Tag Archives: family

A Kid’s Life: New Zealand

8 Oct

Time for another post in my A Kid’s Life series.  This series is a great way to learn about other countries and cultures by looking at families and their daily routines and traditions.  I love hearing about what people from a different country eat, how they spend their free time, what sort of activities the kids do and about the local school systems.

Today we are visiting with Hana from New Zealand.  Hana is a self proclaimed eternal optimist and dreamer.  She has the blog A Happy Adventure  where she writes about parenting and making her daughters lives as magical as possible.  I absolutely adore her Little World series!  I’ve never met Hana but I just know she’s one of those cheerful, positive,creative and witty people that we could all benefit from spending time with.

I’ve always been interested in New Zealand and I loved reading about Hana and her family’s daily life there.  She talks about Christmas in such a different way than I’m used to (camping and beach!) and now I’m curious about what pikelets and kumara are!

So let’s meet Hana and her family…

What country do you live in?

New Zealand

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

Yep – we are both kiwis – in fact we both grew up in the same part of NZ, meeting at High School.

Do you both work?  Or does someone stay at home?  

My husband, Barry, works outside the home, and I stay at home with our girls.

How many languages are spoken in your house?  What one(s)?

One – English.

How many kids do you have?  What are their ages?

We have three girls – Ava will be five next week, Lola is three and Belle is 21 months.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

Children in New Zealand generally start school on their 5th birthday.  Although, oddly, it isn’t a legal requirement to be at school until they are 6.

Continue reading →

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“Traveling With Kids” column on Classic Play! (Travel Disasters)

20 Sep

Time for another column in my Traveling with Kids series on Classic Play!  This time I thought I’d discuss the fact that there is sometimes an unfortunate situation or a bump in the road during traveling with children.  Travel disasters happen and we have to embrace them, solve them and move on.  Sometimes this is easier said than done but if we remain calm it usually irons itself out so we can enjoy the rest of our travels.  Pop on over here to read my post and I’d love it if you took some time to share any unfortunate situation that has happened to you while traveling with kids.

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Gnocco Fritto

20 Sep

This past week-end the parents of an Italian friend of ours invited us to their annual end of summer party.  It’s an occasion for the extended family and friends to get together before winter starts and it, of course, revolved around food.  But not just any food.  Aunts and cousins from the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy came up to prepare the famous gnocco fritto.

Gnocco fritto is a fried dough that is served with cold sliced meats and cheeses.  They are absolutely delicious.  And addictive.  And rich.  Imagine eating a piece of fried dough with cheese and pancetta on top?  I managed to scoff down a good 4 or 5 but I did see some people who were closer to 20.  I’m surprised I didn’t see some of them passed out under the various fruit trees by the end of the afternoon (especially since there were many bottle of Lambrusco consumed as well).

These ladies started preparing the pasta early in the morning and worked straight through to late afternoon frying up pan after pan of these light and crispy gnocco.

My dainty daughters who have miniature sized stomachs managed to eat 1 1/2 gnocco.  This is Nico eating his 8th (and they wonder why their little brother who is 2 years younger weighs more than them!).

I took along some mini cupcakes.  The Italians thought they were the sweetest looking cakes they’d ever seen.  I’m pretty sure only my kids actually ate them though.  I saw many of the Italians eating the gnocco fritto with fruit salad on top for dessert.  They told me it “cleaned the gnocco out of their system”.

The party took place in a lovely field with fruit trees of every kind.  And 6 alpacas staring us from the other side of a fence.  I think they were probably thrown at least one gnocco fritto during the party.

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Barn and Breakfast

13 Sep

Did you know that goats snore?  Well they do and I know this first hand.  Last week-end my husband was away and the weather was gorgeous so my children and I booked to sleep in the hay in a barn in the mountains of Switzerland.  With goats.

