Campania Region of Italy

Italy for spring break was wonderful. Getting to Sorrento took some time and I must say I was not too pleased with the amount of sick people traveling by plane and train on the way to and during our visit. As much as I cursed the fools for exposing us to their illnesses, for not just staying the heck home when they are coughing and sneezing, what did we do at the end of our trip? Of course, we got on that plane home with S and K coughing and sneezing.

But, at least before we started getting sick, we were able to enjoy our time in Italy. We stayed in Sorrento, which is a great place to base yourself if you want to see the sites in the Campania region. We arrived into Naples on a Saturday night and had a car and driver take us into Sorrento. I am so glad we did, as future experience with the train would prove it was the best decision.

On Sunday, we went to the Isle of Capri. I think this was my favorite part of the trip. As we got off the ferry, we were approched by someone offering us a boat ride to the Green Grotto. "Just like the Blue Grotto, but no wait, less crowded." He explained how he offered a much cheaper, private service and the Green Grotto was just as good. But, we came to see the Blue Grotto, not the fake Blue Grotto. So, we decided to check-out the boats that were supposedly "crowded and expensive" and are so glad we did. The price was cheaper than what the guy at the dock was offering, the boat was bigger and had life vests (under the seats, but they were there), and there really was no waiting at all. We went to the Blue Grotto. Once there you transfer to a small row boat to enter the Grotto. Our row boat captain was new on the job. Apparently, he hadn't quite figured out how to not get a big splash of water in the boat upon entering the grotto. I have some choice pictures of me in my white jeans with my derriere all wet. Dear husband was so kind to capture it on film, which we did not and will not be sharing. After the Grotto, we went into Capri and enjoyed our time there very much! So beautiful!!! Expensive, but beautiful!!!

Our next day, we went to Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. We downloaded the free audio-guide from Rick Steves and it was a great little tour. It is quite hot when walking the ruins. At the end, we had some fresh lemon juice, a snack and were on our way to Mt. Vesuvius. After walking around Pompeii for hours in the sun, the 800 meters from the bus parking lot to the crater were a lot more tiring than we expected, well at least than I expected. It was pretty cool to see. T is learning about volcanoes at school, so it was a very fitting site to see. That night we ate at Il Ristorante Lionne Rosse and found it was right next door to David's gelaterria - now officially our favorite gelato place! Gelato - yummm!

Day 3 we planned to stay in Sorrento as K really really wanted to swim at the hotel and Sorrento is quite pretty to see. However, at the last second we thought, let's try to get the ferry to Ischia and go swimming in thermal springs we just found out about. Only, then, I realized I couldn't find my phone. And, unfortantely I had turned off the volume the night before so I wouldn't have to hear it ding every time I got a message. After searching and searching the hotel (I had it at breakfast) to no avail, I started changing passwords and canceling accounts, while S took the boys swimming at the hotel pool. Where, I understand, "heated" is still really really cold. At this point, I was cursing myself for not downloading the "find my phone" application, which also allows you to remotely erase your phone. Panic, panic, panic. After checking the hotel and our room a half dozen times, I decided to do one more check. I found it!!! It was in our room. It had fallen between the back of the suitcase and the wall. What a relief, but it meant Ischia would not be in the cards after all. It wasn't our original plan, so it was OK. And, I have to say, that perhaps working in a day with no real plan to the vacation is a very worthwhile thing to do. We did a tour of Sorrento via horse drawn carriage, had lovely meals and, of course some David's Gelato. We also took a little tour bus to see a local lemon grove and see a beautiful view of the bay and Mt. Vesuvius. There are definitely better tours than the one we took, but with the time we had it worked out just fine.

On Day 4, we went to Caserta to see the Palace. This was the point of our whole trip for the boys, as the palace was used in Star Wars films as the Palace on Naboo. The Palace was very cool to see and had a wonderful big garden. And we had a local pizza that was so delicious, but huge. We had no idea that it would be a 1/2 meter in size - yikes!!!

We were one week too early for the tour buses to take you to Caserta, so we went by train. Let me just say the town of Caserta is, well let's just say gritty. Of course, we only saw the section of town near the train station and it does seem that many towns are gritty near their train stations. The train to and from Caserta from Naples was fine. However, the train to and from Naples from Sorrento is a nightmare. It only runs every 1/2 hour. Sorrento was the first/last stop. So on the way in, you can get a seat if you are lucky. The train seats completely fill at the first stop and then some. And, with each stop more and more people keep getting on. On the way back, you can be sure you will be standing and packed like sardines. Whoa!!! Definitely, avoid the local Naples-Sorrento train if you can. We did use the same train for Pompeii, but it is not nearly as long of a ride with two little ones.

The next day, we took a car to Naples airport. We could just not imagine going in by train with our luggage and the boys - no way!!! And, then off to home via Rome. It was a short trip. I would've liked two more days, one for Ischia and one for a little town on the Almalfi coast, that would've been just perfect. But, even still, it was a great trip and I highly recommend it!!!

But, they're tasty

My dearest K. He is so cute, filled with personality and resolve, except when it comes to hamburgers and hot dogs. We were driving home from school and K asked if we could have hot dogs for dinner. I told him, "but honey they are made from cow." He replied, "but they're tasty."

