Parenting

To be honest, I’m ambivalent about golf. My Dad taught me how to swing a club and I’ve played a round or two. But, I never was terribly interested in the sport. My boys adore the game. Bambino is an athletic kid and loves going to the driving range with his Dad. Occasionally, I tag along to take pictures and enjoy a long walk.

While planning our Boston/Cape Cod visit, I discovered that the Deutsche Bank Championship was being held nearby. Against my own personal interests, I suggested that we attend a day of the tournament. My boys happily agreed.

This was Bambino’s second golf tournament of the year. In May, we watched the Senior PGA Championship from a friend’s backyard.

Not a backyard, for the record. We’re not that posh. (And, I only seem to have one designated “golf outfit” for my kid.)

Beforehand, we discussed golf etiquette and the importance of being quiet and respectful. Thankfully, he took his responsibilities as a fan seriously.

While I do not share my boys’ love of golf, I did appreciate how the DeutscheBank Championship handled its youngest fans. The event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation (which focuses on education and child empowerment). And, they encourage little ones to attend and enjoy the event.

At the driving range and multiple holes, there were “Kid Zones”– accessible only to children and their guardians. These zones allowed Bambino a front seat view of the course and practice venues. He even had a chance to greet Rory McIlroy (this year’s winner) and Jordan Speith.

Additionally, the clubhouse offered an autograph zone reserved for children. Many players spent a half hour or more signing autographs for their littlest fans. However, Bambino decided to forgo autographs and chose to play in the event’s Children’s Village at the end of our day. He worked on his mini golf skills.

He enjoyed a bounce house.

And had a generally great time.

By mid-day, he was exhausted. We piled back in the car and headed back for one last night in Boston. It was a quiet evening that involved a decent hotel dinner, some local beers, and television. The next morning, Bimbo and I headed home. Il Marito boarded a plane to Berlin.

Our last few trips (Italy, Chicago, and Boston) ended with my family splitting up and traveling separately. Initially, I expected my little boy to be troubled by this change in our routine. He has adjusted beautifully. I asked him if it bothered him that his dad was going on another plane without us. His response: “He always comes home. Daddies need adventures too.”

We left for Boston and Cape Cod hoping that the trip would foster our child’s curiousity, mental flexibility, and sense of confidence. Some days, I feel like I’m bolluxing up this parenting thing. Then, Bambino reminds me that I’m doing okay.

Here’s to raising a rolling stone.

After a busy week in Boston, we were ready for a weekend of swimming, rockclimbing, and good company. My Zia and Zio had generously offered us a room in their Cape Cod cottage– and we jumped at the opportunity.

After a short drive from Boston, we arrived in Woods Hole. It was my third visit, il Marito’s second, and Bambino’s first. I’ve fallen in love with this little village– and with my extended family’s vacation home (a wonderfully quirky, century-old kit house that is filled with books, board games, art, and animal heads).

During the summer, Woods Hole is filled with tourists (who are often headed to Martha’s Vineyard on the car ferry). But, it is also filled with scientists who study at the Marine Biology Lab, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and other research facilities. It’s a fantastic combination of beautiful coastline and world-class nerdery. In other words, it’s my family’s kind of place.

After stocking up on good food and drink, we headed to Buzzard’s Bay. Bambino was instantly in love. He swam in the ocean and climbed boulders with his dad.

Unlike Boston, we had no plans. Instead of racing up and down the Cape or boarding a ferry, we kept it local.

On our first morning, we walked to the oldest aquarium in the United States.

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While there, we met Lucille and Thumper, two harbor seals (who are permanent residents at the Woods Hole Aquarium). We learned about our seal friends while they chomped on fish and enjoyed enrichment activities.

We also explored the aquarium’s tanks, which focus entirely on the local ecosystem. Although small, we loved this (free!) aquarium.

We also stopped at the Marine Biology Lab (actually the visitors’ center and gift shop, but that sounds less impressive).

We revisited Buzzards Bay.

We stopped by a fish market for the best, local swordfish we’ve ever had. (Did you know that you can buy bone-in swordfish shoulders? They’re delicious.) Bambino also admired the lobsters.

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We ate at Pie in the Sky (a mandatory stop in Woods Hole). We checked out the public library and watched a Monarch butterfly spin its chrysalis.

We celebrated childhood at Taft’s Playground.

And, in a cottage without television and little technology, we used our imaginations to make racecars out of colanders, pot lids, and a sofa.

(The grown-ups also caught up over some exceptionally good bottles of wine and kept an eye on Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hermine.)

I’m incredibly thankful for my Zia and Zio’s hospitality. My family needed a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. And, Bambino soaked in all the wonders that Woods Hole offers.

On a flight home, Bambino usually plugs into his tablet and ignores the world. Leaving Boston, he simply stared out the window and announced that he needed just a little more time with “MY Cape Cod.” He also reminded me that Zia invited him back. “Mom, she said ANYTIME. How about tomorrow?”

La Vita Ebrom

Golf and Going Home.

Cape Life.