Sebastian is having typical 5-year-old nightmares. All of our kids went through this phase. Well, one of his nightmares was that our master bathroom was the throat of a monster and if you enter the bathroom, you'll get swallowed up. So he has refused to go in the bathroom alone for 2 months. We have discussed, explained, cajoled, insisted, yelled, begged, and commanded. To no avail. One of us always winds up standing guard at the bathroom door. Sebastian checks to make sure you are there, but then asks you "not to look." Obviously! Why would I look? Very complicated, micro-manager he is.
The other day, Sebastian had stayed up too late the night before and woke up exhausted. I said, "I will let you stay home from school, on one condition: If I put up a picture of a guardian angel in the bathroom, you go to the bathroom by yourself."
"Deal."
So we searched online and found great pictures and I printed them out on our very poorly-functioning Italian printer. Even with new cartridges it is pitiful. Anyway, I printed out a discolored and striped reproduction of the first guardian angel picture. Sebastian took it into the bathroom and taped it up. "Another one!" he shouted. I obliged him. Then another. Then another. Soon, from the waist down, the wall was covered with photos of Jesus and guardian angels. Sebastian immediately went to the bathroom by himself. I told him if he asks me to go in there next time, I will take away all the photos. So now he won't let me near the bathroom when he is in there.
Poor Ron when he came home from work and saw the bathroom. "What happened!?!?!?!" He assures me that going to the bathroom will never be the same for him again.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Friday, January 17, 2020
The Alps
Words cannot describe how much we enjoyed meeting Mom, Dad, Leah and Hunter (and Malcolm!) in Davos Switzerland.
It was really fun spending time with Leah who had us laughing the whole time, and Hunter is doing incredibly well. It was great to hear about his work and life. Dad and Mom are doing so well with their Safe Conversations and Relationships first endeavors, and we are so happy and proud of them.
The sub-plot, however, was skiing. While many of us are skiers, we are US intermediate skiers. We heard that the Alps are much steeper and harder. So, on the first day, Jacob and I decided to do a reconnaissance trip on the slopes. As we ascended the gondola, I prayed for a complete cleaning of my soul from all stain of sin, performing as close as I could to Last Rites on myself.
The mountain was incredibly steep and we struggled to find beginner slopes. But we jumped right into our most experienced skiing skills, and braved the "pistes" for two hours until we came upon a beginner slope. We knew we could bring family members there the next day and they would be safe. We celebrated a job well done, and the fact that we were still alive, with weissbier and weinerbrats in a chalet lodge on the slopes.
Meanwhile, the girls enjoyed the spa at the hotel! Smart women!
The next day, Leah and Mary conquered the mountain with Jacob and me, while Ron got the others instructors and ski school. The deal Ron and I made with them was that a legit instructor had to say, "Yes, this person is ready to go up the mountain." And so they worked toward that goal all week.
And by the end of the week, Clare and Leigh and even Annie were on that mountain!
Meanwhile, we had wonderful dinners and fun conversation with all the family in the hotel. Aunt Leah took lots of the kids ice skating and we had a wonderful dress up time getting ready for a New Year's Eve party. (Look at those eyelids!)
It was really fun spending time with Leah who had us laughing the whole time, and Hunter is doing incredibly well. It was great to hear about his work and life. Dad and Mom are doing so well with their Safe Conversations and Relationships first endeavors, and we are so happy and proud of them.
The sub-plot, however, was skiing. While many of us are skiers, we are US intermediate skiers. We heard that the Alps are much steeper and harder. So, on the first day, Jacob and I decided to do a reconnaissance trip on the slopes. As we ascended the gondola, I prayed for a complete cleaning of my soul from all stain of sin, performing as close as I could to Last Rites on myself.
The mountain was incredibly steep and we struggled to find beginner slopes. But we jumped right into our most experienced skiing skills, and braved the "pistes" for two hours until we came upon a beginner slope. We knew we could bring family members there the next day and they would be safe. We celebrated a job well done, and the fact that we were still alive, with weissbier and weinerbrats in a chalet lodge on the slopes.
