Too hot to handle

With the heat of summer in full force, we are itching to find things to do where we can keep cool and have fun. Fortunately, Memphis seems to have a good number of options but we'll see how long they stay novel to the kids. Last Friday, I took the babies to the Germantown Athletic Club's splash park with a friend and her daughter. The older kids had a blast running in and out of the pool and Hayes, as always, just soaked up the attention and the great outdoors. That place is sheer genius!

Saturday, Adam and I took the kids to the Children's Museum for what sadly was their first trip (I know, shame on me). What a blast that place is! So much to do for everyone, (even Adam)

but the winner for Gray was the firetruck. It caused a mini meltdown when it was time to leave, but totally worth it.

Hayes' favorites were the dance room (Yes, there is a dance room and she booty danced till her diaper drooped) and the cars (Here she is pimping her Escalade in style). I don't know where her thuggish tendencies came from but they are hysterical.

It's a little pricey at $10 per person (ages 1 and up) but if you bring in a canned good for the needy for each person, they knock a buck off the price per person. Definitely looking into a membership for the year. Yesterday, another first! Lovie came over and stayed with Hayes while she was napping so I could take Gray to the movies with some friends and their tikes. Gray did better than I expected but not as good as I had hoped, so I'm pretty happy all in all. Fortunately, the theatre was filled with kids and every mom there is in the same boat so I didn't feel so bad. I figured Gray would come home and mimick the dancing or singing from the movie, which was Alvin and the Chipmunks. Instead I found him in the den with a bench pulled up to him like a counter. He was asking Hayes if she wanted to buy tickets and handed her a post-it note. Not sure if I should be concerned or relieved about these entrepreneurial interests.

In other Gray news, we are starting to talk/think/dream about pottytraining him, but are trying to be strategic about timing. The doctor said to wait until he was 3 but with that date now only about 4 months away, we're in preparation mode. To take advantage of his ongoing obsession with Toy Story, I thought buying a Woody and Buzz themed potty seat would provide some good motivation. Thrilled would be an understatement. Last night while I was just settling for the night, I overheard Gray in his crib saying something about his diaper over and over again even though I thought he'd been asleep for 30 or 45 minutes. I went in there and his excitement about the new potty seat had apparently gotten the best of him. He was buck naked and his clothes and sheets were drenched in urine. He told me he wanted to go potty on his Toy Story seat. Note to self: Do not make any changes or the suggestion of changes when it comes to the kids while husband is out of town.

My last cool trick for this hot weather is the Farmer's Market at the Botanic Gardens. It's every Wednesday, totally free, and they have a vendor called Mama D who sells italian ice that is made with REAL fruit...black cherry, watermelon, strawberry-lemonade. So yummy and the perfect way to cool off! Lovie treated us to some cones this afternoon and then we headed over to the gardens to dip our feet in the pond. Aghhhhhh....

Stay cool everyone! Till next time....

The Pattersons