Our First Day In Rome

It was a beautiful day to be in Rome...of course anyday is a beautiful day to be in Rome. We ventured via train to the center of town. (Our son loved the train ride!) We then made our way towards the Colosseum via The Trevi Fountain and lunch. Lunch was great! We found a little place right next to the Trevi Fountain that served great pasta dishes and more importantly they made up some "chicken cutlet" for the kids which they loved along with their many bread sticks :). Didn't have the heart to tell the kids that their cutlet was veal and not chicken :) Shhhhh!

After lunch it was off to the Colossium. The Colossium is just one of those places that just makes you pinch yourself. Here is something that the residents probably don't even pay attention to on a regular basis...but if you just stop and look at it ... the history behind it...it just makes your jaw drop.

We met my wife's cousin for espresso and sweets at a cafe... need I say... Right across the street from the Colossium! It was right behind my daughter who was enjoying a delightful Italian sweet. This was a fun first day to be sure. I will have a post on this same structure when it comes to the last night of our trip in Rome... One of my favorite nights of the trip.

After our reunion we were off by bus to try and find the Hertz car agency. It was quite an adventure! One that took us by the Spanish Steps even ... Funny how you can be looking around a town for a car rental place and right around the corner is the Spanish Steps...well ..that is Rome!

As you can see it is getting a little late for the little ones. The wife and I are busy with paperwork and car seats at this time. It is not too much longer till we are packed up and ready to hit the streets of Rome with our self named navigator Penelope ... Miss Neverlost from Hertz!

Well... We weren't more than 500 feet up the tunnel from Hertz when I discovered that Penelope was looking at the stars in sky instead of finding us a route. She could not find us!! It was then that I pulled over and the slightest amount of fear crept in. It was dark by this time. I knew if I ventured onto the upcoming roundabout that we might be in roundabout hell for the foreseeable future. I also knew there was no way to drive back into the tunnel that was Hertz. Well...after what seemed like an eternity...Penelope did finally acquire us and we were off onto the streets of Rome....WOW! I can safely say that we and Penelope did make it to the hotel. We turned a half hour ride into close to an hour one...but we did make it. Penelope only had to "recalculate route" a few times :)

Day one is ended! It is off to Pompeii domani!!

How I Lost My Mother in London's Heathrow - Part of a Series

We are back from our holiday in Italy!!!! It was a fabulous trip! We laughed! We cried! We hugged! We walked! We were in awe! We took photos! We climbed! We drove (and drove and drove) We spent all of our time with the family of our hearts! We figured out that we all have the same smile! We realized that we all have the same heart! We basked in the glory of Italy...AND....We ATE!!!! (and ate and ate and ate).

I wanted to post from the road. (insert maniacal laughter here) Since I couldn't find a way to tear myself from the joys of the moment...some posts will be from my road diary...some will be from my memory and some will be just totally made up from photo reminders.

A great big Thank you! to all of you who sent along Christmas and Vacation good wishes! We missed all of you and your blogs and are looking forward to reading everything you've been up to in our absence!

OK....here's what I remember (Day 1)!

December 17, 2008
LAX - Heathrow, London
London - Rome

We are here! 22 hours door to door and everyone is present, accounted for and happy! The kids are smiling and still carrying their individual backpacks! We are all still talking to each other!

Success!!!

The kids were phenomenal on the plane. They took to their seats and proceeded to become familiar with their environment. All buttons were checked and cross checked. Press button 1 - light comes on. Press button number 2 - light goes off. On/off. On/off. On/off. Everything seems to be in working order. Press button number 3 - smiling air person runs to my attention....they ask me if I would like something. Then they ask me to push button 4. They run away. Button 3 - people react. Button 4 - they go away! Hmmm... Little Man immediately made note that we should have these buttons installed in his bedroom. Little Man and Little Girl both made it a point of checking and cross checking the control panel throughout the flight.

We flew British Air. I've flown British Air without kids and enjoyed the experience greatly. With kids....OMG....I LOVE THEM! The personal TV with a variety of movies and shows was wonderful....add in the plethora of items the flight attendants brought the kids for drawing, coloring and reading...I could have packed at least a third lighter!

