Rain?!

 Even though we all ask Alexa for a weather forecast incessantly and look at the weather app on our phones and even READ the forecast (with pictures!) in the newspaper every day, the rain shocked us this morning.

For a few dazed, early seconds, we just sort of blinked out the gloomy windows, and then we stood in the dark kitchen looking at each other.

It has been beautiful here. Dry, crisp mornings, chilly evenings, sun-drenched afternoons at the pool. The little kids have been biking every morning to swim and tennis, biking home for lunch, and then heading back to the pool in the afternoon. Dorothy has run out the door for dance in her leotards and sometimes even tights— not too cold, not too hot, not even a little damp from rain. Minnie and I chalk on the driveway and sidewalk, fill up her water table, toddle around the block whenever we want to. Harry and Jack are either swimming, working at the pool, or playing tennis with friends. We have backyard— and even driveway— s’mores (sometimes simultaneously) most nights, after we spend our post-dinner time catching golden hour at the pool, that is. 

We’ve enjoyed textbook perfect Midwest summer weather. It doesn’t even feel like the dog days, a rarity for Wisconsin July into August which can be sticky, wet, miserable.

Today, though, the rain brought us up short.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ALL DAY? How small is this house for all of us without the outside to go with it? Where can we go that will be sort of fun and also not give us the vid? THESE ARE ALL IMPOSSIBLE QUESTIONS.

Water ballet practice during the golden hour. I was actually a little chilly on my pool chair.

Did I mention that after the rain we are going to get the kind of nasty, humid either we usually dread all summer long? (I say we, but of course I mean me).

Here’s Minnie yesterday afternoon. She loves the pool until she doesn’t anymore, and then she says HOME and TOWEL. (Oh, that pigtail).

We spent an ideal afternoon in a tiny town west of us (I think west— I am… not good… with directions) at our very favorite park where there is now also a fantastic (like, serves the stuff of fantasy) ice cream place.

We’ve been going to lots of parks, actually, and Minnie loves them all

Before ice cream the other day, Minnie spiked a tiny fever from her vaccine, but she woke up from her nap feeling better (she had Tylenol, too), and she hasn’t had any other problems (not that we expected her to, but I thought this might be reassuring for anyone on the fence about getting the vaccine for a bebe).

The ice cream store had a perfect IG photo wall, something I am seeing more and more around here, and I love it. The children also happened to match it (and the park!). (Also, Cooper. Never stop wearing socks and sandals, man.)

From the sounds of it, the kids have opted for fight to the death as their activity of choice today, and I think Minnie is winning. Hashtag blessed.