Sprinkler Wars

So, recently Ben and I decided to "freshen up" our poor yard. Before we moved in a year ago, the lawn was not watered for 6 weeks. Needless to say, a huge part of the back lawn was DOA (dead on arrival). We just mowed around it and did our best to water what was left for the rest of the summer.
This year, we decided to do the impossible, and plant grass in Colorado Springs. Seeing that there is sand mixed in with the soil, grass and every other living thing, struggle here. We lost all of our plants the week we moved in. Seriously!
Last weekend, we raked, fertilized, mowed, moved rocks, filled in holes from the dog, and seeded the places where there should be grass. It was no small project. I was SORE SORE SORE, but in a way, it was really fun. I was so relieved at the end of the day to turn on the sprinkler system, and let modern water technology take over from there.


(I am not in any of the above pictures, but I assure you, I was working in the yard that day. I just always take the pictures, so I am not in them.)

WELL...first off, the timer went off at 10:00pm, right on schedule, but no water. WHAT!!! So, we called our neighbor for help. He and Ben did some turning here and some cranking there and said the system was good to go. That was until two nice geysers blasted straight up into the sky. Two broken sprinkler heads...rock on!
So, it was off to Walmart for a hose and a sprinkler to water the lawn, until the sprinklers could be replaced.

After two days of moving the dang sprinkler around the yard and dragging the hose all over, I took it upon myself to fix the broken sprinkler heads.
And thus the real saga begins.
Day 1: The Digging
So, in order to get the dang sprinkler heads out, you have to dig around them and unscrew them. Sounds simple...no. I was digging with a shovel that was way to big, the kids were running in the road, and the dog was all over the place. Not to mention the tree roots that were wound all over the sprinkler. I ended up digging with a spoon and a knife...not kidding. With the help of the friendly neighbor..again...we finally got the sprinkler head off.

You have to leave the hole that the sprinkler was in nice and clear, so you can find it when you replace the sprinkler. So, I left it nice and neat, and headed to home depot. (covered in dirt, frustrated and not wanting to take the kids to that store with me) I chased both kids up down and around the entire store while looking for a sprinkler that matched the one in my hand. Honestly, how many types of sprinkles can there really be. After going to Home Depot, my guess is somewhere around 100. Finally, after loosing Sam twice and catching Mary with some sharp objects, I found the blasted sprinkler head, bought two of them and some mentos and headed home.

Once home, to my horror, the hole had caved in and my nice little opening was nowhere to be found. Out came the spoon, the knife, the dog, the kids and the chaos. I spent the next hour digging with a spoon and clearing the hole. I was ticked. Out came the friendly neighbor, and we were finally able to get the sprinkler in. On to the next one.
I was smart with the second one and only took out the broken part of the sprinkler, so I didn't have to unscrew everything. Luckily, that was was done in about 5 seconds. I cleaned up, got the kids and the dog back where they belonged, set up the water timer and started dinner.
Day 2: Are You Kidding?
So, that night was the test. The timer goes off and...no water! WHAT!!! So, march down the stairs...everything looks fine. I march outside, everything looks fine. So I march to bed. What!!! I angrily marched outside the next morning to hook up the hose and sprinkler for another day of dragging it all over the place. Well, what do you know, the dog chewed up the hose. Nice! I spent the day holding the ripped part of the hose and spraying the yard. Mud and water sprayed all over me each time, and the kids thought it was great to run through each and every mud puddle while moms hands were occupied. I won't even mention the dog (who was lucky to be alive at this point). It was not fun.

Day 3: No Answers
Ben calls the friendly neighbor. He checks the system, says it should be working, and that is that. I go to be in a rage and dream of killer sprinklers chasing me around the block.
Day 4: The revelation.
After Mary's gymnastics class, my friendly neighbor calls. He knows the problem! We get home, he comes over, PLUGS IN THE SYSTEM and what do you know, ta da, it is fixed. Happy me. Silly me.
Day 5: Now What!
At 6:30pm the sprinkler system turns on...what on earth! It is set for 10:00pm. I march downstairs, check the timer, yup, set for 10:00pm...weird. I shut it off, reset it, and march back up the stairs. Sprinklers turn on at 10:00pm and I go to bed annoyed, but smiling.
Day 6: Wow!
At 6:30pm the sprinkler system turns on again...GGGRRR!!! I march downstairs and turn it off. I march back up the stairs ranting and raving as I go. We call the friendly neighbor a few hours later. He tells us what to do, it is simple, I feel dumb. I march back down the stairs, fix the problem, and FINALLY fix the system. I march back up the stairs, scared to even hope.

Day 6 night
It works!
Success, finally. And hopefully a green lawn in the future.

So now, yet again, I understand my dad. I grew up on 2 1/2 acres of gorgeous trees, endless flowerbeds, a garden the size of our house, a HUGE play area, an awesome fire pit surrounded by mounds and trees, and LOTS AND LOTS of grass. It is a dream yard, and the highlight of my childhood. Needless to say, yard work was an ongoing, never-ending project. But, we all loved it for whatever reason. I will never forget running over a sprinkler head with the lawn mower and just cringing. No matter where dad was, somehow he would know and come running out in a rage. "There goes another $5.00" or "there goes another sprinkler head!" or "who did it this time!" How did he always know! It was amazing...a true talent I tell ya. I never got it...what was the big deal. (We won't even go into the time I mowed over an entire lilac bush...oops)
Anyway, now I get it, oh, I do. And if I never see another sprinkler head for the rest of my life..it will be too soon.

Side note:
I have finally figured out how to do my hair, and I LOVE IT! I am still embarrassed about the pictures I posted in the last post for some reason. I like my hair in those pictures, but I like it even better now. I still hadn't figured my hair out at that point. I would take more pictures now, but I will spare myself the weirdness and just wait and post pictures that I happen to be in later.