I always thought this house was full of too much gas

I'm not running now because I'm waiting for a return phone call about our continuing water problem. I will bet anything that I will not get it. I did not run on Monday because I was waiting for the Culligan man to come. He was supposed to come between 1-3. He pulled in the driveway at 2:55. Awesome.

Even more awesome is the craptastic result of his visit. But, let me go back to the beginning.
Our water sucks. There's sulfur and clay in it. We've always had a Culligan filter system. Chlorine takes out the sulfur and F86 takes out the clay. We've always had some kind of problem--too much sulfur, too much chlorine. There's never been a nice balance. Back in 2008 (thanks archives!) we had to have ALL of our pipes replaced because the chlorine was eating through them. Vader talked to Culligan and asked if there was another system we could use because of that and they said Nope. So we spent $6000 to replace all of pipes with Pex instead of Copper.

Guess what? The chlorine was never supposed to be in the water. But, once again, I'm ahead of myself.

So, a couple of weeks ago I did a bunch of laundry, as usual, and the water smelled like rotten eggs by the end of the day. Vader checked and something was wrong with the pumps. Culligan came, did a tune up and got things working. He randomly mentioned that we should think about getting the chlorine filter replaced because it's only supposed to last 5 years. We've been here almost 10. Vader asked how we would know if it needed to be replaced. The guy said we'd smell chlorine or sulfur. Hello? We said we always smell  chlorine or sulfur. It's never odorless, it's always one or the other. He said the chlorine filter has TWO functions--to take out the sulfur and to take out the chlorine. Could someone have told us that when we said chlorine was eating through our pipes? Think they could have said THEN, oh, there shouldn't be chlorine in your pipes at all.

Argh.

So then we have some other Culligan guy come out to replace the filter. He says there's something wrong with the "box" on top with all the controls and there's no sense replacing that because now we're getting into the $700 range to fix an old system. We should just get a new filter. And by the way, we should have a filter to to take out the F86 that's taking out the clay. So yeah, our water should not have sulfur, clay, chlorine or F86 in it. And it does. So now we're looking at replacing two filters and the price tag is getting in the thousands. Right before he leaves (after doing nothing) he tells me we also have methane in our water. Methane gas. He lit a match over the water and it went PFFOOOM instead of doing nothing.

Yeah.

We met with the Culligan salesman last night. To get the two new filters we need and the aerator to get rid of the methane gas will cost us nearly $8000. Yes, $8000.

I'm thinking of putting a sign out front saying "Free meth" but I'm not sure it'll work...

What the hell?

I know there's been a relative lack of updation here... I haven't really been in the mood. And I have to fight for the computer all the time. And I don't want to bore people with pregnant talk. Once again I wish vox had custom friends lists like LJ.

We went to a parent night for kindergarten students last week. I was happy to see more than just the one recognizable preschool parent face. There are a couple of kids from preschool going there, one of which is a very nice boy, in addition to our neighbor. SkyWalker is excited about seeing them. I really hope he gets a class with a friendly familiar face. There are 4 classes and only 19-20 kids in each which is exactly how many kids are in his preschool class. The school was just updated so there are smart boards in the classrooms. It all looked pretty cool. I think SkyWalker will be fine. It might take some time, but since it's all day, every day, he should hopefully get used to it quicker than everything else!

Speaking of which, a year ago I had just started my mom's group, and SkyWalker was as shy as could be. Hiding in the bathroom, not talking to ANYONE anywhere we went. He has come so far and it's just so remarkable. Today we had a playdate with one of his preschool friends--the first friend he made--and there was no hesitation, no shyness, no warming up. He immediately started playing like a goofball. It was so so nice to see. This was our first playdate too. It makes me feel so much better... and that I've been doing the right thing.

Next week I'm leaving both Jedi with a lifesaver so I can do the icky glucose test. I've told SkyWalker that he and his sister are going to have a playdate and that Mommy will have to go to the doctor. And while he wants to go to the doctor with me, he also wants to go to Cameron's house right now. The other day he told me that Cameron was his cousin. 

The Princess is continuing to improve. It will be 4 weeks since her surgery this Monday. She was a crazy girl today running and jumping and I didn't have the heart to try to stop her. Her steri strips are off and it looks like there's a stitch coming through. I really REALLY hope it just dissolves on its own without us having to take her to get it yanked out. That will suck. It does not seem to bother her at all. Her incision is probably the same size as it was last time but it looks much smaller since her belly is much bigger. I've been putting vitamin E on it and hopefully it won't be noticeable the older she gets. Her last one was almost invisible.

