I'm Never Accepting a Free Pool Again

So the boys' grandma gave us a free pool last summer.  It was the 16' Intex above ground pool that she had at her house for a couple of years.  She hurt her back so she couldn't mess with it anymore.  After two failed tries, we finally got it set up right and enjoyed swimming and floating around in the pool for the summer.

Well, last Fall we just drained it and let it sit uncovered for the winter. 

BIG MISTAKE!

HUGE MISTAKE!

In May, we started putting the salt and chemicals in to shock it and get rid of the algae.  45 days, $200 in chemicals and countless tears later, we finally gave up and drained the pool.  Now there's about an inch of water and algae left at the bottom. This morning I was in the backyard scooping buckets of water out of the pool. It was the hardest work.  My back is killing me now and I think I suffered some sort of heat illness.

And...there's still water and algae in the pool.  Now we're going to take the sides down and scrub the pool liner. 

Have I mentioned that I hate this pool by now?! 

But....we are trying to be good parents and get the pool up so the boys don't have to go to the city pool everyday.  And, actually I want the pool up so I can lay out in peace. 

Is it too much to ask for a pool with clean water that I can float on a raft in?  (That was horrible grammar but I don't care!)

The "Free" Swimming Pool

In May, the boys Grandma (my ex-mother-in-law who I get along with really well) asked us if we wanted the little swimming pool she had at her house.  She said it was super easy to put up so we agreed to take it.  When Mr. H said we'd take it, she told him to go ahead and come in a truck and bring someone with him.  I didn't understand how big it was at the time. 

Well, four weeks later and four times of doing this.......the pool didn't seem so fun anymore!

Draining the pool after putting it up

See how unlevel the pool is....this is not the right way to have your pool standing

Neighbors kept texting us to tell us that our backyard was flooding into the street.  We had to admit that we put our pool up on unlevel ground, again.

Mr. H and his Dad had to laugh about the four times putting it up.

Me with zero makeup on and sick of watching the pool drain AGAIN

It didn't help that it looked like this everyday for 3 weeks.  It made the yard nasty and muddy. 

It's now the middle of July and we finally have the pool up.  I actually spent an hour on my little raft sunbathing yesterday.  Awwwww!