Tree, Check.
Christmas Craft (old frame, ribbon, cardboard, sand) Check.
SC sings Jingle Bells while SJ falls in the background. Check.
St. Croix Boat Parade Success. Check, Check, Check and Check.
It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas here on St. Croix AND at our house. Bring on the lazy Sunday decorating the tree, family dinner, hectic work week AND g-parents arriving this week. WHEEEE!!!!
I know, it’s really hard to understand when someone who lives on a Caribbean island says its cold. But, Its Cold. Its cold, windy and rainy. And we love it. It is the PERFECT weather to get everyone into the Christmas Holiday spirit, and there is a lot of it to be had here in the Caribbean. Sometimes, it is just hard to feel Christmas-y in 80 degree weather. But not today. That spirit is all up in me.
The annual St. Croix Boat Parade is tonight, IF it doesn’t rain. Its a ton of fun. Boaters of all sorts participate and have been planning thier lighting theme for several months now. We have participated the past few years,
but opted to relax this year and watch the parade from the comfort of the bow of our boat, away from the crowds. It is beautiful to see what people come up with each year; and of course Santa makes his appearance. Click here to see a clip from last year’s parade:
Just like any fun event that takes place in town, if you are not lucky enough to be there, you can always watch it on the GoToStCroix.com webcam to witness all the craziness.
And ok, it really isn’t that cold, right?
Photo Compliments of Vacation St. Croix - your vacation villa rental solutions for St. Croix.
I can’t think of any other way to describe it. I have been obsolete from the blogging world due to my incredibly fun social agenda (and my kids!) But every day…..I think I need to blog that. People want to know this stuff.
So, here is a recent run down, just to get it out of my head and I can move on; because it’s already 4:24 in the am and I have so much to accomplish today.
0. My word for the past couple of months is AMBITIOUS. As in That’s Really Ambitious of you to WANT to do that.
1. SC turned 4 and I survived relatively stress free through her adorable Cowboy themed birthday party.
2. Was Thankful for a relaxing beach morning at the Buccaneer on Turkey day to unwind…then the kids slept the rest of the afternoon while the Fisherman & I enjoyed some “adult time” cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner together. For Just Us.
3. Jump Up. Mass chaos. SJ thinks he is a sprinter. Bubble Guns are dangerous.
4. Oh- Christmas shopping. Started actually in October with ideas, on-line comparison to get the best deals of course. Waited for Black Friday, Cyber Monday which did ME no good living where I live. Cried one day leaving Sunny Isle at the fact that the “athletic stores” namely FootLocker & Champs DO NOT CARRY ONE LICK OF WOMEN’S ATHLETIC CLOTHING. And you wonder why 1) local businesses complain when I choose to shop off island 2) most of our island population is over-weight. A counter to that is that I am also overwhelmed by the amount of my drinking buddies who get up early the next day and run random marathons (yes, you JS!) PS: Foot Locker & Champs GFY.
5. Celebrated a friend’s birthday at eat @ cane bay and had an incredible time. Even better, we had a terrific sittter that night, so we could relax and know the kids were taken care of. And maybe we “relaxed” a bit too much….
6. Boat Parade. This was stressful, but I take full credit. The Fisherman’s responsibility was to gather & check our light supply to make sure we had enough to decorate Mocko Jumbie . He Failed. We ended up with…6 strands of lights total…that barely covered the climb ladders up to the crow’s nest (the highest point on the boat). And me? While, I was a bit hung over from (see above) when we were trying to decorate. Thankfully, The Responsible One stepped in, ran to the most expensive hardware store on St. Croix, I mean, Gallows Bay Hardware, and got us some lights. And the boat looked..ok. And I was glad to be done. Until I realized we had 13 kids & 13 adults on the boat. And probably not enough life jackets. Thankfully, the powers that be were being lenient that night. Food, drinks, kids, babies, adults were in every nook & cranny on the boat. And the Fisherman just got to sit up top and drive. I know he was stressed, too. Alas, at the end of the night, everyone hung around, watched fireworks and was really in the spirit. The St. Croix Boat Parade this year was really fabulous!
photo g. lobb
7. Country Hoe Down @ Divi Hotel & Casino; soon to be St. Croix’s only all-inclusive property. Rally, Anna, rally. You can do this. A group of us corralled the young-ins in a room with a great view of the FREE country concert. And it was a total blast. Ouch, liver, so sorry. And I was NEVER so glad to see a Monday. #5, 6 & 7 all take place on the same weekend.
photo k. smith
8. I have been laughing so much lately, I seriously think I need that surgery that prevents me from peeing when I do so.
9. I know there is a large rat living out by my washing machine.
10. I can’t find SC’s ballet shoes for two weeks. I blame the Fisherman, of course. He picked her up time before last (time before she wore no shoes) and they are lost in the abyss we call his truck.
And here I sit. Awake at 3am with still so much on my mind. Christmas cards still need to be ordered, The Fisherman needs a list of stuff to do while I take care of everything else. Hostess gifts; tacky holiday party costume, elegant holiday attire for traditional Danish Christmas Eve Dinner, appetizers that everyone will drool over, the f-in email I just got that one of the Fisherman’s gifts was sent Parcel Post, even though I paid for 3-day shipping, deciding to go or not to go to Gallows Bay Swamp Hole for their Holiday Celebration which will be the only place the kids can get scared by Santa, my selfish plans for my week off work while kids are in school…..when does it all end???
Right Here. I welcome 2011 with open arms and a clean, fresh slate.
