A billion degrees, the thermometer said today. And the day before. And the day before. So when I’m at the park watching sweat-slicked moms pull damp t-shirts from their skin like wrappers off a fruit roll-up, and they’re pushing strollers and hauling wagons and painfully smiling through We’re-all-gonna-die-on-this-playground expressions, I’m thinking “Oh my God, these people are crazy. Who would go out in this heat?” Until I realize I’m here too, so that makes us all a little sun buzzed.
A thick stew of heat and humidity, the air has been uncomfortably stagnant. Running in this heat actually sounds like relief because at least the motion would provide some kind of air current. Instead, we join kids with red cheeks and sticky foreheads at the park, and I convince Lainey out of her long-sleeve t-shirt and have her settle for a tank top and rolled pants.
We join forces with nature for an afternoon heat compromise of ice cream and cooling storms.
Our Weekend:
Tomatoes. Sliced and well-peppered.
Lavender. Delightfully fragrant and taking the center spotlight at the plant window right now.
Goodwill Finds. I scored like the Knicks this weekend, swiping up a couple fall sweaters, a worry doll vest for Lainey and these $2.50 vintage suede/leather beauts. I’m going to rock them this fall with some tweed.
Ice Cream Parties. Torrential rains foiled our Dairy Queen plans last night, so we brought the party inside.
She’s asking us to lead her through spelling everything these days. It takes a long time, but she is patient. I spent an entire “relaxing” bath the other night dictating the letters to “Please everybody, I need to tell you that these chapsticks are Lainey’s and please don’t take them or Nella will take the caps off. Thank you.” Every single letter. And God forbid, she flip an “M” into a “W” because she’ll get frustrated and start from the beginning again.
Rain Dance. Fred Astaire ain’t got nothin’ on this.
Cats. Lainey asked if she and Nella could be cats today. So I painted their faces, and they crawled around on the floor and meowed and licked their palms. Nella did exactly what Lainey did. Except Lainey didn’t fall asleep; Nella did that on her own.
This Crazy Face she’s made since she was a baby. She knows it slays me.
Driveway Duck Feeding.
That’s a wrap.
*****
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*****
I’ll be over at Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect for a “Rock Your Life” party tomorrow–making the best of the bad moments, moving forward, finding ways to be inspired and passing it on. Join me for some great question and answers and fun giveaways. And virtual air conditioning.
For all those experiencing similar summer scorchers, an icy Cheers! from a chilled glass to you tonight.
Im the first comment? YAY! I love that you painted their sweet faces like kitties! Adorbs!
I adore the picture of Nella dancing! <3
i laughed ridiculously loud with the bit about spelling everything out for her. thanks for a great evening chuckle.
As always such a fun post but my favorite part the Blue Bell Ice Cream for your Ice Cream party with the girls. Most of my family lives in Texas while we rock out in Chicago and I miss Blue Bell Ice Cream every day. Enjoy!
So much fun! I love the pic of Nella dancing – she’s too cute.
I’ll have to check out the shop – very cute clothes.
I LOVE your shoes! I really need a pair of those!
I adore your Goodwill-found shoes. Can’t wait to see what you’ll wear them with. I love that store, but I rarely find shoes there.
After the adorable baby doll clip, now we need to see a video of Nella dancing in the rain.
Enjoy your week! (It’s supposed to cool off in the Carolinas this week. Can’t wait! Hope y’all get some relief too.)
so so Jealous…love that ice cream shop, I am pretty sure it is Kilwins with their yummy chocolate coconut ice cream..AMAZING! I need to re-visit Naples soon!
Hahaha I love that first paragraph. I’m the same way. When it’s sunny I can’t make us stay in, but I always feel like I’m gonna die once we’re out there. Being 38 weeks preggo helps like, none.
I’ll send you icy thoughts of winter chills and you send me some scorching sunny thoughts…we’re in the dead of winter here and it’s killin me…xoxo flu season has arrived…..yuck!!!
The kitty faces are so freaking adorable!! Enjoying many new posts tonight and they are making my Monday 🙂
CC
http://www.thesnozberrydiaries.blogspot.com
Please send some of that heat this way….its freezing here…down under Australia….give us back the summer!
The girls looked really hot in the park!
cheers from Minnesota, we’ve had extremely high temps the past month, 17 above 90 days, many with very high humidity. 4th of July we hit 101-102 with ridiculous humidity. was awesome going 3 hrs north to visit family for 4 days where it was a good 15 degrees cooler and even rained one day.
cheers from Minnesota, we’ve had extremely high temps the past month, 17 above 90 days, many with very high humidity. 4th of July we hit 101-102 with ridiculous humidity. was awesome going 3 hrs north to visit family for 4 days where it was a good 15 degrees cooler and even rained one day.
