We made a trip to Arizona for my sister's baby shower. I decided to get a rooftop carrier, or "car backpack" if you will for several reasons. I had a lot of extra cargo because I was bringing things for the shower, and we were starting out with 6 seats filled, and back with all 7 seats filled.
The main thing I was worried about with the car backpack was that it was going to wack the top of my car the whole way to phoenix, and it would really annoy us, not to mention ruin the top of my car.
We took the trip to Jackie and Mateos house to pick them up and it seemed ok. No noise...now I was worried! How would I know it was up there? Paranoid! Mateo and Connor took the very back seats in the third row, where we set up a TV. They proceeded to decide which characters of Toy Story they would be and acted it out pretty much the entire way there. Jackie was a miracle when it came to Aaron. Every time there was a peep all she would have to do is ask him what was wrong, and she could figure it out, and we were back on our rants of whatever we were talking about. My sister took the front seat, which was good since she got a little sick on the ride both ways.
We only heard the backpack wack a couple of times, and even had Marylou stick her head out of the moonroof to check on it. A small tear formed before the end of the trip, but no bigger than 3 inches, so there was no way anything was sliding out. The only thing it did was sadden me that I just bought the thing and it was already needing to be repaired. Oh well...it made it 600 miles without flying off...I guess it accomplished its goal. I was thinking of writing a review on Amazon about it though.
Overall it was a great trip. Connor spent the entire time at the shower, which was candyland themed. He took ownership of the gumdrop mountains and ate through them as well. Needless to say wired children on the way back were a little harder to manage, but at least it was about an hour quicker.
My grandpa joined us on the way back and we all made it safe and soundly back to Las vegas.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Miracles DO happen!
For some reason the last two days have been blissful, at least when it comes to the boys playing together. They seem to be working together a lot, and Aaron seems to be listening to what Connor wants him to do (which I think is the big breakthrough). Either Aaron is getting better at listening, or Connor realized he has his own personal slave at his fingertips! Connor says jump and Aaron asks how high?
One other parenting breakthrough I had, that I think has helped contribute to this blissfulness came about because I was getting tired of raising my voice to the kids. I kept having to yell to get them to quiet down, and I soon realized that it wasn't really working as well as I wanted, it was just making me sad (and I'm sure the boys too).
Since Connor was 2 I've been using the Corner as a "Time Out" to punish him, which has seemed pretty affective. But lately he has been kicking and screaming in it, and never really calming down, even when he knows how long he has to be there. So this was actually pretty draining, and by the end he wasn't really calmed down.
After doing some research on different discipline techniques I decided to try calling the Corner, the "Cool-down-zone", and instead of dragging him there kicking and screaming, I showed him the comfy spot I made him with a lot of pillows and blankets, and told him that this is the "Cool down zone", whenever he needs a break from Aaron or anything that is bothering him he could go to his cool down zone. I made a separate one for Aaron, so that they know their "Cool Down Zones" are for them alone.
So the first time I had to use it, Connor went there with no objections at all. He sat there for 4 minutes, and came out happy and refreshed! He even said he felt bad about what happened earlier! MIRACLE!
Today he put himself in the "Cool down zone" 3 times (I didn't have to do it at all), and it was really good use of it! He was going to go off on Aaron about something, and he said, "Aaron I need to get away from you, I'm going to the Cool down zone!" Breakthrough.
It's really new, so maybe it's just a fluke thing, but I'm really hoping this will help Connor to be able to calm himself down. I know it won't work 100% of the time - but what does?
One other parenting breakthrough I had, that I think has helped contribute to this blissfulness came about because I was getting tired of raising my voice to the kids. I kept having to yell to get them to quiet down, and I soon realized that it wasn't really working as well as I wanted, it was just making me sad (and I'm sure the boys too).
Since Connor was 2 I've been using the Corner as a "Time Out" to punish him, which has seemed pretty affective. But lately he has been kicking and screaming in it, and never really calming down, even when he knows how long he has to be there. So this was actually pretty draining, and by the end he wasn't really calmed down.
