While the boys were at Nursery, Anya used her solo time with me for as many grown-up activities as she could squeeze in (this is likely to be the last time without annoying brothers around for a while).
She started every morning with a crash-course of swimming lessons - she loved every minute of them and asked if she could go again. I've resisted swimming lessons so far (and she is just about the only child I know who doesn't have them), the thought of shoe-horning them in after school with three tired and grumpy children is too much for me and I'm not willing to give up the whole family's weekend. Also the system for allocating the lessons at the local pool involves queueing for at least three hours. Instead we try to go swimming as a family as often as we can face. After this week maybe I will have to reevaluate my priorities? Any way - rant over, Anya can now star float, mushroom float, swim well on her back and with a bit of practice will have mastered breathing on her front.
We spent the days making cakes, painting a T-shirt, writing, reading and having grown up chats (as well as exciting things like shopping and cleaning!).
On her last day of freedom we went for lunch and bowling with her older friends (it was the last day of freedom for most of them too). Anya wasn't happy with her bowling performance but had a great time.
Deep thought of the week - "Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life" ~ Sophocles (I must be feeling a bit hormonal as this made feel all warm inside! - now must go and stop the children form killing each other)
Love it! I go through phases with swim lessons, with the girls doing a term and then nothing for a year. They build on what they've learned in a term with our regular, family trips, and teach themselves so much. Crash courses sound just the ticket to me!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the photo of them all at bowling - looks like a total hoot!
I have to ask, where do you get all your inspiring quotes from? Do you have a couple of fabulous quote books at hand? I so enjoy them.
Best wishes, Sarah x
Hi - glad to hear that I'm not the only mum that resists peer pressure!
ReplyDeleteGoogle has a lot to answer for with the quotes. The best website is quotegarden.com.
take care xoxo
I started both my boys swimming at an early age and became quite the expert at organising their different level lessons to coincide so I only spent one hour per week at the pool. That was before we came to live on an island! Of course it's really important that all young people grow up swimming well here. One of them is now post-honours and is waiting to start his lifeguarding course so we'll see some financial payback when he gets a part time job at the local pool, alongside his studies... Hurraaah! Anya's special week with you sounds lovely - and what a lot you squeezed in!
ReplyDeleteJanice.
Hope that the pay back makes it as far as a bunch of flowers for you!
ReplyDeleteJust got back from another swim and have nearly mastered breathing on the front - but maybe swimming lessons might be less work for me?!
I suspect a bunch of flowers for me won't be on the cards! My boys are 15 and 13 now - I LOVE to see how relaxed and confident they are in the water - and with other people in the water. Last 'summer' (ha!) the youngest was afraid of diving and my older son showed him where he was going wrong and cured him instantly. The cost of swimming lessons adds up of course, especially for three children, and although I'm glad to be coming to the end of that particular expense, I don't regret a penny of it. Plus - just supposing you get them all in class at the same time - you get a little bit of well-earned time out, and maybe a coffee at the poolside café....? But for now it sounds like your lessons with Anya are progressing well, so good luck with it!
ReplyDeleteJanice.