After two years of so much “sameness,” I want lots of new in 2022. “First Times” has become a proper noun for me, and here’s my list:

Skiing. We bought all the gear for three boys and have gone four times. They are picking up the sport- and themselves off the slopes- so quickly.

Dog. After a bittersweet goodbye to our pit mix, Sydney, in October, we sought out a much calmer dog. We adopted 11-year-old Hazel from Paws. She’s a chill grandma beagle mix who sleeps 22.5 hours per day.

Zoom funeral. Ah, Covid…we wanted to honor my mother-in-law, but didn’t know how that would go on Zoom. It actually turned out that a lot more family and friends were able to share memories than in a typical service.

Sacred space. Covid closet. Where the HVAC unit lives. Whatever you want to call it, this is my retreat with morning coffee, afternoon tea, and evening wine. Lots of reading, journaling, and deep breaths go on in MY space.

Games. What Do You Meme (family edition); Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza; Sleeping Queens; Quirkle. These have brought lots of joy, laughter and strategy to cold days in Chicago and evenings in Florida with grandparents.

Snakes on a plane. Just kidding. That my kids are on a plane isn’t new, per se, but the fact that I got to actually READ on the plane while flying solo with all three was very new in ’22. No one was nursing / crawling / puking on me. I’ve waited a DECADE for this moment.

Old things in new ways. This has been little things, like cooking Mrs. A’s potatoes or Mrs. K’s green beans, instead of my boring method. I went out to dinner with girlfriends, and we dined at a vegan restaurant. My four and seven year old now join the 10 year old in writing silly mad libs (one potty word maximum per story). I bought a new dress, covered in sequins!

Mask choice. And this morning, it felt like spring and new beginnings in so many ways: my first grader walked to school for the first time in his elementary career with no mask.