how to beat the damn heat

...go to the library and spend three hours there reading and coloring and reading and having an awesome, one-on-one time without having to deal with annoying bugs and sweat dripping from your entire body.

TILTW: 6.22-6.28

*
I still hate summer, even when there's a pool involved. Okay, maybe it's not too bad if I can submerge my body in water all day long, but the reality is I can't do that every day so I still hate summer.

**
It's not just the heat and humidity I hate, it's the fucking bugs. I hate bugs. Especially when they bite me and make my feet swell and leave strange markings on my body while creating itching itching itching... which results in a trip to Immediate Care for steroids and antibiotics.

***
Fuck summer.

****
We're halfway to Christmas!! : ) and halfway (tomorrow) to Lovie turning F O U R!!!

*****

Summer: it's just not for me

 

Sweaty boobs smooshed together. 

Air condition on full blast.

Mama’s cranky. 

Lovie’s energy’s infinite.

 

“LESS GO TO DA PARK!”

 

"It’s closed."

 

“I WANNA PLAY WIF DA BIG KIDS!”

 

“I have to pee first.”

It's been a while (again), but I couldn't resist participating in this one from Trifecta.

TILTW: 6.30-7.6

* This Summer is only technically a couple weeks old and, once again, it's proving that I'm just not a Summer person. I hate the heat and humidity. And, apparently, so does Lovie. Have you seen the photo above? That was taken last Saturday (or maybe it was Sunday) when it wasn't even 90 yet, wasn't even 11AM. She lasted a whole 20 minutes before saying, "I wanna go inside and watch TeeBee."

* I'm not a compulsive overeater like I thought I was. I overeat, for sure, but after seeing the movie Lbs on July 4th while Lovie was napping, I'm certain mine isn't as severe an addiction as some. I still feel that food can be addictive because we absolutely have to have it to live, but I just don't feel like I'm as addicted as some. Lbs is one of those movies that sticks with you well after it's over... I really recommend anyone seeing it.

the Fourth

Independence Day has never been a big deal in my family growing up. I think divorce will do that to a family. From what I can recall, I generally spent most July 4ths with my dad who is very much a get-outside type of person. He hates staying inside; he's always got to be doing something.

I remember visiting some people who were somehow related to his mother's cousin on a couple different July 4th holidays. Their house was one of about a dozen or two that circled around a little lake. We'd eat BBQ and pasta (of course), play with sparklers and water, ride paddle boats. And at night, we'd watch the fireworks over the lake. Looking back it was pretty damn cool, but as a preteen and teen, I hated it. I was so bored. I knew nobody but my dad. Yippee. I wanted to be out with friends partying. But I didn't have many friends because of how often my mom moved. Besides, my dad was/is great at laying on the guilt trips about seeing him.

When I became an "adult," I still didn't do much on the Fourth; I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've seen a fireworks display on the actual Fourth- or in honor of it. 

I just hate the crowds of people, the sweat, the smoke, the clusterfuck of ...everything.

Now that we have Lovie, however, I'd really like to change some of this. I'd love nothing more than to have some sort of "tradition" for something we do on or around the Fourth. But I don't have any family related to my mother's cousin who live on a lake to visit and neither does my husband. (Actually, Taye probably does since both of his parents are one of eleven children {could you imagine?!} but there are so much family it's confusing.)

July 4, 2010

Lovie was only 6 months old on her first July 4th in 2010 so we treated the day like any other weekend day off with her and just hung around at home.

July 4, 2011

Last year I insisted we do something so we packed some bags and headed out to the park for picnic (with McDonald's) and play. But Lovie was quite off and it got hot fast so we were back home by early afternoon to discover Lovie had a 103 temperature! It was horrible and I felt awful for dragging her out in the hot just to start some sort of tradition.

July 4, 2012- hey, at least it was a red, white, and blue bath!

This year... well, this year the 4th fell smack dab in the middle of the week. As you're well aware. We had no plans going into it but I did look up some parks and pools nearby in the hopes of having some sort of plan. But as the day neared and the damn heat rose, we ended up doing nothing. It was just too damn hot to leave the house.

Instead, we woke early, watched TV, had some breakfast and then just did whatever which consisted of painting with water colors for about an hour, painting with finger paints for about 10 minutes (never again- will leave that for school), took an hour long bath, watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, had a hot dog for lunch,

is there anything more American than a hot dog, Cheetos, and applesauce?

took a two hour nap, made pancakes with playdoh, ate popsicles, watched more MMCH, ate dinner, watched Olivia, and went to bed. Well Lovie went to bed. Then Taye and I chilled out on the couch not touching one another, not moving, trying not to sweat even though the air conditioning hadn't shut off once all day.

It was like any other day in our house when we're all home together.

So actually, it was damn lovely.

Even without any BBQ or water play or watermelon or fireworks.

Still hate it.

One of my favorite photos from 2011 is one I took of Lovie in the dead of summer on July 31st. We were at the park. Yet again. She was on this piece of equipment that is in the shape of a large blue circle that spins, tilted, around and around. Above the spinning circle is a circular bar that also spins. Apparently this piece of equipment (seriously anyone know WTF I'm talking about?!) is for an adult or very tall child to utilize by standing on the blue, spinning, tilted circle/platform, while holding on to the circular bar (kind of looks like a steering wheel) above and spinning. Or something.

All I know for certain is my girl LOVES this thing. She flocks to it every time we go to the park. And if she happens to be on the swings or running around by the slides and sees someone else go to the blue spinning platform thing, she scrunches up her face, points to the blue spinning platform (WTF IS IT CALLED?!?), makes eye contact with me and cries out.

