Staying cool in the hot hot heat!

When we got back to Connecticut in July we realized that it gets pretty dang hot here! Well at least for a few weeks. There were quite a few days over 90 degrees and with humidity it felt like we were right back in Florida. So for our outings during most of July and parts of August we didn't want to be outside unless we were wet. Without a pool in our backyard and neighborhood like in Florida, we had to get creative!

First, we bought a water table! I set it up in the garage and before I could bring it to the back deck the kids were anxious to start playing. So it stayed here for the first little bit and I think we played with it every day those first 2 weeks.

Sometimes Jackson ended up in the water table...

They loved their new chairs too

What's that face little miss Abigail??

Second, the summer meant limited clothes, Jackson spent lots of time shirtless shortless and in some cases, even both-less.

Still working on getting the underwear on the right way all the time

Third, we found the local splash pads. And sadly there weren't as Florida. And the two we found closest to us weren't nearly as big as our favorite one in Dr. Phillips. But Jackson still had plenty of fun at the parks we found, both in West Hartford. This is the only picture I took of our outings there but this is how they usually ended up playing out. Jackson running around with the other kids I could hardly keep track of him and Abbie hanging out with me on the towel or bench...

I think she got her toes wet this day...

 Fourth, this is probably my favorite one, we found out about these little forest ponds and lakes within 20 minutes from our house! We took at least 5 trips to Stratton Brook National Park and I was shocked at how warm the water was! The park is free on weekdays so that  makes it even better. I guess since it's a pretty small pond the water warms up quickly. Jackson loved going to the beach and would literally go swimming around the shallow water.

Abbie loved playing in the sand and getting her toes wet

Jackson playing with James at our ward's play group.

Jackson helped these boys catch a frog that day!

 Then we discovered Lake McDonough which was about 25 minutes away, we went on a Saturday and had to pay quite a fee to get in but it was much nicer than Stratton Brook.

Fifth we played in our backyard pool and sprinklers. I honestly thought we'd be in this pool all summer but we only got in it a handful of times. Partly because the water temperature would vary so much! The hose water here is FReeezing so the pool would start out ice cold and then in the middle of the afternoon sometimes the sun would warm it up almost too hot! I guess I'm still learning. But Jackson had fun filling it up and swimming in it. It was big enough that he would use his goggles to swim from one side to the other.

 

He loved discovering the sprinklers this summer!

Sixth, I've got no pictures to prove it but there is a family in our ward who has an amazing pool in their backyard. And (although I've still never met them because they travel most of the summer) the pool is open for members of the ward to use whenever they want! So we headed over there 4 or 5 times as well! I always went with Tyler because it's hard to keep track of both kids when a certain boy wants to be swimming the whole time and a certain girl isn't so sure about it... We played with the Pulleys and Giffords a couple times there and saw other ward members when we headed over on Saturday evenings. We were never there alone!


Seventh, we took a trip to the Atlantic Ocean! Although we're on the coast, there aren't a ton of beaches in Connecticut believe it or not. But we did find a fun one at Hammondasset Beach just over an hour away. We were hoping to spend the day with our friends the Giffords and Pulleys but we got there early and they were both late so we only crossed paths for a little bit. Abbie desperatly needed a nap when we left after lunchtime. But it was a great day and Abbie's first trip to the Atlantic Ocean! She had been to Pacific and the Gulf Coast of Florida.

The girls played in the sand as the boys swam!

Hi boys!

She likes her food...

Eighth and lastly, we spent a lot of time in our basement. Every day after naps and quiet time in the late afternoon hours before dinner time we would head down to the basement. It was the perfect cool place to be in the hottest hours of the day!

Abbie loves holding hands with Jackson and taking him for walks.

Abbie is more interested in coloring than Jackson was at this age, for sure!

We really had a great summer and found lots of fun ways to keep cool on the hot summer days!