Holy Crap It's Hot!

This weekend was a very HOT weekend. I mean super hot. I mean extreme hot. I mean...pretty much hell hot. If that is even possible. 

Everyone knows that I love being an Arizonan. (p.s I'm a native.) 8-9 months of perfect weather. Tons of sunshine. Snow (if you want it) just a drive away and the ocean just a drive to the west. For me - it's the weather of happiness. So much sun you can't help but be happy. 

However...the summer is the absolute pits. I can't think of anything that would be worse (well, other than any type of natural disaster or blizzard.) 111 degrees feels like you're pretty much sitting on the sun. It's horrific. We live in our houses with the cool A/C or in the pool. 

The bad news is this...we no longer have a pool. Nope, the new-ish house is pool-less. It stinks. Don't get me wrong, the lower electric bill is great. But...we sure miss relaxing in the pool while the weather is stuck at 110. The hottie misses the pool more than any of us. 

So...we'll have to suck it up and stay indoors (boo!). I see lots of mall window shopping in our future. The hottie even suggested hanging out in the Costco Cooler as entertainment. He was only joking. Sort of. I'm starting to think that's a good idea. What could be better than walking around, snacking on free samples, and cooling off in the Costco Cooler?

Hmm....probably a refreshing dip in a pool. (To be fair - when pool water is 98 degrees...it's not as refreshing as you'd like.) But...it sure as heck beats 110 degrees. In the sun. With no pool. YUCK!!

Tonight after we dined at Joe's BBQ with my family - the hottie and I reminisced back to just 1 month ago when we were able to take nightly family walks. Brady and Lily on their scooters. Me pushing Charlie in her new birthday pink car, and the hottie walking beside me. It was in the 70's. 

What the heck happened? 

It's 8:22pm and it is still 109 degrees. Holy crap. I've arrived in hell.

At least this will only last for a couple more months. I can't wait. I'm counting the days. 

In the meantime...this will be us....

Uncle Bryan Style

The Cuties along with their cousins, Rylee and Jake, just after their summertime bath...courtesy of Uncle Bryan. The summer bath was cut short tonight - monsoon rolled in and sprinkled on us. That's okay - we entered the house to the smell of cupcakes baking. The kids dried off, hurried into their jammies and patiently (or maybe not so patiently) waited for them to cool off enough to eat.

summertime baths

& cupcakes = heaven!

Is That Scuba Steve?

Nope, it's Jake!!!

Is this not the cutest picture EVER??

Oh - Jakey...how I love you.

You are SO adorable.

Love, Aunt Dawn

just in case you forgot....

Summer Birthday Parties

I think it is pretty much a given that if you have a summer birthday - you will have a pool party. It doesn't even matter how old you are - OnE, tWO, THreE...any age.

This weekend - we went to a birthday party for a 2-year old.

And, boy did the cuties have fun.

Swim, swim, and more swim -

until your eyes are so red from chlorine

you can't even keep them open.

O-U-C-H!!
(wait - maybe that's just Brady)

The cuties would loooove to have pool birthday parties.

But...it's not in their cards.

Both of the cuties have January birthdays.

January = NOT swimming weather.

Once again - this summer party brought out the almighty, endless fun, kid-loving inflatable water slide. Hours and hours (literally) of never ending giggles and laughter and yes...crying fits when it is time to get out.

Swimming makes the heat all worth it.

G-Gross...with a Capital G!!

picture courtesy of, of course, google images

I'm a native Arizonian.
Yes - born and raised.

And, not up in the "cool country" like Flagstaff, Prescott...or even Payson.
Born right in heat central - Phoenix.

I L-O-V-E Arizona.
Seriously.
9 months out of the year - it is AWESOME!
Well...right now, we are NOT in those 9 months.
And, during those other 3 -
well...let's just say I could DEFINITELY do without them.

I don't know if that is exactly true.
I do like summer.
A little bit of it.
I love the pool.
The hottie loves the pool.
The cuties love the pool.
Luckily, we have a pool.
Well...it is almost too hot for even the pool.
THAT is what I completely DISLIKE about those 3 months.
And...we are smack dab in the middle of those 3 months.

G-Gross!

Tonight - I took the cuties to watch the hottie play softball.
The game was at 8pm.
The sun was down.
I thought - eh - as long as the sun is not shining down...
how bad can it be??

WRONG!

Tonight was exceptionally disgusting.
Yes, there was no sun.
Yes, that did help.
But...it was also humid.
And, there was ABSOLUTELY no wind.
It was like sitting in a sauna.

Whoever said it's a dry heat has never been to AZ in the monsoon season.

Y-U-C-K!

Isn't it funny how kids barely notice the heat?
The cuties were rather well-behaved.
Playing, cheering, running around.
Cute, pink (very pink) cheeks and all.
They are definitely their mother's kids.

As we sweatingly walked to the car -
Lily whined for a bath,
Brady whined for a swim,
and the hottie whispered for his summer bath.

Easy - wishes granted.

Happy Summer!
Even if it is G-Gross, with a capital G!

Sprinkler Fun

Mondays and Wednesdays the Cuties are with my sister, Cori. Yes, my sisters take in the Cuties while their mommy goes off to the corporate world. Who better to watch your kiddos than your very own sisters...

Aren't my sisters the absolute best? Seriously, they're awesome. I really do not know what I would do without them.

