Heat Wave

Our area is under a heat index advisory, which basically means: It's hotter than hell, stay inside or go swimming.

So...I stayed inside this morning and primed and primed and primed some more. I had a ceiling fan running as I worked to cover the Sunkist Orange and hot pink walls that were once some pre-teen or teenage girl's little place of privacy in a house full of annoying siblings.

Now? It's a white room waiting for some paint and furniture to become a welcoming guest room.

When I was finally done I was sweaty, grouchy, hungry and tired. I showered, grabbed Olivia and we headed to my mom's with just a quick stop at Burger King for chicken fries, onion rings and a frozen Coke.

Once there, we visited with aunts and long-lost cousins and finally, we swam.

We swam and swam and swam and it make all the priming so worth it. Knowing I was coming home to a job well done make me happy.

It really is amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year, Olivia was willing to get in the water, but she needed to be touching me at all time. She wouldn't put her face in the water for anything at all and she cried every time Alyssa spashed her. Yes, she was a delight.

This year? She 'swims'. She holds her breath and goes underwater. She tells me to go to the other side of the pool because she doesn't need my help. She spends most of the time on her knees, which brings the water level to her neck.

She's a little fish, is what I'm saying.

And I love it because it's just not as much fun swimming with a clingy, whiny kid as it swimming with a child who is squealing with glee, crying out, "Wathc me, Mommy. I'm swimming."

We're weathering this heat wave with as much charm as possible.