Another busy Christmas week in Bermuda.

I say this every year - the first two weeks of December in BDA are madness. 

This year remained true to form.  Even though it is a frenzied time, I know deep down I am going to miss it one day.  Probably when I am trolling the malls of NJ and cursing the feet of snow on Rt 4.



Miss Mina enjoys some challah bread baked for her class to celebrate Hanukkah! 



Both kids had their Christmas pageants this week - on two different nights. 

As a year 6, this was Jordan's last go at it.  He was Elf #6, celebrating eco consciousness with "Santa Goes Green for Christmas."  The soundtrack this year was pretty good, actually; and I am sure we will enjoy the two different DVD recordings I ordered, each capturing a different night of performing.



Weekend baking began - I made a tray of my most requested recipe: nutella bites.  They can easily be made festive with some holiday sprinkles.  See, look how festive!



Theo had his first encounter with Jolly St. Nick.  His reaction is less than ideal.  No cute Christmas ornament out of this one.  At least he wasn't flat out screaming.  Although that might have been more amusing.



He was slightly mollified by me sitting next to him.  Unfortunately, the moment happened so quickly Mina wasn't able to get the best shot.  Oh well.



One of the highlights of the weekend was the 2015 Bermuda Boat Parade.  Held on alternate years, we were so happy we could see one more before our departure.  Even better, good friends invited us to their boat party, held in their room at the Newstead Hotel.  With two decks overlooking the harbor, there is no question we had a phenomenal angle to watch the festivities.

It's also one of those ideas that would never have occurred to an ex pat like myself.  Our friends are Bermudian, and they reserved the suite a year ahead of time with their extended families.  Everyone get together, brings food, the kids run around, and the adults can relax knowing no one is going to fall into the water off Albouy's Point (a popular viewing spot directly in town - and the last place we took the kids to see the show years ago.)  The next day was warm enough for swimming in the hotel infinity pool.



We got there early enough to catch the sun setting in the harbor.



Theo was in a good mood. 



As night fell, the illuminated boats made their way around the water promenade.  There were some showings from the teams racing the America's Cup as well.  Japan's team had a Hello Kitty boat, complete with the Japanese flag, the trophy and an amazing sound system that echoed off the water.  Of course I couldn't get a decent picture of that.



At the end, fireworks exploded from Wright's Island.  Once again, I lamented my inability to fully understand my camera features.  Many shots later, I got a couple that aren't a complete mess.



The weekend drew to a close with a farewell party at the Botanical Gardens.  Saying goodbye to our friends, the Schwartz's was very hard.  They have been on the island for eight years and were the first family to welcome us here.  I still remember their welcome basket (complete with a pineapple - the symbol of welcome!) being driven to the grocery store by them the first week since we had no car or license, being invited to their home for so many holidays and meals.  Our kids have played together, we've broken bread many times (and maybe a few glasses as well.)  And we've shared in the very unique experience of two American families abroad in Bermuda.

Seeing them leave feels like the end of an era.

Little fish in turquoise waters.

I am so spoiled by Bermuda beaches.  Really, truly spoiled. 

But it took me 40 years to get here and appreciate them. 

My kids don't know much else.  Boy, are their brains in for a shock when we get back to the US.

Father's Day Festivities

This past weekend, we celebrated Father's Day in our uniquely social media sort of way:

First, I posted some of my favorite pictures of my own father, on Facebook.  These are from my wedding.  Doesn't he clean up nicely?

I also admired all the pictures my friends put up of their dads. Great minds think alike.



And then, I actually went old school and picked up the phone to call him and wish him a great day.  That's a rare thing for me as I am notoriously bad at calling.  Email, text and FB are my go to sources for most communication.  I should probably work on that.

Except, that I love how my parents have adopted to FB and use it regularly.



Although sometimes, my mom prefers I not post so much information there. And sometimes she blocks me.

That's ok, it's all part of the fun.

