365 photos

Photo 1/365. The milk on stand-by in my fridge. 01/01/14.

Photo 2/365. The day is over. Barbie finally gets some rest. 02/01/14.

Photo 3/365. Crab apples are in season in January. Milan doesn’t get cold enough, apparently. 03/01/14.

Photo 4/365. A rainy day, and momma not feeling so good prompts me to put my makeover team to work. 04/01/14.

Photo 5/365. This marzipan tastes about as delicious as it looks. 05.01.14.

Photo 6/365. Today marks exactly 4 years of us being in Italy, and coincidentally today was the day we were supposed to move to Dubai. The fact we are still here makes me feel happy and high as these faces. 06.01.14.

Photo 7/365. The wheels I dip into and use quite often. 07.01.14.

Photo 8/365. That guy on the horse is named Vittorio Emanuelle II. He’s a big deal around these parts. 08.01.14.

Photo 9/365. Some one really doesn’t like the police. Gibberish like this is found on almost every building in the city.(It’s one of the few things I don’t like about this city).09.01.14.

Photo 10/365. A night out with Lumbergh, crossing through my favourite Piazza in Milano. 10.01.14.

Photo 11/365. Felt sad for my driver who must have been in his 80s. He should have been retired and enjoying his time, (then again, perhaps he really likes driving, but I suspect otherwise). 10.01.14.

Photo 12/365. Morning dew caught in a web caught my eye on the way to the skating rink. 12.01.14.

Photo 13/365. No more reruns on this bleeding boob-tube. It’s strategic position above some dried-up liquid caught my eye. 13.01.14.

Photo 14/365. A moment of sibling appreciation caught on camera to remind them of how they were when in their teenage years. 14.01.14.

Photo 15/365. Italian street repairs at their finest-no blocking of traffic for car/pedestrian safety, and no safety goggles needed. Just sparks. Lots of sparks. I love Italy. 15.01.14.

Photo 16/365. Borrowing the views from a friend’s house, 8 floors up. 16.01.14.

Photo 17/365. This tram has been here since the 1990’s, the medieval wall has been here from the 1100’s. Old meets new. Love these streets. 17.01.14.

Photo 18/365. The window shopper and her red umbrella caught my eye outside the dry haven of our taxi. Milan is slated for 7 days straight of rain, but the sales must go on. 18.01.14.

Photo 19/365. Standing in the rain and eyeing those that went down the stairs sure felt creepy and perhaps I deserved the odd looks I got, but I was happy this fella stopped to settle his ear phone issues. The rain continues and I love it! 19.01.14.

Photo 20/365. Their front-row view aboard our municipal chariot on the way home is still very exciting for them. Whew! It means they’re still little!! 20.01.14.

Photo 21/365. This vespa’s mirror caught my eye-I need to look up more often. The rain has stopped and blue skies are flirting with us again. 21.01.14.

Photo 22/365. The stones on this wall complemented the colour of the street sign and hence I felt compelled to snap a photo. 22.01.14.

Photo 23/365. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get the Albino Hulk all to myself because I don’t send him to school. On these two days I get to relish in how little he still is. Here, we are coming out of the metro to go for cookies. 23.01.14.

Photo 24/365. I sure could have used Barbie’s vespa today during the transit strike. (Oh, and someone wants to set fire to the prisons. (Today’s graffiti translation brought to you by the number 24, and letter G)). 24.01.14.

Photo 25/365. Family-fun-in-the-snow day at Madesimo. Great skiing adventures. 25.01.14.

Photo 26/365. The day after skiing was spent with doing homework, cuddles, movies, and giggles. Family-fun weekend was stupendous. 26.01.14.

Photo 27/365. You could make a photo book of the open stair cases in all the old buildings here in Milan. I never get tired of looking up-too bad our building is new and doesn’t offer such a view. 27.01.14.

Photo 28/365. Riddled street signs should be the rule and not the exception. 28.01.14.

Photo 29/365. It appears no one let the dogs out. 29.01.14.

Photo 30/365. Cocoa macaroni pasta with pesto and parmesan-Eureka! My first time ever trying such a concoction while living here. 30.01.14.

Photo 31/365. I have decided to have the kids take my ‘photo of the day’ on the last day of every month. They’re showing an interest in photography, and I want to share some of their perspective. The Albino Hulk took this one. 31.01.14.

Photo 32/365. I’m intrigued with trees in winter, and this one stands at the top of the grande canal in Milan. Milan has two remaining canals, however this system was found all over the city and has been used for the last 400 years. 01.02.14.

Photo 33/365, personal photo challenge 2014. Another family skating day, accompanied by the groovy tunes of the 80’s. Heaps of fun! 02.02.14.

Photo 34/365. Sharing secrets that are just for them, as the three of us travel into London. 03.02.14.

