Benvenuti in Italia!

What a day!!

I do believe I have had my full Italian experience today.

I woke up fighting a sore throat, so I slept a little longer. I don't think long plane trips, jet lag, and being around kids all day is benefiting my immune system all that much.

Anyways, Zoila was working all day today, so I was scheduled to pick up Maria Vittoria from school at 12:30 again. I went out around town for a little while beforehand and explored some. I found a shop called Water and Soap and bought a few things there. After wandering around a bit, I found myself back in the main Piazza, where Aurelio's law firm is. Zoila had told me earlier that there was a cafe right underneath his office that had really good gelato, so of course, I went in to go get some :) I also grabbed a piece of pizza and some water, all for about 5 euros. I couldn't believe how cheap it all was. Gelato alone is like four bucks in the U.S.!

With a stomach full of pizza and my gelato in hand, I headed towards Maria Vittoria's school to pick her up. I was freezing (who eats ice cream in the middle of winter??) - and completely content. Pizza and gelato. Now that's what Italy is all about :)

And the day only gets better.

Maria Vittoria and I walked home from her school, only a couple blocks away. We headed into our apartment complex and got in the elevator. We live on the fourth floor, so I pressed the button, and up we went. Well.... up we sort of went....and then BUMP. The elevator shook and we stopped. Not on the fourth floor. Maria Vittoria starting balling and, to be honest, I was a little scared too. But you can't be scared when you're telling someone else not to be, so I had to suck it up and try to figure out what to do. We pressed the alarm button and called for help. I heard some people coming and Maria Vittoria was yelling to them through the door. I didn't have a clue where we were. I didn't know if we were on a floor or stuck in the middle or hanging by a thread about to plummet to the ground (maybe I've watched a little too much TV). Unfortunately, all the communication was in Italian, so I had no clue what was going on. One of the ladies helping us spoke a little English and directed me to "Up my hands and the iron." Yeah... not a clue...

So, a little yelling, a little crying, and a few minutes later, and we were bravely riding on up to the third floor where we were able to get out and set our feet on solid ground!

We caught our breath, waited for our hearts to stop racing, and then walked into the house. And there was poor Thea! The family's little miniature schnauzer had her face at the window as we walked in and Maria Vittoria yelled, "Thea! Thea's stuck in the fountain!" We ran outside to the wrap-around balcony to find poor little Thea shivering on her hind legs in about a foot of water, trapped in a small fountain on the side of the house. We rescued her, wondering how long she had been stuck in there for, and then dried her off with some towels and warmed her in some blankets.

Once we finally had everyone safe - Maria Vittoria, me, and little Thea - it was time to make lunch. Today was my turn to make lunch. I made the house favorite... you guessed it... pasta!

Now I don't think I've mentioned yet what Zoila's job is. She is an entrepreneur and has several business ideas that she's started. One of them is a company called Italy Loves to Cook. (Check out the website: www.italylovestocook.com. Doesn't the food look amazing??). She and a business partner hold cooking classes for travelers coming through the Umbria area. They work at a Villa in a nearby town and teach the delicious Italian technique and cuisine to anyone who wants to learn!

That being said, it's a little intimidating to try to cook Italian lunch for kids who are used to their mother's expert cooking. I kept thinking I was going to overcook the pasta or put too much sauce or who knows what... But when I gave Maria Vittoria her bowl and waited for the complaints, they never came! Success! Now, I clearly still have a long ways to go. I don't think I can really count pasta with a little red sauce as gourmet Italian food, but at least the children were happy! Zoila told me to expect lots of great recipes and dishes to come though, so I'm very much looking forward to all the delicious food I'll get to experience during my time here!

To sum up the rest of the afternoon, I spent a little time playing with Cesare before his nap. (If any of you are wondering, it is pronounced CHAY-sah-ray). While he was sleeping, Maria Vittoria got into my closet and decided to have a little fashion show in my high heels (I'll post pics once I get the chance to edit them). Later on in the evening, we surprised both of them with books that I brought from the U.S. Maria Vittoria got "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," which she seemed to really enjoy. Cesare got a Little Golden Book called "I'm a T-Rex," and I think it made his whole week. We've spent the last couple days playing with his book of dinosaur stickers. Every time he picks a sticker out, it's a T-Rex (and there are a LOT of different dinosaurs to choose from!). He really likes the big sharp teeth and the scary, mean faces they make. It's quite ironic that I just so happened to buy a book for him about his favorite subject right now! I don't think he put the book down for the rest of the night!

So that was most of my day today. Tomorrow is Saturday and is probably just as busy. But I'm always excited for the next adventure that is waiting for me!