When planning out the summer, I made a conscious decision to sign the kids up for camp the first two weeks after school let out, and the last two weeks of July. I toyed with the idea of full season camps, but I wanted them to have a lax schedule, with few commitments.
As of three weeks ago, we no longer have a regular sitter. I thought not having a sitter would free up more time for the kids and I to spend together, but, I have to say I am struggling with the work life balance something fierce. I don’t think there is a happy median, and if someone has the secret, please share it now. I am trying my best to be around with them as much as possible, and leave most of my work for the hours after or after their bedtime. This approach has worked, but it has definitely left me exhausted.
As soon as we arrived back in the city on Monday, from a weekend at my parents, I unpacked, caught up on the mail, opened packages, and sorted the laundry. All that busy work in the house left feeling penned up, and I couldn’t wait to get the kids out. There’s something about the summer, that gives me the impression that we should be out exploring, or doing something.
After my chores, I took the kids to Dumbo, Brooklyn, which is so close to our apartment. So many new restaurants and shops have popped up along the promenade, which makes for a fun afternoon. Normally, we take train, on those more adventurous days, we walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. But yesterday, we decided to out the East River Ferry. At 5 minutes, the trip was a breeze, and the kids got a kick out of the boat ride.
Our first stop were the “Appearing Rooms” sprinklers in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was a treat to find Jeppe Hein’s park wide installation, donned the Please Touch The Art project, consisting of sprinklers, forming a series of “rooms,” made out of water jets that appear and disappear. Another Hein installation on the grounds are the 16 Modified Social Benches, that upend the idea of the traditional park bench, with their unconventional angled, twisted, and bent forms. After hours of bouncing from bench to bench, I managed to peel them away for a quick spin on Jane’s Carousel.
When it was time to head home. we waited forever for the boat, but the kids didn’t seem to mind, as they joked about their day at the park, asking to return the following day. With a day away from the compute, I was greeted at home by tons of email. I don’t think I’ll ever figure out the perfect balance, but being present for their childhood is my number one priority, and sometimes work needs to wait.
