My Water Baby

Today I cried my first tears of pride for my daughter. I have been taking her to a water babies class for the last two or three weeks and today she floated on her back without any help for nearly a minute. It was amazing to see. The speed of the progress has been mind blowing. Last week she floated alone for just a few seconds and today she looked like she could stay there for ever but the teacher got hld of her because she didn't want her to get too tired. She's only tne months old for God's sake. I can't even float!!

Its a hard going class because the teacher ducks her right under water and when she fights to get to the top, after a few seconds, the teacher spins her over on herself and under the water again ...to make her keep learning the instinct to come to the top and float no mater what happens. You have to see it to belive it. In such a short time she is floating. I think by the time she is about 2 she will be diving in!

She is presently sleeping it off in her cot. It really tires them out. All the mum's say that their kids sleep for ages after. Another bonus of taking them! Joking apart though, I take her because my parent's in law have an uncovered outdoor pool and it frightens me to think what could happen if for a second someone takes their eyes off her. When I am there then I will be watching her all the time but I am going to be scared to go inside or leave her there alone if she can't swim.

I have been looking into schools here in Valencia. Yes, already. Generally I am appalled at how bad the system is re enquiring about schools. Basically, there isn't a system. I ahve been over to a few of the private schools in walking distance and they have no open day, no prospectus, no nothing. Apparently I am just supposed to know which school I want Olivia to go to without being allowed to go inside and have a look! Mental. I suppose, like everything else in Spain, it works via word of mouth. However, when you are English and Catalan and living in Valencia then you don't have many words coming to you from local mouths. Hmm.

Thankfully our prefered school (only because it is the brother school of where Jose went - The brothers of La Salle) has a website which includes lots of photos.......and they show exactly the sort of things I want to see. Not much grass but then this is Valencia and not Yorkshire and that is something I just have to accept. I've got their phone number and I shall ring them later and see what I can get out of them re fees, school buses, places left etc. Its a drive out of the city so a school bus is something I am hoping for. As you'll know from previous blogs, we already have the classic school run luxury 4x4, but I don't actually want to put it to that use. If I have got another baby at home then I am not planning on getting up and driving across the city. Of course, I will do it if it is either that or send Olivia to one of the more centrally based good schools where they don't even have one tree, not one!! (can you imagine how horrible - I grew up surrounded by grass and trees and its the way to be if you ask me).

I am starting to teach English to the sister of a friend this afternoon. Hopefully Olivia will let me as she will obviously be crawling around the place as the class takes place. Fingers crossed.

S xx