So, K has clearly decided that these things are just too tasty to give-up. Not that we eat them a lot, but clearly vegetarianism is not his forte in its full form. You can imagine the joy experienced by my husband at this realization. It's funny, making efforts to provide vegetarian meals for K, seemed to quicken his realization that it wasn't for him. So, I guess in the future, when he won't let something go, the best thing to do is to show him the reality of what he seeks and then just let nature take its course. How come I have feeling that might back-fire on me one day???

Oh no, but guess who came home from school talking about some awful video he saw on how animals are treated. T is such a sensitive soul, where is this going. Did we just trade one vegetarian for another. Yikes!

Meat to Eat or Not. . .

Our 4 year old is a very deep thinker. When he starts learning about something of interest to him, he really focuses in on it to a degree I just wouldn't expect from a 4 year old. From understanding death, to understanding the differences between boys and girls, to really understanding the internal workings of the body, to practicing his letter sounds (constantly quizzing himself and us on letter sounds), he will focus intensely on a topic for months. He even does this thing where he walks around our living room coffee table, around and around, for up to 10 minutes at a time. If you ask him why he does it, he simply replies, "I'm just thinking."

So, his latest focus is on meat, specifically where meat comes from. He now realizes that meat comes from animals. He is constantly asking about every animal he knows and what that animal eats. And, has recently declared that he WILL NOT eat any animals. "If it doesn't have meat, it's not a meal" is my husband's favorite saying. So, this is going to be interesting for the cook of the family. Knowing K, this is something that he will take seriously and completely for quite some time. . .

The Countdown Begins

A good countdown! And, finally, a countdown that doesn't involve moving, yeah!!! For Spring Break, we are going to Italy - woohoo!!! The plan is stay in Sorrento for a week, using it as our base to see Casserta (Queen Amadallah's Castle for you Star Wars fans), Pompeii, Crete and the Blue Grotto, and a high-speed train trip up to Rome for a day of sight-seeing. Rome could be a trip in and of itself, we know, but the boys are so excited about the other parts of the itinerary that we decided, this time, it will not be our focus. Let's just hope there is a next time!

Screaming Momma

Yes, instead of screaming Meemies, we have Screaming Momma. We took the boys skiing on the weekend. They just love it and we love that it is now something we can all do together.

K is too much like me when I was young. I had a need for speed, a little dare devil/risk taker if you will. And, unfortunately for us, that is clearly the way K is rolling. Funny how having kids totally changes things. Well, that and having had a major ski accident when I was first learning that put me on crutches for 8 weeks. As you can imagine, when it comes to skiing I am very very cautious now!

So, I went with K and Dani (the instructor) as K wants Momma with him. Dani makes K ski from one side of the slope to the other, using snow plow and turns to keep speed under control. The problem comes in when K skis with his big brother. T is a great skiier, going down reds, having good control even at faster speeds than I would ever dare attempt. And, K, well he wants to keep up with his big brother. So, what does he do? He is snowplowing, but going STRAIGHT down the hill, bombing it if you will. Oh my goodness, I'm yelling, yelling, yelling, "turn, Turn, TURN!!!! Go from side-to-side like Dani showed you!!!!" I think the other people on the slopes probably thought I was nuts. Luckily, S is a great skier and was able to keep up with him and occasionally get him to turn. Of course, I was yelling at S to catch him and make K turn. Even more fodder for the locals, look at that crazy American Mom yelling on the slopes. I think I need to ski in front of K instead of behind him. Yikes! I suppose, failing that, a stop off for hot chocolate with a shot of Brandy will do the trick, at least it will give me the illusion of doing the trick.

Ski Week in Borovets

The whole family joined T and his school for ski week in Borovets this last week. We stayed at the same hotel as last year and I am happy to report there were no instances or sightings of "Moro" or "the dead guy."  

T started the week with skiing greens and a few blues with a mixture of snow plowing and parallel. He ended the week comfortably skiing reds, parallel skiing and with some amazing stops. We skiied together a few times and I had to ask him to stop doing those stops right in front of me. Just because he can stop on a dime, doesn't mean that dear old Mom (who has been skiing at a beginner level for the last 20 years) can do it.  

K refused to go to ski kindergarten and wanted to stay with Mom and Dad. My three biggest fears for K: 1) the ski lift; 2) skiers and snowboarders who come down the mountain too fast and don't see him; and 3) K looking behind him instead of ahead of him and running into something or off of the trail. Turns out worry number three was the biggest worry. Thank goodness Dad was skiing right next to him and kept him on course.

After a couple days, K decided that the Green Piste was boring and wanted to try something new. Yes, my 4 year old is now skiing on blue trails, now my number 2 worry may come more into play. So, he started the week off with not even knowing how to use the platter lift on the bunny by himself, to doing that, to taking the big boy lift and skiing greens and some blues. Why can't I learn that fast????

