Today is Lola’s half-year birthday. She’s dressed in her fancy clothes and playing on the kitchen floor. Mum is getting a bit of extra kip in bed, having been on call, as ever, all night. Nonna has been up a while, preparing the ministron’ and the conicio (coniglio) for today’s lunch. Today, as you may have inferred from the date, is New Year’s Eve. Later, the family will be meeting at Bruna’s for the family do — we’ve excused ourselves on the grounds that we can’t leave Lola. True enough, but we also quite fancy a quiet time. Bruna’s a bit upset that we can’t make it.