Today we went to the Easter egg hunt that was put on by the American mom's group. It was at a lady's house with a MASSIVE garden. Most people with a "garden", have a balcony. So a real garden is quite luxurious but this garden is impossible to explain. It was a freakin park. And at that, one of the biggest parks I have ever been to. So the kids first did the egg hunt and Brody devoured his chocolate treats before all the kids had reached their egg limit. They were allowed 5 each, he ended up with 10. Then they went on a bear hunt. Abbey is crying because she was scared after the bear hunt. Ryan spent most of his time wandering the garden looking for a place to paint. I feel weird calling it a "garden" can't they just say "backyard"? I mean "backpark".

The official opening of the Triple B in Florence

The Triple B has been open for many years but never officially received it's name until about 2001. It originated with Ryan's mom and the name stands for "Brown's Bed & Breakfast". The Bed and Breakfast in Utah is more of a 5 star accommodation and the new one in Florence may only receive 4 stars. What we lack in American conveniences and luxuries, we make up for in Italian charm and sight seeing. We had our first guests on Wednesday, Ryan's friend from L.A. and his son, and then the most anticipated guest arrived on Thursday. My mom!!!!! I should also note that Doug and Betty Campbell made a very unexpected visit to our house on wed. evening, it was a very pleasant surprise and we had a nice visit. Along with her (my mom) she brought a suitcase full of the kids summer clothes and their Dora and Diego backpacks they got for Christmas. No more ghetto plastic bags! We finally slipped them off their backs when they fell asleep. My mom has the talent of keeping a house spotless, I did not inherit it. So after 3 flights and being up for 24 hours, I found her on our balcony, sweeping. Was I surprised, no. She is here for 3 months, that means I will have a clean house everyday for 3 months! This is going to be great.
Thursday night was also the monthly moms night out for the Americana's mom group that I am involved with. My mom was still awake and with me for a 9:00 dinner (crazy that they eat so late and don't have obesity problems. Doesn't Oprah tell you not to eat after 7?) for Thai food. Her first meal in Italy was Thai, that's funny.


I also just finished reading "The Kite Runner". Good book about Afghanistan and the Taliban, a lot of reality that we luckily don't have to deal with. I recommend it.

Little bit of bad karma mixed with good luck!

So we have lived here 3 months now and never really stamp our bus tickets when we ride the bus. Today I went to pick up the kids and before leaving, I asked Ryan for his ticket. We always have one on hand just in case. At my stop the bus driver closed all the doors and made everyone get off through the front door. Oh yes, he was checking for tickets. To make a long story short, I acted like a complete tourist, got yelled at in Italian and then got off the bus. He threatened to call the police because I wasn't carrying my passport or pay 45 euros. I didn't pay the fine and I never saw the Polizia. My friend told me I should have cried, but I can't cry on demand. But I was very embarrassed and don't won't to ride that bus again. And yeah, I guess I'll start punching my ticket.

The joys of having a fan club

Every time I cook, bake or mix something at the counter or stove, the kids are right there wanting to help or waiting to dip their fingers in. I never noticed until Ryan pointed out the other day the annoyance of the chairs being pushed up to the counter. They block all the drawers and leave no standing space. I never thought much of them until last night when I was making taco meat, I stepped away from the stove to do something and when I returned, I lost my position and had a slim chance of getting it back.

When I say "I", you say "kea!" ...... "I"

I am no longer an Ikea virgin. Company starts coming this week so we went to Ikea to get all of our necessities. What is my problem? I grew up with an Ikea 15 minutes up the 5 freeway and never went, I didn't realize how much I was missing out on! Ikea has a free bus that picks you up at the station and brings you back. The times are really random so we went at 8pm and caught the bus home at 9:15. So that meant only 45 minutes of shopping in this massive store which I am not used to anymore. The biggest store I've been to lately is the local grocer with 10 isles. And I had all 3 children and Ryan was with me so I had the voice of reason behind me the whole time. I could make this apartment real cute on my next visit, ALONE!

