Amidst blistering heat and preparations for homemade chocolate ice cream, the lights went out. Not exactly what we had in mind for our day.
Luckily we’d already frozen some juice for ice pops, and begun preparations for pineapple slushies. We’d also planned hot dogs for lunch, which were now barbecued instead of sauteed, served with chips instead of reheated homemade macaroni and cheese. Watermelon would have to do instead of veggies. We were seemingly set.
We contended with drinking warm(ish) bottled water while we kept the fridge closed, attempting to keep the newly purchased food as refrigerated as we could, while we sweat profusely watching the temperature rise inside our once-cool home.
Books were read. Kids played in their already filled kiddie pools. The adults tried to move as little as possible, to avoid getting any hotter.
Just as we approached the threshold of needing to go buy ice to keep our refrigerated items from spoiling, the lights miraculously went on.
3.5 hours of heat, sweat, and ingenuity instead of whatever it was we had intended to do.
What did we do to celebrate? How did we announce to the kids that the lights were finally back on?
A good, old fashioned, water-hose war.
I immediately ran out the door, turned on the water (that we weren’t allowed to use, without electricity) and sprayed the ever-loving crap out of the kids. They loved every solitary second of that chilling water in that heat. And I absorbed the delicious spray-back onto my sweaty skin, drinking in that moment of relief in so many ways.
Thank goodness for electricity, cool water, summer fun, and some delicious icy treats to enjoy later on.
Today most certainly didn’t go as planned, but I loved every single minute of it.
Psst – today I interview Robin Miller. Is there anything you’d like to ask about keeping it cool in the kitchen this summer?
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