Just so that nobody gets the wrong idea about our trip, I’m going to describe our first morning in Florence.  One of my pet peeves is that some people live in Instagram and Facebook worlds where everything looks like sunshine and rainbows.  The kids are always dressed perfectly, mommy’s hair is blown out, and the makeup looks professionally done.

Yes, I am in Italy with my husband, and baby, and I am extremely blessed that we are able to do this.  But today, I had my first WTF was I thinking taking our 1 year old to Italy.  For me, it starts out with coffee.  Every morning of my life, I have 2 shots of espresso before doing anything. Period.  Since we have been here (4 nights), I think that I’ve had 3 shots total.  If you do the math, I am way behind.  Why? You’re in Italy, espresso heaven? Because, every morning we have been here, except for one, we are in a huge rush to get out the door and do something in the morning.  Today, it was the city tour of Florence.  Unfortunately, when you wake up at 7:45 and have to have a 1 year old awake, diaper changed, dressed, given milk, and everything packed up to be at the tour for 8:30, there is just no time for coffee.  And I am feeling the effects.

Also, yesterday during a classic James meltdown, he kicked off his shoes in the market.  I thought we grabbed both of them, but when I went to put them on this morning, we only had one shoe.  Those are his only pair of closed toe shoes.  No big deal, we can get another pair of shoes, but not before the tour.  Of course, it was quite chilly and windy.  James had on sandals and the mommy guilt set in.  Why couldn’t I keep track of his shoes? Now my baby is going to be cold? Why didn’t I insist that we bring that blanket to wrap him up just in case?

Then, I gave him some of the dried fruit and veggie snacks that I had packed.  Apparently, he had stored up the dried beets in his mouth, because, honestly, they are gross.  Then he spit them out in one bright pink blob all over his shirt.  Great, hopefully the bleach pen that I packed will get this out.  Yes, it did, but I also got bleach all over the non white portions of the shirt as well, and now it’s ruined any way. Aaaaahhhhhhhh

The last couple of nights James has cried a lot going to sleep.  I don’t know if it’s still the effects of the jet lag or the different surrounding, but he went from asking to go in his crib at night (at home) to an hour long process of tears, reading books, more tears, more reading books, now both mommy and James are crying, get out the Benadryl and Motrin, more crying, wait, I think he finally went to sleep.   So naturally, I assume that I’ve screwed up my kid with this trip.

The 3 hour tour of Florence was pure torture.  The tour guide and the actual tour were great, but I’m talking about the James factor.  I’m sure you are thinking, what kind of moron would take a 1 year old on a 3 hour tour? Yep, I’m wondering that myself.  Cue the mommy guilt.  It’s not his fault, of course.  He’s a baby.  He’s a baby that wants to run around in the museum with thousands of people looking at the statue of David, and scream at the top of his lungs in the Duomo, and be wild in the streets where there is so much action.  I started looking at my watch about 15 minutes in.  By the end of the 3 hours, I was stressed to my breaking point.  We got back to the apartment and I cried.  James was happy.  But I cried.

Right now, it’s about 4 pm. James is about 2 hours into a nap.  I took a nap, took a shower, washed some laundry, hung it on the line to dry, and I’m starting to feel better.

So just in case anyone was thinking that everything has been smooth sailing, I like to describe a bit of what is going on behind the scenes.

I realize that it was just a bad moment and things will get better, but seriously, can I get a dang cup of coffee?

Alyce