Happy Children by Hart

In general, the kids have been adapting to this move very well.

Ellie has noticed that Italians love dogs & almost everyone has one or more (usually small & cute) dogs. She was asking for a dog before we came to Italy, but her want has increased since we've been here. Our compromise is that once we get a house she'll be able to get a pet - NOT a dog, but maybe a guinea pig or hamster. She just needs something cuddley to love, is that so wrong? I made the mistake of shipping her most beloved stuffed animal (dog), Peanut, who is still in customs until we move into the house. Hopefully in the next month we'll move & those problems will be overcome. As far as school goes, Ellie seems to be doing well. Some subjects are very easy for her - spelling was always one of her talents, but now she is in a class with 98% native Italian speakers. She is picking up Italian amazingly quickly. They also have a subject here called, "mental maths", so she is learning to solve math problems in her head. There is an indoor pool nearby, & I've got the kids on a waiting list for lessons twice a week. Hopefully they'll get in before the bad weather begins, so they can still get some exercise. For now, lots of walking!

Liam is also adapting well. He likes school. He really likes the uniform! He has his first playdate scheduled for this afternoon - we're going to a park where kids ride bikes & scooters (the other kid is providing the vehicles). This weekend he is going to a birthday party for a classmate. PE has been a bit of a problem - they played Dodgeball his first day & didn't explain the rules. He came home & told me everyone was mean & they were all throwing balls at him! Poor guy. Liam (oh, now he goes by William at school) is also doing well in class. It is tough being thrown in with 2nd graders, but he's keeping up. He's getting used to doing homework. He comes home & explains Italian grammar rules, "Mom, if it ends in an 'o' it's a boy & if there's more than one of them, the end changes to 'i', like gelatto - gelatti, gelatto is a boy, mom!"

Ander is having more trouble than the other kids. First off, he got a new tooth the first week here. Now he has a cold. He is also going through some developmental changes - standing & cruising more, even balancing for a second or two. He's also started dancing, as you can see in the video! His language has definately been impacted by the move - he used to say at least 15 different words. Now he mainly says "mama, mommy, & ciao." I did get him to say "bubbles" the other day, but he isn't even saying "dada" any more. Hopefully this confusion won't last too much longer. Ander is also not sleeping well. He's been waking & nursing all night. I say I'll stop the night nursing when he's healthy again, but who knows what new thing will be an issue then. Hoping for the best (& a little sleep for mama)!