Tanti auguri to mi mama

Happy birthday to the best mother, friend, and role model I could ever ask for J May is the month of birthdays, clearly. And I hope you are having a very special day today. Wish you were with me in Italy to enjoy a glass of wine!

The day started off quite oddly. The kids can come in around 8:30 but theater (circle time) doesn’t start until 9 AM, so until then they have free time. Well, one student drew a lovely pictures, brought it up to me, and said “this is for your mommy. For her birthday.” This little child had NO IDEA it was my mom’s birthday. I never spoke a word about my mom’s birthday… they asked about my parents and siblings before… but never about birthdays. So freaky. I just stared at her… because I sware this little child is psychic. One day I was in a daze, and quite frustrated, and she looked at me and said, “Put a smile on. Don’t be angry.” She’s starting to freak me out. So mamasita, I have you a birthday picture from psychic child.

The garden was so, so funny today. First of all, the kids don’t just run straight past me to the next available human. I am no longer an alien with two heads… and they come running to me with problems. I guess that’s good and bad at the same time. We found a frog on the playground and one boy wanted to take it home so badly he started crying his eyes out. You would have sworn he’d been hit in the head (or something even worse) but nope, just crying over a frog. My favorite little girl, our Diamond, was back today from being sick.. she’s my little side kick and I’ve missed her this whole week.

my little pirate being a firefighter

the gardens (their playground!)

We’re learning about firefighters this whole week and read a little story before lunch today. All I kept thinking about as the movie john would watch when he was younger and “steel toed rubber boots.” Maybe we should pass that movie down to Liam someday soon.

EC1 (3 year olds) through kindergarten had a ceremony for Mary today since May is the month of Mary. They all sang songs and delivered flowers to the statue. This may be horrible but it was HYSTERICAL. We were telling the kids how they’re going to bring flowers to Mary and one boy kept saying something in Italian with the word “malta.” I knew he was saying “but she’s dead.” And the teacher kept responding, “well, she’s always in our hearts and in our minds.” He kept repeating malta over and over. I had to laugh. Then the same boy asked if he could draw Mary a horse. A horse? Whatever floats your boat kiddo.

Huge language barrier story: Matteo was drawing a flower and drew this huge lump of green… which I thought to be a hill… he told me he was drawing grass and then he drew a huge semi circle of grass… so it made sense. I asked what he was drawing and he kept saying “aches pullo!” (probably not the correct spelling.) I always have to remind them to speak English to me (because Italians use their hands so much.. I’m starting to understand, which means they think I speak their language… no.) The conversation went something like this… “aches pullo Miss Heitz!” “Okay Matteo, a hill?” “ACHES PULLO!!!!!” “OHHHHHHH okay, a lump of grass!” “Miss Heitz… no. ACHES PULLO!!!!!” Hmmm. A translator would be nice every now and then. A teacher came to the rescue, thank goodness.

At the end of the day, Ale’s grandma picked him up. She came in to meet me because Ale “has told me all about you.” Goodness gracious… I’m obsessed. So now I have met his mother, father, grandpa, and grandma. Cutest four year old ever.

After the longest bus ride home (took us almost two hours….) and turning down gelato AND exercising… the entire group went to a delicious restaurant (the same one Max took us to in the very beginning of the trip), with all you can eat pasta, wine, and deliciousness. Ahhhh heavenly. A group of us went to an Italian pub after but came back relatively early because we have to be up and ready by 7 am for Venice! 

My new Longchamp... picture for Aunt Bethers :)