Days 6 & 7 (Luke's Birthday at Coco Cay!)

The other blogs I wrote on the ship, so my memory was clearer as to what we did. This one I am writing from home a few days after the cruise's conclusion. Day 6 was a sea day. We spent the morning on the pool decks. Kara and Luke did the waterslides and pools. We did miniature golf again and Thomas tried out the zipline. It was a fun morning. Kara also tried the flow rider. The height requirement was 52", which we thought Luke would pass. However, he measured about a 1/4 of an inch too short. He was VERY disappointed in this. 

At 12, we had Kara's birthday lunch. She wanted to try Taste of Royal, where each course comes from a different specialty restaurant. It was me, Kara and Marta. We showed Anna the menu and she was not interested. The three of us enjoyed the experience.

Luke went to the kid's club, but I don't recall what the rest of us did in the afternoon. It was lobster night in the main dining room, so it was a good food day. There was no family show, instead, it was an adult comedian. Thomas and I went and enjoyed the act. The girls checked out the teen club but did not stay long. Jack watched Luke. The comedy show ended around 8. After, Thomas and I walked around the ship for a bit. We had reservations to see a classic rock cover band at 10:15. However, it didn't end up starting until 1035. We had told Jack we would be back around 11, so we had to cut the show short to let Jack get to bed (in retrospect, we should have had Luke sleep in their room). What we did see was really amazing, they definitely had the 80s band look and feel (in all the best ways).

Thursday was our last full day. It was also Luke's 8th birthday and Perfect Day at Coco Cay. Originally, we weren't supposed to get to Coco Cay until 10, which was super disappointing, as we had tickets to the water park and knew there was another large(ish) ship scheduled to arrive earlier. However, we ended up getting there around 8. We hurried to breakfast and then went down to the gangway. We were the second group off the ship when they opened the doors around 8:40. We went straight to the water park. The other ship had docked earlier and there were already a lot of people in the water park. 

The largest slide, Devil's Peak--which is the biggest in North America and requires climbing 14 flights to the top, was on a virtual line system. We were able to get a return time of 930-10. We did a few slides in the that tower and then went to the other tower and got in line for The Slingshot, a family raft ride. We waited about 35 minutes and when we got off, the line was at least twice as long. We did the mat racers twice, with no wait and then did Devil's Peak. It was very fun. Anna didn't want to try, but the rest of us did it and loved it. It was around 10 when we got off and all the lines for the big slides were very long. We tried to get another return time for Devil's Peak again, but they were out. She told us it would open back up at 2 with a regular line. Luke played in the obstacle pool and we had a snack and did the wave pool and a few smaller slides.

I caught this picture just as Luke slipped from the "rock wall"

Next, we headed out of the park and to the beach. The water was really murky, so I quickly gave up on snorkeling and enjoyed sitting in the water. Kara and Luke played in the sand, while the others persisted with snorkeling. We went to a delicious lunch and then Luke wanted to check out the "sports area". Anna and I hung out in the hammocks and the others played basketball.

By now, it was after 2, so we decided to see what the line for Devil's Peak looked like. Unfortunately, it was very long, but the other slides didn't look as bad. We asked Luke what he wanted and he wanted to do more slides. So, we did. We tried the Twister, a raft ride that had a super long line in the morning, but was probably 15ish minutes around 2:30 and was my favorite. Luke did more obstacles and everyone did more slides. The Devil's Peak stayed around 90 minutes, so we never did that again, but enjoyed everything else. Luke, Thomas, Jack and Kara were able to do all 13 slides (most multiple times). Anna and I did everything we wanted to do. 

We got back on the ship around 330 and showered and rested.  At dinner, the waiters brought Luke a piece of cake and we sang happy birthday. After dinner, we went to the ice-skating show, which was amazing! They had some cool features, including projections that covered all of the ice. From there, we went to the family "hush party." That was a little frustrating, Jack refused to go at all and the girls didn't want to dance. They sat in a corner and looked surly. Thomas and I danced, but apparently we were embarrassing. So, Thomas left. I persisted a little longer, but the girls left and then Luke got mad if I was on a different channel then him (everyone wears headphones, which have two channels. Your headphones light up for your channel, so if you take off the headphones, you can hear people with your color singing along to what you are listening to and others singing to a different song). I thought it was really fun, but Luke was a little grouchy, so we didn't last very long. 

