Jamie versus the Pool

Check out the pristine blue water in the swimming pool.....





"CANNONBALL!!"


Reasons why I don't recommend anyone install a swimming pool in Wisconsin:

1) Summer is short. Until mid-June swimming is synonymous with blue lips and goose bumps, also August is not all that warm either (usually the hottest month in our central IL memories but not so in northern WI).

2) You need a chemistry degree. Seriously, I have a degree that includes water treatment processes and I've NEVER balanced the pH in the pool. We have flocculants, disinfectants, pH adjusters, and diatomaceous earth. Plus the host of things you need to either "close" or "open" the pool each year.

3) You need a plumbing license. Twice per summer (three times last year before we took the cottonwoods out) I disassemble the filter and clean out the filter tubes. We've also fixed leaks in the solar panel, disassembled the pump, and arranged the hoses in every conceivable in/out possibility between the pool, pump, and solar heater.

4) It's more expensive that a pool membership. This is actual costs for chemicals, covers and repairs. If you pay yourself for time spent working on the pool - then you could probably afford the super-deluxe country club exclusive personal pool membership for the summer.

5) You really don't use it all that much. Sure, you probably actually get in it more times that you would go to a public pool - but the kids don't really like to STAY in it. The kids might swim for 20 minutes and be done (this is particularly true of Allison..... Jacob could still stay in for hours). Plus, there is a good chance that the sunny hot days will coincide with "big plans doing something else."

6) Finally, there is a roughly 1 to 2 ratio of vacation days to rebalancing and cleaning days. If you ignore the pool for a long 3 day weekend camping trip - expect to spend the next 6 days in a combination of shock, floc, and vacuum. If you are gone for a week - it's at least 1-2 more before it's clean enough that you want to get it in again.

So why not just take it out you ask? Good question.

Summer Concert Series

Allison and Jacob took advantage of the clear deck to have a little concert. I believe the title of the song was "Beetle Lightsaber."



Tomorrow morning, the deck guys will be back to stain the deck. We began two years ago to stain and waterproof the deck (which we believe had nothing put on it ever). The first year we did the actual deck and most of the rail. The second year we did part of the fence and the had the teenager across the street do more of the fence. Then by the spring of this year - the deck surface looked like crap. Time to "redo" and we never finished the "do."

So - we hired someone. The worst part is probably admitting that we, the homeowner, did a crappy unfinished job to begin with. Oh well. We also hired a landscaper and a roofer and a mudjacker for the driveway. So after this summer, the exterior of the house should be in good shape for at least a few months......

Bike Ride

Last weekend, Grandpa Jim and Grandma Darleen came up and we did a bike ride for the Best Friends of Neenah/Menasha. It was a "gourmet" bike ride - and Brian and I were skeptical of what gourmet meant.

I have to say we were pleasantly surprised. Grandpa and Grandma did the 25 mile route, but since we were pulling the kids on the trail-a-bikes, we only did 12. When we got to the first rest stop, there were homemade cookies, drinks, and fruit to snack on. Nice.



The kids enjoyed it, and it was followed by the gourmet lunch, which was sandwiches, soups, calzones, and desserts. It was tasty. We will definitely put it on the schedule fr next year too.

T-ball

Jacob has (mostly) enjoyed the t-ball season. They play a version where everyone hits and advances only one base - they don't keep score - and I have no idea how they decide an inning is over (they never make it to three outs). You do get out if you are tagged on base or caught out.

It's a great introduction, I guess. My favorite kid on the team is this little girl names Lily who always forgets to run to the next base and is frequently staring off into space when the ball comes her way. It reminds me that the "super cute" phase of sports is nearing a close. Competition will be the name of the game very, very soon.

4th of July

Everyone is home! After 2 weeks of trips to Springfield (Allison and Jacob), Vancouver (me), Pittsburgh (Brian), St. Louis (Allison, Jacob, Grandma and Grandpa), Grafton (family reunion!) and back to Springfield (me, Allison, and Jacob).... we're all home at the same time.

We had good times, though. Allison and Jacob sent back great reports from Springfield and a visit to their cousin Kellen and Chloe's house in St. Louis. The most memorable event was when Jacob won a Angry Bird stuffed animal out of one of those claw game machines (who wins those??). Also, we heard that Grandma and Grandpa spent an hour looking for Allison's lost flip flops only to learn that Kellen and Jacob had tossed them onto the roof!

Brian and I picked the kids up for the family reunion weekend down at Pere Marquette State Park. We had a nice time visiting with all the other cousins (pictured below). Ten kids - 9 boys and one girl (also - you can see that Allison is the second oldest, but the 7th tallest).



The river was really high, and we realized that within a 2 week time span, we'd been at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers as well as the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins, performing in the talent show, learning the Jackson family talent:



Brian flew home for work and the kids and I spent a few more days in Springfield with cousins Dane and Quin - including swimming and taking in some (less than spectacular) fireworks.

We had lots of fun, but it's also good to be home again.