What the Heck? Wednesday: Water Woes

Do you ever turn on your sink and nothing comes out?  When we lived in the U.S. this never happened.  Or it happened so infrequently that it seemed like it never happened.  It happens all the time here.

There are no good reasons for this to keep happening.  It just happens.  Sometimes it is Monday at 4 p.m., sometimes it is Saturday at 10 a.m.

The first year we lived here, the water would go off quite a bit overnight.  We didn’t really know it until I would go to turn on the shower and it would splash me in the face.  When it turns back on, the air in the pipes makes it go a little crazy when you first turn it on.  Nothing like a little cold water in all over your nightgown to wake you up!

We also run our dishwasher at night.  You know what happens when you run the dishwasher and the water goes off?  Plastic melts.  No fun!

You know when you really need a shower, like you just played tennis in the heat and humidity and you come home expecting a nice long shower?  Then you get in and nothing comes out.  Womp, womp, womp!

Recently, the water outages have been sporadic.  Saturday we had friends over for dinner and as we are preparing everything, the water goes out.  6 adults and 6 kids.  We just pulled the jugs of water out and kept on going.  Don’t think anyone really noticed.

Doesn't everyone save their milk jugs and fill them with water?  We keep several gallons under each sink so that when the water goes out {and you’ve already put a pump of soap in your hands}  you can still wash your hands and flush the toilet.

When we first moved here we heard all kinds of theories as to why the water was out.  We heard that all the water comes in on a barge {true} and that sometimes the barge doesn't get here before it runs out.  That could be the case, but then it wouldn’t come back on in a couple of hours.  We also heard that they turned it off at night so that the people who were watering grass wouldn’t waste the water. Hmm, seems like they would get found out pretty quickly.  Then there are the neighborhood conspiracies.  Some people think that it is the homeowners association turning off the water.  I’ve seen the guys who work maintenance around here have to come out late at night.  They looked like they had to {briefly} step away from the Heinekens, so I don’t think they are doing it.

So that means it could only be one thing.  Island Luck.  That’s what I am going to remember whenever I feel bugged by not having water.  It’s Island Luck.  We are lucky enough to live here and there are some prices to be paid for living in paradise.  Water or no water.  If we get desperate, there’s always the ocean!

Frame this moment

I want to frame these pictures in my mind so that I never forget what it is like with these two.

I want to remember how loud they are, how wild they are.  How they can talk about farts, burps and poop all day long and never get tired of it.  I want to remember that Wipeout and America’s Funniest Home Videos have replaced Curious George and The Wiggles.

I want to remember that they still wake up and want a little snuggle, but quickly scamper off in search of mischief.

These are the days….

Flashback Friday

We’re so looking forward to getting back to SC to play with our family and friends!

 

We’re coming!!

Grilling and Chilling

Grilling {or Barbequing as it is known around here} with charcoal in the rain.

An alternative to this picture could be Dads in cargo shorts…or when toys are loved and left.  It was such a fun night!

I think it is fitting that there are no other photos from that night.

Thanks a million Peter and Olivia!

What the Heck Wednesday? Mosquitos

Ok so it goes without saying that living on a tropical island we are guaranteed to have mosquitos.  We are also guaranteed to have them 9 months out of the year..if not year around.

However, with all the rain we have recently had, they are relentless.  As soon as you walk out the door, you are now guaranteed to have a swarm on you in seconds.  Off can not keep up with that.

Yes, I know we have to get rid of any stagnant water, but try telling that to all the land that is still covered in water.  Wetlands here are still under water.  Can’t get rid of the wetlands!  Otherwise we might kill some rare curly tailed lizard that is endangered.

Two summers ago there was an outbreak of Dengue Fever.  Doesn’t that sound like a third world disease?  Oh, yeah, it is!  Then there is West Nile, Malaria and some other nasty sounding mosquito bourn illnesses.

To add insult to injury, they have invaded the house.  Nothing makes me as mad as sitting in my house and getting mosquito bites.  Especially since getting outside is basically equivalent to donating blood without the “doing good” part, right now.

You know what’s not right?  Getting bit by a mosquito in your house!  That is just basically uncivil.

  They seem to be hitchhiking inside on us when we come in. You would think that the hundreds of lizards we have in these parts would do their duty and eat all these mosquitos up.  They could have a full belly.

I guess they are used to being lean and hungry because they are not helping!

So here is my question.  Do you think that $400 for a mosquito trap thingy would be indulgent?  I could buy a lot of lizards for that amount of money.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Seriously it has been raining forever.  The sun came out for a bit yesterday.  I headed to the beach for some Vitamin D therapy.

Here are some photos to show you what it has been like over here.

We got way more than 5 inches.  I think our May total was around 23 inches.  That is at the airport.  Other places got way more.

The May average is about 4 inches.

Airport runway.  Just a little pond.

This car went through this puddle ahead of he.  It had a sticker that said, “Just trust God”  So I watched them carefully as they maneuvered through it.  Then I went.

God is good!

Our neighborhood got a new infinity pool!

You know what all the moms did when it stopped raining?  Let the kids out.

Judging by the looks of it, we should have given them a round of antibiotics first!

Oh, did I tell you that they were out of school for 2 days?  Yep.  For rain.

Now the rain has stopped the huge puddles lakes have mostly subsided and we are expecting another storm coming in this afternoon.

Worse then the rain is the mosquitos.  As soon as you open the door, they pounce.  Awful.  They are little too, so I know they have just hatched.  Young and hungry!

I am supposed to be looking for a electronic mosquito trap thingy, but instead I am blogging about it.  My goodness I am a productive one!

Re-Post: Worst-end-of-school-year-mom-ever!

So Jen Hatmaker summed up my feelings perfectly. 

I have not quite reached the same level of desperation that she has, but hey, I only have 2 children and they are in Pre-K and 1st grades. 

Remember this?

Who am I kidding?  I have to leave room at the bottom for future years.

Jackson’s teacher just asked me if we had any of the chapter books they read since the school’s books have to be turned in next week.

You mean you want me to provide reading material for my child?  For homework that I never wanted him to do in the first place.  Umm ok.  Sure, I’m on that!

I gave her the answer she wanted.  “Yes, we have them.”

My friends and I have had these conversations going on since Spring Break. 

“Are you going to the park after______?”  {fill in the blank, soccer, swimming, tennis lesson}

“Yes, but I guess we should go do homework first….”

“Yep, us too.  My guy has a project on Zambia due tomorrow and he has to bring in a native dish and dress in native dress.”

“Yep, me too, my guy has a living history project due, he’s Thomas Jefferson or is it Thomas Edison?”

“Cool, so I’ll see you at the park in a little bit.

“Sounds good.”

Because let’s be honest, it is shame that is keeping us going at this point.  We don’t want to be that one mom who forgets to get the gift card for Teacher Appreciation week.  {You know what is better than a gift card?  CASH!}  Or the only mom who forgets to get cookies for the soccer party.  But if one other mom forgets, it’s all good!

Solidarity at it’s finest.  As Jen says, “Next year’s teachers will get a fresher version of us in August, and they won’t even know the levels of suckage we will succumb to by May.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself!

Except we go to school through June 25.  There oughtta be a law!