This morning I am a bundle of minor irritations. I will share them with you:
1. One of the little nose-pieces broke off of my favorite glasses. In rummaging around for another pair of glasses to wear, I found that my OTHER favorite pair of glasses had the SAME nose-piece broken off, and apparently I never got around to fixing them. The nose-pieces are the kind that SCREW on, and I only have the kind that SNAP on.
2. Then I discovered that now that I’ve become accustomed to these two pairs of glasses (both are thin black metal half-rim frames), I no longer like the way I look in colorful frames. I am wearing glasses I don’t even like, and I think they’re my previous prescription because I’m feeling a little headachey. Plus, the earpiece keeps snagging and pulling my hair.
3. I don’t like summer clothes. I don’t like shorts or capris. I don’t like pants made out of lightweight material. I don’t like sleeveless shirts. I don’t like sandals AT ALL: I hate the dry, dusty feeling of them, and I keep tripping on them and/or stubbing my toes on things. I can see how people love all these items, but my whole body feels uncomfortable and wrong in them.
4. I don’t like sunscreen. It’s messy. It’s a pain to put on. It stings my eyes even when it says it won’t. It gets in my hair. I’m supposed to apply MORE of it every HOUR. I hate it.
5. The air-conditioning in the minivan is at best a little bit cool. It takes FOREVER to cool down a large, hot car, especially when only two windows really open (the way-back ones open an inch or so, but that doesn’t really help). When the minvan is hot and the children are bickering, I feel like this whole parenting idea was a giant mistake.
6. It’s still only June.
7. We put the swimming towels outside to dry, and it rained.
8. An acquaintance I dislike recently said on the subject of 100% whole-wheat bread, “You might as well eat a candy bar.” My immediate reaction to this was NOT, as she intended, to be shamed/scorned into eating the way she thinks we all should, but instead to think “Excellent! I WILL, then! I’d PREFER to eat a candy bar anyway so, yay!, I’m so glad to hear they’re nutritionally equivalent/superior!”
9. I use a watch that has three alarms; I depend on them to help me get kids to and from the bus stop on time. In summer, I don’t need those alarms. EVERY YEAR I struggle to figure out how to turn them off. LAST year I wrote myself a note about how to do it. I STILL COULDN’T FIGURE IT OUT. Finally I gave it to Paul and he figured it out in less than 5 minutes.
10. The kids look so GRUBBY in summer, and cleaning them is so TEMPORARY and FUTILE.
I am sorry about your smug acquaintance, but I am sort of glad 8 happened because it made me laugh.
I completely feel your pain with summer clothes and sandals–hate them!
Summer clothes make me cry. Bring on sweaters, clogs and hot apple cider.
The daily cleaning of 5 kids in the summer is SO much worse than the rest of the year.
As a fellow summer-hater, I sympathize with all of the suckiness. And though I love my flip-flops dearly, that’s very much paired with washing my feet and using lotion on them multiple times/day, because “dusty” is never a word you want to apply to your own body.
So, many thanks for the commiseration. Since I live in Florida near the beach, most of my friends here are in full-on sun worshipping mode these days, and I feel very ogre-like when I just want to huddle inside (that’s where the shade and A/C are!) Also, #8 made me laugh loudly enough to startle the cats, which was wonderful.
I cannot sympathize too much on the certain-aspects-of-summer-hating because we have snow for half the year and I HATE THE COLD and absolutely REVEL IN THE HEAT and love, love, LOVE wearing shorts, tanks and sandals (I admit it, I’m a bad Canadian). But I do have to admit that every summer I’m surprised anew at how much sand I find in my kids’ shorts pockets and how much more often I have to scrub the shower floor free of grubbiness tracked in by bare feet.
I hear you on the sunscreen though – we use an oil-free version and it’s marginally better-feeling, plus we only put it on at the beginning of the day, but I can taste the bitterness from the sunscreen within 10 minutes of applying it if I’ve covered a large area. Blech.
