oh poolease!

We had a few setbacks with the installation of Grandpa and Grandma's birthday gift. The ground wasn't quite level and the pool listed starboard. Not a big deal but then the water was contaminated. So the super-dedicated-dad-of-the-year-who-was-mumbling-under-his-breath-a-lot spent all of Sunday afternoon draining, then scrubbing out, then leveling, the (blasted!) pool. Then he started re-filling it with fresh water but again, it was as bad as before.
Our well water, (despite 3 different types of softening/purifying systems) has a lot of metal in it. Turns out that metal reacts to chlorine and turns your water into such a ghoulish brown-red that it appears as if your new pool was actually the setting for someone's brutal murder. A couple of trips to the pool store, a few $16 bottles of magic, some more chlorine and a few days of filtering and all is well.
Except I lost track of time on our "fill pool for one hour, turn hose off for two hours to recuperate" plan. and the metal water pump got hot. and it melted the plastic pvc a bit. just enough to cause water to start shooting across interior of the pumphouse. for an hour or so. just enough to soak our stored groceries. and John had to go to the hardware store before work and spend 2 hours fixing the pipe.
But other than that?
It's just wonderful!

Look, Lee and Claudia, they LOVE it!

and look, John! it was totally worth your sacrifice!

Yesterday they were hot and bored...

continually begging me for time with their various electronic devices...

I was squashing down the beginning rumbles of quarrels every 2 minutes like a roach infestation...

and today?!

They have been out there now for almost 3 hours. I watered the flowers and painted a bench and smiled a lot, listening to their shrieks and happy laughter. I came inside and sat by the fan in sweet solitude. I sat and read a new magazine and sipped my cold iced tea and thought...

"Now, was this pool a gift for them or was it for me?!"

Either way? Thanks!