Rock Shic

#916 Reflections of 2021 - the year when we all got vaccinated 🌟

It’s true — this was a momentous year, not least because mamma bear found her true stride professionally and really expanded her wings when it came to applying herself career-wise.  More on that another time.

As we sat down over our New Year's Eve dinner (now that my kids are old enough to have a quasi-sensible conversation), we reflected on some key accomplishments of 2021 (not necessarily in any order of magnitude or importance):

1. We all got the Covid vaccine (okay, actually this one is the most important... thank you Science!)
2. My little man started the piano (just a few days before he turned 5 and we were able to celebrate with a full on proper birthday party!)
3. My big man started playing proper soccer (leagues, games, matches, etc)
4. My big man also competed in the Hampton Classic this summer -- as an equestrian, that is kind of a big deal
5. Mamma did a bunch of important things at work, including building out a team (from just 3 person when she started her job in late 2020 to 30+ now)... although nobody seemed to care very much for that at dinner
6. Hubby has managed to NOT travel/fly for the longest time in recorded history (okay so perhaps that's not so much an achievement)
7. We hosted my parents for the first time at our place in the Hamptons... both for Thanksgiving AND Christmas (plus big man's 8th birthday party).  That's got to be some type of a record!  It really makes hubby and I feel like proper adults (no teasing now)
8. My folks sold their condo in Florida and bought a new home (which they closed on today, I must say, having pulled off a closing in late December back in 2017... I am rather impressed!).  The boys will be super thrilled to go back
9. Mamma went and saw her headquarters in VA (not once, but three times!)... and even held an off-site there.  Again, nobody at dinner cared.
10. My little man began to properly read and write (ish) -- okay so he can write his name, but the reading is really taking off!
11. My big man started a ton of additional sports -- such as squash, fencing, archery -- in addition to the ones that he continues to refine, such as soccer, basketball, tennis, baseball, ice-skating, paddleboarding, horse-back riding, and others
12. Both boys started baseball, which they love (I have my boss to thank for that tip)
13. Both boys started skiing... which has been quite dominant in our lives... in fact -- that was one of the few things that mamma did post about for 2021!
14. We got a new addition to the family, via a Carnival fish called "Chicken Butt."  He's little but mighty!  And something tells me that he's here to stay.
15. We began our part-time adventure in Hunter, in addition to full-on summers in the Hamptons.  Something tells me that both of these lifestyle/habits are here to stay
16. My big man started his ABRSM journey (something his teacher has highly encouraged and which both hubs and I are haphazardly embracing
17. Big man also started performing ON STAGE (since COVID)... with his first performance on October 2nd at the Scandinavia House.  Super proud of him!
18. Mamma started seeing plays and musicals again.  Theater, the arts, life!!! I don't think I saw any back in 2020... and I didn't realize how much I missed it
19. Of course, last but certainly not least — 2021 was the year I re-discovered (and fully embraced) SoulCycle! 💪🏽💪🏽

There are others, I'm sure... and as I said when it comes to work, well... the boys (and hubs) are just not that impressed so I'll keep those items to a minimum until I can dedicate a proper post to it (carve out a bit of "me-time" if you will).

#915 New Year’s Eve 2021 🥳🎩🎉

Mom and pop, ready for our close-up, just like Miami (minus the heat... plus many other features)

5 and 8... going on 15 and 18

Hello my darlings! I know I know… this is the last (and more or less the first post of 2021 save for one pithy one written back in April of this year…. which may as well have been a life-time ago).

Better late than never I always say!

2021 has been full of self-discoveries and self-realization... largely concentrated in harnessing my own capabilities and realizing what I can accomplish if I put my mind to something.  That said, it was also the year of "not enough" -- not enough time with my family, with my husband, not enough time spent on sleeping... self care, of resting... of going to the doctors to do simple routine check-ups, of checking up on friends, of asking myself questions such as "how do you feel and are you okay?"

To some extent, I know that I can never fully fix all of the above, because I am a different person now than I was when I first launched this blog back in 2012 -- and that is expected.  You would want me to be, nothing can ever remain static and be exactly as it was.  I'm not a mother of two growing boys, a wife and daughter, a leader of 30 plus people at my job, and someone who, on a daily basis, just wants to do her best and make it through the day feeling like she's accomplished something.  Some days are better than others, and some moments feel absolutely glorious while others pale in comparison.  Do I regret what I've built on this platform?  Absolutely not... but it will look different (as you would expect it to) after nearly a decade of blogging.

These photos were taken tonight (there's nothing like the beauty of the present) at Serafina in East Hampton (yes I know, some things haven't changed and we're still spending loads of our time out in the Hamptons).  It was a quiet evening as we soaked in the last moments of this year.  Exactly as it was always meant to be!

Happy New Year my friends.  Here's to an abundantly healthy, fruitful, happy, and altogether different 2022!!!

The usual dinner haze when you dine with littles...

Like mother, like son

Zoro and the Green Lantern! Happy New Year!