What Does Your Summer Look Like?

My summer is looking very different than what I was planning. I thought that my family would be going to music festivals, the fair, Niagara Falls, and a wedding on Long Island in New York. Typically, our weekends are packed with events and places to go. I always have to check my calendar before committing to anything.

All these plans are cancelled.

I’m bummed. I was really looking forward to “taking back my summer” in 2020. I strapped on my mom thinking cap and decided to buy a pool. Not a fancy pool, but just an easy one that you put up yourself in the backyard. These simple pools are SOLD OUT everywhere! I cannot tell you how hard I looked. Then it happened one day. I was on Walmart.com. We have two Walmarts in the Eau Claire area. Both sold out of pools. Then, I looked at a different Walmart in Ladysmith. The website said they had ONE. It was early in the morning and my kids were still sleeping. I yelled down the hallway into their bedrooms, “Kids, get up, we are going to buy a pool!!” They sprang out of bed like it was Christmas morning. I drove like Cruella Deville on a mission. The man who helped me had to go to the back of the store to find the one pool still on a pallet in the back. I could have hugged that guy, but I did not because of social distancing... and, that would have just been weird!

The pool was super easy to set up and we were so excited to jump right in! One problem…the water trickles out of my hose….so….so…slow. My cousin Stacy came over to check out our new pool. She is much smarter than me, and said, “Are you sure you should be pumping that much water out of your well?” Ummm…it had never occurred to me that that would be a problem?! The pool holds 5,000 gallons of water. "She’s probably right," I thought. Darn it! So, I called a local hero from the fire department and he filled up my pool. That was a close call! Without Stacy, I would have had some well problems for sure! Lesson learned... always listen to her!

We are loving the pool! My daughter, Emma, who is four and not a strong swimmer yet, is working hard on her swimming skills. I know she is going to be a confident swimmer with her life jacket on by the end of the summer.

Guys, things have changed in our world. We are going to have to create different memories and experiences for our kiddos than we normally would. And you know what? That’s okay.

I hope you have kicked off your summer in a fun way to make new memories! It turns out I am going to “take back my summer” in our backyard!

Stay Safe & Healthy!