Wear, read, play

Last night I asked Mike if it was Tuesday. When he told me it was Thursday I nearly fell over. It was such a great surprise to learn that I only had hours to wait before the weekend.

Reasons why I'm excited about our weekend:

- Mike takes his second to last midterm Friday and if all goes well, I'll get to hang with him for a while on Saturday!
- We're going to revisit the Chocolate Festival. Yes. When Ada and I went a few days ago, we bought 9 Euros worth of chocolate in a matter of seconds. Don't worry, I instructed her right after about how naughty impulse buying is.
- We're going to visit some new site(s) in the city. I feel like my "I'm taking the city by storm!" bug waxes and wanes. It's currently waxing so I want to act on it and see as much as I can before I begin feeling overwhelmed and burned out again.
- We'll start a bit of Christmas shopping. With the Christmas Market on Strada Maggiore and shops galore full of pretty things, Bologna is currently a window-shopper's paradise. (But I have to fight myself to buy things in stores. I so prefer price comparing, researching, and consumer-searching my purchases before I hand over cash. But the shopping experience here far surpasses the crowded malls back home, so maybe the experience will sucker me in).

I asked Mike a few nights ago what he wants to do for Ada's first Christmas. It's a big deal, I suppose. First Christmas. And I find myself while we are out pointing at lights and Santa's and saying, "Ada look! Christmas is coming!!"  I'm excited to share it with her. But I have these dueling sides in my head: the one must come from my mother. It's pragmatic and whispers, She'll only want the wrapping paper. Why would you spend any money at all? The other tempts, So what? Christmas is about the experience of giving. You've never been a mom on Christmas. Get her somethin' real nice.

But practicality usually wins over (or at least has the upper-hand in compromises) at our house. (Here's where you ask, "Practical? How practical is it to move abroad for 9 months?" and your question would be justly merited).

I think we'll get her three things: Something to wear, something to read, something to play with. Okay and maybe a few things in her stocking. Like socks or Gerber Puffs.