Combating the summer heat and the summer blahs.

As much as I dream about it during the long cold winter months, I really don't think I am cut out for the hot weather. I don't tan - I get red and blotchy. My eczema flares up. I feel fat, bloated and sluggish. My hair frizzes from the humidity. It's not a pretty picture! And poor Sam has inherited my skin issues and is now sporting itchy red heat rash in addition to his eczema. Poor guy! And each year I say "Next year I'm getting AC", but I never can justify it because we only have a handful of these hot, hot days each summer. It would be nice, but at least electric fans and homemade popsicles are helping!

Anyway, I was mentioning to my friend Wendy the other day that I find we are watching too much TV these days. Many mornings slip away while watching PBS kids programs (although they ARE pretty educational) and it is all to easy to let G. watch the shows while Sam plays or naps and I tidy up or do laundry or whatever. So even though it's hot, I have been trying to make sure we are not wasting the day in the cool basement watching TV all day. Here are some of our favorite fun (and mostly cheap!) things to do on hot days.

• Get outside in the morning to play in the garden or park behind our house BEFORE it gets too hot.
• Setting up the pool in the backyard in the later afternoon. Or hooking up the misters to the hose and running through them.
• Arrange more playdates. Yesterday we visited with my friend Julie and the boys played in their new cool, basement playroom!
• Since our basement is pretty cool too, we head downstairs during the afternoon heat to do craft or reading projects when Sam is napping. I do a lot of art actitives, and I have also found some great sites/blogs which post educational activity ideas for preschoolers. Two of my favorites are Let's Explore and No Time for Flashcards.
• Visit the air conditioned library for new books and videos.
• Go to the air conditioned mall for a walk around to look at the pets in the pet store and play in the indoor play area (while mom has an iced coffee!)
• Make homemade popsicles and lemonade ice cubes for fun, cool refreshments.
• Visit the Zoo using our season's passes - again we try to go in the morning.
• Head out to one of the handful of outdoor wading pools in the city with a picnic lunch and an umbrella I can stick in the ground (this is the plan for this weekend!)

So these are a few of the things we have been occupying our time with. Any more suggestions for hot day fun?

Happy Scrapping!
Noreen