Wishy Washy Washer Woman

It's great being on vacation, but it's also good to be home.  Everyone was glad to be back in their own beds, but I think Levi was the happiest.  Everyone got to go on vacation and poor Levi just got a ride to the kennel.  Last night when we got home I checked up on the nest in my window, and there were still 2 eggs.  This morning when I woke up, the babies had hatched!  They're so brand new they still have that yucky bald look, and the parental units still sat on them all day, so getting a picture was pretty tough.

Jameson was itching to get outside and run after being cooped up in a car and a backpack for 5 days, so that's where we headed.  His favorite spot outside is this little plot of sandy dirt by the clothesline.  We got him some sand toys at the store awhile ago, and he will just shovel dirt around for hours!  He really is 100% boy.

As you can see, his fine motor skills (while still advanced) aren't advanced enough to be able to aim with the shovel.  Dirt covers him from head to toe by the end of the day.  After shoveling one of many piles of dirt onto himself, he stuck the shovel (with dirt still on it) in his mouth and said "Mmm!"  That's not food or chocolate on his mouth...it's dirt.  Christine is enforcing a new policy of no outside time until after his nap so she doesn't have to wash his sheets every day.  

Elia and Ida saw us playing outside and brought their plastic red chairs out of the shed so we could sit in the shade and watch Jameson.  Ida just loves Jameson and talks to him in Italian as if he were her own grandson.  She brought him out 2 chocolate chip cookies today and taught him how to blow kisses.  Here they are deep conversation:

The sitting still only lasts a maximum of 60 seconds, and then it's back to the dirt pile or to run around.  Jameson was running so hard and it was so hot today he got all flushed and sweaty.  He gets these cute little beads of sweat on the bridge of his nose.

Elia was working in the yard while Ida was playing with Jameson, but he finished up and came over to chat.

Aren't they so cute?  They wake up at 5 every morning to work out in the garden before it gets too hot.  They speak little to no English, but Ida is really good at the charades communication...Elia...not so much.  He tries but often gets frustrated when we don't understand him.

I've taken a bunch random photos since I've been here that don't exactly fit into any one day or event, but can collectively paint a picture of certain things in Italy.  Today: LAUNDRY!

Exciting stuff, I know, but let me tell you something.  Laundry in Italy is a day long deal.  The washer (we actually have one...it's not uncommon to not have a washer) takes approximately 2 hours for one load of clothes.  After the clothes are done, you have to hang them out on the line.  We have a dryer, but it isn't like the dryers in the United States and takes over 4 hours to dry a load of clothes.  EVERYONE in Italy hangs their clothes.  Even in the most tourist-ridden cities, people hang their tighty whities out to dry.  These pictures were taken all throughout Tuscany.

Christine did their laundry today, and it's 9 pm and she's just now going out to finish getting the clothes off of the line.  Needless to say, my laundry will have to wait for tomorrow.


Even quiet days in Italy are fantastic, and we can always count on Jameson to bring the excitement.  I'm off to read for a bit and get to sleep early...I want to get a good run in tomorrow morning to start the day.


Today my favorite thing about Italy is:  This hazy fog that hangs over the mountains in the summer.  I'm not sure what the name of it is (it does have a specific name) and I don't have a picture, so I can't give you any visual.  Today the fog was visible all day.  It gives the mountains this faraway mystical look.