A Year in Review: 2019

They say that days go by slowly, but years go by quickly. It was certainly true this year. When I look back on the things we did in January and February, I can hardly believe it was this year. Here's my attempt to review the year.

WINTER
January started off just dandy for Edith, who finally took a ballet class. Luckily, I think it got ballet out of her system since she doesn't talk about it much at all anymore. In February, Paul and I saw Hamilton, which was something I'd been looking forward to for maybe two years. It was as good as I had hoped. In March, our street started what I hope will be a new tradition -- a progressive dinner with food and drink at several houses throughout the block. Neighbors are already looking forward to the 2020 edition!

SPRING
In April, Atticus turned 4. It was also the first full month of Friday art classes for Atticus, something we continue to this day (minus the summer and a few odd weeks here and there). He loves it! In May we again hosted a Crap Swap, although it got rained out on the scheduled Saturday and was pushed back til Sunday. We (and friends) had a record amount of crap, and fun was had by all. We also resurrected the block party planning party, which was basically a happy hour to plan one of our favorite days of the summer, if not the year.

SUMMER
June started off with a bang -- one week in Ocean Isle, North Carolina, sharing a beachfront house with nine other families. It was an amazing, tiring week. Edith started swim lessons when we returned and continued throughout July as well. And then there was the block party -- this year with a live acoustic guitarist. July was actually the calmest month of the summer, with swimming, a week of Vacation Bible School and our church's annual festival. But then August ... we spent about a week and a half at Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and Salt Lake City. It was an amazing vacation, seeing sights that were hard to believe reside anywhere in this country. The week after we returned, Edith started first grade. A few days later, Atticus began preschool.

AUTUMN
In September we got into our new school routine and ended the month with a blockwide chili cook-off. In addition, Edith started a glass class which Atticus and I have also participated in, making suncatchers and other art projects out of glass. I'm honestly not sure who enjoys it the most out of the three of us. In October we spent a weekend at Burr Oak, in the Hocking Hills region, again renting a group of cabins with a group of friends. It was chilly, but it least it wasn't rainy like last year! In November, Edith turned 7. Which brings us to December -- Christmas hasn't yet arrived, so the most exciting thing this month might be the delivery of our new dishwasher! All in all, not a bad year at all.