The water catcher

The thing I love most about having an eight year old is the talks we have. I love that he stills hops into bed for a snuggle (I feel like I am on the count down there) and in lots of ways he is still such a little fella, but I reckon we have many a fabulous conversation ahead of us him and I.

This morning for example.

We have a bit of problem here in Sydney with water - as in there is not enough in the damn dam.

This issue is talked about obsessively but media and friends alike and so Thomas has a pretty good idea of the need to save and conserve water. I have tried to demonstrate proactively - we are putting in water tanks as part of our renovation, which will feed the loo and the washing machine, and we try to keep our baths (loved by Gaye and Thomas) and showers (loved by moi) to a respectable length.

It rained here a couple of weeks ago and there was much celebration as some of it actually fell into the catchment – a feat not seen for some years.

Thomas has been full of plans to collect water – lots of trucks following the clouds was the most recent.

So this morning as we drive to school, dropping Gaye off at the train and she (as she is working on election issues) was listening intently to the news on the radio. Once she got out he started chatting to me about the book he was reading and how much he was enjoying it – he offered to lend it to me when he was finished with it.

Then he asked, “So Mum did the catcher get it?”
“Sorry darling?”
“The rain last night, did the catcher get it?”
“Did it go into the catchment? Yes darling I think some of it did.”
“Why doesn’t it all go into the catcher?”
“Well the catchment is the area around the river that leads to the dam”
“Why do we want it in a river?”
“That is where it goes into the river and then into the dam and then into pipes and to us”
“Over one of the fountains?”
‘A waterfall? Yes the dam is made of concrete and steel and then the water goes over the dam in a bit waterfall”
“Is it working now”?
“Yes it works but there isn’t enough water.”
“Is this something I need to be worried about Mum? Cause we would die if there was no water.”
(Reassuring conversation about no need to worry and here is a few things we can do)
“I just don’t understand Mum, why don’t they get a wizard to help out with a spell for the water”

OR

“Mum does the government have a bank account”
“mmmm many”
“Does John Howard only have the pin number?”


OR

“Where do poos go?”
(Discussion about sewerage treatment including mention of chemicals)
“Oh so poos are good cause they put a potion in and then they make water and soil”