Week 38 - Riding and swimming lessons

We tried a new riding school and spent lots of time there this week. Sofia and Carlotta sometimes did their home work there. Only on Monday we didn't go there and Carlotta had her first lesson at the swimming school. She liked it. There was a show jumping event at the riding school at the week-end and Sofia partecipated. We had lunch at our old riding school with one of Sofia's friends. Missing it all quite a lot, but now we are trying to get used to the new place.

Week 37 - Back to school

This week school started for the girls on Tuesday and for Daniele on Wednesday. The evening before school started we had to take my mother-in-law to the hospital. She had been staying at our house since June because she had a cancer, was 83 years old and too weak to stay home alone anymore and needed help in cooking. On Wednesday morning she then passed away. The funerals were on Saturday. It was sad for my husband, but in a way a relief as it had been quite a stressing summer for him. She didn't have any pains and we didn't have to find another place for her to stay, she spent only the last two days at the hospital.
We went out for lunch and dinner a couple of times this week.
When I went to Finland in July I didn't imagine that it would be our last summer at our riding school. Our riding teacher left and went to another very expensive place, so we had our last riding lessons this week and had to look for another riding school. It's not so easy as we all have a bit different needs and me and Sofia aren't beginners anymore. This week we tried in a couple of places. Sofia wanted to go to a place where lots of her friends were riding, Carlotta wanted to stay in the riding school where she already was and I wanted to find a place with nice horses and a good riding instructor, not too expensive and a nice place to spend some time in. I also wanted to find a place where we all could go. Not very easy!

Week 36 - Back in Rome

Back to summer, beaches, cappuccinos and nice restaurants. Nevertheless it felt difficult to leave Finland and all the people there and get back to my life here in Italy. We did the best of it anyway. It was the last week of holidays for the children before school started. I booked two nights in a farm house near Sabaudia where there are beautiful beaches and went there with Sofia and Carlotta. Daniele's football trainings had started already so he preferred to stay in Rome. We had relaxing days in Sabaudia. In the evening all the guests had dinner together, which was really nice. We spent most of the time at the swimming pool which we had all for ourselves as everyone else was at the beach. In the afternoon we went to the beach and then in the evening back for dinner. Very, very nice!