i know, i know… i got some splainin' to do. it's been a while since i've posted… but we all know my capacity to procrastinate is immense. and just thinking about everything i wanted to tell you about stromboli and all the writing and photo uploading that would entail was enough to TOTALLY put me off. but then i talked to my dad. it was the first time we've really talked since i've been here, so i was so excited. and he told me that he started checking my blog so immediately i started thinking "well i've got to post everything now so he can hear all about it!" (he's seen the pics on facebook already, so at least he knows a little bit). so, you can all leave nice thank you comments for my dad on this post :) also, in honor of my dad, here's what i got him for father's day! i was so proud of myself, i think it's all pretty perfect.
i know i owe you guys a post about stromboli... but i realized today that i very rarely ever post just about my daily life... and today was a nice day, so i think it's a good day to start. and i don't feel TOO bad since the link to all of my stromboli pics is up on the photo links page (check it out. the place is simply heavenly).
the girls slept in pretty late today and just as they were really waking up and finishing breakfast, alessia came over to play! i didn't know she was coming, but the girls seemed to... oh well. then, before i knew it, it was time to go to the girls' grandmother's house for lunch. we've done this a few times now and i really enjoy it. it's a bit like dinners at my own grandparents' house. their "nona" always calls me "bella" and as soon as my fork hits my plate she is telling me to take more food ("prendi, bella, prendi"). and she always prepares traditional sicilian dishes, which is great! my favorite has been the spaghetti with zucchini- i plan on making that myself when i get back stateside.
at lunch we read the girls' end of year report cards. they each got excellent marks, of course. and to reward them renato and nathalie decided to let them get a wii! we had to go on a bit of a trek to get the wii, the extra wiimote, etc, but the girls were simply ECSTATIC. i wish i had video of their first round playing mario kart. they were literally jumping up and down as they played it, smiling ear to ear. there's not much beter than seeing two adorable kids enjoying a well-deserved present.
it was nice and cool out so we had a light dinner out on the terrace. i great end to a relaxed day. and even better- we're all going to taormina tomorrow! i can't wait to get some more great pictures and finally visit the ancient theatre!
on the downside though, i'm missing my fellas back home. tomorrow is hubby's birthday, and the day after is father's day. :(
well, until next time (which will hopefully be tomorrow or sunday), ciao cuppycakes!
hey cuppycakes! so you think you want to be an au pair, huh? you're thinkin' to yourself, "yeah, i'd love to travel around the world. this would just be like a long vacation... and i'd get paid!" well, you're wrong. while there are some obvious perks of being an au pair, it is still a job. and while working with kids is rewarding and wonderful and loads of fun, it can also be quite taxing. add that to the strain of being away from your friends and family, living in someone else's home, and not being able to speak the language of the area and you have a definite potential for trouble.
so, i looked at the areas of the experience that are difficult for me and those where certain qualities have been really elemental in keeping everything running along smoothly and i've come up with a little list for you guys. this "little list" ended up getting a bit lengthy, so this is going to be the first in a series of posts.
this weekend i will be in stromboli... which means no internet. which means my day off will not be spent cranking out copious blog posts like i usually plan on... so you may be lacking in quality updates for a while.
and, in case you didn't know, stromboli is a beautiful volcanic island with black sand beaches... so you at least know you can count on some nice pics when i get back.
ciao cuppycakes!
hey there, cuppycakes! i had planned to write up about seven blog posts on sunday because it was my day off... but i ended up catching up on some television and doing some research about where i want to go once i get back home... and writing only one.
now your mean-muggin' baby can be in a gang! check out this ad i found on the back of one of the girls' topolinos.
my initial plan for this blog was to keep it as something to show my friends and family what i'm up to while i'm here in italy. as i got the project started i became more and more interested in blogging. recently i decided to use this blog to not only document my time here for friends and family, but as a way to connect with others in the au pair community too. in my curiosity as to what exactly was already out there in terms of blogs concerning the au pair world i came across kacy's blog. she later asked through my formspring widget about how i got started with this job, etc. i have been making a little mental list over the past few days of the posts that i would like to write to help integrate my position as an au pair into the blog, but for some reason the answers to kacy's questions were nowhere in that list. and what better place to start than the beginning? so, here it is:
i first became seriously interested in working as an au pair over a year ago when a good friend of mine went to spain for the summer as an au pair. with the drama of the proceeding year all thoughts of travelling abroad completely escaped me... until one day i saw a facebook update from my other friend, ayana, announcing that she would be spending a year in germany. she told me about the website that she used and i immediately signed up.
the site is called great au pair and it really is wonderful. it's easy to use and you can register for free. (however either you or the family must be a paid member in order to view each other's contact info). i created my profile about march 21st and i left home for italy on may 14th! everything has happened so fast that's it really is hard to believe that i've been here for more than two weeks already! it's also a little sad, because that means that i am already 1/6 through my stay here. for those not interested in doing the math that means i will be here for three months. without a visa my stay here is limited to 90 days, and getting a visa seemed like a nearly impossible task. i had enough worry over getting a new copy of my passport!
though the time is going by quickly, i'm certainly grateful for what i've got while i've got it. i was very fortunate to find a great family. they have two girls who are ten and eight. they are really great people who are interested in showing me everything that i can see here and are always eager to include me in what they are doing.
over the next few days i'll be posting more about my daily life here, my recommendations for selecting a host family, being an au pair, and more. in the mean time feel free to submit any questions and comments! you can leave them here, in my formspring widget, or my e-mail. also, if you are an au pair it'd be great to here how you got started, where you are, etc!