I can maybe help with number 5 though – if you don’t have one of those reflective screen shades for your windshield I recommend them. They make a huge difference in keeping your vehicle a bit cooler, especially if you have dark upholstery. My husband thinks they’re goofy looking but he’s surrendered and starting using one himself.
I’m completely confused about how 100% whole wheat bread is like a candy bar, but I’m off to eat a snickers and feel virtuous about it! :) And I very much agree about the sunscreen as well, and some of the summer clothes. I hate my legs more every year that I look down and wonder when my grandmother attached hers to my body. Shorts are just bad.
100% whole wheat bread = a candy bar?! I’m going to spread some peanut butter between two milky ways and call it lunch.
I have this very unscientific theory that introverts prefer more substantial clothing choices. I HATE shorts. I HATE filp-flops. For no other reason than I feel so very exposed to the world.
If it helps, i have found that as long as I wear tennis shoes and socks, that is reassuring enough that I can deal with shorts/sleeveless/etc.
How funny. I love seeing my body and look great in all those skin-baring outfits, but belong to a religious culture that frowns upon showing any skin from knees to shoulders. And oh, how I miss seeing my body and feeling unencumbered in the air. I absolutely have to cover up, unless I want people to infer all sorts of nasty nonsense about me (“asking for it”/false advertising, I don’t understand my worth, I must not actually believe the truth claims of my religion because I like short shorts, etc…).
I wish I felt like you!
I am about to comment on the comments because they’re so interesting to me, and then a little commenting on your post.
I agree with Slim about number 8.
It never occurred to me that perhaps I prefer “more substantial clothing choices” because I am an introvert. That’s food for thought, and releases me from feeling as if I “should” be wanting to wear shorts and little tops in the summer.
My summer uniform is the Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt, which I wear over leggings or those tight, super stretchy pants they’re selling in different colors at Target every season. If it’s very hot I’ll do sandals, but just as often I wear the Keen mary janes I first saw when Jonna mentioned them on Twitter one day. These ones: http://www.zappos.com/keen-toyah-mj-aluminium I love them.
The last couple days I’ve been having the same thought: It’s only June. Ugh.
I live in the very hot southwest desert and I abhor wearing shoes without socks. I hate the feeling. And I need more than a thin piece of rubber between my precious feet and the 115 degree asphalt.
I forgot how absolutely uncivilized and destructive toddlers are. I have one now and it is ridiculous.
I find I am schlepping about a bazillion bags anytime we go places. Water, sunscreen, lunch, towels, water clothes and shoes because there is always a splash pad, hats, diapers, I am an ox.
I got the worst haircut last week and since I get very infrequent haircuts it was devastating.
I have no candy bars. A pice of bread will not be an ideal substitute.
Have you tried a bump toe fisherman type sandal? It might not be a fix for the dusty feeling, but it will stop you from stubbing your toes. Also, I find that in wet grass or dirty conditions, significantly less wetness or dirt plagues my feet. Payless had a nicely priced knock-off that I bought a couple years ago and they have been comfortable/held up really well.
Dresses/skirts can also feel cooler than shorts/capri’s w/ a top, probably b/c of air circulation? I don’t usually care to wear either skirts or dresses, but my daughters badgered me into trying some, and I have to admit I don’t hate them as much as I thought I would. And they do feel cooler.
I hear you on the sunscreen though, HATE. And, I have spots on my arm, chest, forehead where too much direct sun will give me an allergic type rash. Other than feeling like a truly special little snowflake, it means so much more sunblock in my life.
#10 except substitute “house” for “kids.” Every time I turn around there is a new mess.
Grubby? My son just got a full-arm cast yesterday and I am dreading the yuck.
I don’t mind sunscreen at all, but I cannot stand putting it on the kids everyday. Makes me CRAZY.
#3: ME TOOOOOOOOOOO. Work is always freezing so my regular work clothes are as good as anything else. I struggle with non work though, I tend to just wear workout clothes all of the time. I’ll throw on a maxi dress if I absolutely HAVE to be presentable (then hate my boobs / worry they will pop out at all times but at least my belly isn’t constrained). I see you don’t like lightweight pants, but those giant legged lightweight harem pants Target had a while back were okay by me because at least they have an elastic waistband. EATIN’ PANTS.