I do need to mention the great sprint Cloe and Brody made to catch the other bus home. After being dropped off at the station, we had to catch our normal bus home. We saw it being depot at the stop and then as we were running, it left. It had another stop just around the corner, so we continued to sprint and caught it! After one too many knocks on the closed door, the driver opened it. The drivers here can be so rude sometimes. Hello, I have 3 kids, a stroller and 2 Ikea bags , let me on! So they were pretty stoked and wanted to talk about it on the drive home and give Dad high fives.

Dish-narries Dum Over?

Abbey is obsessed with the missionaries and one in particular. He is the Italian on the left. She always flirts with him and if the word missionaries is mentioned she goes crazy. Or if we talk about someone coming over it is automatically assumed that it is the missionaries. I had to take a picture of her with them and she got shy. There are so many funny things to say about this picture.

Last Saturday while I was at Enrichment for 6 hours, Ryan was home painting. He put Abbey down for a nap and decided to do a quick study of her.

Isn't that the sweetest thing! I died when I saw it.

who'd a thought!

It has been cold and rainy the last couple of days and yesterday as the clouds were starting clear I noticed the hills were covered in snow. I was unaware that it snowed in Tuscany.

one stop shopping

This is going to be an all encompassing post because I'm a little behind. St. Patrick's Day was uneventful as a holiday because I remembered at 8 am, after I had started the pancakes and realized I didn't have food coloring. Luckily the kids all had a green shirt they could wear. That evening we had enrichment and luckily the sister missionaries came to translate for me. I am mentioning enrichment because of my amazement at how long it was! We met at the church at 4:30, which means I left home at 3:45 to catch the bus to the church. Then we drove to someone's house where enrichment was being held. I didn't get home till 10:15!!!! Isn't that insane? I don't know if I can handle Italian church activities. What happen to the hour and a half and then back home to the family?

So now for more exciting things.......the children.
We found a play place in our area called a ludatecca. Apparently they have one in every zone of florence. It has different rooms with different toys and tons of them, they have a garden with a playground, tons of books and puzzles you can check out and a room for little babies. The kids loved it and I just sit there and read while they play. I have to force myself not to think of all the germs and just make sure they wash their hands before we leave. Last time we went, I made sure I took the camera, so I was able to document how long the short walk takes us! Abbey insists on walking so we go at her pace Notice Cloe and Abbey did not forget to bring their "backpacks". Playing at the ludatecca is not enough, first we had to stop at the park along the way and pick flowers. These girls will pick flowers all day. I'm not one to stop and smell the flowers, lets just get there!

But we did finally make it for the last half hour they were open before closing for lunch


Luckily the bus stop by our house has bushes containing plenty of bugs which keep the kids occupied while we wait. The other day I happened to have the camera while they were looking at "Charlotte's web" and Cloe, the ever diligent mother, was holding Brody back to make sure he didn't' get too close. Abbey is looking at the red bugs in the dirt.

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead . . . his eyes are closed.
::: Albert Einstein :::

good-bye 20's!

Happy Birthday Ryan! Today is Ryan's 30th birthday. I would have loved to throw him a surprise party but maybe another year :) He's not diggin so much that he is 30 but the old geezer should get over it soon. Love you Ryan, Happy B-day.






note to self, take more picture with Ryan in them!

How we spent our Sunday

how about finish a painting

or two

no, make that 3!

Ryan brought home from New York 2 suitcases full of the kids stuff which included Brodys baseball glove and ball. ever since, he has been asking Ryan when they can go play. I think Ryan will be sore in the morning!



