Bye Bye Summer, Hello Fall

It looks like it's finally over; the seemingly never-ending scorcher of a summer, I mean.  And I can't be happier to see it go.

Those of you who have endured this summer in North Texas know exactly what I mean. We've dealt with triple-digit heat temps for nearly two months straight. The hardest part was that James Charles and Audrey didn't get to play outside as much as they would have in past summers.  Which meant some days at home were a lot more stressful than I would like to admit.

So, I got a little creative.  One day we pulled out the movie "Polar Express" and watched it right into their naptime.  Looking at the train pass through the cold, pillowy snow had a calming effect on us. Snow seemed sooo nice at the time. The scene where they were drinking hot chocolate wasn't as enticing as it was when it was actually cold outside. It was just too toasty to be thinking about hot chocolate. I prayed James Charles wouldn't get the nerve to ask for hot chocolate laced with marshmallows. He didn't. But he did get a kick out of cuddling on the couch with a light blanket pretending it was a winter afternoon while snacking on pretzels and gummy bears.  Audrey only cared about the snacks and bringing toys from her room to pile up in the living room.
That afternoon was a great escape from the reality of the intense heat. Some days were so hot that going to our neighborhood pool left me completely drained. Yes, 105 degrees out will do that to you.

But don't get me wrong, we didn't spend the entire summer holed up in our house. One day I took the kids to the Dallas Museum of Art.  The art was lovely as always, the AC was even sweeter.  As we were leaving, I decided to take a picture of the kids outside. (Not a good idea).  I knelt down and burned my knee as it touched the ground. What was I thinking! It felt like I'd burned it with a curling iron! I was surprised that the burn didn't leave a mark on my knee.

Showcasing his art while my knees burn

There were mornings that I took the kids to the park and James Charles was asking to go home 20 minutes into the outing. I couldn't believe it coming from a boy who runs like lightning and has the energy of a marathoner. Audrey was irritated because she couldn't understand why she couldn't get on the blistering slide.  I know some people weren't phased much by it being 95 degrees at 9 a.m., but we weren't those people.



I'm not going to bore you anymore with the entire rundown of our summer, the good and the bad. I'm just excited about cooler temperatures, seeing my boy play his first soccer game and the endless fun (not to mention good food) that comes with the fall season.  Jason and I have already started planning weekend family trips and date nights. 

It was about 68 degrees when I went outside this morning.  I talked with my dad on the phone and we joked about needing jackets. Sixty-eight degrees almost seems cold compared to 100-plus degrees almost every day for most of the summer. And that's a welcome change for me.