Meanwhile, the girls enjoyed the spa at the hotel! Smart women!
The next day, Leah and Mary conquered the mountain with Jacob and me, while Ron got the others instructors and ski school. The deal Ron and I made with them was that a legit instructor had to say, "Yes, this person is ready to go up the mountain." And so they worked toward that goal all week.
And by the end of the week, Clare and Leigh and even Annie were on that mountain!
Meanwhile, we had wonderful dinners and fun conversation with all the family in the hotel. Aunt Leah took lots of the kids ice skating and we had a wonderful dress up time getting ready for a New Year's Eve party. (Look at those eyelids!)
Leah wore a dress that was Granny Ruth's--it must be 50 or 60 years old and is more gorgeous than ever. . . on Leah! What a beauty!
It was great to be with so many of our family. There were so many joys and we are so grateful! Thanks to Mom, Dad, Leah and Hunter for the trip and for coming all the way over here to meet up with us! What a privilege and blessing! Love you guys!
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Highschool Mania
The high school situation here continues to boggle my mind. While it is true that we are incredibly fortunate to be at this particular school with a warm and loving community, it is still daily mayhem for our kids.
One of my high schoolers hardly ever knows when her tests are. Last week she studied for four hours for an Italian grammar test that she was not actually slated to take. This is a normal occurrence for most of the kids.
Another one had an oral interrogation scheduled on a day that was loaded with other assignments and test. So she approached the teacher to double check that she had to do the interrogation. The teacher had completely forgotten, and they decided to reschedule it. My daughter said to me, "I would have studied for hours tonight on a presentation I did not even have to give!"
Yet another one says he always gets a 6.5 (out of 10) from a particular teacher. "When I study like crazy and try to break a 7, or even an 8, I still get a 6.5. But on the other hand, when I deserved a 5, I get a 6.5." This teacher has just pegged him for a 6.5 and that's that. But it's passing, so no one's complaining.
One great thing is that they are turning the corner with the language. One of them spent the night at a friend's house and said she understood and participated in the family's dinner table conversation. Another one said he no longer Google translates his text books but just reads them and prepared for oral interrogations all in Italian. That is just incredible. Quasi-fluent in 6 months!
One of my high schoolers hardly ever knows when her tests are. Last week she studied for four hours for an Italian grammar test that she was not actually slated to take. This is a normal occurrence for most of the kids.
Another one had an oral interrogation scheduled on a day that was loaded with other assignments and test. So she approached the teacher to double check that she had to do the interrogation. The teacher had completely forgotten, and they decided to reschedule it. My daughter said to me, "I would have studied for hours tonight on a presentation I did not even have to give!"
Yet another one says he always gets a 6.5 (out of 10) from a particular teacher. "When I study like crazy and try to break a 7, or even an 8, I still get a 6.5. But on the other hand, when I deserved a 5, I get a 6.5." This teacher has just pegged him for a 6.5 and that's that. But it's passing, so no one's complaining.
One great thing is that they are turning the corner with the language. One of them spent the night at a friend's house and said she understood and participated in the family's dinner table conversation. Another one said he no longer Google translates his text books but just reads them and prepared for oral interrogations all in Italian. That is just incredible. Quasi-fluent in 6 months!
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
January in Italy
One year ago, Papa Ronnie and Jane came to our house in Texas and watched our six kids while Ron and I flew to Italy to find a place to live and schools for our children for our upcoming move. Exactly one year later, it is almost impossible to comprehend how much has changed: the sweetest nuns in the world have moved into our house in Dallas and turned it into a convent; our family is settled in our farmhouse on a vineyard in Frascati; our 4 older children are passing most of their classes and performing in the upcoming talent show at their school; Annie is doing great in her school and has a boyfriend, Tiziano; Sebastian plays with the kids in kindergarten and his best friend is named Paolo; Jacob just played his first game with the Frascati soccer team even though his documents had not all come in. . . the coach was tired of waiting and so called him up to play; we are getting our car situation in order and will soon be driving our own cars here instead of campus cars; I have a book contract I am working on with Our Sunday Visitor. How grateful I am for this astonishing season of life that is replete with so many blessings!
