When In Rome!

We all know the full saying is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".  But what does that actually mean?  Where did it come from?  Why do we say that?

The phrase developed from the following incident:
When St. Augustine arrived in Milan, he observed that the Church did not fast on Saturday as did the Church at Rome. He consulted St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who replied: "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are." The comment was changed to "When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done," by Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Eventually it became, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

So now that you have that useless knowledge, I will go on with my blog.  I could not help my inner nerd coming out after this trip.  It was fascinating to see such history, such brilliance, such remarkable architecture and LIFE in this city.  It has been the most educational trip I've been on at this point and I was so thrilled to have my four hoodlums there to learn along with me!

I did not know what to expect, going into this trip.  I knew it was an old city.  I knew the historical and biblical Romans dwelled there over 2000 years ago, but I don't think I really put that into perspective until we were actually there.  Walking on the same soil, inside the Colosseum, where fights took place, where crucifixions, punishments and parties thrived!  The fact that something of such magnitude and beauty was built to endure so many years of use.  It's astonishing that human hands worked without technology or machinery to build this.  It was  a great reminder of how intelligent and productive the human brain and hand can be.  It was inspiring beyond words.  I'm glad my children, namely Maddox, was there to ask the guide so many questions.  Because the tour rendered me speechless.


The kids were FANTASTIC on this trip!  I was so proud of them and enjoyed (almost) every moment with them.  I could have done without a few of Echo's tantrums and the tad bit of the whining...and definitely the amount of bathroom trips (just think of tiny bladders times 5.  Heath is the only camel in our family, the rest of us have to pee at the most inopportune times.)  I can honestly say that I know what every toilet in every building that we entered looked like.  Sometimes I would see that same bathroom, 2-4 times in one hour.  You laugh and you think I'm exaggerating.  I'm not.

I was prepared for the crazy nonsense of the kids.  I had come with wet-wipes, a portable toilet seat, hand sanitizer and sassy spray all packed in a bag.  (what is sassy spray?  half vinegar, half water in a tiny spray bottle.  it tastes terrible but it works immediately when timeouts are not an option....and, well, vinegar is actually good for you so I consider it a nutritional supplement for the misbehaving child.)  I was fully ready for what was going to come my way.  I'm not sure that Heath was prepared.  As one of the most patient...actually, THE most patient man I've ever known, his patience level was put to the test countless times.  On the first morning, we went down to a really fancy breakfast.  The kids were not only giddy with excitement but they were hungry and a little tired too.  Put that together and it makes for an ugly mix.  Echo was constantly saying, "eat, eat, eat, Echo eat?"  unsure why we had left our hotel room and not fed her, she wanted to make sure we understood she did not get her breakfast.  Zane, for the second time, bit into his drinking glass and shards of glass had to be extracted from his mouth and Reese and Maddox had their twin thing going on.  Those two get so silly with one another that there is no stopping them.  We only try to contain them.  This first morning pretty much set up how the rest of our mornings would go, just give or take a few incidents.  One thing remained constant.  Heath did not once have a hot cup of coffee and there was at least once, maybe twice, that he ate alone because one or two (or four) had to go to the bathroom.  It can be a lonely life when you are a camel.

St. Peter's Basilica

One of the MANY times I asked them to get together for
a picture.  And this is what I would get.  Really?

Picture at Trevi Fountain just before kids climbed the rock
and were asked by Roman police to step down.  

Our guide.  When we were leaving, Maddox told him,
"text me or email me if you want to talk again."

After spending 3 days in Italy, we boarded a flight to Sicily.  Ahhhhhh, if Rome was educational and face-paced and exhausting, Sicily was the complete opposite.  (Well, except for the mornings during breakfast time.)  We went to our beautiful resort and did NOT leave for 5 days!  It was warm and beautiful and relaxing.  Not only did I not learn a darn thing in those 5 days, but I'm not sure that I even used my brain.  I think that I am starting to understand why the people in big cities get so excited over "holidays".  The mind, body and spirit need to get away from the noise and chaos sometimes.  The nostrils need to breath fresh air.  The eyes desire to see the vastness of hills, seas, oceans, and/or land in order to clear minds.  

Could go down as one of my favorite pictures of Echo.  

This is the classic "head lock" that Zane performs
whenever I ask him to be in a picture with Echo.

Yes, I realize it's blurry.  Maddox wanted to take a picture.
I wanted a picture of Heath and myself with a cool background.
Echo forced her way in.
I ended up loving the photo.

"Get together for a picture!"
Really?

"Hey, you guys get together for a picture!"
Really?

It was a trip to remember!  Endless days of pizza and pasta, amazing sights, adventure and fun.  I sometimes wonder how we will look back on these trips.  Because I already view them as being really cool, exceptionally fun, unthinkably exhausting and sometimes down right insane.  I'm not sure what business we have traveling with this mad bunch, but we do it, it's fun and it's really, really funny.

Heath, one day, you and I will be sitting together, alone, on our screened porch, overlooking our backyard and drinking our really hot cups of coffee together.  We'll be dreaming of the good 'ole days, when we didn't have time for ourselves to eat breakfast.  We will reminisce over when we couldn't drink our hot coffee.  We will think of these trips and laugh (and cry) over the memories made with this crazy crew.  And if, by chance, we begin to talk and reminisce so much that your coffee becomes cold, I will gladly go and warm it back up for you.  But for now, let's enjoy our cold coffee, the constant bathroom breaks, sassy sprayed mouths, and relentless silly, giddy, inappropriate conversations with our kids.  We both know this trip would not have been the same without them.  This trip to Italy and this crazy trip of a life.

Beyond blessed.