A last hurrah

She says:

Can you believe it? Summer is winding down and soon the kids will be back at school and the routines will be back in force. Where did it all go, and why is it that time – especially summertime – passes quicker when you get older?

We were lucky enough to have Chloae with us again this summer (one last time before she goes off to university), and that has made things more summery. Having a young person around reminds you of the joys of summer, I think – they are experts at loafing around, and that is what we all want to do in the heat! But seriously, it has been great to have her here not just to catch up around the dinner table but also because we have done some fun stuff…

One night, for example, we savoured homemade burgers and yam fries on the deck and then we played a trivia game. I haven’t laughed so hard in ages. I haven’t had people laugh at me like that in a while either, but that was okay too. We all had a great time, we enjoyed some fresh air and I don’t think it was too embarrassing for her as a family activity (always an important consideration for teenagers, of course.)

The night before that, we had a quick dinner of blackened snapper with garden salad and then went to “Brave”. There is nothing better than seeing an animated movie with someone young; it brings out the frivolity in all of us. Chloae had plenty to say about how she would be smarter than the young lady in the story. The wisdom of youth, ah, do I remember those years…

We even spent a weekend camping when we went on our yearly sock hop trip. It was true outdoor living, as there was no water due to a power outage. I admire the fact that Chloae is game to “rough it” when she is a girl who values the time it takes to accessorize an outfit and likes to make sure she looks good before we leave the house. She is a city girl but she is a well-rounded one! (And I can tell you, she is a good sport about all the teasing she gets, too, which I think is an admirable trait.)

So, hopefully you will be able to get one last hurrah to celebrate summer too in the coming week. Take a walk on the beach while it is still warm, linger in your garden while you have the time to just soak it in, or maybe just sit on the deck and watch the world go by… before you are part of the world that is “passing by” again!

Chloae goes back to the city next week and we will go back to our more regular routine, but I know we will all have some great memories we shared to add to our list, for those dreary winter days when we need a bit of a lift. Thanks Magoo, for a great summer!

Photo: Contributed

He says:

I took some time off this summer so that Chloae and I could hang out, and she also worked with me a little bit. I don’t think she will become a chef, but it was nice that she could see what my work is like.

Quality time is important, and often it doesn’t have to be some special activity – it could just be “hanging out.” I have learned many things from my daughter this past summer -one of the things I was pleased to learn was that Chloae has become an adventurous eater. I have also learned that many of her meals back home are eaten on the couch. At my house we value our kitchen table as the place to meet after a day and talk about life, food, problems and of course the teenager’s list of chores. (Another thing I have learned from Chloae this summer is that she now buys her own underwear, it’s no longer cool for her dad to buy it at Walmart!) Kids grow up way to fast so sit down with them now, because one day they will choose to sit with others than you.

If you need a recipe idea, you can check out the ones on my website www.thechefinstead.ca, or send me an email if you need help.

Happy summer!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.