Sitting on the Stair

Here is a video of Luca's new favorite trick: Backing up to sit down on the stair. He is too funny - he turns around at least 5 feet away and toddles backward, usually hitting into a few things before finding it!

Sardegna

Photobucket Album

Just returned to Milan after an amazing week in Sardegna. The beaches were gorgeous - crystal clear, cool water. The landscape rich and dense. Large red rocks carved into interesting shapes by the heavy winds. Aromatic shrubs that can stand up to the wind - olive trees, rosemary, myrtle, fennel - scents that waft thru the air and are constantly enjoyed.

Typical day was heading out for the morning brioche and cappucino. Nonno got his newspaper, Luca screamed at the boats and flags that we saw walking along the marina. We got back to the apt and got our gear together for the beach. We would drive for about an hour just sightseeing while Luca napped in the car. The island is small and can be covered in probably 30 minutes, so we would just stop to take pictures, visit pretty spots to look around, while he slept. Then we would pick our spot for the remainder of the morning. You will see in the pictures the different beaches. Each had its own special unique characeristics - diverse rocks, sprawling sand, cozy locale... My favorite was the Punta Rossa....

Luca LOVED the beach! He ran up and down the shore, splashing in the water, dragging around his shovel. Luckily he has his Daddy's complexion so he got a nice tan!

After the beach we would head home for a nice lunch. Of course there was an abundance of amazing food - as there always is with Gioel's family. His father prepared essentially every meal for us with the exception of the morning brioche and cappucino which we got at the local bar. We had fresh fish bought from a local fish monger as he pulled in his boat to the dock after the morning catch. We had a Sardegnian version of my favorite ragu - made with only pork (sorry Marcia) on top of "gnocchi sarde", this little football shaped pasta-gnocchi type blend. There was the Sardegnian pork chop that was honestly the best I ever had - the region is known for its supreme pig and sheep. The fruit in season we got at the market - peaches, pears, grapes, apples... We went to an open market where we bought fennel which is supposedly not in season, but was incredibly good.  had it for lunch sliced up thin, drizzled with olive oil, lemon, S&P - just like Gioel makes it for me at home.

Luca was always worn out from the beach and he took a great afternoon nap. Late in the day I would take him around the center of town for a walk. Again, more screaming and pointing to every flag and boat. Luca also figured out how to go up and down the stair to get out to the balcony and he practiced over
and over... So proud of himself every time - we would say "Bravo Luca! and he would say "Thank you!" and we finally stopped saying "bravo" but he kept saying "thank you"... hehe

Gioel arrives tomorrow and we very excited to see him after over a week apart!
Miss you all - Happy New Year....

Love Ronni & Luca

Luca vocab update

ITALIANO
il tubo (tube)
acqua (water)
pane (bread)
latte (milk)
schifo (nasty)
barba (beard)
orologio (wristwatch - says "logio")
pronto (hello when answering phone)
scarpa (shoe)
andiamo (lets go)
barca (boat)
traghetto (ferry - says "ghe-to")
ciao
spaghetti ("ghetti")

ENGLISH
glasses
diaper
disney
einstein (when he sees Baby Einstein dvd covers)
shovel
earring
silly
sippy (cup)
whoa
bird
ketchup
moon
flower

- loves walking backwards cautiously until bumping into something, preferably something he can sit on
- i cant keep his hair combed no matter what i do
- understands the commands "sit down, put it away, turn around, put your head down, close your eyes, brush your hair, brush your teeth, "soffia" or blow to cool off food, smell this or "annusa"...
- can point to body parts when asked (in English and in Italian): ears, eyes, nose, cheeks, toes, foot, belly button, beard (on nonno, not on himself of course!)
- squinches his nose up at the sun, at smells, at funny things
- when tired will lay down on the spot no matter where he is, put his head down and say "ahhhh"
- falls asleep to music hugging his puppy who no longer is called "puppy", instead called just "uppy"...
- loves flags, flowers and boats and shreiks with delight at the sight of them
- barks "woof woof" at dogs
- calls anyone under the age of 15 "baby"
- new favorite food ketchup which he sucks off the food then re-dips
- calls anything in a sippy cup water
- full fledged obsession with Finding Nemo (Nem-a-nee) - can name many characters including Nemo, Dori, Bruce (the shark), turtle, Darla, "mine-mine-mine" for the seagulls, chants "ah-ee-aah-ee-ahh-oh-oh-oh" like the fish in the tank... any pictures of fish, boats, water, reminds him of the movie and he starts talking about it...

Ciao from Italy!

We arrived safe and sound. Luca was very well behaved on the plane. He only cried once (for about 5 minutes that felt like forever) when he awoke mid-flight with what seemed to me perhaps a sleeping limb with pins-and-needles. Other than that and a very long wait at customs upon arrival, no complaints! We have already been eating well - Nonno made some risotto con porcini last night and a special roasted chicken. Here is a picture of Luca in Gioel's childhood room playing on "Gutu", Gioel's 32-year old rocking-hippo...



Tonight we will be riding an overnight ferry to Sardegna where we will be for the next week enjoying the beach and fresh fish... Yum! More news to come...

Surviving in the Urban Jungle

Here are a few pictures from the past month here in NYC

Photobucket Album

Here is the latest word list from the past couple weeks:

Wallet
Moon
Peach
Ketchup
Zip
Thank you
All done!
Home
Bumbers
10B
Hat
Boat
Vroom vroom
Uppy, uppy
Down (in elevator)
Button
Andrew
All right
Puff (for Pirate's Booty snack)
Sippy (cup)
Spoon
Jump
Knife
Joey
Susie
Bird
shake shake
ciao
dirty

Puppy Love Affair

Luca has two of these "Bla Bla" dolls that have become his "lovies". Here are a few shots of their love affair....

How we find them sleeping late at night




Watching Nemo with Puppy and Monkey

Luca's First Pig Out

Photobucket Album

This weekend we drove out to Connecticut for the annual Rothberg Pig Out. Saturday we spent the afternoon at JMR's house in Guilford, sampling many amazing fruits from his orchard. Luca must have eaten at least 50 berries! There were fabulous bushes of raspberries and blackberries. Trees with the ripest, sweetest peaches. Apples, pears, blueberries... delicious!

In the evening we went to New Haven for Sally's pizza. Much to the dismay of the many starving, anxious people on line, MJR swept us all in to a reserved VIP table. We enjoyed about 4 giant pies between 10 of us.

Sunday we spent the day at David and Nan's beautiful new house for the Pig Out. The day was magnificent, not a cloud in the sky. All the family was there and many friends. David arranged a moonwalk jumping thing, rock climbing wall and had a fantastic band - The Rascals. We took a quick swim the pool before driving home. Luca was fearless jumping off the edge into the water. See the short video clip:

Luca says "Thank You"