There is a great program in Switzerland called Schlaf Im Stroh (Sleep in the Hay) in which over 200 farms open their barns to tourists to sleep.  It costs next to nothing and is an experience to say the least.  And to make it all the more fun and convenient the farm where we stayed is only a little over an hour from our house (the kids mentioned that it’s so close that we could even do it EVERY week-end).

In the coming weeks I’ll be writing an in-depth description of our stay for my Traveling With Kids column on Classic Play!  but in the meantime here are a few photos of our wonderful stay (the kids said it was their best trip EVER).

Where we co-slept with the snoring goats.

Our bed for the night.

On a evening stroll in the mountains.

Views from the farm.
Most delicious cheese made at the farm.

Check back for the link to my travel column soon to find out more about this amazing barn stay.

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Bij Tante Lief

11 Sep

This past summer while we were in Belgium we were invited to spend an afternoon in the ceramics studio of a very talented aunt of my husband.  Tante Lief has been making the most beautiful plates, bowls, platters, figurines and jewelry for years and every time I visit I fall more in love with everything she does.  I have bowls from Lief that I’ve been using for over 15 years and they’re still in perfect shape.

We arrived at their house mid-afternoon and the kids started playing with the clay within minutes.  In the end there were over 10 cousins busily modelling clay into the most beautiful creations.

All the kids had lots of ideas of what they wanted to make.  My daughters opted for chickens while my son a volcano (go figure).  Tante Lief was the perfect teacher and was busily running around from one kid to the next helping and giving tips.  Even though she had so many small kids in her studio she was relaxed as can be and the kids had the most wonderful afternoon (the adults as well).

After the sculpting we all took a break for some amazing home-made pizzas (thanks to Nonkel Jan!).  By the time we were done eating the pieces were dry enough to be painted.  There was lots of discussing and contemplating before the perfect colours were chosen.

After a fantastic day we all left and Tante Lief promised she would bake all of our pieces and get them to us as soon as she could.  And luckily for us she dropped by our house in Italy this past week-end and the kids got to see their finished creations for the first time.

 And they are proud!

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A Kid’s Life: Tasmania

31 Aug

Oh how I love this A Kid’s Life series!  I’ve had so much fun interviewing families from around the world and learning about their daily rhythms and traditions.  It’s so interesting to see what people from other cultures do differently and eye-opening to realise that sometimes a family from the other side of the world does the exact same things that we do.

This interview is with Jen who lives in Tasmania.  Jen and I were introduced through a fellow blogger friend (one of the many great things about blogging!) and she was so warm, friendly and willing to participate in this little series.  I love how she answered all the questions with so much honesty and humor.  Jen talks about the famous “witching hour”, the “mom guilt” and the Lego marathons with her adorable sons.

Other than being a mom and working part time at a small bookshop Jen also owns Dish Pig which is a business that designs and sells stylish, vintage inspired souvenirs for Tasmania.  Using modern typography they offer tea towels and aprons that are beautiful enough to be framed or made into cushions and not only used for drying dishes.

Jen is also the author of The Brother’s Trimm blog where she posts about great products for families, arts and crafts and kid’s fashion and literature.  She’s also a contributor to several other blogs and has recently started writing for Anorak magazine.  Like with many of my past interviewees I’m in awe at the amount Jen does.  Please let me in on the secret on how you make it all work!

Let’s hear what Jen has to say about her and her family’s daily life…

What country do you live in?

We live on an island called Tasmania, it’s the southern most state in Australia. I like to think of it as the Hawaii of the Antipodes…without the pretty lei’s, awesome surf and tropical hot climate!

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

No, my husband is from New Zealand and I am Irish.

Do you both work?  Or does someone stay at home?

My husband is an executive sous chef, while I am a Jack of all trades. I’m a children’s bookseller, blogger, children’s event organiser and small business owner, running a little homewares business called Dish Pig. I work at a lovely local indie bookshop 3 days a week, otherwise I work at night when the kids are in bed.

How many languages are spoken in your house?  What one(s)?

