going park

In our town days are now getting longer and there is light until 6.00 PM.

Going kindergarden today as it is sunny and quite hot, I thought it would have been nice for Momi to take her bicycle and a rucksack for the snack with juice, chokolate bar and some other foods so that she can choose what to eat.

As I thought Momican was happy to see her mini bicycle and go happily seating on it without getting tired (she doesn't like to walk so much HEHE).

After going here and there in the plaza Momichan decided to go to the park, she loves to go on the balance and now she is big enough to go like the big kids ^O^ she always tells me to push her strong, she wants to go quick but is she still not yet able to move all by herself on the balance (moving her legs up and down as I explained her many times). At the moment it's a pity, the park is not really enchanting, the major part of the balances and sliders are broken and nobody has substituted them, we are quite worried and are trying to writee a letter and get is signed by all the mums visiting the park, the more we get signature, the more we will have possibility the Major will do something ... we hope, because if for that summer the park will be still like that thekids will get crazy and will quarrel for balances (just 2 and none for baby kids) and spaces ! for people like us who do not have a car this in the main plaza is the only park possibile where to go, kids have to do something after kindergarden and on long sunny summer day if we cannot go to the park we do not have a place to go.

french market day

For the third year we are lucky to have the French Markets in our little town.

It's a sunny day and daddy has a half day free so we go to take a look. Momi is enchanted by the stalls, colours and perfumes, she tells us she want a pretzel so we direct to the bread stall, everything there is inviting and has a good smell, we buy a croissant for me, a pretzel for her and a pain chocolat for daddy,baguettes and croissants quicky come out the oven and the smell is really yummy ^O^

Nearby there is the stall of soaps, many different soaps with different colurs and smell attract us, I but two small heart shaped lavender soaps for Momichan and another strawberry normal shaped for us, the man wraps the soaps and gives us as present some lavender flowers to put in the drawer, Momichan takes her soaps happily.

The banquet of napkins is also interesting and some are really gorgeous but prices are terribly high. Some other stall sell cheese, wines, ham and salami, paté, spices, neckalces and jewels and also jackets, pullovers, scarfs.

We also stop at the spice stall and buy some special mix for pasta and some herbs to use everywhere (salads, pasta, grill ...) there are many curry, blue salt, pink salt from Himalaya, a special black salt from some carribean isle, pepper, special mix for salads, grill meat, soups ... the smell and the colours are incredible, Momi looks at in total astonishment.

Our "Naviglio" is dry at the moment for cleanings, there are too many weeds (see foto on the left), it is curious to see and Momi asks worried where fishes have been put.

We talk about organizing a little trip to the french Cote D'Azur (Nice, Menton ...) and show Momichan a little piece of France, I guess she would amuse, new smells, colours, tastes, I think she would amuse so much also eating new foods ^O^

After one hour Momichan start to be tired, is time to go home and prepare lunch, Momichan is in my arms and she puts her head on my shoulder pretending to sleep. I guess we will come back tomorrow to buy some other croissants and baguettes, eventually some other spices ^^ Bye bye french market ^__^

