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The holidays are officially over. Everyone is back to school and this week we returned to our Water Babies swimming lessons. We have always blogged our way through our Water Babies journey but as it is Nanny who takes the little fish to her lessons, I always miss out on the fun so I have made sure that over the holidays I have taken the time to swim with her regularly.

Now there is one thing I need to share with you, my youngest daughter is an independent little lady ( I have NO IDEA where she gets this from) and when she gets something in her head, there is not much chance of changing it. So one of our swimming sessions consisted of her jumping off the side and splashing into the water, whilst singing "humpty dumpty fell off the wall". This has done wonders for my arm muscles.

I was amazed at how confident she was in the water and kicking her legs and doggy paddling with her hands and I was a little overwhelmed with pride when another mom commented on the little ones water skills in the pool. I can't take any credit for it but that didn't stop me raving about Water Babies.

So today they went back to Water Babies and typically the little fish didn't want to go underwater, so she didn't. Her speech and comprehension has come on leaps and bounds over the past few weeks and she knows what you are talking about. So if you are talking about something she doesn't like the sound of, she will certainly vocalise it. At first I thought it maybe another of the possible "toddler water wobbles" but after the lesson she was putting her face in the water and laughing with Nanny. Lynsey the teacher caught her and chuckled at her cheekiness.

The one thing that made me chuckle was Nanny telling me that the little one had "pooed" during the lesson and as we are toilet training at the moment, there was quite alot of conversation about the poo apparently, much to my moms embarressment. Thank goodness for the Happy Nappy!!

Mom said that it was a strange start to the new term as the class had been joined with a younger group of babies. I think some of the parents felt disgruntled by this but having younger babies gave the older ones a chance to go over some of the basic techniques again, which is never a bad thing. So we embark on a new term and have a chance to make new friends, learn new techniques and find out how many ways little fish can find to be cheeky it seems! 

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Its the end of August and tomorrow means the start of September and the return to the school run. Back to School is something that is talked about by parents in differing tones, some will be starting new schools and have excitement and nerves, whereas I have seen other social media updates with parents who can't wait for the new term. Where do I stand? I suppose I am a little odd in that I don't really want my eldest daugher to go back to school. I love having her at home and seeing her grow and play and I can honestly say that during the summer holidays, I don't miss the madness of the school run one little bit.

So with the little one preparing for nursery for the very first time and my eldest going into year four (which she is very excited about) , I started looking at back to school checklists for surviving the first week back to school and here are my top tips.

1. Set the alarm clock 10 minutes earlier, you have the choice to snooze it (my choice) or get up 10 minutes earlier to make your morning less stressful.

2. Lay out the uniform the night before. This sounds so simple but seriously stops any debates with budding fashionista's who decide that they don't want to wear something you choose.

3. On the same subject, after a number of years of battling I have conceeded that trying to get a small child to wear something they don't like, every single day, for a whole school year is pointless and stressful for all concerned. Sometimes it is better to let them have their little victories (it is obviously best to let this happen whilst shopping, rather than after you have paid for said disliked item!)

4. Routine, routine, routine. My girls thrive on routine but during the holidays this tends to go out of the window, so in the week before the return to school, it is best to try and bring bedtime back in line by 10 minutes each day. (so the children don't notice and the grown ups reclaim their evenings). Thanks to Emma for reminding me about this one.

5. Keep shoes and bags in the same place. Both you and the children will always know where they are, so there is no rushing around looking for an odd shoe. This habit will enable them to develop their own independence and be responsible for their own things.

Back to School is another reminder that my girls are growing up but it doesn't need to be stressful (unless you count that I am getting older too!).

Would you add any tips?

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Dear Mom,

I don't often say this but I am grateful.

I am grateful that you worked hard, so I could appreciate the value of money.

I am grateful for my brother, so I could understand the importance of sharing.

I am grateful for that dad could moan about mowing the lawns, as it meant we had lovely grass to play on.

I am grateful for having to pay housekeeping, so I could appreciate the cost of living.

I am grateful for having to do household chores, so I could understand how difficult it is to keep a home

I am grateful for your strict rules, so I could learn morals and honour

I am grateful that you always made me write thank you notes, as it made me appreciate people's kindness.

I am grateful for your patience and as a mother, I now understand why you need it.

I am grateful for a childhood home, where everyone was welcome

I am grateful for you.

I love you.

From me x