Photo 35/365. So much for reading the news online-paper still wins, apparently. 04.02.14.

Photo 36/365. Regent Street has never been so empty, and this is during a tube strike too. 05.02.14.

Photo 37/365. Little Miss Stubborn taking a photo of me, taking a photo of her. She snaps pictures now all the time, just like momma. 06.02.14.

Photo 38/365. The kiddos are cute indeed, but behind them, there is blue sky in London. Ooooh! Aaaah!! 07.02.14.

Photo 39/365. Searching for schools was exhausting, apparently. Perhaps they had too much fun-back to Milan we go!! 08.02.14.

Photo 40/365. Back in 1937, a crowd of original owners stands in front of the restaurant that we have been ordering in from every Sunday for the last four years. I am now running out of Sundays. 09.02.14.

Photo 41/365. Awaiting the return of their respective owners after they are done feasting. 10.02.14.

Photo 42/365. Stocking up on storage bins at IKEA. Moving day is getting closer and closer. 11.02.14.

Photo 43/365. When the canals are drained every winter, they become massive garbage dumps. Very unfortunate. 12.01.14.

Photo 44/365. That statue atop one of Duomo’s many old spires admires the birth of new Milan in the distance. 13.02.14.

Photo 45/365. The Albino Hulk makes a giant leap-parents were invited to spectate at swimming today. I was in stitches. 14.02.14.

Photo 46/365. He insisted on wearing his ski helmet which only enabled him to go faster. 15.02.14.

Photo 47/365. Having a saxophone player and conga drummer stand atop the bar and accompany the dj was a crowd pleaser. 16.02.14.

Photo 48/365. I do not have patience to create such streets, and cobble stones like this are all over Milan. Too pretty! 17.02.14.

Photo 49/365. Superman takes a nap (and thereby reassures me that he’s still little). 18.02.14.

Photo 50/365. Just another rainy day with my minions. 19.02.14.

Photo 51/365. If I let her, LIttle Miss Stubborn would chase bubbles all day long. Birthday party fun. 20.02.14.

Photo 52/365. The canine version of trick or treat, in February. 21.02.14.

Photo 53/365. My fascination with bare vein-like trees in winter continues. 22.02.14.

Photo 54/365. Using chalk to create roadways for his cars and beaches for her barbies is always fun. 23.02.14.

Photo 55/365. Confetti in the streets during carnival preps in the city is always fun. 24.02.14.

Photo 56/365. How a strolling pigeon might see the plethora of confetti. 25.02.14.

Photo 57/365. The Albino Hulk’s carnival mask and those of his friends at school. 26.02.14.

Photo 57b/365. A massive thunder and hail storm rolled through Milan and prompted me to add another photo of the day. 26.02.14.

Photo 58/365. It’s so easy to stumble into a sugar coma here in Italy. 27.02.14.

Photo 59/365. It’s the last day of February and this month’s photo of the day was done by Little Miss Stubborn. I think she wants a barbie. 28.02.14.

Photo 60/365. This dog cracked me up because of his rain gear, and also what looked like hand-stand attempts as he tried to pee. 01.03.14.

Photo 61/365. The chairs at the movie theatre hid the kids from view, so the Albino Hulk decided to stand and wait for the Lego movie to start. 02.03.14.

Photo 62/365. I took a slow and leisurely walk along the navigli today-we have a few weeks to go of this view. 03.03.14.

Photo 63/365. Bringing back the rubik’s cube. 04.03.14.

Photo 64/365, the infamous pedestrian bridge leading to Zona Tortona. It can take up to 15 minutes to cross this bridge during the Salone design show. 05.03.14.

Photo 65/365. Can’t wait to brush her hair after this. Little Miss Stubborn gets cozy with the confetti seen everywhere. 06.03.14.

Photo 66/365. A fun hang out for a Friday night. 07.03.14.

Photo 67/365. An officer is on board. Please validate your tickets. 08.03.14.

Photo 68/365. Napoleon’s arch stands in the distance, and today, carnival rides and music decorate the old hunting grounds (known today as Parco Sempione). 09.03.14.

Photo 69/365. As the parade went on, this couple watched in deep thought and solemn faces. Perhaps they were reminiscing parades of their childhood long ago. 10.03.14.

Photo 70/365. Counter-feit purse adoptions. Heaps to choose from, (though I have never bought one from the street yet). 11.03.14.

Photo 71/365. Adjacent trees look like self-reflections. Winter trees still fascinate me. 12.03.14.

Photo 72/365. Easiest easter-egg hunt with these monstrosities. The kids surely won’t complain. 13.03.14.

Photo 73/365. I decided to take a break from packing today and walked the town, playing ‘tourist’, trying to remember seeing these sites for the first time. Three weeks to go! 14.03.14.

Photo 74/365. Need to start shopping in a new section of the book store. 15.03.14.

