It has been a scorcher lately. Definitely not our hottest summer ever and the humidity does come and go, but the past week was hot. Let the numbers speak for themselves...
So what to do when it's so hot? We've found some fun ways to keep busy...
Arts and crafts are always a great option. We love these new Presto Dots from Crayola. So easy to use and perfect for preschoolers...
Using the shade whenever we can. Mimi and Grandpa got this new table and umbrella for the kids an we love it! (costco online)
Splashing and sliding with friends in the kiddie pool...
Purging and reorganizing the toys...
Does anyone else get tingles when they see ring tag labels? :) Man I love to label!
The kids think the new bins make better rowboats. Maybe they have the right idea. Instead of
containerizing the stuff, just put the
kids in containers.
And when you just need to get out, IKEA is a great destination. I am so happy we have one in Charlotte now. We used to visit the one in DC almost monthly. I love the store, the stuff, the kids areas, the food, the prices, the people, even the bathrooms are awesome.
And to make it even better, kids ate free last month :)
And thanks to the iTouch and Leapster they were even up for an afternoon at the outlets- gotta love technology...
And of course there's always the water park. We haven't been in a while because of illness, travel, and busy schedules- so it really feels like summer now to be able to enjoy the pool and slides...
Or just hanging out inside where it's cool...
On days when it was just too hot to even go outside, we waited until late in the evening and enjoyed family time then. Though I must say the pavement was still quite toasty. We probably could have cooked dinner on it easily. Sidewalk paint is still a favorite for all of us...
and water fights, too...
Julia has been spending a lot of time in the world of Littlest Pet Shop...
She loves animals and just discovered these cute pets a few months ago. Her cousin Jordan so generously passed down her collection recently and Julia is like a kid in a candy store. Much to her delight, Carter has a great time with it, too.
We've also had a great time at the Children's Museum. When it's steamy outside you really can't beat all the air-conditioned fun and room to play under one roof.
The kids found lots of new friends to play with. They even put on a show with some of them. It was something about Batman saving the bunny while being chased by a zebra, all set to drum music.
You may be able to guess who the director was...
...he doubled as Batman, too.
They have a great creative station. That day was tissue paper flowers, seahorse collages, mosaics, and free painting. Julia dabbled in all of it...
We briefly stepped outside to see the new garden (amazing!) but the heat was too much. We can't wait to enjoy it on a cooler day. Even the chickens were panting! I didn't know they did that.
In heat like this, there's no better way to end the day, then jumping in the sprinkler after dinner...
We have been having an action-packed, fun-filled summer. It is never far from our minds how far we've come. Last summer all of these things were just a far off dream and cancer dominated everything in our family. This year we are able to let them be kids and enjoy the simple childhood pleasures of summer. God has blessed us in so many ways!
She could not believe she was able to swim across the pool herself without any float.
Carter was working on his strokes this year.
His toughest is the elementary backstroke. They teach it to the kids in three body positions- "chicken"...
"airplane"...
"soldier". It's been quite entertaining to watch him practice in the bathtub.
Then it was on to diving and jumping...
Julia was one of the first kids in her group to volunteer to go off the diving board. The first day of lessons she wouldn't even put her head in the water. Mrs. Cook and her teachers were wonderful. They knew this was new to her and did so much to encourage her to reach her potential. Last summer her swimming was limited by her bowel issues and she was unable to take formal lessons. The summer before, she was in the throws of chemo, neutropenic, and receiving blood transfusions. She couldn't even sit up some days. Now she's jumping off the diving board. I can't say a few tears weren't shed by this momma today. 
So proud of you Julia! That smile speaks a thousand words of hard-earned and well-deserved freedom and accomplishment.