English and a few chosen words in Irish when I’ve run out of patience with the kids.

How many kids do you have?  What are their ages?

We have two boys, Jack is a thoughtful 5 year old while Charlie boasts a rambunctious 3.5 years.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

In Tasmania, kids start kindergarten the year they turn 5. In other states around the country it differs. Ridiculous I know. Our boys attend(ed) an early learning centre which introduces kindergarten methods from an early age. This really helped Jack in his transition to ‘big school’ and Charlie is chomping at the bit to get started.

During the school year what time do your kids usually wake up?

Without fail, our youngest is awake and nestling into our bed just after 6. He knows the silent drill until the alarm goes off not long after. Our eldest will usually wake up around 6.30am

What do your kids typically eat for breakfast?

Porridge,weetbix or muesli with a yoghurt, honey and berry topping are on high rotation.

What time does school start?  What time does it finish?  What is the weekly school schedule?

I drop off Jack at 8.30 for a 9am start with Charlie arriving at his preschool just before 9. Kindergarten differs to regular school, they only attend 3 days from 9am til 3pm with a half day on Wednesdays. From prep upwards it’s 5 days a week, 9-3pm for primary school. After school care is offered at Jack’s school which is a lifesaver for someone like me. I collect them at 5 and 5.15 pm respectively and we are home by 5.30pm

Do your kids learn a second/third language at school?  From what age?

Not yet, but French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese and Chinese are all offered in primary schools as part of the curriculum. Not all schools offer all 6 languages. It usually differs from school to school.

Do your kids eat lunch at school or home? What is a typical lunch for your kids?

The boys both eat lunch at school and preschool. They’ll have a sandwich, crackers, yoghurt, fruit (fresh or dried), a mini salad and a bottle of water.

Do your kids do any after-school activities?

Not at the moment while they are still young, but the school offers karate, soccer, film and book clubs. There’ll also be the future guitar lessons I’m sure I’ll be nagged for…

What time do you eat dinner?  What’s a typical dinner you would eat?

During the week, we try to eat at 6.30pm, perhaps a little later at the weekend. A typical weekly menu would include meatballs, fried rice, a pasta something or other, sausages with lots of veggies, roast chicken and the friday night obligatory home made pizza.

How much television/computer time do your kids have on a daily basis?

No computer time yet, but TV is usually allowed during the witching hour while I cook dinner. We are a little more relaxed on Saturday mornings.

What time do your kids go to bed?

I have them in bed at 7. Depending on their day and mood, they’ll be asleep in 5 minutes or still be ”reading” at 8.

What are some typical family week-end activities?

Unfortunately Daddy is often working at weekends so I tend to fly solo. We catch up with pals or enjoy a bush walk (we have a stunning selection of native forest and walking trails here). The aim is to  get out as much as possible really and burn off the boys unending supply of energy. If the weather isn’t great, we  might head to the local museum, visit a market or stay home for a lego marathon.

When do your kids have vacation from school?

This is our first year experiencing school holidays and it seems Jack has vacation time every other week! There are 3 terms here so apart from summer holidays (Christmas – February), there is a couple of weeks break at Easter, June and September.

What do your kids do during the summer vacation?

I hate answering this question as I’m riddled with guilt. Having no family here means we are really stuck when it comes to summer vacation. It’s the busiest time of the year for my husband and I too have to work, so 3 days a week the boys either attend daycare of vacation care. This summer will be our first year trialling vacation care for Jack. My saving grace is that they’re not away from home 5 days a week, otherwise the poor kids would never have a rest. Next year we’re planning a special family holiday overseas during the Tasmanian winter to make up for our summer non-vacation.

What are the typical “first foods” for a baby to eat in your country?

Rice porridge is the norm followed by stewed pear and apple. Then it’s pumpkin time and the palate slowly develops from there.

Many thanks to Jen for this great interview.  Check out previous interviews from Italy, Japan, America and The Philippines.

