.....we have been way over do for one of our excursions.......the excursions that exhaust me to the core when they are all said and done......but it is during the reflection and the discussion for days, weeks and sometimes months afterwards that would have me doing them all over again......just to ensure that the memories are branded into my little one's minds because they are always spectacular......
.....not many people can think through their options for a play date and decide on the Brooklyn ferry for starters and a ride on the new carousel when we arrive at our neighboring borough......not to mention, a pit stop for the creamiest and most delicious ice cream on the east side of the river......
....there are certainly perks for being a curious preschooler living in Manhattan.....now that Sara has left her cave after birthing her sweet boy and I am in high gear ready to savor our last summer in the city, the adventures are back on.....there is too much to NYC than to stay in our own neighborhoods......
.....and the kids love the change of scenery.....
....not to mention that the older ones are mature enough now to ask good questions, appreciate the views around them and learn some history about our fabulous backyard......maybe they don't understand the concept of time well enough to realize that 13 years to build a bridge is an enormous amount of labor and effort, but they still give the factual stuff plenty of ooohs and aahhs as they take it all in......
.....my clan has always loved the carousels and I think of my grandfather every time I ride one, so the new ride in Brooklyn was anticipated by all of us......
.....and after several spins with Manhattan as our backdrop, we worked up an appetite......
....time to cool off, take a break, and love on our babies too......
....after enjoying the delight of ice cream in the summer, we still had time to explore before we needed to head back......the playground we found nestled around a surprising corner definitely has the best view of any park I've been to in NYC......
....no wonder my girls always ask why there are so many trees when we drive outside the city......when they play, their view is shiny steel and concrete and a sky line they have grown to love......
....but skylines, ice cream cones, ferries, new playgrounds, carousels......of course, the whole experience is grand.....hopefully the pictures will remind them in years to come that we do have a backyard of unique and cool urban escapades.....however, I know what they will remember most about their early years as city kids is their friendships......and our little love nest of a building has been the biggest blessing......
.....yes, there are days I tend to focus more on what I don't care for in our city way of living......small quarters, no storage space, no backyard to lounge in a hammock or play a good old fashioned game of tag......and my biggest gripe with three kids is that my laundry room takes 3 minutes to get to and also requires me leaving my apartment with clothes and babies in hand.....I could go on.....believe me, I could go on.......but the good has always outweighed the inconvenient in our situation.....and so today, I choose to focus on the good.....
Photography by Sara Blackburn