Back on the home front, I decided to do a pre- Father's Day celebration on Saturday night. 

We had steak, which Jeff loves.. and home made chocolate cake... which everyone must love or be considered barbaric in my book.  This recipe is an adaptation of the Barefoot Contessa's double chocolate layer cake. 

It rocked.



I unilaterally decided Jeff needs some real Bermuda shorts to wear to work (yes, that is perfectly acceptable work wear here.) 

A truly authentic ensemble would include the knee length socks in another bright color, and proper polish-able shoes.  But I didn't think Jeff would wear the socks.. so I will bide my time.

The kids made him special hand crafted items in school - messages in a bottle and cards to show their appreciation. They also assisted in the shopping and picking out a tie.  Jordan wanted one with cows on it, and Mina was opting for the pink one with the whales.  They both agreed on a very satiny lime green one, which oddly enough matched our Kia Soul perfectly. 

Again, I opted for a conservative look.  Royal Blue shorts and diagonal striped blue tie with golden accents.  We got the hat because it's cute.

We got the Twizzlers because Jeff has a sweet tooth.

On Father's Day, proper, Jeff spent the morning playing golf with other husbands liberated from the home front.  Oddly enough.. Jeff tends to do this most Sundays, but that's ok.  Everyone needs some down time.

Having the morning to himself must have relaxed him. 



Here we are at Tucker's restaurant for their annual Father's Day Barbecue. 

Normally, we tend to avoid the member events here because it's hard to get your money's worth with our kids.  They don't eat that much, and events here can get expensive.  It's another one of those things one has to consider about visiting (or living) in BDA.  While there are inexpensive restaurant options, compared to most of the US... it's pricey. 

But we splurged this year!  The staff did a great job.  The food was wonderful, and the table service for the sides and desserts was showman worthy.



It was also fun seeing good friends to share the day with.  Miss Mina cracks me up.  She has the photo-bomb look on her face, even though she is seriously taking this picture.
    

Rockin BBQ's.

Everyone knows, I love me some good BBQ. And while BDA is a far cry from the backyard grill pits of the states, there are a few people on the island who appreciate the fine art of adding meat to fire.



Welcome to a little afternoon backyard BBQ at the Schwartz's house.









The grown ups ate... the kids rocked out.

ok, one grown up snuck in there... Hi Amy!

For those not willing to rock... there was still plenty of tumbling to be had.. hi Jordan!

weekend recap

After being out of commission for so long, it felt good having such a nice weekend.

Friday (which in my mind kick starts the weekend) began with wacky hair day at camp. Easy enough.

That evening, we went out for dinner at Blackbeard's Hideout in St. Georges. I'm smiling, but it was in spite of the food. Sorry. I wasn't very happy, and I'm usually pretty forgiving about pub fare. It's a pretty view of Achilles Bay, and I really wanted to love it, especially since it's so close to home. Alas, it was not meant to be. Maybe they were having a bad night. But I'll never understand how food can come out bad when you've only got a three tables of people to serve.

I'm a little more relaxed about bedtimes in the summer. When we got home, instead of rushing about to take baths and start the bedtime routine, we just hung out on the deck and watched the sunset.

And took the last pictures of Jordan before his big haircut. Ignore the shrek foot there on the banister.

Jordan is quite prolific these days. After his haircut on Saturday, he felt the need to document the experience. These are his diary notes which he posted on my living room wall.

They read:

"I got the worst hair cut today. Hot water in my hair. It was burning to the chair."

It's a good thing I document everything too. I took a camera pic to mark what reality actually looked like. Clearly, this child is being tortured.

Saturday night, and back on the deck.

On Sunday, we were all about hitting the beach.

Short hair comes in handy now. Especially given the scheduled activities...

riding the waves...

striking a pose...

burying daddy...

playing some frisbee...

feeding the birds...

techie-techie-ing ...

and of course...nap time.

Yay summer!