Looking Back...Heading to Sardegna (August 2015)

After the girls and I spent a wonderful month reconnecting with home, we were excited to continue our Italian adventures with an island vacation to Sardegna.  Talking with expats here, Sardegna often comes up as an answer to "Where has been one of your favorite travel destinations?", so we knew it had to make the travel list.  Sardegna was our we-must-get-on-the-plane-back-to-Italy motivation -- and what made the deal even sweeter was that The Guscotts were joining us!  Sun, sand, swimming...and good friends?!?  Sign me up!  We were ALL excited for this trip!!!

Now, Sardegna is an Italian island...which means you get there by 1.5 hour plane ride or 12 hour ferry.  A plane with our family of five seemed just TOO easy, so we opted for the overnight ferry experience (really, it was so that we could bring our own car and didn't have to rent one on the island).  And let me tell you what an experience it was....

We packed up the car with all the beach vacation essentials and drove to the docks in Genoa.  We parked our car in line to board the ferry...and waited.  And waited.  And waited.

And as we waited (and eventually boarded), the sky grew darker.  And darker.  And darker.

Boarding the Sardegna ferry felt like we were cattle being herded into a very small pen.  Cars are lined up in the belly of the boat with only inches to spare and people are swarming the entrance doors with their overnight gear.  Not exactly sure how to "do" an overnight ferry with three little kids, we decided that I would wait in the car (in the belly of the boat) with the kids, while Kevin figured out how to get the key to our ferry "stateroom" and brought some of our gear to the room.  After what seemed like forever being trapped in the belly of a boat in a car packed like sardines with other cars with three very restless kids, Kevin returned.  His look said it all...he had the "Don't freak out, Lindsay.  It will be ok" look on his face.  My stomach flip-flopped and I instantly knew we were in for something less-than-perfect.

We schlepped our kids and our things through the narrow ferry hallways and found our door.  Carrying a baby in my arms, I wasn't quite sure I'd fit through this skinny gateway from public hallway to private quarters!  When Kevin opened the door, I immediately understood the look that had been on his face.  If anyone has an issue with claustrophobia, a windowless ferry room is NOT the place to be!!  I looked at Kevin and I'm sure my own face spoke volumes, too!  But, its all about the kids, right???  And this tiny windowless room made Zoey squeal with delight!  Bunkbeds!  A little desk for drawing!  "Our OWN bathroom!!" (as if we share a bathroom with strangers at home!).  She was absolutely tickled about the start of this adventure!!

Two adults, three little kids, a car seat, a pack and play, a baby rock-and-play, a diaper bag, and an overnight bag...all in this VERY TINY room.  With no windows.  Can you sense my excitement?

Making the best of what seems like it could quite possibly be a disaster, we decided to head for some food.  Once again, Zoey was quite pleased as she got to choose from a buffet of choices and load up a tray with dinner and dessert.  We sat and ate as the boat pushed off from the dock and we all noticed that we were swaying more than 30 minutes ago.  And the skies got darker...

The night continued with wandering the ship, spending a bit of time at the "kid's dance party" in the bar, and eventually stumbling back to our room -- our sea legs wobbling as the boat rocked back and forth in the waves.  Yes, a storm was definitely in our forecast.

We got the girls in pajamas and did our best to create our usual nighttime routine in a space no bigger than a large closet.  Eventually, everyone was asleep.  Except me.  The boat heaved and hoed through the waves -- which probably helped rock the three babies to sleep -- and the noises of wind, waves crashing on the sides, and boat gear clanking against the structures was sure to wake up even the heaviest of sleepers at some point.  I lay there, in a near panic, and just waited for time to tick by.  I hated every last second of it -- and yes -- I had some Titanic thoughts cross my mind!  And sure enough, before sunrise, Kaia decided she had had enough of sleeping on this vessel.  Not wanting everyone else to wake up, Kevin swooped her up and took her out of the room.  I had zero interest in trying to walk around with her as the boat tipped back and forth with my anxiety sky-high, so Kevin had Shift #1.

The benefit of a baby who won't sleep is a picture at sunrise...

They wandered around for an hour or so and made it back to the room in one piece.  Amazingly, the other two girls were still asleep (it was merely sunrise at this point), so we wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.  Now that the sun was up, my anxiousness lessened a bit, and I felt ok to take Shift #2.

Tired.  Very tired.

The waves were still quite big, but "making it through the night" reassured me that we would, indeed, make it to Sardegna and not end up wearing life jackets in the life boats (yes, I worried about this ALL night long!).    With only moments of sleep here and there, I was tired, but thankful for the trip to be coming to an end.

We grabbed a coffee and some breakfast, packed up our "too-much-stuff-for-an-overnight-ferry-trip" bags and waited for the ferry staff to let us return to our cars.  As we rolled into the Sardegna docks, I was definitely ready to be OFF the boat and begin what was sure to be an amazing vacation....!

Carnevale 2015 and 2016

Carnevale in Italy is a time of masks, parades, confetti, and celebration.  Think family-friendly Mardi Gras.  Italians celebrate Carnevale before Lent in ways big, small, and everything in between.  Towns hold parades, classrooms have parties, and confetti is sold in every "general" store you can imagine.

For Carnevale 2015, the Dads (Kevin and Jay) took the Big Kids (Zoey and Kaitlyn) to the Chieri parade while the Moms (Lindsay and Hatti) stayed home with the napping little ones (Kaia and Harrison).  Zoey and Kaitlyn found costumes in their dress-up boxes and headed out to experience the wonder of Carnevale for the first time.

Zoey's PreK class also had a Carnevale party to celebrate these Italian festivities.  I added a balloon game and noisemakers to the party...and the kids had a blast!

