Pineapples

While it may look like we all love pictures, I am in fact the only one who loves taking pictures. It often takes a kinderegg or some treat to bribe these two to take a picture with me and a glass of Primitivo for Randy to take it, but i always get my picture…..even if it sometimes looks like this.

Adam and Malcolm are loving Italian food. I have never seen Adam eat as much as he has this trip. He has been taking down gelatos, fish, pizza, steak, nectarines, even sandwiches. Malcolm, who always eats well has been eating but for once Adam is eating him under the table every time.

These two are  also obsessed with acqua frizzante or ‘spicy water’ as its known in the Ali home and of course this must be accompanied with multiple cheers. I am jinxing myself, but these two have yet to break a little wine glass (as Adam calls these glasses) yet.

While Randy and I have had amazing tomatoes here at every meal, both boys have stayed true to their hatred of tomatoes. One day they will regret the pounds of tomatoes they could have eaten here and didn’t. But do not fear, Randy and I have eaten our pound and their pound. Oh, and we’ve also eaten their pounds of Riccota and Mozzarella cheese as well.

This one has been speaking up a storm in Italy and is all of a sudden saying so much!

And here are a few new favorite words of Malcolm’s:

“Ok, deal” This is said on repeat when we are asking him to do something he shouldn’t be doing (like not run) and he says ‘ok, deal’ and  then continues to do whatever it was he was doing. His assumption is that by saying, ok, deal- that is enough and he can now ignore us and go about his merry way.

“This way” Also said on repeat when we are not going the direction he wants to go. Followed by him standing in one spot and not moving until we renegotiate our course of direction.

“Me too”  Also said on repeat when he is not given a treat quick enough after Adam has been given one.

“Ewwww, ucky” This one is pretty cute and pretty accurate, said in reference to garbage cans, dirty diapers and any food that he is not in the mood to eat at that moment.

“Yellow butterfly” and “Yellow cake” These are Malcolm’s two standbys. Whenever he is not being paid enough attention he will say mommy and daddy, until we stop and listen and then he will proudly proclaim – Yellow Butterfly.

“Ciao bella” This is a new one and is SO cute. Everyone here loves hearing Malcolm say this.

“Pineapple” Said to correctly identify a pineapple but also to incorrectly identify a pine cone. He then proceeds to get angry when you correct him and tell him it’s a pine cone and he insists it is in fact a pineapple.

While these two fight often over very important matters like who will get to hold the flashlight first seeing them spend all this time together and learn to play together and love each other even more has been amazing! And they really do play together so well. They hunt for lizards together, play at the beach together and spend loads of time in the car amusing each other.

Today at the beach there were a bunch of older boys playing volleyball in the water. Adam was watching them and I turned to him and said, one day that will be Adam and you and your friends. He thought about it for a moment and got excited and said yes. I also got excited thinking about these two little things traveling around Europe together experiencing this all again together as adults. For now though, I’ll enjoy them just as they are, my tomato hating, flashlight loving, trouble making little boys.