We are about halfway through summer, and life has felt like a juggling act, though not necessarily in a bad way. Our routines have been shifting with the kids out of school. My son has been going to a new supplemental childcare provider, which is something different for us. Prior to him entering elementary school, we had the same care provider all year, so to change part-way through the year has been impacting our routine. I’m usually responsible for drop-offs, which has added some time to my typical morning commute. Thankfully my wife has been working four long days from Tuesday through Friday and taking Mondays off, which gives her extra time at home with the kids. Some Fridays, my mother-in-law helps out.

Today is one of those days when my wife is home with them, and honestly, I love that they get that time together. We are fortunate to have this flexibility, even if sometimes I wish we had even more family time and could spend Mondays with them.

My daughter has been thriving this summer. She is learning so much, not just in school basics but socially too, and even picking up quite a bit of Spanish. It amazes me how quickly young kids absorb language when they are surrounded by it. My son has been going to an in-home daycare with a small group of kids, mostly girls his age. That might actually be a great fit for him. He is such an outgoing and social child, and at his usual school, he had a classmate with a big personality with some behavioral challenges, such as lying, physical confrontations, and creating distractions during the school day. The two of them together could stir up a lot of chaos and they had to be intentionally separated at times. Prior to this boy arriving at the school, we rarely got negative feedback about our son. While we still get lots of positive feedback, this is new for us.

I feel for his classmate, who moved twice in the same school year and came from Southern California. He lives on our block, and I can only imagine the adjustments he is going through. But I admit I was concerned about the influence on my son, not just the usual playground language but things I really do not want him hearing yet. So this summer, I am grateful for the smaller daycare setting where he gets more one on one attention, runs outside, reads his books, and enjoys a calmer environment.

As for me, work has been busy and sometimes overwhelming. There are big projects ahead, but one bright spot has been getting my first real office with a door. It may seem small, but at 44, it feels like a big shift due to my issues with focus. Before this, I was in a shared office space with constant conversation around me. I like my coworkers, but it was hard to focus on tasks that require deep concentration like design work, writing, or even Zoom calls. When I worked mostly at home, it wasn’t so much an issue. But now that I’m in the office 3 days per week, it has impacted my work.

I have mixed feelings about having an office when not everyone at my level has one, but the way our space works, it makes sense for my role. I can already tell it is helping me stay more focused. I also like that I can play music now without impacting my neighbors. For years, I avoided playing music or podcasts at work because I worried about bothering people nearby. Even with headphones, I often pulled them out to engage with whoever came by. Now, I have been enjoying music on a small Bluetooth speaker, and it lifts my mood throughout the day.

On the professional side, I have been working on trusting my instincts more and speaking up when I have something to contribute, even when I do not have all the answers. I used to stay quiet, especially early in my career. I still remember my first planning internship in a small township in Michigan, when making a simple phone call left me feeling rattled. I was so focused on how people would perceive me, whether they were on the other end of the call or sitting near me in the office.

Now, I remind myself that as long as I approach people with kindness and respect, I have something worth offering. I still feel nervous at times, but I am learning to push through it. While I’ll never be a charismatic, confident person, I do recognize that I’ve made a lot of progress. It’s helped that I feel like I have a supportive supervisor who has provided quite a bit of mentorship and I’ve appreciated their leadership example. Their work philosophy encapsulates the idea that we shouldn’t “let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” I’ve tried to internalize their example that sometimes moving quickly and learning from mistakes can be better than the analysis paralysis that can easily accompany work in my industry.

On the home front, we are looking into some home improvements, primarily to the façade/siding, but also likely adding some windows, which is pretty exciting. It may not be my dream house, but it’s a nice home, if small, and it’s a good neighborhood for kids. I like that me and my wife are on the same page and I’ve grown to accept that there is no perfect backdrop to a life, despite how much pressure I put on myself sometimes to be a good parent and provider. Scheming a bit about maybe adding a family room off the back someday, but for now, things are working. Just need to tick off some of the smaller items on the project list, with a goal toward making it feel more my own with minor interior changes.

Aside from that, we’re planning some getaways. Camping in a couple weeks, and then a trip to Joseph, Oregon later in the summer. Should be a good time.

So here we are, halfway through summer. Feeling grateful for the flexibility we have, for the small changes that make a difference, and for the moments of growth both at home and at work. I know summer will fly by.