The Palatine Hill and Forum

I head toward the circus maximus because I think that I’m heading

Rachel teaching and John looking at his feet

 away from tourist stuff and toward normal people food, but I’m heading toward the business area with no food, so I turn around and realize that Oscar is asleep in the stroller finally.  I decided to take what’s in the bag and move on with my life.  We get our tickets to the Palatine hill and forum at the group entrance and get in really easily.  I mis-remembered the area because there are not grassy areas where Oscar can play up by

sleeping baby through rough terrain

 Romulus’ hut like I thought, but while he’s asleep, I figure that I can find a way into the forum, but the ramp part is pure stones and cobbles.  I figure I’m going to wake him up, but he sleeps through every bump and I actually take a picture of the sleeping baby, the cobble stones and bad spots so that I can send a picture to the stroller company.  The stroller is currently living up to expectations and the research that I did seems to be 

my favorite shot of the Coliseum because of the poppies

 paying off, because Roman ruins are really rough.  When you’re walking over them, you realize that you can turn an ankle really easily, but when you’re pushing a stroller, you realize that it’s even worse than you remember.  We were able to take some pictures of Rachel and John teaching the group down at the Arch of Constantine and then yell at John where we would be when he enters the forum.  We head back to the 

more rough ground that doesn't wake up Oscar

bathrooms and Oscar finally wakes up for some food, some running around and of course, we have to go away from the stairs because he won’t do anything else if they’re in his eyesight.  We feed the pigeons, which he tries to chase and catch, but they won’t let him get close.  While we’re playing another family comes past with the father pushing the baby in the same stroller I have and the mother looking very haggard.  I tell 

because why wouldn't your baby be playing around ruins

them that the stroller is good, “but it’s not Roman ruins good” and she agrees before realizing that I had the exact same stroller which at least made her laugh.  She had to ask about Oscar’s age because her child is not walking yet, but is only a month behind him which means that it will start running next 

Oscar could care less about chariot races

 week since that’s what it feels like Oscar did.  We find some water and eat some more and run into John with the students at the top of the Palatine hill.  We get to sit for a few minutes and watch Oscar run up and down a hill and catch up before it’s time for him to move the group to the Capitoline 

there's some bird that needs attention

museums.  Oscar and I attempt to see the ancient Christian church that has been opened up in the last year, but even though the path says that it is easy, it’s not easy enough for a stroller.  An Italian man takes pity on me and helps me over the worst of the stones and I have found that while no one in Italy has tried

Oscar is bored by the idea of an ancient republic

 to steal Oscar yet (like my mother warned me because they kept trying to take my brother when he was younger) they are very happy to talk to him, help me with the stroller, and then give me dirty looks that I don’t have him clothed well enough for the chilly May that they believe that they are 

last supper fresco before Leonardo did it right

having.  I’m sweating like a pig, Oscar gets mad whenever I put his coat on him and it’s snowing at home, so they’re 65 degrees with a light breeze is not scarf and jacket weather to us.  One Italian matron told me that he had to be cold (I at least know that much Italian), but the kid is a Michigander and he doesn’t tolerate heat well.