I'm planning on starting her in gymnastics in the fall. Some of you might remember SkyWalker's brief (one time) dalliance with gymnastics, I think his sister will do better. For one thing, she is a climber and a jumper, and she's been going to meetups and indoor gyms for a while now. And I'm trying to get her best little buddies to join too. So I think we'll last more than one class this time. We'll definitely be needing the distraction... we're both quite attached to SkyWalker. She walks around the house calling his name and looking for him and saying "Doin?" when she wants to know what's he's doing at any given moment. It's pretty cute. She'll have the baby to keep her occuppied, but the baby can't jump. Or put her shoes on for her. Or give her a bowl of goldfish when Mommy's not looking.

Isaac's leg seems to be healing. I don't know what our game plan is. We've been confining him to the leash for months now. It's getting harder and harder. But Vader doesn't want to take him back to the vet and have them say he needs surgery so close to June. I don't know what we're going to do.

Unrelated to anything, we've been having water problems. I know we always have water problems, but this time it's the temperature. Our water has always been really hot. Since having babies we've turned the hot water heater down... and down... and down. It is now a notch about the off position. Guess what my water temp is at the tap? 160 degrees. I've been researching a lot online and whenever there's a problem it's always with water that's NOT hot, not too hot. We have an oil-fired hot water heater and a new one would be $2000-2600. I finally called my oil company to see if they could recommend someone who would service it or just tell us what we need to do and it turns out that they'll look at it. (The company it came from apparently doesn't service them anymore). AND when I explained the problem to the guy he said we would only need a new one if it was leaking and that it sounds like the "thermostat" (not the technical term) is just busted. It might cost us a few hundred to have someone come out and look at it and fix it but that's better than 2 grand. And I have a wicked huge credit from the budget plan payments I made when the price of oil was wicked high. I wonder how much oil we've wasted heating this damn water. It is now up to Vader to call and set up a time. I think I will have to remind him every day. As he said yesterday he is dillatory (?) and I am proactive. The word he used meant the opposite of pro-active, someone who just delays things, but he's trying to expand his vocabulary.

Speaking of which, when I was changing the Princess's poopy diaper today (aside--I have a friend who ALWAYS says "messy diaper". Each time she says it I think of what she must think of me and my poopy talk. I've been trying to clean it up and not let the poop fly so much, but it's hard.), SkyWalker was assisting and when he saw the diaper he said "What the hell?". It was not an unusual poop, so I really don't know what his problem was.Anyway, I'm pretty sure he did not get that expression from ME, because if he had he would have said "What the hell dude?". So I'll be blaming that one on his father.

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Yawn

There is no one in the children's room. Not one single person, since I am now in the office. It is snowing and freezing rain and people are not leaving their houses. The director was here and is driving home and will call us to tell us how the roads are and whether we should close early. Since it is now 7:46 I'm not sure what "early" means. We close at 9. We can't close at 8. So what? 8:30? Half an hour? If that.

The pipes have been replaced. The plumber(s) are almost done--they just have the laundry room to connect and then that's it. Well, except for the huge holes in my walls and ceiling. We took pictures. I'll have to post them later.

The Princess will be 9 months old on Friday. She is standing up holding on to the ottoman and trying to take little baby steps. FSM help me.

Back to the silence of the children's room. Which is actually kind of lovely. ;-)

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Beginnings

I did not get up at 6. But I did get up at 6:35 yesterday and was able to pump and have a cup of tea. And today I got up at 6:30 and was able to pump, have tea and cheerios AND brush my teeth and get my contacts in. I did hear SkyWalker up but he didn't bother me.

He has spent the last 2 days sending the poop back. Usually when he doesn't feel like pooping we just get him to pee and then he inevitably poops. This time was different. He was really holding it in. I can only guess that it was his response to all the stress and tension and I did mention on Sunday that FIL was sick and that's why he couldn't go over there. He was in agony until he finally couldn't hold it anymore. I had to physically restrain him on the potty, he screamed and cried and it just came out. And then he pooped again in his underwear but I didn't care about that! He told me he was sending the poop back--he said that around Christmas time but it was relatively easy to get him to just pee and then he pooped. This was HORRIBLE. I hope that it's over now.

