First Christmas in Italy

Two of Santa's helpers

Daddy helps with structural support for our annual Christmas eve Gingerbread house tradition.

Norwood snow women, and the finished gingerbread house.

Setting up for Santa: making sure he can find the hot water for his hot chocolate. 

Inquiring minds (Sydney) wanted to know this year, does Santa put his gifts out first, or eat his cookies first. So she left him a multiple choice question (since he's in a hurry). (Of course, he does the gifts first, in the generous spirit of Christmas.)

Mischievous? 

Or angelic? Remains to be seen...

Appears they were more angelic than not...despite the fact that Miranda got candy coal in her stocking
(we assume as a warning for touching Elfie and ruining his magic a week before Christmas...)
Here, Sydney's sorting presents and Miranda eats a candy cane...
all before Mom and Dad even  get out of bed!

Sydney's card for Mom and Dad...
she's so excited to give us the gifts she picked out at school this year.
She's such a sweet, generous girl!

Here's Mitch "opening" his present from Sydney.

Aunt Laura sent cool handmade Barbie beds for the girls.

Santa brought pillow pets, as requested!

Santa also brought Moxy Girls, as requested!

A Doctor Barbie for Sydney (cuz Daddy's a doctor!)

Pizza-making Barbie for Miranda (cuz we are in Italy!)

Ready for church

A big dollhouse from Santa, because Sydney told Santa she also likes surprises!

The best gifts of all.

Our Christmas feast: the best prime rib roast we've ever tasted, thanks to Brian!

Mitch's Encounter at the Amphitheater of Spartacus in Capua

It never ceases to amaze us how much history surrounds us in Italy. Capua is about 30 minutes from our home and it is the site of the amphitheater where Spartacus the gladiator trained. He was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic.

Miranda happily posing with her "M" of ruins.

Going down below the amphitheater, where the animals were kept.

Check out these ferocious animals!

Apparently, Mitch is not as ferocious as the two, well-fed, "stray" dogs we encountered on the way out of the amphitheater! They approached us quickly while barking, sniffed around Mitch (who was on a leash) for a few seconds, and then one started to attack our poor baby, taking a bite out of his side and his tail. Luckily it was only a matter of a few minutes, but it was scary! After an emergency visit to an Italian vet in Pozzuoli for some morphine, stitches, and antibiotics, he's recuperating. Although I'd say with this look, he's milking it for what it's worth. Sydney's already written a letter to Santa on his behalf:

"Dear Santa, My dog got hurt. He's been good. His stocking is hanging up. From: Sydney. [P.S.] My dog's name is Mitch."

After-Christmas Update: Santa filled a second stocking full of treats for poor Mitch, thanks to Sydney's letter!

Sorrento at Christmastime

The main square

The Morks were brave enough to tag along on a Norwood Italian adventure!

 We're off to see some Christmas lights!

Miranda's found her kindred spirit. 

"No, I didn't touch Elfie," as her nose grows as long as Pinocchio's!

Connor, and Avery who's got Pinocchio by the nose!

(This one's for Kathleen, my hot air balloon-driving friend!)

We stumbled on the quaint Sorrento Christmas market.

Sydney: "Look at those beautiful globes!"

 No, that's not an Italian hand gesture (Miranda's hat was bothering her neck.) 

She's bad lately, but not THAT bad!

Not too many chimneys in Italy?

Weekend in Rome

In what has been our most last minute get-away yet, the Saturday after Thanksgiving we headed up to Rome for a one-night stay. We decided at 1pm on Saturday to book a last-minute deal at a hotel in Rome, hopped in the car and arrived about two hours later! We checked in, valet parked the car for the weekend and were ready to explore the city on foot. 

First we stopped at the Spanish steps, which were crawling with visitors in the late afternoon warmth of the sun.





Then we proceeded to Trevi fountain, which was also very crowded, but we managed to push the girls through the crowds to get a photo and let them throw coins in over their shoulders.

On the way to Piazza Navona, we stopped in the ancient Roman Pantheon, where Brian gave us a quick tour (he had visited Rome when the USS Nassau stopped in Italy in 2010.)

Finally at Piazza Navona, the Christmas market had just begun. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it was a little cheesier than what I had imagined, what with the fluorescent lighting and carnival type booths. Clearly most things being sold were junk made in China. I guess I was hoping for some Italian-made Christmas ornaments and decorations, etc. But it was fun nonetheless! 

The girls enjoyed the carousel the best!

Brian encouraged Miranda and Sydney to enjoy drinking the fresh water carried into town from higher ground by the ancient aqua ducts. Although I'm always worried about drinking the water in Italy, we saw other people drinking it first, so when in Rome...

On the way back to the hotel, we walked by way of Campo di fiori, quickly past the busy intersection in front of the Victor Emmanual monument (nicknamed the "wedding cake,") and by way of Trevi fountain one more time to see it lit up at night. We slept well after all that walking!

But Sunday morning, we were (read: I was, at 31 weeks pregnant) still a little tired! So, after our hotel's buffet breakfast, we set out to visit some famous artwork in the Borghese Gallery (within the Borghese Gardens) and then caught a Hop On/Hop Off bus to see a few more sights. We ended our trip with a stop into Hard Rock Cafe for a little taste of "home" (nachos!) before we headed back home to Naples.