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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A weekend at the Adelaide Shores resort

My place in time #89 This place is for sale

One hundred kilometres into our drive to Adelaide, we come across Larry the Lobster, in Kingston SE. This is the Big Lobster that radio hosts Hamish and Andy have been raising money for. Larry is in need of some fixing up. The popular tourist attraction is also up for sale, along with the building behind it, that used to be a cafe and souvenir shop. This would be a great investment for the right person. Hell, even I am tempted! There is always tourists there taking photos, and with the influx of overseas tourists coming into South Australia right now, it is a shame it isn't open.

The weather was glorious in Adelaide. We stayed at the Adelaide Shores Resort in West Beach. It is a fabulous resort for families, and our holiday villa was awesome, and great value for money ($250 for two nights), with two bedrooms and a kitchen. 

I would stay here again in a heart beat. I could even let the kids play in the playground while I watched them out the kitchen window while I cooked dinner (and sipped wine).

The beach was a stones throw away for a pre-dinner stroll, and the kids loved the heated outdoor pool. It was strange, we drove four and a half hours and the kids were swimming outdoors, after a six degree day earlier in the week, back home.

The resort is close to the Adelaide airport. Watching, and hearing, the planes take off so close, was a novelty for us. The noise did not bother us at all, and didn't affect our sleep, which we were a bit worried about. 

If you had kids that were obsessed with planes, they'd think it was Christmas.

week 28 Smile - #fmy52weeksofmemories

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