Summer time is upon us

Ahhh summer.

It has finally come upon us. There was a time last November when I didn’t believe it would ever exist. But, alas it is here. And I am LOVING ever minute of it!

Except for the part where the kids decided to hate each other. That part really stunk, but I think we have moved past it and have moved onto the point where we can bear to be in the same room as each other. Which is good, because I was just about up to here with it, if you know what I mean. Today was the first day in, well, forever that I didn’t have to be at a job that was going to pay me. I was required to be at a job that was not going to pay me, but I wanted to be there. I am able to volunteer for the first time ever to work our churches VBS, and this is the first year that my kids could attend as well. We were all so super duper excited.

Really, we were.

So we woke up early, about 2 hours later than usual, and got ready. Off to the church building we went. The kids off to their groups and I didn’t see them again until lunch time. And they came and found me. I was with a group of kiddos that had just completed the third grade. They were precious. I knew some of them from small group, and some I have never met before. They were all precious. I was paired with another adult and 2 teens. One who has an infections energy. I love my group.
When we were done at 2:30 I gathered my own children up and headed home. The kids couldn't stop talking about it. Jacob LOVED it! Which really suprised me, but thrilled me! I was exhausted. We had slowed down considerable at school the last 2 weeks and this was like the first day of school all over again. I was BEAT! I made the kids come home and take an hour rest time and when I was feeling human again we headed off to the neighborhood pool. I have a feeling we will spend MANY an afternoon there. The kids know others at the pool, I can lay there and read, and actually may end up with a nice, color to me, rather than this pasty white I have been for 8 years. The kids had a great time and we were there for almost 2 hours. We left only because Emily hurt herself, but not to terribly.

The kids have commented several times that this is the best day ever and we didn’t spend a dime and there has been NO fighting. I only hope the rest of the summer continues like this. Even though I know there will be days where they will bicker and things will not go as planned, I enjoyed this, our first official day of summer.

A pool story

I haven’t had much to say, or much time to say it in the last week. Ok, that’s a lie. I have a lot to say, but can’t say much of it, and I really haven’t had much time to say anything at all. So I can be mysterious about my “drama” only, its not really drama at all.

My weekend was long, boring and just kinda there. I did mountains of laundry and tried to be interested in doing anything except sit and do nothing.

We did some planning for Jacob’s birthday party, which is next weekend. We ordered/bought the cake from the best cake place in town. Really, they make donuts, but their cakes are to die for. We searched for party favors all over town, before I just went back to HEB, where I knew they were to begin with. Bought Jacob’s gift- it’s a biggie- all the money he gets for his birthday from all the grandparents is going in the communal basket for this one. I know he will just die when he opens it. When I showed Emily, he jaw dropped and she was washed over with envy. I know I did good.

However, Jacob’s party was to be a swim party, just like his lat two have been. Maybe a little more exclusive- to those an invitation had been given, but a swim party none the less. He choose it over almost every other party idea I threw at him. Only now we have a problem.

You see we have a fairly low-key above ground PVC pipe pool. I can sit on the bottom and my head is still over the water. It is perfect for the neighborhood kids and it keeps the kids happy during the long summer months. Now, the pool had been looking pretty nasty as of late, so we ran the filter all night long (hello electric bill!) scooped out the debris, added chlorine tablets and it was looking fairly good. Josh went outside to change the filter and get it crystal clear- and hopefully stay that way for the party next weekend.

He unscrewed the top, set it to the side, replaced the filter, put the lid on and what?! The screw piece was missing. With out that piece the pump will not work- water just poured out of it, for hours, until the pool was nearly drained (hello water bill!). We still can not find the stupid lid. I think one of the dogs came and took it and we will never see it again. But we literally have looked all over the yard, the house, pockets, everywhere possible, and nothing.

We may be in trouble for the party.

***Edited to add***
Josh found a replacement part at Academy today! Yeah!