Spring break in the Garden State, March 2016

In just a few months, we will be back in the US, and re acclimating to life in the states.  I'm trying  to picture it.  We have lived in Bermuda for over five and a half years now.  I always knew we would return to the US, and I've looked forward to it.  It's watching the process unfold that makes me pause.  I can't wait to move back.  I've missed it so much.  I have no ambivalence about it.  But the process isn't that easy.  There is so much to do between now and July.

Over spring break, we returned to NJ for some house hunting.  You know how much fun it is to watch couples wander through homes on House Hunters or Love it Or List It?  It's not that much fun in real life with kids in tow or where your budget basically gets you the equivalent of Snoopy's dog house.  It's also different when you have a house of your own that must be sold, and it needs work before you can put it on the market.  Technology has improved over the years, so it's easier to view houses online and get a good feel for them before you go out to look at them in person.  That helps a lot since flying back and forth from BDA to the US to look at houses as a whole family is cost prohibitive.

Thankfully, on this trip, Grandma H and Michael took over kid duty, and left Jeff and I some solo time to look at homes, reinstate our state driver's licenses, and debate the pros and cons of mid century modern vs Victorian home ownership.

Unfortunately, this round didn't reveal the droids we were looking for.  Last week's solo trip on my end didn't either.  But, we have hooked up with a fantastic agent, who was vetted by my own real estate mogul brother no less.  She's been very helpful thus far, and I hope she will bear with us as we forge the path of home ownership again.

After exhausting the list of homes available to see, we decided the kids needed a break.  New Jersey is a wonderful place for kids, as I knew from the years we spent living there, when I was deep in the trenches of motherhood.  With two kids under the age of two, we spent a lot of time in the parks. Van Saun was a favorite.  They have renovated significantly, over the years.  None of that matters to a gymnast though. 

He saw toadstool seats and decided it was time for a spin.

Kids U. was another popular place for us.  Back it the day, I took Jordan and then Mina to mommy and me classes. Maybe I'm feeling overly nostalgic.  It was also the home of the infamous telephone in the toilet incident.  Mommies are not allowed to go to the bathroom during gym class, even if their daughter is left in the care of her teacher.  If mommy departs, it must mean it is time to start banging on the bathroom door, which results in mommy darting up, phone falling out of the back pockets of mommy's oversize corduroy Costco pants, and falling into the toilet.

 Kids U is also great because it had a huge play quad that you could use whenever.  We revisited it this time with Theo, who had a blast.



Spending some time in the Poconos over Easter.  The chilly weather encouraged the Easter bunny to hide the eggs somewhere warm... like the playroom. 



I got to enjoy my birthday over the break as well.  We had a lovely family dinner at Trattoria 903.



Theo didn't disgrace himself too badly.  There may still be some hope of taking him out to eat with us in the future (fingers crossed.)



Grandma and Michael got a Chocolate cake to rival all chocolate cakes for a lifetime.



Jeff and I also did some solo celebrating at the Mermaid Oyster Bar in NYC. 



And we enjoyed Aperol Spritz toasts for an evening of solitude at the Battery Park Ritz Carlton, kid free.

Between time spent with family and seeing good friends in our old town, I felt the week was supremely successful, even though we couldn't find the right house.  I vaguely remember when we purchased our first home.  I still can't exactly recall how we wound up in the town we did, or how long it took us to find the right home.  I remember loving the house and wishing it was in our budget.  Back in 2006, pretty much everything was overpriced thanks to the housing bubble. So, with this next move, I really wish it could be our last one - one to settle into our final house, the forever home.

The search continues.

Turning 11 - Birthday celebrations for Jordan.

We are going on six years now since we moved to Bermuda; and somehow during that time, this guy turned 11.

This was what Jordan looked like when we first moved here.  November 2010.  At the playground at Somersfield Academy.




And now:  January 17, 2016.



How did that happen again?

To celebrate, we had a full weekend of festivities.  Grandmas Helene and Grandpa Michael joined us again from New York.  This makes their 12th visit to Bermuda!





