It's so European, Part 2: This girl fell in love with Florence

By Cyndi

April 6, 2012

On Tuesday morning, we flew out of Brussels to Florence and made our way to our hotel. Michael & Ashley used points again and we stayed at the Westin right along the river. Our room was upgraded so we could be near them, 15' ceilings and a balcony facing the river. We spent our first day seeing the sites and getting settled.

We took a recommendation from the hotel for dinner and it was not as local as we had wanted. So we wandered around for a while and found an amazing place for dessert.

On Wednesday, we had an all day winery tour. We found them online and were thrilled with our guide, Pierre. His wife started the company but as she was days away from delivering their 2nd baby, he took over. He shared so much about Tuscany and the Chianti wine region specifically. First stop, Terre di Corzano.

REAL olive oil ... soooo good!

We stopped at a butcher for lunch and headed to a second winery, which was not even close to as good as the first. After that stop, we stopped in a small town to grab gelato and we also picked up some additional local wines.

My vege plate while the rest ate beef tartar and other meats

Used wax to close off the wine barrel to ensure no oxygen enters (which can happen with a cork)

We ended the wine tour with an overlook of the city and decided to walk back to the hotel. Again, I loved every minute of this city. It is so beautiful, so quaint, and just my kind of city.

Thursday was our last day in Florence and we started out with going to see The David by Michelangelo. There were no pictures allowed, so all you get is the sign outside:

We then headed to the Synogoga ... It was beautiful, required a 5 euro entrance fee, and again, no pictures. We took a few from out front outside the gate.

We went back to the main part of the city and had a fabulous lunch ... followed by The Don sighting!

We grabbed a bottle of wine and headed to the rooftop of our hotel, to relax for a bit. What an amazing view!! Our dinner selection was from looking at trip adviser and it did not disappoint. It was a set price for 3 courses and house wine! We headed to grab some gelato and then back to the hotel since we would head out early the next morning for Rome.

Rooftop of our hotel

Florence at night ..... love .....

Morning sunrise on the balcony off our room before we head to Rome

Florence was fabulous. I would go back! It was just big enough to always walk down a new street, small enough that I didn't feel like we needed to look at the map at each block. I loved the day trip to wineries. Definitely, my favorite stop of this trip!

Blogging for Deux

By Saba (Cyndi's dad)
[Editors Note:  This is way longer than any post I have ever written.  Enjoy it with your morning cafe]


Sunday:


Saba (Grandpa Al) here, ready to start the adventure: Up at 2:45AM, and rolling at 3:20AM.About 20 minutes into Indiana, on 80/94, there’s a truck on fire in the westbound lanes. Not on fire, ablaze, engulfed, from cab to trailer, and it appears all the more stark in the pitch dark of night. We all took a long slow look, and then resumed 75 MPH.


About three miles shy of my first rest stop, three hours into the drive - - Kthunk ! Kthunk ! Kthunk ! - - OMG ! I blew a tire. ” ##@!??#!!” this will require the doughnut spare and getting off road, to fix the tire or get a new one. Wait a minute, the car isn’t pulling. I carefully took my hands off the steering wheel, and still no pulling. Kthunk ! Kthunk ! Kthunk! - - OMG ! I threw my fan belt. That’s even worse. ” !@@?!!” Wait - - no funny noises, no red idiot lights coming on, no rise in the temperature gauge………………………. AHHH ……. That’s it - - The eighteen wheeler in front of me is now driving on only seventeen tires, and I’m driving over the remnants of number eighteen. A tense 60 seconds.


Arrived at 4:59 PM, 12 hours 49 minutes. Gayle had had a visit from son Daniel, and Jill earlier today, but now it was time for Team AARP to take over ! Dinner and playtime and bedtime over the next couple of hours. The boys have runny noses, but nothing serious. Meigs ? ….. C’mere Meigs, ….. C’mere Meigs, ……..We gotta go outside. We managed. He would follow Gayle to the back door, and get leashed.


Where’s the recliner ?


I can guaranty you that both Gayle and I had a good night’s sleep.


Monday:


Meigs ? …..Meigs ? C’mere Meigs, C’mon…………. Awwww Meigs ! Really ? Really ?? Piddled on the third floor landing. Fortunately, that was the last piddle of the week, and by Wednesday, Meigs was following me down the stairs in the morning to go out.


