Tommy - January 2014

It's so rare to see Tommy smiling, that when he does it, your heart beat speeds up, your stomach gets sized by cramps, your knees shake, the palm of your hands sweat, you feel breathless - in short, you feel in love...

Best ‘Foto per le mamme’ 2013

And the winner is... Les M&M's in Todi (June 2013)

New Year’s eve chez Les M&M’s

From top/left: Guido, Peter, Sophie, Germana, Federico, Ewa, Marie-Aude, Mathilde, Matteo, Daniela, Alessandra e Marco.

Christmas in Rome

 

We must have been really good in 2013! After having found plenty of presents under the Paris and Milan’s Christmas trees, we found another plenitude of packages waiting for us under our Christmas tree in Rome at our return home.

Three Christmases in one week!

Mare

Il rito del bagnetto (The bath ritual)

Every evening, at seven o’clock, no matter what, Leo & Tommy, as two tiddlers, dive in the bathtub and have their bath…

Three generations of Marchisio (5)

Gli stivali delle sette leghe (The seven-league boots)

According to the legend, the seven-league boots are magic boots that allow the person who wears them to take strides of seven leagues per step…

Come conquistare un nipotino (How to conquer a grandchild...)

We already described high and low, far and wide, Leo’s passion for big, noisy engines (and it doesn’t matter if two- or four-wheel).

You should have seen how his eyes were shining when he saw Nonno’s quad parked in the garage…

But… and the helmet??

Leo & Nonno

L’olivo di Tommaso (Tommaso’s olive tree)

E anche Tommy ha il suo olivo. 

Vicino a quello del fratello, guarda il mare come quello di mamma e papà…

Leo & Giustino

Carrube

Le carrube (or carobs) are the fruits of the carob tree, a flowering evergreen shrub in the pea family.

Carobs are rich of sugars, carbs, calcium and iron, and virtually fat-, cholesterol-, and caffeine-free. They are considered to have anti-oxidant and hypo-cholesterolemiant properties.

Apparently, they taste like cacao.

Donkeys love them!

Tommy & Giustino

And as for Leo’s two years ago, this has been the occasion for Tommy to meet Giustino.

I don't know why, but it seems there is a natural attraction, an innate affinity between babies and donkeys, and we hope this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…

Les M&M's in Liguria 2013 - Foto per le mamme

Liguria

As a yearlong ‘Groundhog Day’ (Giorno della Marmotta, Jour de la Marmotte), after France and Milan, we went to Liguria, where we spent a few days with Nonno…

The good thing of our now recurrent leg in Liguria is that no matter how cold, grey, rainy or snowy France and Milan are in December, in Liguria it’s always sunny and warm(er) (below you can see the Corsica on the horizon…)

Christmas in Milan

Second leg of our Christmas tour 2013: Milan...

Tommy, Santo subito (a few more pictures...)

Tommy, Santo subito! (Tommy, immediately Saint!)

History is full of Saint Thomases: Saint Thomas the Apostle, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, best known for questioning Jesus’ resurrection when he was first told of it; Saint Thomas Aquinas, the most important Catholic medieval philosopher and theologian; Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered by the followers of the king Henry II in the Canterbury Cathedral, and many others.

From December we have another aspiring Saint Thomas: San Tommaso Marchisio! 

Constance & Tommy

Christmas in Paris

Our Christmas vacations are always a bit like being on a tour: three cities in five days, do and undo your luggage, load and unload the car, run to and from the airport, etc.

First leg: Paris… 

Dear Santa...

December is time of Christmas trees and letters to Santa Claus. These were ours…

Leo (this letter has been written from Leo's dictation):

          Dear Santa,

          This year I have been a good boy:

          -          I did drawings

          -          I helped Mum

          -          I have been good with Tommy

          -          I gave kisses to Claudia

          -          I have obeyed Peppa [Leo’s teacher at the childcare]

          Therefore, I would like:

          -          a taxi

          -          the BIP-BIP car

          -          and then feel free to choose yourself

          Leo [if you pay attention you can see Leo’ signature]

Tommy (this letter has been dictated by Leo on behalf of Tommy, interpreting Tommy's wishes):

          Dear Santa,

          In my almost nine months I have been:

          -          Good 

          -          Very good

          -          Fairly good

          -          Almost good

          Therefore, I would like:

          -          another brother

          -          a little bird

          -          a bear that speaks

          -          some small cars

          -          a pyramid

          [Signed by Tommy]

And this is Mathilde's:

          Dear Santa,

          This year I have been very very good, and thus I deserve a trip to Thailand for two weeks, a GPS not to lose myself by car, a camera, and a few full nights. And a husband that tells me his days.

          Mathilde

Tommy - December 2013