Ice cream is yummy! So is the birthday breakfast brunch at Bouchee! Thanks for the special treat, Helene and Michael.

Jordan had a birthday movie party at the Specialty Cinema in town.  We watched the first episode of Star Wars - IV, "A New Hope."  Big thanks to Ana, who handled the booking.  After some miscommunication regarding party times, she contacted me later and adjusted the price of the party to reflect the mistake.  I never asked her to, she just offered.  I love recognizing great customer service like that.  The staff at the cinema the day of also should be commended for keeping their cool and carrying on during the onslaught of 15 boys.

Oh look - there they are.

Group shot.









Jeff was the welcoming wagon:





shenanigans.



The Star Wars cake, courtesy of The Marketplace. They did a great job, and given Bermuda prices, it wasn't that expensive.








Loads of presents from his friends.



That evening, we went out to dinner at Portofino - a family favorite.  Jordan was serenaded by the waiters, who delight in calling him various names.  It's usually Pasquale.. this evening they chose Miguel.  They also know he is a huge fan of the Parmesan cheese.  When the waiter comes by with it for the table, he heads to Jordan first.

Their desserts also don't disappoint.



This guy was allowed to leave the confines of his cage for a little while as well.  Look how nicely he is buttering his bread.  That lasted for about 30 seconds.  And then he was a disaster.  He's not the best age for restaurants yet, but we try in limited doses.  Portofino is fabulously accommodating on that front. 

 

The next night was a Monday, and the actual date of Jordan's birth, but he had gymnastics after school.  He doesn't get home till after 8, but we all waited to eat with him (well, except Theo..)  A cheese plate and wine helped tide over the grownups until we feasted later. 

First there was steak.  Then there was cake.

 

I made a two layer chocolate cake and covered it with sprinkles.

 

He loved it.



Hard to believe that our time here is now marked in terms of "this will be the last time.."  But it's true.  I'm fairly certain this will be the last time we will be celebrating Jordan's birthday in Bermuda in January! 

Hope he remembers it fondly. 

Thanksgiving in Bermuda, 2015

I haven't begun detoxing from Thanksgiving weekend yet, so it's still fair game to post celebratory pictures.

 

We hosted a Friends giving dinner this year, and it turned out great!  Several weeks were spent planning and shopping and madly pinteresting..

 

Not really.

 

 I did enjoy looking at Pinterest a lot for inspiration, but I did not want to make myself any crazier than I already am.  The one bit of advice I took to heart actually came off of a site called Houzz.  They have a great plan ahead list that I looked at a few times this month.  The tip I borrowed from them is to print out your recipes ahead of time and make a laminated binder.  I know it sounds nuts, but I did it, and I can't tell you the number of times I flipped thru it in the days leading up to T-day.  On the day of cooking itself, it was instrumental.  I've gone back and printed out some pictures and  laminated my shopping lists and prep times and added it to the binder, so I am ALL SET for next year. 

 

I told myself I was going to be super organized this year, and I was.  Apart from the day my landlord came in (Thanksgiving Eve) and installed a new washing machine and proceeded to break the water valve, and I had an inch of water all over my floor.  No planning for that, alas.  I also didn't plan to drop an empty wine bottle and chip out a piece of my kitchen tile. 

 

Ooops.  It's not a party till something gets broken, right?

 

 

Southern Comfort Apple pie, pre baking.  I love this recipe, but it gave me some trouble this year when it came to warming it up.  I don't know why, since I've made it at least a half dozen times.  Pies can get crazy on you sometimes.  As long as they taste good, though, who cares?



Some fall inspired decorating the week of.  I also set the table the night before and watched Theo like a hawk so he wouldn't pull the tablecloth down and destroy my wedding glassware.



Very simple tablescape.  I got lucky and scored some sunflowers the day of the party.  It's not always easy to find what you want the day you want it, here in BDA, so I was super happy.  The burlap was another score here on the island.  I love Urban Cottage. 