After doing some research on different discipline techniques I decided to try calling the Corner, the "Cool-down-zone", and instead of dragging him there kicking and screaming, I showed him the comfy spot I made him with a lot of pillows and blankets, and told him that this is the "Cool down zone", whenever he needs a break from Aaron or anything that is bothering him he could go to his cool down zone. I made a separate one for Aaron, so that they know their "Cool Down Zones" are for them alone.
So the first time I had to use it, Connor went there with no objections at all. He sat there for 4 minutes, and came out happy and refreshed! He even said he felt bad about what happened earlier! MIRACLE!
Today he put himself in the "Cool down zone" 3 times (I didn't have to do it at all), and it was really good use of it! He was going to go off on Aaron about something, and he said, "Aaron I need to get away from you, I'm going to the Cool down zone!" Breakthrough.
It's really new, so maybe it's just a fluke thing, but I'm really hoping this will help Connor to be able to calm himself down. I know it won't work 100% of the time - but what does?
Monday, August 16, 2010
Cabin Fun
This weekend we made our way back up to the cabin. Brian's parents have a cabin up in Utah, and we try to make it up there as often as we can, especially during the summer. It's so wonderful knowing that Vegas is experiencing a heat wave, and we are at the cabin enjoying the 71 degree mountain air.
Aaron loved the drive, especially since it was during the day and he could see down into the ravine as we drove on the winding road up the mountain to Duck Creek. Quickly both boys would yell, "Don't fall Daddy!" as we drove past steep drop offs.
This trip we had invited our friends Holly and Michael, and they came up with their twin girls Jillian and Juliette, who are about 14 months old. This was their very first overnight trip away from home. They were estatic! My boys enjoyed being around the girls, and from their happy faces I think they had a wonderful time too.
One thing Holly and Michael learned, and I am always reminded of when I go to the cabin, is that being away from home is always slightly harder. The only thing on my side is that the boys get a lot of activity during the day, so bedtime is usually pretty easy. Without routine, a boatload of toys, and being excited about a new place, equals a jammed packed day with no rest for parents. I usually don't realize it until the day is ending, the boys are both screaming from being overtired, and I'm ready to scream because of the same reason!
Still, it is worth it when I see that my boys enjoyed their time. When we came home, Connor burst into tears. I asked him what was wrong and he responded by saying,
"I miss my ATVs!"
Fun weekend achieved!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Heartbroken Frog
Last December Connor received a "tadpole" farm from his Grandparents, which consists of a small frog habitat. Connor was so excited to raise his very own frogs. I decided that it would be a little hard to order the tadpoles, and hopefully raise them to frog-dom (or just didn't matter to him at this age). So I brought Connor to the pet store, and let him pick out some frogs.
We arrived, and there was only one type of Frog to choose from. The fire-bellied toad. The belly was the only cute thing about the Toad, and you NEVER see it. Oh well. Connor was happy. The lady selling me the Frog told me that I should buy two since they are socal, and they will actually sing to eachother when they are happy. Ok, fine, I'll buy two. I can't keep a poor lone frog in a tiny habitat alone. I felt bad for it already.
As time went on, the new-ness wore off, and Connor has all but forgotten about them. They don't even sing to remind us that they are there. But they do seem to stick together.
Unfortunately after a vacation, I had forgotten to replace the small feeding lid to the tank, and one escaped... I told Connor it ran away. So ever since then, which it's been about a month, I think I've only seen our poor frog eat once. I started to think that it might be heartbroken.
We left on Vacation for 10 days, and I had my friend feed him twice in that time, and it didn't eat AT ALL. I know that because meal worms can't swim. Anyway, I decided to take despirate measures and put some crickets in. Maybe this would be the key to breaking his starvation strike. I put one lone cricket in (one that I caught myself in the house since I forgot to pick some up from the store).