Photo 75/365. Trees in bloom+ 25 degrees today=winter clothes in storage. 16.03.14.

Photo 76/365. Tram cables and street lights. There’s always something to photograph around these parts. 17.03.14.

Photo 77/365. The Colonne di San Lorenzo-still my favourite place to enjoy beverages and people-watch. 18.03.14.

Photo 78/365. Decorative champagne bottles/candle sticks await the next customers to arrive so they can be their centre-piece. 19.03.14.

Photo 79/365. As it was the first day of spring, I decided to look for new shades and in the process took a ‘selfie’. 20.03.14.

Photo 80/365. Stumbled upon a commercial or show being filmed. After many takes and many bites for the actor, they finally wrapped up. 21.03.14.

Photo 81/365. I’ve truly never seen a mobile library before. Groovy! 22.03.14.

Photo 82/365. Finally some fantastical street art. The walk to my local grocery store is more fun now indeed, courtesy of Pao. 23.03.14.

Photo 83/365. They beat me to the intersection as I was on foot. In their spare time, they chatted and engaged in a game of paper/rock/scissors. 24.03.13.

Photo 84/365. Watching Pao do his thing. 25.03.14.

Photo 85/365. Italian dogs have different rights and freedoms from Canadian dogs. 26.03.14.

Photo 86/365. As we headed for dinner, the kids informed me I was the bear’s granny. 27.03.14.

Photo 87/365. Old friends catching up in Piazza Duomo. 28.03.14.

Photo 88/365. Three of my favourite things: Purses, polkadots, and chocolate. 29.03.14.

Photo 89/365. It’s a long way down from the top of the central station building. 30.03.14.

Photo 90/365. My cappuccino is flirting with me. I am having a ‘cappuccino deca’ every day this week as departure looms ahead. 31.03.14.

Photo 91/365. All our loot, packed and sealed shut, awaiting its chariot. 01.04.14.

Photo 92/365. The street we lived on. Our memories live among the dust in the cobblestones now. 02.04.14.

Photo 93/365. Clearly, they’re not tired. 03.04.14.

Photo 94/365. It makes perfect sense to go for sushi for our last dinner in Italy. 04.04.14.

Photo 95/365. Definitely not in Milan anymore. Hello, London. 05.04.14.

Photo 96/365. Very cool that our arrival in London crossed paths with grandpa’s business trip. 06.04.14.

Photo 97/365. It’s only day 2, but I’m pretty fond of London after the rain. 07.04.14.

Photo 98/365. The kids haven’t missed a beat. Though they miss Milan, I have kept them busy. And laughing. 08.04.14.

Photo 99/365. I’m digging London buildings and the blue sky. The views in London are grande. 09.04.14.

Photo 100/365. Blue and orange go hand-in-hand like London bricks and blue skies. 10.04.14.

Photo 101/365. We had another lovely and fun day in London, but just couldn’t shake off missing Milan today. 11.04.14.

Photo 102/365. My 80’s hair stopped me in my tracks in the mirror reflection of this window display. 12.04.14.

Photo 103/365. I thought these were two musician-type fellas from the back. My silhouette-guessing was wrong. They were two platinum blonde girls relaxing after a run. 13.04.14.

Photo 104/365. The Albino Hulk went to calm a shrieking baby all on his own as we stood in the grocery aisle. Motherly pride went soaring. 14.04.14.

Photo 105/365. Nothing is getting past this fella. 15.04.14.

Photo 106/365. Some of the views whilst house hunting. 16.04.14.

Photo 107/365. If polkadots are my weakness, Cath Kidston is a bad influence. 17.04.14.

Photo 108/365. In the Cotswolds for a good time, not a long time (and we’re having a good time). 18.04.14.

Photo 109/365. Overdosing on English fresh air in the Cotswolds for Easter 2014. 19.04.14.

Photo 110/365. In the morning we looked for chocolate eggs, in the afternoon we looked for butterflies. 20.04.14.

Photo 111/365. Having way too much fun at Big Ben. 21.04.14.

Photo 112/365. Blending into English culture with every scone, tea, and tennis lesson. 22.04.14.

Photo 113/365. Euston station, sung about in a famous song by an old band whom I have seen far too many times with my regular-concert-buddy from years ago. 23.04.14.

Photo 114/365. First day of school. The Albino Hulk sang to Little Miss Stubborn to try and calm her first-day jitters. 24.04.14.

Photo 115/365. Equestrain rush-hour that I stumbled upon randomly while walking different streets this morning. 25.04.14.

Photo 116/365. Big Ben says it’s time to eat and now I’m hungry. 26.04.14.

Photo 117/365. A small crowd gathers to listen to the discussion at Speaker’s Corner. 27.04.14.

Photo 118/365. Modern antiques. 28.04.14.