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Woodwork

28 Aug

One day last week my little guy Nico approached me and asked if we could do some wood work.  Always game to crack out my handy jigsaw I jumped at the chance.

We found some old pieces of wood from a previous project and Nico decided he wanted to draw a simple shape on the board to cut out with the saw.  He opted for a fish.

We put on our protective gloves and goggles and started sawing away.  It’s possible we even got a little carried away and sawed right into our outdoor wooden table (oops).  Oh and due to some reckless sawing the fish became more of an eye (that fish tail kept getting in the way anyway).

After he had his desired shape (sort of) he decided to paint it.  We got out some thick masking tape so that the lines would be well defined and got busy painting the different rings of colour.  Due to the 40 degree heat it took less than a minute for each colour to dry so we could continue with the painting without having to wait around too much.

We loved ripping off the masking tape to find beautiful crisp clear lines on our wood.  We continued the project off and on over the following days.  The sisters decided to get involved as well so we have a beautiful collection of painted wooden pieces at the moment.

I loved watching the thought process that went into the colour combinations and their concentration while painting.

 

After they had finished painting their lines they sprayed their wooden pieces with special varnish. That way if we leave them hanging outside the paint will be more protected against harsh weather. 

Nico’s tail-less fish.  Or eye.  Or whatever he wants it to be.

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A Kid’s Life: The Philippines

24 Aug

I’m really excited to present the newest in my A Kid’s Life series.  This series is a way for all of us to learn a little bit about different family daily routines, traditions and culture from countries all over the world.  I’ve really loved doing all the previous interviews from Italy , Japan and America.

Today’s interview is with Audrey.  I met Audrey through a fellow blogging friend (thanks Deepa!) and from our first e-mail exchange I knew she was a kindred spirit.  Audrey is warm and friendly.  And busy!   This woman has three children, runs  and owns an amazing kid’s clothing company and apparently is just about to open a restaurant.  And on top of all these things and the fact she was living through some pretty horrific weather conditions in The Philippines she was more than willing to take the time to do this interview.

First I would like to talk a little about their clothing company.  I love it that Audrey and her husband decided they wanted to build a family together and agreed on needing the independence of working for themselves.  They felt taking the entrepreneur route would make their lives more open and free to having a healthy family life.

Their kid’s clothing company is called googoo&gaga and they describe it as a quirky clothing company for kookie kids.   On their website they write that they want to spread good tidings and cheer, a little bit of fancy and a little bit of crazy with each wearable art piece.  And they are indeed pieces of art.  You simply shop through their collection of designs and  have it printed on your choice of onesie, lap shirt, baby dress or toddler t-shirt.

I love Audrey’s warmth that comes through in her interview and her love for her family shines through.  Some things that surprised me in the interview?  In The Philippines they eat Spam and the school bus picks up the kids at 6:45am!  

Let’s see what Audrey has to say about their daily life and routines…

What country do you live in?

The Philippines

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

Yes we are (Filipino)

Do you both work or does someone stay at home?

We both work from home.

How many languages are spoken in your house?

Two, English and Filipino.

How many kids do you have?  What are their ages?

Three.  Gabe is 11, Gia is 2 years and 4 months and Giorgia is 1 year old this Friday!

At what age do kids start school in your country?

It used to be five years old for 1st grade but younger kids are now going into playschool at 2 years of age.

During the school year what time do your kids usually wake up?

Gabe, our eldest, is the only one who goes to school.  He wakes up at 6am so he can finish his breakfast and get ready for school.  The school bus comes at 6:45am.

What do your kids typically eat for breakfast?

Gabe has a wider range of food choices now. He’s a growing boy and can eat more than I do!  He likes Spam, bacon, eggs, with rice!  The girls, since they are younger, can STILL be imposed on. So we serve them healthier options like fruits, cereals, pancakes, bread, yogurt, etc.