Very sweet pics as usual! 🙂 I’ve noticed that you guys eat a lot of ice cream! We’re huge fans, too! 😉 Happy week to you!
We spent the last week in a heat wave. I love the heat but not the humidity. Air so thick you can slice it with a knife is unpleasant. We made egood use of the local pool! It was the only way to be outside!!
I really enjoyed this post!
Just what I needed! Great pics as usual!
This summer heat seems to be making its way across the country. We had it last week and just about died. Oh yeah, and we don’t have central ac in our house either. Damn 1917. Hang in there, it can only get better!
I spent way too long trying to figure out if Nella was sporting a mowhawk or if Lainey was pulling her hair up before I realized it was just the pillow behind her and not her hair, in the picture of the three girls laying on the floor. Whew! I’ve only had on margarita ~ pinky swear!! And that picture of Nella dancing pretty much owns me!! That’s all 🙂
First, you are an amazing face painter! Like, AMAZING!
Second, I remember those hot, sticky Florida summers and the expressions the girls are wearing. Kudos to all of you for braving the heat in the name of playgrounds!
RE: Lynn Coburn’s comment, I also totally thought that Lainey was holding up Nella’s hair in the pillow picture!
Lainey looks so grown up in the yellow pants outfit, and Nella’s raindance is.priceless. Love!!
Miss Nella doesn’t look too happy in the last picture. It is sooo hot here right now. I don’t want to do much but drink iced tea.
Dear Kelle,
I’m working to dress my only daughter in the vintage/girly/retro look I love seeing on other girls (i.e.yours) and all she want to do is wear her soccer shorts and a tee… :p She’s deff a creature of comfort vs. style.
The raindance, the kitty faces, the sundae bar… sunny buzz looks good on y’all.
I’m settling for virtual comfort and cooling this evening as the AC went out today and we’re all grumpy and sticky around here.
Love,
Hot in NE
Ahhh! We also did a sundae party this weekend. The hubs gave blood and was rewarded with a free half gallon and that was all the inspiration we needed for at-home ice cream parlor party! Love when I find kindred spirits like you who see the fun in something like that. Jealous of your lavender and your bangs – we’re also humidity prone here in MA and my mop hasn’t been sleek and shiny like yours in a month! Viva la frizz.
Thanks as always for sharing the beautiful way you navigate this world.
why yes i am experiencing a summer scorcher. a bright rain and wicked painful sunburn on my back which i’m *almost* enjoying because it signifies NOT BEING IN ALASKA. at least for the time being.
Now I want a peach ice cream AND a chilled glass of beer. or white wine. anything really. this blog is bad for my figure.
xoxoxo
melina
We lived through the ungodly heat the last two weeks too! Today felt like a cold wave with the temp “only” 86 degrees…so we hit up the zoo!!! Hope you get some relief soon too!!
: ) I like your duck.
And your cats. I am absolutely crazy about your cats!
Have I mentioned how much I love Nella’s moccasins? They’re perfect, seriously. 🙂
We finally got a break in weather up here in Chicago. The only thing I can think when I go outside now is “hallelujah!”
Love your thrift store finds! Do you go with or without your girls? Today I went with my 1 and 3 year old. It was a bit crazy but, we found some good stuff!
No rain in Tejas ’til this evening. We were craving DQ yesterday (Sunday) & went for hunger-busters! Cute face-painting for sure & loved your dictation story…yay Lainey!
Lainey has more style than I do!
My guy is headed to Naples on Saturday for a week. (isn’t that near you?) I just read him this and he just sat gaping at me! He’s hoping for a good storm but not excited for the humidity.
Jealous of your summer!! Although we sweat it out most summers here in Australia we usually enjoy a cold break but its too cold!! Seeing you in sandals and singlets make me crave a warm sunny day!! (no matter how hot) also might be tempted to buy some bright colours to wear too!!
Enjoy your scorching weather, it’s freezing here in Australia. i just got approval from my boss to spend $100 on a heater for my office because it isn’t connected to the main building heating!
We’ve got the rain as well though. Hot and wet for you guys, cold and wet here.
dancing nella, oh the sweetest!
so much fun! your girls are so adorable! i love the rain dance:)
IDSC for Life is running a photo campaign – (Lily was the starlet on Sunday!) – that photo of Nella dancing absolutely needs to be used. Seriously, like with the caption “I rock my designer genes”. I’m hooking you up with Diane Grover tomorrow!
