Jamrockin'

Here we go!

Follow along for the discoveries, heartwarming moments and chaos of our first international adventure as a family of 5 ☺️

DAY 1: Getting there

I realized traveling with kids internationally was going to be a very different experience almost immediately. I dumped all of the kids water bottles out prior to security, but forgot to dump mine. I asked the tsa agent if there was somewhere that I could quickly dump it...to which she responded, "No, but that's for the kids, right?"....oh. Yessss, yes. Definitely for the kids 😏. Turns out there's a lot of security rules that don't apply when you have kids.

When we got to our gate, Zeke immediately made friends with a little Jamaican boy...they were giggling and hiding behind suitcases...imagine our shock when his mom yelled for "Zekey" to quiet down. They had the same name!

Leo kept smiling on the plane saying this is SO AWESOME...I felt like the coolest adventure mom...until I realized that he meant it's so awesome that he had his own private tv and snacks/juice delivered to him

Nya chose to watch Moana on the plane (no surprise there) but a big surprise was that the two preteen girls behind us also watched Moana and sang along with all of the songs. Everytime they sang it was like magic...Nya looked all around smiling and trying to figure out how the song was happening. Later when we were waiting to get off the plane the girls were so sweet chatting with Nya, asking her about her favorite parts and characters. At one point they told her that she looked a lot like Moana and I don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile on her face.

Across the aisle from us was a Woman traveling alone with a baby and two little kids. It was so nice to be sitting in that little bubble where the kids were all chatting and showing off snacks and we didn't have to be natzis about how they were moving around or if they were being too loud...we were in like company

At the end of the flight Jet blue Jamaica gave all of the kids Jet blue croc charms. Chris and I couldn't stop giggling about how crocs are apparently just a child staple now

Jah t showed up in a bus to pick us up with a cooler of red stripe and coconut water

It took 2.5 hours on the bus to get from Kingston to Port Antonia. When We arrived at 3am, everyone was awake...fully dressed...and the fridge in our little appartment stocked with everything we could possibly need for breakfasts and kid snacks. We excused ourselves to do the very littlest unpacking and got to bed at 4am. Thank goodness none of the kids woke up during the bus to bed transfer.

DAY 2: Slowing it down and MANGOES

Kids were up at 8. Jamaican breakfast was being cooked when we got up (ackee & saltfish, dumplings, breadfruit, mango, melon, porridge) we ate at 1130. I learned quickly that the kids would be doing double breakfast here.

Uncle earl gave us a tour of all the fruit trees in the yard, ackee, pineapple, mango, plum, avocado, almond, breadfruit our kids each ate like 5 mangos...they got a real thrill out of picking them and eating them by themselves.

We spent the morning playing soccer. finding lizards and snail shells in the yard

We went to Frenchman's cove from around 3-6pm. We spent 12-230ish "getting ready"to leave 🤣 Leo finally learned how to float! We swam between the rocks that were along the side of the cove and found a school of tiny fish that were jumping all around us. Chris and I saw some tropical fish with the snorkel. Leandra (Chris's cousin from Atlanta) and I drank some rum punch while Chris and his brothers & dad recreated pictures they made here 17 years ago

All of the kids were brave enough to swing in the tree swing over the river (Leo solo and Nya/zeke with me) and then we accidentally smacked Leo in the back of the head with the wooden swing...twice.

Everyone fell asleep on the car ride home, then Nya fell asleep again...standing up...when we got back.

We came back to a chef cooking in the yard The first course started at 830..crawfish and lobster soup I had to excuse myself at 9 to put Nya and zeke to bed. Jerk chicken, curry lobster and rice with festival when I came back out.

Everyone was finished eating by the time I came back out, but sitting there talking. Aunt bev told aunt Peggy to make me a plate bc the chef had "done enough" and "needed a break." We ate outside in the dark among the plants, bright moon and the peepers cherping. I carried leo into bed at 10 and I went to bed at 11, Chris's Jamaican was showing as he was also coming...just after he told everyone gooodnight...but he ended up actually coming at 12 🤣

Before I went to bed I watched two guys carry in a goat and a pig in giant containers for Saturday's birthday dinner and jaht gave us a massive bag of mangos and melon for tomorrows breakfast

Day 3: Morning rum cake and afternoon snacks

When I got up this morning, Aunt Peggy asked if I wanted her to teach me to make rum cake since Chris loves it so much. Of course I said YES, what an opportunity!! She had already prepped the ingredients into separate bowls and it still took nearly two hours to get it in the oven. She did talk me through step by step in great detail, but it truly is so involved... I am grateful to have witnessed the process.

After that I played hide and seek in the tropical garden with the kids while Chris went with his dad and brother to get the alcohol for the party tomorrow. We definitely thought this party was essentially a family dinner with all of us who flew in to be with Aunt Bev on her bday. Incorrect. We've learned there is a live band, a chef, tents, porta potties and a lot of people from town coming. Thank goodness I threw in one nice outfit for us!!!!

We drank a little white rum and water around the table while waiting for Aunt Bev to get back from town with the car so uncle Jim could drive us to the beach...everyone has chauffeured us around everywhere...telling us vehemently that we shouldn't rent a car. we go to the beach when they get to dropping us off and leave whenever they come back.

Went to Frenchman's cove again. while getting out of the driveway Jah t and Anthony got into a big fight bc I guess Anthony tried to light a joint up in front of his elderly uncle chippy. Jah t stopped the car and got out to yell at him in the middle of the street, but it was as our car was backing out of the driveway, so we were stuck halfway out into the road...completely blocking the road with our two cars.
Then a guy riding a motorcycle appears, and slows down bc we are blocking the road...then a dog appears out of nowhere and starts barking like crazy at the motorcycle guy. The motorcycle guy picks up a rock to throw at the dog. Jah t sees this and immediately stops arguing with Anthony in the car and runs over and starts yelling at the motorcycle guy not to throw the rock at the dog bc it's a good guard dog that lives partially in aunt bevs yard and partially in some of the neighbors yards. The motorcycle guy puts down the rock, Jah t gets back in his car and pulls up, the motorcycle guy drives around...BETWEEN our two cars...and we finally back the whole way out and are off to the beach. We never mention this chain of events again.

Today we saw some really big fish in the river...zeke and Leo saw them first and showed us which made them so excited! I found two amazing plants for my list/potential smuggle operation: horsehead philodendron and giant golden Pothos

On the way home uncle Jim had to stop at the grocery store and told each of the kids to come in and pick something out.. Leo picked some kind of bbq corn chips, zeke picked a sour gummy candy called Holliday and Nya picked gummy frogs. They had finished all by the time we got home. 🫠