… move to Alaska, or Maine, or Canada. The temperature hit 99 today. Ugh. And it’s supposed to be in the 90s all week. Given that I’m not all that fond of double-digit snowfalls and below-zero temperatures either, I’m thinking that moving north would not improve my discontent with the weather.
I don’t tolerate heat well, and I think my children are following somewhat. Whenever the temperature is high and the humidity likewise, our house seems less of a happy home. We’re more tired and less patient, eager to be outside but unwilling to roast our pale complexions in the sun. I’m the most guilty. I determined this morning to not turn the air conditioner on until it was absolutely necessary and by 3 p.m., it was. The damage to my mood was done by then. Isabelle wanted to go outside and do chalk, which I finally consented to at 5:45 p.m. The temperature at that point was at its highest, but my husband kindly withheld that information. Nobody wanted to eat much dinner, especially if it was warm in any way.
Does this happen in anyone else’s house?
And today’s only Monday. Anticipating that the heat/mood problem will likely worsen as the week goes on, I’m trying to think of ways to stay cool. Here’s my list so far:
Head to the mall. Isabelle can run free in A/C while I push Corban in the stroller. Downside: I’d be tempted to buy something with money we don’t have.
Phone a friend, especially one with a pool, wading or otherwise, or even a sprinkler. Our otherwise mostly perfect rental home has no outside hose hookup. I’m told sprinklers make just about anything better.
Liquid diet. Popsicles, milkshakes, smoothies … a brain freeze sounds pretty good right about now. Downside: Extra calories and sugar. Although maybe I’ll sweat enough to counteract it.
Indoor picnic. Lunch on a blanket in the living room, the coolest room in the house because the window air conditioner lives there.
Any other ideas? We’re talking inexpensive (free if possible), creative and fun ways to beat the heat with a 2-year-old and a 7-month-old, with or without leaving the house.
Help, please! Before I pack up our stuff and head north!
hmmm…well–could you just bring some buckets of water outside to play in? we have filled up those big rubbermaid totes with water to play in before. spray bottles filled with water might be fun, too.
and getting out of the house is important, at least for stonesifers! we go to the library the most, if we need to go somewhere that is inside. and we also take early morning walks, before it gets too hot. sometimes we go outside and play around 8am, then at least the kids can work off some energy before it gets too crazy hot.
and is there a splash pad, or a fountain to run through or dunk your hands and feet in? there are a couple fountain type of things in dixon that we visit sometimes.
also–do you like tea? we make green tea sun tea sometimes, which the kids think is cool, and also mint tea. if you have some mint in your yard, or know someone who does–we just cut a big bunch of mint and put it in a big bowl of ice cold water. then the kids squeeze it and slosh it around for a while until the water turns greenish. i strain out the leaves, add some ice and maybe a little honey or sugar and it’s a healthy yummy cold drink!!
i do use the ac, though. especially when it’s really really hot. ours isn’t too expensive to run, and i know how much the heat effects my mood. i try not to let it, but it really does.
love ya, and i hope it cools off a little for you!!
val
i like your ideas, too! a smoothie sounds really good right now!!
val
Agree with Val–buckets of water. I just filled a tupperware bowl of water, gave Grace some cups and would go inside and refill as necessary. She was usually soaked to the skin by the end of outside time.
I found even just filling up a bucket of cold water and sticking my feet in it, while the kids played outside helped keep me cool
Spray bottles are also a lot of fun. They make little spray bottles with fans on them.
I am not a fan of the heat so most days the kids and I stay inside where the air conditioning has been running since May, especially when it’s this hot. Then Jon is the hero and takes them out when he’s off work But, I did buy some rainboots and rain jackets so when it’s drizzly outside the kids and I can go out and enjoy the rain and not melt in the heat.
I have found that when the kids get older (aka they don’t want you holding them all the time or you are able to get out without a stroller or huge diaper bag) that the heat is a lot more tolerable. For me, just having a kid that I need to pick up occassionally or having to lug a bag and stroller with us in the heat, just seems to make it worse.