on the road. yes, again.

All of a sudden, it is Thursday.

All of a sudden, I am packing for another road trip.

On to Venice tomorrow where we'll stay until Monday.

Then, on to Garmisch, Germany where 007 will work for two weeks and I'll lounge around with the kids.

On the way home, we are going to hit up Lake Garda.

Once again, I will do my best to blog along the way.

scenes from our weekend

Carney Park was the theme of our weekend. On Saturday, Graham and I participated in a mud run. Graham ran a whole mile! On Sunday, we joined some friends for a picnic in the park. Much was eaten. Fun was had. In between park time, we dog/beast-sat.

Yep, life is good.

swimming, toys, and rice

Sorry for the lack of posts. I think all bloggers have to apologize for this every now and then. All part of the experience, I guess.



We've just been trying to survive the August heat.

 

A lot of swimming has happened. A lot.
 

Alaina got a new toy. She loves it because she loves to stand.

 

And she's had her first taste of rice. It was far more successful than trying to give her a bottle. Girlfriend is only interested in milk coming straight from her motha. Yo.

Oh, and I've been researching the fine art of kindergarten homeschooling (Lord, help us). More on that, later. 

Enjoy your weekend.

growth

Alaina and her buddies don't fit in the chair as well anymore...

Notice how they are still in the same positions? 

And they can sit, now, too.

Sort of.

Alaina needs a prop.

Happy Monday!

some pictures I like

I'm just sitting here kinda bored, kinda hot, thinking about what a great summer it's been...

Have a nice weekend.

my new nephew

I had a nervous stomach all day yesterday, and I didn't know why. I didn't feel like eating. My mind was elsewhere, but I didn't know where. I just felt strange all day. Then I talked with my brother. He told me he was in the hospital waiting for his son to be born. It all became clear to me. I was nervous for him. Sibling connections run deeper than I ever imagined. I said goodnight to him as the nurses were beginning to induce the labor. I didn't sleep well. I kept checking the computer for updates. Alaina woke up earlier than usual, so I was thrown off this morning and didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't eat. I couldn't relax. I couldn't exercise or clean. I just stared at my computer waiting for the news.

I was not prepared for the flood of emotions that hit me when the little "ding-dong" rang on my screen. I couldn't get a word out because I was crying before I even saw my brother. Then I saw my mom. Then I saw my cousins. I lost it completely. I cried because I was happy for my brother and his new son, because I missed my mom and my family, and because, damn it, I was jealous. I wished my family could have been there for me when my kids were born. But, mostly I cried because I wanted more than anything to be there with them at that moment. I wish I could have helped welcome my nephew, my children's cousin, into the world...

When I do meet him, though, I will be able to make him pasta and tell him stories of a far off land they call "Italia."

I absolutely cannot wait for that day.

Congratulations to my big brother. I am over the moon with joy and hope for him right now.

Good luck, brotha!

5 months

She's rolled over once from back to tummy, she can push her head up really well when she's on her tummy (it looks like she's trying to fly, sometimes), she likes to grab onto things and enjoys playing with toys, I can't tell what color her eyes are, she doesn't have any teeth, she loves milk (no solids, yet... waiting for her to sit up on her own), and she is completely in love with her big brother. If he's around, she can't take her eyes off him.

good to be king

 

All the laundry from our road trip is finally clean after being home for six days! Yay! Whether it's all put away or not is another story. 

Now, I have some time to tell you a few more things we did on our trip. Like, this palace, for instance.



It is one of three built by King Ludwig II. A king who had enough funds to build a fake cave in its gardens. I was so freaked out by it, that I didn't even take a picture. Trust me. It was strange.

I did take a picture of this neat Moroccan House that was originally built in Morocco and taken to Germany by the king.

 

Graham likes to play prince and princess these days, so we wandered the gardens in the rain and imagined being royal and rich and living a life of luxury. It was a nice feeling.
 



It got me to pondering about what I'd do if I were a king and had enough funds and power to build palaces all over Germany. I couldn't decide exactly what I'd do other than feed the world's children and buy a farm or something, but I do know what I wouldn't do. I absolutely would NOT build a generic cave in my backyard. Not ever. Complete waste of time and money. Geeze.

porsche

 


Dear Grandpa,

Last week while we were in Stuttgart, we went to the Porsche museum.

 

I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I drug you through all the art museums and churches while you were visiting me last Fall. I should have just driven you to this museum in Germany. You would have loved it.

 

I couldn't stop thinking about you the entire time we were there.



Please forgive me.

Love,
your "Katie Beautiful"

missing the Pullman

We're back in Naples...

I miss the Pullman.

What is the Pullman?
 

Well, I'm glad you asked.

It is the hotel where we stayed last week in Stuttgart, Germany while Tony worked.
 



With a playground and an organic supermarket right across the street, air-conditioned rooms with comfy pillows, fresh towels and chocolate that magically appeared every day,  a flat screen television for watching the Olympics,  and a swimming pool and fitness center downstairs complete with fresh lemon water and green apples, it was pure luxury for this mamma who usually stays in cheap (but charming) apartments or hotels when traveling and is now baking in her hot home on a bumpy road that is a 20 minute drive from the nearest playground or pool and Lord knows how far from an organic market, with crunchy towels that I have to hang out to dry myself and certainly no magically-appearing chocolate, no television hookup and an incredibly inefficient AC system...

Strangely, though. I've grown to love our Italian villa and the life we have made in it. If someone asked me if I wanted trade it in for the Pullman, my answer would be no. Okay, that's not true. My answer would be sometimes. Sometimes I wish I could trade it all in for some luxury.

Honesty is a virtue.

Now, could somebody please magically transport me back to Germany? I have some really important relaxation to do.

blog on Prague

The city of Prague was more fun than a bump on a log, but its outskirts (where we stayed) was not a place I liked to jog, because of the hills.
 
 

There was no smog, but you might get lost amongst the fog of tourists.
 

The delicious food was better than the COG's and the yummy beer was difficult not to hog, because it was so smooth.


 

The Infant Jesus of Prague was cuter than a frog (sorry, that's the only thing I could think of to make the Infant Jesus rhyme with Prague).
 

Overall, we liked Prague. It's beautiful romance made us want to snog and it helped me make my blog look pretty.