Oh, the heat you talk of is making me quite jealous… I’d love to experience a bit of summer here, even if it’s not quite as hot as where you guys are!
We’re down south in the United Kingdom and it’s not stopped raining! Where is our summer?! We’ve had the wettest June since records began! And July isn’t shaping up to be much better either.. 🙁
Ashley xx
P.S- I love reading your blog, I find it hard to comment sometimes but you’re photo’s are beautiful.
I am loving yellow at the moment (must be some weird summer withdrawals with this dreary Sydney weather) and your girls are rocking it!
I love the idea of your ice cream party! 🙂 and I love Nella’s romper!
I know I always comment about Nella, but today, it’s “Lainey’s teacher is SO LUCKY!” How fun will she be in class!?!? Oh my gosh, I am jealous!
And yeah, DC? 105 this weekend. We did NOTHING.
We have 53-59 degrees and rain these days, you should wave some of that heat over here, thanks ;P
That’s a lie though, today we actually have 68-ish degrees, but monday was a whooping 48.2, so it evens out 😉
Nella dancing? She rocks.
I can’t quite compute how hot it must be. Tasmania never really gets that warm, even in summer.
No swimming for you over the weekend, or is that just a given?
I love your vintage shoes from Goodwill! I have so much fun scouring the racks for one-of-a-kind goodies like those! I love every single photo of the girls! Have a great week!
It was miserable the other day when we went to the beach. The sand felt like it was melting our skin right off and I seriously thought of you. I’m like Kelle does this all the time. She makes it look glamourous…I can do this. You know the momma mantra. Love that last colorful pic of the three of you.
It was miserable the other day when we went to the beach. The sand felt like it was melting our skin right off and I seriously thought of you. I’m like Kelle does this all the time. She makes it look glamourous…I can do this. You know the momma mantra. Love that last colorful pic of the three of you.
I feel like all I’ve been doing in this FLorida heat is go to the pool before 11am, or go somewhere to be in a colder AC than our place. We’ve done the park before 11am and I swear, we need to be there at 8am to make it even worth it. It gets SO HOT so quickly that I am more of a cranky mess than any other mom on the playground!
Your girls are adorable!
Oh, the kittehs! How adorable!
Loving all your great finds! I think I was born into the wrong decade because whenever I go shopping somehow I always return with either the thirties or eighties!
Your girls are so beautiful.
The weather you describe is exactly why I don’t miss living in FL. There were days when I would come home from class and swear off leaving the a/c again until the sun went down! I only ran in the dark – thank goodness I had many friends who were also runners so we stayed safe.
On the opposite end of the spectrum yesterday I wore pants, a tank, a long-sleeved shirt that doesn’t cover my belly anymore (38 weeks now) and my long-sleeved, hooded myrebe.com coat to the playground yesterday. That’s pretty typical for summer in San Francisco!
I’ll have to stop by today. I’m not sleeping at all this late in pregnancy and my patience with my 3 year old is barely intact by a thread most days. It really bums me out. I could use a little something about moving on from the bad days right about now.
Ugh, we feel your pain on the heat, minus the humidity, here in Las Vegas. It was 110 yesterday. BUT we’re supposed to get rain this weekend and it will cool things off a bit! Woo hoo! Love the cat faces, you’re quite talented with face paint. Holy cow, it would look awful if I even attempted that!
I’m glad you’re finding ways to keep cool, Kelle. I always love seeing photos of your kids. The cat faces are adorable.
I live in Western PA and the past week has been sooo hot, but I cannot even begin to imagine what it feels like in your neck of the woods! Stay cool!
Love the picture of Nella dancing!
Yesterday was sweltering in Idaho as well…….ahhhhh…headed to the air conditioned movie theater this afternoon. I love my Lavender right know as well.
Your five-year-old is more stylish than me (or any of my fashion loving friends)! Love those yellow skinnies 🙂
Nella’s raindance photo is frame-worthy! Just adorable. Love reading your blog and seeing your pics!
The picture of the naked baby doll totally reminds me of that doll in Toy Story 3. That was a scary baby doll. But not as scary as the mean bear. How is that movie even appropriate for kids?
Oh I just LOVE ice cream from Kilwins! I live in NC, and there are two Kilwins stores in the Boone/Blowing Rock area (mountains). It is one of my favorite places to go when I visit up there. When I was in college, we came to Naples one year for spring break. Because we were coming from Boone, we were very excited to see a Kilwins in Naples and definitely stopped in for a scoop of their fabulous ice cream 🙂
Oh! I love the quilt covering Nella about 13 pictures down! My Mamaw made quilts just like that with little pieces of yarn tied and sewn to the corners of the square quilt pieces. Thank you for a sweet memory. 🙂
Kelle,
I know you probably receive hundreds or thousands of messages and emails per day so I’m hoping mine reaches you.
