Girls' Day: Taormina

My sweet friend Bethany surprised Becca Garber and I with a day on the town while we still had the chance for a getaway before our newborns arrive!  She organized the dads to take on kid duty for Saturday AND Sunday and we were whisked away to enjoy meandering the quaint old streets, perusing art galleries, sipping leisurely cups of cappuccino, and best of all...MASSAGES at the Hilton!  It was a lovely treat and I'm so thankful for such thoughtful and loving friends. (not to mention the chance to go into all the little shops and galleries that I would NEVER take my band of sidekicks into!!)

One of my favorite ceramics shops!  I WILL actually buy something there before we leave...more on that later!

The view from our hotel room in Giardini Naxos.  Makes me feel relaxed just looking at the picture!

Elise's First Field Trip: Agriturismo Roccadia

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going along on Elise's first school field trip. They've been learning about communities and life cycles, so we loaded up the buses and headed to a working farm in Carlentini. (in the Province of Siracusa, about 40 minutes from the school) The weather was crisp, but beautiful and the drive along the coast and through miles of farmland was just as nice. As we meandered through the fattoria (farm) we discovered chatty peacocks and guinea fowls, friendly horses, hungry cows, and even some new baby lambs nursing from their mamas. 

After viewing (and feeding and petting) all the animals we headed to the citrus groves where we saw juicy lemons and oranges waiting anxiously to be picked! I think the farmer may have underestimated the 50+ kindergarteners' enthusiasm when he said they could walk through the grove to pick ONE orange. Almost instantaneously, there were kids plucking oranges from trees, climbing on every low lying branch, and sprinting through the cheery yellow clover looking for more treasure to pick. With a few shouts of "BASTA!" (enough!) we were able to collect everyone (and their oranges) so we could continue on our walk back to the farm house to make fresh squeezed juice and eat a pizza lunch. It was a banner day!

You win some, you lose some.

Those were the first words that came to mind after our attempt to take the kids sledding on Mt. Etna yesterday. I'm not sure exactly what went wrong...maybe the fact that the boys fell asleep on the way up the mountain and Lucas woke up feeling like a monster...maybe it was the fact that in said "moster-like" state I asked Lucas to share a pack of fruit snacks with Caleb (who'd just found them on the floor of the car)...perhaps it was the very very cold wind that was blowing us to and fro... I guess it could have also been the blackened eye and scratched nose that Caleb received from our last sled ride...All I do know is that for one hour of playing in the snow, there was an insane amount of crying involved. We did finally manage to convince Caleb that stopping for hot chocolate on the way home might just make him feel a little better - it was an unusually hard sell, but in the end...it was the cioccolata calda with panna on top that made everything better.

Clear and beautiful (and windy!) on top...though sadly, due to having at least one crying child at all time during our sledding adventure, I didn't actually manage to get any pictures of the kids in the snow.

I wish solving the problems of the world was always this easy.

It's that time again...

'Tis the season for oranges in Sicily! That means lots of cut up fresh fruit, a few new orange-inspired recipes to try and of course, fresh squeezed orange juice!!! We're so spoiled! 

On Location with SingingDrJosh

My wonderful husband is many things - among them, a very patient and thorough teacher.  He loves taking care of kids (yes, he is the one in our household who takes care of all things "sick" - especially when the stomach virus sweeps through!)  He also loves music and thrives off of innovation - always giving himself unique challenges when the inspiration hits.   I think he used to dream of being a rock musician...and professional athlete (and maybe one day if this Pediatrics thing doesn't work out....well...we're getting too old for that now, aren't we?!)  Anyway, for about the last 2 years he's been combining his passions for teaching, medicine, and music into a new genre he calls "musical medical advice."  (Did I mention he's pretty smart, too!)

I figure it's about time I do my part to help promote Josh's musical medical career so here's a sneak peak from our recent shoot...(read:  NEW SONG COMING SOON!)

Check out his site if you have the chance...and subscribe, too!  Find him at singingdrjosh.com!

The things they say...

Our sweet Caleb has been talking in complete sentences since before he was two.  When anyone comes for a visit he is capable of talking for several days straight - barely pausing to breathe...  He is a little boy with a LOT to say and in an attempt to express ALL the thoughts swirling around in his funny 3 year old brain he often uses or combines big words in the silliest ways...  I suppose today he fancied himself a budding dietician since our morning breakfast discussion went like this:

C:  Mom, did you know that oatmeal has profein in it?  Profein is like fat – it gives you energy but you shouldn’t have too much. 

M:  Well, I’ll have to read the label to see how much protein is in oatmeal.  One thing oatmeal does have that’s good for you is fiber.

C:  Will that make me fibernate? (with a chuckle)

M:  Hmmm, no it won’t make you hibernate – but it will help you go _______!

C:  (Hilarious laughter)

The conversation ended with him warning me about the dangers of drinking too much Ginger Ale and a message about the amount of fat in various kinds of milk…good gracious.

Life shared.

A few photo favorites I collected in December and didn't have the chance to share...

Mandarins growing in our back yard.

Sicily...I love you.

Cactus Christmas Decor in Taormina.

Mandarini e' Lampone

Gift baskets we made for the clinic staff at the hospital.

Wild irises from our New Years Day hike.

"Christmas" or "Italian" themed pasta! Yum - either way!

Connoli Siciliani - fresh from town.