What a Difference a Year Makes...in the Rutherford World...

I went back to look at our post from last year before starting this one. It was a very different time for us and so surreal. Even reading about Covid-19 first breaking across the world now seems like a bit of a dream world. 

We have come a long way at our house in that time! It has been a year of waiting, but not stagnating.

Shortly after our last post, we did take out to head across the country and have been continuously thankful for the car purchase (Felix) that we were able to make during that time. Getting to spend time with family instead of being stuck in our home in the heat of a NYC summer was just the ticket to change our head space.

When we returned to New York City, we celebrated 10 years of living in the city, which made Kurtis and I official New Yorkers according to many friends. It is our home; the place we get to do the thing we most love, the place where we have made a life together.

Aurora began Pre-K in the fall at P.S. 152M. Her entire year will have been spent in online classes when she finishes up at the end of June, which is the normal stop point for schools here on the East Coast. She has been loving school despite the unusual circumstances and often is first to raise her hand when the teacher asks a question. However, she is really looking forward to going to in-person classes next year at P.S. 178, Professor Juan Bosch Elementary School, which is just across the street from us and has a dual language Spanish program which she will be part of.

Kurtis found a new adventure this fall when several of his Local 1 friends began getting in touch for TV gigs that they were working on. He had a rough fall adjusting to this new environment as the people work very differently together than the way that we work together in theatre. In December, just before Christmas, he finally found himself on the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and has been there since with a crew that has finally made him feel more at home. He is tested for Covid-19 no less than 3x/week, drives to/from work every day and is in a set dressing position here, which is a lot closer to building/placing props in theatre world. The return to theatre will still be very welcome for him when the time comes, but we are all thankful that he has been able to find some lightness in the work more recently and that the work has been there for him.

I have been adjusting to new roles this year. The biggest one has been in becoming a stay at home mom while Kurtis goes off to work every day. I had always wondered if I might regret working through Aurora's childhood and I now know that I am absolutely a more whole person for her when I am also a working mom. This year has been a silver lining of time together that I would not trade for the world. We have gone on many adventures, several notable ones with our little 'school pod'. Two other families, each with two small kids, reached out in the fall to ask if we would have interest, so we all joined together to form a social group for our kids. Hiking, days at the park, zoo/museum trips and even a short trip together have kept us all very entertained. 

It's true, Broadway has started to announce it's return. It's true that Girl from the North Country will be coming back(in October). And, it's extra especially true that Kurtis and I love what we do for a living which means that we are especially thrilled to see this return after a year and a half of waiting patiently for the world to be safe enough.

This will be one that we never forget. Hope you all are getting vaccinated. From our fully vaccinated house to yours - lots of love!

Aurora, Sis (Wren), David and Revan

Aurora picked out her own outfit here.

We all got fancy for an outdoor birthday party upstate for our friend Michael.

Aurora and I do lots of exploring - there are tons of parks in NYC.

Dad had to make his first flight out to NYC in over a year - our fully vaccinated selves got to see him for dinner during one of the evenings he was working on Long Island! (It was so good.)

We still mask up everywhere we go!

The 5th wheel added on here is Baby Drew in the front. Our little pod has made a big difference in Aurora's learning for social interaction with other kiddos. (They love each other!)