Out of the Ordinary

As a mom of two, one of the things that helps me get through my day is our schedule. I love knowing what we have to do next. It’s just one of those things that makes my life easier and more bearable. Working from home, I have to have some structure in order to get work done during the day.  There are very few days during the week that we stray from our routine.

A couple of weeks ago the girls and I were asked to go over to Brooklyn for a marketing shoot for Maclaren (the stroller company.) Harlan had just finished camp at Kidville and had a two week break before preschool. The days by myself with both girls in the apartment were starting to get a bit mundane and boring. I could tell both girls were getting restless after being inside a lot while I tried to get work done throughout the day. I knew that this short trip to Brooklyn would be the perfect cure for our summer break cabin fever.

The call time was early so the girls and I hopped into a cab and headed down to Brooklyn. I honestly think that I’ve been to Brooklyn only once since I moved here over two years ago. Our shoot was at the Brooklyn Bridge Park which is just below the Brooklyn Bridge and sits right on the East River.

The park was absolutely gorgeous and gave a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline. Harlan had a blast checking out the boats and throwing rocks into the water.

After the shoot wrapped I had all intentions of heading back home so that I could get some work done for the day. As we were headed out of the park Harlan spotted a playground. I had to feed Avery, so I figured this was the perfect time for her to get more of her energy out while I fed A. The playground overlooked the water and the skyline and was a gorgeous view to see while nursing Avery. It was just small enough so that I could let Harlan run around and go wild while I sat back on the bench.

Once I was finished feeding Avery, I decided to let go of my work worries and have fun with Har and A.

After the park I was sure that Harlan and Avery were both tired (because I was) and that we would head back home to rest. On the way out I spotted the NYC water taxi and on a whim decided to take that back into Manhattan rather than a regular taxi. Harlan had been practically drooling over the boats all morning, I knew this would be the perfect way to return home.

And it was.

We were probably the only New Yorkers that actually took that boat with the intent on returning home (and not for tourist purposes) but it felt so great to see our beloved city from a different perspective. Harlan loved it too. In her words, “we are on an adventure!”

The boat dropped us off in midtown on the opposite side of the city that we lived in. I wanted to get away from the water a little bit and into the mid part of the city more before we caught a cab home. As we were walking Avery fell asleep and Harlan and I were chatting away. Before I knew it we were in Times Square and right in front of Harlan’s favorite place, The Disney Store. It was days until her birthday and I didn’t want to disappoint, so we continued our adventure into the store.

After that, there was no point for me to get into a cab. We were on an adventure and I had all intentions of finishing it. So we made our way over to lunch for a quick bite to eat before walking home.

We walked over three miles that day. Literally across the city. And it was incredible.

That night as I was putting Harlan to bed, she kissed me on the lips and whispered, “Mommy, thank you for taking me on my adventure today. I had the best day ever.”

There are so many days when I get so caught up in the day-to-day routine that I forget to stop and enjoy the moments that really matter. Years from now my girls will never remember the routine that we kept up with when Harlan was in preschool. But what they will remember is when we went on an adventure exploring the city on a boat.

Because something as ordinary as a simple trip to the park can quickly become quite out of the ordinary.

For more pictures, follow me on Instagram, @amommyinthecity!

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