I am very sorry I complained about the weather yesterday, because if I had known how much worse it was going to be today, I don�t think I would have wasted valuable page space. Water aerobics was painful because the pool was bordering on spa temperatures. Even the breeze from the ocean did not help the searing heat at 8 a.m. In the interest of avoiding the great outdoors, we drove into the city and took AJ to the Aquarium where we saw many enormous fish, an eel the size of a small car, and river otters. AJ played in the hands-on fish tank, petting starfish after starfish (�They�re so bumpy!�). Afterwards, we dined sumptuously at our favorite bistro and have now returned to the air-conditioned house, hoping to wait out the sunlight and sleep off the effects of the �chocolate mouse,� as AJ called our dessert.

As I was taking AJ�s shoes off upon our return, I spotted a chameleon perched on the deck railing, so we went out to investigate. He paused to look at us. We crept closer and he cocked his head, revealing is shimmery pale neck. As I sit here typing, a couple of tiny blue-tailed skinks have crept up to the window. The lizards are the only ones who seem to like the heat. Even the generally omnipresent alligators have dug down into the mud for cooler temperatures and only venture out in the evening, where you can trip over one when you least expect it.

I am finding it incredibly difficult to read here. I keep finding views of the water swimming into my line of vision and distracting me. I look up, stare for a while and then find I don�t care for what I�m reading. I�m a bit restless and feeling trapped indoors. I hope the weather breaks soon.

Tomorrow is our last day of relative quiet. My brother and family arrive on Saturday and all hell will break loose. There will, in all likelihood always be someone crying and always someone sleeping (or someone who should be sleeping but isn�t). It should also be a big party and one of the nicest birthday presents I�ve had in some time.

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