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.
The holiday season continued in full force this week. Mina, who only recently began playing clarinet, had a holiday concert called, "Carols for All," at St. John's Church.
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When you are immersed in a country as beautiful as this, it's easy to forget how old it is. There is so much history on this tiny little island. St. John's Church, is over 400 years old.
This is where the performance was held. It's very close to the kids school (and home too. As an aside, the arch bishop, who delivered a reading this evening, had a hand in welcoming Theo to the island a year ago. Without his wife (Fiona Dill, a nurse, midwife and doula) I am 100% sure I would have given birth to my third child on the floor of my dining room.
While we sat in the pews, Jeff wondered why the school wouldn't bother to create a separate auditorium.
And then the orchestra began to play, and we realized that despite its age, the acoustics here were amazing.
Miss Bean. She is the littlest one in the entire orchestra, and was invited to join it last year.
Sitting stil for long periods of time is not easy, alas. But I reminded him of the hours Mina used to spend sitting in the gym waiting for him to finish training.
It was worth it though. Mina did an amazing job and it was lovely seeing her perform, as well as the older groups. Clarinet is a new instrument for her, which she took up on her own initiative. She goes in early to school twice a week to be ready for rehearsal (7:45!) and also has individual lessons during lunch time once a week. She is expected to practice a half hour a day in addition to all this.
But she does it. I warned her when she wanted to take up another instrument that it would be a challenge. But she hasn't faltered in over a year now. She balances piano practice, dance, daily homework, soccer, and early morning clarinet and practice.
Adding to this month's swirl of activities, The Somerset Dance Academy celebrated 45 years on the island. Mina was in two performances - a ballet number and this one above for her jazz/tap group. I just have to smile with the little sassypants shake shake thing going on.
And here's the ballet number:
She has done such a wonderful job going to classes each week, putting in her hours at rehearsals and never complaining. And I just love that she gets up on stage and does her thing - with a smile too.
With all the different activities going on, in addition to school stuff, we have had some late nights. It's in keeping with the way the month of December works here in BDA. The weeks leading up to Christmas are such a hurricane of frenzy. Between the kids things and the social stuff for the adults, I am constantly double checking my daily planner to see if I've missed something, forgot to pack something, confirmed car pooling for different sports, birthday parties, or playdates.
Of course I love it, I've been at this game for awhile now. It's fun frenzy - all of which will come to a screeching halt post Christmas, when the island basically shuts down for a couple weeks to recharge.
Front street, as at the sun began to set and the rain shower passed. It's hard to find fault if a rainbow appears before an event.
Theo was excited for his first Christmas parade. Yes, I assure you - this is his excited face.
Right in the middle of Hamilton. I love that we live so close to town.
The young 'uns.
Jeff was very excited that the ice cream freebies came out again this year.
We have been on the island since 2010. The first Christmas parade we went to, Jeff got very spoiled as they were handing out ice cream Eskimo pies. In subsequent years, the goodies got less impressive. This year marked the return to glory.
Hi Santa!!
Illuminated sky highlights a snowman. Luckily we don't see much of the white stuff out here.
Little guy got a bite of the good stuff.
I just love this time of the year. Looking forward to the kids Christmas party, the school parties, Theo's first pic with Santa, latkes for Hannukah, the office Christmas party, Carols for All and listening to Mina perform, The Boat Parade, our neighborhood pajama swap, baking the cookie trays for our friends, the housewife office party night out, Star Wars premier and dinner out, Christmas Eve baking, and of course, the kids faces opening presents ... And watching them watch us as we open the gifts they bought and wrapped at the school holiday shopping bazaar.
I'm leaving out a dozen different things because it's getting late.
I refuse to indulge in anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
I just don't. Every holiday deserves it's own respect.
That said, the minute I had cleaned up the house, packed away the wineglasses and kicked the prosecco headache I had from feasting, it was time to bring up the ornament boxes.
Tree up, decorations awaiting, and the amazon prime music playing Christmas music in the background. I am so excited!!
I will truly miss the holiday season in Bermuda. It's very special. Apart from the walk on the beach Christmas Day, to the joy of warm weather and the pretty lights of the boat parade ... Christmas in BDA is just simpler and calmer. There is another quality about it that I can't quite put into words. Perhaps it's the combination of island and British charm that makes it seem almost vintage. Quaint?