Ha!

Anyway, despite that photo being my favorite, despite the fact that I really do love seeing her play at the park, I still don't miss it... Summer. I still hate it. A lot. And I'm not looking forward to it either. The sweltering heat, the sticky humidity, the sweat moistening every inch (and there's a lot of inches people) of my body. YUCK!!

Summer-icle Listicle

Summer 2011 was... hot. Hell, it started feeling like... hell... well before summer, with temps exceeding 90 in May already! Blech. I'm not a summer fan. At all. AT ALL.

But it was still memorable:

VACATION. For the third year in a row, we hopped in the car and drove a mere 90 minutes north to our favorite getaway. It's close, yet the difference in ... everything... makes it seem like we're in another country. Last year when we went, Lovie was 5 months old; this time she got to enjoy and see a lot more: like seeing the beach and playing in the sand for the first time... and visiting the zoo and all its animals for the first time... and, finally, on our way home, stopping off at our city's awesome aquarium for the first time.

PARKSCAPADES. As long as temps are above 40, below 80 and dry, I make it a point to stop at the park after school. Sadly, that wasn't too often this summer because it was just too dang hot. BLECH do I hate the hot. There were a couple times when we did get out, though, and we always had a blast.

TODDLER ROOM. Summer 2011 also marked the time when Lovie finally changed rooms at daycare... from the infant room to the Toddlers room. It was a sad transition... FOR ME...but Lovie has thrived and just adores it. (These days, when I arrive at school to pick her up, Lovie gets all giddy the moment she sees me, says "Look! It's Mama!" all proud and happy, and leaps onto me.)

FATHER'S DAY. 

1 and 1/2. Summertime will always mark when Lovie has her half birthday... this one was pretty big (for me).

HATE. No summer (for me) is complete without some spewing of my hatred for it... especially when someone is sick.  

ART. Because this summer was so disgustingly hot and humid so often, we spent a lot of time indoors in the lovely air conditioning being creative.

ICE CREAM. What summer is complete without an ice cream truck treat? 

WIGGLES. Summer 2011 brought about our first live Wiggles event. It really wasn't that bad! 

39. Summer is the time when Lovie will always celebrate a half birthday, and it's also the time, just before Fall, when I celebrate turning another year older. And damn, I'm getting old!  

A few of my favorite pictures from the summer, in no particular order:

I have no words.

oh if you really want to...

here are some words about this. 

and here, too.

Reason #5646438

I'm not a fan of summer and I've never been one to hide my disdain toward it. All winter long when people moan and groan about how awfully cold and gray it is, I smile thinking At least I can sip some hot chocolate and put on an extra sweater and a pair of socks to get warmer. What about when it's blazing hot out?!?

Man I hate summer. I hate so much about it- the heat, the humidity, the bugs, the skinny bitches, the kids smelling like... kids who've been playing outside all day, etc etc.

Well yesterday was the 4th of July and here in the good ol' U S of A, it's a day to celebrate the red, white and blue. It's a day for good foods cooked out on the grill (cuz it's not hot enough out there with the beating down sun!), corn on the cob, ice cold watermelon (ok this one I'll give you summer fanatics- I do love me some watermelon and ice cream... can't ever forget the ice cream though my kid actually chose grapes over ice cream the other day, the little weirdo), fireworks when the sun goes down.

We had none of that planned.

We live in the city. In an apartment with very little outdoor space to grill let alone picnic with the damn mosquitoes, bees, and other buzzing tiny annoying creatures.

But it was the 4th of July, gosh darnit.

So I came up with a plan and as soon as Lovie went down for a nap with no fussing or fighting, I told the H about it: when she wakes, we're going to drive by the park to see if it's busy and if it's not, we're picking up some McDonald's and having ourselves a little picnic in the park (and if it is busy, we'll just eat out first and then go back to the park to play).

Lovie slept for nearly 3 hours (third day in a row, too!). When she woke, we got dressed and left. The park was empty. HOLLA! We picked up McDonald's and went back to the park and ate. Only Lovie didn't want to eat much. We were sitting with our backs to the sun and I suspect the sun was bothersome. It's ALWAYS bothersome to me but I didn't think a couple minutes would matter much. We moved farther from the playground area to where there was more cover. She still wouldn't eat much more than three fries and one chicken nugget (and my girl LOVES french fries and chicken nuggets).

We stayed for about an hour and when Lovie wasn't near us under shade, she just kind of stood around. No laughing, no squealing, no climbing all around... basically no Lovie behaviors displayed.

Finally she came up to me and laid in my arms and I knew we needed to leave. When we got home, minutes later, I stripped her down to her diaper and she felt SO warm. She had a friggin 103 fever! I felt SO friggin bad for her.

Here I was trying to put my hatred for summer to the side so that she could have a fun (well more so than just staying inside and playing with our boring asses) 4th of July and I ended up making her more sick! (I'm SURE the 85 degree temps and not a cloud in the sky sun made her temp rise.)

About an hour later, she puked.

My poor sweet baby doll.

She laid on one of us for the next couple hours before she finally started drinking some water and eating some crackers. Then it was bedtime and she went down without a word.

I went in to check on her every couple hours.

This morning she seemed OK but I kept her home and came in to work for a couple hours so that I could get some shit done that needs to get done. I'll be leaving soon though to be with her so that the H can go in to work as his work is more important than mine.

My heart aches so bad. I hated driving in without her. I hate not being with her right now.

And I'm blaming it all on Summer.

Because I can.