We’ve had some really wonderful family visits and an increasing stream of friendly visitors, but not many of our good friends from Canada have yet made the Italian leap since we’ve been here. So it was with great joy that we greeted my proper pal Zaya to spend a weekend with us between his travels from London to Brussels.
Zaya was one of the first true contacts I made when I arrived in Ottawa from Toronto in 2014. We bonded immediately after a viewing of the modern cinematic classic ‘her’ and our friendship has only developed since. So much so, he was a no brainer as a charismatic MC at our wedding.
Over years of shared passion for Toronto Raptors basketball, global affairs and 90s hip hop, our friendship has become the best kind: effortless! Aleksander took quickly to our new visitor and flexed his budding pronunciation skills to master his name.
We’re starting to joke that it seems easier to see guests in Rome than in Ottawa, even when they live a few hours away. Either way, we’re grateful to be in this wonderful place and share some of our time and experiences with old and new friends alike.
It seems that we’re always a bit late in learning what’s actually happening in the Italian life right around us. Case in point, in late June we started to wonder about daycare in August as it didn’t seem they accepted our payment. Maybe we already paid and forgot?! Maybe it’s a shortened schedule. Or maybe, daycare, like the rest of Italy, is absolutely closed for the entire month!
Thankfully, Dalia has a good amount of flexibility at work and was able to secure the month off but four full weeks with our dynamic toddler is asking a lot of any individual. So we thought it’s the best possible time to invite and have Dalia’s mom stay with us for a few weeks. She also had some time available away from work and it seemed like a scheduling match made in heaven.
As my mom had come to visit us last Christmas, she had spent some time with us in Rome and with Aleksander after our departure from Canada. On the other hand, Dalia’s mom, babulya Lilia hadn’t seen our little guy in almost a year and a half. Even though we both try to keep our families’ informed of Aleksander’s development in photos, videos and calls, there’s just no replacing the real thing.
So as I mostly spent the sweltering days of August in the office, mom, daughter and grandson explored Rome, made crafts, put together puzzles sang at the piano, baked and had a fun time. Aleksander mastered Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do at 21 months. It was great to see the growing bond between grandma and Aleksander. Dalia was also going through a significant transition in her weaning journey and having her mom nearby was exactly what the doctor ordered!
This visit, being Lilia’s first time in Europe, gave her plenty of things to google and learn about. One of our weak spots is leaning into the history of Rome and Dalia’s mom could always be counted on to share knowledge and facts about where we’ve been living for almost two years now. Her zeal for history and learning was eternally refreshing and inspiring. Dalia keeps many of these tidbits in her back pocket and shares them with our other guests.
Dalia’s mom left at the end of August with an Italian tan and many memories that we will all cherish. We look forward to creating more memories with babulya, whether it’s again in Rome or somewhere. Alla prossima, Nonna babulya Lilia!
Since Dalia’s mom was in town, and after a few weeks and relationship building between her and Aleksander, we took up her kind offer of babysitting while we struck into the city for our first (unaccompanied) evening date since last November in Dubai.
Dalia’s favourite location in Rome is the hub around the Spanish Steps and we just so happened to have stumbled upon a restaurant recently that we thought was worth trying. The stars were aligned for some precious husband wife date time!
As might be expected on any given Thursday of parental life, we rolled into the restaurant thoroughly exhausted and also slightly stressed at leaving Aleksander for so long (aka two hours) without us for his bedtime routine. A bottle of wine and some cod fritters helped to manage some of those emotions but we discussed the complex realities of parenting, romance, adulting, family and life abroad as Dalia’s mussel linguine and my lamb chop arrived.
We ate, chatted and tried to lean into our evening. As time passed and grandma updates came through, we decided to roll up the date, skip dessert and return home to lay some kisses down on our softly sleeping baby.
You can take the parent away from the kid… but not for very long and not all that easily!
Dad In The World 