Summer Survival Mode

Sophie has discovered that summer equals pool time, and pool time equals the ultimate toddler power trip. She now believes that sunscreen is optional (it’s not), that ice cream constitutes a food group (jury’s still out), and that meltdowns are most effective when performed poolside in front of other families who have their act together.

Summer Survival Mode

Today’s adventure included three separate sunscreen applications that she immediately rubbed off, a twenty-minute negotiation about why we can’t live at the community pool, and the discovery that wet toddlers are approximately 400% more slippery than dry ones. The ice cream bribery worked exactly once before she figured out my strategy.

But then she fell asleep on my chest after our post-pool shower, smelling like chlorine and innocence, and I remembered why summer with a one-year-old is actually pretty magical. Even if I’m completely exhausted and we’re definitely ordering pizza tonight because I used all my energy keeping a tiny human alive in 90-degree heat.

Marcus gets home in two hours. I’m counting down the minutes.