pools and pianos...

So we emptied the pool halfway. Mike was so frustrated because he put so much time, effort, and money into getting this "free" pool to work. Well, more like to get the water to NOT be brown. SO he emptied half of it last night, and has decided that for an hour every day, he is going to connect the hose from inside the house to the pool. Water coming directly from inside the house is filtered, and thus will be CLEAR. Though by this morning, the entire pool managed to empty, so I don't know if a valve or something was left open on the pool itself, but the rest of the water leaked out. What a pain anyhow. I'm so over it. But of course the kids are disappointed. Mike figures with the cool weather this week, there wouldn't be any swimming anyways, so let's try this filtered water thing out. Hopefully that'll do the trick. I never had a pool growing up, and while I probably wanted one when I was younger, I was never a swimmer or water lover anyways. I definitely never thought we'd have a pool. But when something's free...what do ya do? Try it out I guess.

Which leads me to a MUCH more exciting freebie. I happened to go on our church/new school website to check out registration info, etc. There I found a post for a FREE piano!!! Yes, a free piano. The school is giving it away, for no charge. The reason?? They just don't have a need for it; the 7 & 8th grade teacher doesn't play the piano (that is the classroom it was in). Every other room already has a piano, or uses the internet/smart board to access hymns (I am a bit shocked by that...so parochial teachers are no longer required to play piano, or what?? Technology...) SO, I went to look at it today, expecting I don't know what. But I loved it!! Yes, it's big. But it plays beautifully, didn't even sound like it needed to be tuned. It definitely needs to be refinished, but I don't even care. I'd be in no rush to do that. A free piano. For those who don't know, I am a self-taught piano player. In my parents' last house, a piano came with the house (so, that was approx. 1993 or so when they bought that house I believe). While my Aunt had taught me the basics, I listened to songs I loved and my Dad would buy me cool sheet music (Tori Amos, for example) and I would play till I could get it right. I am so excited!! I've been dying to play again; it's been almost 10 years... And Kaycey wants to take lessons. Conveniently the new school offers lessons by two different teachers: either during the school day or after school. We chatted with the principal (he's also the 5 & 6 grade teacher) and his wife (Maddie's soon-to-be preschool teacher). They are so nice! Not that we ever had direct run-ins with the principal at the public school, but even just in passing she was not particularly friendly. I really feel good about the switch. Kaycey and Cal still do not...