Photo 119/365. Enjoying what appears to be an after-school tradition; steamed milks and sweets. Don’t tell our dentist. 29.04.14.

Photo 120/365. Stumbling upon Joe’s footsteps in my quest for lunch today. Patriotism went soaring. 30.04.14.

Photo 121/365. London staples: black cabs and puddles. 01.05.14.

Photo 122/365. High tea with 7 fine mommas I met in Milan, but whom now live on both sides of the Atlantic. Hooray for reunions!! 02.05.14.

Photo 123/365. My favourite colour is blue and hence I love this house. 03.05.14.

Photo 124/365. Little Miss Stubborn took the photo today, since I forgot to let her take one on the last day of April. I like her style-she’s getting better and better. 04.05.14.

Photo 125/365. Looking up on a quiet street. Must come back in the evening. 05.05.14.

Photo 126/365. Guess who won’t share with momma?! 06.05.14.

Photo 127/365. Life savers at my feet, on every street. 07.05.14.

Photo 128/365. The Queen is in and she’s probably drinking tea. 08.05.14.

Photo 129/365. I’m digging these indigo skies that London has all too often. 09.05.14.

Photo 130/365. I. Hate. Unpacking. The whole house looks like this. 10.05.14.

Photo 131/365. Because catapulting bears against the ceiling never get old. 11.05.14.

Photo 132/365. Pretty ceiling decorations deserve to be admired. (Another reason to delay unpacking). 12.05.14.

Photo 133/365. Morning rush-hour indeed. This fella is not cool with the crowds today. 13.05.14.

Photo 134/365. School’s out for the day. Time to coolify the school uniform. 14.05.14.

Photo 135/365. Explaining to the kids what these boxes are for and how ‘back in the day’ iPhones didn’t exist. That’s a lot of confusion for one day. 15.05.14.

Photo 136/365. Another day of house-unpacking, another excuse to delay the work. Counting planes from Heathrow. 16.05.14.

Photo 137/365. We ditched the boys and went for lunch, to get our nails done, and to see a show. A ‘wicked’ day indeed! 17.05.14.

Photo 138/365. Hanging out with our evolutionary ‘grandpa’ at the zoo today. 18.05.14.

Photo 139/365. Little Miss Stubborn teaches the Albino Hulk to read. And my heart goes wild. 19.05.14.

Photo 140/365. Dining on dill with a side of perigees in the polish part of town. 20.05.14.

Photo 141/365. Supporting a friend at the launch of his groovy carpet designs. 21.05.14.

Photo 142/365. Italy broke me and I can’t order pizza for home delivery anymore. 22.05.14.

Photo 143/365. It is not very often that I am simultaneously presented with transit options to flag down. 23.05.14.

Photo 144/365. Silhouettes and blue skies at Piccadilly circus. 24.05.14.

Photo 145/365. Blue skies are following us around Oxford today. 25.05.14.

Photo 146/365. The teapots have finished another shift of serving tea. The dishwasher awaits. 26.04.14.

Photo 147/365. The sunny streak has ended, rain has arrived, and the library is the cool place to be. 27.05.14.

Photo 148/365. I froze my ass off standing in the puddles, but the kiddos didn’t even notice it was raining. Too much fun playing football. 28.05.14.

Photo 149/365. Somehow watching popcorn pop on the stove never gets old. 29.05.14.

Photo 150/365. My guys make themselves cozy anywhere they go. 30.05.14.

Photo 151/365. Only exactly 7 months to go until Big Ben welcomes 2015. 31.05.14.

Photo 152/365. Little Miss Stubborn gets little surprises and cards from her old class mates in Milan. 01.06.14.

Photo 153/365. ‘No umbrella? No problem!’ said the man who used his backpack as rain cover during a sudden rain storm. 02.06.14.

Photo 154/365. The Albino Hulk had a performance at school today and this evening took his role as tiger quite seriously as he climbed on my counters. 03.06.14.

Photo 155/365. There are some brilliantly talented and funny people in this world. Sheer hilarity, though at times crossing boundaries of correctness. 04.06.14.

Photo 156/365. If this was a first date, I’m guessing it’s going pretty well. 05.06.14.

Photo 157/365. Perhaps I’m famous on street view now. 06.06.14.

Photo 158/365. Funky shadows on London buildings. 07.06.14.

Photo 159/365. The chimneys look groovy on London streets. 08.06.14.

Photo 160/365. I wonder what the Egyptians would have created and built had they been gifted four red cranes. 09.06.14.

Photo 161/365. Trick candles are always fun. Happy birthday Lumberg! 10.06.14.

Photo 162/365. ‘All in a days work’ means different things for different people. 11.06.14.

Photo 163/365. Where there are balloons, there is a party. And there you shall find beer. 12.06.14.

Photo 164/365. Poland’s national sport. 13.06.14.