We did summer the way summer ought to be...which of course meant heading straight into the pool.
There are Gabi and Mira. | 
And there they go! |
a rare, and awesome kidless moment | 
Aunt Sandi MAY have bribed Spencer with watermelon to get this picture, but she got it. |
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Notice where all the kids are. Now, notice where Jon is. | 
At a time when people aren't getting together, it was SOOO nice to get together. |
Each family took responsibility for the meals of a particular day. Gabi decided she wanted to assist with preparing just about every meal and was incredibly helpful in the kitchen throughout our time together.
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Why go to bed after dinner when you can make rainbow cupcakes? (More on that tomorrow morning.)
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I don't know what it's like to have a dog. BUT, when you don't have one, apparently walking one is just about the best thing ever.
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Family fun started right away the next morning. We waited patiently for the Gildens to join us in Driftwood and found ways to entertain ourselves.
boys bonding | 
frosting those cupcakes from the night before |
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The Gildens arrived! The CohAns were most excited because it was their first time meeting baby Micah. The CohEns were excited because it was finally time for rainbow cupcakes.
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What to do next? Pool, obviously.
Aunt Debbie and Jacob play a rousing game of Categories. |
post pool cousin cuddles | 
Aunt Syssa and Gabi prepared a delectable breakfast taco buffet for lunch. |
After some much needed afternoon rest, cousin creativity continued with homemade sugar cookie dough and over 100 cookie cutters to choose from.
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pause for baking/dog walk break |
(More pause for dinner.) Time to decorate cookies with more sugar!
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Our evening wasn't even close to over. Clearly, while adults ignored children during dinner/cookie cleanup, it called for a kid dance party in the bunk bed room.
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The sun may have been setting, but there was summer sparkler fun to be had.
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The sun may have completely set, but these party animals were STILL going!
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Another day, another dog walk, more cousin cuddles, more pool. If it ain't broke...
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How many family members can you squeeze into one hot tub selfie? (So much for social distancing...) |
Yes, there was a delicious Shabbat meal that night but what you may not have expected included:
all 8 cousins participating in virtual live Tot Shabbat | 
Mira orchestrating real s'mores over a pretend campfire |
While the adults finished their meals (aka continued talking and ignoring all children), Mira helped all children between ages 2-8 design artistic campfires. Every child made delightfully developmentally appropriate creative renditions of campfires, and they were taped together. And we all sat around the "campfire," ate s'mores, sang songs, and enjoyed sweet summertime.
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Knox enjoyed the warmth of the fire just as much as the rest of us. |
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Jacob decided to help with the insane amount of photography we were already taking. Here are some examples of his creative participation.
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It was our last morning together, so of course, we went into the pool one last time together.
pool gate until they danced with me (and also a sunscreen-absorbing stall tactic) | to flip him out of the donut tube (Don't challenge Uncle Jon.) |
After the few days of family bonding togetherness, the last pool session was the most snuggle-tastic, cuddle-iscous, absense-of-personal-body-space time of the whole trip.
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Jacob had been working throughout our time together on his side mask making business. He had impressively made enough for everyone in both Gilden and Cohen families, and we were VERY grateful. The kids had never had ones sized just for them. This certainly welcomed a new age of things to get excited about.
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Until the next get together!
