Pedialyte, Egg Drop Soup and Appliance Repairs

Thursday was shopping day. We started out like we do twice every month. I was half way through my first grocery store when my husband called with bad news. He had a stomach virus and was headed home from work. I offered to come drive him home, but he said he would try to make it. So, I added Immodium and Pedialyte (or a homemade version) to the grocery list. We finished our shopping and headed home for phase two: putting away the groceries from 3 different stores. Poor Mr. Jones was in rough shape. I did my best to keep the kids quiet and to get  things organized. We had a mere 1½ hours before we had to be on the soccer field for a week night game. That sounds like more time than it is. It takes a lot of food to feed a family of 6! 

Anyway, we made it to the game and didn't even get rained out, much to our surprise. We drove though rain on the way! We came home and had a quick sandwich for dinner, getting the kids to bed by 9pm.
I nursed Mr. Jones through the night, encouraging him to hydrate and checking for fever. Around 4:30am I felt the first wave of nausea. Oh no! This can't be happening. I can't be sick while he's sick. What about the kids?!
I took some anti-nausea medicine, drank some homemade pedialyte and nibbled on saltines. By 8:30 the next morning, my whole body was achy and I felt completely awful. I made breakfast for the kids, turned on a movie and crawled into bed. I set an alarm so I could get up and make lunch. Mr. Jones seemed to be past the nausea but was still achy, so we took turns checking on the kids but we were on survival mode. My mother, an angel of mercy, came to get the kids when she got off work. Mr. Jones and I were in bed by 8 that night, although I tossed and turned. It was impossible to get comfortable.
Thankfully, we both woke up better. I am still a bit queasy, but the aching seems to have subsided and Mr. Jones felt good enough to investigate a problem I've been having with our washing machine. It was not draining every cycle. I made my favorite comfort food, vegetable egg drop soup, while he drained it manually, put it back together and ran it again. Again, it beeped and flagged an error code. This time I took it apart, drained it and still found nothing. I got a flashlight and looked again, hoping to see anything that could be causing the grief. I stuck my finger into the drainage hose (by the way, EWE!) and felt something. Yes! Maybe this would be the key to our drainage issues. I couldn't quite get a grip on it so I gave Mr. Jones a try. When he pulled it out, I recognized it immediately.

The offender.

I explained, "That's a missile!"

He laughed and asked how I knew that the 2 inch red/coated in black sludge little problem was a missile. I explained, in my matter-of-fact mother-of-boys tone, that it was one of the missiles from Declyn's Ironman toy. I eagerly restarted the washing machine and guess what? It works!
So, if all we accomplish this weekend was getting over a tummy bug and fixing the washing machine, I'm counting it as a win.

Just Call Me Mrs. Fixit!

My washing machine filled up and then stopped working today. So I had a theory that it might be the lid switch. I messed with it enough to figure out that it was. Then I thought, I've got a load of laundry in water waiting to wash. I don't have time for parts and repair technicians, etc. I pulled the model and series numbers off of the washer, googled the brand and problem and found this very helpful video. All I needed was the instructions on getting into the washer so I could see with what I was dealing. When I realized that the trigger mechanism that engages the lid switch had broken off, I pondered the necessity of this switch. Then I did the only obvious next thing... I called my Dad. I told him I was thinking of bypassing the lid switch and needed to know if this was safe. He told me how to do it and, some wire strippers, electrical tape and a nut/cap later, voila! Problem solved.

Now, if you are thinking that I have had experience with anything like this before, you would be wrong. What I have is a desire not to pay a handy man or save a honey-do list for my husband, if at all possible. Was this a little scary? Yes. However, I decided the the risk of royally screwing up did not outweigh the reward for fixing it myself and the brag rights. I must also mention that I prayed before and during this little project. The point is, there is no reason not to at least try. I look at it not as being too independent or a feminatzi, but remembering the pioneer women who helped build our country. They had husbands who may be gone for months at a time, harvesting or building or moving livestock. They couldn't let the daily household routine stop just because something didn't work. They had to roll up their long, homemade sleeves and figure it out. Next time you get the chance, before you call in someone to do it for you, look it over and think about how you might handle yourself. You go girls!