What time does school start?  What time does it finish?  What is the weekly school schedule?

School starts at 730am and ends at 330pm. Fridays are Club Days so they end at 430pm on those days.

Do your kids learn a second/third language at school?  From what age?

English is the medium of instruction in most big schools here. Filipino is taught as a subject.

Do you kids eat lunch at school or at home?  What is a typical lunch for your kids?

Gabe has lunch at school.  We talked to the school’s lunch mistress so he can just choose what he wants to have for lunch daily.  The girls both eat table food already, which means they eat what we eat.  I make sure each meal includes at least one meat dish and one vegetable dish plus rice.

Do your kids do any after-school activities?

Gabe isn’t allowed playtime on school days. After school, his time is devoted to doing homework or doing advanced reading.

What time do you eat dinner?  What’s a typical dinner you would eat?

Around 8pm. Dinner is the same as lunch — rice, one meat dish, one vegetable dish, fruits or ice cream if we have it. The family loves fried chicken, yakiniku steak, beef or pork stew, adobo (pork or chicken marinated and cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, bay leaves — a popular Filipino dish!).

What time do your kids go to bed?

Everyone’s out by 10pm!

What are some typical family week-end activities?

We make sure we visit one set of grandparents every weekend. We do it alternately, so if this weekend finds us in my parents’ house, next weekend we’re at my husband’s parents’.  Since my husband and I both work from home, we can readily bring the two younger ones to the supermarket or the mall for short breaks on weekdays. We make sure we are home before the eldest is back from school.

How much television/computer time do your kids have on a daily basis?

The younger girls, Gia and Georgia, are only allowed a maximum of 2-3hours of TV a day, spread out at different periods. I make them choose which kid-friendly programs they like best. I try to have different activities for them during the day, including quiet time when they can choose whatever they feel like doing, whether it is to craft and paint (for Gia) or walk and explore (for Georgia). My husband and I do not watch a lot of TV ourselves, so we let Gabe sit with us when we do. He’s only 11 and still needs parental supervision.

When do your kids have vacation from school?

Summer in the Philippines starts in March and ends early June.

What do your kids do during the summer vacation?

We try our best to go out of town or out of country trips during the summer. It’s great to bring the kids to new places where bonding time is doubly fun! The eldest also enrols in summer activities like basketball camp, swimming sessions, or little chef’s classes.

What are the typical “first foods” for a baby to eat in your country?

Always vegetables and fruits. 🙂

Many thanks to Audrey for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions.  And best of luck to her in all her wonderful projects!  Stay tuned for upcoming interviews from Tasmania and Canada!

If you’re interested in being interviewed for this series please contact me at jillianinitaly@hotmail.com.

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A Kid’s Life: USA

13 Aug

I’m happy to present another A Kid’s Life interview today.  This series is a way for us all to learn a little bit about daily family life from countries around the world.  I’ve absolutely loved the last two interviews from Italy and Japan.  I can’t get enough of  hearing about all those cultural differences between countries and daily kid rhythms.

Today’s interview is with Jen from the Classic Play! blog.  Jen lives in America, is mom to two beautiful kids, wife to a talented photographer and filmmaker and exudes an energy that baffles me.   Her blog Classic Play! is a fountain of ideas, resources and creative endeavors for families everywhere.  This blog has saved my sanity on more than one occasion when I had a house full of bored kids (her kid’s art projects are a fave of mine).

On top of running her successful blog she’s co-owner of a really neat kid’s toy company and even writes for various other sources.  Jen is all about inspiring and motivating families to get creative.  And I love that.

I’m really grateful that she took the time to answer my questions and give us all a peek into her and her family’s daily life.    And I learned some new things…I’d never heard of red shirting before in my life!   So here we go…

What country do you live in?

The United States

Are you and your husband the same nationality?

Yes.

How many languages are spoken in your house?  Which one(s)?

Just one, English.

How many kids do you have?  What are their ages?