This Monday - when I arrived to pick up the Cuties, I sat down for a bit outside with my mom. Aidyn was wearing the most adorable dress. Lily and Aidyn were running around outside, even though I'm not sure how - considering it's a million degrees. My mom and I were quietly watching Aidyn as she, ever-so slowly, creeeeeeeeped out to the grass that was being watered by the sprinklers. We're whispering to each other how adorable her dress is...should we take it off of her??? Hmmm.....

Well, she manages to inch her way into the grass, clothes and all. She proceeds to run around through the sprinklers - smiling, playing and giggling - not a single care in all the world. Lily is in awe. She quickly joins Aidyn in on the fun.

Once Lil was thoroughly saturated, the sprinklers turn off. You could see the disappointment in their eyes. We chuckle, yet feel a tinge of sadness their fun has so quickly ended.

So...we call Aidyn and Lily over. They waddle over to us with their waterlogged clothing (and diapers) weighing more than they do. We strip their clothes off, and allow them to run around freely, while Poppy turns the sprinklers back on for a little bit more fun.

Back out to the grass they run...this time clothing free.

A short time later, when the sprinklers turn off, they sadly run over to us covered in pieces of grass. We turn on the hose to rinse off the grass - and their eyes light up. Who needs sprinklers when a hose can bring the same amount of fun?

Tonight, we ate dinner at my parents house. Guess what Lily wanted to do? Run in the "sprinkas"...and, yep you guessed it. We gave in, again. This time, to both of the Cuties. Brady kept on his undies. And, Lil...well, she prefers her birthday suit. Sorry...no pictures of tonight.

Sprinkler fun brings me back...way back to my childhood. Ahhh - the memories.

It's June for Goodness Sakes

Bugs started swim lessons.

I wouldn't really call them lessons.

It's more - fun with mommy while

singing in the pool.

Not at all like Brady's Infant Swim classes

from a couple years back.

Brady's = hard core, life-saving, survival skills.

Lil's = happy, sweet, fun times in the pool.

It's June...in Arizona.

You'd expect the pool to be like bath water.

It's not.

It feels like a pool in March.

We've had weird weather the last few days.

Overcast.

Windy.

Rather cool...for Arizona.

We got out of the pool after the lesson,

Lil's lips were purple.

I was shivering.

We couldn't get to our towels fast enough.

I think I'm still thawing out.

I guess we should feel lucky.

This weather will too soon pass.

Next week, we'll probably be sweating during the lesson.

And...we'll wish it was more like the last couple days.

Did I fool ya? This is Lil a couple week's ago in our pool. Not in the arctic pool from this week. But isn't she a cutie?

Summertime

Well, I guess it is not technically Summer.
Not quite yet.
But, for us Arizonians...it certainly is.
We love you Summer.

Wait, I take that back.
We don't love the heat -
but, we certainly love the entertainment!

Summertime = FUN
BBQ's
Swimming
Cool Air Conditioning EVERYWHERE you go
Splash pads

We didn't have splash pads when I was a kid.

Unless you call a run through a sprinkler a splash pad.

Nowadays...they have splash pads.

Cool kiddie "playgrounds" made up of fountains -

meant specifically for splashing and fun.

The cuties looooove splash pads.

I remember swimming everyday as a kid.

Swimming until my toes would get blisters from the pool plaster.

Brady got a blister.

He's not a fan of that swimming souvenir.

Doesn't matter - he'd swim 24/7 if we'd let him.

I've gone swimsuit shopping twice this year.

I've purchased nothing.

Who likes swimsuit shopping anyway?

Nothing like looking in a mirror while trying on a suit...

Don't you remember when swimsuits were FUN to wear.

Not frightening.

Not intimidating.

Lil loves her suit.

Can you blame her??

Look how cute she is in it.

Patiently waiting to swim.

All this talk about Summertime...are you singing yet?

And if it ain't broke then don't try to fix it

And think of the summers of the past

Adjust the base and let the alpine blast

Pop in my cd and let me run a rhyme

And put your car

on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime

Summer, Summer, Summer-time

Time to sit back and unwind

Summer, Summer, Summer-time
Time to sit back and unwind

Summer Wait

Dear Summer,

I'm not ready for you yet.

Could you please wait for just a bit longer before you attack us with your unearthly sunshine? I am enjoying the Arizona weather. Warm and sunny one day...sunny, yet cool and breezy the next. Temperatures in the 70's - 80's = perfect. The cuties love to play outside and soon - it will be much too hot.

I promise to be ready for you in another month. The pool will be calling our names. It's already starting to whisper to Brady. He can hardly contain his excitement. And...Lil got the cutest suit ever and we can't wait for her to put it to some good use.

The year is moving much too quickly. I have barely put away my Christmas decorations...or so it feels. Maybe that is what happens when you turn 30 - life speeds up. Thinking about it - in a mere 7 weeks, Brady will be finishing his Pre-K program and will enter Kindergarten. Sheesh...where has the time gone? And, soon after that, Lily will be 3 and we will need to begin a hunt for another preschool program. Time is flying by too rapidly.

So, Summer...please delay your arrival. But, when you do make an appearance, we'll be ready and waiting for our nightly swims and weekend pool parties. Oh...and "summertime baths" as the hottie would say.

With much appreciation,

The Campbell Cuties

p.s. Thank you for even the bit of delay I have seen so far...I have yet to need the air conditioner. Making it to the month of April with not one day of air conditioning? Unheard of!