Family Quirks Are Fun and Functional
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