It helps that the first of July brought with summer with it...in addition to the state shutdown. I won't even touch on that political goodness. We're ten days in to the official summer season, but I decided that today is truly the start of Minnesota's summer. It was decided as I was dragging out the third variety of sprinkler that has been added to the water toys pile in the garage and trying to find a place for it amidst the water table, inflatable beach ball, water shooters, lounge chairs, and the other two sprinklers.
{Oh goodness, it just occurred to me: my backyard has become Libby's own personal splash pad!}
I have no complaints. As the thermometer gauge inched higher and higher before settling just below the 100 degree mark, I was more than willing to pull out any and every toy we had that would help us keep cool. After running our pre-weekend errands (because who wants to go out shopping tomorrow?!) Libby and I donned our polka dotted swimsuits in an attempt to cool off.
Yesterday, we acquired the most amazing sprinkler ever. The Aqua Blast Hop Scotch sprinkler. Best $5 I've ever spent at Target...so good that I returned today so that I could buy a spare for next year in case anything happens to this one. It's not very big, but it provides just enough sprinkle and play for Libby that it keeps her happy. She loves jumping on the number 10 square and shooting up water everywhere. We trialed it yesterday and brought it out again today to help take some of the edge off of the scorching July sun. It was joined by the new sprinkler of the day, a 6 foot round circle that had sprinkler holes all around. Libby and I sat in the middle of that circle, ice cold hose water showering down on upon us and we were happy...and cool.
Libby loves these two little sprinkling toys. She was in heaven today, running through their little streams of water. However, I think I made her day when I pulled out the childhood classic:
Hooking this thing up, I was transported back to my Aunt Cathy's back yard, when my cousins and I would spend (what felt like hours) running through the good old oscillating sprinkler. I don't think Libby would have been as impressed with it if it hadn't turned her mama into a big kid. In between sips of tropical punch Kool-Aid (I told you I was being a big kid!) I ran back and forth through the shifting arch of water, squealing in delight and cold-water shock, giggling and performing acrobatics that were awe-inspiring to a two-year-old.
Yeah, that's right...I said acrobatics. You remember the moves, right? Doing ballerina-esque grand jete's (for the guys, leaping jumps) and spinning jumps over the sprinkler head. Cartwheeling (as much as a slightly overweight mama is able) through the water. Seeing how long I could sit directly in front of the spray before it got too cold and I had to jump and run. Playing leapfrog over the it. Pretty sure I was eight this afternoon, not twenty-six. And I had a two-year-old shadow the entire time. Unfortunately, since no one was around and I was more than a little wet, there are no pictures to share.
We were going to head out to one of Minnesota's many lake beaches to build "san caffles" after our backyard H2O extravaganza but in true summer fashion we were graced with an awesome thunderstorm that oh so nicely cooled down the outdoors (in addition to cutting out the power for over an hour and a half!) But it's gonna be a scorcher tomorrow too so we're heading to the beach tomorrow, with buckets and pails, float tubes and towels, picnic lunch and camera in tow.
It's summer baby!
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| I love my silly goose! |
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