So not what I'd planned

Thomas came back from 12 days in Germany last night.. He had celebrated his 17th birthday while he was away and had had some hair brained idea of going out to celebrate there Italian style - ie the birthday boy pays for everyone else - having a birthday here can turn into quite a financial commitment - and this time it would have been even more financially crippling - there were 30 Italians on the trip and 30 Germans - I pointed out that going out and paying for all the others wasn't really a viable option - once the econmics of the whole thing were pointed out to him he seemed to understand (??!!) but I said we would celebrate once he got home.

To be honest his birthday was over a week ago and coming back they had a 14 hour coach journey so I don't think he had even remebered. But I did. I made a huge cake and called one of his best friends to arrange for him to get 'the boys' round here as a surprise birthday do - there should have been 6 of them in all - I made the cake (6 17 year old boys (plus us) will eat a lot of cake I thought) and a fair amount of beer (6 17 year old boys will drink a lot of beer).

But my mistake was.......I had called Davide, who we love dearly but who always has to "just have a shower" before he does anything else, to call round and tell the others about it - I called him last weekend but when I sent him a message on Thursday evening to confirm and he didn't respond I expected the worst - he finally got in touch a couple of hours before Thomas arrived to say that only he and Raffa would be there - I would put money on him only having actually called the others once he got my text the night before - anyway, he and Raffa would be here -he also asked if Thomas then could go to the pub with them (Thomas is on a 'one night out a week' regime at the moment) - I said of course - it was what we had expected - but at the same time I had thought they would stay here at least for a bit - Raffa arrived.


Thomas was duely surprised, then next thing we know Agata and boyfriend are waiting for them in the car outside to give everyone a lift to the pub - Davide turned up, they took the cake and the candles and went to celebrate at the pub - and Robert and I were left with a bottle of bubbly and a fridge full of beer (the boys did invite Leo but he is only 13 - not quite 'out to the pub on a Friday night' age) - like I said, not the birthday I had planned for Thomas, not Thomas's fault at all just one of those things - and looking back dealing with 17 year old boys, Davide's organisational skills and the fact that we are talking about Italians here I guess it was all pretty predictable. But my boy did get his presents, did get his cards and he did have a good night.

At last......

The day has finally arrived.......time for the plaster to come off (he had been very clear about not letting anyone write on it but that didn't last long as you can see......)

When the doctor brought out the saw it just looked like a mega vacuum cleaner - how much mess could one cast make??? anyway, it wasn't - I hated seeing someone take a saw to my child but he, Leo, thought it was hysterical ........

...so now he has this - for another couple of weeks but he can wash his own hair, put his own socks on, cycle to school, write, hold a fork properly, clear the table etc - all those piddly things that have made the last few weeks a bit of a pain..........(oh, and play the bass again)

and now for something completely different - Thomas, Allegra and Giorgio are moving into politics - they are standing for student council - here's hoping they make it - and here's hoping they can make some changes......

and finally.......why wouldn't you have a cheese grater in a bedroom? clearly nothing else is nearly as good as this for supporting the wii thing (hell I don't even now what it's called - as Leo has told me recently......update your language mum)

Time for the rounds

I am so hopeless at blogging these days - usual excuse - too busy to blog. But her I am catching up on the last 3 and a half weeks - I know it's 3 and a half because Leo will be having his plaster taken off on Wednesday so that just proves almost 4 weeks have past (posting a music video sn't really count does it?). He has been a star - he has rarely omplained but has just got on with things - he's really happy at school in his new class so I'm sure that's helped - the photos below are from the inter class sports day that the first years do at the end of week one to help them get to know each other (in secondary schools here people come from miles around and can end up like Thomas and Leo not knowing anyone in the class - so this sports day is a good chance for them to mix).We even managed to make it to a concert - he and I went to see Jax - an Italian rocker/rapper - I was not looking forward to it but we had a great time and the music was great - and just the fact that Leo and I went to Bologna for a concert I think is pretty cool - not a good photo but it was hysterical to see him pumping the music in plaster!!

We had guests....my lovely Aunty Ann and Don came - in her mid70's but she comes and sees us more than anyone else in the family - and we love her. The the day they left Robert's old friends from Canada arrived - a real blast from the past for Robert - and they were such a lovely couple - Dennis was a scream and Kathy was just the most lovely warm person you could imagine - and they came to see us which was great - the kids were in a bit of a whirl wind but thought it was great to have friends and family all in the space of the week - from so far. Oh and Dennis builds ukelele's so Leo picked his brains trying to tune his ukelele. One of those surreal moments - Leo is in his bedroom on a Thursday lunchtime with a Canadian he met 5 minutes before tuning his ukelele!And then Robert got ill - 10 days of chest infection with obligatory injections twice a day in his behind - given by me - why can't Italian doctors simply prescribe medicine? why are they (well Robert's at least) obsessed with injections - I love him amd his body but his poor bruised backside certainly doesn't love me right now. (no photos for this one).

Thomas has turned 17 this week - but he's on Germany on a school trip so no birthday photos - I felt pretty weepy on his birthday - it was like him having his birthday away from home was another milestone in my child's life that I had not expected to happen - but it did - I have no regrets about the past - any decisions I have taken have always been taken because at the time I thought it was the right thing to do but I would go back and relive so many of those moments in the past when my kids were young - I miss them now and I am already anticipating how much I will miss them even more when they will be no longer living with us I miss them already. We will be having a 17 candle cake on Friday when he gets home - and the photo below is for me - it is a photo which shows so clearly the Thomas of 12 years ago - he was wary of the world, wary of people and now he's 17 and isn't!!!!.

And then yesterday - the 'Salite' - the promotion ceremony (Kellogsville - is that it in English??) when the scouts of all the different groups move up to the next group - it is also the day when the new patrols are formed and Leo has been made patrol leader - he is so chuffed - and we are so proud of him - he joined the scouts 5 years ago as a fairly reserved little boy - I can honestly say that scouts has played a huge part in turning him into the responsibe, funny, confident kid he now is - confident and responsible enough to be put in charge of 6 other boys - go Leo!

This photo is from 3 years ago when passed up into the Scouts - leaving the cubs - he was so happy!!
...and these are 2 of his closest friends on their first day of middle school 3 years ago - last night Leo was made patrol leader, Francesco in the middle deputy and Gabriele on the right also patrol leader - what a great little gang they are!! (although Gabri is about 170 tall now!!!)

a busy 3 and a half weeks.

So busy lately........