Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday Maisa.

Today is my Mother in law's birthday. Here she is with Sam last fall in Lucca.

Tanti Auguri e Buon Compleanno!

Krista

Pork Chops for 3, hold the fries....

And what did Anna do to unwind before her big show? She made us a beautiful meal... All by herself.

It is getting late and were is the rascal? Out partying with her friends.... Is this a taste of things to come? Maybe she is a bit more like me than I thought!

Krista

Anna Banana Plays the Piana!

Here is my girl after her big show. She was the last one to play this afternoon because she was the best pianist in her age group. She had grace, she had style, best of all, she didn't make one mistake. In fact, I hear the songs she plays over and over again day after day and today Anna hit all the marks. She brought a tear to my eye
Sam couldn't be there to cheer her on so her friends came out in force.... Left to right, Virginia, Anna, Sarah, Valentina, and Elena.
After a long recital Anna was ready for an apperitivo. After the show we had a little tibble with all then Anna hit the road on her bike heading for the beach and a much needed stress release.

Next stop.... Carnegie Hall....

Krista

Sarah Can Sing and She Can Write

My baby is growing up so quickly. Since school has ended, and I must say, she had a beautiful report card, as always, full of A's, Sarah has made many strides towards being a young adult. Not only has she escorted Anna back and forth to her piano and drum lessons for me. She has also organized all her practices for her various singing concerts plus put her costumes together without asking me for one thing. Sarah just the other day, took the bus home from the beach with Joanne's daughter, Sarah, minus any adults or parents. It was a 10 minute ride from the beach in Sestri to Joanne's home in Chiavari. I suppose a taste of things to come. And to mark Sarah's ascent into being a pre-teen, I let her get her hair highlighted the other day. Why not? She looks beautiful and it made her glow.

Why am I telling you all this? Because Sarah did something amazing, she started her very own blog. Express Yourself. The musings of a young girl in the midst of teenage angst growing up in Italy. Go Sarah! I put the link over in my sidebar. Click over and take a look.

This morning Anna has her Piano rehearsal, the warm up for the big recital this afternoon. More about that later. I have to get the family up and out of their beds....

Buona Giornatta!

Not To Be Forgotten

Anna

Here she is last week at her drumming recital. Ok. This has been a hectic week that started the day school ended. See the dip in the posts. Directly related to the time the kids have been spending at home.

Last Sunday, we celebrated another 1st communion... Sarina's. Not my Sarah's but my friend Nicole's daughter. With so many Sara's running around, we need to differentiate. The party was held up in the hills behind Chiavari in her Uncle's home immersed in the olive trees. The perfect setting for a Dutch/Italian girl to party with her friends and family. Look here for more. After the festivities... it was off to bang on the drums. Anna, Davide, and Sarina all played their hearts out at the end of the year recital only to be outdone by that evening's recital for the "older kids"... including Joanne tooting her flute with her daughter Sara accompanying on the piano. See what I mean about the Sara's. Too many in our gang. Check in over at her blog for more about the day... the link is in the sidebar.

This week has been spent running the kids here there and everywhere and Anna closes the weekend off with her much anticipated Piano Recital.

Sam is off tomorrow for London and I will be joining him on Tuesday. Even though the trip will be for "business", it will be a welcome relief. Whose idea was it for summer vacation anyway? Did I mention the kids are off till September 11th! What a day to pick for the first day of school....

Buona Notte!

Krista

A Star is Born....

There she is.... Sarah singing her heart out. She was great, she was loud, best of all - she was in tune! Julie Andrews.... eat your heart out!

She sang all the hits from Disney including Cinderella, Mary Poppins and the Aristacats.

Who would have known that Sarah's singing debut would include all the hits from her early years... and I mean early. The first song I can remember Sarah singing... Bibbdty Bobbiby Boo... Cinderella of course was her first Disney experience. I so remember my mom teaching her that song while we drove somewhere in my car. Sarah was less than two. Anna was not even born. From there we moved on to the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Anastasia.... and so on. Sarah is a natural. I wish you all could have seen her.

Ok Ok..... I am a proud mom.

Oh, and Sarah is second from the left... the tallest girl there.

Krista

It was an amazing game, at least the according to those who watched it and Team USA rocked. Here is a little trivia for you....

The draw marked a milestone in the history of U.S. soccer. The Americans were 0-8 in World Cup games played in Europe, and they had never gotten as much as a single point in Europe in any match against the big five nations of Italy, England, Germany, Spain and France.

In the end... it was a tie. No car horns to be heard in Chiavari tonight but at least I can still break bread with my Italian friends.

Where was I you ask? At Sarah's singing recital. She was a star.... More about that in the next post.....

Tonight is the big World Cup game.... Why? Because Italia is playing team USA! Buzz is on and even yours truly was asked to be interviewed for the local Genoa TV news. Too bad I could not do it. I was too busy having fun on the beach at the party I organized for my children's friends. Oh Well. Chiavari has a huge screen set up on the Passagiata and after Sarah's singing recital this evening Sam and I will join the party on the promenade. Should be interesting. Think I should dig out my flag and wear the team colors... Red, White, and Blue!

But, I think the Americans are going to get their behinds kicked. The Italians play dirty and play to win.....

Krista

Roman Holiday

Sarah and Virginia
Originally uploaded by Krista 1366.

Here are the pre teenager best buddies, Sarah and Virginia, in Rome 2 weeks ago.

My very good friend, Cristina and her husband Jacopo, took these cuties to Rome. I did say she is still my good friend? Sarah and Virginia, by the looks on the photos, had a smashingly good time. Click to see the evidence.

Sarah loved Rome and really took in all the history and culture. For school kids to see Rome could be compared to kids in the United States going to Washington DC or Williamsburg, Virginia. DC, like Rome, is the US capitol, and full of important museums and government buildings. Williamsburg VA, is a replica of life during colonial times. In contrast, Rome, it is a modern living city, yet you are surrounded and immersed in its history. You can feel like you are in the times of the gladiators, you can still order your cappuccino and brioche in style, even shop at Prada and Dolce and Gabbana and not be stuck in some theme park by Anheuser-Busch with all the tackiness that comes with it. Don't get me wrong. I love the USA, but, give me real city not a theme park. I like my history raw baby!

Krista

Joanne's Big 4-OH NO!

Joanne, Markyluv, and Me
Originally uploaded by Krista 1366.

Yes, yesterday was a milestone in Joanne's life. She turned the big 4- 0! To ease her pain she had a big bash down at the beach in Sestri Levante at Markyluv's now famous beach bar club. All turned out to help Joanne celebrate, even one of her oldest friends from Canada. Well she now lives in the UK, she didn't have too far to fly.

All the usual suspects were in attendance and as it is with our "gang", many nations were represented. You could overhear, Italian, English and French. We had good food, great wine, wonderful company and a stunning Ligurian sunset. Click over to my homepage to see more snapshots of the party with incidentally, at least for us, continued into today. Joanne and her kids, plus Jennifer, Sam, Anna, and I all found ourselves back at the beach for another perfect day.

I am roasted and toasted and ready for bed. Oh and don't forget to check in over at Joanne's blog. I'm sure she will have up photos too. The link is in the sidebar.


Wish you were here!

Krista