Favorite Memories From Summer 2020!

While there were no day trips to Coney Island, family vacations to the Catskills or the beaches of Croatia, or visits to the Central Park splash pads (thank you, Covid), the summer of 2020 was definitely one for the books.

We found out we’d be keeping Little M until a permanency plan was made for her, and we also welcomed Baby Jude into our lives—essentially going from a family of 3 to 5 in the blink of an eye. It’s been busy, but so, so rich.

Below, ten favorite memories from the Summer of 2020.

1. Baby Jude Ziya making her grand entrance right after the Summer Solstice, on June 22nd. The brightest beam of light for the longest days of the year!

2. My mom (aka Yaya to the littles) coming to spend the summer with us. The transition to three would have been much more difficult without her help!

3. Masked walks in Central Park. So. Many. Walks!

4. Binging on Netflix! A few favorites have been Ozark, Selling Sunset, and The Last Kingdom.

5. Ordering delivery! Pizza from Joe’s, mushroom veggie burgers from Shake Shack, and Indian galore have been heavy on rotation.

6. Watching Little M’s many milestones! She’s gone from crawling to walking to dancing.

7. Celebrating Little M’s first birthday on August 30th! We met her mom and grandma in Central Park to celebrate, with bubble wands, blueberry and lemon muffins for the kids, and Baked By Melissa cupcakes for the adults. So many hearts in so many homes, Little M!

8. Treating myself to in-home Thai massages by a woman I found on Craigslist who goes by Cake. Because #selfcarealways.

9. Watching lots of pink sunrises over Midtown Manhattan.

10. Really spending a HUGE amount of time in our apartment. Probably more than I have the entire time I’ve lived in NYC, if we‘re being honest. Playing Candyland and doing puzzles with Augusten, baking sesame seed rolls by scratch, diffusing rosemary essential oils, listening to Baby Bum Bum nursery rhymes with Little M, sipping rose on the terrace with Adi, watching Vikings with my mom, and taking afternoon naps with baby Jude. Tack on the prep and cleanup of 3 meals a day and, whew! Homebodies, alas.

It was truly the perfect season to remind us how therapeutic it can be to turn inward. Summer 2020, thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll have a special place for you in my heart, always.