Upon arriving in London, the flight attendants approached us about wheel chair assistance for my Mom. The wheelchair was waiting for her, but since we were being disembarked on the tarmac, they would be escorting the people who needed assistance first. Since there were so many who needed wheelchair assistance, they asked if we, her family, could please meet her at the gate where the little bus would be dropping us off. OK....no problem.....UNLESS you have a history of losing your mother! So, off she goes...my little Mom...before I lost sight of her....I questioned the flight attendant again about our reunion point. She assured me that Mom would be waiting for us at the gate where the bus will drop us off.

I believed her. We exchanged smiles. Things were going great!

Mom wasn't there.

There we were at the gate...with 8 carry on bags, 2 kids, one who needed a bathroom and one who needed a diaper change. My bladder was crying for help...and... No Sicilian Mama. We asked, we looked around, we made our way down the endless corridor...no little Sicilian Mama. The kids started asking. "Where's my Nonna?" I started asking. "Where's my Mom?"

OK...we weren't in a hurry to catch our flight. We had a 4 hour layover. HOWEVER, Heathrow Airport is HUGE and even though they speak English there, it seemed that there was a language barrier every time we asked someone where they might have taken someone who was escorted off of the plane via wheelchair assistance. To add to the drama (and at the time it felt like drama) I was holding Mom's plane ticket and passport. So....here we are....in an endless hallway, holding more bags than we should have been allowed to carry on the plane, with a 4 year old and a 2 year old not knowing were to go....but walking QUICKLY. I guess it seemed if we walked fast enough...we'd find her quicker. We reached a set of chairs and the kids made a decision for us. They climbed up on the chairs and sad down...both proclaiming that they needed a rest. My good Guy decided to go back and find her. It was like a scene from Last of the Mohican's. "I will find her!" he proclaimed before running down the hall. Ten minutes later, My Guy came running back. He'd found her! But they wouldn't release her to him without her passport and airplane ticket. All tolled...she was gone for 45 minutes. We had a beautiful reunion and all had a victory pee at the nearest bathroom. We also had 3 hours to review and laugh about the experience!

It was a great 1st day!

We are back!!

Yes we are back on the Goo Goo Ga Ga from our Italian Holiday Adventure!!

As of now we are struggling a bit with jet lag and are in desperate need of naps :) Without them we are dead by 4:00 and struggle just to get the kids in bed and ourselves shortly after.

We did get all of your well wishes along the way. We just were moving at such a quick pace that it was hard to sit down and say "hey" Heck we were moving so quick that we didn't really have an opportunity to pick up any gifts for the peeps back home...sorry to all.

We did have a wonderful time traversing the Italian countryside! Our stops included our start off point of Rome, then to Pompeii, Amalfi, Lecce, Paola, Santa Ninfa (in Sicily), Paola, Bologna and then finishing off back in Rome. We drove 2500 miles in our quest to see all of my wife's family that we had set off to see on this trip. They were all enchanted by our kids! We have left the family with the Donald Duck saying of "what's the big idea!!" We have because our 2 year old daughter said it every 2 minutes we were with them :)

The wife will post later with more details. We took 8gig of pictures so we have a lot to do to weed it down so as not to bore the folks back home when we start our viewings :) In the meantime we are still exhausted. We have lots to tell later.

Buon Natale and Buon Anno to you all!!

We had a great time but it's good to be home.

Ciao for now!

Life on the Goo Goo Ga Ga Goes Italian!

I have been absent. There is a good reason. We,….being the whole Goo Goo Ga Ga Staff, are hitting the road for the holidays. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and apparently he is visiting The Goo Goo Ga Ga Griswolds in Italy for Christmas and New year!

Tomorrow evening we are jet setting to Rome and many destinations South of Rome!

How exciting!

How fabulous!

How wonderful!

Yet I am slightly terrified that I will never make it on the plane. Even more terrified that I will not make it OFF the plane!

A 4 year old, a 2 year old, a 78 year old, The Me and The Him – we are all hitting the road for a 12 hour flight to London and then 4 hours to Rome. If we survive the flight….3 weeks of Road Trip await! We will be tripping our way south of Rome to spend Christmas and New Years with my Aunts, Uncles and multitudes of cousins.