Prepping the balloon game at home with Kaia

Eating the traditional bugie snack

In 2016, Carnevale was a much bigger family affair!  Our family of five headed into Chieri's city center for the parade...

...but the little ones delighted in the tons and tons of confetti more than the overwhelming (and loud) town parade.  Zoey and Kaia were thrilled to throw handfuls of confetti in the air and shuffle their little feet in the confetti covered streets.  The smiles on their faces beamed with pure joy and childhood innocence.

I planned the Kindergarten Carnevale party and it was a huge success!  Zoey dressed up in her beloved Jasmine costume and the enthusiastic kids rotated through four stations:

Cup and Straw Races

Mask Making

Cup Tower Building

Noisemaker Shaker Filling (Zoey dyed the beans to make the shakers extra festive!)

Then, with our VERY loud noisemakers, we joined in the Nursery-Grade 5 Costume Parade and paraded around the school piazza in front of the parents.

These three friends had a blast!

Carnevale is one of those "uniquely Italian" things we've been able to experience during this adventure.  What a fun way to entertain our kids and celebrate with the locals!!!

Looking Back...A Baby Sprinkle

Living in Italy means living away from family and friends that I love dearly.  Being pregnant and living in Italy means living away from loved ones during one of the most important chapters of my life.  Not easy.  With a baby on the way, I missed the joy of sharing my pregnancy with the people I care about.  But, my new friends here wanted me to know that I wasn't alone.  So they gathered together and spent an afternoon celebrating this little girl that would make her arrival in March.  They celebrated me.  And they celebrated Life as a Mama.  Thank you, friends, for making us feel so special.

A homemade phyllo dough and creme dessert

A delicious spread of food

You shouldn't have!

Vandana, Jessica, Maria, Michelle, me, Martha, Daniela, Erin, Becky, Kathleen 

Looking Back...Wandering the Canals of Venice (April 2015)

Venice, Italy was one of those "must see" places for us during our time abroad.  Only roughly four hours from us, we couldn't miss it!

Now, everyone knows about the "enchantment" that IS Venice...the canals, the gondolas, the Holywood movie-type backdrop.  So, knowing this, I'm not exactly sure what we were thinking traveling there the way we did!!!  Were we crazy???  We brought our three girls (ranging from 3 weeks to 4 years old) to a city meant for people who can WALK.  Our three girls meant a double stroller loaded with a diaper bag filled with all the crapola needed for three little kids.  And did I mention that only one third of our daughters was walking at this point?!?  And one of them was only three weeks old???  Again, what were we thinking?!?

Up and over WAY TOO MANY bridges!

Kevin schlepping the stroller on a CROWDED brdige

But, despite the lugging and "work" that schleping a double stroller (with car seat attached for our newborn!) up and over bridges every 50 yards was, Venice was amazing!  Just like the other places we've visited, pictures don't do the city justice...and you certainly can't feel the "enchantment" unless you walk the streets and sit in the cafes and marvel at the gondolas.

We arrived the evening of April 4, 2015 and were instantly intrigued as we took the first of many ferries to the "ferry stop" closest to our rental apartment.  An adventure anywhere usually leads to tired and crabby kids, so our immediate thoughts after finding our apartment and unloading our bags is always FOOD!  Thank goodness the little restaurant around the corner had pasta, wine, and kid-friendly ice cream cups that put smiles on all of our faces....

Not sure where her smile is here...

The next day, we were ready to explore!  The streets were crowded, but that certainly didn't take away from the beauty that we saw around every corner!

But, one thing we've learned while traveling as a family of five is that we need lots of breaks!  It means finding little spots that the kids enjoy - even if it is just pebbles and pigeons! - and spending lots of times at cafes!

Can't go wrong with a cocktail while all the kids nap in the stroller!

So what is Venice known for?  Yes, the canals.  Yes, the gondolas.  But maybe lesser known is the Carnival flare and the masks.

You could look at different masks for hours!  But, this little girl only cared about three simple things...the color, the size of the feather, and the importance of a gem glued somewhere - anywhere - on the facewear.

And no trip to Venice would be complete without a gondola ride.  To be honest, perhaps a family boat ride like ours doesn't quite live up to the Hollywood movie portrayal of Venice.  And, yes, they are somewhat commercial -- all lined up, gondoliers waiting to make their next 100Euro, no romance, no gondolier singing, no bottle of wine shared as the boat drifts through the maze of canals.

But there is still something about a gondola ride in Venice, as a family of five, that sparks enchantment.

Maybe it was the giddyness in the eyes of a four-year old as we pushed away from the dock and the way she gazed out as we headed under the first crowded bridge.

Maybe it was the newborn nestled in my arms - unaware of her surroundings as Mama sat amazed with the fact that they were *here*.

Maybe it was the stillness of an 18-month old all cozied up on her Daddy's lap.

Maybe it was seeing the ancient buildings "growing' out of the canal waters and wondering how daily life happens with roads made of water.

Maybe it was the wooden boat with worn out cushions covered in crushed velvet.  Maybe it was the stark difference in blue skies and sunshine compared to the dark shadows cast over the narrow waterways.  Maybe it was the being there together.  Whatever it was, it was one of those "moments" that etches itself into your memory and doesn't want to be forgotten.

The one and only picture of all 5 of us!

Unique.  This city is definitely unique.  So, what were we thinking?  Double stroller...three little kids...no real plan in mind.  We were thinking, "Don't miss this."  And we loved it.

Don't ever disturb a sleeping newborn.  Even for a family photo in Venice.

And just because...

Looking Mighty Italian!