To All the AZ Summer H8ers

I know my last post was about all we have done inside the house to stay out of the heat, but I don't want people to think I dislike our summers.  This week our highs have been between 106-111 degrees Fahrenheit, but just because it is hot does not mean you can't have fun outside.

A few weekends ago my boys and I met up with a great friend at Mighty Mud Mania and we played in the mud and water and had a great time.

But, we spend the most time in our own weed overgrown backyard.  The thing about going outside in the summer in Phoenix is like going outside in winter in other parts of the world that receive snow, you have to get ready to go outside.  First, we have to change clothes from our everyday play clothes to rags that can get dirty.  Then we have to spray down our bodies with sunscreen and lotion sunscreen our faces and lastly we put on our outdoor/water shoes.  This may not seem like a big deal, but with 5 kids it takes a good 10-15 minutes.  Once we are outside the fun can begin.

Popsicles are a necessity.

I have had so many sprinklers over the years but this is the one my kids love the best!

And the fake blue turf that we got (okay my mom got it for us... thanks again mom!) is a must!  It does not stop all the mud and grass, but it makes it manageable.

Water tables...

Slides and little pools...

and slides in big pools make our ratty backyard a child's playground.  It is so wonderful because we live in such a little house, and then we go outside where we have 3x's the space as we do inside and I am so grateful that I no longer live in our little condo with no yard.  I don't think I could ever survive living in a house without a yard ever again.

And who can forget the playing power of the hose.  Cohen is obsessed with the hose and will not let anyone come within 5 feet of it.

Arlo and his trucks, he has been playing more and more with cars/truck lately and I love it so much more than super heros:-}

But Cohen knows the importance of staying cool in this weather, so why not add water with trucks???

From the sprinklers to the hoses most of our backyard is dedicated to our kids but...

Tim has been hard at work making it so our backyard is more comfortable by putting up misters... for anybody in AZ thinking about getting misters... DO!!!  They are wonderful!!!!

Shades to give the kids a place to play where their feet won't burn.  I use it more because I can sit in the shade and misters and still see the kids playing in the yard!

And a clothes line to hang the clothes that we play in everyday.

Besides our backyard we have also spent many days at my mom's pool and the public pool where Arlo is taking lessons.  (A blogpost on Arlo's swimming lessons soon to follow.)  So, all of you AZ summer haters look and be jealous of all the fun we can have in our summer and then continue to enjoy our beautifully mild winters as well!!!!  I will chose hot over cold any day!!!

It's a Beautiful Sunny Day

Lately when I tell Arlo that it is too hot outside he tells me "mom, it's a beautiful, sunny day!"  The thing is, he believes it.  I don't think kids have heat sensors.  Out of all 5 kids that I watch throughout the day, only one complains about how hot it is outside.

Well, this post seems like a copy post, of another blogger... so I am sorry, but I copied you.

Because of our beautiful, blistering, hot days, I have had to find many other things to do to keep my kids occupied inside.  So while we do go outside on a daily basis, it is only because outside means misters, shade, baby pools, hoses, water, squirt guns, sprinklers, irrigation and anything else that is water.  I try to stay inside as much as 1 adult with 5 children in a 2 bedroom house can stand to be inside.  But, our time inside is much more productive and filled with 100% more crafts than normal.

The things we have done in the past few weeks are:

Goop

  

Gak

     

Soap Clouds/personal soaps

    

Father's Day Trophies

  

Play dough (salt dough, which we cooked and made into necklaces)

Elephant toothpaste

Noodle pictures, noodle necklaces (they love to use glue!)

Milk color swirl

Fizzy colors

Magic flour dough

Jolly Rancher suckers

I'm really sorry about the lack of pictures... I have been horrible with my camera lately.  But I have made a promise to myself that I will get better.  But most (ok... ALL) of my crafts came off of pinterest!  I honestly do not know what I would do without pinterest, because it is making our summer so much more fun/messy/crazy/interesting.  My only problem is now my kids ask me on a daily basis... "what are we going to do NEW today?  Can we look on the computer?"

So, not only have my kids been busy with fun projects, but I have finished a photo book I made for my boy to take with them to church.  Because lets be honest, what kind of kid does not like to look at themselves????  It only took a few days (because I had to wait for glue to dry) and it turned out pretty cute.  Now all I have to do is work on a few more pages of busy book, make growth boards and make a picture book for Cohen of his birth and then I will be all caught up.?.?.?

  

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful men in my life.

The first being my dad.  Dad I love you and I am so glad you are a part of my life and the Grampy of my boys.  You spoil them... too much, but I appreciate everything you do for us.  Including, coming over and doing nothing with us.

But fathers day this year was all about one man... Tim.  Except fathers day was more like fathers weekend.  Thursday we went to the store and bought Tim a fathers day present.  Arlo was so excited, when Tim got home that night; Arlo could not keep it a secret and so the first thing he told his dad was all about his fathers day present. (which were some Wahl clippers)  On Friday we made cards and trophies for our dads filled with hugs and kisses.

Then Saturday came and since we cannot sleep in on Sunday because of church, we decided to make Saturday the special day.  Tim was able to sleep in, we had a big breakfast, then our day was put on hold while Tim studied for school, but when he came home we finished the day off with Rudy's and Gameworks.

 I wish a whole weekend dedicated to Tim was enough to thank him for everything he does for us, but it is sad in comparison.  Tim works full time and then goes to school part time.  He leaves early every morning and does not get home until late every night.  His two day off during the week  (which are not always saturdays and and sundays) he spends 70% of those days studying.  And then the rest of the time he tries to spend it with his family.  When I was going to school full time and working full time, I knew how tired I was all the time and I was single with no one to worry about but myself.  But, my selfless husband has to work in all 3 duties and I know it is killing him, but he is getting though it to help us all out in the future.  I honestly do not know what I would do without Tim.  He is my life and my love and I thank my Heavenly Father for him everyday!  So, Honey... Happy Fathers Day.  You of all men deserve it!  We love you bunches!