Finishing Off 2021

We had quite the 2021. We started with virtual school and no vaccines; we ended in person with 4/5 vaccinated. We started healthy having avoided COVID for a year; we ended healthy having avoided COVID for another year. We started seeing no one but our pod. We ended with Tot Shabbat, cookie deliveries, guest ushering for a Broadway show, and so so so many masked opportunities to be with people again. We started with 4 animals; we ended with 6. Debbie started running a home day care with a part time Operations Manager gig; she ended with 2 Operations gigs totaling about 35 hours a week. We're busy. We're challenged. We're laughing. Life continues. Here's how 2021 went out in its last month with Team Cohen.

The Fef:

sharing ice cream with his bestie

Some kids just can't handle the carpool line.

cookie decorating (and eating) at school

The E-Man:

showing off his new Perler bead masterpieces (and his new reading obsession)

Gabi Girl:

Bros:


Sibs:

Joining Syssa to "guest usher" at Hamilton - aka guard the emergency exits while we get a free Broadway show!


Park playdate with Gilden group:



2 days; 2 duck/geese parks:





Twin Lakes Park:




New Year's Eve!

enjoying the ice cream tradition with Cohan crew guests

watching the neighborhood fireworks from our driveway

Spenceman worked really hard on his Perler bead art for the occasion.

See you on the other side, Team Cohen fans! Happy New Year.

Christmas in the (Hill) Country

For whatever reason, Nana and Zayde thought it would be a good idea to spend alone time with each Texas family over Winter Break. It really just allowed my children's "true colors" to come out without cousin distractions, but we all certainly survived.

Here's how we started. It can go downhill OR uphill from here...

We arrived on December 21, the winter solstice. Some in my family remembered the "Solstice Circle" at a local park that we visited last year, and we were eager to see if the sun lined up where it was supposed to.



After some hiking and exploring around the park, we headed back to the Solstice Circle to see how the afternoon shadows had changed.


After leaving the park, we had a late afternoon treat at Dairy Queen!

For funsies, we snuck BACK to the Solstice Circle right as the sun was setting, just to see if the sun and our shadows lined up the way the artistic and scientific sculpture was designed to.



Being the only family, we got lots of focused time with Nana and Zayde to ourselves!






Big girl Reggie was there too!

So were the parents:


It was a lovely week away.




Daddy ran some tennis lessons:


Mommy taught some old-school hand games/songs.

Time with family is very exhausting.