For the first time in eight years, we do not have a pool membership at the Texas Pool for the summer.
And yet, here we are, in the throes of the hot Texas summer with no pool membership. Never fear, however, the Great Summertime Pool Adventure of 2008 is well underway.
Our first swim of the summer actually came before school was out. Trey had been invited for a birthday party/sleepover with his friend Dan, whose family does have a membership to the new Tom Muehlenbeck Center. The boys (and Matt) hung out and enjoyed lots of waterlogged fun in the indoor pool, complete with a slide and a lazy river.
Overall rating: 2 fins up (only because Crisana and I were at the theater that night)
Then came Memorial Day weekend and an invitation to join the Texas Pool for an “open house” of sorts. We couldn’t pass that up! And even though the pool was crowded, we managed to find a table in the shade and have a splashing good time for a few hours. We visited and played with the Worleys and even saw a friend from our Marsh Lane days there…talk about a blast from the past!
Overall rating: 4 fins up. We love this place.
On Memorial Day itself we revisited an old “tradition” of ours. You see, we discovered several years ago that despite popular belief that water parks are jammed full on long summer holiday weekends, the opposite is really true. So we took our kids to Hawaiian Falls in The Colony on Memorial Day and spent the whole day laughing, splashing, riding rides, and floating the lazy river – with far less company than you’d expect. Though we can’t afford to visit this pool very often, we always have a great time when we go.
Overall rating: 4 fins up – WAY up!
Crisana and I took advantage of an offer to join a friend at the pool at Lifetime Fitness in Allen while Trey was still in school. Though the pool wasn’t very big, it had a lot to offer the pint-sized set and Rachel and Crisana had a great time swimming underwater, sliding down the slide, and getting splashed and sprayed. We credit Rachel with convincing Crisana that wearing her goggles is a good thing. Now we can’t keep our little fish’s face out of the water.
Overall rating: 2 fins up…for now. I intend to go back with Trey soon which I’m sure will bump the rating factor.
We spent the first two weeks in June at Juanita Maxfield Aquatic Center in McKinney for swim lessons. The kids loved the sea dragon and Trey eventually learned to master crossing the pool on the sea serpent. We enjoyed this pool a lot, but since it doesn’t open until 1:00 and closes at 5:00, we haven’t gone back often since swim lessons ended.
Overall rating: 3 fins up.
In mid-June, we arranged a play date with one of Crisana’s preschool friends at Celebration Park in Allen. Though not a pool, it is a sprayground and does a fine job of keeping us all cool on a hot summer day. On this particular outing, the moms did not swim, but we brought blankets and lawn chairs and a picnic lunch and enjoyed a few hours of visiting while the kids had fun getting sprayed and playing on the playground.
Overall rating: 3 1/2 fins up.
During the week of BYBC, we decided to take an afternoon getaway to Ford Pool in Allen with one of the other adult helpers and her two boys. Though they live in our neighborhood, we haven’t had much opportunity to get together with them despite the fact that we have a lot in common. So when she suggested Ford Pool we jumped at the chance to check out a new swimming hole with some new friends! This pool has a nice shallow end and a good shaded picnic area with lots of tables. The deck is also large which allows more room for all our stuff! But the pool itself has very little to offer compared to the others we’ve visited. It was also very crowded the day we came and that made it difficult for our kids to really enjoy swimming around.
Overall rating: 2 1/2 fins up.
Last week, we visited two different pools with two different friends. On Monday, we met up with a friend from Trey’s school at the Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium in Allen. This indoor pool is much like the one in Plano, with a slide and lazy river. We brought a friend from the neighborhood for Crisana to play with and I got my exercise chasing them around the lazy river and through the whirlpool! The boys slid and swam to their hearts’ content, even though Trey was considered by one lifeguard to be too tall for the spray structure. The overpowering smell of chlorine finally chased us out and we were glad to be back in the fresh air. But of course we didn’t have to worry about sunscreen or bugs.
Overall rating: 3 fins up.
Then on Thursday we dipped our toes in the Old Settler’s Aquatic Center in McKinney. The pool has a decent slide, a mushroom sprayer, two lemon drop sprayers, and bubblers. The deck is nicely shaded though a bit short on chairs and lounges. We brought picnic lunches and got there early, since the pool opens at 10:00. Even though there were quite a few people there, it never felt truly crowded and the kids had lots of room to swim around. We all participated in a game of group tag. Though it’s tucked away into a lesser-traveled part of McKinney, the atmosphere was nice and the pool was clean and well-cared for. It’s an easy drive from our house, so I think we’ll be spending lots more time here this summer.
Overall rating: 4 fins up.
The Great Summertime Pool Adventure of 2008 has truly been an adventure thus far. But as my brown-skinned children can attest, it has also been great. We’ve found lots of places where we can keep cool this summer and enjoyed renewing old friendships and forging new ones along the way. We’ve still got a lot of summer left, but I have no doubt we’ll continue to find new and different watering holes to help us beat the heat.
Splash on!
You all should become paid critics with all these reviews. Actually, I bought a book that a group of moms wrote about places and activities in Heather’s area that are child friendly. A teacher that taught a class I took was one of the authors, Now about that A I earned in that class . . .