*sigh* this may take a while

ohdearhowdidthathappen

We've decided to stick to UK holidays again next year, mainly to keep costs down.  Plus only 3 of us currently have passports and I can't be doing with the admin of passports, insurance etc etc
Have put a deposit down for a holiday home in summer hols and a mobile home break in the Easter hols.... £25 each and it means I know how much I need to save in the meantime.  The two together come in at £2k which sounds a lot, but for 7 of us for 14 nights (total) it's as good as I could find and both look like lovely places.
No idea if ET will be joining us, but the size of the accommodation doesn't really change whether 6 or 7 staying, so she can decide nearer the time.  If she ditches one, it'll be the mobile home one, she was very unimpressed this year.  They're a bit spoilt for accommodation really as our house is spacious and they have their own rooms, so holiday places often feel cramped.  I point out they're there for the location, not the house   The Wifi situation is the most pressing concern for the older 3  

Drawingaline

Swimming lessons are crazy expensive. The girl did a few but then went to secondary school with a pool and they kept the non swimmers behind on a Friday and taught them for free. She is ok. The boy, like me, is allergic to chlorine. And then chose to go to a different secondary school so no free lessons. So he had to go into group lessons as the eldest. He can do a length, messily and it takes ages, but he won't drown. 

The smaller two were harder. The smallest loves swimming, but couldn't cope with the large group lessons so had to find a swim school that has groups of 3. He can do a length on his back, and half a length on his front. He has just started football training and the swim school have put their rates up (like yours, except she has hit the vat threshold so is kindly passing that along 🙄) so have told him he can do until Xmas. 

And the weird one started one to one lessons in 2019. For him it was about water confidence and learning to tread water, swimming was a bonus. He hates getting wet and any water on his face freaks him out. The instructor was amazing and gave up on front and back crawl and taught him breast stroke. He can swim a length with a noodle very, very, very slowly, but he lacks core strength and I am so proud of him. She has unfortunately stopped teaching now, but I know I can take him swimming and he won't freak out and hang off my neck like he used to.

It's definitely an important skill, and is so expensive. But ultimately necessary.

Now I just need to get the smallest to learn to ride a bike!

savingholmes

Well done on the swimming lessons. 

Sounds like you have a great price for your holidays too. 

Forgive me if I missed it - have you started your new role yet?

ohdearhowdidthathappen

Drawingaline said:

Swimming lessons are crazy expensive. The girl did a few but then went to secondary school with a pool and they kept the non swimmers behind on a Friday and taught them for free. She is ok. The boy, like me, is allergic to chlorine. And then chose to go to a different secondary school so no free lessons. So he had to go into group lessons as the eldest. He can do a length, messily and it takes ages, but he won't drown. 

The smaller two were harder. The smallest loves swimming, but couldn't cope with the large group lessons so had to find a swim school that has groups of 3. He can do a length on his back, and half a length on his front. He has just started football training and the swim school have put their rates up (like yours, except she has hit the vat threshold so is kindly passing that along 🙄) so have told him he can do until Xmas. 

And the weird one started one to one lessons in 2019. For him it was about water confidence and learning to tread water, swimming was a bonus. He hates getting wet and any water on his face freaks him out. The instructor was amazing and gave up on front and back crawl and taught him breast stroke. He can swim a length with a noodle very, very, very slowly, but he lacks core strength and I am so proud of him. She has unfortunately stopped teaching now, but I know I can take him swimming and he won't freak out and hang off my neck like he used to.

It's definitely an important skill, and is so expensive. But ultimately necessary.

Now I just need to get the smallest to learn to ride a bike!

Allergic to chlorine, that must be a right pain! 

'The weird one' made me smile... my DH and I (privately) call our youngest 'the oddity' as he's a bit tricky.... non verbal until 4 and has always been a bit off, not enough to cause him major issues, but tricky.  Likes things a certain way, doesn't like any mess or loud noises, hates pooing (TMI?), water on his face (showers make him panic) etc.  He's an absolute sweetheart, very affectionate and kind and we completely adore him.  But we definitely wouldn't have had 5 if he was our eldest
I was dreading swimming, but he got in straight away and he doesn't freak out unless splashed, can't swim for toffee though he'll be doing lessons until he can though.  He's nearly 7 and can't yet cycle, it's our summer mission!

ohdearhowdidthathappen

savingholmes said:

Well done on the swimming lessons. 