You will never believe what happened. He didn't go after the cricket. It's almost like they're buddies. This morning the cricket had jammed himself into a corner, and the frog was right next to him, as if to say, help! My friend is stuck! Now I'm beginning to think that his heart really is broken. He is actually befriending his meal. He has now pretty much stuck by him for a whole day.
I don't know what to do. I feel so bad for our poor little froggie, who has lost his one true love (not to mention what a boring life a cage has to be)! We will see how this new replacement goes...but I don't want to go back and get another. It's the age-old tale of moms getting stuck caring for their kids pets. Hopefully the frog will feel better soon. Otherwise his new home might be the pond nearby.
We arrived, and there was only one type of Frog to choose from. The fire-bellied toad. The belly was the only cute thing about the Toad, and you NEVER see it. Oh well. Connor was happy. The lady selling me the Frog told me that I should buy two since they are socal, and they will actually sing to eachother when they are happy. Ok, fine, I'll buy two. I can't keep a poor lone frog in a tiny habitat alone. I felt bad for it already.
As time went on, the new-ness wore off, and Connor has all but forgotten about them. They don't even sing to remind us that they are there. But they do seem to stick together.
Unfortunately after a vacation, I had forgotten to replace the small feeding lid to the tank, and one escaped... I told Connor it ran away. So ever since then, which it's been about a month, I think I've only seen our poor frog eat once. I started to think that it might be heartbroken.
We left on Vacation for 10 days, and I had my friend feed him twice in that time, and it didn't eat AT ALL. I know that because meal worms can't swim. Anyway, I decided to take despirate measures and put some crickets in. Maybe this would be the key to breaking his starvation strike. I put one lone cricket in (one that I caught myself in the house since I forgot to pick some up from the store).
You will never believe what happened. He didn't go after the cricket. It's almost like they're buddies. This morning the cricket had jammed himself into a corner, and the frog was right next to him, as if to say, help! My friend is stuck! Now I'm beginning to think that his heart really is broken. He is actually befriending his meal. He has now pretty much stuck by him for a whole day.
I don't know what to do. I feel so bad for our poor little froggie, who has lost his one true love (not to mention what a boring life a cage has to be)! We will see how this new replacement goes...but I don't want to go back and get another. It's the age-old tale of moms getting stuck caring for their kids pets. Hopefully the frog will feel better soon. Otherwise his new home might be the pond nearby.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
The Biking Adventure
I run with my friend Jackie on a regular basis now. I have been running with her for a few months now, and she has already done two Triathalons, which scares me to even think about doing, but I asked her to let me know when I could ride along with her on a bike ride. I've always wanted to get into biking, especially because I have such great biking memories, and it's easier on my body than running. It's something that I know I can keep doing for a long time. Jackie goes riding with her friend Glen, who has raced and she says that he has really helped her in this area.
Jackie finally found a time where she and Glen could take me along on a bike ride for the first time, which was this morning! Glen came over the morning before with an extra road bike and fitted me to it, and let me keep it until our ride. Unfortunately when I got it home it had a FLAT TIRE! That really made me nervous, but Glen and Jackie re-assured me that it wasn't a big deal. I still rode around the neighborhood on my mountain bike, which I regretted a little the next day... I'll tell you why a little later.
This morning Glen changed the flat in no time, and we drove out to Red Rock. The weather was nice, for a Las Vegas morning with a heat warning that day! I think it's about 115 right now! So we joined probably hundreds of bikers around the area.
Thankfully Jackie picked me up some gloves, I brought my helmet, and a bottle of water. So I thought I was pretty well prepared. The first thing I noticed when I got on the bike was that my butt still hurt from the night before!! So one thing I didn't have was biker shorts, which I quickly noticed has a cushion built into them! Oh it would have been so nice!!! Oh well, I was going to tough it out!
We headed out, and all seemed great. We got to a fairly steep area, and by that time I was trying to get used to the bars being different than a mountain bike. My hands were getting a little numb. Glen stayed right beside me and showed me how to hold on a different part of the bars, which really helped.
