Spring Break in Tuscany at Agriturismo Diacceroni

We returned to Tuscany for our April break and I was so excited for the trip! We had such a great time the first time around with Nana and Pops. But since then, it felt like we needed to see other parts of Italy before returning to a place we'd already been. All of our trips to Italy have been wonderful, but there is just a special kind of magic in Tuscany. We told each other that we should have come back sooner! 

I booked cheap flights to Pisa and then spent some time researching kid-friendly agriturismos. Because while I just wanted to sit in the sun sipping wine and admiring the scenery for a week, we knew we needed more to keep the kids happy. We'd greatly enjoyed where we'd stayed the first time, but didn't think it had enough for bigger kids. I booked us a very affordable 3-bedroom apartment at Agriturismo Diacceroni, which looked to have a lot of fun things to do. We invited Oma and Opa to join us and had such a wonderful week. 

There was a heatwave when we arrived and we took advantage with some time at the pool before the welcome buffet dinner. 

Way too cold for me, but Maeve jumped in and Pete and Opa joined her. 

Stunning views of a lake in the valley below.

Three dinners were included for the week: the Saturday welcome dinner, a pizza night, and a pasta night. The tables were set up on the lawn and it was quite a popular place- there were three different bachelorette parties! Communication wasn't great at dinner time so we just kept sending the kids up to see what was put out. There was a musician and you could buy wine from the Agriturismo (5-8 euros a bottle) from reception. My kind of party! 

We could see the ice cream hut from our apartment- a highlight for the kids.

Exploring the grounds at sunset.

After the kids went to bed each night, Pete and I binged The Ripley series on Netflix. Fun to watch it while in Italy!

April 2024

A mild winter led to an early spring- horray! Though April ended up being a very rainy month! 

Hilary arranged a boat ride and dinner when some of her friends visited from Hong Kong. 

ISA hosted a new event, Oranjedag, an early King's Day celebration. Maeve signed up to sell toys and to perform on her violin in the busker's corner. Pete brought in a specially brewed beer to advertise his new beer endeavor. It was a very successful day! 

The ISA bear mimicking the Brouwerij Beetje bear! 

Nerves of steel for her first live performance

Pete's helpers!

For our April break, we had an amazing trip to Tuscany! And when we returned, we made our pilgrimage to the tulip fields. 

All of the pre-K classes came to Pete's science lab. Pete wowed Myra Mae, Mimi, and Jessie. 

We had a fun and sunny King's Day at Lien and Tareq's! 

Brouwerij Beetje's first beer was brewed. Amber and Eve was waiting on the official label in this photo. 

Pete and Maeve put their newfound pizza-making skills to the test at home. 

Jude's 4th Grade Marketplace team. They sold out of their baked goods! 

Jude is 10!!

A big milestone was reached for Jude, and us as parents, when he turned 10 at the end of March. What a blessing this boy has been in our lives. Jude is sensitive, curious, sharp, musical, the best big brother, and the sweetest son. 

His birthday was on the day before Easter so we had a 4 day weekend to celebrate him. With the kid's usual activities canceled for the holidays, we had all Saturday morning to have brunch and open presents. All Jude wanted this year was a Nintendo Switch and after some convincing, I relented. Maeve's friend, Ben, shares the same birthday as Jude and had his party on the day, which Jude was also invited to. Later that evening, we played Nintendo, made a ton of sushi and ate angel food cake. 

Also on Jude's birthday list was a trip to Walibi World, a Dutch amusement park about an hour from home. It is known for its thrill roller coasters so we wanted to wait to visit when Jude was tall enough to ride all of the rides. He just made the 140cm mark and we had an awesome day. We went on Easter Monday and expected big crowds due to the holiday, but were thrilled that it wasn't busy at all. Rain was forecast though it never came, but maybe it was enough to keep people away. 

Happy boy!

Maeve wasn't sure about rollercoasters, but eased her way in with some kiddie ones and by the end of the day, was riding all the ones she was big enough for! 

Found these decade-old ponchos and brought them incase of rain. They were great for riding the log flume ride. 

Nailed it! 

Such a great family day. 

Jude's cupcake treats for his in-school celebration

Jude opted for an escape room birthday party. The kids went in with someone from the center, while Pete and I enjoyed a drink on the sunny terrace. It was mafia-themed and the photos that lady took inside by the bar were hilarious. The kids escaped and had a great time! We had snacks and cake and then headed to a nearby park for some capture the flag.