"Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!"

Thee Official Guide

How-to-do Summer in Florida: 

Weiss Style

We've lived in Florida 5 years!  5 YEARS!  Listen, people...I really didn't even think we'd make it a full year here.  Funny how God reveals His plan to your heart only in ways you can understand it and with timing you can absorb it.  Although the past few years have been FILLED with amazing milestones, special friends, new homes, little running feet and many days feeling like we were on vacation, those of you who keep up with me know that I can't stand the heat.  Every April as it warms up I dread that I have to spend THEE NEXT 6 MONTHS sweating.  Yes, by my calculations, we've spent just shy of 1,000 DAYS of our life DRENCHED.  You'd think I'd be super skinny with all the water weight I lose each day. ;)

So...after some serious heart-searching, I decided that Florida Summer 2015 was going to be DIFFERENT! It was my first full summer in Florida NOT pregnant or nursing (it's really no fun when you take a hold of your baby's food supply for a feeding and it slips out of your hand....).  So, here is my ultimate guide to withstanding loving our Florida Summers.

1. Fresh Fruit

I think in years past, fresh fruit meant too many stops at the grocery store, too much cutting & chopping and too much of a mess with babes.  But...I've found that the return on the investment of standing in the kitchen cutting up a watermelon is huge.  Plus...I've become way better at slicing & dicing most fruits through practice.  We are one month into the official "summer" and my family has been through 5 pineapple, 8 watermelon & endless tubs of strawberries, cherries & grapes.  OH...and MANGO! I have lost count of how many of those slippery suckers I've chopped up.

2. OJ Popsicles

The kiddos love popsicles and this is my "healthy" way of doing them.  They are so messy & so sticky...so we try to time them right before a bath. ;) Nevertheless, its a treat that makes being outdoors fun.

3. Shade

It's a good 10 degrees cooler in the shade...so we try to spend a lot of time there.  One thing I've never done before that I began doing this summer was using an umbrella.  Yeah, I'm that girl.

4. Swimming

Although it seems like a big ordeal to get loaded up for pool time, I'm becoming increasingly better at choosing snacks & packing quickly to get out the door.  Wet clothes get hung in the back yard upon our return, and if we only stay a half hour at the pool, it was still fun anyway.  You've gotta love all things water to survive the Florida heat.

5. Splash Pads

I thought first about just classifying "WATER" as a summer must-have, but it's so important it essentially became two points.  On days I just cant bare to be covered in chlorine, we choose the splash pad!  I am also getting good at remembering a change of clothes for the kids that I keep in the car at all times...and Carly is excellent at getting dressed & undressed without flashing anyone.  I also keep buckets & clean towels in the trunk & sunblock in every bag.  You just never know when you're going to end up getting wet!

6. Waterproof Mascara

I really dislike waterproof mascara, but I thought it would be a motivator for wearing make-up this summer.  It's worked quite well, actually!  Doesn't really give the lashes their full length potential but that's really okay. ;)

7. Updated Wardrobe--swim, casual & running

I bought a few new swimsuits and focused on cute, breath-able tops to wear with my pre-pregnancy shorts that finally fit! OH WAIT....there's no way this 27-year-old mother of two can wear the short, shorts she wore at age 22.  Geesh...I bought new shorts. ;)  AND...updated my work-out wardrobe to be in the category of "fit" instead of "frumpy."  All the improvements have helped me feel cute when sweaty.

8. Hair

Have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest?!  I have been obsessed with up-dos this summer and have Pinterest to thank for it! When the crown twist & every braid under the sun came back into style, you can bet this girl cheered!  I get more comments about how "cute" I look when my hair is up...and that is a first!!  "Work that up-do....own that pony tail!" ;)

9. Blinds

We bit the bullet and invested in battery operated blinds for our un-reachable windows.  It drained our "disposable income bank" but so far it's saved about $80/month in electric costs.

10. Positive Attitude

Ultimately, the key to not complaining about the heat has been to have a positive attitude.  I shouldn't complain about anything, period, and especially about living in the "tropics."  When sweat is running down my back as I walk 3/4 of a mile into work, I just smile to myself and say, "You signed up to embrace the heat this year!"

"Cherry Lips, Crystal Skies" {Luke 18 Months}

Luke is our cuddly-rough-and-tumble-messy-funny-sly-charming-all-things-outdoorsie little guy!  He is up for a hug or a kiss at almost any moment and just loves to give friendly touches or rough bumps to everyone he meets.  High fives, fist bumps, nose rubs, those lovely open-mouth kisses and of course the "I am going to hold onto your leg until you pick me up" affections.  He's incredibly fickle (which is why I chose this song) and goes from giggling and running around to throw-myself-on-the-ground fits.  I think both are pretty adorable.

