Dog Days of Summer

As the dog days of summer stretch on, the air here on Hilton Head has become so thick and hot that it feels like warm syrup. I have unintentionally slowed down (out of physical inability to move quickly in this heat) and taken note that my baby boy is 8 months old today! Where has the time gone? This picture is already a month old and he is looking more and more like a little kid than a baby. While our little one is growing up so fast, I still find it hard to figure out what to do with him during these long days in this heat. After we have played with his toys, built castles out of blocks, torn down all of the block castles, crawled around the house, thrown sippy cups, spoons and binkies from high chairs and read books it is only 10:00 a.m. and already  too hot to go outside!

Jack and I have braved it though and are determined to not be under 'house arrest' while the summer heat drags on into fall as it always does in this part of the country. Our tricks and tips for ways that Baby Jack stays cool are as follows:

1. Walk early! The hottest part of the day on Hilton Head is usually between 2-4 p.m., so walk first thing in the morning. Make sure to bring a bottle of ice water for both you and baby!

2. Invest in a little battery operated fan. You have all seen those folks with the 'misting-fans' at the beach, golf tournaments and baseball games. They may look silly, but boy do they work and they definitely ease the heat for the little ones. I found one at Target that has soft-bendy-plastic blades so they don't hurt if you stick your fingers in them (Jack will spend a good 15 minutes playing with the fan rather than having it mist him sometimes).

3. Go to the Mall! I know that our Mall is loosing stores much faster than I am loosing my baby weight, but they do still have their children's play area. Lots of over-sized sea creatures and a lighthouse by the food court with bouncy carpet (still bring wipes, the carpet is not 'uber-clean' for those that are germ sensitive). It is a great place to let your little guy/gal climb, crawl and play with other kids for free and in the air conditioning. Every time I have gone, there are plenty of kids there. Jack likes to watch the bigger kids play just as much as he likes to cruise around himself.

4. Trip to the Store! Wal-Mart, Target, even the Grocery Store is fun for Jack. He loves to look at all of the 'stuff' and loves bouncing up and down in the seat of the cart. Great way to get  your grocery shopping done as well.

5. Find a friend with a pool or go to the Rec Center. Jack loves playing in the pool. Dependent on the time of day, we go when our pool is shaded so that it is even more comfortable (and less UVA/UVB rays).

6. I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!! Cruise to your favorite Ice Cream dispensary for some scoops and eat quickly - they melt fast! Jack and I recently enjoyed a scoop at the South Beach Marina while sitting under the water misting spray at the Salty Dog.

7. Take Advantage of the Evening Breeze. 7:00 p.m. is a great time to go to the beach when there is a breeze off the water. Jack has recently discovered the sand and thinks that it is an appetizer. While we have yet to convince him otherwise -  we all enjoy the beach evenings (even when we find sand in his diaper later - it's organic, right?). The Sea Pines beach club is an especially nice place to enjoy the breeze and has easy access and parking.

As much as I am ready for fall and cool weather - I am not ready for my little guy to grow up so quickly! Here is hoping everyone enjoys the end of summer!