Wakeup, breakfast and getting dressed was pretty normal. They still have runny noses, but we’re going to day care.


At this point, for you to properly enjoy what follows, I must review our credentials. Both Gayle and I hold Masters Degrees, and we have the wisdom and practical sense that comes with years of experience.


So it’s time to take the boys to day care. Into the car seats and buckled up, into the front seats and buckled up, and now for the simplest of all tasks – start the car. Wait a minute - - there’s no keyhole. Ok, turn this plastic knobby thing …….. nothing. Doors closed – check – seat belts fastened – check – car in park – check. Still won’t start. Does that plastic knobby thing come off? Why, yes. And that’s where the key goes. Insert key – slides right in all the way ……. won’t turn. Stop whining boys, Mission Control has our top rocket scientists working on this one. Wait a minute, here comes a neighbor walking by, maybe someone thirty years younger than us can figure out the i-start procedure. Nope, he can’t either. What to do ……. What to do …………………………… and finally it came to Gayle ! We were using Matt’s keys, to try to start Cyndi’s car, and though they’re both Mazda’s …………………….well, you know the rest. And off we go ! Except the engine is revving very high – over 4K RPM - and won’t seem to get out first or second gear. What gives, Cyndi ? We drove the next 200 miles in first gear !! But don’t worry Cyndi - there’s still enough left of your CX-9 to be considered a CX-8.


Nah, not really. Team NASCAR figured out that the shifter had to be bottom right for automatic, bottom left was for manual.


I think your car needs one of those “Genius On Board” stickers.


Got the boys to day care. Tyler was crying, but we knew he’d settle down after we left.


We’re back home. Where’s the recliner ? All’s quiet ………………………..


……………….. until 2:30. That’s when the phone rang, and it was the day care calling. “Zachary has a fever – 101.6”. “We’re on our way”, was our response. We picked the boys up and brought them home.


Zachary was indeed warm to the touch, but you wouldn’t know his temperature by the ‘stick it in his ear’ thermometer, unless the proper procedure is to average readings like 97.1, LO, 95.3, 92.1,LO, ………you get the picture. My recommendation to the manufacturer is to stick it in his - - well, you get the picture. Stacie from next door brought her thermometer, to be taken at the temples, and we were a little more successful, but never got a reading over 98.0. Averaging all of the accumulated readings, we came to the accurate conclusion that Zachary’s temperature was 93.6427 degrees. We gave Zachary children’s liquid Ibuprofen both when we came home, and at bedtime. By dinnertime his temperature – hand to the forehead – was feeling much more normal, and bedtime there was no problem at all.


Now we had to make a decision. Since the day care policy is ‘fever free for 24 hours’, Zachary certainly couldn’t go to day care on Tuesday. What about Tyler ? To our knowledge, the boys had never spent a full daytime apart. Gayle thought we should keep them both home. I felt we take Tyler in. The day would have to come when they were apart, and the worst that could happen was that Tyler would react badly and they’d call us to pick him up. We agreed that it would be a decision made in the morning. G’night.


Tuesday:


The boys woke up with very runny noses, but no warmth to the foreheads. We gave both T & Z 3ml of children’s liquid Benadryl at lunch and bedtime. We also agreed to keep Tyler at home with Zachary, feeling that if they called us to pick Tyler up we’d have the boys leap-frogging 24 hour wellness requirements, and that would be messy.


The four of us had an OK day at home until afternoon nap time. Tyler was a wreck. He cried for a very, very, very long time, and then cried some more, during which we did not enter the room. When he finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, Zachary was up and crying within 15 minutes. They were surprisingly ok the rest of the afternoon and evening, ate well, and it came as no surprise that there was less than five minutes of crying at bedtime.


Tomorrow, we plan to ‘take our shot’ – Drop the boys at day care, head for the Metro, and see the Cherry Blossoms and the monuments around the DC Tidal Basin ……………………………


Wednesday:


………………. or maybe not. Gayle did not have a good night. A stomach bug of some sort, hopefully lasting 24 hours or less, but it robbed her of a night’s sleep. I myself was nursing a post nasal drip and was up at 2:30 AM for about 30 minutes – Where’s the recliner? - and then back to sleep until 6:00AM. Gayle was not up to going into DC, so we had a ‘regular’ day. Got the boys up, breakfasted, and off to day care, and then, we went to IHOP for breakfast (and lunch – which was the fate of the second halves of our breakfasts). Every time a cell phone rang, we were worried that it was the day care calling with a ‘come and get’m’ message, but that call didn’t come.


