It's been summertime weather and I love it, but what I don't love is having smelly children and getting only ONE clothing wear between washings. (I should probably store up love for the cold weather whenever I can.) No, you cannot wear those shorts again when they are stinky and sweat-stained. So that is three outfits per day that go directly into the wash x7 days. But it is not really the DOING of laundry that wearies me - it is the putting away. Doing laundry entails pushing some knobs and carrying some baskets and dumping some detergent. Putting away entails sorting and hanging and folding and thinking sadly that everything should probably be dumped out, sorted through, and started over from the beginning.
E of the stinky pits started wearing deodorant this school year, so she is definitely the hardest hit by the heat and sweating. Sadly, she is also the least concerned with thorough cleansing. I don't want to make her feel self-conscious or give anyone issues about their bodies, but sweat glands are prolific in your armpits and crotch and you need to use SOAP to wash those bad boys. I don't feel like I'm overly concerned with hygiene (I am a once-per-day, sometimes every-other-day showerer), but she is the type of kid who will never notice that taking a shower=using soap unless it is pointed out to her. REPEATEDLY.
Summer weather also makes me want to drink something out of a bottle and since I don't like beer, I've been experimenting with hard cider. Since an unfortunate incident with white wine (no details necessary, but I did drink an entire big bottle of white wine - what is that, a magnum? - by myself and I am still filled with regret), I don't drink it anymore. Red wine is always good, even in the summer, but sometimes I want a bottle of something to sip while I'm making dinner or reading on the steps while the kids play. I wish I liked beer, but every sniff reminds me of A's college fraternity house.
Speaking of A, he's coming home tomorrow and no one has has scratched my back or rubbed my feet ALL WEEK and if that isn't a First World Problem then I don't know what is.
Hey! We have the same first world problem! My husband is landing in 25 minutes after being in Israel all week.
Do you know that for the past month or so your blog has been wickedly small? I usually read it in bloglines but whenever I click through I can barely see it. It's not my computer (although I think I could make it bigger somehow if I were more internet-savvy) because no one else's blog is so very very tiny. Just fyi.
Posted by: Courtney | June 08, 2012 at 06:06 AM
Crispin Cider if you have it there. Made in MN so it's local for us. Spendy but very refreshing. :) I don't like beer very much either but sometimes I do enjoy a cold Blue Moon with orange or a Summer Shandy.
Posted by: jen w | June 08, 2012 at 08:48 AM
Ohh, stinky children...I so hear you. My nine year old just started wearing deodorant about a month ago and she's sort of hit or miss with it. She loves to shower but like E seems to forget that the whole point of showering is WASHING and that involved soap. D'oh! I'm trying to hard not to give her issues too but sometimes a mom's got to nag.
Posted by: Tommie | June 08, 2012 at 01:38 PM
I didn't like beer until I turned 40. Weird, I know. All of a sudden I love it.
Posted by: Liz S | June 08, 2012 at 02:21 PM
I'm so glad to hear someone else has a youngish kid with stinky pits... I had to get deodorant for my 7 year old recently. I found an Australian brand called Harmoni's Kiss, which is all organic with no aluminium (I am not at all concerned about such things- but she is only 7, so I was trying for a minimalist approach) and I am amazed that it actually works...
Posted by: kate | June 08, 2012 at 07:44 PM
How about Mike's hard lemonade?
Posted by: Amy Hayes | June 08, 2012 at 09:13 PM
I can't do red wine in the heat of summer (and the only thing that would be more impressive in your white wine story would be if you managed to get a full BOX down). Summery sipping drinks I can do are Hefeweizens, gin and tonics, and sparkling wine/champagne for which I own a special cork thing. I also love margaritas on the rocks but I can't make them and Paul won't agree to hiring a cute cabana boy to bring them to me at my whim, so I'm at the mercy of good restaurants for those.
Posted by: Christine | June 08, 2012 at 11:01 PM
Try Framboise! My favorite is the black cherry flavor, but all of them are good, really. (I also cannot do beer. I try, and... no.) I also like Mike's hard lemonade but feel like a total tool drinking it, so there's that.
Posted by: Meggan | June 09, 2012 at 02:33 PM
Try Strongbow! It's an apple cider beer. YUM. Also, if you ever do decide you want to try beer... Leinenkugel Summer Shandy is very popular this year (good with an orange wedge squeezed in it). I like Blue Moon (also with the orange) or Bud Light Lime also. I wish I could buy a six pack of pony-sized beers though. I like it in small amounts, and COLD, and I don't drink it fast enough. Good luck!
Posted by: CaraH | June 10, 2012 at 01:01 PM
Oh, OR... I could have read the comments first and just said "ditto jen w" lol
Posted by: CaraH | June 10, 2012 at 01:05 PM
Baz has been wearing deodorant too. I thought he was probably the only 8 year old with B.0. Glad to see he's not. Except, since he's a boy, I don't feel so bad lifting his arm, sniffing and saying "PU! YOU STANK!" And he loves it. :)
Posted by: karla | June 10, 2012 at 11:12 PM
LOL on stinky children!!! My daughter is 11 years old and I have to constantly remind her to wash her hair as it gets greasy after 2 days, especially in this heat! Thankfully, she does the soap and deodorant part, but if I could keep her hair non-greasy, that would be a plus!
Have you tried Mike's Hard Lemonade? It's something good to drink out of a bottle. I do love my white wine, so I'm feeling for you on that one.
Posted by: Heather | June 11, 2012 at 05:32 PM