Hot I’m Melting

Hot.

It is so hot here in rural Maine, and it’s early this year, it isn’t even the 4^th of July yet and it is so hot. Which means that we are all cranky, irritable and it is even harder to use our nice voices to each other.

Yet we must use our nice voices, at least part of the time. We need to speak with kindness and understand that the others are just as tired as we are.

I announced last night that I at least am running siesta hours starting today. Well it probably won’t start until tomorrow because I have a friend coming to help me unpack part of the house today around 11 am so depending on how long she stays.

Anyway my kids are in a bit of a revolt. I explained that the idea was that you get up early in the morning (not that I am waking them to get up early mind you, but I am getting up early) and you get things done for a while, and then around the hottest part of the day, you lay down and read, or sleep or just color and hang out until the hottest part of the day passes, and then you get up and do more things, and you stay up later at night than you usually do (as we have had no luck getting the kids to even think about going to sleep before full dark this past week anyway). That siesta time in the middle of the day is how you keep from burning out and how you get rid of some of the cranky irritable stuff.

We will see. Like I said I am not sure it is going to work today, but you better believe I am making this happen on the 4^th. Especially since we are planning on getting up super early to go pick strawberries, we will need that lie down afterward.

So far the biggest complaint I have heard is that they couldn’t possibly go to sleep during the hottest part of the day because they can’t go to sleep at night as it is. Which isn’t totally true. As soon as they convince themselves to just wear big oversized t-shirts, to put a wet washcloth (or flannel as my mother in law calls it) on their head and stop fussing they fall straight to sleep.

I figure the absolute worse case is that I will let them watch tv while I have my lie down in the middle of the day and I’ll keep the rest of the tv view away from them. But I really like the idea of them lying down and listening to audiobooks, or coloring or reading books or otherwise having time alone and separated from everyone else.

I think that may be the only way we survive this first summer more inland where I don’t know where any of the local swimming holes are yet, (though they are allowed to spend as much time in the sprinkle as they want now that we are on a well) and where I still feel like unpacking and organizing is a higher priority than most of anything else, outside of getting my work done.

They are of course completely over the whole idea of having to do any more unpacking, moving or hauling stuff up and down stairs as we find things. We still have more things out in our yard and driveway than I would like, and I am hoping to convince them to haul some of it down into the basement today, because after all it is pretty cool down there.

I think I will hold the popsicles and ice cream cones ransom for some help. That seems fair right? You get all hot and sweaty doing some heavy lifting and then you get a nice cold thing to put in your mouth and cool down with.

Thank goodness we have a dishwasher because it is way too hot for anyone to want to do the dishes, though I do have some pans I am going to need to do soon. Also I think I should make some pasta salad today and keep it in the fridge. That way when people get hungry or don’t like enough of dinner, or whatever they can have something cold to eat.

I suggested it at dinner last night and the kids thought I was crazy. I think maybe I haven’t done this in the past before so they don’t know what they are missing. Maybe I should do some potato salad too. I have an instant pot so I don’t even need to make the whole kitchen hot boiling potatoes.

Of course we are also seriously looking into getting a grill. Our new house actually has a special carve out on the deck just off the kitchen to hold a grill. We have a charcoal one, but a gas one seems so much simplier and faster for average dinner cooking. My hubby is actually looking at one of those combination ones that does propane, charcoal and has a smoker attachment. I just like the idea of cooking outside. Grilled veggies sounds so good.

Well my first kiddo has gotten up so I should get the rest of my work done. Hopefully this siesta thing will work. Having lived in Europe in the summer where no one has AC I really think it’s the only way to get through the summer. And to remember what it feels like when you are just trying to get through the winter later right?

The kids whine either way. I keep trying to tell them you can’t control the weather so don’t let the weather control your mood.