Carnegie Hill Mom

Our family spent many fabulous weeks this summer traveling and hosting both friends and relatives. Through road trips , sleepovers, BBQs, game nights, and more, our family of six lived life in close quarters with dozens of loved ones. Let’s face it: There’s nothing like sharing a refrigerator, bathroom, and laundry with others to really get to know their style (and for them to discover all your habits as well!) This has made plain to me how much of our family's way of life is–shall we say–odd. These unique behaviors became much clearer upon spending extended time with people outside my family unit, whether it was for a meal, a day trip, or overnight. Many of the routines , structures, and tendencies that are so normal to us would be unheard of or even considered negligent under someone else's roof. But why aspire to be a cookie cutter family when I relish the qualities that make the New York City Van de Waters unapologetically us. Plus, it’s so much fun figuring solutions that

  “Mommy, what do you want to be when you grow up?” my daughter asked, inspired by the chance to answer that question on her school yearbook page. “I’m pretty sure I’m already grown up,” I replied. “And—I’m a mom,” I added, my mind spiraling down all the career roads not taken. Various professions have piqued my interest over the years. As a child, I would pretend to be a teacher, writing out lessons while surrounded by stuffed animal students. I played the role of a reporter, Rita Paper, in a middle school theater production. By the time I reached high school, journalism seemed like an intriguing career option, so I wrote it on my guidance counselor’s interest survey. In college, I loved learning through the lens and practice of journalism. Reporting on a wide range of stories for class projects, the university newspaper, and internships with local papers provided the opportunity to interact with people and topics I otherwise never would have met or learned about. I covered scho