These are my favorite things about Luke

1. Bedtime snuggles--and how he points to his rocking chair before every nap even though we've never rocked him to sleep.
2. Watching him play with his cars & trucks...he doesn't have an incredibly long attention span yet...but if he's going to play with something for an extended period of time it's going to be his race track.
3. When he scrunches his nose and squints his eyes with a little smirk on his face because he just can't figure out how to nod his head.
4. That he is a pretty good sleeper--giving me periods of 10-11 hour night sleeps and 2-3 hour nap sleeps. Holy moly that blows what his sister did at 18 months out of the water!
5. That his favorite foods are eggs, olives, tuna & cashews.  Yes...we can always get him to eat those 4 things and we understand our kid is special. ;)
6. Watching him follow around his sweet big sis who is so good at including him!
7. That toddler waddle-run
8. That he rubs his ear when he's tired or needing to self-soothe for a bit
9. Reading him peek-a-boo books...or really that he's happy to sit for 20 minutes and read if given the opportunity.
10. He is trying SO hard to use his words but the sweet boy can only get a few out.  I love that his most used word is "Mama" because it makes me feel special...and other than Dada, milk, no, up, this, that, dog & all done he doesn't say much but "ah, uh & mmm."

Here are the things about Luke that drive me crazy

1. He cannot for the life of him figure out how to have an affirmative comment.  So...we have to deal with him shaking his head and saying "no."  Thanks, bud.
2. That he finds pulling Carly's hair THEE MOST HYSTERICAL thing on the planet.  Not cool.  This act makes bike rides (which we love doing) very difficult.
3. Oh when he stands at the door and pounds on it with all his might while crying out some sort of "let me out of here!"  Neighbors....we treat our son really well but by golly he just wants to spend every waking minute outside.
4. That he throws his food when he doesn't like it or is finished with his meal
5. Lukey is so stubborn and still completely irrational.  It drives me nuts.  I feel like all I say to him some days is, ¡escúchame!

This is a plum...in case you were wondering

I love having a son and we thank God for his sweet & sly spirit everyday.  He is going to keep us on our toes but love us with all he's got for all time, I think.  We pray for his heart every night as we hold him close that he would be a man of integrity, grace & endurance as He seeks living a spirit-filled life.  And until then, we pray for God's daily guidance in how to shepherd this young boy's heart.

"Favorite Things" {April, May & June}

Precious Moments

Carly: Miss C loves to sing.  She uses a lot of catch phrases and music to describe her feelings and explain circumstances.  A few examples...When she sees a bee she will burst into song: "When the dog bites, when the bee stings (pronounced: dings)..."  Or somehow, nearly each time I ask her to help me with something (Carly will you please close the door, put on your shoes, pick up your toys...) as she so willingly flutters off to complete the task she begins singing, "Cinderelly, Cinderelly, lots a day a Cinderelly...mop the flooor & clean the dishes..." (yes those are the words in order of how she sings that song).  And finally, if she asks you who your favorite princess is, upon your answer she will sing you that Princess' song.  Be sure to say your favorite princess is Ariel next time she asks. ;)

And...every other conversation we have with her either makes our hearts burst with joy or our stomachs hurt from laughing.  Just this week she has said to me, "Mom, you are so beautiful in your heart," "We bought you these flowers because your WHOLE family loves ya" and "Ganks, Mom, you're just the BEST!"

Luke:
Luke loves popcorn.  He generally eats is while squatting over the bowl, two-fisted.  One evening, Brian decided to throw the popcorn up & catch it on his tongue.  We all clapped.  Luke then took a big handful of those delicious freshly pooped kernels and threw them across the room followed by an expressive applause!  We had a good laugh over that one.

Healthful Living

I really don't consume any food worth writing about as I consistently drink 2 meals/day, so I'll share another one of my go-to recipes:

1.5 Cups frozen spinach
1/2 an orange
1 tbsp of goji berries
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of camu powder
1/2 C orange juice
1/2 C water
Ice to taste

Places & Spaces

The kitchen re-model is coming along quite nicely.  Our motto is: slow & steady wins the race. ;) Brian has taken on this project with very little help from me. We painted the walls in February, and then the cabinets have taken most of May & June.  It's really just prioritizing when we need family time vs when he can devote a good 3 hours to getting a section of cabinets done.  Hopefully by next "quarter" he will have completed the back splash.

I love the piece we added to the kitchen and continue to love the new light fixtures.

I also love sitting down with this devotional I've been reading in the mornings with a cup of coffee. Sometimes I enjoy it inside & other times I sit in a lawn chair in the yard while the kiddos play.  A co-worker actually gave it to me upon finding out I was a Believer and I think of her every morning.

Growing Minds

Carly has completely immersed herself in the imagination of play stage and doesn't need a whole lot of interesting activities to occupy her mind.  When she does get bored, however, it's nice to have a few things to turn to.  She doesn't enjoy baking (sad) but at least we found that out! A few times I asked her to help me measure/pour/stir and she just had no desire.  She doesn't really want to do arts & crafts and reading only happens when she's in the right "mood" so finding ways to interact with her that are educational can be a bit tough.  She loves her alphabet puzzle and her matching game...but she really just wants to act out life with her little dolls (that happen to be Disney princesses).  She is quick to be helpful in cleaning or organizing and receives quite a bit of praise from us when she does so willingly and successfully.

Luke's mind grows by pushing, pulling, touching, throwing, running, bouncing & bumping.  He is beginning to take interest in shapes and enjoys figuring out how something works (open/close, anything that moves on wheels, etc).  He wants to do-it-himself and will let you know it!  He's beginning to point and recognize his animals...although it would be helpful if he could verbalize what he's pointing to!  He's got "Dog" & "Mooo" down. ;)