Hibernation

Hibernation is a word generally associated with bears in the winter. Since I moved to Texas a few years ago, I hibernate in the summer. When it reaches the high nineties or even 100+, life switches into a different gear. If I do have tasks which require being outside, they happen in the morning. Walking the dog, watering my outside flowers, going to the grocery store or doing other errands all take place in the early hours or after sundown. We enjoy our pool, but being  in the hot sun is not enjoyable. This year, the kids can splash around on their own, so I stay under the umbrella with a cold drink. On a humid day with no breeze, that isn't even tolerable. So if I want to swim, I wait until the sun has set and turn on the pool lights. When we do have a relatively mild day (90 or lower), I pull weeds, hose off the patio, maintain my raised garden or deadhead flowers in the planters. 

So what's a person to do indoors during the Texas heat? I read voraciously, clean out closets, reorganize toys in the kids room and make piles of clothing for the thrift shop. Today, I reassembled a complicated toy racetrack which I put together for Noah and he eventually took apart. Andy and I watch lots of movies on Netflix, Amazon and a streaming service called Acorn, which features shows filmed in England, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland. (We've learned to put the captions on to better understand the dialect.) Soon, I'll be starting another freelance writing project for Nemours Children's Health System, my former employer, which should be enjoyable.

Of course, we still have responsibility for Noah in the morning, feeding him breakfast and getting him ready for school. Then we have him and sometimes Lena after day camp, as well as Booker on occasion. School opens on August 12 and things will shift again with drop-off and pick-up for Noah as he begins kindergarten in what he calls "the big school."

I'm not complaining, mind you (well, maybe a little), but I do look forward to cooler temperatures in late September. Native Texans always ask me how I like the weather here and I always answer that I'm still adjusting.