Politics, China and Pachina

Our oldest son has been very interested in talking about politics lately. We started talking about the economy, why so many things are made in China, why American companies sometimes build factories in China to the detriment of America's economy, etc. . .Our little one pipes up, they build factories on a "pachina." OK, yes, this is what he calls a specific female body part. I guess time to teach him the proper pronunciation. Well, we all had a good laugh anyway!

Helmet Boy

Another post that is rather K-centric here. When K was young he went everywhere wearing a bike helmet. We got to the point where he understood he could not wear it in the water or for bed, but there were nights where I would have to let him fall asleep with it on, then take it off as he slept. He just loved his helmet. I'll never forget the first time he went to synagogue without his helmet on; people were coming up to us left and right asking if everything was good now. "Good now, huh?" Apparently, they all assumed he needed it for some reason. Nope, he didn't, he just liked to wear it EVERYWHERE. He doesn't do that anymore, but the boy still loves his helmets.

He and his brother have bike helmets, a baseball helmet, hockey helmets and ski helmets. When I went to get some ski equipment, he made a b-line for (you guessed it) the helmets; not only to the helmets, but the girls' helmets. You see at preschool (at least I think that's where he is getting it, as I have no idea where he could be getting it from otherwise) he has picked-up some very definite ideas about what girls can like and what boys can like. So, he picked out a pink helmet for Mom. It's actually kind of cool and has some teal swirls on it too. I have not yet bought it, but he is adamant that Mom and Dad must have ski helmets. He will always be the helmet boy at heart.

You're Not My Mom

We made it back from London. The doctors helped us to figure out what was going on, why it was happening, how long it would take to get better and what we should do to help that process. And, we ruled out various nefarious causes, much to my relief.

While in London, K caught a stomach virus (probably at one of our doctor visits). He was vomiting for 3 days and nights. So, we spent the majority of our London visit with his medical appointments and then the rest in the apartment. After running out of plastic bags, we decided to use one of the apartment's mixing bowls as a vomit bowl. We did put in the dishwasher when we left, but it makes you think twice about using apartment provided dishes, doesn't it.

All week, K had been saying how much he missed his brother and wanted to go home. And, we were almost not allowed to come home because of K's illness. Luckily, he was physically symptom free for 20 hours, so they let us go. Woohoo.  

Still feeling a bit on the cranky side (K, well me too I must admit), we made our way to the airport. While having a very light breakfast, K started saying he didn't want to get on the plane because it would take us to London. He insisted the only way to get home was to drive. Since driving to Bulgaria was not a realistic option for us, I tried explaining to him that we are currently in London, so why would the plane take us there. Reasoning with a cranky 4-year-old doesn't really work. So, I proceed to tell him, if he wants to go home, we will get on the plane. He wouldn't have it and let me tell you it was not a pretty sight.  

As we made our way out of the restaurant, much to the happiness of the other patrons, K continued his fit. Again, I told him the plane would take us home, not to London. Now, there is something you have to understand about K. . .if he doesn't like what you are saying to him, he will start in with, "you're not my friend" or "you're not my brother" or "you're not my dad" or "you're not my mom." Well, I guess he didn't like that I was insisting we were going to get on that plane. So, in the middle of the airport, he's crying and yelling "you're not my mom, you're not my mom." I'm just glad we didn't get pulled aside by security asking us what the heck was going on. Then again, maybe I should be a little worried that nobody intervened. Hmmm???? After his latest "you're not my mom," he threw off his favorite Thomas the Tank Engine boots. I took them away from him and told him he could only have them back if he behaved. He sat in his stroller, put his boots back on, and was quiet as we made our way to the plane. When we get to the plane, he said, "oh, this is the plane to Sofia, but none of the other planes here go home." Yes, he gets it. Phew, crisis averted. I'm just so glad I didn't have to find out how him yelling "you're not my mom" as we boarded the plane would have gone over.

I can only imagine the huge laugh my parents are having up in heaven over this one. Yes, ok, my kids are just like me, happy now. ;)

First Day Of Our Journey To London

In my attempt to edit my post, I appear to have lost it, on so many levels...We are ending the first day of our Journey to London. K, my four year old son, and I are here to hopefully get some answers to the prolapse that recently reappeared. London is rather an intimidating city to this suburbanite. About the only thing cosmopolitan with which I I ever felt at ease involved vodka and cranberry juice. But, here we are, just the two of us, making our way in the big city.

I decided K and I should stay in an apartment this visit, as we were told it would be at least 5 days, maybe more. Having a kitchen and laundry machine are wonderful. But, this is no posh hotel experience. There is not a doorman, concierge or other staff to greet us each time we leave or enter the building. We are in an honest to goodness one bedroom flat in Central London. And, I must admit I feel a bit vulnerable scrambling for keys to enter our double-locked building and then our double-locked flat, walking about finding my way around. By the looks of neighbors' cars, we must be in a pretty decent part of the city. Still, a bit intimidating. At least I didn't let my fear stop me from finding what we needed.

I must say I feel pretty proud of myself for finding a pasta place for dinner and then a grocery store to get us some basics - thank goodness I brought the stroller. I even called the local gas company when I smelled what I was sure was natural gas near some ground work on the street a few hundred meters away from our flat. All-in-all a productive first day in London. We will see how it goes tomorrow...