Summer - My Least Favorite Season

A few weeks ago, my wife posted this status on her facebook: "HOW is it 11:00 already? I love it when it stays light longer, but the only downside is that I have no internal clock about what time it really is."

So, I responded to her: "That's why winter is better. You look outside and it's pitch black, and then you look at the clock, and you're like, 'Oh, it's only 5:05.' See! Winter is awesome."

Winter. Awesome.

Then, that got me thinking... I should do a blog post on the reasons I don't like summer. 

So here are the main reasons why summer is my least favorite season:

Heat - It's hot in the summer (yes, I know this is unbelievable to many of you). And that wouldn't be too bad if we had central AC, but we don't. And, really, when it's super-hot outside, do you really want to go on a hike or do something that's just going to make you dehydrate? You can always put on more clothes if you are cold, but there's a limit to how many clothes you can take off.

Sunburn - And, if you or your kids want to wear the minimal clothing (like a bathing suit), that means that you are forever slathering sunscreen on everyone to make sure they don't get sunburn. Sunscreen slathering for four girls takes forever. It makes me think that next summer we need to invest in those swimming outfits that look like shorts and a t-shirt for them. 

Or you can just put them in a onesie, like this kid.

Bugs - Some of the bugs that rear their ugly heads during the summer look like they are truly from the pit of hell. Mosquito bites, spider bites, ant bites, bee stings, wasp stings, hornet stings... you don't ever have to worry about these things in any other season to the degree you have to in the summer.

Mowing - Speaking of bugs, ticks are my arch enemy lately, and what that means is that in the summer, I have to mow all the time to keep the grass short to prevent them from infiltrating our yard, latching onto my children and infecting us with their possible lyme-disease-causing bacteria.

Allergies - Mowing leads me to this topic... I tend to have my worst allergy attacks in the summer. I guess it's the perpetual supply of pollen on hand from all the growing things around me. Growing things are good, yes, but it's such a day-ruiner when you wake up to a sneezing fit and your nose is running like crazy and your head feels like a water balloon filled up and ready to pop.

Yes, like this.

But. Lest you think that I am a complete grouch about summer, here are some things that I like about it:

1. My wife was born in the summer - I'm glad she was born!

2. I got married in the summer - I'm glad I got married!

3. Schools out in the summer - I'm glad that I don't have to teach for a couple of months!

4. You can go to a water park in the summer - Water parks are fun!

5. Things grow in the summer - I like fresh vegetables and fruit!

6. Ice Cream stands are open in the summer! (I know in the south they are open year-round, but here in the north, not usually.)

So, there's my opinion on the summer months. Thankfully, it is not always sweltering in the summer where I live, but then again, if it were, I'd probably have air conditioning so it wouldn't be so bad.