The kids and I are staying at my momās this weekend and we were able to enjoy some great sunshine yesterday. Usually on hot days, Eddie tends to stay indoors because he doesnāt regulate his temperature very well. He gets hot pretty fast; not just his temperature, but also his attitude. Therefore, we try to keep Eddie as cool as possible. So, per our normal routine, the girls, Grandma, and I were playing outside in the sun and Eddie was happily playing alone in the nice cool basement.
After a little time outside, and realizing how much fun we were having, I decided to risk the nice afternoon and have Eddie join us. I say āriskā because everybody was perfectly happy, and bringing Eddie into the heat with his loud sisters could spur a tantrum that would drive us all indoors for the rest of the day. Luckily, with some tactical planning and a bit of luck, all went well.
My mom had just purchased a slip-n-slide for the kids and the girls were loving it. I wanted to give Eddie the opportunity to love it as well. I brought Eddie outside and walked him down the length of the plastic, so he could determine its size, and then sat him in a pool of water that was forming at the end. After a brief moment of whining, he got right to splashing and laughing just like he always does in the bathtub. Once he was comfortable, it was time for his sisters to join in.
The oldest, Molly, took a running slide right towards him that created a tidal wave, which Eddie was caught up in. He was totally startled and then busted out laughing. Eddie quickly learned that when he heard Molly hit the start of the slide, he had about 2-3 seconds before the water would hit him. It was so funny watching him brace for impact and then laugh when Molly eventually slid right into him. He even let the youngest, CC, get up close and personal. She wasnāt a fan of sliding, so she slowly crawled from the start of the slide all the way to Eddie and then simply said, āHi, Eddie.ā
What a great afternoon! We were all able to participate outside in the sun and everyone had a great time. I think this lasted for over two hours before all the children were shivering and a small pond was forming in the backyard. Iām so glad I brought Eddie outside to join us. Sometimes I limit our family time because I donāt want to upset anyone, but by doing so I only limit Eddieās opportunities and my expectations for him. Iām looking forward to a couple more months of summer and more opportunities for family fun in the sun!