ELEVENSES HERE *****************************************************************************************

[MaryAnnSingleton]

think we've been deleted,so shall we put ourselves here in other subjects ?
Sleepless night fretting about T and loos and lunches at big school - how neurotic am I ?!

Oh, thank you both so much for your thoughts. Lots of good advice to mull over.

I did actually approach scary PTA ballet teacher at our meeting last week to ask how the classes were going to be organised and she said the letter we'd had saying Tap classes would be starting at the same time as B's ballet class was wrong and they hadn't worked it all out yet. But she seems really quite unapproachable, just smiles inanely and briskly changes the subject. She is very very irritating It'll be interesting when she actually twigs I'm B's mum and the one causing problems At least I'm not alone in my irritation, I know at least 2 others on the PTA who are driven demented because she doesn't ever stop!

I think I won't be able to cope with her week after week tbh, but I don't want to make any hasty decisions as B loves ballet so much. I don't want to take her away from this and discover it's worse somewhere else.

Re the exams, I'm not that fussed about them, but I've a funny feeling B would thrive doing them. She certainly loved doing the pre-primary assessment. Apparently they will be focusing on the show this year, but may do exams the year after, if that's what the teacher wants.

Enough of ballet musings. I'm sure it'll all work out OK. I've just got back from sorting out the library at school, so am going to make some toast now. Thank you for listening to my ramblings!

Your ramblings are always welcome
It makes me happy to know I am not the only one who frets about things...
If B is good at ballet, and enjoys doing the exams, then make sure she keeps doing them

E, despite being long-legged adn skinny, just looked like a clumsy-baby-hippo-in-a-tutu at ballet. It was really quite funny

She is now saying she wants to do competitive swimming. Mmm, up until a year ago I would have thought that was a possibility as she was way ahead in her swimming classes. But she has now slowed down, her peers have caught up, and she is decidedly average now...
Not that it matters, but trials for the swimming team are scarely fierce and the chance of her getting in is nil... So need to dissuade her from that particular path and put her on another one.

Right, have still not done any chores, best get going

I'm still here too and should be sorting the washing...

I've finally booked B in for swimming lessons, she can only swim about 5 metres on a very good day! She's desperate to learn properly, so much so, she's been having a bath in her swimming costume E has done fantastically well to be such a strong swimmer so young. She may well put a spurt on and be ahead of the others again soon... Isn't it hard to know what's best for them though???

Emily can do up to 15 meters, but her technique (apart from backstroke) is messy. In fact many of her classmates have nicer strokes than E. But yes, she may pick it up again. But I know for a fact she won't make the competitive squad. A girl in O's class, F, did the trials for the swimming club squad when she was about 7. F, despite being a brilliant swimmer and who represent teh school in swimming, did not get picked. The competition is just too great. And E is not as strong a swimmer as F was at age 6.

But E still has time, and yes, who knows, maybe she will get another burst of talent

Right, have to pay this bill (the reason I got back to the pc in the first place) and then must go walk dillydog.

I think swimming does progress in spurts - T seems to stick a bit then really improves..his technique is not good but it is gradually improving and he seems to have a lot of stamina and will swim quite far non stop and is lovely and graceful underwater..I think just loves it and is determined to swim as far as you ask him to ! I think I was a bit the same -at one point every week my friend V and I did a distance badge at school swimming...I was also rubbish at sprinting at school but good at things like 800m

I hope so MAS (the spurt thing) At last week's swimmign lesson the teacher pulled E, her friend A and another girl of the same age aside adn told them she did not want to see them in her class after this term. They were the only ones who were still at this level after 2 terms!
Never mind, she'll get there...

Had a lovely walk with dillydog, am just finishing my lunch and then must get changed adn go up to school for Toe by Toe. I feel sooooo tired, could sleep for a week given half a chance.

How is doggle hotcross?

He's fairly perky thanks Hippi. He is a complete Houdini type animal though, and is up on the sofas the minute I turn my back, and can get through my Fort Knox obstacle course to get into the living room when I'm out. Silly dog is not supposed to jump at all He has also decided that he will not, will NOT eat dog food. I am humouring him ATM and figuring the pills maybe have something to do with it, so lovingly cooked chicken and rice for him last night, which he hoovered up I am probably making a rod for my own back...

oh what a lovely boy he sounds !

Aw, I like your doggle hotcross

back from T's swimming lesson and the news that his wonderful teacher has handed in his notice and will finish at Easter Don't know what we'll do then - he's been fantastic and T really,really likes him and has done so well with him. There are other teachers there but they are fully booked. Haven't said anything to T yet...

Oh no MAS Will the pool hire a new teacher?

I doubt it, they've cut back hugely on staff and our teacher is seriously disillusioned with it all - it's partly why he is leaving

Oh no, that is bad But if the other teachers have no spaces, then surely it is foolish of the pool to cut down on staff? Because it will mean pupils will move to different pools?

