It gets really hot here.  Europe isn’t big on air conditioning, and we live in an attic apartment, so we collect all the heat from the apartments (and 2 restaurants — I don’t think that helps any) that are below us.  We have these great windows, nearly as tall as me, that we can’t open most of the time because they’re huge, they have nice, wide, climbable ledges, and they are each located directly above nice, climbable radiators.  As I routinely turn around and find Liam standing on the dining room table or Benjamin sitting on the back of the couch, I just can’t risk leaving the windows open when the kids are home (which is all the time).

So, it gets hot.  Yesterday it was 97 degrees outside, and the same in my house.  The hardest thing isn’t the heat during the day, though, it’s not getting to cool off at night.  When the low temperature doesn’t go below 85 for DAYS in a row, it really gets to me.  I never get a break from it.  Shops and restaurants (mostly) aren’t air conditioned.  Some of the trains are, but some aren’t.  Taking a shower is fantastic, but then as soon as I get out, I feel all gross and sticky again.  I’m not a fan of the heat under any circumstances, and I would say this is one of the hardest things about adjusting to living in Europe.

We do have a single-room air conditioning unit which is mildly effective.  It can generally keep the temperature at about 80, which I would have considered oppressive before moving here, but compared to 97, it’s actually pretty nice.  We set it up in the living room, thinking that it would be more important to lower the 97 degree temperatures during the day than it would be to lower the nighttime temperatures from 85 to 80.  Besides, we have 3 bedrooms, and one air conditioner, so at least during the day, we can all benefit from it.

Today, though, we’re going on our 10th day or so of these kind of temperatures, and I can’t take it anymore.  We’re moving in to the living room.  Actually, I started sleeping in the living room a few nights ago, to get out of the heat, but tonight, I decided I’d just go ahead and bring the whole family with me.  I’d let Benjamin sleep in his tent (it’s an adventure!) and have Liam sleep on the futon with me.  There isn’t really room on the futon for me and Liam and Dan, but we have a second couch, and Dan will sleep there.  And, of course, we won’t make Bailey sleep in his crate — he can join us in the living room, too  Perfect!

Except . . .the boys WANT to sleep in their rooms.  Their hot rooms, with windows that can only be cracked, with nothing but a single oscillating fan to cool them off.  They both had the option of sleeping in here, where I’m sitting and typing and enjoying the cool air, and instead, they’re sweating in their beds.

I kind of feel bad, but I guess they really like their rooms.  Or maybe the heat doesn’t bother them as much as it does me.

Never mind.  I just heard Benjamin crying and went in to find him drenched with sweat.  He’s curled up in his tent now.  I suspect little brother Liam won’t be far behind.