First Ice Skating Competition (proud mum moment)

Jasmin has been practising her routine really hard and tonight she competed in her first in house skating competition.  I was so proud of  her.

She loved all the dressing up and getting her hair done.

It was so lovely to watch all the girls, they all gave each other lots of encouragement. The parents were so lovely too applauding everyone.   There were three first prizes, one in each group and the others received a goody bag of lollies and sweets.

I asked Jasmin how she felt,  and did it make her want to carry on, she said it did, and she loved it.  So we are up at 6.00 in the morning happy daysxxx

before the competition

snake

warm up prep talk

final photo shoot, not v clear. def need new camera!!!

Girls world - Hair designs

Jasmin has loved watching the programme Hair.  She really enjoyed it when the stylists created sculpture with the hair.

She has created all sorts of styles (glad she has a girls world…much better than mums hair)

not sure how you would walk with this as your hair style...

What did we get up to in April (part two skating and biking)

Before we went on holiday Jasmin passed her level 7  ice skating and has just started level 8.

Whilst we were on holiday we arranged for Jasmin to have a few skating lessons, we didn't know until we arrived that it was with  Czech bronze olympic medalist Petr Barna who had skated with Torvill and Dean and Robin Cousins.

Skating is very different in Switzerland, a  lot of work is done on posture both on and off the ice, sticking to the basics for the first year, then moving forward.  Jasmin really ached after each session.  She also learnt the importance of warming up and down before each session.   The ice was so perfect too, no bumps at all... She can't wait to get through the rest of her levels so she can go on patch ice.

The rink was also never busy.

Jasmin also watched the Ice Princess, which must be good as it has over taken Frozen as her favourite film to watch.
We have spent sometime researching ice skating medalists.

Jasmin and Petre starting off a training session.

 Also whilst on holiday Jasmin learnt to ride her bike without stabilisers.  A kind man who owned the village shop let us borrow bikes without any charge for the time we was away.  He was just so happy that Jasmin was learning to ride  her bike.  Jasmin painted a picture for  him to say thank you at the end of the week.

Josh was brilliant with her, showing lots of patience whenever Jasmin became frustrated.

She was so proud of herself when she finally knew she could ride.

Josh showing Jasmin how to cycle

What did we get up to in April (part one) paintings..

Gosh its been ages since we have done a blog post, but we have been up to lots and had great fun on the way.

For three weeks we have been staying in France, in a lovely apartment in front of a castle.  Here we did painting, picnics and our Easter egg hunt.

Luckily for Jasmin in the owner of the apartment was an artist, so he did some art sessions with Jasmin, including preparing her own canvases.

Jasmin with Eric peppering the canvas and paints

getting started

Jasmin's first canvas work

Jasmin really enjoyed her art work and is wanting an easel for her birthday in May.

Out and About

This week we have spent a lot of time out doors, and it  has been so lovely.

On Monday we went to a help at the farm morning which was brilliant.

Jasmin got to hold a lamb which was only a few days old.

The farm has 170 lambs so far.  Jasmin learnt that when the ewe gives birth to more than two lambs, the ewe abandons the other lambs as it only has two teats.  At the farm the abandoned  lambs are washed to get rid of its mothers scent and then they try and see if another ewe will accept it and feed it, if not they are hand reared.

After looking lambs the children helped clean out, feed and brush the rabbits and guinea pigs.

Next the children groomed a shetland pony, Jasmin loved this. I think she would have stayed there all day with the pony.

Just before they finished the children helped collect the eggs.
A perfect day for Jasminxxx

Today we went to friends for a brief play where the girls made chains with crazy loops.  Basically making bracelets etc out of different coloured rubber bands.

We then went off to Speedwell Cavern, in Castleton.  I have forgotten how lovely it is out there.

To get into speedwell cavern. You walk down  105 steps trying not to bump your head on the low ceiling and then you take a boat journey through the workings of a 200 year old lead mine.  There is a halfway house where the canal tunnel splits into two allowing boats to pass as you then enter a cathedral like cavern, with a bottomless pit.- a huge subterranean lake.  It is amazing to think that when we walk out in derbyshire we are walking above the mines.

The tour guide told us how boys as young as 8 were sent down to work in the mines, in appalling conditions, often for 12 hours at a time, there was no electricity and the candles would only burn for 3 hours at a time. This really struck a chord with Jasmin as she has friends who are 8 and to think that they would have been sent off to work at that age is just awful.

When we came out of the cave we enjoyed our picnic, Jasmin had tomato soup which she really enjoyed as you can see from her face and then we found a play park which was great fun.

 To end a fab day for Jasmin as we pulled up at home she saw one of her friends, Yasmin who came running up to Jasmin and gave her a hug and then came in for an unplanned play.  I think Jasmin will be going to bed very tired but very happyxxx