Civil Engineering

Honestly, being a mom requires much more skill than I ever imagined. From timing dinner perfectly, to learning the basics of first aid. Being a mom means you can change a major-blow-out poopy diaper with one hand while stirring soup with the other - although I don't really recommend this due to sanitary reasons. Or is that sanity reasons? Who knows.

I have just returned triumphant from an emergency call to fix the Slip-n-Slide. It has sprung a sizable leak near the hose connection. Actually more of a blatant tear. Not to worry. Armed only with a rag, scissors, and a roll of duct tape, I managed to fix the bugger. Well, for a few seconds anyway. That duct tape is amazing stuff, I can see why the men go on about its restorative properties. Honestly, if this stuff had been around during Eiffel's time, his tower might very well be silvery-grey instead of black. Amazing stuff.

Today's adventures reminds me of last year when I fixed the cracked hoses to our swimming pool. S. ran into the house and told me that the pool was leaking. Boy howdy, it was. But not from the sides - rather from the two hoses that circulate the water through the filter. This took some very quick thinking. I'm not sure at how many cubic feet per second swimming pool water exits a cracked hose, but it threatened to ruin our summer fun. You'd think that something that takes darned near all day to fill, wouldn't throw out water quite so fast, so I'm sending out a friendly warning to make sure your hoses are in good shape PRIOR to filling your pool. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, quick thinking. I remembered that C. had purchased some plumber's tape a while back, and I had just seen it in our fix-it bucket the week before. So, I ran and got the bucket, pawed through it, and found the tape. Rush back to the hose, and wrap that stuff around and around and around the hose. And then on to the next one. Worked like a charm. In fact, it worked so well, that I lazily declined to replace the faulty hose the entire summer. I also learned another even more valuable lesson, Never wear jeans to fix the leaky hoses on your pool. Denim, when wet, is not your friend. I was about 50 lbs. heavier than when I ran out of the house even with the copious amounts of perspiration leaving my body. And peeling a pair of snug fitting, wet jeans off your body should qualify a person for at least a silver medal in some Olympic sport.

I'm eagerly awaiting the next time S. tells me that one of her water toys is having technical difficulties. I'm going to see if I can fix it - one handed!