#9: Post it here so you can find it easily next year, like the time change thing. We don’t mind.
I believe my new summer “uniform” will be jersey maxi dresses or skirts – it’s basically like wearing pajamas all day and I can get away with wearing them to work (in theory I could also wear jeans but shopping for jeans vs. stretchy skirts is much more stressful).
I enthusiastically second this! Stretch jersey maxi dresses and skirts have changed my summer this year. I actually feel comfortable, cool, and pretty, rather than irritated, hot, and uncomfortable.
I also hate shorts but love me some flip flops ad cute painted toes.
The spray on sunscreen it not nearly as annoying as the lotion. Give it’s try. It’s less messy, easy peasy to apply, and you don’t get your hands all grubby putting it on. Oh an reapplying….. Cake Walk!
Word of warning – if you use spray-on sunscreen you may want to put it on outdoors unless you have great aim.
Unfortunately, there are a bunch of articles out now saying that spray sunscreen isn’t good because it leads us to inhale particulates. Plus, it adds to the problem of people not putting on enough – you’d have to spray a LOT to get that ‘shot-glass full’ on.
I live in jeans and Docs. In the summer, I sometimes swap them for Converse. Sandals and shorts are uncomfortable and unflattering. I do wear tank tops, however. Do summer your way.
SO HEAR YOU. I hate that the sun makes me feel like I should go outside, and then the heat makes me feel like I just want to go inside where it’s cool and read a book. I hate wearing no sleeves and refuse to wear shorts (skirts are as far as I’m willing to go) but I also feel like I’m suffocating if I wear sleeves in the summer. It is ASS.
ha ha on #3. I too don’t like wearing shorts/flip flops and I am an introvert. However where I live it is hot, hot in the summer so to be comfortable I must. I’m originally from Seattle and lived in tennis shoes and wore panty hose with dresses. So now I do wear sandals (can’t stand flip flops) but I paint my toes and wear ankle bracelets. Makes me feel a little better.
And this is why I love your posts . . . and your other readers!
I see that no one else has commiserated on hair-snagging eyeglass earpieces. Fear not, for I can attest to how HATEFUL that is. I had a pair once which had rubber thingies on the end and every time I tried to take them off one handed, it caught on my hair. I literally could not take my glasses off with one hand. For a whole year. I always check for that sort of rubber thingie now because HAAAAAAATE. And actually, even with two hands, I had to sort of stretch the arms out and take them off CAREFULLY and HAAAAATE. SO AWFUL.
I also hate sunscreen so much. It stings my eyes and I can FEEL it all the time and the only kind we’re supposed to use now is the physical barrier kind and not the chemical barrier kind, but the physical barrier kind doesn’t absorb in! Because it is a physical barrier! So it just SITS there GUMMILY on your SKIN and I HATE IT. It is also super thick and hard to smear on. So I use the chemical barrier kind and then feel like I am poisoning my children and why does everything have to be so difficult? It reminds me of a commercial I saw for a thermos where the woman in the commercial talked about how of course she “did her research” before buying the thermos for her children’s food storage and good news! It’s BPA free and non-toxic! Meanwhile, I am thinking, “WHY must we RESEARCH every single product we buy? Can’t we just… buy a thermos?”
Regarding the whole wheat bread lady: She deserves a punch in the face.
Oh yes! I have one of those pairs of sunglasses! I lose a hair or two almost every time I take them off. HATE!
And I’m also with you on the sunscreen: I don’t like the physical barrier stuff and neither do my kids, but I feel like I’m poisoning us all with the chemical barrier stuff.
And yes, I remember the days where we could just buy a container to put food in and not have to research ahead of time. Good times.
Summer is terrible and it will never end.