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
My Two Things
Is it shallow to say that my favorite thing about this Christmas was that I got to sleep until 8:40 am? This is a record. Since Jacob was a baby in Christmas of 2001, I do not think I have slept that late on Christmas, and usually, I've gone to bed around 2:30 am and been awakened at 6:30 am. This is not meant to be a complaint (although I guess technically it is), since I know that I am very fortunate to have such magical, beautiful Christmases. But I'll tell you--I was overjoyed to awake this morning and not h.u.r.t. Wahoo!
Another great joy was Annie and her new roller-skates. First, I cannot help but be reminded by Annie's hope for skates of my Granny Ruth, who many decades ago, asked Santa to bring her skates, and also to help the poor children (recorded as a letter to Santa published in her local paper, and sweet because she herself was a very poor child of the Depression). Annie rolled all across our floors for literally 13 hours and it was a very, very adorable sight.
After holding out for 7 months on a coffee maker (we've used a French press all this time), I got Ron a real coffee maker. It even makes foam. I have been in a "wait and see" stage for all this time, and finally determined what my favorite kind is (Lavazza), assumed/hoped Ron would love it too, and took the plunge. Boy, is it nice!
Sebastian was UNUSUALLY pleasant today--not the typical "child who has little sleep and too much sugar and so even though he has a manic high in the morning, he crashes and burns and we force him to take a nap." No, he was steady and happy all day. He got all these toys that required that someone help him set them up. But no one was really dying to do that. We did help him with the Play-Doh barber shop, with the guy and gal who's hair grows when you turn the crank, and then you cut and style it (I had it when I was a girl living in Dallas in 1977). But other than that, I was cooking TONS of food, putting on a birthday party for Leigh in the afternoon. I made Florentine steaks (like t-bone), a roasted chicken, braised radicchio, sautéed endive with sweet balsamic sauce, roasted yellow cauliflower with parmesan, and mashed potatoes. Ron topped it off with Socher torte, white chocolate croissants, and lots of treats. Plus Prosecco and Brunello red wine.
Instead of fussing, Sebastian played the thing he could--police--ALL DAY LONG. It was really adorable. I love that kid. He's going to be all grown up very soon. I cherished him saying prayers tonight, and thanking God for the presents Santa had brought him. Be still my heart.
Leigh had a great 13th birthday. She got the phone she hoped for, and really seemed as happy as could be. She is so beautiful, smart, and all around incredible.
We are not dwelling on the fact that that this is Jacob's last Christmas living with us. Next year, he will presumably have spent a semester at college (UD! Whahoo!), and just have come back to spend a few weeks with us. I've decided not be be upset about that (although it's hard not to see time marching right across your life, wrecking havoc). He has always found a Santa hat on Christmas and worn it all day--we finally noted the trend after 18 years. It's just his thing.
It turns out, my thing, or things, are 1) Christmas Mass--such an incredible, supernatural mystery made accessible, joyful and real. I am astonished at the humility of God. Why? How? Really? From start to finish, the life of Christ reaches out to the humble, meek, outcast, forlorn, brokenhearted, rejected, sinner. Since I relate to all of these in some way or other, my takeaway is that I am unmistakably included in his plan to share abundant, divine love. How I sit and marvel. I have no words. Just gratitude. And delight.
My other thing is my family (these are incredible human beings--just amazing). I love Christmas for these two reasons!
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Christmas Eve
Yesterday, we watched the new Grinch as a family--popcorn and everything.
Today, we had such a wonderful Christmas Eve. Lots of rest and fun and tons of food--lamb enchiladas with "Christmas"--red as well as green chile--Jake's favorite from New Mexico. That, too, was close to a fail, like the cookies, but any spice and Mexican or New Mexican food is a crowd pleaser around here.