We began to pick up speed, which is fun, but a little scary since I have fallen off a dirt bike in the past. Glen told me to be calm, and not grip so tightly. He wanted me to just keep going without breaking, but I was too scared. I had a few little wavers since I was getting used to the bike. Finally I built up some confidence, and I think we hit a top speed around 25 miles an hour. We could have easily hit close to 40 if I let it go. It was scary, but a good feeling compared to running downhill for sure!!!
We ended up stopping at a store in the town of Blue Diamond, and just rested there for a little bit. Glen met up with a few fellow bikers. Very nice guys. Mark is 48, but looks like he's 30 (besides his gray stubble), and not an ounce of fat on his body. They ended up joining us for the hardest part of the trip. The hill that never seemed to end.
Mark hung back with me while the others made it up the hill better than me! Mark kept encouraging me by saying that I was doing good, and I was laughing and joking, so I MUST be in shape - LOL! Funny. We were going 6 mph. That was hard. Made it up without stopping though. So that was good.
I am looking forward to doing more rides with them, if they aren't too annoyed with my slow-goingness!
The adventure doesn't end there though!
After we got back to Jackies I started driving back, and I don't know what it was, but my mind must have been somewhere else. There's a point where it's 25 MPH, but it's on a road that looks like it should be 35. There are houses on the road, so it makes sence. Anyway, I was going 40, and it was the FIRST time in my life when I was getting pulled over. I didn't know what to do! So I pulled into a school parking lot, to avoid the red zone.
The cop came up to my window and looked at me and laughed.
He said, "You know, you should actually just pull over instead of finding a parking lot. I actually thought you were going to try and run from me, or you were a dangerous person. Once I saw you I was very surprised!"
I responded, "I am so sorry, I have never been pulled over before, and I didn't want to stop in a red zone illegally. I didn't know, and I'm so sorry for scaring you. Glad you told me." Tears started to build in my eyes.
He just laughed and said, "You were going 15 miles over the speed limit back there, but don't worry, I'm not going to give you a ticket. Let me get your license and registration, and if your record is clean, like you say, then I'll let you off with a warning"
I felt so bad. I wasn't going to even fight it, since I figured I must have been doing that. I always have to check myself there, especially going back since it's downhill.
After about 30 seconds, he came back to my window in a run, and basically threw my license and insurance at me and said, "Thanks, GOTTA GO!"
What an adventure... Two new experiences in one day! I really lucked out.
Jackie finally found a time where she and Glen could take me along on a bike ride for the first time, which was this morning! Glen came over the morning before with an extra road bike and fitted me to it, and let me keep it until our ride. Unfortunately when I got it home it had a FLAT TIRE! That really made me nervous, but Glen and Jackie re-assured me that it wasn't a big deal. I still rode around the neighborhood on my mountain bike, which I regretted a little the next day... I'll tell you why a little later.
This morning Glen changed the flat in no time, and we drove out to Red Rock. The weather was nice, for a Las Vegas morning with a heat warning that day! I think it's about 115 right now! So we joined probably hundreds of bikers around the area.
Thankfully Jackie picked me up some gloves, I brought my helmet, and a bottle of water. So I thought I was pretty well prepared. The first thing I noticed when I got on the bike was that my butt still hurt from the night before!! So one thing I didn't have was biker shorts, which I quickly noticed has a cushion built into them! Oh it would have been so nice!!! Oh well, I was going to tough it out!
We headed out, and all seemed great. We got to a fairly steep area, and by that time I was trying to get used to the bars being different than a mountain bike. My hands were getting a little numb. Glen stayed right beside me and showed me how to hold on a different part of the bars, which really helped.
We began to pick up speed, which is fun, but a little scary since I have fallen off a dirt bike in the past. Glen told me to be calm, and not grip so tightly. He wanted me to just keep going without breaking, but I was too scared. I had a few little wavers since I was getting used to the bike. Finally I built up some confidence, and I think we hit a top speed around 25 miles an hour. We could have easily hit close to 40 if I let it go. It was scary, but a good feeling compared to running downhill for sure!!!