I hate sunscreen and I never wear it on my forehead because it drips into my eyes and stings horribly. I will probably get forehead cancer but the stinging is the worst. I also tripped on my flip flop last night and almost broke my neck and pulled a muscle in my thigh saving my own life. Oh, summer, glad I’m not the only one.
sorry if you have tried this, because nothing is more annoying than “have you tried this thing that YES you TOTALLY TRIED and it also did not work”, but have you tried facial moisturizer with sunscreen? Neutrogena makes one that i really like. I cannot bring myself to put regular sunscreen on my face because it’s just so greasy, but this works well.
and yes. I also hate summer clothes and especially flip flops. I hate them a lot.
Each season I give myself a little challenge. “wear more scarves” or “try to be more feminine in my clothing choices,” “buy more necklaces” or something similar. It is over 100f here in Western Australia in summer so I wear flip-flops (called thongs over here) but when I got to the ‘be more feminine’ challenge, I bought a whole heap of 50’s housewife style dresses and they needed something a bit nicer…and now I am addicted to ballet flats. They are feminine, flexable and I can wear them equally well with summer dresses or winter jeans. Mine are the kind that actually have elastic and fold up in half (like actual ballet shoes) when not being worn. But I find them a nice alternative to sandals (and not too expensive either).
Banana Boat makes a sunscreen for kids that is tear-free. It’s still sticky, but it doesn’t burn your eyes at all. It comes in a large, yellow tube. I lotion all of us up with it to start out and then use the spray sunscreen for touch ups during the day. Neutrogena also makes a face stick that won’t run into your eyes. It works great, but has a waxy feel that I am not crazy about.
Goodness, if I’d known I was having a candy bar next to my omelet this morning I might not have slathered the cherry preserves on quite so thickly. Oh well, I had cantaloupe, too. Or is fruit a candy bar, too?
FRUIT? You might as well eat a FIVE-POUND SACK OF SUGAR, STEPH.
I live in south Texas and can’t fathom your hatred of summer clothes–I don’t know anything different! I love the freedom of shorts (I can move my legs!), sandals (wiggle my toes), and light t-shirts. I love the smell of sunscreen and not having to wash my hair every day.
I also love how much less laundry I have to do in summer. No socks to pull right-side-out, no heavy jeans to haul around and fill up my baskets, no bulky sweatshirts or double-layered crap!
I’m surprised I’m not the only one who struggles with Summer. I do actually love Summer but I’m constantly avoiding the sun. I’m so jealous of people who can afford to bare more skin. So with cute sandals, all I can think of is the need to put sunscreen on my feet. Skirts or shorts, ditto for the legs. I do put sunscreen on my chest, hands, and arms and wear a big ol’ hat everywhere. The typical sunscreen makes me nauseated from … I dunno… mineral fumes? There’s a tolerable facial sunscreen I get from my dermatologist that I put on my arms. (shhh) Pricy but worth it.
Life was so much simpler when we had more of an ozone layer. I had a blessed childhood I think. Life outdoors, no AC or TV, but lots of popsicles and icecream cones and watermelon and mud puddles and neighborhood kids (ie we arranged our own playdates). Running around barefoot with my mother not minding how dirty we got… so long as we washed our feet before bed.
I am so done with the idea that bread = candy. If I want one, I do not eat the other! I also roll my eyes at sanctimonious foodizing (that’s a word, right?). I’m cackling over your snark. :D Off to eat some fruit…
For the glasses–just go into any old optical shop. I usually just say that I didn’t buy my glasses at this location but am “away from home” (true) and need the nosepiece replaced. Every time, they have cheerfully replaced it at no charge, even though I have tried to insist on paying something. I think it’s kind of a goodwill thing they do, hoping you’ll come back there the next time you need glasses.
I have gotten my most recent two pairs of glasses from the online source you recommended, and the second pair included 3 replacement nosepieces and a tiny little screwdriver kit.
I join others in saying dresses/skirts are much cooler and more comfortable for me than are any kind of pants, including shorts.
Now off to eat some “toast.” ;-)