Then, midnight Mass with the community from Villa Sora, our older kids' school. It was supposed to start at 11:30 pm but actually started at midnight, and the energy was high and everyone was downright excited. My favorite part was the Salesian priest processing in with the baby Jesus for the creche. They are mad about creches here in Italy. And so the priests left the Mass, and Ron and I asked each other, "Where'd they go?" and then the came back in with the baby Jesus, I was so tickled. I love these people.
Sebastian slept all the way through, even all the hugging and kissing--the Italian greeting--with our Villa Sora friends after Mass. What a night!
Today, we had such a wonderful Christmas Eve. Lots of rest and fun and tons of food--lamb enchiladas with "Christmas"--red as well as green chile--Jake's favorite from New Mexico. That, too, was close to a fail, like the cookies, but any spice and Mexican or New Mexican food is a crowd pleaser around here.
Then, midnight Mass with the community from Villa Sora, our older kids' school. It was supposed to start at 11:30 pm but actually started at midnight, and the energy was high and everyone was downright excited. My favorite part was the Salesian priest processing in with the baby Jesus for the creche. They are mad about creches here in Italy. And so the priests left the Mass, and Ron and I asked each other, "Where'd they go?" and then the came back in with the baby Jesus, I was so tickled. I love these people.
Sebastian slept all the way through, even all the hugging and kissing--the Italian greeting--with our Villa Sora friends after Mass. What a night!
Ugliest Christmas Cookies Ever
The season has been downright magical--from the street markets to the lights to the warm "Buon Natale" you get everywhere you go. The little towns of the Castelli, like Frascati, really light up at Christmas time. They are less commercialized and more joyful than what I am used to back home. People in stores are generally happy, not rushed or annoyed; the stores still close for the afternoon so that the proprietors can take their hot lunch and nap, right up to Christmas day. I appreciate that.
But the one thing that has been a complete fail is my Christmas baking. Sugar cookies with icing--how hard could that be, even in another country?
Well, for one thing, they do not sell baking powder. They sell lieveto per dolci or "leaven for sweets." But it is not proportioned at the same strength as American baking powder. So, Mary and I both experimented to find the right amount. I have settled on: 3/4 the amount that an American recipe calls for.
For another thing, they do not sell food coloring. Well, they do, but it is in a large liquid bottle mixed with other things (I'm not sure what), not a little squeeze bottle like back home. So, when an icing recipe calls for 2 T. of liquid (such as milk) to be added to powdered sugar and food coloring, and the food coloring you put in is at least 3 T. in order to get it to be a vibrant color, you have thereby wrecked the ratio, so it is drippy and thin. And dull. Well actually, ugly.
But the one thing that has been a complete fail is my Christmas baking. Sugar cookies with icing--how hard could that be, even in another country?
Well, for one thing, they do not sell baking powder. They sell lieveto per dolci or "leaven for sweets." But it is not proportioned at the same strength as American baking powder. So, Mary and I both experimented to find the right amount. I have settled on: 3/4 the amount that an American recipe calls for.
For another thing, they do not sell food coloring. Well, they do, but it is in a large liquid bottle mixed with other things (I'm not sure what), not a little squeeze bottle like back home. So, when an icing recipe calls for 2 T. of liquid (such as milk) to be added to powdered sugar and food coloring, and the food coloring you put in is at least 3 T. in order to get it to be a vibrant color, you have thereby wrecked the ratio, so it is drippy and thin. And dull. Well actually, ugly.
Another thing they do not have here is corn syrup. So I googled, "substitutes for corn syrup." It said to boil water and put in sugar and create a syrup. But of course, that adds more liquid. So all in all, it was a disaster. Have you ever seen such ugly cookies?
The only ones that turned out were ones with white icing and sprinkles.
So, when I go back to the U.S., I am going to load my suitcase with: food coloring, light corn syrup, baking powder, canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, and Crisco. It's hard to do the holidays without them.
