Summer Eating

I know that this might sound strange, but when my kids were younger, I dreaded the end of summer. We had so much fun together that the arrival of August would make me long for the early days of June.

Summer brings a time for special foods. There are always lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, but my son and daughter share my love for good old Maryland steamed crabs. The smell of Old Bay seasoning gets us salivating! When they were both little and in high chairs, I would pick the crab meat for them and place it on the trays of their high chairs. Both of my children quickly acquired the skill to pick crabs, waiting for me to do it for them took way too long!

We would sit out on the patio at a long table covered with newspaper and spread out the feast of several dozen crabs. There the entire family would sit for hours, picking and talking, and talking and picking.

My two babies returned home this summer. Although it was only for a few days, my memories of summers past came flooding back. “When are we having crabs,” my son asked as we began to plan activities for their visit home.

We dug out the mallets, grabbed some newspapers, and called in our order. My son and I went to pick up the little critters, and drove home basking in the aroma of Old Bay. By the time we returned home, the tables had been set up on the patio, paper spread, and ready for the feast.

For the next two hours, we picked those crabs clean. It was just like always, with one slight new change. My granddaughter, Chloe sat in her high chair as my daughter picked small pieces of crabmeat and placed them in her mouth. She would wave her arms and kick her legs indicating that Mommy needed to continue the crab feeding!

As I watched my family, I was so thankful for the time we had had together, but I knew that it would soon be time for them to leave. My “summer,” my visit with my babies, was quickly coming to an end.

They’re all back at their own homes now. Summer vacation has ended for me. But the beautiful thing about summer is that it comes back every year, and I know that soon Miss Chloe will be picking her own crabs!

Summer Amusement

I know that this might sound strange, but when my kids were younger, I dreaded the end of summer. We had so much fun together that the arrival of August would make me long for the early days of June.

Each summer meant a trip to at least one amusement park, and more often than not, it was Hersheypark. We would all hit the sack early the night before. The almost two hour drive and the ritual breakfast stop at Mountaingate restaurant meant that we had to be backing out of the driveway no later than 7am in order to arrive in time for the park’s opening.

Hersheypark was always my favorite of the parks. It was there, at the age of 14 months that my son took his first steps. It was in Hershey that my daughter fell in love with her first roller coaster at the age of five.

With each trip to Hershey, the first on the list of rides was the Comet. My children both loved roller coasters-the front car always being the best seat. Typically after the first ride, they were back in line to do it all over again. We would pry them from the Comet and then move on to the Super Dooper Looper.

They would ride all day long, and we would walk back through the gates as the park was closing. The drive back home would begin with the two of them giggling in the back seat and end with the two of them fast asleep by the time we reached Thurmont.

Both of my babies returned home this summer. Although it was only for a few days, my memories of summers past came flooding back. We took that trip to Hersheypark once again, but this time the back seat held my granddaughter’s car seat.

Scheduled departure time was 7am, as always, and we filled our bellies once again at Mountaingate. Yes, my kids ran right to the roller coasters when we entered the park. They’ve changed a bit since the last time we were there. My “older” babies admitted that Skyrush was a bit tough on their aging systems.

I strolled my granddaughter’s carriage past the place where I held my son’s hand as he took his first steps. I watched my own daughter giggle and run to the line for the roller coasters. It was just like old times, but it wasn’t. I was spending my time gazing at this new little girl. She smiled and giggled on the rides, too. We spent some quality time, just the two of us, amusing ourselves in that amusement park while the "older" kids went riding. Some new traditions were beginning.

As the sun began to set, I started to dread the end of the day. The end of my “summer,” my visit with my babies.

They’re all back at their own homes now. Summer vacation has ended for me. But the beautiful thing about summer is that it comes back every year. We’ve already begun planning next year’s amusement park excursion.

Summer Fun!

I know that this might sound strange, but when my kids were younger, I dreaded the end of summer. We had so much fun together that the arrival of August would make me long for the early days of June.

Summer meant time at the pool. There were times when I firmly believed that both of my children were fish. Hours were spent in the water with brief respites for food and drink. At the end of the day, they would come into the house with water-shriveled fingers and feet.

There were pool parties with cars parked all over the front lawn, and kids running all over the backyard. The volleyball net was set up across the pool and some fierce competition usually began. As the sun set, the pool light came on, tiki torches were lit, and we continued the party into the late night hours.

My son was always known for his cannonball jumps. Much of the pool water would splash out with each one of his jumps. Tiffany, my daughter, was more inclined to do her cartwheels off the deck of the pool. Each child laughed and we all smiled when they hit the water. While my husband grumbled about all the work required to keep that swimming pool in order, I always thought it was one of the best additions to the house that we ever made.

Both of my babies returned home this summer. Although it was only for a few days, my memories of summers past came flooding back. Of course, time in the pool was something they both wanted to put on the agenda for the visit.

This year, my granddaughter was introduced to the pool for the first time. She’s definitely got the swimming gene of her mother and uncle. She splashed and giggled and smiled from ear to ear as she was led around the pool in her floating tube.

My babies, however, have aged. There were no more cannonball jumps into the pool. My son preferred floating on a small raft while quietly sipping a cool beer. My daughter didn’t cartwheel, but rather shrieked at the cold temperature of the water! It was the same pool, but some things had changed.

There was still the splashing in the water, the soft light around the pool in the evening, and the good times spent together, but as I watched them having fun, I began to dread the end of this visit . The end of my “summer,” my time with my babies.

They’re all back at their own homes now. Summer vacation has ended for me. But the beautiful thing about summer is that it comes back every year. My granddaughter, Chloë is beginning swimming lessons and we’re getting ready for next summer’s visit.

This blogpost appeared as my June 2012 column, "The Empty Nest," in the Frederick News Post.