Gayle and I have been talking a lot. It’s taking all of both of us to handle these two young men. Cyndi and Matt do it individually. But what happens when Cyndi or Matt are just too tired or are just feeling like crap ? They suck it up and do what has to be done, and they do it with love. Gayle had the experience of raising twins, and is remembering. I am reaching new levels of respect and admiration for Cyndi and Matt with each passing hour !


My condition is maturing into a regular head cold. No sore throat, no upper respiratory involvement, and best of all no lethargy or body aches, so this is not flu. But I’ve turned into a mouth-breather, and I’m blowing my brains out. This could be something I caught from the boys, or could just as easily be something I caught from the 80’ by 120’ petri dish called Kinder Care. Oh, well ….


Bath time went just fine (Thanks, Gayle !), and the boys went to sleep with no fussing.


DC ? Maybe tomorrow …….


Thursday:


………….. or maybe not. I don’t want to push this cold to a higher level, and I’ll be in the area many more times.


Today is a special day at day care – The photographer is there to take pictures ! We put Tyler and Zachary in the special outfits that Cyndi had identified for the occasion, and off we went.


I can report that T&Z provided every pose requested on Cyndi’s list:


1) I’m paying attention, you’re not.


2) You’re paying attention, I’m not.


3) You think I want to sit anywhere near you ?


4) Wanna hear that scream again ? Try to move me again.


5) I don’t want that toy – are you nuts ?


6) I’ll crawl-race you to the other side of the room.


7) Maybe if we keep this up long enough, Saba will jump up and down and make noises like an orangutan.



The rest of the day was pretty normal. Gayle made her famous delicious coffeecake; actually she made two; actually we’re going to let Matt & Cyndi have one of them. The other ? ½ Gayle, Al, Todd, Stacie, ½ Daniel & Jill. Enjoy


Nana seems to have a bottomless treasure trove of children’s songs, many of which I’ve heard, but some of which are new to me. I’ve added one for T & Z, it’s to be sung softly to them when they’re crying. It’s from the philosopher Jagger:


You can’t always get what you want,


You can’t always get what you want,


You can’t always get what you want,


But if you cry sometimes,


You just might find,


You get what you need.


Friday:


Normal wake up, and off to day care. And …………………


We’re off to DC. Drove to the Metro, trained in to the Smithsonian stop, and walked to the Tidal Basin. We had spoken to a lady on the train who said that all of the cherry blossoms were gone. She was very nearly right. We walked around the entire Tidal Basin, and there was literally one tree with cherry blossoms remaining. You could see it on approach by the people clustered around to take pictures. Also during the walk we stopped at two of the newer monuments: FDR, and Martin Luther King. The FDR memorial was larger than expected, with sections related to each of his four terms. The King memorial was impressive, with a larger than life sculpture of Dr. King looking out over the basin, seemingly sculpted from a single block of stone.


We then hopped back on the Metro, and met Daniel for lunch in Georgetown. We even had time after returning home for a one hour ‘nap’ before heading for daycare. We picked up Zachary and his brother Mr. Blowout, and his poopy pants.


Around 6:30PM, a knock on the door turned a good evening into a beautiful evening. It was Todd & Stacie and their son Lincoln from next door with Shabbat candles, wine, challah, chicken, mashed potatoes, and carrots. What a wonderful surprise ! Shabbat Shalom indeed ! Tyler and Zachary went to bed a little after 7PM, and Todd & Stacie stayed until Lincoln’s bed time.


Saturday:


A normal morning. Gayle is flying home later today, so my “training week” is just about over, and I’ll be flying solo. Daniel and Jill will be over this afternoon, and will take Gayle to the airport.


My plan for the boys for Sunday is: Sleep till 9AM, breakfast and playtime until 9:45, then – nap time !, up at noon for lunch (I don’t think that diaper needs changing), and at 1PM – nap time!, Up at 3PM for some endless Final Four Basketball replays on ESPN, and some beer in your sippee cups (I still don’t think that diaper needs changing – I don’t smell anything. Oh, wait a minute, I have a head cold) , and at 4pm – nap time ! Up at 5:30 for dinner and maybe up till Mommy & Daddy come home or maybe to bed at normal time of 7PM.


