Christmas Time

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.....

christmas cookies for my tummy....

2 cowboys a shooting

3 christmas carols (Luca's third from the Left in his Norsk sweater)

4 x 20 presents for the christmas tree

5 family members on skype

6 batteries for Luca's Bosch tools

7 Eggs scrambled with some Christmas clutter

8 minutes of post christmas relaxation

9 necklaces for Ella and a chainsaw for Mati.

10 minute lunch at the kids table

11 good friends gathered for Santo Stefano.

decking the tree

Luca is totally into the Christmas thing this year and it makes it that much more fun. This morning we went to choose the perfect tree for us. It was tough to sell Luca on a tree taller than him, but after we told him that he could climb the ladder to put ornaments on he gladly went with the 7 foot pine.

Ella poises with our tree and gives us her "cold" face.

Santa's little helper was anxious to get started.

Some happy faces with our decked tree. Shortly after they started high diving from the top down to the couch.

Good thing the help came to clean up afterwards.

Christmas Craft Fair

Very timely to pull off our largest Thanksgiving ever and then follow it with organizing the Children's Christmas Bazaar this year. While I was nervous to follow in Christine Pitcole's footsteps (the Martha Stewart of event organizing), in the end things came together nicely, and I've already got some ideas for next year.

The Dream Team of the Fair

These ladies manned 6 tables of crafts and assisted 66 children ages 2 and older make Marshmallow Snowmen, Cork Reindeers, Pasta Angels, Candy Cane Mice, Puzzle Snowflakes, and frost Christmas Cookies. Thank Sant Nick for them!

While I was busy running around making sure the Christmas music was still ringing, people were happy etc. Luca joined zio Marco, zia Valeria and brother Alberto in their family photo. 

Getting our kids to look happy was a challenge this year. 

 Luca looks slightly more depressed here, and Ella, not much better. I know, the Santa could have been a little more genuine. 

Tomorrow we go get our tree and then the Christmas spirit will be full on!

Thanks a Tanti!!

We celebrated our 7th Pecettese Thanksgiving this year with 58 friends. And thank goodness for friends, because it took many of them to pull off our tastiest Thanksgiving ever! It all began with a 20 kg Turkey from Bra (courtesy of the Pasta Fresca)....

....and 10 kg of potatoes, peeled by Valeria....

Tacchino the Turkey was gutted and stuffed by Federico and Mark....

and some extra help from Piera and Carmine....

Just fits!

The moment we've all been waiting for....

Even the kids are taking pictures with iphones these days....

Ella approves.

The kids table, trashed and abandoned....

due to balloon entertainment courtesy of Davide....

and drawing on the adults table is too much fun....

Sandra and company enjoying the bounty....

all good things end with sweets! Cannolli and Lemon Cake by Maria Luisa, Tiramisu by Valeria and Miska, Pumpkin Pie by Jiyon, Apple Pie by Bridget, Chocolate Pepper & Pear Cake by Elena, Streudal by Maria Chiara, and a Chocolate Salami (only in Italy) by Michela. Grazie mille Ragazze!!

.....also, not to be forgotten, some Pumpkin Pie Turkey Cupcakes. One tray vanished during the party....someone said Mariana was responsible.....the end.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Coming soon....Thanks 2013

Wish you could all come!

a perfect sunday

It was a perfectly crisp sunny fall day so we headed for the mountains for a walk, strenuous enough to deserve a pranzo di montagna at Casa Canada, or almost strenuous enough.

village of Talucco

Sophie, Willy, Michelle, Mark, Luca and the path ahead

Me and my bug.

sophie and ella relaxing at the top

Time to dig in at Casa Canada 

(so named, as this was the lodge gifted to Torino from Canada when they hosted the 2006 Olympics)

on the menu: polenta, sausage, beef stew, cheese fondue, salami, quiche, bell peppers, chocolate and pear cake

and red wine to wash it all down.

this corner for the kids makes lunch taste even better

Viking Luca finds every rock there is to climb and jump from

our Canadians poise with their flag.

Dolcetto o Scherzetto.....

We got a little more into the Halloween spirit this year. A piece of hard sticky candy will make Luca's day so getting him excited about Halloween was easy. And Ella's at the perfect age to accept anything that you put on her or attach to her. Luca wasn't so thrilled about his costume, but as soon as I said he wouldn't get any candy without his Legoman box on, he was convinced.

Pumpkin cookies were our treat, and we got 6 legit trick or treaters that actually came to the door.

Luca the Lego Warrior and Matilde the Witch

our 3 Jack-o-Lanterns, the 4th rotted before we could carve it. :(

Time to Trick or Treat. Presenting Lady Ella Bug, SuperWilliam, Alexander Spiderman, and Legoman Luca

first stop, the pet shop

mobbing the bakery

Lady Ellabug, down one polkadot.

Asking for it

Ella bug was asking for it. Mark and I almost intervened, but it was kind of cute. You could guess how this little game was going to end as soon as it started. Warning: content may be to explicit for grandparents.

Tutto Zucche

Our party time without Daddy ended Sunday morning, yeah! But here's a few photos from the last days of single motherhood:

The buses arrive from Luca's field trip to a farm near the mountains.

Luca shows off his "Mela in Camicia", an apple baked inside a bun with apple marmalade. Yummers. The kids picked the apples, and helped make the marmalade.

We found the italian equivalent of a pumpkin patch, Tutto Zucche. Alessandro has studied the biodiversity of squash, and exhibits and sells over 500 different types of them in his villa.

uh, oh, where did Ella go?

Back at home, it's time to harvest the pomegranates.

our home exhibit of squash, both edible and non. Next step, carving!