We are going to try and be totally awesome and post from the road.

However, knowing myself too well….we will most likely be posting next year!

On that note…I wish all of you….a Buon Natale! And a most Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

Thank you for listening …err…reading! I look forward to happy blogging new year!

Barbra Streisand, Spanish?

Our Little Man loves music....all kinds....especially soundtracks from his favorite movies. Well...WALL-E is the current favorite that led us down the primrose path to one of our favorite musicals, Hello Dolly. So for the last few weeks all we hear are the pleas of Barbra Streisand telling us to "Just leave everything to me", and "Put on your Sunday Clothes". I want to publicly thank Barbra in helping us out in the *getting dressed department* on Sunday mornings!

Anywho, this morning, Little Man is enjoying the music while relaxing and my Mother (The Nonna) approaches Little man. Here's how the exchange went:

The Nonna: Little Man, do you know who this is, singing? (can you hear the Sicilian accent)
Little Man: Dolly
The Nonna: No, Bello, this is Barbra Streisand. Can you say Barbra Streisand?
Little Man: (clearly ignoring Nonna)
The Nonna: Barbra Streisand. Say Barbra Streisand.
Little Man: No, Nonna, I can't say it...I don't speak Spanish.

So there you go. Little known fact: Barbra Streisand is Spanish. At least to my 4 year old Little Man.

Cracked me up.

p.s. This post is a long time coming. And I'm sure during this holiday season, no one noticed (Except my Super Bestest Bloggy Friend Adlibby!), BUT there is a reason! I will blog about it before long!

The Fourth Installment of the Husband

This is my final post of the evening!  Yeah!  I have committed to post 4 times this eve and I will prevail.  After a day putting bucks and doe's on the lawn....putting together IKEA type drawers and shelves for the kids room...I can finally say Goodnight to you all.

This husband is going to sleep...on to Monday!!

OUT!!

Christmas Survey! I LOVE THIS STUFF!

OK. I went over to Georgie's blog at Decisionally Challenged and found two things. She has a CONFESSIONAL which you can comment on anonymously. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?!?! And found that she had a Christmas Survey posted (which she calls a MEME, but I don't know what that means so I'm just going to say - Survey). Well....it seems she found it on The Life of Binks, which is also a cool blog. A day in the life of binks: Christmas Meme

Long story not so short...here is my survey!

Christmas Survey!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
BOTH - Although I typically buy a huge roll of fabulous wrapping paper from Costco that wraps my gifts for Christmas for the next 3 years. I then use it as a central theme and buy bags accordingly. Sounds like I give this too much thought, huh?

2. Real tree or Artificial?
REAL, REAL, REAL - I'm not going to judge you Artificial tree buyers....but OLD people usually use artificial trees. OLD people and people who don't have fun. OK. I am judging you. But I'm kidding. Does that help?


3. When do you put up the tree? take the tree down?
Hmmm...since we are a real tree family and having FUN constantly....we don't generally put the tree up until a week or so before Christmas. We don't' take the tree down until after Jan. 6th - the Epiphany.


4. Do you like eggnog?
Yes. The creamier the better....thick...but not eggy....I don't like thin eggnog.

5. Favorite gift received as a child?
Easybake oven.

6. Hardest person to buy for?
Everyone, except myself as I'm wandering aimlessly looking for everyone else's gift.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes. It's a ceramic nativity scene I painted for my father as a gift. Sadly, he died before I could give it to him. Setting out the nativity scene under the tree was his favorite part of the whole Christmas preparation. Now it's mine.

8. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail - always stressful getting them out...but out they go.

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Can't think of one.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Oh, man....so many! OK...I have a top 10 - no particular order:

• Christmas in Connecticut (Barbra Stanwyck version)
• White Christmas
• Love Actually
• It's A Wonderful Life
• Scrooged
• Holiday Affair (Janet Leigh, Robert Mitchem version)
• Miracle on 34th Street (original & latest)
• Meet Me in St. Louis
• A Christmas Carol
• Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I normally start in earnest a few weeks before Christmas....I was always the girl shopping on Christmas Eve.

12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No. I've wanted to. But, no.

13. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
My Mom's holiday soup. Homemade pasta lasagna (again credited to Mom), cousins Maria and Gisela's homemade cookies.

14. Lights on the tree?
White lights.
(during my formative years...there was a silver tinsel tree that had a rotating colored lights wheel shining on it....now it's pure white)

15. Favorite Christmas song?
Again...to many to name.

• O Holy Night
• Father Christmas - the Kinks
• I'll Be Home for Christmas
• O Bambino
• Waiting For the Man With the Bag
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings - Barenaked Ladies/Sarah McLaughlin
• Joy to the World
• Please Come Home for Christmas (Aaron Neville)

16. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Since marrying The Him....it's been a lot of travel...sometimes at Christmas...this year...the farthest yet.

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Yes :)

18. Angel on the tree top or a star?
I've always loved an angel - but our 4 year old (who is addicted to The Polar Express) feels really strongly about a star on top of the tree...and since I feel really strongly about what HE feels really strongly about....I feel really strongly about a STAR.

19. Open the presents Christmas eve or Christmas day?
Christmas Morning - after a long winters nap!

20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
taking the decorations down and the house looking sooooo.....naked.

21. Favorite ornament theme or color?
A little walnut from Hallmark that you open and there is a family scene inside.

22. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Holiday soup, followed by lasagna, meatballs, sausage, bracciole followed by veal cutlet and all of the sides!

23. What do you want for Christmas this year?
A memento of our trip. (Think GOLD, my love!)

Alright now, you do it....give us the Christmas lowdown....let me know if you do it so I can go read!

Favorite Songs of the Husband

I can not really narrow my list down to one song as my wife has.  I love her favorite song though.  I have many times played the air trumpet to many of their songs.  I love the I AM album.  It reminds me of driving to summer camps.  I would let it blast and run my stick shift into the floor.

Another favorite group of mine would have to be The Eagles.  Driving down the coast to Take it Easy and Hotel California is this Republican golfer's speed.  The last time they were out I talked the wife into going to two of their concerts.  They are still as good as they were back in the 70's...maybe better!

All in all I have a fairly eclectic album of favorite tunes.  I can go from musicals to rock and roll.  In fact the wife and I just went to see Wicked for the third time.  It has been on the car's Ipod for a few days now.  It is quite possibly the best musical since Phantom.  In our book they are neck and neck.

I will try and update the blog with my favorites in the coming days.

Boogiewonderland Husband Out!!

Am I sarcastic??

My wife referred to me as sarcastic.   It made me wonder..am I?.  When you have a comeback, as I do,  for people doing things that are stupid or moronic,  I just say "stupid people don't know they are stupid"  ...simple huh??  Gives meaning to the universe of the unexplained behavior in this world.  If you get a grasp of this statement it puts life into it's place.  You don't have to stress over someones behavior...you don't have to try to fix them...you have to just let them be.  For to try and explain it will only send you over a cliff of despair.

So I ask...can you concur...look at my posts...am I sarcastic??

Husband Out!!

The Other Chin

OK...this is the truth. It's not pretty. I was totally blindsided this week when I realized, while perusing pictures of my nieces visit....that I have developed a second chin.

O. M. G.

It is only visible when smiling...but it's there.

send. help. please.

(do you see how far I will go to make my 30 in 30 quota...and still...I missed it!)

Twilight: The Him Perspective

It was a wonderful day. My wife's niece came into town for a short visit. We loaded up the kids and saw Bolt. As we were working our way into the theater we saw the long lines of 20 somethings standing in line to see this new movie I have never heard of - Twilight.

Well...It peeked my wife's and niece's interest enough to get tickets for it at a later time, after the little munchkins were in slumber land.

Little did I know that I would be headed that way 10 minutes into this movie.

To say it was bad, in my estimation, is an understatement. The last movie that I lost time on was the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. If I were to know that I had an option that evening, I would have opted to see those girls romp all over Greece again.

This movie should have been on TNT or some other cable channel opposite Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm not sure which one would have won the time slot.

In closing...Bolt saved the day!! Twilight put me to sleep. I did discover there is hope for the 20 somethings out there after my 21 year old niece had the same impression of the movie that I had. There is still hope for our youth.