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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It's a new year (but things are still the same)

Now that the silly season is over, and with three weeks of school holidays left, I am so looking forward to what this year has in store for me.

I am looking forward to both girls being at school. Finally, time for me. 

Everyone keeps asking what I'm going to do with myself. I don't have a clue. Have a clean house for more than five minutes. Time for my brain to uncrazy itself. After that, who knows.

Yesterday Izzy had the pleasure of helping me wax my toes (riveting school holiday fun). I know my toes! Only the big toe and the one next to it.

I was sitting on the back steps, pondering life with a cup of tea, when I noticed how black and coarse the hairs were. Do they get worse when you get a bit older? They seemed worse. 

Usually I reserve my wax strips for my chin, upper lip and my threatening mono brow. 

It doesn't seem so bad, until I actually look at the hairs on the wax strip. How can I have so many stray hairs like that growing on my face! I am totally going to be the old lady, asleep in my chair at the old folks home, with a ripper white goatee. I dread. 

The girls are loving the pool they got for Christmas. So have the kids next door! Pool party time at number 8. They are eating me out of house and home too, hungry buggers! They're all having a ball though.

I got a new camera lens for Christmas, not that I have used it a hell of a lot, but I couldn't help but pull over and take some photos of hay cutting season along the road as I drove to Pelican Point the other day.

I love country scenes like these. If I pulled the car over every time I wanted to, I would never get anywhere. I have found a lot lately, that when I'm driving, I am looking out the window and seeing things as photographic scenes, waiting to be captured. I need to pay more attention to the road!

I am still undecided about a mantra or word for 2017. I do know that I need to take better care of me, instead of putting everyone else first. It's been that way for too long, and it is taking a huge toll. 

I know I need to practice gratitude more often. I find it really helps to remember at least one good thing that happened during my day, to turn around negative talk and feelings.

I need to be patient, and present when it comes to the kids. I think it comes back to the fact that I need some time for me. I have been a snappy McChappy lately and I hate it. 

We've been as busy as shit too, I am reeling most of the time. It was soooo good to have some quiet days at home last week, even though it was kid city in the pool for some of it.

Maybe I need to change some things. Maybe that needs to be my word. Hmmm.



Tell me. What's your focus for the year? 

I'd love to know what you got for Christmas too!!

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Daredevil pool jumper

She's a daredevil, set to give me more grey hairs!