My daughter and 2 grandchildren came back to Italy from Florida with my husband and me. It's their first trip to Italy and my grandson turned 8 here today. We went to the park, flew a kite on the beach, made lego ships and characters, found the BEST gelateria around, ate pizza and had a party! He celebrated with new found friends who live in our apartment. Based on the volume of laughter as the 5 children played and ate (pizza and gelato are the 2 favorite Italian things so far!), language wasn't a problem. The hoots and hollers had the universal sound of FUN and the children sang "Tanti Auguri" to Kahlil, his first "Happy Birthday" in Italian.
His 4 year old sister, Kamala, and her 3 year old friend were so cute I just couldn't stop taking photos of them. They swirled around the house in each others orbit chatting, playing, drawing and intent only on each other! They haven't seemed to notice, yet, that they speak different languages. Blowing bubbles on the balcony requires no language, only giggles galore.
Our grandchildren's milestones mark our own aging as well and my grandson reaching 8 when he was born only yesterday seems astounding. His increasing maturity and ability to do things is obvious but his sweet disposition is what's so endearing. The grandmama bear love kindled 8 years ago has grown as he has and enriched my life.
Happy birthday, Dear One. Thanks for being your sweet self.
What a great description - I can see it in my mind's eye. Especially Kamala and her new best friend! What a great gift that big boy has been to us all for eight years! And what great memories he's making now, with his grands!
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous children! I know today was tons of fun... for everybody. It sure sounded like it! You know he will always remember turning 8 years old in Italy, surrounded by the love only a family can bring.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful boy...inside and out. I am coming to Tuscany in a few weeks, and I cannot wait to experience your new country!
ReplyDeleteThe language of fun is universal, I think. As a child, I often played with non-English-speaking children, and memory says we communicated perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a family story of my parents playing poker in Frankfurt Germany with the owners of the sausage factory below the room we stayed in when no hotel rooms were to be had. nNo English on their parts, no German on my parents' parts, but plenty of beer, good sausage, good luck in cards and laughter all around.