Week 6: Leaving Sardinia, Swing Set & a Birthday!

It has been a busy week here!  We finished our week in Sardinia and came home to prepare for Maria's big FIRST birthday!

Maria meets a blueberry gelato cone in Sardinia.  It was a happy discovery!

We spent a few more days on the beach.  Maria wore more material on her body
than the rest of the outfits on the beach combined!

Gio was very rarely out of the water (snorkeling is a new passion).  Here is a rare moment on dry land. 

On the ferry ride back to Livorno.  Vacations are exhausting!

Maria was so hungry once we returned home that she insisted on having the entire bowl of pasta.  

Gio and Maria were very excited on Wednesday morning to see the big birthday surprise being installed....

A sandbox....

...and a swing set!

Time to drop Gio at camp.

Bath toys are not just for the bath, right?!

Birthday morning snuggling.

What a difference a year makes!

Her first ever birthday card!  Thanks, Grace & Family!

Loot!

First cupcake ever....

...and the verdict...

......hmmmm.....

...need another taste....

so so.  This is all she ate.  Clearly she did NOT inherit her momma's sweet tooth!

Birthday swinging.

She would happily do this for an hour (and has done so every day since!)

Enzo is a big fan of the sandbox.
We do try to keep Pepper away (there is a cover to keep it from becoming his litter box)!

Cupcake rejected but a popsicle?  Score!
These are helping Maria who has been cutting 4 molars for the last two weeks.  Poor thing!

Saturday afternoon and time for the big birthday party!

This entire cake is made of gelato!
Maria ate none of it but we all managed to finish it anyway.  Yum!

She drank it all!

This is Paolo's final week in Italy.  Maria and I will return to Kyiv on August 22.  Paolo will fly back here that day in order to start the drive with the boys.  It is sad that our time here is coming to an end.