We went back to the room and packed. Everyone was very sad that it was the last night. The next morning, we got off the ship around 8:15 and were in our car and driving home at 8:37. I will do a short recap post (maybe) at some point.

Port Visits

Sunday, we went to Roatan, Honduras. We really wanted to snorkel, but Luke wasn’t old enough for the ship’s excursions. So, we booked a private tour with “Cleve’s Tours and Adventures”. He was recommended by people on the Royal Caribbean Facebook page and has over 1200 five-star reviews on Trip Advisor, so I felt good about the day.

We got off the ship as soon as it was docked at 830 and Cleve’s son, Jeremiah, was waiting for us. We found Cleve, who took us on a tour of the island and told us about its culture and the five groups of people who live there. Then, we went out on his boat. He showed us more of the island from the water and let Thomas drive. All of us enjoyed going fast.

We visited two snorkeling sites, I think he called one the Aquarium and one the wall. Both were amazing! Roatan has part of the Mesoamerican Reef, which is the second largest reef in the world (next to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia). We saw lots of tropical fish and amazing coral. The water was crystal clear and we could see all around us without any murkiness. Luke got sick of it pretty quick and stayed on the boat with Jeremiah. Anna doesn’t really like knowing what is in the ocean underneath her, but she swam with us. Cleve guided us around the sites. Both areas had deep trenches bordered by walls of coral. In the second area, there were huge drop offs, I think in some areas Cleve said it was 80 feet (and gets deeper further from shore). It was like seeing cliffs underwater. We spent a couple of hours snorkeling. Then, we went back to the van and saw more of the island before heading back to the ship. I think the whole experience lasted about 5 hours. Our port visit was only 7 hours, so that was really all we had time for (we like a big buffer to ensure we are back to the ship on time). Cleve and Jeremiah were great tour guides and we learned a lot. Everyone enjoyed the experience.

We had a late lunch on the ship and then Luke went to the kid’s club. We had dinner at our regular time of 5:30 (we have the early seating) and went to the evening show: The Tap Factory. It had drumming, tap dancing and a contortionist. It was good and the cast is very talented, but I did not like it nearly as much as I liked Voices.

On Monday, we were in Cozumel. Because we had just visited there in November, I did not plan an excursion. We went into the port area and did a little shopping and spent the rest of the day hanging around the ship. The ship is always fun on a port day, because it is so much less crowded. Luke and Thomas played ping pong and then Luke and Jack played basketball. Luke also spent some time in the kid’s club. Kara, Jack and I did trivia (we did not come close to winning) and Kara got a Johnny Rocket’s milkshake. Anna and I also did ice skating. 

The show that night was in the Aqua Theater, which will eventually host InTENse. However, it is not quite ready, so they showed us about half of the aqua show and about 30 minutes of other entertainment, including Victor Kee, who is an amazing juggler that we saw on AGT a few seasons ago. The aqua show has a large cast that includes 5 former Olympic divers! It was pretty amazing what they can do and we loved Victor Kee (I wish they had given him a full show).

Tuesday, we went to Costa Maya and did an excursion to see the Chacchoben Mayan ruins. The ruins were really cool, but the tour was not great. The guide was a little disjointed and rushed us through. I would have liked to learn a little bit more, but it was still a good experience and I am glad we did it. Marta and Frank joined us and it was nice to have some extra time with them.

Jack wanted a picture with himself in front of one of the pyramids to show scale. Can you find him?

It was more of the same back on the ship. Except, after dinner they had a “name that country song” trivia and I knew that with Thomas on our team, we could not lose! And, I was right! He knew almost every song and every artist. Kara and I were happy to finally be on a winning team. After the big victory, we saw the evening show which was a magician, Jamie Alan. He is apparently very famous in England. We all liked the show, but felt there was too much technology involved. His last trick was the best, it was pure sleight of hand with cards and it was very, very cool. He was making cards appear and disappear like nobody’s business.

Cruise Days 1 & 2

Last year, we were scheduled to go on a cruise over Spring Break. It was going to be our first time on one of Royal Caribbean’s mega, Oasis class ships. We had booked the cruise in October of 2019 for March 2021. Then, Covid hit and the cruise was cancelled. When cruising resumed, we rescheduled for March 2022 on Allure of the Seas. Then, a few months later, we saw that the newest ship, Wonder of the Seas would have its second sailing that week and the price was very reasonable, so we switched over. I had my doubts the trip would take place, but I am writing this from the balcony of the ship!