That said, ugly or not, the kids devoured multiple plates of cookies. And the holidays are wonderful all the same. The solution to the ugly cookies: Buy cannolis!! And cookies with Pope Francis printed on them!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Tosca
We had such an incredible time breaking free from our wild and woolly life here on the farm in Frascati, and going to the opera in Rome. I discovered that Puccini's Tosca was playing at the same opera house in which it debuted in 1900. What a thrill! Ron and I got all dressed up and had the evening of the year. I actually cried when entering the theater--it is more beautiful than my imagination had been able to speculate.
One of the most amazing parts of it was to listen to the opera sung in Italian by Italians in Italy, and to know Italian so much better than ever before. It was more like watching Phantom of the Opera in New York--just a play set to music. Ron and I were fixated on the expressions, idioms, and syllables dropped to make the score work.
My favorite scene (probably everybody's favorite scene and why the opera is so adored by opera fans): a powerful politician tries to take advantage of Tosca, a beautiful diva. She doesn't know anyway out, so she consents. . . and before anything happens, she stabs the living h*ll out of the guy! It was just plain awesome! And then she lays a crucifix on his dead body!
We thought about our friends, Joan and Patrick Dennison. Patrick once played the lead male role in Tosca, and he and Joan were deep into the professional opera life in Italy years ago. We love the Dennisons and had them on our minds and in our hearts throughout the evening.
One of the most amazing parts of it was to listen to the opera sung in Italian by Italians in Italy, and to know Italian so much better than ever before. It was more like watching Phantom of the Opera in New York--just a play set to music. Ron and I were fixated on the expressions, idioms, and syllables dropped to make the score work.
My favorite scene (probably everybody's favorite scene and why the opera is so adored by opera fans): a powerful politician tries to take advantage of Tosca, a beautiful diva. She doesn't know anyway out, so she consents. . . and before anything happens, she stabs the living h*ll out of the guy! It was just plain awesome! And then she lays a crucifix on his dead body!
We thought about our friends, Joan and Patrick Dennison. Patrick once played the lead male role in Tosca, and he and Joan were deep into the professional opera life in Italy years ago. We love the Dennisons and had them on our minds and in our hearts throughout the evening.
Friday, December 13, 2019
Party at the Rombses
Our Advent season is so special this year. The kids are turning a corner and doing well in school. The teachers are saying, "She's just where we expect her/him to be!" about all our kids, even when they are struggling.
Jacob was invited to present on the American Revolution in history and took over the class and lectured (in Italian) on this topic. And I've been asked to be a guest lecturer in philosophy next week. We love both of the schools and are finally settling in. . . a little bit!
But yesterday, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the Americas, we had a good old fashioned American feast. I made tons of tacos, including green and red chile sauce from scratch. This involved finding red and green chiles (I had to go to several stores), roasting them, peeling off the skins, de-seeding them, and then chopping the flesh and adding it to a sort of homemade cream sauce.
We blasted country music (I'm sure Our Lady did not mind that it was not Mexican), and reminisced about great memories over the years. We love America! And we are loving Italy, too.
Jacob was invited to present on the American Revolution in history and took over the class and lectured (in Italian) on this topic. And I've been asked to be a guest lecturer in philosophy next week. We love both of the schools and are finally settling in. . . a little bit!
But yesterday, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the Americas, we had a good old fashioned American feast. I made tons of tacos, including green and red chile sauce from scratch. This involved finding red and green chiles (I had to go to several stores), roasting them, peeling off the skins, de-seeding them, and then chopping the flesh and adding it to a sort of homemade cream sauce.
We blasted country music (I'm sure Our Lady did not mind that it was not Mexican), and reminisced about great memories over the years. We love America! And we are loving Italy, too.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Immaculate Conception
Today is one of the biggest holidays in Italy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, marking her conception as free from original sin. My way of thinking about this is that she, too, needed to be saved by God in Christ, but He lovingly saved her in her conception, so as to make a way for the coming of Christ. So the glory of her being preserved from original sin is all about Christ, what was fitting for him. But she still stands in need of mercy, a mercy she received in a beautiful and unusual way.
