Decking is done!

This is the view from where the diving board will be.


Here is the opposite end, the play pool (shallow) side. The next step is for us to pick the tile.

We are constantly amazed by construction

We had no idea that they were going to come out today to frame out the decking. It's a little disconcerting to wake up to the sound of voices and hammering in your backyard. But it brings us one step closer. With 100 degree temperatures forecast for all this week, we're wondering if we might get some use out of this pool this year after all!

Pictures of the other babies

The cat who still thinks he's the only child. He still loves sleeping in bowls & sinks.

The son who loves the cat like a brother.
Christopher got some sunglasses this week and he's modeling them here while standing in a box and asking Grandma for "more" singing. He likes having her sing "Pop Goes the Weasel" and he sits down in the box on the "Pop!"

Next phase completed

It's amazing to me what can be done with rebar! The steel went in Monday and Tuesday. We thought we would have to wait for a couple of weeks for the shotcrete to be done, but they came today. Now it actually looks more like a pool! We have to spray it down a few times a day for five days to slow the curing process and help prevent large cracks from forming. Then the next phase goes in at the end of next week.

The pool has been excavated!

Here is the finished dig! The left picture is from the diving end and the one on the right is the play pool end. All of the white layer that you see along the sides of the dirt is the hard clay. It's like natural concrete. They had to use a nasty-looking pick attachment to break through it. But it's done, and the plumbers will be here tomorrow.

Trying again. The last picture didn't post.
And I've added one showing how he likes to watch TV.

The things they learn on their own....

We swear we didn't teach him this - well, I suppose I can only vouch for myself, but I've never known Matt to be a nose picker. The problem is that if you laugh, which is hard not to do, it only encourages him!

Finally, some updates!

I'm so motivated by Melisa & Josh's diligence at keeping their site updated that I decided to take advantage of a little free time (Christopher is riding around on his toy fire truck) to post a few pictures of our own! Here is one showing the excitement at our house yesterday: We paid some people to put a big hole in our yard. We're hoping it will eventually be a pool.
They ran into hard clay about 4 feet down, so we have a slight delay until the jack hammer shows up!