December 2020 (The Part in Austin)

The year 2020 has come to a close. It was one that literally no one in the entire world anticipated. And it was one that filled up my blog binder with some pretty special moments and memories of a year like none other. Here's what we logged for our last month to round it out:

That time that Spencer was excited to spell "TinkerToys" using TinkerToys...

That time Ethan lost his first AND second teeth within two weeks of each other:

So Grandma and Grandpa gifted personalized banks for Tooth Fairy's gold coins!

That time the children remembered "Doodle Dinner" of early quarantine and begged for a reprise...(and then we kept it out for TCDC the next day...):


That time our next-door neighbor got tired of his basketball net being unused and gifted it to our family:


All those times we were cute and getting alongly-like:





And of course, the Team Cohen circus wouldn't be complete without all the animals. We got our 2nd new COVID baby this month when we welcomed Rona Jewels. And Dewey certainly doesn't let himself get overlooked.

when your legs are a playground

cuddly Maggie

Videochatting with our animal cousins in their own circuses:

Honorable mentions:

After the family gave up on the puzzle 40% of the way through, Jon finished it almost entirely by himself.

{turn volume up} Spencer sings a Hebrew body parts song

When one year ends and another begins, it begs for reflections, resolutions, and lessons learned. If nothing else, 2020 taught me that we have zero idea what to anticipate next year but that there are always small moments to enjoy and remember. We are grateful for our health, for our fortune, and for each other. Happy New Year!

TCDC December 2020

In the summer of 2020, when Gilden parents and Cohen parents were discussing the very notion of Team Cohen/Ms. Aunt Debbie taking in Gilden children, starting when Aunt Syssa returned from maternity leave at the beginning of September, Uncle Craig avoided using the word, "October" - because he couldn't fathom the situation lasting more than a month. Well, it did, and here we are completing our 4th month of a successful Team Cohen Day Care, affectionately called "TCDC." And there is no immediate end in sight.

So we may as well document the cuteness!

Call them "The Toddlers;" call them "The 3's;" or help us come up with a better name for them. Regardless of what you call them, these two cousins have consistently been two of the most adorable playmates since Shayna was born 3 years ago.

We're there too!

December in Austin is a confusing month. The leaves change colors and fall off the trees. It's often in the 70s with short sleeves. And sometimes, it's in the 30s and freezing.

We do a whole lot of learning!

independent literacy activities

number recognition BINGO

shapes recognition race

using magnets and dot cards to increase visual spatialization and number sense

cousin match-ups playing memory/match with capital and lower case letters

That time we played a rousing game of Preschool Hedbanz:


Of course, there is a lot of playing too!



While one of the biggest benefits of TCDC is structure and routine for these children (and adults) whose lives have been turned upside down this year, it is nice to maintain a sense of flexibility and shake things up.

Like, such us when we made our turkey crafts that Grandma and Grandpa sent from Thanksgiving:

showing off the completed masterpieces via video chat

Like, such as playing with Rona...or Micah...

Like, such as watching a rocket launch into space on live television:


And finally, we used one day's read-aloud to inspire academically-appropriate writing/drawing of our new year's resolutions on our last "school day" of 2020. Happy New Year, TCDC! Who knew 2021 would include the fun of TCDC?! We're ready for whatever the year may bring.