we settled into our new flat just after england went back into a covid lockdown. there was so many changes in what was legal and what was not when it came to where we could go and who we could gather with, so i can’t remember the specifics from january 2021. but schools were closed (except nursery schools, hallelujah!) and we basically only left home to get in some outdoor exercise (when the weather allowed) or to go to the grocery store. january in london is already pretty tough because it’s very dark and grey and gloomy weather-wise – so add a strict pandemic lockdown – and newborn twins! – and it had the potential to be very depressing.

but, for us, it actually wasn’t. it was a hard time in some ways but also a simple time in ways that were beautiful. i am forever grateful that both boys were able to go to school, and that ian had a good place to work from home. there were some bright spots that brought us all joy and the lockdown brought us together as a family (again, like the previous ones!) at a sweet time when we had two little babies around. i wrote about our day-to-day during this slice of life back here. here’s a few other pictures from january in locked-down london, 2021.

ian had the great idea to some up with a special “night” for each day of the week – game night, movie night, art night, etc., and to make a big calendar to put up on the wall so we had some things to look forward to // here’s the boys playing church bingo – after months of doing church totally on our own our congregation started meeting on zoom and it was great to join in (for as long as the kids would keep it together!):

we got creative with activities to do at home, like a glow stick dance party:

and obstacle courses and puzzle-doing:

here’s evie and her daddy, and a picture of mo that i sent to his (regular primary school) teacher when she asked about his favourite stuffed animal:

august, the chillest and sweetest baby to ever live:

building cities with magnatiles // i found this labeled polaroid picture around the flat one day:

one evening we went to a light art exhibition in east london. since the event was outdoors and allowed for lots of physical distancing, it was legal. we ended up having to take a detour when a tube line (limited service during the lockdown) was down, but it was serendipity because we got to take in this perfect winter sunset from golden jubilee bridge as we walked to a different station:

it was so so cold that night and so enjoying the lights wasn’t always super enjoyable, but we had a good time. i tandem breastfed the babies out of the house for the first time!

there were some pretty cool pieces of light art, and on the way home we stopped to play at this playground-with-an-epic-view for a little while:

realllly leaning in to that lockdown indulgence: delivered happy meals and a disney movie one night! // more magnatile building…:

moses always loving on his baby siblings:

and gabriel as such a proud helper big brother, feeding auggie some milk:

runs in nearby brompton cemetery and thrill at the first earliest signs of spring // our babies just growing and bringing us so much joy:

one day in january, it snowed!!!!! like real snow, the likes of which we’ve never seen in london. through all our years in the city i dreamed of having a big dump of stick-to-the-ground snow – and in january 2021 my dream came true. the big fluffy flakes started coming down while we were on zoom church and the second “amen” was said we were putting on coats and boots and out on the porch. it was very, very exciting.

our garden was magical in the snow and the boys and daddy got straight to work building a snowman. the babies slept in the buggy. i’m sad i don’t have a photo of them in their first snowfall!

such a happy, happy memory – that snow day in january in london.

more sweet babies:

bedtime dance party shenanigans:

a new toy for the babies that everyone was excited about (auggie didn’t try it until a few weeks later):

aaaaand, more sweet babies. here i captured one of their first little twin-sibling fights. august whacked eve and then there was some retaliation, haha:

it always feels like a triumph to make it through january! but especially this year.