Pros and cons of an above ground pool

The holidays are over and the kids have just spent their first week back at school. The girls had their photo taken on the first day and ended up on the front page of the paper the next day. It makes up for the fact I forgot to take a 'first day' photo.

You would think it was time for me to relax. It has been awesome having some time to myself, but it doesn't mean I haven't been busy. I wish I could have less to do and catch up on.

With our busy weekend of cutting down trees, I forgot to chlorinate the pool we got the kids for christmas. It didn't take long to turn green.

In hindsight, I should have given it a shock dose of chlorine to clean the water BEFORE I emptied it. Instead there was a build up of slime I had to wash off the pool before I put it away. 

Emptying the pool was easy. The water outlet had a regular hose attachment and I could direct the water away from where the pool was situated. I actually emptied all that water onto the nature reserve next to our property!

Brett was surprised that I'd packed it up and didn't refill it. 

There were a few reasons I didn't -

• the kids were now at school all day and the weather also didn't warrant it
• I wanted that part of my garden back!
• I was over remembering to chlorinate it every night
• I was sick of cleaning the filter EVERY day, otherwise it wouldn't work as effectively as it should
• I'd had enough of skimming the top for bugs, floating bits and small leaves. I made a sieve with a cut off pantyhose leg, stretched over a wire coathanger I bent into a circle shape.
• removing the larger gum leaves from the bottom of the pool with a fishing net. I was quite surprised to fish out a frog oneday! The girls thought it was hilarious, and I am wondering how it fared being chlorinated.

Of course he wouldn't have realised that, because he didn't have to do it!

It was however fantastic to have up and running in the school holidays. Throwing the kids outside to have fun in thier own pool was so convenient. There was no getting organised with everything we had to take, and then driving down to the local swimming lake. The pool was right there in the backyard. The kids had a BALL, and the kids next door loved it too.

The best thing, it's packed away easily, ready for next years summer holidays. 

I do love our local swimming lake though. It is free and a true asset in our town.

I have actually kinda missed going there. We got down there on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours. Was good. There's a no drinking policy, but vodka, lime and soda water in a water bottle, who's to know the difference (wink, wink)?! I swear that is the first time I have done that, but I spent a good half of the day at the library for the Summer Reading Club party with the kids, and I was ready for a drink.

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