Today was the first day that the weather was conducive to taking the boys out in the stroller, so we dressed them up, leashed up Meigs, and took them to the playground. Gayle had the stroller and I had the leash. Seventy pound Meigs was doing his normal pull-walking, and all was manageable until he saw “the other dog”. Then he turned into seven hundred pounds of sheer desire. I held (most of) my ground and stayed on my feet (no small feat (pun intended)). At the playground we tethered Meigs and the boys enjoyed the swings for a bit; and then back home.


5:15 - - -It’s ON ! Just us four boys here – three in perpetual motion, one with a wagging tail, three an inch away from crying, and one in blissful repose. First order of business – change two diapers. Soon enough it’s dinnertime. Dinner was quite normal – Tyler ate green beans and rejected sweet potato fries; Zachary rejected green beans and ate sweet potato fries. Both ate grilled cheese. A little playtime, a little milk, and two wrestling matches later they’re in bedclothes. Obligatory whining at bedtime, but soon quiet.


Between 8:57 and 8:58PM Zachary coughed, cried, cried, coughed, coughed, cried, and then slept. I’m not hyper. Not at all.


Sunday:


Actually, they had a good night, and a good morning too. Sunday saw a lot of Saba running here and running there, keeping one eye on each of them, and rarely seated. Naps were ok, though 45 minutes in the afternoon was all they wanted, not all that Saba wanted. More food ended up in their mouths than on the floor. There’s really less to report about this day than I anticipated, and that’s a good thing. A Sesame Street episode to calm the waters, and now we’re on Mommy and Daddy watch. I’m sure that T & Z understood when I said - “… they’re over the Atlantic … they’re in New Jersey …. they’re flying home …..” But they did understand: “They’re Here !” Hugs and Kisses all around.


I conclude with pride by saying that Gayle and I returned to Matt and Cyndi the same beautiful children that they left in our loving care, and we’re ready to do it again, any time you want !


All My Love !


Saba

1.16 It's so European, Part 1: The Chocolate is good, but the Beer is better!

By Cyndi
April 3, 2012

Wow, the past two weeks have been crazy!!  Matt and I have returned home safely.  It is weird to come home to someone else living here for the past two weeks.  Things are moved, slightly out of place, but slowly we will return everything to its home.

I'm sure you've read Nana's summary of the week and Saba's will be posted shortly.  But first ... stop #1 on our vacation, Brussels, Belgium.

We traveled with our friends the Acks'.  Remember, their wedding was when I was 27 weeks pregnant with the guys .... read the blog post here about our fun trip to the state fair & their wedding.  Michael & Ashley flew in the night before and stayed with our neighbors while we gave Nana the low-down about the guys.  On Saturday afternoon, after a short snafu with United's reservations changing my confirmation number and moving my seats around, we headed off.  M&A were upgraded to business while we were in economy plus, but we made friends with the flight attendants and started the trip off right!

As it turns out, we had internet at each hotel and were able to quickly check in the morning and night for any emergency emails.  We arrived in Brussels and navigated to our hotel.  We had a quick breakfast, freshened up and off we went to explore.  Beni & Beha (two fraternity brothers of Matt & Michael) met up with us.  Dr. Beni is finishing his PhD in Brussels & Beha flew over from England to see us ... Major Beha that is, as he found out while we were there he received the promotion.

Not to bore you with details, we drank lots of amazing beer & acted like college kids.

Matt & I at the Atonium

Ashely & Michael at beer stop #1

Beha, Michael, Matt & Beni

Beermania ... one of the world's best beer selections

Michael in heaven - aka Cantillon

I loved looking down all the cute streets

Pomme Frites

Waffles, of course, girls shared strawberries with nutella, boys had banana and chocolate

Part 2 & 3 will be coming over the next week .....

Nana’s Double Delight

 

March 2012 Visit    

By Nana (Matt's Mom)

 

“We’d like to take a trip,”

we heard our children say;

“If Nana and Saba can babysit,

we could be on our way.”

 

Of course we said we would

and told them, “Have no fear!”

We’re ready and eagerly waiting

to coddle our grandsons so dear.

 

So we packed our bags and headed on out

to face the challenges ahead;

Diapers to change, songs to sing,

and many a story to be read.

 

So now we are finally here

and well in the thick of it all;

Running and chasing, no time’s a wasting,

just hope we don’t soon hit the wall!

