Passover Play

As we have for the last several years, we traveled to the land of Georgia for a full holiday of Passover. This year meant traveling with 3 kids, staying for 11 days, and voyaging into a house full of 20 people (8 under 10 years old). We ate delicious food, got SOME sleep, and survived to tell the tale. I did not take as many pictures as usual to capture EVERY single moment of togetherness. (Ain't nobody got time for that...anymore...) (No idea what the distraction was.) (Some would say there are plenty of pictures here.) (Thankful to sisters who took pictures. #sharingiscaring) We had inside time, outside time, time with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and Ethan even had his first crush on a neighbor!

All 5 members of Team Cohen survived our first flight with 3 kids and Spencer's first flight ever.

After breakfast on our first morning in Atlanta, Aunt Sandi treated the girl cousins, and Gabi got her very first professional manicure!


Inspired by the morning's experience, Aunt Debbie gives Joey his very first manicure:

Around the house (and this is only afternoon 1):

Mira gets welcomed into the elite club of Passover cookie making.

Cousins Ethan and Sammy were dressed in matching shirts that day.

On the evening of the first day, we head to a pasta restaurant while we still can. Gotta squeeze in some chametz.

It's time to play the game of spread the bread around the house so the kids can run around wildly to find it on the night before there is to be no bread in the house. Jewish tradition is weird.

(Nana helps Spencer hide away from the chaos.)

The next morning at breakfast, the cousins are bonded and ready to roll:

It's time to burn all that chametz that we found the night before:

Kitchen duty helps prepare food for the first night's seder:

cake crew

Gigi and Gabi help tear romaine lettuce for the seder plate.

moving the couch for the first time in 20 years...

another day, another aunt nap

Gabi and Mira have quality girls time in the bath to get cleaned up for seder.

Boys bath:

Everyone cleaned up nicely:

the elite eight

The seder begins:

photo bomb!

Jacob reads from his Hogwarts Haggadah.

Aunt Sandi and Noah are in the Pesach spirit.

taking out grape juice for the 10 plagues

Sammy holds baby Spencer.

Speed through the next day since it was all a blur anyway, and the 2nd seder arrives in no time!

Cousin Dan and Gabi play dreidel... obviously.

We wait for a reaction from Mira and Jacob's first taste of maror.

Just as quickly as it began, the Atlanta voyage was over for most of the family. We said goodbye as everyone went on their way.

Great Aunt Susan gives one more hug to Spencer before heading home.

Gabi has to resort to entertaining herself apparently.

Gigi stayed for an extra day of (calmer) quality time:

Aunt Syssa and Joey stayed to play a few more days before even they had to exodus on home. With the stresses of the seders behind us, we could focus on playing! Here we are enjoying Terrell Mill Park together with Nana too.

Gabriella Daphna, making her father nuts since early 2013

We all needed rest that afternoon:

It's hard being a baby (and a daddy).

tummy time

On Joey and Aunt Syssa's last morning in Atlanta, we snuck in one more playground at East Cobb Park.

my gorgeous, (mostly) sweet girl (with some other special people too)

Playing blocks with Zayde:

Since Zayde couldn't join us at the parks in the mornings, it's good that he made a good playground in the afternoon.


This is the second year in a row that Gabi has gotten Nana and Zayde's daily newspaper...in her underwear.

We headed back to East Cobb Park one more time to play in the creek. Mommy wasn't brave enough for the cold water, so I sent Daddy instead.



Spencer survived his first Passover.

Phew! We made it back to home-sweet-home after 11 days of yummy food and fun times at Nana and Zayde's house. Happy Passover!