Unplugged

I always thought that summer in the city would be my favorite time of year. MacKay always gets out early on Friday afternoons and we typically spend most of our time outside exploring the city. After spending one summer here, I soon realized that the heat, humidity, and the lack of people (yes it gets a bit barren on our side of town during the summer,) summers here in the city can sometimes make us feel a bit trapped.

After experiencing those feelings last summer, we made a promise to ourselves that we would get out and explore the walls beyond this concrete jungle. So we did what any New York family does during the summer, we rented a house in the Hamptons. It almost makes me laugh because it’s so cliche. If you ask anyone, especially those that live in the part of the city that we do, what they are doing this summer, I guarantee you 90% of those people will tell you they are visiting the Hamptons.

As soon as we got there I realized what all of the fuss was about. It was a quaint little town right on the beach. The perfect place for us to relax for a week.

I wasn’t sure just how relaxing this weekend was going to be. Typically vacation seems much more like work. Avery was just learning to sleep through the night on her own when we packed up and left only to have her sleep in a portable crib and Harlan takes her time on getting used to things in a place she isn’t familiar with. But, much to my surprise, both of my girls did amazing and adapted so well to their new surroundings.

But with a view like this, who wouldn’t?

As much as I love this beautiful city that we call home, it was so nice to spend a week in the suburbs. I think my greatest delight was being able to cook out on the grill every night and then eating on the back porch overlooking the pool. It brought be back to our life as it used to be and what it probably would have been if we hadn’t moved. As much as I loved it, I don’t think I would be nearly as grateful for a simple grilled dinner outside, if we still lived in Tampa.

Our days were spent outside taking in all of the beauty that the town had to offer. Harlan loved the beach and although the water was a bit too cold and the waves were a bit too high, she still had an amazing time. She built sand castles, made new friends, and even attempted to make a “sand angel.”

Avery had a blast too! She loved the sand and the sound of the crashing waves.

The days that we didn’t spend in the sand were spent right outside the house in the pool. Harlan was such a fish last summer that we were certain that she was going to love being in the pool again this summer.

I think as she has gotten older she is much more aware of her surroundings and what scares her. The pool terrified her at first. She didn’t want to attempt to swim or jump in as she did last summer. After a while (and a new purchase of some princess swimmies) she got used to the water and was back to being our little fish.

It took Avery a while, but she loved the water too. ( I swear from this picture it doesn’t look like it, but she really did.)

We also had a chance to take a little road trip out to Montauk, which sits on the tip of Long Island. It is so beautiful and isolated from the rest of the Hamptons. We loved visiting the lighthouse that overlooked the water. It was absolutely stunning.

Our week together in the Hamptons and our first vacation as a family of four was so much more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. I came back refreshed, relaxed, and most importantly tan. 😉

We are off next week for another little beach adventure with MacKay’s family and I can’t wait. If it’s anything like this vacation was, it will be one to remember.

I’m chronicling my adventures on Babble.com! Check out some of my Babble posts at Baby’s First Year.