!!

My daughter knows no different now. She speaks good Italian and passable French but I think the French will disappear as she knows no one that speaks just French now. For now she is happy. Whether she ends up back in school here we shall have to see.

Me?? Hmmm...hating being pre-meno. Also I feel so tired and constantly lacking in energy. I'm hoping writing here will help, even if no one reads it!!!! Life as a fifty year old single mum is HARD! I know I'm failing on so many levels...I just can't be bothered. A little is depression, a little is being unfit and a lot is having no real support network close by. Sometimes just living in a beautiful city isn't enough... life has a way of intruding..

It's been a while....

I really wasn't sure if I wanted to resurrect this blog or not. So much has happened since that last post, most of which won't be going on here I admit! Anyway, I'm here now. I'm just going to keep it pretty general from now on. I guess it was anyway but I'll come on when something exciting is happening and that will probably be pretty much it!! My kids changed schools, both are at school together now. It's a French school which is interesting but it does mean they will be following the IB rather than the Italian Maturita which for them is a better option as it opens up Unis all over the world if they decide to go that route. We also have 4 cats now!!! Totally unplanned but we decided to keep the kittens our two had...maybe not the best idea but hey!! Anyhow the sun is shining and it's lunch time! :)

Time Passes!!

Good grief! I can't believe it has been 7 months since I last posted!! Thing is once summer hits it's way too hot to do too much and typing becomes an effort!! Not much has gone on either tbh...Antonia started Prima which is going okay. The homework is heavy at the weekends and neatness in writing and colouring is expected from the start, which I find incredible! That said her reading and writing in both languages is coming along well and she finds maths fairly straightforward so far!!

I'm not going into the details but we will be on the move again soon. Various forces have come together and we won't be renewing the lease on this place, so we need to find a new place before the end of January. I was hoping to be gone before Christmas, so we could decorate our new place with the tree etc but Italy being Italy this is probably not to be.....So we will have to make the best of it here, surrounded by cases and boxes!! It's not very conducive to the seasonal spirit but hey ho! Next year will be different.

Alex is here too at the moment. He is taking some study leave before the pressure of next years exams plus he wants to be here when we move - hoping this will be possible!!

To say my love of Italy is being tried at this time is an understatement but I can't imagine it being any different in any other country right now. Once I am resettled I'm sure it will return but in the mean time I remain frustrated and fed-up!!

Happy Christmas! ;)

Kittens and summer.

I finally think summer may just about, probably, be here. It's been terrible so far this year! So much rain, even friends who like the rain have been complaining! My two poor tomato plants are turning yellow with it all! Finally brightened up the end of last week, just in time for the bbq my friend Kim had arranged for a group she runs for English speaking mums. It was a gorgeous day and there was a great turn out! Unfortunately "cliquey-ness" was a bit of a blight, but once that group had moved on things seemed to take a turn for the better! The kids there had a great time, which was probably more important! So much good food too, luckily my lemon meringue held its own, which was a relief! Star for me were the chocolate cup cakes and the spinach and artichoke dip! I could've eaten the latter all to myself and wanted to with the cup cakes but they were so rich I was feeling pretty sick after two, but they were worth it!! :D We all bbq-d our own stuff, I'd taken kebabs but Antonia and I had pigged out so much on the table buffet we didn't eat much of them! I wasn't that bothered as they really weren't my best effort! She didn't like the meringue though, said it was too lemony!! Lol!

Because we stopped over at the house where the barbie was we also took along our new kittens! Kim is a big cat fan and it was her idea! They slept in the same bedroom as us, which was amusing if not restful. I woke up at one point to find them sucking Antonia's hair!! They also had a "garfield" habit of walking across my face with their claws to wake me up! Here, at home, they have the run now at night but I lock them out of the bedroom. It won't be long though before they work out how to get past the doors via the open stairs! We've had the kittens nearly two weeks now, they still don't have names, we are waiting for Alex to come home for a break this weekend to help out with that! One is a tom, he is absolutely stunning, a grey tabby, not something I've seen before. He has the cutest face and a mass of fluffy fur. I think he will be big, he has huge paws already at 6 weeks and reminds me of a little tiger cub! The other is a female, she is a strange mix of colours, two of her legs are perfect ginger tabby stripe, but the rest of her is a mix of grey, brown and ginger! She is tiny compared to the tom, really delicate like a flower! She's also the nosy one and I know will be in more trouble than him, either that or she will be egging him on from the side!! Lol!

We are all so happy to have the kittens, Antonia doesn't really remember having a cat in the UK and this is the first time in 4 years nearly, that we have had one. I'll post some pictures when I get a chance. I post them rarely because it is such a pain to upload them for some reason, I don't know what it is, anyway, soon. Girly cat just tried to add her thoughts so I'll finish off now!!