Sunday night is the time for the kids to get their body soaked and their hair washed before school. Other days of the week, it's a quick shower Sunday night is reserved for baths; complete with bubbles and prune-y toes.
This time, our son went first. He doesn't need to linger as long as our daughter. He just isn't allowed to come out of the tub until the grime behind his ears is soft enough to be removed with a gentle washcloth scrub. In the summer time - he still has to understand the ratio between scrubbing and soaking.
When his skin squeaked, it was time to change the water for our young daughter. She needs to not only soak out the grime, her hair required a bit of detangling especially after I let her do her own hair on the weekend. "Rat nest" is her favorite hair style.
Once in a while I'll add a few drops of lavender oil in the bathtub to soothe them. I used it a lot more when they were babies. Don't knock aroma therapy on kids - their olfactory senses are pretty sharp. Bath time with my daughter is pretty nice after we work out the knots in her hair. She likes to get all her hair in the bathtub water to see how it floats in the water like a mermaid.
As we were drawing her bath, we noticed the water wasn't getting warm. I also noticed the same when I was doing the dishes - but thought that the day of laundry and son's bath just emptied the hot water tank. We gave our daughter a pass on the Sunday night bath. At least her hair was brushed out, and a slick pony tail braid would get her through Monday. She also got a good scrub down with a washcloth at the sink. Yes - it was cold; she squealed a little. No harm, no foul.
When Steve took his shower this morning, make no mistake - our water heater was on the fritz. I did a quick sink bath - because I'm allergic to cold showers. (seriously! I've been tested for it)
The dishes sat in the sink after breakfast. All day I was thinking about how I'd work in a shower at my office. But like eating or even going to the bathroom - there are days when I just can't tend to personal needs. It's not like I'm an ER doctor or anything. I just focus so much on what I'm doing, I forget my body needs me to step away from the computer sometimes. I need an intervention.
After work, I had two back to back meetings. I finally got home with the kids. Steve was tinkering with the water heater. He said he found a red button and pushed it. I was ready to grab the photo albums and evacuate the building.
You've all seen it in the comedies - the red button that you're not supposed to push unless you want to self destruct your plane, or cause a nuclear meltdown, or activate the Tardis to send you back to say "hello" to Lady Peinforte (damned Nemesis)
I wasn't expecting much. But I'll be darned if that gosh darn thing didn't re-set the whole system and pump precious hot water back into all of our faucets again.
We don't have to choose between protein and hot water. We don't have to sell Steve's birthday gifts to find a down payment for a new water heater. I can go to work and sit next to people in meetings tomorrow without worry. It's a miracle.
So what's the lesson?
Press the red button.
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#88 of 90in90 for #LUBlogTribe
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