Photo by TW Collins

In my last post I questioned my tactics about summer scheduling. I lamented about how hectic our summers have become with camps here and there. After a crazy Saturday filled with end of the year dance recitals and yoga demos at Midtown Athletic club. We packed up the car for an overnight at “the lake house”. We left pretty late. It was getting far into the dinner hour. I didn’t want to cave in to eating out again.

An quick aside… my pediatrician surprised me during my daughter’s latest yearly physical. I was asked to fill out a form that focused mainly on eating habits. One of the questions was how often we ate out a week. The answers we were either 0-1, 2-4, 5+. I am a health nut. (See my post about chocolate chip cookies with chick peas! ) I circled the number 2 as we do take the kids out for dinner once a week and we sometimes go out for lunch during the weekend. The doctor looked at me incredulously and said that the recommendation is to eat out once a month! I completely understand why—portions are enormous, chefs cook for flavor and not for health, the menu may not have healthy choices. Truthfully, I think school lunches in the cafeteria are a much greater problem, but that is another post…

So…back to the story. The kids, though already ravenous, ran to the water to look for fossils as I started dinner close to 7pm. The wonders of nature occupied my little guys as I concocted a delicious grilled chicken dinner accompanied by a fruit salad and fat-free baked beans. It was yummy and healthy. The doctor would have been proud!

We followed dinner with a boat ride at dusk, we played the game Bananagrams and then we all went to bed.

There is just something about the lake. It is magical.

Usually the house is packed full—my parents, my siblings, their kids. We total 15 people and two dogs. The house is full of life. However, this weekend the weather was overcast and rainy. Just my folks were around. We had the place to ourselves. We bonded with each other–especially my kids. Usually with the cousins around the two don’t have a reason to play together. They are opposite sexes and almost four years apart so their interests differ quite a bit. This weekend these two found the playmate in each other. It was one of those magical summer moments that I was nostalgic about in my last post. The boredom hits and you turn to nature and your sibling for fun.

I was able to do some yoga, read a book, bake some of those chocolate chip cookies I mentioned above, take a boat ride with my husband and play board games with the kids.

We may have a busy summer ahead. But then each weekend, the magic of the lake brings us back to what’s important—time together. The meditative lapping of the water slows down our breath and puts us in a summer frame of mind—at least until the Monday morning alarm goes off.

Have a great week friends.