We ended up stopping at a store in the town of Blue Diamond, and just rested there for a little bit. Glen met up with a few fellow bikers. Very nice guys. Mark is 48, but looks like he's 30 (besides his gray stubble), and not an ounce of fat on his body. They ended up joining us for the hardest part of the trip. The hill that never seemed to end.
Mark hung back with me while the others made it up the hill better than me! Mark kept encouraging me by saying that I was doing good, and I was laughing and joking, so I MUST be in shape - LOL! Funny. We were going 6 mph. That was hard. Made it up without stopping though. So that was good.
I am looking forward to doing more rides with them, if they aren't too annoyed with my slow-goingness!
The adventure doesn't end there though!
After we got back to Jackies I started driving back, and I don't know what it was, but my mind must have been somewhere else. There's a point where it's 25 MPH, but it's on a road that looks like it should be 35. There are houses on the road, so it makes sence. Anyway, I was going 40, and it was the FIRST time in my life when I was getting pulled over. I didn't know what to do! So I pulled into a school parking lot, to avoid the red zone.
The cop came up to my window and looked at me and laughed.
He said, "You know, you should actually just pull over instead of finding a parking lot. I actually thought you were going to try and run from me, or you were a dangerous person. Once I saw you I was very surprised!"
I responded, "I am so sorry, I have never been pulled over before, and I didn't want to stop in a red zone illegally. I didn't know, and I'm so sorry for scaring you. Glad you told me." Tears started to build in my eyes.
He just laughed and said, "You were going 15 miles over the speed limit back there, but don't worry, I'm not going to give you a ticket. Let me get your license and registration, and if your record is clean, like you say, then I'll let you off with a warning"
I felt so bad. I wasn't going to even fight it, since I figured I must have been doing that. I always have to check myself there, especially going back since it's downhill.
After about 30 seconds, he came back to my window in a run, and basically threw my license and insurance at me and said, "Thanks, GOTTA GO!"
What an adventure... Two new experiences in one day! I really lucked out.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Outside Essentials
Being outdoors is pretty much a requirement for kids at least once a day. It's been hard being so cooped up in the house, since there are only so many forts, lego towers and puzzles you can do in a day without going stir-crazy. Oh - and I forgot to mention - there's only so much CURIOUS GEORGE you can take in one day! I try to get out at least once a day, and sometimes the only place I can think of that is appropriate in this heat (without an entire wardrobe change i.e. bathingsuits) is McDonalds. There is only so much fast food a person can take. Here are some of the activites we like to do outside...
Gardening
Even though we haven't been completely successful, we have been able to grow things this year, which is an accomplishment for us. The boys enjoy watering and taking care of the plants, and seeing what they turn into. Seeing how tall the sunflowers grew, was really fun too. The only thing we grew that we could eat were two strawberries.
Thankfully we were able to go to grandmas garden down the street and she has had a great year of growing. We've picked strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, plums, and peppers. She is also growing many other plants like corn and grapes.
Water
This is essential in the summertime if we want to be outside at all, water has to be involved. If we don't want to leave the house we just bust out the slip and slide. We don't really use it the traditional way, since no one is willing to sacrafice their body to teach them, but they have fun running down the slide.
We have a pool down the street, and after the swimming lessons Connor can swim on his own with a life jacket. He's also tall enough to touch, so it makes it easier to not have to hold two kids in the water.
We haven't yet gone to the "splashy park" but we should be going soon. The parks that have the shooting water, seems like the boys would really enjoy that.
Hiking Day
Before it has gotten too hot, every Friday is our hiking day. I have a nice easy hike that Connor can do on his own, and I have Aaron on my back, and we go up the mountain. Connor loves getting to the top where he can explore. We'll probably start doing that again in the fall. I might not be able to carry Aaron on my back for much longer though!!
The Cabin
Haven't had a chance to get up there this summer, but we are looking forward to it this August. I'd really like to spend more time up there during the summertime when it's so hot, to give my kids a lot more exploration time. Connor enjoys finding his way through the forest, and seeing the animals. Just being out of the heat makes it worthwhile. It's a place that I think all kids need growing up: a place to explore, and where they have the chance to be outside all day long.
