However, we've managed to have some fun (indoors and out) despite the scorching heat. And we've still got fun planned before the weather turns cold ... a trip to the beach, a couple to Grandmother's house and a long-awaited vacation to West Virginia for Mama and Daddy.
But here's a look at what we've been up to the past few weeks.
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Bumper Jumpers
We finally made it back to Bumper Jumpers, a local indoor playground that has about 10 inflatable bounce houses and obstacle courses. I got a three-visit pass on Groupon back in the spring that was cheaper than one normal visit. Sawyer and I went once, and we had a blast jumping, playing in the ball house and sliding down giant slides. Actually, I may have had more fun that he did, at least at first; the poor kid cried when I plopped him in the first inflatable house. By the time we left, I could barely walk. And I couldn't carry Sawyer the rest of the day.
For our second visit, I made Daddy come with us ... to share the bouncing duties, to carry Sawyer up the totally vertical ladders and to witness the boy's delight.
It saved my back, and I was able to take some pictures. Though the houses are quite dark inside and it's difficult to shoot while you're being bounced around ... so I didn't get many good ones. But I daresay Daddy had fun, too.
Sawyer is typically one of the smallest kids there, so we have to keep an eye out for big kids that bounce a little too hard for him. But he takes it in stride, and he'd go down the slide 1,000 times in a row, I think.
I told Ray that this is the kind place that makes me wish to be a kid again (or at least have the joints of an 8-year-old). And we agreed that when Sawyer is older, this place has definite birthday party potential.
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Hoppers games
This is the fifth year we've had season tickets to the Greensboro Grasshoppers. We both love baseball, and we're working on teaching Sawyer to like it, too. He and Ray have gone to nearly every home game. I only get to tag along on my nights off or the rare day game, so I don't catch as many.
A few weeks ago, I had a Sunday off, and we planned to go so I could take Sawyer on the field afterward to run the bases ... something they let all the kids do after Sunday games. Ray had already done it with him one night I was working.
It was an incredibly hot afternoon, but we still enjoyed the game and the friends we've made in people whose season tickets are near us.
We sit right behind home plate, and often our row is pretty empty. So Ray and I sit a few seats apart so Sawyer can move around between us. Though he spends a good chunk of the game climbing on both of us. He does pay attention when Babe, the black Labrador retriever bat dog, comes on the field.
Even when he's not watching the game, Sawyer manages to stay busy and keep himself occupied.
He checked out the Dippin' Dots the girls in front of us were eating.
He tried on the sunglasses our buddy a few seats over loaned us.
He flirted with the gals that sit behind us.
He clapped at the end of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th-inning stretch.
And we practiced our "safe" hand signals.
Then the game was over and it was time to run around the bases. By then, Sawyer was hot, tired and grumpy. When I put him down at first base, he had absolutely no desire to move. I walked a few feet in front of him, egging him on to "run with the big kids."
But he was unswayed. He went about halfway to second, but he was crying the whole time. The other kids left us in the dust, so I finally picked him up and carried him the rest of the way around.
We crossed home plate and then hugged Guilford the Grasshopper, who was clearly dying to get off the field and get out of that hot suit. Sawyer also was scared of Guilford, which he's normally not. It was definitely a fizzled-out ending to my big plan for a mother-son baseball moment.
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The Sprayground
We've found a fun new place to cool off when it's blisteringly hot. A city park just about 10 minutes from our house has this awesome play area that sprays water from all these fountains and hoses.
It had loads of other mothers and kids when we went about lunchtime one day. Sawyer was a little more wary of the jets of water than I expected. He wanted me to carry him for the first 10 minutes (good thing I wore my swimsuit!).
After he realized what to do, he was off. Running through misting arches and tunnels of water over and over, laughing maniacally.
The water would cut off about every 10 minutes (I guess as a water-saving feature in case no one is there). Most of the kids knew exactly where to find the button to turn the water back on, and several would bolt for the button when the water stopped. The funny part was that Sawyer, every time the water stopped, would clap ... like it was the end of a great water show.
The cool water sure did feel good, and it was much more small-child friendly than a pool. Watching all the kids have such a good time amused me.
Sawyer also let me know when he was ready to go. He was playing on his own, and I had moved outside the circle of fountains where I could shoot without getting my camera wet. Suddenly, Sawyer turns around and heads for the exit opposite me in the circle. I went to catch him, but he had a good head start. He was about 20 feet outside the circle when he stopped, turned back to the fountains and waved goodbye to everyone. Then he set off again for the exit. I caught him before he left (and there were park employees working at the gate), but I still wonder where he would've gone if I hadn't stopped his rapid departure.
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