Summer is officially here! The days are long. The weather is hot. The ground is firey enough to fry an egg. The sidewalk chalk is everywhere and the popsicles are flowing day and night. As I begin my summer with a toddler and a baby, I was reflecting on some of those blatant signs you know you are trudging through summer with the toddler force.

1. You organize a pool play date, get all packed, lathered with sunscreen, floaties on, and you get to the pool and he asks to leave after 15 minutes and then when you leave he asks to go to the pool again. #thingsthatcauseinsanity

2. Your kid has permanent chocolate ice cream staining on his skin. Or it could be mud…or dog poop…but it’s probably chocolate.

3. You find patches of sidewalk chalk stained on the couch from tiny chalky fingers.

4. Your child has replaced actual fruit in its diet with fruit snacks because they are less challenging to transport in the heat.

5. Sometimes you forego baths or showers with just taking them to the local splash park….#sometimesmeansalmosteveryday

6. You spend more money on swim diapers than actual diapers. Stupid blue velcro diapers….I curse you.

7. You buy stock in Coppertone because you’re single handedly keeping their board of directors on the track for their quarterly bonuses.

8. Your child goes to bed when it is completely bright outside and you hope they never start asking questions about why they sleep when it’s day time #tellthemyouliveinalaska

9. Hallelujah, you can go to the really good school parks during the day now! #theseoneshavegates

10. There is a giant circle of dead grass in the backyard from the plastic pool.