I love the annual ballet recitals, the carols for all, the Christmas school parties, the kids shopping day, the open houses, the holiday parties at friends homes , the way the island is all aflutter up to Christmas then shuts down completely for the week after.
It's really lovely.
I'm dragging Jeff out to everything, despite his urge to Grinch out and lounge around at home in his spare time. I keep telling him, "This is our last year....." I'm determined to enjoy it all.
When I think back to our first Christmas spent in Bermuda, in 2010, I marvel at how much has changed. I remember feeling shipwrecked that first year, unsure about moving to the island, missing favorite traditions, friends and family back home. I missed waking up in my own home on Christmas morning, the frenzy of baking and cookie swaps, the fun of seeing the kids open presents with family nearby. I missed cooking big dinners and exchanging gifts with dear friends. The kids' school in BDA was drastically different than what I was used to. I didn't understand the way things were done. I constantly fell short at meeting self imposed parental goals at school, and no matter what I did, I felt like I was speaking another language. I was still suffering from sticker shock at the prices of things in BDA, and baffled at how to make Christmas a festive occasion for the kids when the price tags on everything were so astronomical.
I know, it's not about the gifts, of course. But as an ex-pat, I have to admit, life is simpler in the US when it comes to a budget. When we first moved to Bermuda, I didn't fully appreciate how much I would miss the ease of shopping at stores like Target or Costco. I didn't realize to what extent shipping from abroad would become a necessary. I didn't understand how to budget the time involved for those things. And I didn't understand that once something ran out of stock in the local store, you wouldn't see it again the next day. We live on an island. When something runs out, it takes some time to get it shipped over here ... assuming "it" is something generally stocked to begin with.
I didn't realize how jam packed the first two weeks of December would be, and how the island became strangely quiet after ... especially if you were a newcomer. It was a wee bit lonely that first year.
Naturally, the kids wound up sick on Christmas day, thus concluding a less than auspicious start to our new life on the island.
But...
Fast forward five years and I must say, the month of December in Bermuda is one of my favorite times to be on island. I always tell people, I prefer the holiday season in Bermuda to anywhere in the US. It's decidedly quieter, and more low key. It's hard to describe exactly.. but it's less flashy. While the stores may be decked out for the holiday, and the "Black Friday" tradition has made its way to this shore recently, it doesn't feel as crazy as it is in the US. There are no massive shopping malls with people scrambling to find parking spaces. People aren't stampeding over others to load up on flat screen tvs. You don't feel inundated with commercials on tv telling you to buy, buy, buy...
I also love the fact that it is generally warm and sunny. I love how small this place is and how you can't go far before seeing a friendly face. When you do, be prepared for more than the typical "Good Morning!" Something special happens in December here.
The hectic frenzy of a US Christmas pales in comparison to the "quiet" little life here on the island. December on the island is a time to turn in, embrace the warmth of your loved ones, and as an ex-pat - the warmth of the new family you have created around you.
Ultimately, of course, these guys are home.
This is the shot I used for this year's Christmas card. I finally got one out after a hiatus of a few years. Having a third child inspired me.
Apart from the usual gluttony of school activities (holiday parties, school Christmas assemblies and school concerts) we also had Jordan's first overseas gymnastics meet. Here he is heading off to Boston. No medals, but he did fantastic competing at level 5 for the first time.
Upon returning home, both he and Mina had music recitals. Both kids play piano. Mina also takes voice lessons and Jordan plays guitar. Between the two of them, they had several bits to perform at their recital.
I always tell them they are a team.. that a family is a team, and that we work together. When I saw them rehearsing Silent Night, I wasn't sure it was going to happen. Each of them could only focus on themselves. Jordan played the keys as loud as he could, ignoring Mina's singing and tempo. Mina compensated by singing louder and louder and losing the feeling of the song in a bid to be heard over Jordan's keyboard pounding.
Oddly enough, something happened the day of the recital. There in the church, in front of all the parents, the kids pulled through and performed like a team.