Sounds like you have a great price for your holidays too. 

Forgive me if I missed it - have you started your new role yet?

DH moans as I book so far in advance, but it makes a massive difference to price and budgeting!  I aim to do one holiday near a beach and another more 'country'... I like there to be activities and days out nearby.
This year is Devon and Peak District, next year Cornwall and New Forest.

I start mid July in new role.... 3 months notice period is a bit painful!  Although my colleagues are lovely so it's fine really.

savingholmes

2 months left then really. Do you have any holiday you can take to speed things along or are you hoping to get paid for them?

Drawingaline

ohdearhowdidthathappen said:

Drawingaline said:

Swimming lessons are crazy expensive. The girl did a few but then went to secondary school with a pool and they kept the non swimmers behind on a Friday and taught them for free. She is ok. The boy, like me, is allergic to chlorine. And then chose to go to a different secondary school so no free lessons. So he had to go into group lessons as the eldest. He can do a length, messily and it takes ages, but he won't drown. 

The smaller two were harder. The smallest loves swimming, but couldn't cope with the large group lessons so had to find a swim school that has groups of 3. He can do a length on his back, and half a length on his front. He has just started football training and the swim school have put their rates up (like yours, except she has hit the vat threshold so is kindly passing that along 🙄) so have told him he can do until Xmas. 

And the weird one started one to one lessons in 2019. For him it was about water confidence and learning to tread water, swimming was a bonus. He hates getting wet and any water on his face freaks him out. The instructor was amazing and gave up on front and back crawl and taught him breast stroke. He can swim a length with a noodle very, very, very slowly, but he lacks core strength and I am so proud of him. She has unfortunately stopped teaching now, but I know I can take him swimming and he won't freak out and hang off my neck like he used to.

It's definitely an important skill, and is so expensive. But ultimately necessary.

Now I just need to get the smallest to learn to ride a bike!

Allergic to chlorine, that must be a right pain! 

'The weird one' made me smile... my DH and I (privately) call our youngest 'the oddity' as he's a bit tricky.... non verbal until 4 and has always been a bit off, not enough to cause him major issues, but tricky.  Likes things a certain way, doesn't like any mess or loud noises, hates pooing (TMI?), water on his face (showers make him panic) etc.  He's an absolute sweetheart, very affectionate and kind and we completely adore him.  But we definitely wouldn't have had 5 if he was our eldest
I was dreading swimming, but he got in straight away and he doesn't freak out unless splashed, can't swim for toffee though he'll be doing lessons until he can though.  He's nearly 7 and can't yet cycle, it's our summer mission!

Both the weird one and the smallest have an asd diagnosis. Both present in totally different ways though. Love their oddities and the way their brains work, the weird one is doing so so well in maths, he seems to have finally found his thing. 

Not long until the new job, it will fly by.

And am jealous with you and your holiday planning. I am taking two kids up to Scotland in July, but we aren't going away as a family tbh the oldest two won't want to come anymore which would make it cheaper, but I just can't seem to prioritise any money towards it. 

CRANKY40

About the non cycling kids......if they're on the spectrum they're probably hypermobile. If they are then the ligaments in their legs don't support the muscles properly so things like pedalling a bike need so much more effort from them. Mine never did learn - I bought him a go cart which he did manage to pedal. He had to give up playing football on a field because uneven ground means that muscles need to work hard to keep upright even before running and tactics are factored in. 

You can have them assessed by a physio and given exercises to help and insoles to correct their gait though without having to have them assessed for anything else. 

Drawingaline

My older asd child has under developed gross motor skills and great fine motor skills (his writing is sooo neat?!) And will possibly never ride a bike and it's definitely noticeable in swimming lessons.  The younger one has amazing gross motor skills and is great at football and climbing and swimming and gym. His hand fine motor skills are shocking. They are both very similar and so different. 

ohdearhowdidthathappen

savingholmes said:

2 months left then really. Do you have any holiday you can take to speed things along or are you hoping to get paid for them?

Not really, a few days that are already factored in.  My boss wouldn't entertain paying me for them, she wants staff as long as possible.
I genuinely like my boss, she's so so lovely.  Unfortunately, management and HR tie her hands a lot (common in NHS) and she loses staff because of it.  Then she gets hammered because she can't retain staff?