Day one was Friday, March 11, which was the first day of Spring Break. We left the house at 7 for the drive to Fort Lauderdale and arrived in plenty of time for our 11am check-in. Everything went smoothly and we were onboard by 1145. We had lunch and then Kara did the zipline and Kara, Thomas, Luke and Jack did the Ultimate Abyss (a slide that takes you from Deck 16 to Deck 6). Anna and I held belongings and waited to hear the reviews (people liked it, but it was a little uncomfortable for the taller Wilsons). Then, Luke, Thomas and I tried out the water slides. With my rashguard top, I went really slow. In fact, I got stuck in one of the slides and had to push myself out. It was very claustrophobic feeling. There was one slide that we all agreed was super fun and I hope to try again (it is called the tornado and you go into a funnel type contraption). Meanwhile, Jack, Anna and Kara hung out on deck and ate ice cream. After the water slides, we had a snack at the Mexican restaurant and shared some nachos and burritos, which were really good.

The Tilleys are also onboard (Frank, Marta, Matt, Cristin and George) and we met up for our 5:30 dinner, which was delicious with amazing service. We relaxed in our rooms after dinner and called it an early night-- it had been a long day.

 Day 2 was a Sea Day. Thomas and I started the day with a visit to the gym followed by banana smoothies. Luke went to the kid’s club in the morning. The rest of us did some puzzle game. We solved several clues, but they gave us an incorrect portion of the puzzle, so obviously we didn’t get to the final answer. The girls and I also did another game. We had 20 word questions, like ATfrankfrankRA=Frank Sinatra or ECNALG=backwards glance, and got 10 of them right. Some of them were super difficult and some were clearly from a different culture (one answer was “It fell off the back of a lorry”). But, we had fun trying to figure it out. We also listened to some jewelry spiel and got free stuff. They did a raffle and Marta won! She got a really pretty diamond pendant. We explored the ship more, Luke did the rock climbing wall and Anna and I tried the Abyss. Some of us played miniature golf, rode the carousel, had milkshakes at Johnny Rockets, etc. Some of us sat on the balcony and read, or took naps, or explored with a partner at various times. 

Miniature golf with a view

The rockwall is huge! We weren't sure if Luke would make it to the top. You can also see some of the Abyss in the background (the purple slide).

But, he did!

It was a formal night and the girls were excited to dress up, Anna even did Kara's hair. They looked so grown-up!

After dinner, we went to our first show—Voices. The level of talent was amazing. It was the first cruise ship show I’ve been to where the audience gave the cast a standing ovation. I loved it. Luke and Jack opted out and I was disappointed for them. After the show, we walked through the Central Park area and listened to a live band for a few minutes. Then, I decided to go back to the room. My room key is not for the room I sleep in (we have one adult in each room, but we have Luke with us and the older kids directly across the hall). But, sometimes, I can use the app to open “my” door. I went to check on Luke and Jack and realized that I had someone else’s room key (I had gotten a drink at the show and hadn’t realized they gave me back a different card). Then, Luke and Jack came into the hall with me and I tried to use the app to open the other door. And, it wouldn’t work. We were all stuck in the hallway with no key to either room! I called Thomas, who quickly came and let the boys in while I went to Guest Services for a new card. 

I fell asleep a little bit earlier, but woke up a million times. Both Thomas and I were up for good at 4:30. I am already tired, but I know I won’t be able to fall back asleep. Hopefully, the day will be so fun that I don’t notice I am exhausted!

Minor Updates

Our days have been pretty similar. Jack wrapped up his most recent basketball season. His team ended up being really good and Jack definitely improved over the season. He will play again at the YMCA in a few weeks for another season. Luke's baseball is going well. I feel like we are spending a lot of time at the fields, but he hasn't gotten sick of it yet. 

Luke is playing catcher. He gets a little nervous in the catcher's box and kept scooting further and further back :)

Anna got new, fancier ice skates. She is hoping to start learning jumps soon. Kara took a babysitting class on Saturday and is now CPR and first aid certified. She enjoys babysitting and is really good with kids. 

We went to Universal a couple of times. Once, Thomas and I went with the girls. We watched the Mardi Gras parade and had a lot of fun and got tons of beads (over 20 strands each). The boys ended up being slightly sad they didn't go, so we took them on a Wednesday after school. Luke got enough beads to hand out to all his classmates.