Jordan played the piano beautifully, and accompanied Mina.. allowing her to showcase her sweet voice and sing the song gently. She's never sang in a setting like this or used a microphone to amplify her voice. She was also the only child in the whole program who sang.
So, I thought she did very well for her first time.
This is the video.
I know they have a ways to go before trying out for the Voice, but believe me, I just about died from maternal pride.
There is no way in "hey ya" that I would have stood up before a whole audience at 8 years old and sang a song. No hallelujah way.
Go Bean.
One of the things I love best about our family is that we embrace a lot of different holiday traditions. Celebrating Hanukkah is one of them. We are so lucky to be friends with another family on the island who host an annual Hanukkah party. Last year I brought a cookie tray.
This year I changed it up a bit and did monogram initials for the kids.
The finished product.
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I also took a stab at making jelly filled fried donuts (Sufganiyot ) for the adults. Not too bad for a first attempt. I know they say you should never try something for the first time when you are making for a party, but I can't help myself. I love using my friends as guinea pigs for testing new recipes.
Naturally, we did our annual cookie trays for our neighbor friends as well. The kids helped.
Guess which ones they made?
Another one of the highlights of recent holiday traditions has been watching Mina perform with her school choir. This is her cozying up by the fireplace at the Coral Beach Club, where she and her school choir performed an evening of Christmas carols.
I really love this beach club. It is situated on the South shore on a beautiful piece of property. The club is decorated in what I would call Old School Bermuda charm. Understated, but so traditional and lovely ... a cozy fire in the main room, cedar beams, shuttered doors open to allow the ocean breeze to come in, and the bar tucked into a nearby corner discretely serving the evening cocktail. Mina and the choir sang, then we enjoyed a gorgeous buffet dinner after. The choir sat together and ate, while the "mums" had a lovely meal to ourselves, almost kid free! Gasp! Of course we pretty much talked about our kids non stop, but what that's what moms/ mums do.
The Christmas tree was up, the first full weekend after Thanksgiving. Per custom, it's decorated with all the arts and crafty ornaments the kids have made over the years. I also add a new one each year that I pick out. Mina has taken to buying one each year as well at her school Christmas sale, which I love. My favorite are framed picture ornaments. This year, tucked among the branches, is one of Theo. This is his first Christmas at 3 months old.
ps.. I hate those black curtains and blinds. They came with this rental and I keep putting off buying new ones. I am slightly mortified showing them, but this is my best shot of the tree.
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There he is! Theo's first Christmas.
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Christmas morning, the big kids helped Theo raid the stockings. If you look closely, you might notice it is still black outside the windows. That's because the big kids decided to wake up at 5:30 in the morning.
We somehow managed to make it to our annual Christmas brunch at the Lido restaurant on Elbow Beach. I love a brunch with a view. Ignore the bags under parental eyes.
Beach views.
After our meal, we enjoyed mingling with the crowds who gather each year.
Beach days in December... who would have thought.
Theo handled it with ease.
He has some big kid helpers to guide him through the process.
Lucky kid.
Lucky us. I haven't even described the flurry of holiday parties that we were lucky to be a part of. This kid has been dragged along to more festivities than I can remember at this point: open houses, holiday fetes, etc.. And I have loved every minute of it! We are so incredibly lucky to be part of such a great group of friends - both ex pats and locals.
Maybe it's because I know there is an end date to our lives here on the island - suddenly everything is starting to be tinged with nostalgia. Despite a rough start, this place has become such an oasis... especially during the hectic holiday season.
Hoping your holiday season has been fabulous.
Happy New Year!! (Our crew will be snoring away at home.. except for Theo.. he is a midnight riser.)
It has been a busy month! These are the last in the series of our very jam-packed month of celebrating.
A balmy beach day in December - collecting sea glass and enjoying the break from school.
A pajama gift exchange with our neighbors.
Angels..
The big day - opening gifts at home.
Christmas day brunch at the Lido Restaurant at Elbow Beach.
Jordan - growing right before my eyes.
It must be his healthy diet.
Even in Bermuda, we appreciate the warmth of a fire.
We especially enjoy the beach though. Hitting them on Christmas day is especially fun. The hordes of ex-pats come out, lugging kids and champagne. Even though it was overcast this year, there was still a crowd.
