Potty update...

Or rather 'toilet' update as Jasmine refuses to use the potty. She has done so well this week and even stayed dry all night for two nights in a row. Last night she did have an accident, but the makeshift mat saved the day (or rather, the night). They both had accidents actually, but I think that they drank too much of the pool water when they went swimming. And because we got back home late, they also had their last drink later than usual.
Jamsine has a very particular way of sitting on the toilet. I have a special seat that has handles and makes the toilet smaller so she can sit comfortably on it. When I put her on she sits very solemnly with her hands folded neatly in her lap - she won't smile back at me (even when I am grinning like an idiot) until she has finished her business. Then ever so slowly she raises her eyes to mine and a grin breaks out on her face...cue me clapping and saying 'yay, you did it, well done!!!'

Swimming fun
Maria (Nick's mum) came to stay yesterday and whilst Ben had his swimming lesson she took Jasmine into the main pool. My poor little baby, who had been so excited to wear her 'swimming trunks(!), was terrified! I could see he little arms clinging to 'pippi' (their name for Maria) as they sat at the water's edge. As the pool is more of a leisure pool, you enter it like you would the sea, rather than climb down into it. She was petrified of the waves - even though she'd been looking forward to them, but allowed Pippi to sit on the 'beach' with her as the waves lapped at them. I was watching from the sidelines, whilst also trying to watch Ben's swimming lesson. Jasmine hasn't been in a swimming pool since we were in St Lucia and she was 5 months old. I have been too afraid to go alone with the two of them as neither is used to the water and can get scared quite easily. I was always worried that i wouldn't be able to cope with them both alone. Luckily Ben is improving because of his lessons, in fact he did really in his lesson today. He did however, get over excited (and I think spurred on by the sight of his fellow learners jumping into the water) and he went to jump onto his back in the water. As you can imagine he sunk like a rock and came up spluttering and flailing about! He climbed out and ran crying to the instructor who duly calmed him down (I was a little worried, but realised that he was in no real danger). He swam the length of the pool (it's only a baby pool) a few times with the rubber tube around him the first time without being led by an instructor - I was so proud! After he had finished he joined Maria and Jasmine in the fun pool and I was so jealous. I couldn't join them becuase I seem to have misplaced my costume, so I could only look on with envy as they splashed in the waves. As the kids gained more confidence and got used to the water they all seemed to be having so much fun. I will definately be buying a costume and taking them myself very soon!
In the showers afterwards I was helping Ben to get washed when he told me he needed to go to the toilet. Well, I have this thing about toilets in swimming pools ( actually I have a thing about public toilets full stop, but especially the ones at pools) as you never can tell just what that wet stuff on the floor is.....so I told Ben to just do it in the shower. Big mistake. He pulled down his trunks and weeed up the wall, and yes there were other people in the shower! He only did what I asked I guess, just not quite in the way I envisioned!