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.