March Madness

What a few weeks it's been! I have no idea why they went so quickly, or why the felt so hectic, but perhaps if I try and recall all that went on, it might give me a clue!

Well firstly James injured himself.  Not mildly, as he usually does, but legitimately hoping around on crutches for 2 weeks or more now.  Ah, the perils of basketball.  So we are down one fully mobile adult in the house, which leaves me with 3 people to look after.  (to be fair, James is doing as much as he can and more sometimes, but there are definite restrictions to what he can and cannot do, stairs are just coming back into the equation now, and driving is still out of the question).

Secondly, Eowyn has decided to try walking.  Not often, not alot, but she can and does take a few steps on her own sometimes.  I love that she is just vaguely interested in the process and will only try it when she is in the mood.  So different to her brother who tried it once and was an expert by the second round!  But at just over 12 months she's doing just fine.  March 18th was the official day.
She also has 2 top molars trying to force their way in.  Poor thing!  There are definitely days when you can tell that she's bothered by them.  Mostly though, she's a trouper.  A trouper who loves to stand, sit and lie on top of her mother.  This is the other funny business that's been going on.  She is suddenly very attached to me, and not just a sort of vague emotional thing - it's physical.  Like if I walk away from a room she's in without her, she will cry!  When I leave I have to hide and duck out so she can't see me, otherwise she'll be really upset, and other times I have to dance around the kitchen trying to cook with someone hanging on to my pant legs.  NO seriously, she physically hangs on to my pants.  Yes, like it in the movies and cartoons.

Her first official official word has got to be "more".  I know she's been saying dadda, daddy, mama, mummeee, for a while.  She's also said some other things that sound like words too, but the most specific and accurately used thing has been "more".  Pointing to food. Of course.

Otherwise our lead up to spring has been a bit up and down.  The weather has certainly been colder this year, and the snow!  Gosh, we just had another snow storm a week ago and that's midway through march!  Crazy stuff.  I guess we shouldn't complain because we still have some beautiful days here, but when it gets grey and cold it just feels like forever.  Liam is definitely itching for warmer weather and more time outside.  We've been getting out a fair bit, but nothing like we normally do in good weather.  Of course with the new bike he's eager for the chance to practice.  Eowyn too has become obsessed with going out, which means that I now have 2 kids bringing me shoes and insisting we get out!  Luckily we have a few good indoor options, and one has become kind of a regular thing where a bunch of TASIS kids and parents head to the palestra at school for some run around play time.  They love it, of course.

Palestra fun - the kids made a "train" with these carts and had a great time driving around the room

Walking and biking down to campus - Liam's choice to wear his shades!

At Gentilino - sharing a horse ride with Cassidy

Eowyn's first time on one of these!

These two are such loves and have such a good time in the bath!

The kiddos reading "Zog" with daddy (thanks Leigh!)

Alexi and Iona, who are friends who got here just in September, managed to introduce us to something we never knew existed - the Zoo!  Ha! We'll we decided to join them a couple of weekends ago and it was a really fun little outing.  It's not a big place and it's a bizarre mix of animals - guinea pigs and lions.  Goats and a snow leopard.  But for little ones it's great.  Amusingly enough you can buy a bag of popcorn and banana slices and feed any animal you like (if they'll eat it!)  This made the goats, ducks, and guinea pigs the top selection for Liam.  He was so funny feeding the goats - the big ones were quite agressive and he was a bit nervous about them but really wanted to feed the babies.  So we had to distract them while he gave a bit of food to the little ones.  They even had a little playground so Eowyn was happy to have a chance to get out of the stoller too.

Liam feeding the goats

At the zoo with Alexi and Iona

Check out the guinea pigs

The playground at the Zoo

Eowyn loving the slide (Belly down, of course)

For Naw Ruz we decided to have dinner out at Bellavista.  Liam always asks when we're going there again, so I invited Leigh and kids to join us, and we had a sweet little celebratory meal there.

Best pals at Bellavista - Naw Ruz

Eowyn and Grayson at Bellavista

Thank goodness the weather warmed quickly after our last snow.  In the square 2 days later there were just a few piles still remaining.  We met up with friends and the kids had a great time digging and crawling around in the snow!

Playing in snow - Montagnola square

Everyone in on the fun!