Ikea Carnival Day

Carnival friday, Ikea store organizes for all the week long (18-26 february) everyday, marionette shows, sweets (frittelle and chiacchere), masque show, kids make up, so I tell Momi if she wants to amuse a little and get masqued we can take the bus in the main town plaza and go Ikea, today she has no kindergarden because is holiday, it is sunny and hot enough, the perfect day to go around ^___^
I dress Momichan with her Zorro costume, take a bag of confettis and we go out in the sun to the bus stop. We arrive around 15.00 PM, there are three girls who will make the show and make up kids so Momichan sit on a chair in front of one of them and ask for a butterfly ^O^ GEEEEE !!! the lady makes a cute pink butterfly and after she put on a dark pink glitter powder, the result is really fantastic. She tells us we have to wait a little for the marionette show so we buy a coffee (for me) and a snack (Momi asks for fries !) at the coffee corner and we go around the store to find the new cute spring articles and Momi plays around jumping on beds and entering inside the displays of little houses, bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.
I had told about this idea two or three mums at kindergarden so I am waiting at least one of them to come with the kids.
We start from the kid zone, beds, toys, Momichan plays a little but she loves most to go where there is an entire example of small house all furnished with divided rooms for kid, parents, kitchen, livingroom, entrance, she runs around pretending is her house and telling me idea how to make our future new house. After 50 minutes more or less we come back to the restaurant zone for the marionette show and a voice calls me: one of the mum is arrived with her two kids, the smaller is the kindergarden in the Azure section in front of Momichan class, (Orange section), the other is in the first year of elementary school just on the other side of the kindergarden building, the bigger is dressed like Spiderman and the smaller has a male kimono jacket on with a kanji which represents "matsuri" (celebration, party). The three girls of Ikea mask start to involve the kids in some games and after the build a kind of little theatre and start to make the marionette show using the puppet sold in the store, it's a story about a crocodile, a cat, a lamb, a strawberry. Kids laugh, the story is not really so good but they amuse a lot.
By mistake Momichan has erased her fantastic butterfly so we ask one of the ladies to make another, she makes one yellow and pink and again she glitters it with silver paiettes WOW !
Granny has called me to tell she is in the nearby if I need a passage home, Momichan is happy to see granny and she wants to show her butterfly. While we wait the kids has to start the costume parade, they are so funny, there is a monster, a baby Tigger, Spiderman, a princess, a fairy, some kids without even a costume, just normal, a Zorro, a ninja, everyone comes in front of us and bows a little, Momichan is too shy and does not understand, she just runs to me HAHA, her two friends bow and come back, after every kid has showed they alltogather come in front of the parents for a final bow togather.
With her two friends and mum we decide to exit Ikea but before we all want a hot dog, kids are happy to get a hot dog, we get down at the ground floor and kids enter in a carriage while their mum pulls them, Momi is excited, I walk their side. As soon as we arrive the Swedish Corner and we get the hot dog, granny calls again, she is out already ! "Wait please, we have to finish hot dog, we are togather with friends" tells Momi, but we have to hurry, we say "hello" and we get out, granny is happy to see Momi and Momi shows her Zorro costume and butterfly all excited ^^

french market ...

For the 3rd year in our town we will have the French Markets !!! In the old town on the river just in front of the Townhall 24/25/26 february there will be french stalls coming from many sides of France, they will sell cheese, soaps, honey, wine, lavender items (oils, creams, honey....) chokolates, bags, napkins, towels, pullovers, spices, fresh bread and croissants, sweets and much more ^O^

Every year we wait for it and we always buy fresh bread, croissants and spices, first year we bought a couple of napkins, fresh bread and croissants, last year I bought a summer straw bag too and always fresh bread and croissants plus a couple of cheese.

The smell along the market is yummy because some stall also cook some food (sausage and potatoes and some other strange things I don't remember), during sunny days you also smell lavender, soap, straw and garlic, the tipical odours of the lower coast of France I like so much^O^

Momi makes sweets ^O^

This week in kindergarden kids will celebrate Carnevale so everyday teachers have organized something. today kids will make sweets ............................. ! sugar, chokolate powder, cookies, butter .... ^O^

When I went to take Momichan at 16.00 PM she smilede at me and gave me her sweets: chokolate balls rolled in coconut flakes and tiny colorful sugar chips WOW so great ! it's a pity that I couldn't make a foto as soon as I got, while we came home we eated nearly everything HIHIHI they were really good, anyway here is what was left ^^

On thursday kids will have a party and will mask as american indians ^O^

civic acquarium

As Sampei is free two days, sunday and monday, we have decided Momichan will have vacation day on monday and we will do something togather the two days.

This afternoon we are going museums, first to the Civic Acquarium because Momichan loves fishes and after at Aegyptyan and Prehistoric museum in the nearby Castello Sforzesco.

Momichan is happy to have some time with us togather and also she loves to see fishes, everytime we go there is something different or new animals.