We have not noticed this at our pool yet, the only sign of the credit crunch there is that they have stopped giving out colour-coordinated swimming hats at each level of lessons (yellow for beginners, green for intermediate etc) and all pupils now get plain silver.
I guess it is cheaper to order 5000 silver hats than 200 of each colour...
(shame though, because O has just reached 'pale lilac' level and I wanted to nab that one for E once O had finished the level )

Talking of swimming, E has her lesson in an hour, so I better get teh bag packed etc.

Back later

oh I think the relatively new management there is just handling it badly - the staff seem to be generally a bit pissed off...

Argh, help calm me down...
E just had the most awful swimming lesson. She refused to wear her goggles, then stood up every 3 strokes whilst all the other children swam whole lenghts...
At one point she was refusing to swim and I had to take off my shoes and socks and come to poolside to give her a rollocking because the teacher looked at me in a 'I give up' gesture.
Am sooooo embarrased by her behaviour and am sooo angry with her!

Anyway, breathe, breathe, breathe....

Grrrrr!

New management at your pool - that's not good...
Shame if they are unable to hang on to the good staff...

E's swimming teacher at this level is too soft... (I have always thought this, not just today) and as a result she is not getting the best out of the children.

Do you have any idea what you will do with T's lessons?

oh poor hippi - try to be calm,these things happen !
Spoke to T and he said he'll just go along to the pool with grandpa who will be joining the gym at the health club and that means he can take T on family swimming sessions, not that dad is very keen on swimming - he does circuit training and stuff on the machines, but he'd probably enjoy being with T or he could sit by the pool and watch him. Don't think T would want lessons anywhere else though might be tempted if one of the instructors there were to have a slot - he gets on so well with this teacher that I think anyone else wouldn't be the same !

Aw, I like the idea of T swimming with grandpa
Is it worth asking the teacher where he is going?
Perhaps if he is going to another pool locally you could follow him there?
Mind you, does T still need lessons? It sounds to me he is a fab swimmer!

Have calmed down now, adn E adn I have made up with a huggle.

I don't know what to do for the best though - do I pay for her to have extra lessons in half term (which would cost £25 and the only timeslot they have is 8.30am ) in a bid to get her improved enough to move up at teh end of term (although that will not be guaranteed at all), or do I let it be and accept that she probably won't move up at Easter and has to do another term in green hats at the cost of £65....

Dh does not want to keep throwing good money at swimming lessons and not actually see a result...

Who knows, perhaps she was just havign an off day. I have seen her swim so much better, but the last few months she has been utter pants

maybe E is getting bored ? I don't think I'd go for the extra half term lessons btw..
T's teacher isn't going on to any other job - he's a retired head master and wants to spend more time doing up his house and looking after his elderly mother (who still swims in the sea at Portsmouth every day at 89 !!)...T swims ok really but it'd be nice to perfect his technique a bit more, but he has learned loads so I can't complain. We'll see

Oh, shame about T's teacher. But wow and at his mum swimming in the sea!!

I too think E needs to be challenged more in swimming. But in order for that to happen she needs to move up a group. And she won't move up unless she stops messing about in this level class and starts to swim properly again. Argh!

Why would you not do the half term class? Money, or the time of day? Or another reason?

Am feeling guilty about shouting at E now. I really did go to town on her and then phoned dh at worked and cried at him about her, and this really upset her. I feel awful now, and very

E is now quietly doing colouring and O is reading an apparently unputdownable book, so all is quiet and peaceful here
I am browsing online for a new mac as my old spring-jacket is so tatty it is only good for dog-walking now...

I suppose possibly the money and the time, but it might be that E needs a little break - it wouldn't hurt possibly to not go for a term ? that';s just off the top of my head...

I agree I think... I can just take them swimming myself once or twice in the half term. I am worried E is losing her enthusiasm for swimming because alls he does is lessons. And she said this morning she does not like the lessons...
I cannot give her a break for a whole term as they have a massive waiting list so I lose her place and it will take 2 years to get a place again.
But will not do the half term ones....and just risk her not going up (again)

Grrr, am so fed up with this whole swimming lesson lark. Will rejoice when they are both finished!

there's always something vexing, isn't there

argh, I know, it never ends

Hello! Hope you both had great weekends?

This change thing is horrible isn't it? Just as our dcs seem to be thriving, something changes Poor T...

Hippi, I agree with MAS. I don't think I'd do the holiday swimming either. Maybe E just needs to 'tread water'(sorry for the unintentional pun!) for a bit, and she might then want to knuckle down and improve again. No point throwing money away for no noticeable gain IMO, but equally I don't enjoy swimming myself, so it's a huge commitment to actually take her swimming myself. I know you swim regularly anyway, so maybe taking E for a bit would be enough to enthuse her again?

I've had a friend here for coffee this morning, which was lovely, and am now off to walk doggle before the next shower arrives.