Warm Day Pleasures

I don't cope well with hot weather. What I love are those beautiful warm days at the end of spring or the end of summer, where you feel happy and energized and life feels full of promise.

Days like yesterday and today, in Melbourne.

For instance, I love:

• Driving with the window open (instead of the air conditioning on)
• Having my hair stay dry and in style all day (not ruined by humidity or sweat)
• Not wearing or carrying a jacket
• Wearing sandals to work
• Painting my toenails and the paint lasts for days because I'm wearing sandals to work and no shoes at home
• Listening to my kids playing outside and feeling good about that
• Hanging out and bringing in washing without dying in the heat
• Waking up to sunshine and birdsong (and the cat meowing for breakfast and the dog scratching on the door to come in)
• The kids are happy to get up on time
• Waking up comfortable - neither groggy from dark winter sleep nor bathed in summer sweat
• Having the kids play ball with the dog and run him around till he's pooped so I don't have to walk him
• Icy-poles outside after dinner
• Hearing the neighbourhood kids playing ball in the street after dinner

 

Yesterday all these things came together. Y and I were both home and both available after work, and the four of us ate a marvelous picnic dinner together, then danced to some Greek songs the girls are learning*, ate icy-poles outside, and - the highlight for the kids - played hide and seek in the backyard until bathtime. Our backyard consists of about 3 possible hiding spaces, so God knows what the appeal is of this game in our house, but I do know that yesterday the appeal was playing with Mum and Dad at the same time.

"Best evening ever!" said A.

"My best bit was playing with Daddy," said M.

"The kids LOVED it when you played with them," I told Y.

"I guess they miss not having a brother," said Y.

"No, they want YOU!" said I.

Y is a good dad, but he's often tired from work so the evenings we tend to tag-team, with him snoozing after dinner and me going to bed earlier at night while he cleans up the kitchen. When he looks after the kids, he is often lying on the couch while they play, or they all go out "for coffee".

That's all fine, but this is also important: the whole family together laughing and dancing and playing hide and seek even if it means taking turns with the same two hiding spots down the side of the house and behind the barbecue. (There - now if you ever come to our house and play hide and seek with us, you will know straightaway where to look.)

So last night we did all that.

And because I'm a woman and a mother and a homebody and an emotional basket case, I had my happiest evening this year and had to stop myself sobbing with manic glee.

I held myself together heroically. (The kids already think Mum is loopy - no need to give them more proof).

What's your favourite kind of weather?

*Here's one of the songs -

N'Agapas - by Pantelis Thalassinos