We have two children.  Ellie is 9 and Jonah is 7.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

Many kids in America, if they’re not in daycare, start school in a private preschool around age 3 or 4 for a couple half days a week. The public system kicks in at age 5 with kindergarten. Parents do have the option to hold their child back one year, which more and more families are doing. It’s a phenomenon called Red Shirting. It’s not very popular in my area, but in other parts of the country, it’s become the norm.

During the school year at what time do your kids usually wake up?

Between 7 and 7:15am.

What do your kids typically eat for breakfast?

My kids have a several favorites: yogurt with honey, cold cereal with milk, scrambled eggs and toast, and oatmeal with a little maple syrup. On weekends we have waffles or pancakes.

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A Kid’s Life: Japan

23 Jul

A while back I published my first post in my A Kid’s Life series.  I give a short interview with families from around the world about their daily traditions and routines.  I thought it would be a great way to see how other people pass a regular day in their life and see how it differs from ours.

For this A Kid’s Life post I decided to contact my friend Kumi who lives in Japan.  Kumi and I studied French together many years ago and she is one of those gentle, generous souls.  We’ve kept in touch on and off over the years via snail mail and we recently got to see each other again in person on our recent trip to Japan.  We met as young single women and are now both happily married mamas.  How times have changed.

After spending time with Kumi and her family we realized that although we live in different countries with different cultures and daily rhythms, some things about life with kids are universal.  Such as ice cream and skip rope!

Here’s Kumi’s interview accompanied by a few photos that I took while staying with them.  Enjoy!

Where do you live?

We live in Japan.

Are both you and your husband the same nationality?

Yes, we are both Japanese.

How many children do you have?  What are their ages?

We have one daughter who is 7 years old.

Do you both work or does someone stay at home?

My husband works full time and I work only 2 days per week.

How many languages do you speak at home?

We speak Japanese together.  Sometimes we speak some English as a sort of game.

At what age do kids start school in your country?

In Japan kids start school at 6 or 7 years old.

During the school year, what time do you wake up?

We wake up at 6:30am.

What is a typical breakfast for your family?

We eat rice balls and miso soup.

What time does school start and finish?  What is the weekly school schedule?

My daughter is in the second grade and starts school at 8:40 and finishes at 2:20pm.  In the higher grades the kids finish at 3:15pm.  In second grade the kids learn Japanese, arithmetic, drawing, manual arts, physical training, calligraphy, music and life studies.

Do your kids learn a second or third language at school?  From what age?

In Japan they learn English from the second grade.  They learn English games and songs…not too hard!

Do kids eat lunch at home or at school?  What is a typical lunch?

Usually kids eat lunch at school.  They mainly eat rice or bread and milk but sometimes also Chinese, Italian, Korean and Mexican food.

Do your kids do any after-school activities?

My daughter doesn’t do any after-school activities but this is VERY rare in Japan.  Usually almost all kids do dance, swimming, calligraphy, English, abacus etc etc.

What time do you eat dinner?  What is a typical dinner you would eat?

We usually eat around 7pm.  A favorite dinner of my husband is okonomiyake (Japanese pizza).

How much television/computer time do your kids have on a daily basis?

Usually 2 hours.

What’s bed time in your house?

My daughter goes to bed around 9:30pm.

What are some typical family week-end activities?

In the mornings my daughter watches cartoons and then we do some shopping and go anywhere my daughter wants!

When is the school vacation?

In the summer there is the 44 days of summer vacation from late July to late August.  Then there are a few weeks in December and in March/April.

What are the typical “first foods” for a baby to eat in your country?

A vegetable soup made with white radish or cabbage and boiled fish or meat paste.

Do you notice any big differences between Kumi and her family’s life and yours?  I personally love the breakfasts they eat and the fact that school ends so early in the afternoon.  Any other questions that you think might be interesting to ask?  Check out the last A Kid’s Life:Italia here.

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