Let me begin by saying that I am a fairly self sufficient woman. Most minor home repairs, computer technicalities, or appliance mishaps are events I can handle on a regular basis. So when the hot tub repairman was booked out three weeks to a month I thought I might be able to address the issue myself.  Fortunately the repair manual was online and I was able to locate the FLC error code being associated with a pressure switch failure. Of course none of the local spa stores carried the part. The guy on the YouTube video made the replacement of it look simple so I ordered the universal switch online and it arrived promptly in two days. Taking off the service panel I located the water heater and then the faulty pressure switch that was screwed into it's top. I knew to turn off both pressure valves to stop any excessive flow of water before I started unscrewing the old switch. Water slowly dripped as I turned it ever so gently, trying to let the pressurized water release. I obviously gave the second turn too much gusto because the whole switch just popped right off. Instantaneously a magnificent geyser of water erupted all over the circuit board... not good. I did know enough about how water and electronics should NOT mix to put put my finger over the hole to slow down whatever permanent damage I was causing. Looking at the size of the heater, which was no larger than one liter, I estimated all the water should be released in a few minutes. There I stood, in the muck underneath the sticky hot tub deck maneuvering my finger every few seconds so the squirt of water was aimed at me instead of at the electronics. Minutes passed and the pressure was not slowing so I thought I'd just try to screw in the new switch. After several unsuccessful attempts, water was spewing into the circuit as I cussed, my frustrated voice echoing into the peaceful wilderness just as our guests arrived. Natalie and her boyfriend Jeff, who happens to be an electrical engineer, walked down the steps bringing gifts of frozen watermelon margaritas. Keeping my left finger over the darn overflowing hole I gladly accepted some liquid relief and asked Jeff if he could take a look at what was going on. As I licked the frozen goodness off my upper lip he said, "You can't get this new one screwed in because the threads of the old switch broke off in the hole." Instant relief flooded me knowing it wasn't only my lack of skill. "How can that come out?" "Well you're going to need to go to the Home Depot and get a broken nipple extractor..." I nearly peed myself I laughed so hard. Isn't that just what every woman needs? A broken nipple extractor? It was the perfect phrase to break my terrible mood. Thank you, Jeff. So off I'm heading to the Home Depot where every other female employee is somewhat similar to me. I will then proceed to ask them if they can help me locate a broken nipple extractor. To be continued...

I don't know if it was the full summer of sun scorching or the fact our internal clockwork is messed up because school starts twenty minutes later this year, but even after four weeks in session the Zajac family can't seem to get into the proper flow of fall. Yesterday morning I was thrilled as I peeked around the corner and saw Senia Mae completely dressed and fixing her hair thirty minutes before we had to leave. Thinking that all technical difficulties had been avoided, I took the rare occasion to focus merely on getting myself ready for work. Big Mistake. After finishing my hair and makeup, packing up her lunch, and filling my Yeti to the rim with piping hot coffee, I headed around the corner towards Senia Mae's room. "Senia Mae, it's 7:45... time to leave for school," I called out happily. "Just a minute," I heard in a muffled voice. "Where are you?" I asked. "In the bathroom." "Well honey it's time to go," I added as I turned the knob on the bathroom door only to find my daughter sitting completely naked on the toilet, shorts, shirt, shoes and socks scattered across the aqua colored tile. Trying not to let her see my sudden flare of anger as I realized that ONCE AGAIN she wasn't ready, I faked my empathetic voice. "What's going on? Are you alright?" "Yeah, I just had to go the bathroom," she said. "So you're not sick?" "Nope," she said. My immediate thought was why she hadn't gone to the bathroom twenty minutes earlier when I heard her singing and playing with her new LOL doll. "Senia Mae," I said trying to calm the irritation in my voice, "You were all ready for school thirty minutes ago. If you had to suddenly go to the bathroom, why is it that you came in fully dressed and now you are completely naked?" "Mama," she said, looking so hurt that I didn't just automatically know the answer, "I had to go POOP!" Some people have the ability to remain clothed AND have a bowel movement, I whispered to myself as I shut the door in defeat. Apparently that is not the case with us. So instead of a stress free morning we ended up speeding to school, screeching into the parking lot, and landing right in front of the double doors at 8:10... just as the bell rang. Maybe we'll have better luck next week!

Senia Mae has begun her home directorial debut, mimicking the rehearsals of her preschool's Christmas nativity re-enactment. Even though the real performance isn't until Wednesday, everyone who visits our house has gotten a humorous dose of what is to come. In today's living room rendition, it was decided by the director that I was to play Mary and Momma Kim was going to be Joseph. Savannah was playing the parts of all three wise men, Darrell became the twinkling star, and Katie was chosen for the angel. "Why do I have to be Joseph?" Momma Kim asked Senia Mae. "I want to be a girl." The stern director looked at Momma Kim, pointed her index finger and made only a sound, "Eh," indicating she wanted silence. " If Darrell's here and he's the only boy why can't he play Joseph?" I asked next. "Eh," she said firmly. "You are Mary and Momma Kim is Joseph. Now everybody take your positions."

This is a scene from my living room, naked Barbies, bodies as well as clothing askew, looking as if they had a exceptionally good time last night. My four year old asks me, "Well, Mama, do you know HOW to play Barbies?" "What about little dolls? Do you know how to play little dolls?" "Of course I know how to play Barbies!" I said. "This 1975 Dreamhouse with the awesome yellow elevator used to be mine when I was a little girl!" I squatted down and found a dazzling blue dress to shove Cinderella's skinny thigh down into. "Here, Mama," Senia Mae says as she hands me this tiny beige part.

We climbed a parental mountaintop the other day...having a successful overnight stay at Aunt Miss's house. There had been one previous attempt that ended up unsuccessful with a panic filled call at ten forty-five p.m. It started with whimpering, then "Where's Mommy?", then a couple of soothing attempts, and then finally the call. But this time...right through the night..what a big girl she is. So much so that she totally blew me off when I went to pick her up the next day at lunch; sunglasses on, rolling luggage packed, she looked as if she were headed to LAX for her first shopping spree on Melrose. I left there depressed, thinking how quickly my little girl was growing up and how she didn't need me anymore. Fortunately the next night all became well again. Senia Mae and I were tossing the ball around together after I got home from work, chumming up before she goes to bed and I felt that warmness that fills my heart when we have those special moments. A few minutes later she comes into our bedroom with an armful of stuffed animals (the whole slew of bedtime buddies required for a full night's sleep) and her nighttime sip-pie cup. I knew what this routine was but wanted to ask anyway. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Bringing my animals in so we can all go to bed.", she said matter of factly, as if I should already know. "Well there's not enough room in here for me, you, all of your animals, and mommy Kim. The bed is just not big enough for all of us." I said my words thinking that my rationale would coerce her back into her own room for the night. No. "That's o.k, Mama. Mommy Kim can just sleep on the couch!" I nearly died with laughter and suddenly all was right with the world again.