FYI Ryan said I took crappy pictures of his paintings, hopefully some better ones will be posted when he has time :)

Drum roll please...

and bring on the water works! today was the official haircut. it took me a couple days to prepare but it had to be done. we went to the barber shop and brody was so excited. all i knew how to say was, please fix this thank you. i handed my only son over to him and let the artist work. as the hair fell, i wept. it kind of reminded me of g.i. jane. but i didn't realize it took so long to shave a kids head. he took his job very seriously and did a good job. brody was stoked! he keeps rubbing his head and again loved the photo shoot. oh, and he's excited he only has to wash his hair with soap.

ghetto fabulous!

i don't know if they get the idea from "Dora" or what but Cloe insisted on wearing a backpack to school and she doesn't have one. so, she found a small bag and made a backpack. then abbey wanted one and then brody. yes, they wore them all the way to school. unfortunately, no one gave us their spare change. i will be selling these on ebay so if you want one, get your order in early. made in italy!

exciting to me, irrelevant to you

I had 2 of those moments today when in your mind you do a total cheerleader jump in the air. Abbey insisted on wearing panties on the bus and I couldn't get the idea out of her head. So, I kept her on my lap so I didn't have to worry about a puddle on the seat and she made it, then we walked to school, and she made it and then 3.5 hours of school and she still had the same pants on, the bus ride home, she made it! prep with a split jump! I need to give the kid more credit and trust her more, I'm just too scared to force her into it.

Since television is in Italian, My and Ryans habit of watching T.V. before bed is all but a memory and I've taken up reading. At the American church they have a library that you can take books as you please and I thoroughly enjoy finding good books and today I found 3 for Ryan. Louis L'Amour! I was so excited for him to get home so that I could show him his surprise and my finding. Go team, prep with a toe touch!

Brodys first haircut!!!!

That he performed himself! His beautiful long hair, we had big plans for his hair. Every once in a while I've contemplated cutting it but never do. If it gets in his eyes, he does this cool flip of his head to move his hair. Brooke guard your scissors!
He was in the kitchen while we were getting ready and came walking to me and I can't even remember, it's such a blur! But there was hair all over the floor and he told me "I wanted to cut it like Brett's. I wanted it poky." Brett is our old neighbor that worked on our car and Brody adores him.
SO Ryan came home and noticed right away and told him we were going to shave it and when I finally got the scissors to cut it, I couldn't. Ryan said to wait until tomorrow (is it going to grow over night?). From far away it looks like a strong cowlic but close up it looks like a kid took scissors right to the front of his head and snipped. So I don't have any "fix-it" pictures to post because I'm not emotionally ready. The picture turned into a bit of a photo shoot for him, he just kept working the camera.

From the kitchen I heard...

Brody say "Abbey! We're taking them off so mom doesn't come and spank our bums!"
No they didn't get spanked. :)

My Celebrity Look-alikes...maybe I should try a different picture!

http://www.myheritage.com

3 down, 2 to go!

I'm not sure if I will make it. Ryan left for New York on Wednesday morning and comes home Monday morning. The kids and I have had chest colds which leaves me exhausted. But I think he sold a couple paintings so these couple days should soon be forgotten. Until a girls nite out comes up I will quickly refer to this week.

Our little flower garden

Today at the market a guy was selling flats of flowers and Cloe started the trend of begging to plant flowers. Since I love to plant them, it didn't take much. Oh, but I suck at keeping them alive. If they can last 27 more days then we'll be okay because that is when my mom gets here and her plant mortality rate is much lower than mine. Brody was "working" like always and got a little crazy with the shovel. I really hated that plant anyways and wanted to get rid of it, I was just annoyed I had to figure a way to get all the water off the 4th floor! Cloe wasn't too happy about getting rid of the St Patricks Day decorations (the clovers that previously occupied the pots) but once we started planting, it was all good. She preferred not to touch the dirt much and stayed nice and clean.

Who wants to make me a.....laughing box?

Last night Abbey was blowing bubbles at Cloe and Cloe was pretending to eat them. Abbey thought this was the funniest thing she had ever seen and could not stop laughing. I wish I could make a music box that played my babies laugh every time I opened it! Nothing can change your mood and brighten your day like kids laughing. agree?