Our 2 month vacation in the suburbs of Staten Island is coming to an end as the apartment renovation comes to completion. There are few things I have come to realize about suburban life and the parenting here:

1. Cars are everything in the suburbs. Earlier today we were at the park for some exercise and sun. Zubin grabbed my hand as he heard a motor-like sound and said “what is that noise?” Some toddler was driving around in an electric car that looked like a Humvee. I almost fell over.
2. Suburban kids are socially insular. The city forces all kinds of fun groupy interactions. The parks are like daily hubs of urban mommies, nannies, daddies, pimps, hos whatever. Here in the ‘burbs, kids are like at home all the time. So when they go to the park, I think they go buck wild and act feral.
3. Suburban mothers are hot. Yes, I said it. They have more time for make-up, hair doing and painting nails. They want to look put together for the after school pick up where the young track coach might be and it shows. Bravo.
4. Suburban dads are more involved than I thought. I really thought that suburban dads would be at home tending to the cookout and wratching alot of last years NFL on Classic. Instead, I am blown away by the number of dads I see at the mall and around town.
5. The Bugaboo has made it to the ‘burbs. But none of the other lux strollers are around. Our pair of Quinnies are like Martian landing vehicles here. The blue camo Phil and Ted’s Sport Buggy may as well be a military experiment in young recruitment.

So while I have not grown a newfound interest in deck waterproofing or commuting the suburbs have proven to have their place in the landscape of parenting. While it’s not for me right now, I have uncovered it’s quality. Maybe we’ll have to sort out a weekend home somewhere.