Waiting for the parade to start

Luke's class had a field trip to SeaWorld on Thursday. Our passes are expired, so on the Friday before the field trip, we told him we had to go to SeaWorld so we could renew (the website wasn't working). He decided he didn't really want to go. Thomas had planned on chaperoning, but they had a ton of chaperones, so it was not a big deal for him to back out. Instead, he and Luke spent the day doing whatever Luke wanted. Thomas even spent the night in his room. They played board games, read books, played the Switch and went to lunch at Dairy Queen. 

Meanwhile, I took Anna to the orthodontist to get her Herbst taken off. She wore it for a year and it apparently worked, so we hopefully have avoided jaw surgery! I guess there is still a chance the jaw will revert, but I am cautiously optimistic. It is now in a nice position and the teeth are well-aligned. She wouldn't let me take any pictures, but taking it out was quite the process. Her mouth was too small for some of their tools, so it was a little difficult to remove. Her mouth bled and was sore for a couple of days. We are happy to have it out!

Both Kara and Jack got their scores back from the solo and ensemble festival and ended up with Superiors. They were very happy. 

And, for this week's random picture--I went to lunch with a friend and ordered this beauty. It was ham, turkey, cheese and egg as a waffle sandwich with whipped cream. It was so pretty, I had to take a picture. It was delicious!

Valentine's Day, Crazy Saturday, Nature Drive

We didn't do a lot for Valentine's Day. Luke woke up very excited and asked for a themed breakfast. I did heart shaped toast with eggs and he was happy. Kara gave away frosted heart cookies to her friends, which she said was well-received. Luke's class exchanged cards and lots of candy. We had small gifts for the kids and that was it. 

We are back to lots of activities. Saturday was especially crazy. It started with Jack and Kara doing a solo and ensemble competition for band. They will get their scores this week. Thomas took them and said Jack received really good feedback and the judge told him he should look at adding other saxophones to his repertoire. Kara had practiced a lot, but didn't play as well for the judge as she did at home.

Luke had a baseball game at 12. He played well and his team won. Thomas was the third base coach and I went for most of the game, but left early to go to our third event--Jack's basketball game. The other team didn't have enough players, so Jack and some others played for them. I think he felt more confident playing against his teammates, and he played great; he has gotten so much better! He scored 3 baskets and had tons of rebounds and assists. It was really fun to watch. 

Blurry basketball picture. He was having fun!

After Jack's game, I took Luke to baseball practice for his Cobra team. Cobra is extra baseball, it is a step up from regular little league, but not as advanced as an all-star team. He loved the practice and impressed the coaches with hard he hustled. Any ball that went anywhere near him, he chased like crazy, often beating kids who were closer. He ran really hard and was enthusiastic in the drills. 

While we did that, Thomas took Kara to Universal. It was a concert night and Barenaked Ladies performed. Thomas has wanted to see them as long as I've known him. Originally, we all planned on going, but with how crazy the day was, we decided that just wasn't practical. Luke was not interested in going and it would have been hard to get him to his practice and then get to the game. So we decided Thomas would take whichever big kids were interested. It ended up just being Kara. The park was as crowded as they've ever seen it. They had dinner and rode a couple of rides (MIB and Gringotts) then got their spot right in front of the stage. They had to get there two hours early, but Thomas said it was worth it. He absolutely loved the concert. I was a little jealous, but I don't think I would have been happy standing in place for such a long period of time.

Waiting for concert to start

They said the band was very entertaining.

Sunday, Luke had his first two Cobra games (they play two games every other Sunday). They won one and lost one. Thomas took him while I brought Anna skating. 

Working on her crossovers.

Today (Monday) we did the Lake Apopka Wildlife drive. We saw 56 alligators! It was fun counting them. But, the drive was a little frustrating. We were behind a car that kept stopping and getting out and taking pictures. I finally walked up to them and said they weren't supposed to stop in non-designated areas. Then, like 2 minutes later, there was a pullout and they pulled over (if I'd realized how close we were, I would not have said anything). I wish I had just let it go. Although, it was annoying. We had parked and gotten out and walked in the designated areas (like you are supposed to) before continuing the drive, and I get annoyed when people don't follow the rules. I found it really selfish to make all the cars behind them wait. But, I am making excuses and still, I wish I could let more things go. I think I embarrassed the kids. 