The pool she loves most is the Red Sea one because is coloured and with many sea flowers and "Nemo and his friends" fishes. Another lovely pool is the big one shaped arch under wich you can walk and see big Carangidae, sharks and small manta rays swimming around.

The rocks and corals of the sea pools are very enchanting, big sturgeons (90 cm long) swim in another pool where kids look enchanted their strange bony backs.

This afternoon there are a lot of kids and people running from a pool to another, there is a big chaos and in a second I loose Momichan running quicky in the middle of people a woman bumps into her with a big bag, I just can hear Momichan weep high coming towards me hugging her dad ! I give her a lot of kisses but anyway she already has a violet and blue livid on her left cheek, poor baby ! I take her in my arms and we go outside in the fresh sunny air directed to the Castello Sforzesco to see aegyptian mummies.

With a lot of kisses and a fresh yogurt Momichan is calm again ready to see something else new but she is a little tired so I continue to keep her in my arms while she looks around the castle gardens and towers hearing a thousand of happy birds singing of joy for the sunny day.

We find the ticket office and we buy a couple of tickets (Momi enters free), mummies and prehistoric vases, goblets, cups, tools and weapons are waiting for us in the lower floor in the basement of the castle.

Inside there are two mummies, one is still bandaged but the second is clearly visible with her bony skull, legs, arms and body entirely black ! four colorful sarcophagus are in the nearby, one of them contains writings in the interior side of the upper cover, maybe a prayer for the dead to be better received in the other world.

The other side of the little museum contains prehistoric items, goblets, necklaces, weapons, vases and tools made in iron, wood, stones, some images shows how cups and goblets weere made and also how to have a tool transforming a branch into an axe adding a stone.

At the museum shop Momichan wants to buy a souvenir and she cooses a heart shaped hook she can use to keep her things togather and hang to everything she wants.

Is already late, we get out and we give a look at the nearby shops, they are open because there are a lot of tourist around so we enter some of them. In a few minutes we are already taking the tube to go to the parking where we have left the car and we direct home.

pizzaaaaa !

Today will be a special day, we have a pizza for midday, Momichan will do her by herself and after we will go to Milan to see acquarium and museum.

This morning we have our usul walk to the center of the town to get some pizza mixture at the local bakery coffee shop.

We want to have pizza for dinner but most we want Momi to amuse trying to cook something herself.

Once home while daddy is teaching her how to make a small pizza from a small ball of material, I put some tomato sauce, sliced mozzarella and oregano inside some bowls and put in front of Momichan.

In the meantime she has already done a pizza she wants to decorate. She starts putting some sauce on it with the aid of a spoon and of ... daddy ! (she has put a lot and daddy has to take off some) then we teach her how to put the sliced cheese showing on the other big pizza daddy is doing. Last thing I let Momichan taste and smell the oregan to understand if she wants some on her pizza and she decides it smells good and may get her pizza tasty so she put some.

As both pizza are ready we put them inside the pre-heated oven and we wait while cleaning around, Momichan prepares the table putting dishes, tools and glasses for everybody.

Well the result this time is not bad, guess the pizza is a little high, we do not have flour so is a little difficult to make a thinner pizza but Momichan is satisfied of her result and we are all hungry HAHA

carnival party ^^

This afternoon at 15.30 Momichan and I are going to a Carnival party at the local kid playing zone Arcobaleno delle Fiabe I have reserved a couple weeks ago ^O^

Momichan is enthusiast at the idea of going there and for the occasion we have bought a few days ago a costume of Zorro that Momichan is now wearing.

Really Zorro was not her first choice, she wanted a princess dress but I said her that to run and climb it was not comfortable so she had to choose something with pants, pirates, Zorro, some superhero of what ever she wanted but not with gown so she choosed Zorro and I was lucky to find.

I also have prepared a big bag with a complete change of dresses in case of "accidents" ... ^___^ something for snack (a pair of drinking yogurt), a bottle of water, my things like home keys, purse, cell phone ... and some things more. (foto Momichan is having one of her yogurt waiting to go).