Crostini, with goat cheese, fig jam and toasted pepita - courtesy of the Food network magazine I picked up while we were vacationing last month in the US.  Delicious, but you really have to time the laying out.  I put it out a bit too soon, I think and the cheese got a little dry.



We had quite a few kids join us, and they had their own table, which I covered in a chalkboard tabletop runner (another Urban Cottage find.) I put out a bunch of puffy paint pens and chalkboard markers, and they went to town.  I know you can find this stuff really easy in the US, but it's more of a challenge here.  Kudos to DNA Creative Shoppe, here in Hamilton.  I walked in and swooned. I won't even tell you how much I spent on pens for myself.  I am a notorious pen junkie, and hide all the good ones so the kids don't take them.



Jeff opening the libations.  Prosecco topped with a splash of Aperol liqueor.  I may have enjoyed these a wee bit too much.



Yeah - exhibit A on that point.  Look at my wee beady eyes.  When will I ever learn?

I was happy to host this dinner for a number of reasons, among them - it gave me a chance to toast a goodbye to our dear friends, who will be leaving the island in December.  They welcomed us here five years ago, and have been like family to us.  They depart for the US, and I know, as sad as it is right now, we will see each other again soon.



Miss Mina, posing with the ever fabulous Nisha.  I have never seen a bad picture of this woman. 

 

And my favorite part - the leftovers the next day!  YES!  This turkey was so good. I used the recipe from Anne Burell, and brined it in my fridge.  No fancy heritage birds for me (since they don't exist here, and the fresh ones I've ordered in the past are too small to feed the crowd I had.)  I just used a boring old Butterball, but defrosted it properly, herbed and buttered it properly, let it do a dry out in the fridge the night before, and flipped it during cooking (with Jeff's help.)  I think that's key.  Her recipe doesn't say anything about that, but I know you have to do the flip. 

 

Flipping is your friend.

 

Also, make the gravy ahead of time.  Ain't no one got time to make gravy when there are twenty people waiting to be fed.  I used Chef John's recipe. He's never failed me.

 

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! 

 

Weekend in NYC. Happy Mother's Day 2015!

Mother's Day has passed, but I have to highlight the awesome gift I received from Jeff and the kiddos - a solo trip to NYC!



Jeff booked the tickets to coincide with the Memorial Day weekend, which also happens to be a long weekend in Bermuda. With the kids and Jeff both off from work and school, I was happy to fly off relatively guilt free. 

Check out the fabulous view of Times Square in the morning, taken from the concierge lounge at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel. 

And check out the other ubiquitous NYC shot- pidgeons, per Jordan's request. 

"Mommy, take a picture of the NYC pidgeons!"  

He still likes birds. NYC pidgeons deserve their own screen time, I guess. 

There you go, Jordan. I wonder if he remembers the story I told him about the time I saw a flock of them ripping apart hot dogs in the street that someone had tossed from a hot dog cart. 

The trip didn't start out too well. I guess everyone on the island was trying to get off that day, so I wound up literally in the back of the plane.  I mean, exactly the back of the plane.  Right next to the toilet. 

Ugh.

Double ugh, was the fact that the passenger sitting next to me took up almost half of my seat.  I tried hard not to look miffed about it, because I'm sure she was just as uncomfortable as I was.  There's got to be some easy way to break the tension in situations like this. There's no ignoring the obvious size issue. We're both annoyed - neither of us is comfortable, we're both crammed in. What's the point of being a jerk about it? Everyone on the plane is miserable. What can you do?

Turns out, the absolutely horrific turbulence we experienced wound up breaking the ice as we both sat there panicking out loud.  Each time one of us gripped the arm rest, sharing looks of fear, the minor issue of lack of space became meaningless.

When the passenger seated across from me started throwing up from air sickness, I really started praying.  So was my seat mate. Nothing like a shared plane crash to initiate a friendship.

We landed, thank God, and as soon as possible, I charged out of there - ready to start my adventures.

People approach NYC trips differently.  Some go for the Broadway shows and tourist stuff.  I go to see friends, shop and eat.

A lot.

