Summer project

Less school time, but more hours outside.
Our air conditioning needs replacement (we were told last summer). We use the a/c 2 or 3 weeks in the year. After that, our pool fence. Decision time. After some calculating we got to this equation: No a/c + no fence=pool repair project. Hopeful project completion time: before the deathly humid summer weather.

 digging out the side, hoping the pool will straighten out.

  Looks better!

  Draining and cleaning it out.

  I can hardly believe that all the kids eagerly put on old clothes and piled in the pool to scrub out all the goop. I guess four years of "maybe next year" is enough to make them jump when it looks like there is some progress!

 The pump no longer functioned at this point. The rest had to be hauled out one shop vacuum tub full at a time. So gross!

 Look how clean it gets!!

 At last! Waiting for the water trucks to come. Don't want the pool getting pushed right out of the ground if there is a big rainfall and the water table rises.

 Oooh, that looks lovely! What a sparkly looking pool! (don't look at the water now. :o )

Also on the list of things to do before it's too hot to function. Lined curtains for the upstairs rooms. and ceiling fan installations!

End of April

 Almost time to wind down school a notch. :)

 The chicken on the bottom of the pecking order. Not so purdy.

 My homemade feeder that did work. But an extra feeder isn't enough to make mean chickens be nice to eachother. (or extra snacks for mean kids :p )

 Having fun with chalk.

 New-to-us goalie pads. Matthew had such bruised shins from hockey in the winter, so we were thrilled to get these--even if winter was over!

 I wonder who's wandering into the house via this grand entrance?

Nathan smashing up the concrete pad that looks so odd in the middle of our biggest flattest section of lawn. Lots and lots of hours of manual labour were put in to this project! Good thing he got most of it done while it was coolish spring weather!

April

 Melanie loves doing math so much.

 Jennifer went all out and baked a huge batch of muffins. Yum!

 Some rounds of catch were played when evenings weren't wet and cold.

 Nathan bought himself a "new" motor for his go-cart. He's planning on some serious riding.

 Walking through the woods I see some mysterious colours flitting through the trees.

 Enjoying the back space!

 Matthew pushing Evelyn about in the wheelbarrow (after I told her to sit!!)

 Working on "the stick fort".

 I attempted to make a second chicken feeder from containers in our recycling bin. It was a failed attempt.

 Now that the ground is thawed the sand can be played with again!

 Can you tell where the ice rink was?

 School work.

 Working hard so that playing in the sunshine can happen faster!

 Nathan pulled bikes down from the green bin and got as many bikes running as possible out of the supplies available.

 Yup, this one is good to go!

 Melanie using her brother's biek while he's working hard.

 Looking for the neighbour's horses. Not here to pet this time. :(

 Zipping around.

 Mom can you help me with this question?

 Zooom.

 Daniel supervising (and helping?) the bike repairs.

 Oh yeah, I'm still around.

 We had two girls, their brother and parents come by for two nights around Good Friday. What a great time to catch up, and the kids had a hoot together. The four girls slept in one room...or well, spent the night in one room, rather.

 The boys had a hoot with their boy too...racing around outside until after dark...fun times!

And Evelyn has been getting efficient at emptying the dishwasher. Good work! It's a new-to-her chore since her birthday.