Happy Birthday Sam!

Our captain, Stefano, driving us away from Castellammare del Golfo

Sam turned 4!  Or, as it is conceptualized in Italian, Sam now has 4 years.  Our age is not our identity ("I am 4") but something that we have, something that has happened to us, but has not defined us.  Sam ha 4 anni - he has 4 years.

I knew when we scheduled this trip for June and July that our boys would celebrate their birthdays here, in Italy, away from their friends and family and away from a place where it would be practical to give them many gifts or take them to Dave and Busters or Chuck E. Cheese.  Nate understood this and accepted it, but I wasn't sure how much Sam understood.  So, on the morning of his birthday, there were a half a dozen balloons (filled with air, not helium) saying "Tanti Auguri" and a few cards that friends and family members had sent to me before our trip.

The middle of the day was relatively ordinary for vacation standards, but part of the time was spent organizing a birthday dinner for him (and us!).  At around 7pm, we dressed into slightly fancier clothes and made our way to Castellammare del Golfo, a town near here for a dinner boat cruise.  We boarded a pontoon boat to find a table for 5 and a nice young guy named Stefano (who spoke no English!) who would take us around the little gulf and serve us a dinner we had preselected.

Our boat putted around as we dined on prosciutto e grana (cured ham with parmesan cheese), risotto with seafood, veal cutlets and fried calamari.  After a stop to view the (almost) full moon and take some inspiring photos of the little town, water and moon, Stefano served watermelon and cannoli (instead of birthday cake).  We lit a "4" candle, placed it in the watermelon and sang "Tanti Auguri a te" to Sam.

No, not your typical 4-year-old birthday, but one we will always remember, even if he doesn't.  Happy Birthday, Sam!  We love you so much and are so thankful we could share this birthday with you on this trip of a lifetime!