Inside the bag we also have a big bag of confettis that Momichan will thow away little by little on the way to the party. As soon as we arrive the place is already full of kids and parents, we pay the entrance, put special socks and cover shoes and let go around for the place.

There are many little kids masked as pirates, spidermen, little insects, princesses and superheroes, Momichan is the only Zorro there ^O^

Kids run here and there ont he attractions, they are very quick, so quick I am quite never able to take fotos.

Around five is offered a snack with the special carnival sweets: chiacchere and tortelli but mostly kids do not eat because they are too concentrated in playing, parents are free to take a pause and eat the sweets HAHA so every adult in the place run near the coffee corner to take a coffee and the sweets ^O^

In a corner is organized a kid make up so every kid goes to have his/her face make upped as butterfly, ghost, drakula, princess and other strange things, Momichan wants a lucky insect so she seats in front of the lady and tell her to paint her face red with dark spots ^O^

The party goes on, after every kid is make upped is the turn of baby dance, the two ladies after finishing make up start to teach babyes how to dance following some simple instructions and everybody start to dance and jump ^O^

Soon is already 19.00 PM and party is ending, kids and parents are getting out slowly and Momichan and I also go to take shoes and put on our coats to get home.

To arrive on time at the party Momichan as slept just a little for nap time so now I change her rapidly, make a shower and do laundry while putting her a fresh pijama, I prepare her a light soup with ham and her milk bottle and quickly she goes to bed.

cat mask ...

On occasion of Carnival Week we are making attempts to make funny masks ^O^ Momichan asked me to mke a cat and the result on her face is this one, a sweet kitty with white "fur" around eyes that makes Momichan's eyes greener than ever HAHA

progresses

Momichan has been ill since friday and today finally she has come back to kindergarden, no more fever. As soon as we arrive we discover half of her class is home ill HAHAHA more than 12 kids !!! WOW anyway in the meantime at home we have done pizza and cooked meatballs with veggies and she has helped making them also she has finally learnt to go bathroom to make either pipi or ... the other thing directly into the wc ! (just one week ango she has never done "popo" without having her nappies, normally she does during the night and I find in the morning when I change her, now she is able to go bathroom all by herself, do and clean YEEEEEEEEEEE ! she is so proud about it ^____^

cooking meatballs

This morning we have gone shopping at supermarket and we have bought veggies and fresh minced meat. Once home we have involved Momichan to cook.
Daddy has chopped in very small pices carrots and zucchini and Momichan has mixed the veggies with the fresh meat forming some meatballs she has put in the pan.
The result was not bad, tasty meatballs she has eaten quick togather with a plate of potatoes and broccoli we have served for lunch.

Momichan likes to help in the kitchen, emptying the washing mashine, putting shopping in the fridge, cooking food, preparing the table but most of all she likes to help daddy in cooking and looking what he is doing ^O^
Recently she also wants to experiment new tastes and mixes so I buy different veggies and mix togather to give her new tastes, normally we eat Ikea meatballs but this ones we have made offered Momi the chance to eat fresh meat and fresh veggies alltogather knowing how has been done and because she has helped it was obviously more tasty :)

Also I try to involve Momichan at the supermarket when we buy food, asking her what she would like and asking her if she recognize the various fruits and veggies and foods around and I must say she is very clever she knows everything more or less and sometimes she is the one to tell me "hey mum look .... (last week) black carrots !" or if there is a new product or something she likes or want to try. She never ask me to take junk food except sometime fries just because the bag has a Hello Kitty on it and hides a sourprise but normally she wants yogurt, fruits (she loves strawberries and raspberries, mandarines, bananas, apples and some others, she also likes fruit salads and fruit purea sometimes.

Momi makes pizza !

Here we are at home !

This morning we have decided as daddy is home free we have occasion of doing something togather so we want to have pizza this evening for dinner.

Just before midday we have gone out to our preferred coffee shop and we have bought half a kilo bread paste and now Momichan and her dad are in the kitchen to make a big pizza ^O^

I have chopped a couple of mozzarella cheese and taken tomato sauce out of the fridge, a special sauce not liquid like most one but a bit thick and with pieces of tomato inside.

Momi is happy to cook with daddy I have also a cute yellow cook apron for her like real chef (daddy wears one green) but I guess she is not really realizing what she is doing because she still have some lines of fever, we will make another pizza next week when she will be better anyway for the moment the result seems yummy enough and Momichan is quite proud of her result (I have helped her putting tomato sauce on her pizza and given her the slices of cheese) now we have to put in the oven and wait about 10 minutes.

The big pizza has been made by daddy, the small one by Momichan.

When we finallay sit at the table Momichan eats her creation and some of the big one, cheese has melted gorgeous and this tomato sauce is perfect, pizza has come wonderful and we all eat a lot, despite fever Momichan is hungry ^O^

The strange thing is that if we buy three pizzas we hardly can eat but now with just one and half more or less we are completely full ! HAHAHA

Giorgia b'day party

Today Momichan has been invited to a classmate bday party and yesterday we have gone to take a present she is holding in her hands.
Momichan is not really fit today because she has had high fever since friday but she wanted so much to go to the party that I decided to take her with the car even if is not reall far from our house.
Once there we recognize a lot of school friends, she gives Giorgia her present and start to look around. A girl is making kids play, dance and amuse, the parents have organized a food buffet with many sweets and pop corn, sandwiches, fries, beverages and much more.
Little Momi is already tired after a few minutes and she would like to go home but the kids invite her to play so we stay a little more until bday cake time ^O^
There are a lot of people most of them I know personally, some other are school mates and other I never have seen, parents chat togather and kids play, some eat and some look around. The girl is now making special balloons: Momichan receives a flower, other a dog, some other a sword, cake is served, a big cake with Donald Duck and family all soft and creamy YUM YUM then Giorgia opens the presents, her mom has also prepared some little presents for every kid arrived, they contain some sweets and candies and for girls an hawaiian flower necklace (for male the toy was different but I did not ave occasion to see). In the foto you see Momichan eating a special "dummy candy" and wearing her flower necklace.
Momichan seems happy enough and we say goodbye and thanks, Giorgia and her sister (she has a bigger sister who in a few days will be 7 years old) give a kiss to Momi and we are already out in the cold dark evening, at home daddy is waiting us to make pizzaaaaaaaaaaa ! ^________^

princess bed ...

As Momichan doesn't have a private room and she sleeps with us, I am trying to divide somehow her private corner fromt he rest of the room.

I started drawing some leaves on the wall, I want to transform them into a tree changing every season, in spring I will add some colured flowers but I'll make then sticky so that I can put them on the wall and take them away when season change.

While cleaning this morning I took out the drill to make a hole to fix a wooden bracket I use to hang a green mosquito net. The net makes a room in the room dividing her bed from the rest of the space, during the next summer mosquitos will run away and Momichan will sleep without being bitten ^___^

saturday family walk

After breakfast and a little playing we are ready to go out for the usual week end walk with daddy and me, (we have needed asometime more because again for the cold during the night boiler has iced so I had to boil some water to make shower to eveybody).

Momichan wears her soft warm preferred pink feather jacket, she is always happy when we can go out togather with daddy and recently she miss him so much when he goes to work.
Temperature outside is very low, guess around -5° degrees so we have to dress properly ^O^
We go to our preferred coffee shop and after we take Momichan to the carousel.
Momi loves going coffee shop, ask for a glass bubble water and after pay our coffee, she asks us coins and she pays personally telling what we have taken, coffee, croissant or something else.
Tomorrow we have promised her we will go McDonalds so she will have her fries, baby carrots and nuggets in a happy meal with new sourprise.
On the carousel Momichan amuses riding a horse and waving "hello" to us everytime she passes in front of us. We just have two tickets and it is already time to go home preparing lunch so after Momican has finished we walk towards home and she starts helping us preparing the table and her dishes and looking dad boliling water and making the sauce for the ikea meatball pasta ^^