Now that soccer is over till the fall, we have decided to spend our free time at the pool. The Country Club near our house has recently offered a Pool Only membership at a significantly cheaper price than the typical membership which also includes 18 hole golf course, tennis courts, etc. Our family friends also belong to this pool along with about 1/2 of Anton's Cub Scout Pack. So it has proven to be a good social and fun place to meet and not intrude on each others houses. I know I made the post before about money, and this was an expense, but we purchased our membership about a month ago. I figured with the stepping back from our usual school activity expenses of soccer, gymnastics, and horseback riding, we are pretty much even in costs for physical activity for the children with Karl and I getting to use the pool also. It is also cheaper than swim lessons when Karl gives the kids a lesson on form on Sundays and then I make them do at least two laps when we go during the week to practise his instructions.
So if you can not find us at home, we are probably at the pool and this is a good thing. Just this past week, the weather advisory has issued their second air quality alert due to the unusually high humidity and heat indexes for this time of the season. By going to the pool, we can still get exercise without getting overheated. I just have children pleading for ice cream from the snack bar.
Pianos - about 4 months ago the kids Piano Instructor gave me a 6-8 month warning of needing to upgrade from our keyboard to either a full size keyboard or piano. Anton has progressed enough to need more than the 5 octaves of the keyboard in the coming future. It just so happens friends of ours sat on the board of a small private school that was closing it's doors. In the chaos of vacating the building, the question came up if the board knew of anyone in need of a piano. Our friends pointed the piano towards us. It was delivered and set up in our living room at no cost to us. The piano needs some minor tuning, it is driving Anton crazy to the ever so slightly off tune of the E key closest to middle C, and some beautifying but it was free!
When time and money allow, I will find myself sanding off a brown and a black paint layer to find the dark cherry stain underneath, something I found from the inside of the piano bench. I doubt I will just re-stain it because I do not intend to move it from my living room and stain is very potent, so I will probably just paint it black.
