Makin' My Kid-Self Proud

After a June filled with rain, rain, more rain, and cooler-than-summertime temps, we've finally come into some "dog days of summer" heat the last few days. Yesterday, it was a balmy 90ish degrees with ridiculously high humidity.

Seriously. It was like takeyourbreathaway humidity.

Anyway, in honor of the beautiful weather, I wanted to be in the sun and enjoy it (okay, I admit... and get a little tan). My usual playmates for a weekday would be my mom and my little sister. Unfortunately, my mom was working and my sister was with her friends having a lake day. 'Beach day' was eliminated before it even became an option. So I briefly considered going on a bike ride, but quickly crossed it off my list for obvious reasons. And then I thought about mowing the lawn in my swimsuit (you know, for the good tan!). However, I quickly ruled that out too. I hate the whole sweaty butt thing. You totally know what I mean if you've ever mowed with a riding mower on a hot day... you know, peeling your legs off the warm leather seat and having your rear damp with sweat. I can't be the only one who knows about that, but if I am -- trust me, it's semi-uncomfortable.

So upon opting out of both of those, another lightbulb lit: hubby's family lives on the lake! Why not spend my afternoon just off their dock on a pink floatie, a cherry coke zero in one hand and a People magazine in the other? A perfect mix of cool water and warm rays.

Nah, too far. I didn't feel like driving, even though it's a mere five-ish miles (apparently the lazy bug bit me that day. What can I say, the heat makes me slothy).

After considering this last option, I looked out the sliding doors to my parents' back yard, nearly admitting defeat and staying indoors to do something lame on such a beautiful day (like play the Sims. I know what you're thinking right now... don't be hatin'). But then I saw it standing proudly in the middle of the grassy lawn: a Little Tikes sprinkler.

Perfect.

So I did what I hadn't done in years. I threw on my new summertime swimsuit and quickly hooked up the hose to the round, purple base of the sprinkler. Trotting giddily over to the spicket, I put my hand on the smooth, navy dial and spun it to the left. And a glorious, steady stream of water sprayed out in all directions, immediately cooling my warm skin.

I briefly considered being done at that point, thinking, "Whelp, I got what I wanted: a cool down" and moved just outside of the spray's reach. But a smile spread across my face and my nine-year-old self took over. And in true nine-year-old fashion, I let out a shriek in preparation of feeling the icy droplets on my skin again and ran as fast as my little legs would take me across the wet, slippery grass.

And I did it again. This time, with my hands up in the air.

And again. This time, with a little leap in the middle.

Just how I remember doing it when I was nine.

And then I saw the last thing that would make the equation complete: a playmate.

I was home alone, except for one friend: my dog.


And after pulling her out from under a shady maple tree nearby, she ran through with me, too -- sans the shrill screeches, arms in the air and ballerina leaps.

Eventually she got tired and laid down again beneath that maple, and when I heckled her a little too much, she ran and hid in some bushes.

Making one last ditch effort to con her back into the sprinkler, I yelled "Suitcho'self , dawg! You don't know whatch'o missin'!" and ran back into the line of fire.

She didn't join me again. But I didn't care. Back and forth I went.

In true adult style, I, like my dog, had my fill after a few more minutes. I took one more pass through, promising to make it my best. So with one last high-pitched shriek, I prepared myself for the icy blast of cold water on my face, got a running start and did the best cartwheel I could (which means it definitely looked nothing like a cartwheel at all).

But I can be sure of one thing with those 20 minutes in the sprinkler and that cartwheel: you can bet I made my nine-year-old self proud.