Author: Murphy

Date Night! In order to see something more of Rome than just Gelato stands, public restrooms, and toy stores, Brian and I splurged on a babysitter and went out on a 3 Hour Walking Tour of Rome without the kids.

Now anyone who knows me knows I really hate any form of entertainment that resembles exercise. However, this was actually…not bad. Rome is very fun and lively at night. It’s also quite compact. In 3 hours, we saw nearly every square, fountain, and important archeological discovery the city had to offer. Of course by the end of the tour, I was sweating like crazy and dying for some carbs. Brian being the prince he is bought me an enormous cone of french fries and an ice cold Coke. And that reader,
is why I married him!

The Pantheon

 

Italian street food

 

Hard to believe how lively it is so late at night!

 

Somewhere famous…

 

The Presidential palace – note how accessible it is.

 

A nightcap in the sitting room to end a “not as bad as I was dreading it to be” night.

 

Even though Rome is a very stroller “unfriendly” city, Olivia LOVES this town. Why? Because the Italians love her back. Actually they seem to love all children, and are very indulgent of them, especially “naughty” ones like mine (thank goodness).

So far Olivia has played Leapfrog, and Hide and Seek at the Colosseum, climbed forbidden ruins, picked flowers in the park, spilled hot chocolate twice, and was even a “special” guest at a Wine Tasting event.

Last night Olivia had a rapt audience of waitstaff watch her perform bad gymnastics, sing gibberish, and clapped when she cleaned her plate.

Notice Brian’s stoic but mortified look at his kids’ antics. He is telepathically messaging me, “TIFFANY, do something about this!” Ha ha but I can’t, I have to take the pictures.

 

Hide and Seek

 

Climbing the ruins

 

Picking flowers

 

Petting strange horses….

 

 

 

As the only man in a household full of females, Brian always gets outnumbered by “Team Estrogen” as he sometimes affectionately calls us. Even so, Brian adores his girls (me included), and spoils us shamelessly.

Today our itinerary included a Salon Day and Shopping Spree Extravaganza! After getting our “hair done,” and doing some Major credit card damage, we happily spent the afternoon exploring Rome.

Until finally…Brian got a chance to indulge in his favorite part of our Italian vacation…The Cocktail Hour!

Grace getting the works-highlights, cut, blow and style.

 

No rest for the wicked…

 

We Love these bus tours!

 

Brian’s Trifecta of Happiness – a comfortable chair, a good drink, and a fresh newspaper.

 

So many choices, so little time…

 

 

A full day of sightseeing! First, a walking tour of the Colosseum, followed by gelato in the park, a carriage ride through the city, and finally, another great meal at one of the many outdoor cafes.

Spring Break Vacation!!! So while Paige goes on a “field trip” with her 9th grade class to South Africa for 2 weeks, Brian and I are taking Grace and Olivia to Italy for a Roman Holiday! First order of business after a grueling flight was a little sightseeing, some much needed spirits, and FOOD! This pizza was so good, we immediately ordered another one after polishing off the first pizza. Unfortunately, some of us still have not acclimated to the time change. Oh well…more for me!

 

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. Happy New Year! Thank you for all the gifts and goodies-Christmas just keeps going and going for us this year. We love and miss you all!

 

Cathy Glenn Sullivan-WE ❤️ YOU! Thank for the awesome care package! It made our day this evening when we opened your box and received such wonderful surprises! So Blessed to have such a good friend! Xoxo-the Murphys.

Our last day in Paris we let the kids choose what to do. Needless to say, there were no churches, art galleries, or museums in sight. Instead we spent the day “horsing” around, drinking coffee, shopping at the Monoprix (a 4-story French version of our Target), an afternoon movie, and dinner at the kids’ favorite restaurant, the Hippopotamus. The Hippo is similar to our TGIF restaurants but with a French twist, in that they serve both foie gras and burgers here. BTW, the French eat their burgers and fries with a knife and fork. This sent my kids into gales of laughter every time they spotted a diner doing so. All in all, a full day and a fun night!

 

Au Revoir Paris! Merci beaucoup pour un grand moment. We will never forget you! XOXO – the Murphys

 

Paris at night is a sight not to be missed. The city turns into a much cooler, edgier, and altogether more glamorous place. We took a Sunset Seine River Cruise, followed by a Paris at Night City Tour. However, some of us were not nearly as impressed as I thought the occasion warranted.

The finale was the Eiffel Tower Light Show. This is a music and multi-light extravaganza reminiscent of the nightly Disney Fireworks display. When the Eiffel Tower turned pink, Olivia audibly gasped and exclaimed excitedly, “Look, they made a Barbie Tower!”