A picture of the 50th alligator

After the drive, we went to library and lunch. It was a nice way to spend our day off.

Mardi Gras and Another Teenager

Last Sunday, the kids and I got to be on one of Universal's Mardi Gras floats. It was super, super fun. They sent out an e-mail in January to pass holders allowing us to sign up for up to two nights. I picked one, but they only let me sign up 5 of us. Thomas said he didn't want to ride the float and would stay on the ground and take pictures. I am very sad that I only signed up for one night, because it was amazing. We checked in and they told us what float we were assigned to (Jester). It was the third float in the parade and one of the smaller ones. We waited in the area where they do the animal show and got our smocks, then they walked us backstage to our float. We received our directions (no overhand throwing). And, off we went. I was shocked by how many people were lined up to see the parade! In many areas, the rows of people were 5 or more deep. There were thousands of beads on the float, we didn't even throw 25% of what was allotted, but we did our best! It was especially fun to see Thomas and to throw him beads. He said the parade was really cool, the floats all lit up and there were dancers and stilt walkers. We are definitely going to go back to be spectators.

The rest of the week was uneventful. Anna went to skating and the boys did their sports. Luke had his first baseball game Friday night. He was 3/3 with base hits. Unfortunately, I couldn't go because I did something to my back on Friday morning and by night, it was super painful. I don't even know what I did. I was exercising, but not doing anything different than I always do when it started hurting. I stopped exercising, but it just got worse as the day went on. It was a lot better yesterday, but I woke up all stiff again this morning, so we shall see. Getting older is hard!

Kara's birthday weekend extravaganza began on Friday when we let her stay home from school. Her day started with a visit to the orthodontist. She is hopefully just a few months away from being out of the braces. Then, we dropped Jack off at school (his treatment is also going well). We went to Starbucks and then Walmart to pick up a few things. When we got home, Thomas took her out for the day. They went to the mall, had lunch at Five Guys, and went to a baseball card shop and a comic book shop. I had also taken the day off from work, but I had plans to have lunch with my friend, Sunshine.  Everyone had fun on their respective outings. Kara got some baseball cards, Thomas got some comics, all were happy.

Kara picked up Luke from school, which was fun for them and nice for me because my back was really starting to hurt. Thomas and the girls went to Luke's baseball game, which they said was fun. They texted me updates. I went in the hottub and Kara joined me when she got home--her last night of being a child (obviously, she will always be our child, but she is now a teenager!). 

Saturday was her actual birthday. We looked at pictures from each of her previous birthdays, which brought back many sweet memories. She wanted to spend most of the day baking. She made lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast and a banana cake for her birthday cake (I assisted and did dishes). She also made sugar cookie dough for Valentine's cookies she is going to hand out to her friends on Monday. We went to Chicken Salad Chick for lunch. Well, the girls did. Thomas took Jack to his basketball game. His team won and Thomas said Jack played well. He had 8 rebounds, 1 basket and 2 assists. 

In addition to baking, Kara watched The Fantastic Four and went swimming with Luke. We had Publix subs and 'Lil Smokies for dinner. I am not sure how many years now Kara has asked for 'Lil Smokies, but it is a lot. This was the second year in a row with Publix subs. We had her birthday cake, which I liked, but she was disappointed with. It was very dense and tasted more like a frosted banana bread then a birthday cake. She opened the rest of her presents (she got an apron from Jack, a book to track books she's read from Anna, a Chicken Salad Chick gift card from Luke, Croc Sandals and Mini Brands from me and Thomas. The Wills sent her a Harry Potter sweatshirt, which she loves). She said she was happy with how things turned out. We ended the night in the hot tub. 

Sunday, she went to Universal with her friend Sophia. They had lunch at Whole Foods and then went to both parks. Then, they went back to Sophia's for dinner. 

