So last I left off, we were about to embark on an action packed weekend.
When Lola got bored of her water cup, fan, teething crackers, fruit, and guitar (you need a full circus and then some to keep this little one entertained), she found my wallet and face (especially nose and hair, ouch!) particularly fun. I'm going to tell myself that this is a sign of affection...
Michael and I ended up enjoying a great double date night at Bibo with our friends (the beautiful bottle of Barolo did not hurt either) on Saturday night, and on Sunday I had a very helpful refresher CPR course (which makes me feel a little better about being in rural, remote villages in Italy for the next two weeks) as well as a (tiring but good) swim playdate with our friends and their baby who is almost 4 months younger than Lola.
Tomorrow is our third wedding anniversary (wow! time flies) and I have a fancy dinner planned for Michael and me at a very nice restaurant in town. Neither of us has been there before, which on the one hand is risky because it could be disappointing, but which on the other hand I think is nice because we can partake in the experience together.
Otherwise, I am in full-on countdown and vacation planning mode. There are some people who can just pack by throwing a bunch of stuff together (I'm looking at you, Michael) or more accurately, throw a bunch of stuff haphazardly near a suitcase and then expect their better half to tuck and roll and pack it away neatly (now I'm really pointing a finger at you, Michael), but my theory is that there is only one kind of truly successful packer, and that is someone who approaches packing with the methodicalness of a five star very modern model of a modern major general. I can't tell you the number of times that we have been halfway around the world when, at the car rental counter, Michael realized he forgot his driver's license, or, before a nice dinner at a resort, that he packed nearly all pants and no collared shirts, or, no gym shorts or pajamas... Similarly, whenever I have not prepared a full, detailed list, or have not dutifully checked against that list, I find I inevitably fail to include something vital.
In contrast to life pre-marriage and pre-baby, I am only now starting to look at the towns and wineries I want to visit, and consider the activities I want to do; whereas in my prior life I would have been fretting about missing out on booking the best wineries or restaurants by being so last minute, on this trip I am adopting a very laissez-faire attitude. I have heard that all of the restaurants are great; in fact, the more humble and less notable, the more surprising and delicious. Let's just say I am not too worried about gaining weight from excessive amounts of pasta on this trip. I admit I don't want to miss out on wineries, but I'm also pretty sure that any of the chiantis and brunellos in the region will taste amazing to my untutored tongue.
I have already loaded up my kindle though, in anticipation. Despite being laissez faire about nearly everything else and trusting that the vacation will work out if I embrace leisure and the slow movement, I'm not prepared to go into a two week long vacation without a glorious spate of books to power through! Speaking of, maybe I will summon up the energy to do a book round-up while sunning pool-side...
After an amazing safari in Tanzania watching lions prowl and hunt buffalo outside her lodge and tracking wildebeest during their migration, my sister is currently on an 8-day hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro without any internet access. This was an epic bar trip that I encouraged 110%, because if there is something you never regret, it is traveling when you have the youth and the time. I can't imagine a better time to travel than after finishing your NY bar exam and before starting work!
It somehow heightens the tension and the excitement that I won't hear from her until she lands in Rome and takes the train to Certaldo (the nearest little town to our first villa) on the 28th of August. It's rare to have travel plans like that nowadays -- I forget how much more of a sense of danger and excitement (and stress and fear of the unknown) existed! I hope her hike is going smoothly and safely and I can't wait to chill with her in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
And that's about it - two days and a wake-up and then we're leaving on a jetplane! It feels right to end this blog post with a picture of Lola and her dimple, so here she is!
It was actually a lot of fun - I had an amazing little picnic with Lola in the park during the Saturday
day (and it didn't rain! wonder of wonders).
Tomorrow is our third wedding anniversary (wow! time flies) and I have a fancy dinner planned for Michael and me at a very nice restaurant in town. Neither of us has been there before, which on the one hand is risky because it could be disappointing, but which on the other hand I think is nice because we can partake in the experience together.
Otherwise, I am in full-on countdown and vacation planning mode. There are some people who can just pack by throwing a bunch of stuff together (I'm looking at you, Michael) or more accurately, throw a bunch of stuff haphazardly near a suitcase and then expect their better half to tuck and roll and pack it away neatly (now I'm really pointing a finger at you, Michael), but my theory is that there is only one kind of truly successful packer, and that is someone who approaches packing with the methodicalness of a five star very modern model of a modern major general. I can't tell you the number of times that we have been halfway around the world when, at the car rental counter, Michael realized he forgot his driver's license, or, before a nice dinner at a resort, that he packed nearly all pants and no collared shirts, or, no gym shorts or pajamas... Similarly, whenever I have not prepared a full, detailed list, or have not dutifully checked against that list, I find I inevitably fail to include something vital.
In contrast to life pre-marriage and pre-baby, I am only now starting to look at the towns and wineries I want to visit, and consider the activities I want to do; whereas in my prior life I would have been fretting about missing out on booking the best wineries or restaurants by being so last minute, on this trip I am adopting a very laissez-faire attitude. I have heard that all of the restaurants are great; in fact, the more humble and less notable, the more surprising and delicious. Let's just say I am not too worried about gaining weight from excessive amounts of pasta on this trip. I admit I don't want to miss out on wineries, but I'm also pretty sure that any of the chiantis and brunellos in the region will taste amazing to my untutored tongue.
I have already loaded up my kindle though, in anticipation. Despite being laissez faire about nearly everything else and trusting that the vacation will work out if I embrace leisure and the slow movement, I'm not prepared to go into a two week long vacation without a glorious spate of books to power through! Speaking of, maybe I will summon up the energy to do a book round-up while sunning pool-side...
After an amazing safari in Tanzania watching lions prowl and hunt buffalo outside her lodge and tracking wildebeest during their migration, my sister is currently on an 8-day hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro without any internet access. This was an epic bar trip that I encouraged 110%, because if there is something you never regret, it is traveling when you have the youth and the time. I can't imagine a better time to travel than after finishing your NY bar exam and before starting work!
It somehow heightens the tension and the excitement that I won't hear from her until she lands in Rome and takes the train to Certaldo (the nearest little town to our first villa) on the 28th of August. It's rare to have travel plans like that nowadays -- I forget how much more of a sense of danger and excitement (and stress and fear of the unknown) existed! I hope her hike is going smoothly and safely and I can't wait to chill with her in the rolling hills of Tuscany.
And that's about it - two days and a wake-up and then we're leaving on a jetplane! It feels right to end this blog post with a picture of Lola and her dimple, so here she is!
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