Wiggly Deal

It may not be officially summer yet, but it sure feels like it. I much prefer the stifling heat over the bitter cold. Perhaps it's from growing up with no air conditioning, but the heat really doesn't bother me. My parents only turned the AC on a couple of times during the summer and I remember those days very well. In fact, one of my most vivid memories is coming inside after a long horse ride to the smell of mom cooking tacos in the kitchen on a summer evening with the movie Flash Gordan playing in the front room. My brothers were all sprawled out around the TV with my dad as the AC pumped full force into the house. I can still smell the tacos and feel the abnormal temperature shift as I walked inside. Yep. AC was a treat. Not a lifestyle. My kids know nothing of life without temperature control. Unfortunately, having a kid with allergies means you have to keep outside allergens where they belong. Outside. Of course the only way to monitor that is with a closed house. So to wear long sleeves in the house during the middle of a heat wave isn't necessarily a big deal when it's a constant 76 degrees in your room. This is where my most recent problem has arisen. Alex doesn't have a blankie or a teddy bear he is attached to. He has four long-sleeved shirts. Red, Blue, Purple and Yellow. His Wiggles shirts. You probably wouldn't have noticed unless really keeping a close eye on them, but Alex is wearing a Wiggles shirt in nearly 90% of the photos I've taken of him since last Halloween. They are his favorite things in the whole world. With the temperature on the rise outside, it's been a horrific battle to get him to kick his wiggly little habit. He wakes up and promptly seeks out his long-sleeve wiggles shirts. Oh, I made him short-sleeved ones but they just aren't the same. He wants to look like the Wiggles and they wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and shoes. Trust me. He points this out to me on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis. I hate being the 'evil' momma. I don't want to strip him of this love. It would be the equivalent of taking the well-loved teddy-bear from a kid who can't sleep without it. But I can't exactly let him run around outside in the blazing heat dressed for winter. Uh, can we say, 'heat stroke'? So after many failed ideas, I finally came up with a brilliant plan. After hours of endless tears, I have struck a successful bargain with my three year old. He is only allowed to wear his Wiggles shirts when he is watching The Wiggles. Brilliant? Not to toot my own horn, but yes. Yes it is. Simple. Effective. Alex is happy. I'm happy. And most importantly - no more tears. Granted, we watch a whole lot more of The Wiggles now, but it's a fair trade if you ask me. *whew* Our Wiggly deal has been locked in until fall. Now I can concentrate on my next big issue...potty training Abby.

Alex and his preferred attire - 24/7 if given the opportunity. And yes. These pictures were taken when the temperature was nearly 92 degrees outside.