I think it was a pretty good birthday weekend, at least I hope it was. We let her choose everything. We offered a party or to take friends to Universal or Aquatica, but this was what she wanted. And, with our house still torn up, it was fortuitous that she didn't want to invite anyone else over.

$$$$$$ (house, taxes, tires)

The roofer, who installed a new roof shortly before we moved in, came out on Wednesday and said that when they put the roof on, they told Open Door there were issues with seams that needed to be fixed. However, Open Door wasn't interested, they told the roofers to just put on the roof. So, they did. He said there were lots of issues and that Open Door is terrible. (Open Door is a company that buys houses directly from people who don't want to deal with the hassle of selling and then Open Door resells.) The roofer also said the shutters on the house were attached improperly and were trapping water. And, when we had the mitigation done because of the squirrel infiltration, in some areas where they sealed things, they didn't give the water any place to go. He couldn't pinpoint the exact place where the water entered, because there were so many possibilities. We had a night where the rain and the wind were just right and that is what caused the flood.

The roof itself (shingles) is good. But, it is buttressed by wood rot and bad seams.

Trying to get people to come out and work is still an issue. We had someone lined up to give us a quote on Thursday--he never showed. I think we have someone to come and fix it next week, but we'll see. I am annoyed at so many people, but mostly the house inspector and the leak finder. We paid extra to have the roof inspected and he didn't see any of these issues? It sure seems like he missed a lot. This house has been a money pit! As for the leak finder, we paid $375 for him to come out and find the leak with his special infrared equipment, so we wouldn't have to cut unnecessary walls or waste a plumber's time. He insisted it was behind the shower. So, we wasted time (3 days) and money (another $500) on plumbers to figure out what was going on because the leak finder was so insistent. Ultimately, it wasn't even a leak! But at the end of the day, we can't blame any one specific person, so we will just fix it and move on.

While insurance covers almost everything with a plumbing leak, they don't cover as much when the water comes from the outside due to "wear and tear" issues. So, I was super stressed that they weren't going to cover anything! And, I think the mitigation alone is going to cost several thousand. Then, there is the new floors, new vanity in the bathroom, the drywall they removed, etc. Fortunately, we got the word on Friday that they will cover a lot. We have a $2000 deductible and will have to pay for the roof repairs and the personal property that was ruined, but the floors, walls and mitigation are covered. Thank goodness! 

Some of the mitigation

Since this is a post to complain about money, which I know is kind of taboo, but I'm not really sure why, so I am going to write about it anyway--I did our taxes this week and we owe $4800!!!! I am not sure how that happened, as our income didn't change very much, but there you have it. I am not going to officially file until late March or early April in the hopes that something magical happens, but I am kind of resigned. We adjusted for this year, so hopefully we won't have this problem again. I don't think we have ever owed taxes, at least not more than a few hundred.

And, we picked up a nail in one of the tires. It was too close to the sidewall to repair. Even though it wasn't close to time, we ended up getting 4 new tires. Tires have also become super expensive. Because of all the construction around here, we also added the insurance (which we've never done and never needed). So, that came out to $1200.

There you have it, approximately $10K out the door in less than a week on unexpected expenses (counting the taxes, even though I am waiting to pay those). I am trying to find positives, and there are plenty. First, we get to do some remodeling! We were going to do the tile floors anyway, so that is nice. And, we can replace the wood in the front rooms with wood that matches what we remodeled with when we did the kitchen. I also feel very fortunate that this is not going to break us. We have emergency savings for precisely this reason. We will put it out and then build it back up. I also know these are problems that can be fixed. It is expensive and inconvenient, but it is not earth-shattering. We are healthy and happy and the rest is just noise. So, I will vent in my blog and we will move on.

But wait! Since this is a post to complain, there are two other things I want to get off my chest. First, one of the reasons we spent so long on plumbing is because there actually is a plumbing issue. The first plumber didn't look at our meter, but when we got the second (and third) opinion, those plumbers did. And, the meter is climbing even when no one is using water. They suspect one of the toilets is bad, but we don't know. The third plumber did a pressurized check and determined there is no leak, but the meter is still moving. So, we have that issue to combat once we deal with the other stuff. The final complaint--there is something wrong with our smoke detectors. Before the flood even happened, we woke up one night to the fire alarms going off. Not just the "check the batteries chirp"--legit fire alarm, but in a weird pattern. Two quick (extremely loud) beeps, slight pause, repeat. There is nothing like being woken up from a sound sleep to your fire alarm. We searched the house and there was no fire (thankfully). Thomas reset the breaker and then we cleaned them all out. But it happened again two weeks later (flood week). And, one of them started chirping one night too. We changed that battery, but it chirped again the next night. We replaced all the alarms when we moved in, but maybe one or more has gone bad? Another issue to deal with. The kids think the house is haunted. I am starting to wonder if they are right!