ALERT! ALERT! It's no big deal.

I'm trying to get the kids ready to leave the house. You'd think it was Sunday with all the problems we're having.

Anyone know where Joseph's sandals are?

I sat down to feed Sarah real quick and Daniel starts shouting, "It's flooding!!" My first thought is the canal's flooding. Of course, he doesn't offer the info. I have to ask. Nope. Not the canal - the toilet. He comes all the way down the hall to sound the alarm. I tell him to get back in there and start plunging. "But it's flooding!" Yes, and that is why this is a GREAT time to be plunging! Get in there and start plunging.

Then I don't hear anything more.

He comes out from the bathroom and walks into the kitchen. I see the back hems of his pants are wet. Is there water on the floor by the toilet? "Yes." Then get back in there and clean it up!

Wait a minute, Mom. He needs a drink of water. WHAT? You're taking a break to have some refreshment? Did all that water make you thirsty? Are you really thinking there's nothing more for you to do?

When I get in there to check on the clean up progress, I see A LOT of water. He's tracked it from the toilet to the bathroom door...at least 12 feet...across carpet. (WHY in the name of sanitary conditions do people carpet the family bathroom?) And he's now soaking up water with hand towels. When he gets out of the shower, he's 90% drier than the floor is right now and he uses over-sized bath towels for those moments! It's like lighting a single match to roast your hotdog.

I stepped in and demanded bigger towels (which became immediately soaked) until we were nearly out of anything dry. Then I noticed that the little hand towel on the wall was a bit damp. "Did you stop to wash your hands while there was water on the floor?" Silence.

Seriously. Didn't he...? Seriously. *sigh*

Not the best instructions

We've been living in our house a year and 6 days now. When we had the inspection done, Chad discussed the well and all its parts with the inspector. You see, we've never had a well or dealt with pumps and pressure tanks. There is also a filter.

Chad asked the guy when we should change the filter. The inspector said that we'd know when it was time to change it because the water pressure would go down. That is a very BAD answer! We never really noticed the water pressure diminish. Maybe we just don't have good water pressure? Maybe the filter had already reached that point?

Last week we decided that the filter MUST need to be changed by now! So Chad looked up the filter online and found that it should be changed every 3 months! Well, we ordered new filters and they came today. We headed downstairs for a hands-on lesson on changing the filter. We discovered an orange filter...rust is a better color to call it since that is what it was. We have been drinking this water, giving it to our kids and offering it to our guests? GROSS! We did have the water tested initially and all was well. I haven't noticed any change to the taste. I actually like the taste of the water...I'm kind of a water snob.

Here is a comparison shot of the filters...new, still in package and old, obviously not doing much filtering anymore. Knowing a little of the homeowner before us (a single woman), that filter had not been changed for a long time.


Incidentally, we didn't notice the water pressure get any better once the new filter was put in. Maybe that's something that builds up again after you get the water flowing. I'm waiting to see if the water tastes any better now. I'm sure glad we just filled up 3 55-gallon drums of water barrels last month. It's nice to know there is some quality water in there!

Actually, I just had the thought that we are VERY blessed to have even drinkable water and so much of it. I know there are millions of others who are not so fortunate.

On a different note...Rebekah still has issues with flushing the toilet. She'll only flush it herself if someone is watching her. Apparently, that makes her feel safer. I'm grateful that Leah and Daniel have been so willing to help out with this. It's an annoying little quirk that I hope she'll outgrow soon.