What Water Restrictions?

 Since I can remember, well at least since my second child was born nine years ago, Melbourne has lived through each and every Summer (and most of the year actually) with water restrictions.  There was only watering your gardens on alternate days, washing your car with a bucket of water - no hose, and most unfortunately - no sprinklers allowed!

We have had a bumper year of rain in 2012, which has led to 81% water storage levels!  Which in turn leads to the water restrictions being lifted - hoorah!

Last night, when the kids heard it was going to be 38 degrees today, they were bitching and moaning complaining about how hot they would be, and how would they live?  "Mum, you'll have to pick us up from school, we can't possibly walk home."  "Why don't we have a pool?"  Blah, blah, blah.....   Well, I fixed their little red wagon by announcing I would make a trip to the hardware store in the morning to buy them a sprinkler!

**********crickets***********

"What's a sprinkler???"

Andrew and I then went through describing what a sprinkler was.  I was quite disturbed by the fact that they had no idea what one was, and amused bored them with stories from when I was a girl.....

I remember ALWAYS having a sprinkler within tap's reach to run through on a hot day.  I won't mention that we also always had a pool to run and jump in to.  That is beside my point.  The sprinkler was FUN!  And how about the slip n slide?!?!?!?!  So many injuries gained from running and sliding in all kinds of strange manners down a dodgy hill covered in plastic (and sometimes doused with washing liquid).

So first thing this morning I was met with questions and reminders about how I would be picking them up from school and turning the sprinkler on for them.  I jumped in the car, took them to school and then took Chloe with me to the hardware store.  Straight to the "watering aisle".  And was presented with a wall of these: 

A bit high tech looking for me!

Is this a tractor sprinkler???

Remember these ones??

Ahhh, the old faithful - we had a few of these permanently planted around our yards growing up.

The old soaker hose.....

We chose this one!  Cheap and cheerful!

We made our purchase - along with a couple of big arse fans due to us not having airconditioning downstairs (that's a whole other blog post) and a hose to connect this little baby to!

The remainder of my day was filled with questions from the four year old.  When can I go in the sprinkler?  What time are the kids home?  Why can't I go in the sprinkler now?  Can you put my bathers on?  Well, you get the picture.  Traipsed up to school at 3.30 to do a good motherly deed and pick the two whinging, red faced school children up, and returned home again to never ending questions about when the sprinkler could be turned on.  I gave up at approximately 4pm.

And this is what happened:

 $12.95 for an hour's worth of fun!  Oh and a bonus hour of fun after dinner too!  Not to mention the obligatory "turn the sprinkler on whilst your husband is standing nearby"!!

What are you doing to keep cool this Summer?  Sprinkler?