Red, White and Green

It has been several weeks since I last wrote....we have been busy, so what's new?

We were skiing in Vail, Colorado during the half term week. Fantastic snow and great weather. I highly recommend a ski trip there, though our legs are not as young as they used to be, the pistes just kept going on and on. Over on the Blue Sky bowl, one nips in and out of the trees, even an intermediate skier like myself, I felt like I was in the opening scene of a James Bond movie. Magic. I will also add this family certainly employs a great travel planner. The apartment could not have been better placed. Lift downstairs, pick up the skis, drop off the kids at ski school at 9 am and hop on the chair lift and off Gregorio and I went for the day. Kids were entertained and exercised till 3:30 pm. Meanwhile we were enjoying ourselves on cloud nine, poppyfields and espresso (who invents the names of these pistes?) The highlight for the girls was that their ski instructor had taught Michelle Obama and daughters the day before!

All this after they had met royalty. Prince Michael of Kent visited their school the week before half term. Isabella and the choir performed for him and Matilde's class chatted with him. Matilde (the oh-so-English daughter) told the prince she was from Italy. I'm not offended really. This week over supper the girls have decided that they are going to marry an Italian. Of course, I would agree with their wise choice but I am not really sure why they think he has to be Italian...perhaps they are just missing papa' who is currently at 3, 500 metres in La Paz, Bolivia (the week in Vail, same altitude, was good training).

And talking of things Italian. As many of you know, this year is the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification. The Italian Embassy has launched a competition for children to design a t-shirt celebrating this anniversary....and there is a monetary prize (apparently) for the winning design. Isabella has decided she is going to submit four entries, win all four and then she will be able to buy papa' his Ferrari. Yep, we are still missing papa'. What I love is the no-nonsense approach to financing one's dreams that all children seem to have. At least, she has realised that the lemonade stand is probably not going to generate enough for a Ferrari. Matilde, as assistant to the dream project, is motivated as she knows that papa' will buy her a bunny if they buy him a Ferrari....right, dream on.....

So back to reality. Isabella graduated to a green belt in Tae Kwon Do this week. She is still very focused on this sport, which is great and calculating when she might get to a black belt. Watch out! Matilde is getting ready for her spring ballet performance. Though she continues to say "I hate ballet" Certainly regular classes are not nearly as interesting as being a bumble bee in the Nutcracker. Spring has returned to DC and we are out on our bikes again and starting tennis once more this week-end. It is all go with homework, playdates and slumber parties fitted in-between.

We are already beginning to plan our summer holiday. Another Canadian extravaganza is in the pipeline.  I am turning a significant age this year and will not grow old gracefully. We have decided to do something different and are heading to the Calgary Stampede "where ordinary people become cowboys" at the largest gathering of cowboys in the world - rodeos, chuckwagon racing eat your heart out! And of course, buying a pair of cowboy boots will be de rigeur.

Isabella's next MRI will be at the end of April so we will update you in early May if not before on what we are up to. The Race for Hope in DC takes place on May 1st - let me know if you wish to join the team - walkers or runners accepted and sponsors for this great cause to end brain cancer are greatly appreciated.

I am continuing to pursue several leads to get Isabella's book published and more widely distributed to the brain cancer community and beyond, but it is a slow process. Meanwhile, I am making great headway in creating photo books for the girls from when they were born. Yes we have rather a lot of photos, I've made it to the end of 2009.

Hope the green shoots (financial and botanical) are springing up with you. From a crisp but beautifully sunny day in DC - somewhat similar to 11 years ago today in London. Happy anniversary, Gregorio!

Lots of love,
Emma xxx