In Which The Lead-up To Christmas Is Quite Busy

18.12

Elise wants to go home. Starting the process of finding out what this means realistically for her school situation.  When I spoke to the registrar at the district office, she told me that the freshman class at Canyon Crest Academy, the arts magnet for Del Mar, was VERY full this year, so the likelihood of getting a transfer spot for the fall was extremely low, whereas getting a spot via the lottery from 8th grade was extremely likely. She said the past few years they have been able to take everyone who applied to CCA, and that it is always their goal to take everyone if they possibly can (though obviously that can change from year to year), so if Elise really wants CCA, she is much better off effectively repeating the last few months of 8th grade and entering the lottery with everyone else.

Interestingly, though the San Dieguito system does not offer Italian, under the California Heritage Language law, Elise would be eligible as an Italian (!) to request an Italian class be arranged for her in some fashion, and the school has to arrange it if they possibly can, and give her credit for it. She is very interested in continuing to take Italian, and whichever school she attends will make it happen. The registrar said that they have in the past been able to arrange easily for Italian, and she was not concerned about any logistics on that front. I asked if it mattered that we weren't really Italian; she said that since we are coming from Italy and Elise has been speaking Italian in school and in the home (a little), she would be eligible for services under the Heritage Language law. So that’s where we’re headed.

The only remaining problem is health insurance. At least here the meds are cheap, even without access to National Health pricing, but at home it’s unconscionable. If we can’t figure out something for the health insurance, she will have to stay with me and just go to regular high school next fall. Matthew is working on getting insurance, but it seems that my old insurance and BPS between them very helpfully failed to tell me when I asked exactly what I needed to do for Matt to get his own insurance, and now everyone is giving him problems. This does not bode well.

21.12

Today was the Christmas pageant in the primary school in Pellegrino. The lead roles were played by the 5th graders with everyone down to 1st grade as supporting cast. (The kindergarten/nursery school class had their own small play.) I don't know how it works from year to year, but this year's play was about San Francesco, or St Francis. If you are familiar with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, you will understand when I say this play had some similarities to that (the kids sang along with a professional soundtrack). It was quite sweet and I got it all on video. Now I just have to figure out how to get all these videos small enough to send to people! Aurora had a solo at the end of We Wish You A Merry Christmas, with the whole school joining in (in English!) at the end. Quite, quite adorable. (She was supposed to sing Silent Night, but she couldn’t remember the words and the other kids could join in easily on Wish You a Merry Christmas.)

We've got a busy few days ahead. Tomorrow is belly dance lesson. Saturday morning is rehearsal for the kids' concert (Italian Christmas carols) Saturday night. Saturday afternoon my friend Emanuele is coming over to experience a new treat: marshmallows. They don't exist in Italy -- I had to make them myself! The girls and I agree that homemade marshmallows VASTLY surpass storebought. they're very simple to make, just a pain to clean up. My sugar syrup crystallized a bit so they crunch ever so slightly, but they sure are delicious.

Sunday and Thursday Aurora has playdates with Sofi and with Denise. Sofi's 2-year-old brother was just yesterday diagnosed with celiac. I feel irrationally guilty about that.

Monday night is the presepe vivente, a living Nativity scene and parade at midnight after church. The whole town dresses up and walks down to the manger scene. Yes, it will be insanely cold (has been about 20 overnight lately) but the whole thing is less than 25 minutes, I'm told, and almost half of that is walking from the church to the scene, so it shouldn't be too bad. We will bundle up! Aurora will be an angel and Elise and I will be townspeople.

Christmas Eve we will have dinner with my neighbor Ornella and her family, ie, the entire population of Besozzola will gather together :) everyone else has fled for the comparative warmth of Parma or Salsomaggiore. Fortunately, the streets are clear and dry, so getting about has not been a problem! Christmas Day we are invited to Francesco’s parents in Salso for dinner – a bit boring for the girls, I fear, but lovely to have been invited.

From the Small World Department: Today I was in the market down in Salsomaggiore looking for some warm socks for the girls. I had found some for Santa Lucia to bring, and as they were a big hit I figured at 2E a pair I would get a few more. I found the stall, picked out the patterns (pink hearts for Rose, solid black for Elise and solid purple for me, naturally) when the stall owner asked me where I was from. I said Boston. He replied, "oh, my neighbor's son lives in Boston. Maybe you know him?"

Now, Greater Boston is home to over 5 MILLION people. So I start to smile politely, when he adds, "My neighbor is Fiorina."

And I replied, "Oh, Paolo, of course! Yes, I know him, he works across the street from me. He helped me find a doctor for my daughters, who are diabetic."

And we all digested that bit of information for a minute.

(I also chatted with them a bit about going to Rome. The wife sighed and said she always wanted to go to Rome. The husband snorted and said it was too far away, no point. From our driveway in the depths of the country to our hotel in Rome the trip took just over 5 hours, and 45 minutes of that was getting to the train station in the first place. They couldn't even imagine having family in the equivalent from here of Kazakhstan!)

Tomorrow is the second Christmas concert with the children. It is not clear to me whether this is the same concert as yesterday or a different one, but I will be sure to video it (charged up all my batteries today!).

22.12

Christmas concert was a little surreal, but lovely. There was the kids’ concert and then the adult choir. What I found fascinating was that most of the songs were in English! Or were barely singable Italian translations of English carols. (Of course, I suppose one must recall that Silent Night is German.) Only five or six out of the entire program were actually Italian. Does English really corner the market on cool Christmas carols? Apparently.

Aurora reprised her Merry Christmas solo of the Christmas play, and was as usual quite adorable. Food and wine at the Franciscan hostel afterwards, but it was cold and Elise wasn’t feeling well, so we didn’t stay long. Aurora was QUITE put out, as she had found friends and they were playing tag in the street.  #villagelife: it’s after 10pm and no obvious parents anywhere to be seen, but no one cares. Of course they’re safe playing in the street in the middle of the night. We’re all here, aren’t we? Of course, I suppose it’s easier when there are only 1100 people in the entire area and virtually all of them are right here. Everybody knows everybody at least to say hi to, and of course EVERYBODY knows us.