Adventures in the neighborhood
This is one of the best things we do outside, or at least the one I enjoy the most. We just walk out the door and have an adventure. Since we have dirt lots all around us, and a gate right into the golf course, we can search for bunnies, pick up trash (Connor loves to do this...I have to remember to bring a bag with me), and roll down grassy hills. Connor and I take bike rides together, and sometimes even play a hole of golf after 7pm. I love that we don't have to go anywhere to go on an adventure! We have been putting the adventures off until the sun goes down since the weather has been pretty unbearable.
Can't wait until the summer ends and we can get back out there more... Doesn't that sound weird??
Gardening
Even though we haven't been completely successful, we have been able to grow things this year, which is an accomplishment for us. The boys enjoy watering and taking care of the plants, and seeing what they turn into. Seeing how tall the sunflowers grew, was really fun too. The only thing we grew that we could eat were two strawberries.
Thankfully we were able to go to grandmas garden down the street and she has had a great year of growing. We've picked strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, plums, and peppers. She is also growing many other plants like corn and grapes.
Water
This is essential in the summertime if we want to be outside at all, water has to be involved. If we don't want to leave the house we just bust out the slip and slide. We don't really use it the traditional way, since no one is willing to sacrafice their body to teach them, but they have fun running down the slide.
We have a pool down the street, and after the swimming lessons Connor can swim on his own with a life jacket. He's also tall enough to touch, so it makes it easier to not have to hold two kids in the water.
We haven't yet gone to the "splashy park" but we should be going soon. The parks that have the shooting water, seems like the boys would really enjoy that.
Hiking Day
Before it has gotten too hot, every Friday is our hiking day. I have a nice easy hike that Connor can do on his own, and I have Aaron on my back, and we go up the mountain. Connor loves getting to the top where he can explore. We'll probably start doing that again in the fall. I might not be able to carry Aaron on my back for much longer though!!
The Cabin
Haven't had a chance to get up there this summer, but we are looking forward to it this August. I'd really like to spend more time up there during the summertime when it's so hot, to give my kids a lot more exploration time. Connor enjoys finding his way through the forest, and seeing the animals. Just being out of the heat makes it worthwhile. It's a place that I think all kids need growing up: a place to explore, and where they have the chance to be outside all day long.
Adventures in the neighborhood
This is one of the best things we do outside, or at least the one I enjoy the most. We just walk out the door and have an adventure. Since we have dirt lots all around us, and a gate right into the golf course, we can search for bunnies, pick up trash (Connor loves to do this...I have to remember to bring a bag with me), and roll down grassy hills. Connor and I take bike rides together, and sometimes even play a hole of golf after 7pm. I love that we don't have to go anywhere to go on an adventure! We have been putting the adventures off until the sun goes down since the weather has been pretty unbearable.
Can't wait until the summer ends and we can get back out there more... Doesn't that sound weird??
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Our Heated Family
Our Air Conditioning went out literally when I was typing the last blog. I noticed that the temperature downstairs was starting to get uncomfortable, and of course this happens on a Saturday night, where we are bound to not have anyone out to fix it for a few days.
After finding out they wouldn't be here until Tuesday, I had to begin to cancel my plans for next week. I was going to see Holly and her Twins to go swimming, and this really bummed us out since we haven't seen them in a long time. My family can't live in 115 degree temperatures without AC though, so it had to be done. Thankfully the upstairs unit was still working, so at least we could survive, and not have to live in a hotbox!
After being in the hot house for a few days I began to think back to my childhood...
When I was growing up my parents always kept the house at a "bareable" temperature, but it was not necessarily comfortable. The summers in Arizona, were about as hot as they are here in Vegas. At night we would open our windows to let cool air in (since there's about a 20 degree difference in the desert at night), and during the day we would survive on fan air blowing on us to keep us cool. My parents were pros at saving energy - and money. Never a wasted bit of energy in our house. No lights left on in rooms that are empty, no fans left on, no computers left running, no TVs unwatched, etc...
