Dinner Parties! Eating in Italy.

Eating in. 

Eating out. 

With friends and seminarians. 

Last year, I was a bit frustrated with eating out since we all can't have cheese, and the girls can't have tomatoes (really one can't, but they share a dish), and I've never been a big fan of pasta. This year, I've decided that I just have to try more pasta and try to reinvent my opinion of the dish. (And you bet as soon as this kid weens, I'm eating more lasagna).  Fortunately there are some pasta dishes without red sauce and a minimal amount of cheese. There are also fantastic little treats that they like: deep fried, sausage-stuffed olives. Delicious. I usually want about 20 of these for the family. In fact I want some right now.

I can say though, regardless of the specific dish, the food here is generally good because all of the ingredients are fresh. And I do like to eating out. Now if only it could be a little more affordable.

Now onto the fun! 

We had a fun night out with the Schola last year. They took us to one of their favorite places to eat. (Someone leave the name in the comments, I can't remember.)

Emma worked her charms on one of the seminarians and they bought her a rose. Who was that? Paul?

Oozing with charm, that one

Daddy rockin' the baby. Literally and figuratively.

Leon and mini-Leon

Dieter wasn't cooperating the whole time though, and Garrett was there to assist.

Strip down the hot baby! Quick!

Then "someone" absconded with my camera. And started taking shots. (I mean with the camera)

After a piccolo pausa (you can leave your table at any point and take a short break in a meal. Eating for so many hours can be so exhausting) Fr. Chris brough back some gelato for the after party.

Triumph!

The new photographer then recorded our trek home.

Oh, beloved double stroller. Rest in peace.

And his own face...

Now that's charm

The night stroll home.

"Um, why is he taking all the pictures?"

Down the escalators...

After the party is the after-party!

Carrot cake, whiskey, wine, and high chairs

Garrett professionally served the cake.

Paul drank up everything the girls served him. Fortunately they don't have access to the whiskey.

Fly away Brian!

That was a great evening. Although some seminarians have reported back that their socks have been permanently stained with pink chalk. Sorry guys!

The Crew

Next party!

Laura and Dieter had their first night out to a jazz club at Alexander Platz Jazz Club, the oldest jazz club in Rome. This was only my second, maybe third show there. It's such a cool place.

In front of the signatures of jazzers

We heard a big band (16 players) in a very small space. It wasn't as overwhelming as I though it would be.

Dieter, however, did wake up at every hit until the final 20 minutes of the show when he finally fell asleep for good.

Dieter's first jazz show.

They were really good. We both really enjoyed the show.

Taking solos

Next dinner out!

Dinner in Trastevere

I think I spent most of that dinner walking around the neighborhood with an upset Dietrich. I must have had cheese the night before.

Next dinner!

We had another lovely evening with our friends Katy and Derek (who we miss terribly this year) at their apartment in Trastevere.

So sweet!

The boys.

Here Leon regaled us with some great stories. Or at least some great faces. As you can tell, we wiped the platters clean. Derek had made a sumptuous meal for us.

Then Dieter tried to copy his daddy's faces.

Watch out! He's gonna blow!

Dieter didn't make any extreme messes fortunately, and surprising neither did I. The girls were being watched that night and it made for a lot of nice conversation, that could be heard that is.

This year I look forward to many more dinners, banquets, and nights with friends! We'll try to keep some of the fun times posted for you all to be jealous of, I mean, to enjoy! :)

St. Paul's Outside the Walls

This trip was done without me. So I have nothing more to say than, look at the pictures yourself.

(No, I'm not bitter. But I do still need to see this one) :)

Zoo in Rome

Back in May, again....(What? I had just had a baby. I'm trying to catch up.)

We went to the Zoo!

The tall ones!

It was because of this trip that when Stella went to Laura's farm back in the states, she kept saying she "Wanted to feed the elephants" (aka goats)

The real goats.

This is even though we saw about 20 different kinds of goats at the zoo. Really, I was surprised at how many goat varieties there were.

We also saw the classic monkeys...

Studying up on future behavior.

Pensive monkey

More monkeys

And ugly vultures. Gross!

Blurrily ugly

My thoughts exactly, Emma.

"What's with this bird?!"

Lemur. I think.

Stella (and Laura) were very excited to see the zebras.

We just called them horses.

The capybara, the largest rodent in the world, may look a little scary, but I think it would be way more fun than your traditional gerbil pet.

Half guard dog, half killer rat.

The peacocks were just freely roaming the zoo. Stella kept trying to pet them.

Beautiful birds

Cows. Or the more exotic cow cousin. We couldn't tell.

Baboons. Both with red hair. :)

Here's the smallest monkey in the world.

Just the right mix of creepy and cute

Clearly part of the monkey family.

Stella: "Uh. There's an unidentified monkey on my back!"

The ring-tailed lemurs were my favorite to watch. They played the most and put on a show.

Lil' buddies

Then when they got tired, they took a break.

This is what I feel like I look like when I'm stretched out.
Awkward. Too much leg. 

Although the big scary animals are always sought after. They are always the boring ones.

Sleeping

Sleeping

Sleeping

They still believed us that the big blob was alive.

The elephants made a bit of an impression though.

And another favorite were the bears.

Roman bears. Like Maine bears.

"Bear!"

Here it looks like Stella is doing a magic trick. Just watch the cast.

Abra-cadabra!

And then Emma appears out of the mouth of the bear. (works better when you don't have to scroll through the two pics)

These mangy things were certainly worthy as a family backdrop.

"Watch out! They spit!"

Emma and Laura paid a little extra to go into the butterfly garden. I sat outside and nursed Dieter and watched Stella sleep. 

Is this an "I like butterflies" face?

Nope, this is!

Adorable. 

Big zoo. Lots of walking. Good times. Naps for everyone all around!