Looking for Girlfriends

“I hope I find some girlfriends after dinner.” Pete says this to me between bites of chicken and risotto. Frankly, it’s not something I thought I’d hear from my four year old son, but I’m used to it now. The past few weeks, Toby and Pete have been putting on jackets (not sport coats, mind you, just jackets – because everyone knows you need a jacket to catch a girlfriend) and setting off to wander Jones Lane searching for girlfriends. I really don’t know what possessed them to do this. It was Toby’s idea. They’re a bit secretive about it. I thought maybe Toby’s older sister put them up to it, but she knew nothing about it and neither did his parents. He has a much older half-sister in boarding school and she has a boyfriend. He seemed to come up with the idea after visiting her, so that’s the best I can surmise after considerable questioning of both boys.

After weeks of no luck, you’d think they’d give up on the whole thing. But each time they set out, Pete seems convinced this is the day when they’ll find one.

“Why do you want a girlfriend,” I’ll ask.

“I’m bored of Ellie. I need a girlfriend.” Hmmm.

“What about Lily Maeve or Axelle at school?”

“They don’t like me anymore.”

The irony is that Toby is pretty much dead set against anything to do with girls. Girls aren’t allowed in his clubhouse. He doesn’t like girl colors or girl movies. I have told Pete that being nice to girls is a good way to get a girlfriend. And he’s much more magnanimous about all things girly. Too much time spent with Kate, Sophie, and Ellie to be dead set against girls. He’ll often say that while he prefers green, he really likes all colors, even the girl ones. He’s not ashamed to watch girl movies – “Sleeping Beauty” has a dragon scene and Mary Poppins flies with her umbrella. Toby says with much derision, “You know that’s a movie for girls, Pete!” But Pete doesn’t seem to mind the derision. He’s a movie fan period – He loves “Star Wars” and “Cars” – but he’s not a snob. Girls are okay with Pete.

Anyway, here’s a photo of the budding Lotharios, out on a fruitless quest (if you ask me, but nobody does).

Ellie’s Costume

We had our dress rehearsal. Although nervous and overwhelmed by all the girls in costumes and lights, Ellie performed like a superstar. Paul took some pictures beforehand. She’s a cowgirl and they dance to “Boot Scoot Baby!” The look on her face in these comes close to the look I was talking about. Could she be more serious and pleased?

Turner?

So Sunday afternoon, I had my most embarrassing moment to date in Bermuda. I went to play doubles in a tournament at the Stadium courts in Hamilton. I checked in and the man there said, “Coolman? Is Turner Coolman your father?” and I said “No.” and then he went on about good old Turner Coolman’s knee operation – which sounded suspiciously like my father-in-law’s. Well, I later said my husband was Paul Coleman and that’s when I knew I’d made my mistake. This man had a heavy Bermudian accent and he’d been saying Tony Coleman. We tried to pass it off as a misunderstanding between Anthony and Tony Coleman – that must have been it – he’s Anthony to me – but he’s not. He’s Tony and stupidly I told this man I’d misheard him. That sank like a lead balloon. Almost like forgetting to say “Good Afternoon” and saying “Hello” instead.

I’ve lived here eight months now. When am I going to understand that accent?!