Pool Time

We finally put our pool up last weekend and the kids are having a lot of fun with it. I never thought I'd be a pool person, but I really like having one for the kids. It sits out in the sun, but there is a nice shady tree right next to it which keeps me nice and cool while I watch the kids play.

I don't know exactly how big it is, but it's big enough for our family to play "Monkey in the Middle" and "Marco Polo," which was what we did for Family Night last night. We then made a little fire in our fire pit so we could roast marshmallows and make S'mores. My favorite lazy way to make S'mores these days is to use chocolate-covered graham crackers. Amanda was excited about a S'mores Buffet they had at Girls' Camp this year where they got to choose from a selection of chocolates (Hershey's bars, Reese's peanut butter cups, etc.). Maybe we'll give that a try one of these times.

Chelsie has started her own blog (and she would like to invite anyone who is interested), and I've included her write-up of the night since she seems to remember parts I must have conveniently forgotten!

Family Night
Friday night we set up are pool. We put it in on the ground and there was dirt all over it so my mom sweeped it, and then we realized that she swept the bottom of the pool! Then we had to flip it over. When we started puttig water in it we all took of are shoes and socks and flattened th bumps and creases.
Monday- Family Night
When we got back from piano, we had potato soup (my favorite food) and then we got in the pool, my mom was on the ladder for half of the time, then we were doing monkey in the middle and my mom caught it and then she through it and Jordan caught it (he was the monkey) and my mom had to get in. My dad was on top of are pool ball and he accidently slipped on it and it shot and hit my mom, with a big splash! When my mom was monkey she ALMOST caught it but then Jordan got it and she tried to wrestle it from him! Jordan won. Then we did Marco Polo and got out and made Smores.'

The advertisement says the pool is assembled in 3 easy steps, but I beg to differ.

It takes 5 or 6 hours to fill, but they were helping it along.

Posing for a picture -- you'll notice I wanted to be the one taking the picture. Stephanie was supposed to have the evening off work, but she had to fill in for someone who was sick. I think her sisters will be able to get her out there when she comes home this afternoon because hey! it's in the sun, it's a lot of fun, and it will help her along with her summer resolution. (See Stephanie's blog for details.)

The fire was nice and warm as the night cooled down a bit. It also made me feel like I was camping without having to put up a tent or sleep on the ground.

A picture from last summer -- I think it was on Amanda's birthday. We didn't have a "friend party" for Amanda last year, but a couple of neighbor girls came over to swim that day. The next thing I know, they've come in, made some brownies, and started singing Happy Birthday to Amanda while eating brownies and ice cream. One of her friends ran home and came back with a present for Amanda (a cute T-shirt that her mom had bought in mass quantities because it was really cheap -- or probably free because this mom is the shopping/coupon queen). She had the funnest afternoon, and in my mind this was her best party ever because it was the easiest, cheapest party we've ever had!