April 2021

This month's animal update in pictures is mostly brought to you by these 2 nudniks who wrestle with each other, smack each other, growl at each other, and then submit themselves to do it all over again and again and again.

Yes, Reggie has learned how to get herself onto couches this month, which now brings moments such as-

And moments such as-

And of course, these moments-


Apparently, Reggie also figured out how to climb from the back of the car into the driver's seat. Yes, she was buckled in. No, this was not safe.

pillow of champions

"Please, suh, may I have sum moh?"

sometimes well-behaved puppy

happy pup (photo by Gabi)

Then, there's Dewey, who thinks he's a dog.

These 3 kittens were glad to have their bed back after we delivered all the packages to Driftwood.

good ol' gal pals (Young lady Nikki, left, turned 11 this month!)

Rona's here too, and believe it or not, she is shown love almost daily.

Around the house:

"Mommy, look what I did!"

same kid, different relationship to pillows

Wonder Woman!

backyard swing snuggles

When the kid asks to take a picture of you...

...but then he doesn't...

Around nature:

And last, but not least, we'll end this April's blog post with the following moments of sweet sibling Zen:

TCDC April 2021 - The End of an Unusual Era

At the beginning of April, Jon and I made the decision to send our elementary kiddos back to in-person school after being exclusively taught and raised by parents for 13 months straight. Gabi last went to 1st grade at our local public school before Spring Break more than a year ago, and Ethan last went to a half-day preschool. Never having been in an elementary school classroom before, Ethan has skipped past Kindergarten, and they both were walking into a brand-new school at the end of a school year after other children have been attending for several months.

first day in-person school - April 5, 2021 - Gabi 2nd grade - Ethan 1st grade

These brave and excited kiddos never even glanced back.

That left this crowd of folks left to welcome our Gilden scholars into our quieter preschool-only Team Cohen Day Care.

Guess this guy just couldn't break from virtual schooling.

Managing the needs of 5 different little people for half of a year sure does make 3 preschool kids seem like a breeze!

keeping them busy with developmentally appropriate, albeit challenging, activities

We learned about analog and digital clocks and how to tell time to the hour.

self-motivated drawing of analog clocks (with guest star Micah)

matching rhyming words and pictures

{Cue record scratch sound effect.} After only 3 days of elementary school attendance, all 1st grade teachers were sent home to quarantine, leaving their scholars without instructors in the building. Big sigh. Ethan Cohen back again.

While Ethan was back at home with us for several days doing virtual school, I enjoyed watching the pairs get along really sweetly.




Other cute couplings:


We celebrated not one, but TWO special half-birthdays this month and made oh so many cookies! On April 12, big Joe Joe turned 5.5:


On April 14, big Shayna turned 3.5!

We made homemade playdough while Shayna's cookies were baking:


After the week+ at home, we sent Ethan on back to the school building and got back to the easy breezy threesome.




Back to work!

star reading and short vowel sounds practice

sorting pictures by number of syllables

the excitement of sight word practice!

With a deep breath and a heavy sigh, I announce that this is likely the very last TCDC blog post as all preschool age children in the family will be starting at licensed facilities in May. We believe we did what we needed to do by keeping our babies safe and healthy while doing the best we could with their education and other growing needs. We also believe that we can now comfortably take the risk to send these little people back into the world of socializing outside of cousins and siblings and that I can get back to having only half a million thoughts in my mind at any given time. I will never forget this time of stress and togetherness. COVID is not over, nor is our special bond with the Gildens. For now, though, Team Cohen Day Care scholars are graduating and fleeing the nest towards - what we hope are - bigger, brighter, and better things.

the bittersweet TCDC finale countdown chain

Team Gilden gifted us a most meaningful present to the [picture-obsessed] teachers who took in and taught their kiddos when there was no one else to do so. We are grateful for the unique collage poster, and we can't wait to see it hanging on our wall!

After several initial months of COVID chaos, Team Cohen Day Care was born in September 2020, seven very full months ago. It turns out that kids really do respond well to schedules and routines. Never would I have expected to use as much of my Teacher Cohen brain and supplies as much as I have this year, and I'm so proud of the progress I have watched these cuties make. I'm exhausted and ready to let them fly away, and yet, I will never forget this time in my life that I never would have predicted. I will always love these kiddos, and we will still live just a mere few blocks away. And somehow, many Reggie walks will still send us in that direction. This chapter, though, is closing, and I know we are all grateful that this silver lining in a tough and long year existed.