It's Going to be a Long, Hot Summer

I'm fairly certain that this summer is going to be long and hot. Here are just a few of the reasons that I've made this, likely correct, assumption.

1. When your April showers bring May grass. Last Thursday afternoon, it was somewhat pleasant outside, and I mowed our yard. (Before you think that Hudson is a slave driver, I actually enjoy mowing.) Micayla was napping, so I grabbed the monitor and mowed. No problems. Until this past Tuesday, when I looked at our yard and realized that it needed to be mowed again. Y'all, that's not even a full week. Yes, we've had large amounts of rain fall, but really, I don't think we should start mowing twice a week until at least August. Not May. Not May 7th. (And why on earth did I convince Hudson a few years ago when our original mower died that we didn't need a self-propelled mower? (Right, because I am cheap.) I remember telling him something like, "Oh honey, we don't have to spend the extra $40 on the self-propelled one--it's great exercise to push it without any help." Regretted that statement this morning when mowing.)

2. Fertilizer? Surely you jest. We didn't even put it on this year, and the yard is still green. And growing. And though I mowed again this morning, I'm pretty sure that it could already use another mowing. How is that possible?

3. When you decided that in your daily skin care routine, moisturizer wasn't necessary. Because frankly, the sweat from walking from your front door to the mailbox was moisture enough. And if wrinkles are going to stay away because of extra moisture in the skin, then I should be good.

4. Curly hair. Curly hair doesn't get more curly when it's humid outside, just frizzy. There's really no reason to fix it, because the humidity will allow it to poof! on it's own with no help, and the only thing you can do is put it in a ponytail. And straightening your hair? Why would you chance beginning to sweat again after being cooled off for a while by placing heat directly on and/or near your head?

5. Fire ants. I don't know if fire ant beds are predictors for hot summers, but we can't keep up with all of the ones we've had since March. Hudson faithfully medicates the little critters (hoping they'll die, of course), only for them to leave one home and make another, which I promply run over when mowing, and suffer the consequences on my legs.

6. The pool. We have this pool (best $120 we spent two summers ago!), and it already feels more like a lukewarm bath than it does a refreshing way to cool off. By August, it will be like we have a hot tub in the backyard. (Sidenote about pool: we got it on clearance two years ago, filled it up the day we bought it, and have thoroughly enjoyed it, especially after working in the yard. We're excited about Micayla swimming in it this summer (or really, lounging in her float). For the price we've paid, it's held up really well. We don't take it down in the winter, but rather, just cover it and throw chlorine in there every once and a while. It survived Hurricane Ike without any problems, and the only thing we've replaced is the pump, but we upgraded to a larger one so that the pool would be cleaner. Just fyi. Sidenote completed.)

7. Electricity bill. It hasn't been high yet, but I know it is coming. And we have a programmable thermostat, so I don't mess with it at all--it stays at 75 during the day and even the dog has figured out that the coolest place in the house is the half bath. But you can't stay in the half bath with the dog and the crawler all day long. (Because it is, you know, a half bath, i.e., not much on the space, and who wants to spend their days in a bathroom.)

8. Vacuuming is like working out. When you've vacuumed the first floor, and you begin to break a sweat, but then you realize that there is still the second floor, and then you wish you hadn't showered after all, because you'll need another one.

9. When you wonder how long your baby can go without clothes on. Her little red cheeks from our daily two mile walk are indicators enough that she's hot. And hot babies are cranky babies. (At least in my house.)

10. Vacation. Dreaming of Colorado, Minnesota, Alaska, North Pole. And realizing that the only vacation that you'll be going on is attending the husband's family reunion in the heat of the summer right outside of San Antonio. Thank goodness the lodging accommodations has a pool/water park. Mama and the baby will be found in the shade, in the A/C, or in the pool.

On a completely different subject, we've been singing this song at church for over a year now, and I just heard it on the radio sung by PCD (Phillips, Craig, and Dean). I found this clip and thought I'd share--the song just seems to stir something within the heart.