Patti Rice’s (mom to beautiful Lily) son and daughter-in-law are trying to adopt a baby. They have devoted their young lives to fostering babies because Naomi cannot have children. I was introduced to Patti through your blog and then found my way over to her daughter-in-law’s blog after reading Lily’s story.
Theirs has touched me so much, just like Nella’s. They are trying to raise funds right now for the adoption. An anonymous donor has agreed to match funds. They need $10,000 by the 15th so their goal is $5,000 with the donor’s matching. They are only to $595 and they only have 5 days to go.
I know you have the ability to reach out to your followers. I have no doubt that Naomi and Jason’s story will touch peoples lives because it has mine from all the way across the US.
Jason and Naomi’s story: http://ababysentfromthestars.blogspot.com/p/where-it-all-started.html
Baby Ariah’s adoption donation blog:
http://bringinghomeourbabygiveaway.blogspot.com/
Please please help in any way you can.
Thank you!
But don;t you love Cambier…even when it is a billion degrees here in Naples 🙂
We’ve been enjoying a delightfully “cool” week here in the Dallas area with temps in the upper 80s to low 90s. All of us are walking, all big smiles, not really knowing what to do with our selves. The heat is coming back soon, so we’re enjoying as many bike rides and sidewalk chalk time as we can!
your children are gorgeous and unbelievable. what a lucky mom they have 🙂 thank you for sharing.
I’m not sure what happened but for weeks I have noticed your blog not in my feed. Then I realized I somehow was not a follower anymore! Boo! I love reading little things about your family. Looks like you are making the best of the heat! I adored the picture of Nella rain dancing:)
Your little girls are too cute 🙂 You are such an amazing momma! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful pictures.
Kelle,
Your story about dictating the letters to Lainey for her chapstick note reminded me of the time when my daughter, now 13, was about 4. I was downstairs when she hollered down from her room asking me how to spell ‘loud’. So I told her. Later I went up and saw a note taped to her closed bedroom door… ‘No cats A. loud in my room’! It was so hilarious and cute… I still have it!
Love your blog!!
Teresa
Fashionistas!! Love your girls and they way you dress them and they dress themselves. Good call on the long sleeve to tank top thing… My son keeps choosing every long sleeve he owns on these days that ARE HOT AS THE BLAZES.
I LOVED THIS POST!
Oh, could you send some rain our way??! It is so terrible dry here in Iowa! Love your photos again as always! The cat faces are adorable! So fun!! 🙂
I adore Nella’s pink outfit.
I have to say I’m very jealous of that sunshine. Here in the UK we’ve only have rain and cloud all summer this year (and for the last 4-5 years). I miss sunshine so badly. Thinking of emigrating!
It all looks like so much fun, as always ! LOVE the ice cream party. Adore the face painting. You know how to live Life to the fullest each day. Thanks for inspiring all of us! Love from your Blog Mama~
I don’t usually comment, but goodness me, that picture where Nella is crouching, she looks a whole lot like her mamma there! Both of them are cute as a button 🙂
I read your book…
I weeped, I smiled and I have fallen in love with Nelly…
Thank you :))))
Greetings from Poland 😀
Wonderful photos, I can feel that heat!
The girls are adorable and slowly growing. Cute as ever though <3
Oh my goodness. I DIE at Nella’s rain dance and the face painted nap. So cute.
I love that you guys dance! We dance in the living room almost on a daily basis! So fun!
I am pregnant right now. I didn’t know it was humanly possible to be this hot.
The rain dance picture was priceless.
Chicago temps were 100+ for 3 days in a row I think, we all were dying. Park trips were to a minimum those days. I just love Lainey’s yellow pants – where from? When my 7 year old daughter gets an idea in her head about an outfit there is no getting her to change.
Love all the pics.
If I somehow had been able to miss how very hot it has been lately, the fact that my never-want-to-come-in kids have been voluntarily coming inside to “rest” would have tipped me off LOL
And I must say how jealous I am that you have BLUE BELL!!!! When I lived in Texas (where I met my husband and my first son was born 🙂 ), the discovery of Blue Bell ruined me for life :p I live back up north again and alas, we do not have Blue Bell…….I am tempted to move back to TX just to have all-the-time access 😉