On the other hand, Brian's family was completely different. I remember getting a chill in the summertime walking into their house it was so cold. When Brian's brother and sisters were still living at home, there would be lights left on EVERYWHERE, and unwatched TVs etc... This shocked me the first time I went to their house.
Now that I have my own family, I try to find a happy medium between the two ways. I still try to be consious of the energy we are using in our household like the way I was raised, but we also try to keep ourselves comfortable. If someone is hot, it's ok to turn down the AC a couple degrees. Ok, so Brian has me spoiled now. He doesn't want to sweat in the summer, so he doesn't mind keeping it at a nice temperature.
After a couple days of it being 88 degrees in the house, it really jolted my memory, and reminded me of those days where my parents either told us to "turn on the fan" in the summer or "put a layer on" in the winter. The other thing it reminded me, was that it actually wasn't too hard to live with the AC up a couple of degrees higher than I was keeping it. Hey - Now 84 seems COLD!
The AC repair guy came out and found out that a motor in the unit had been halfway melted through, which caused the breaker to trip. He replaced the motor, and since it was under warranty it wasn't that big of a deal.
So, maybe after this, I can take a bit of advise from my past, and save our family a few dollars by keeping the AC up a few degrees during the day - Hey it's my turn to tell my kids to take off a layer : ). They are both boys, and according to Brian you should be able to just slap a pair of shorts on them in the summer, and they are good to go!
But you know that we are going to be chilled in the evening when Daddy gets home (and I'm not complaining)!!
After finding out they wouldn't be here until Tuesday, I had to begin to cancel my plans for next week. I was going to see Holly and her Twins to go swimming, and this really bummed us out since we haven't seen them in a long time. My family can't live in 115 degree temperatures without AC though, so it had to be done. Thankfully the upstairs unit was still working, so at least we could survive, and not have to live in a hotbox!
After being in the hot house for a few days I began to think back to my childhood...
When I was growing up my parents always kept the house at a "bareable" temperature, but it was not necessarily comfortable. The summers in Arizona, were about as hot as they are here in Vegas. At night we would open our windows to let cool air in (since there's about a 20 degree difference in the desert at night), and during the day we would survive on fan air blowing on us to keep us cool. My parents were pros at saving energy - and money. Never a wasted bit of energy in our house. No lights left on in rooms that are empty, no fans left on, no computers left running, no TVs unwatched, etc...
On the other hand, Brian's family was completely different. I remember getting a chill in the summertime walking into their house it was so cold. When Brian's brother and sisters were still living at home, there would be lights left on EVERYWHERE, and unwatched TVs etc... This shocked me the first time I went to their house.
Now that I have my own family, I try to find a happy medium between the two ways. I still try to be consious of the energy we are using in our household like the way I was raised, but we also try to keep ourselves comfortable. If someone is hot, it's ok to turn down the AC a couple degrees. Ok, so Brian has me spoiled now. He doesn't want to sweat in the summer, so he doesn't mind keeping it at a nice temperature.
After a couple days of it being 88 degrees in the house, it really jolted my memory, and reminded me of those days where my parents either told us to "turn on the fan" in the summer or "put a layer on" in the winter. The other thing it reminded me, was that it actually wasn't too hard to live with the AC up a couple of degrees higher than I was keeping it. Hey - Now 84 seems COLD!
The AC repair guy came out and found out that a motor in the unit had been halfway melted through, which caused the breaker to trip. He replaced the motor, and since it was under warranty it wasn't that big of a deal.
So, maybe after this, I can take a bit of advise from my past, and save our family a few dollars by keeping the AC up a few degrees during the day - Hey it's my turn to tell my kids to take off a layer : ). They are both boys, and according to Brian you should be able to just slap a pair of shorts on them in the summer, and they are good to go!
But you know that we are going to be chilled in the evening when Daddy gets home (and I'm not complaining)!!
