Sp-Italy, Here We Come!

 

We're minutes away from heading off to the airport.  Ella FINALLY had her last day of school yesterday (June 28th!).  Before our adventures in Italy and Spain begin I want to post some photos of our last week (or two).


We continued to have fun with Autumn in the city while Holden and Grandma enjoyed some one on one time up in Woodstock.

Autumn joined us on a field trip for Ella's school.  Ella was chosen to participate in a science symposium out on Governors Island.  She presented her work on the importance of oysters to the river's ecosystem.

Eating oysters (NOT from the Hudson River)

Ella's favorite teacher, Emily (science)

We all met up in Woodstock over the weekend (after a near disaster of the brakes going out in our campervan...).  There was bicycle riding, new waterhole swimming, gardening, crafting, and barbecuing.  Some good quality family time.

Our visit was too short with them, as usual.  But they'll take their time returning back to California with lots of camping and fun stops on the way.

I hope to post photos at least, if not blog occasionally, from our travels.  We will fly into Rome and spend a few days exploring there.  Then we'll head down to Pompeii for a day and night and then drive up to Tuscany and see Assisi, Siena and Florence.  We'll spend a couple days hiking through Cinque Terre and then finish up in Venice.  From there Kevin will fly home to New York and the kids and I will continue on to Spain where they'll spend two weeks in sleep-away camp in San Sebastian, Spain in the Basque region.  My good friend Alina and her son Luke will meet us there.  Luke will join the kids at camp while Alina, our friend Bill, and I will travel around the area for a few days and then fly down to the Canary Islands for a week of beach time.  We've been planning this for so long that I can hardly believe we're about to leave for the airport!

Arrivederci!

Guys and Dolls and Friends and Family

Sorry, folks.  Photo dump time.

I can't remember being this busy...ever.  Between wrapping up Holden's school year, duties of Parent Association President starting already at Ella's school, planning and organizing the end of the year Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Mom and Autumn arriving from California on their cross country trip, friends' birthdays, the Falbos visiting, helping out with Ella's big musical, and planning and packing for our trip to Italy and Spain (and cleaning the apartment for our friends who will be staying here while we're away)...I hardly have time to shower, much less blog.

HOW DO YOU WORKING MOMS DO IT?!?

Serious respect to you all.

So with very few words, here's the lazy-man's blog:

Finishing up school...

Foraging in Central Park with Wildman Steve!

Field trip to Staten Island

Ella's big break in Guys and Dolls...

Shauna, Jake, Francesca and Daniella visit from California...

Peonies from our garden

Grandma and Autumn drive 3,335 miles to see us!

Holden gets an early birthday present from Grandma and Poppa Skaggs

I know it sounds like I'm complaining about being so busy but there isn't one thing I'd give up.  I'm so lucky to be able to help out so much with Ella's school, to be able to continue homeschooling Holden, who is thriving, to have so many loved ones come visit us...

And ESPECIALLY to be able to spend two weeks traveling around Italy with my three favorite people in the world!  We leave next Thursday and Kevin has our itinerary planned down to the second.  I get to sit back and enjoy the ride :)

I hope to be able to at least post photos on Facebook and Instagram, if not blog.  At the end of two weeks Kevin will return to New York and the kids and I will travel on to San Sebastian, Spain where they will go to sleep-away camp.  I will be exploring the area with friends and then spending a week down in the Canary Islands.

Pinch me.