We've been having family reading time after nap (I got a nice long nap out of both of them yesterday!). SkyWalker looks at books and sometimes reads to the Princess. The Princess looks at her baby faces books and eats them. I read my own book and then we all read a book together.

During the nice long nap yesterday I did not do dishes. I did do a little laundry--but only moving from the washing machine to the dryer. I made a few CDs I had to make, and read. And it was lovely. Already I just feel a little lighter. Which is good because this has been the week from hell.

We got our estimate back for the pipes--$6k. We had another plumber out today and should hear from him soon. I keep saying that having to fix each leak will run us $500 here and there so we might as well just shell it all out at once, but man that is a lot of money. But not a lot of monkey like I just typed.

I did not eat much of a dinner and now my head is starting to hurt.

SkyWalker was so backed up with his poop that he couldn't even move to be bad in the car today. We went to the post office and Target and a book store and I hoped he would walk around and get the poop out, but he just stayed in the stroller. And this is the worst--he immediately got in his carseat without screwing around. So you know what I did?  Three times, THREE TIMES, I just got in the car and put the key in and he said "Mommy! You need to belt me!". I just didn't think. I'm so used to having to battle to get him in the seat... luckily he is such a good responsible boy that he knew he needed to be belted in and told me so. I don't think I would have really driven away, but man. Eeps.

If anyone has recommendations for dishwashers--let me know. We're going this weekend to look. If we want to use the coupon Sears gave us for not being able to fix it, we need to use it by next week.

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Shit on a shingle

I have no idea what that means. It's something Vader used to say all the time so naturally I picked it up and say it more than he does now. I know what it means--something that's particularly sucky--but I don't know where it comes from.

Anyway. Our 4 year old dishwasher has a hole in the tub. Burned right through. Vader asked if it was the chlorine we have to use to  get rid of the sulfur and the service man didn't think so. He thought perhaps that it was from the hot water because it is right where the hot water comes in. But aren't dishwashers supposed to be you know, used with hot water?? We have both spent the day on the phone with various people trying to see if we can get a replacement because that is just ridiculous. Bottom line is that because it's 4 years old and we don't have an extended warranty, they don't give a shit. So we'll be needing to buy a new one soon. REALLY soon. And we'll need to buy a stainless steel tub. Which will increase the price a couple of hundred. Joy. Oh yeah, and the cost for replacing the fill pipe on our oil tank a couple of weeks ago? Over $600. AND we haven't had our plumbing done yet--a bigger company is coming to do an estimate tomorrow at some time. I don't know what time because they never called today. I'm sure it will be in the thousands.

There's so much more going on that goes even beyond the suckalicious but I am too tired and lacking in energy to even begin. 

And now, because he's being a pain in my ass, here is SkyWalker's very first blog:

DOG

CAT

FART

FIRE

DOG

DOG

NANA

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Pause

Ever wish you had a pause button for life? I swear this week has gone by in a matter of seconds.

The Princess had her surgery on Monday. She did very well. It was a bit more complicated than originally thought--apparently the bad ureter was going into the urethra and not the bladder at all. So instead of re-routing the bad one onto the good one, they took both (since they were very closely attached to each other as well) and moved them both into a more appropriate spot on the bladder. The bad ureter was kinked a lot and this was the best way to fix it. There's a 95% chance that this will fix everything and she won't have problems in the future.

When we first saw her after the surgery she was so puffy from the fluids in the IV that I almost didn't recognize her. It was hard seeing her like that and I couldn't pick her up right away. Luckily she was very calm and actually trying to smile. The nurse handed her to me and I was able to nurse her immediately, unlike SkyWalker who was too weak to nurse. That was good. And she lost the puffiness pretty quickly. She was up ALL night long and when she wasn't nursing, her little roommate was crying (with no Mommy to console him). Or the nurses were in and out giving meds. I did not sleep and am still trying to catch up. She's been up every night this week. We started her on cereal yesterday and I hope to be back on routine starting Monday. Having my mom here this week was a huge help and yet one more reminder of how far away I am.

The news on the FIL is not so good... a cat scan showed a mass (carcinoma) on his spine so now he has to have radiation for 10 weeks and then follow up with more chemo. MIL mentioned that they are working on "just eliminating his pain" right now. Which doesn't sound very promising to me... but nothing is ever said directly.

One of our pipes has yet another leak and it looks like we will have to have major work done one way or another. Good times.

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