Recent Posts
The Shock of the Old
Return To Blog Listing
The life of KC, a thirtysomething American expat living in southern Italy.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'pata'
Pink
Pata showing off her new wrap jacket and matching trousersPata's newest mama-made outfit was inspired by the "Make it Pink" contest, which I think is a fun way to raise money for breast cancer research. It's open only to residents of the United State...
The Right Word
A couple of days ago, Pata played in the kitchen with her little toy bat as I cooked dinner. Holding him by his wings, she shook him up and down. "Vola!" she said, "Vola Vola!""Oh," I asked her, "is Bruno flying?""Bruno!""Bruno is a bat," I told her,...
Recent sewing projects
I've been busy working on several projects lately, most of them involving decluttering and redecorating the house, but a few of them have been sewing autumn clothes for Pata.Bell-sleeved embroidered peasant blouseBell sleeves are not the wisest choic...
The Wrong Word
As I've written before, N and I are using the OPOL (one parent, one language) method to teach Pata Italian and English. In the beginning, any misgivings were on the part of Italians, who worried that she wouldn't learn Italian if didn't speak it to h...
Little translator
N and I are raising Pata bilingual, and we use the OPOL (one parent, one language) method. I'm the only one who speaks English to her, though sometimes she hears it on the television. For a long time, she knew many more English words than Italian one...
Stylin, and some sewing links
Pata showing off some of her new homemade clothesDespite my misgivings about the bias tape on the halter top, I'm very pleased with how this outfit turned out. Pata likes it too; the first time she saw it, she said, "Oooh, bella!"A few links I found ...
Not a good year for figs
So far this season, I've eaten well over a hundred figs, picked from numerous trees in a few different locations, and I have to say that I'm not impressed. Among them all, perhaps two or three were excellent, about half were passable, and the rest we...
Halter tops and more
Yes, another recent sewing projects post:Halter top and matching shortsAnother halter topYet another halter top(I'd be happier with this one if I hadn't done such a crap job of topstitching the bias tape at the bottom edge)Peasant blouse...
More recent sewing projects
I've been busy sewing again. Here are some of the clothes I've made for Pata in the last couple of weeks:Tie-strap dressAnother tie-strap dressShort trousersHalter top. This was just for practice, hence the the bland fabricAll very easy to make (a r...
Recent sewing projects
Peasant blouse Peasant blouse with matching shortsPeasant blouse, skirt and matching underwear, shorts...
Sessa Saturday: Cherries
Cherries at Campo di PereThis week, I thought I'd do something different for Sessa Saturday because I've spent the last several days eating, baking and preserving cherries, all of which were picked at Campo di Pere.Sessa Aurunca from Campo di Pere, M...
Something happened, and hypocrisy
On Saturday we went to Roccamonfina, a nearby town I first wrote about here. There's a shady, green park right in the center of town that is perfect for a passeggiata on a hot day. Sessa has a small park, but it isn't nearly as clean or well-kept. Ev...
She knows what she likes
I've hesitated to write about Pata's language development here because I know nothing about language acquisition and thought that anything I might have to say about it would be obvious and superficial. But the other day Pata did something that I foun...
Pata's Haiku
Death of a laptop?Don't blame me, Mommy.You left the water bottletoo close to your Mac.I could just as easily have titled that "Death of blogging?" While I wait for my computer to dry out (perhaps days to be cautious) I'll be contemplating just how I...
Mother's Haiku
Messy eater, thereis yogurt on your lips. Oh!Thank you for that kiss.Mommy isthe sweetest of thewords you say.Despite what you think,your crayons were not made forscribbling on the walls.Cool cheeks, babe asleep.Can I kiss her little facewithout waki...
Recycling
Some of what I was working on while I was away:This outfit for Pata was once a pair of women's trousers.These trousers were once leftover scraps from a playmat I made for her last year.These jeans were once second-hand overalls I bought planning to m...
Sessa Saturday: Fountain
Here's one of Pata's picks for Sessa Saturday:Water spout, Fontana del Ercole, Piazza ErcoleThis is a detail of the nineteenth-century Fontana del Ercole, located at the head of Corso Lucilio. Pata had just learned the word "mouth" the morning I too...
Culture PSA
Just a reminder that all you really need to enjoy art is a little curiosity.Pata in the cathedral...
This Conversation is Over!
Land of No
Baby Cake
Pata's First Year
Frosty
Pat-a-Porter
Pata Poll
Complimenti
Pata at large
Keep it to yourself
What's Cooking Wednesday: Pata's Pears and Cheese