This is a huge day for the Italians, the day that many families put up their Christmas trees and decorations, and the day the tree in front of Palazzo Venezia is lit. But even more, it is the day that the pope goes to Piazza d'Spagna and pilgrims gather and say prayers at the statue of the Immaculate Conception there. Annie, Sebastian and I braved the crowds and were there!
We also went to Mass at Santa Anna, my all time favorite church in the world.
That was after being at St. Peter's Square for the Angelus with the pope.
And THAT huge day was after being in Rome yesterday with Sebastian and Annie, going to the Christmas market in Piazza Navona. Heaven for these two kids! Rome is sooooooo beautiful at Christmas time!
This is a huge day for the Italians, the day that many families put up their Christmas trees and decorations, and the day the tree in front of Palazzo Venezia is lit. But even more, it is the day that the pope goes to Piazza d'Spagna and pilgrims gather and say prayers at the statue of the Immaculate Conception there. Annie, Sebastian and I braved the crowds and were there!
We also went to Mass at Santa Anna, my all time favorite church in the world.
That was after being at St. Peter's Square for the Angelus with the pope.
And THAT huge day was after being in Rome yesterday with Sebastian and Annie, going to the Christmas market in Piazza Navona. Heaven for these two kids! Rome is sooooooo beautiful at Christmas time!
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Favorite Things
When kids are failing school, when the Italians act like they wish you weren't here, when your car is just rotting in the front yard because it takes more that six months to get a tag and registration, when sometimes you just want to go home, I have to remember some of my favorite things about Italy:
1) The pharmacist wraps the items she sells in paper.
2) Frequent Pasta Carbonara--Need I say more?
3) Vespas and cute cars everywhere.
4) That Italians all sleep all afternoon. As a tourist, this is annoying. As a resident, it is heaven.
5) That they know what's right (like that this is a one way street) and that they accept it when you fall short of that (that you have to go down backward the wrong way). So, for example: When you are stuck at the top of a hill and can't get your van down the narrow lane, you ask a guy: "How do I get down?" and he says, "You go backwards down this one the wrong way, verrrrry slooooooowly." And everyone just waits and watches while you drive backward the wrong way all the way down the hill. Because they are used to falling a little short and accept that it's just what people do. It's pretty cool that for all their yelling at each other, they are actually rather accommodating of mistakes.
6) The view from my kitchen. I get soooooooo mad living in this place. Only one of four stove top burners works at a time because the stove is soooo Italian. The fridge did not work for 3 months. There are still flies in the house, and it is either hot or damp or cold. The parking is in a mud pit. We have a stupid gate that does not even keep our dog in the yard, and so I'm not sure why we use it at all. The power routinely goes out and we just light candles.
But the view, it is, I think, worth it.
1) The pharmacist wraps the items she sells in paper.
2) Frequent Pasta Carbonara--Need I say more?
3) Vespas and cute cars everywhere.
4) That Italians all sleep all afternoon. As a tourist, this is annoying. As a resident, it is heaven.
5) That they know what's right (like that this is a one way street) and that they accept it when you fall short of that (that you have to go down backward the wrong way). So, for example: When you are stuck at the top of a hill and can't get your van down the narrow lane, you ask a guy: "How do I get down?" and he says, "You go backwards down this one the wrong way, verrrrry slooooooowly." And everyone just waits and watches while you drive backward the wrong way all the way down the hill. Because they are used to falling a little short and accept that it's just what people do. It's pretty cool that for all their yelling at each other, they are actually rather accommodating of mistakes.
6) The view from my kitchen. I get soooooooo mad living in this place. Only one of four stove top burners works at a time because the stove is soooo Italian. The fridge did not work for 3 months. There are still flies in the house, and it is either hot or damp or cold. The parking is in a mud pit. We have a stupid gate that does not even keep our dog in the yard, and so I'm not sure why we use it at all. The power routinely goes out and we just light candles.
But the view, it is, I think, worth it.
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