 

There’s been a few hiccups to bear,

slight little bumps in the road;

But somehow we’ve successfully managed

to hold steady in ‘grandparent mode’.

 

The boys are such a pleasure,

in spite of 2 runny noses;

But of course we were both well aware

this would not be a complete bed of roses!

 

Meigs is skittish with Al

and has piddled sometimes on the rug;

Then to top it off Gayle went and caught

some kind of a stomach bug!

 

But persevere we did do,

although if the truth be told;

Would you believe the very next day

Al came down with a doozy head cold!

 

However in spite of it all

we somehow survived the week fine;

Let’s just hope our kids’ next trip

will take place when the twins are age nine!

1.15 You didn't think I'd forget about you ...

March 26, 2012
By Cyndi

I plan ahead.  You should know that by now.  This will be short and sweet ... enjoy watching!

Lots of updating next week ....

1.14 Spring has sprung!

March 19, 2012
By Cyndi

T&Z had a much better week at daycare.  They slept better and ate the daycare's food twice each during the week!  We are very happy with the communication from their primary caregiver and the director/associate director.

Two seconds before this, he was crying ... faker!

Poor Zach is crying because I set him down ... what a mean mommy!

The weather has been absolutely fabulous.  The whole family has taken at least three walks this week.  After vacation, Matt & I will start running again.

We also had the Early Intervention evaluation today.  The evaluator said we will qualify and should hear more later this week.

ATC wives at a baby shower

Happy little guys!

Till next week ... from BELGIUM & ITALY!!  Matt and I head out on Saturday ... Nana & Saba will be here and in charge while Matt and I are gone.  L'Chaim!

1.13 Change takes a while ....

By Cyndi
March 12, 2012

It has been quite a week around our house.  The daycare transition for T&Z has not gone very smoothly.  They are not napping well or eating their food (or for that matter, our food) either.  They are extremely exhausted and on Tuesday night, it caught up to Tyler and he started vomiting after dinner.  It was all over and since Zach was still up, I made an emergency call to Stacie, who was kind enough to come over for a few minutes to keep them from crawling in the grossness of our main level.  (Thank you Stace).  Tyler had two incident reports for falling and bumping his head this week and Zach followed up with a close second, with one, for spiking a fever on Thursday afternoon.  I left work 30 min early, of course, hit construction traffic, picked him up and left Tyler there.  I think this might have been the first time they weren't together, but I had to get an errand done and one kid is much easier than two.  That evening, Zach seemed a bit out of it during dinner but he still ate and finished his milk.  I put Tyler to bed and as soon as I got Zach out of the high chair, I knew he was going to  blow ... all over the freshly washed wood floor.  Ugh ... this is not our week and lucky me, Matt was at work so I was left to change Zach and get him to bed, clean up and run another load of laundry.  Ahhh, the glorious life of a MoM!

Matt kept the boys home Friday (Zach couldn't go anyways, because they have to be fever free for 24 hrs) and we had the boys' 15 month pediatrician well visit.  The positive news is their height & weight is fairly consistent with past visits (Tyler is 22lbs14oz & Zach is 23lbs5oz), considering all the struggle we have been having with feeding them.  Dr. S is not concerned that they are not branching out with foods, but suggests we start a multivitamin to ensure they are getting their daily needs.  She feels their gross & fine motor skills are progressing normally in both of these areas and will only be concerned if they aren't walking by 18 months.

The not so positive news, is their delay with verbal skills and expressing themselves.  Most kids at 15 months have around 3 words besides mama/dada with meaning and may be able to follow a simple instruction.  We are no where near that, no waving or clapping, no pointing at something they want.  With that, she recommends that we call our county's Early Intervention program and have them evaluated.  I've heard good things of using programs like this and better to start now than wait. 

My relaxing trip to the spa on Saturday (to finally use my Valentine's Day 2011 gift from Matt), followed up with an anniversary dinner was canceled when I got the flu on Friday night.  Seriously, when will the awfulness end?  Matt stayed home from work because I was in no condition to care for anyone.  Hopefully we will find time to reschedule in late April or early May.

Wrapped in my warm cacoon on Saturday, stupid flu ruined our plans!

All I can hope is there is some positive to all this change ..... 

Zach smiling when Matt says "And 3 little bears, sitting on chairs..."

13 months old!

And reading it again ... Good Night Moon ... Good Night Room ...