Open on Sunday

Poor Josh. It was rainy and cold this morning for his Sunday ride. I woke when Avery bounded into our bedroom, and I didn't want to get out from under the covers. That is sort of how the whole day went. Josh had been up earlier with his mom and Don who were off to the Amalfi Coast for a few days. I had breakfast with Avery and Olivia, and then a second shift when Charlotte got up. And then, I started making the chicken soup for lunch. What's better than chicken soup on a cold, rainy day?

Once he was back, Josh took a hot shower to thaw out. We tidied up and the girls did their homework -- Olivia begrudgingly. After lunch the boys took a nap. The girls practiced piano and listened to music.

So it wasn't until about 4pm, when Avery was still sleeping that the girls actually left the house for the first time today to go on a walk with daddy. Once Avery woke up, I drove us over to meet them at the local Pasticceria, Il Cigno. Everyone was able to choose one treat. Afterwards, we stumbled across a grocery store in the neighborhood-- and this on was open on Sundays, until 8pm no less. Moreover, we discovered it had an underground parking garage (I had already doubled parked down the street beside the trash cans - a Roman favorite). This was like hitting the jackpot!

Our outing for the day turned out to be combing the isles of the GS on Viale Parioli and discovering that either no one else knows that the store is open on Sundays (doubtful), or that Italians don't shop on Sundays. Very good to know. Sunday could be our new day at the market. I suppose the food must not be as fresh as it is on Monday though (our local GS grocery store is always packed on Monday mornings). We also noticed that at this GS, when more than two people were waiting to pay, another clerk opened up new cashier line. This would absolutely never happen where we'd been shopping. It doesn't matter if a dozen people are lined up, there never seems to be anyone else available to take their money.

It had become a real running discussion between Josh and I. When is the best time to go to the grocery store? You have to weigh the fact that it's crowded in the mornings but with more cashiers on duty, against the luxury of having no line at the fish or deli counter, but then waiting FOREVER to pay for your provisions. When you end up going to the store four times a week, it's helpful to get the timing right.

So at least we got a little fresh air today. I grilled whole fish for dinner -- Branzino. I've never seen the kids fight over fish! Let alone fish that just might have some bones in it. Not only did the girls especially like the fish, they fought over who gets to eat the cheeks and eyeballs off the head! Can you imagine??

We finished the evening off with a screening of Ratatouille. There is nothing cuter than seeing the three kids snuggled together on the love seat, watching the movie on the big projection screen, in the dark, just like at the theater. Maybe we'll make it a Sunday night tradition.