My one desire was to indulge on these guys. And loads of them.  Fresh oysters are non existent in Bermuda, at least to my knowledge. When I've asked about it, I've been told they bring them in frozen. 

Not the same. 

I also haven't had any as last seasons pregnancy got in the way of my normal eating habits.  

Needless to say, this craving has taken on a life of its own. 

So, after checking into the hotel, I headed downtown about twenty blocks to Chelsea. Home of one of my favorites: John Dory Oyster Bar. 

 

It's a great oyster place that I managed to visit twice in my weekend in NYC.  Yes, twice.  So gluttonous.  Jeff and I went there once on a rare kid free weekend. It wasn't quite the same without my oyster buddy.



But I soldiered on. He would be proud.

That first night, I met up with good sorority friends/ex housemates from college.  

 One of the main reasons I stay active on Facebook is because it's a great way of maintaining connections when you live abroad. With the ease of a few messages  to friends, I was able to set up the weekend. I'm lucky enough to have a handful of friends who actually make the effort too. They are the best!

Of course, it's a little tricky fitting in everyone and everything into just a couple days. Which is why I clearly need to do trips abroad more often!

My Leonia girls met me out to celebrate among the rooftops at sunset.  I suggested this place I read about called "Gallow Green."



Really lovely garden setting atop the old McKittrick Hotel. The Highline is right next door and it's a gorgeous spot of foliage in an otherwise urban landscape. 

We did some damage, as we caught up on town gossip and eyed the hipsters around us.  Ok, we may not be 20 something whippersnappers, but we're obviously comfortable enough in our dotage to command an entire table for hours on end and rate a chilled wine bucket from the bartender. We got some looks on that one.

 No standing in line at the bar for single beers for us, thank you.  We're old, tired and have earned the right to sit down. 

The departure however, was slightly more macabre than I am used to. Remind me to read up on interactive theatrical productions ("Sleep No More" is the show being performed downstairs) before I drag my poor unsuspecting friends through one of these again. Oh NYC, you never disappoint.



Sundays used to mean brunch for us. So what better way to spend it than with this guy- who trained it in from CT.   We had a lovely, chic lunch at the Nomad hotel.  It was so chic that I had to go get more food immediately after.

Yes, that's me.  Eating my second brunch.  Secondies?  At John Dory again. 

It's especially convenient because it's right next to this place!!



EATALY!!  The lines turned out to be too long, so we wandered further uptown and found a gelato place that was just as good.

Eating my way through NYC continued that evening as I met some friends out for    dinner in the west village. Oysters first, of course. At a tiny little niche called "Virgola."

It was a challenge finding the place because 1. I have no sense of direction; and 2.  Because it is a tiny place. 

But if you can get there (28 Greenwich Ave x 9th ave)  the oysters are worth it. The manager was also incredibly nice to us. First, he discussed oysters with me in a way that helped educate me without being condescending. And despite the fact that the reservation I made was for two only, he didn't make a fuss when two more friends showed up just to sit for a bit, drink prosecco and leave. Very gracious as the tables are right up on each other and seating was coveted. We tipped accordingly. 

After, we headed over for dinner at Agave  - a lovely Mexican/Southwestern place not far from NYU.  A friend picked it out and my only criterion was "I want a place where the maître d' isn't telling me that I am being too loud."

It delivered. Great food, great company. And they stuck us in the back so I could cackle to my heart's content.  I have a loud laugh. What can I say?

Of course, in between all this gluttony, I did do the very specific shopping I had in mind (running shoes and American Girl merchandise for my daughter's upcoming birthday). 

The American Girl store deserves it's own post, no doubt. I was overwhelmed. I did manage to buy the things I knew my birthday girl has been asking for since last Christmas. So I hope she will appreciate that I used my very limited overseas duty exemption to cart this stuff back on the island. 

Without a doubt, one of the most extravagant Mother's Day gifts ever. I have the best family ever!

P.s.  

As an addendum, for those of you confused about how to behave on an air

plane and why, read this:  How to be a good person on an airplane

 

I cracked up.