Italy -- the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica

We got tickets for an early morning "before the crowds" tour of the Vatican.  So did 3,000 of our closest friends, apparently.  But still, it was much less crowded than when we left the Vatican around 10:30am.  So there's that.

Hall of portraits (sculptures):

View of the city:

Statute of Laocoön and His Sons (getting eaten by snakes):

Sign for the Sistine Chapel (no photos allowed inside):

In St. Peter's basilica:

Yep, we decided to walk to the top of the dome (all 551 stairs!):

Amazing view!

Italy -- golf car tour

We started our time in Rome with a golf cart tour to get oriented to the city.  In addition to the usual tourist sites, we saw a couple of unique things.

The Roseta, rose gardens, open only during the month of May:

This cat sanctuary, which is actually an archeological site near the place where Julius Caesar was killed:

Gift shops, naturally:

And this one-person car, called a Twizy:

Italy -- en route

Coop and I have been planning and saving for a year for our trip to Italy.  At last, it's time!

Quick lunch in Charlotte, NC airport:

And then we snuck out during our layover to see the Aviation Museum, where the "Miracle on the Hudson" plane is housed:

Back at the airport awaiting our flight to Rome:

Movies!

And sleeping!

More...

Alan and Cooper facedtimed one evening and discovered they were wearing the same shirt!

Sleepy...

Mother's Day breakfast in bed!

Sorting through all of the papers and treasures that came home from school, from the backpack, and from the jacket pocket.

Fashion sense!

Early May

For Cinco de Mayo, Coop made Alan nachos:

With quite an impressive drink selection:

Coop's first piano recital!

He did great!

Coop and Alan also went to KC to see 42nd Street:

Apparently, they loved it!

Spring fever

Bath time with glow sticks!

 I talked Coop into doing some exercise workouts with me:

It's working -- look at those muscles!

Practicing piano with Jenny (around his neck):

A surprise May Day basket and flowers

Great Wolf Lodge

Cooper's friend Katherine invited him a couple of others to celebrate her birthday at Great Wolf Lodge.  By all accounts, they had a blast!

Magic wands:

Milk shakes:

Swimming:

Only a few hours left...

Choir Concert

The upper elementary students at Raintree (4th-6th graders) put on a concert this spring.  Choral and band (and even some recorders!).  Cooper was so looking forward to this event.  Unbelievably excited.

He's second from the right in the second row (light blue shirt, tie):

Afterward:

And then it was Raintree fundraising night at Orange Leaf (ice cream place).  So everyone went there from the concert.  A lot of hyped up, sugar-rushed kids that night!

April Fools Day and other fun

Thank goodness April Fools Day was a Saturday and I didn't have to worry about Coop doing crazy shenanigans at school!  Instead, he and I had a pretty low-key day.  Here was one of his tricks:

Coop and Eleanor at Gus's birthday party in March:

At a Broadway and brunch even in Lawrence: