Pool Hack…getting through record breaking temperatures!

summer in the city? It’s only May!

Yesterday Seattle beat it’s former heat record by 7 degrees, leaving the city both loving and loathing the 86 degree sunshine. If this isn’t a sign of global warming, I’m not sure what is…AND, I’m nervous for the notorious summer week of above 90 degree days in houses with no air conditioning. One year it was so miserable that we went and stayed with Boof’s parents (who do have air-conditioning), because I was threatening (slightly) divorce.

I didn’t have time on my way home from work to stop by a store and get one of those obnoxiously overpriced and cumberson wading pools that every drugstore is selling (though, after yesterday, they’re probably sold out), so, instead, I used a pool-hack that we used camping as kids: a plastic bin with a garden hose and an assortment of measuring cups and lids as flotation objects.

He was basically in heaven. He was only grumpy when I wasn’t helping him get in the tub fast enough! After thirty minutes of fun he was too cold (little shivers), so we went inside, warmed up (took about thirty seconds) ate some dinner and then he was back at it!

There was just something so purely childlike and magical about his exploration of the garden hose and using the measuring cups to sprinkle water on himself and trying to pour from one bucket to the other.

And, in typical fickle Seattle fashion, the weather this morning is cold, cloudy and slightly misty. Maybe my fears of a hot, dry, miserable summer are unfounded. So at least we grabbed the sunny day by the horns and made the most of it!

Zoovangelism

Another lovely sunshine Sunday here in Seattle, and a quick morning text to my good friend resulted in our two families playing hooky from church and heading on down to the Woodland Park Zoo. I’m coining our adventure: zoovangelism. 🙂

 

Look! A new exhibit, Dads-with-strollers! A good looking bunch, if I may say so!

Yep, we’re rockin’ it!

Flamingos are my new favorite exhibit.

Otterly thrilled to be here!

Potamus has been quite the ham lately. He now knows that cameras take his picture and so he waves. He’s also a big fan of the feature that allows him to see the picture being taken. And there’s just something SO wonderful about the sunshine here. While I don’t like the few weeks in the summer when it’s 90+, these 70-80 degree days are amazing. It just makes me super happy to be out and about with friends!

Baby’s first visit to the zoo! He was born on Potamus’ birthday, so we think it’ll be fun when he’s this age next year, since they’re exactly 1 year apart.

I laughed so hard at this goose. He was the only goose in the flamingo pen, and he was off by himself…and I’ve never seen a goose do the one foot stand, so we were joking about how he was adopted by the flamingos and probably thinks he’s a flamingo…but doesn’t quiet fit in. Also, I’m happy to be a human, because I keep noticing how ugly girl birds are….the males are just so pretty, and the girl birds and so…frumpy. Though, makes me think twice about being okay with a girl being called a “chick,” eh?

He enjoyed the otter exhibit, though it was hard to get a good picture of those slippery little creatures!

Daddy and Potamus enjoying a quick lunch. These two are such hams!

Seattle sunglass baby!

This city steals my heart every time, but no more than on sunny sunny days. Man, it’s good to be a Seattle-ite!

We had so much fun that we think we might make this a real tradition. We enjoyed walking the shaded paths and the kids ran around. I think they paid less attention to the animals than we did, but the fact that they seemed just so damn happy to be out and about was enough for us! And I felt really connected to Boof and our friends, getting to share in this experience. So often I just do things on my own because I’m afraid of rejection, or the hassle of having to coordinate schedules and the like. Moments like these just reinforce my need for mutual friendships that benefit me, us as a couple, and the kiddos!

Hope your days were filled with sunshine and adventure, too!