Buffelspoort and a first swim!

Gert and Dorette had to attend a wedding in Rustenburg recently and they asked us to babysit.  (The children had been invited, but they thought it wiser not to take them along – clever parents.)  So off we went for a weekend at Buffelspoort. 

We arrived late Friday afternoon.  The L’s had already settled in and were busy getting the children ready for supper and for bed.

On Saturday morning we had our first swim.  It was a bit chilly, so we opted for the indoor pool.  The water was a bit hot, as you can tell by the flushed faces, but both children (and all the adults of course) enjoyed it immensely.

This was Janita’s first swim ever.  

Look at my pretty Kitty costume – a bit big still, but it was the smallest one the shop had! 

Little babies relax so easily in the water, that it is quite simple to get them to float on their backs.  Thelwyn was “drown proofed” when she was 18 months old and that’s where I learned the technique – although I certainly did not go about it in the rather traumatic way poor Thelwyn was taught! 

This is a picture of me and Dorette when she was 5 months old.  (We were quite the talk at the resort then, with both children happily floating on their backs beside me.)  We nearly got Janita to float like this as well, but time was a bit short!

Dorette and Gert in their finery, off to the wedding of a close friend.

Franco wasn’t too happy to see them go, but Oom Hendrik took him for a walk and like any activity with Oom Hendrik, that was great fun!

Meantime, Oupa Jan fed Janita carrots.  She is a good eater!  She is already wearing a plastic bib – loves playing with it too!

 

In the afternoon Franco and I fed some ants outside the rondavel.  Conclusion: they prefer chips to sugar water – and the birds prefer ants with chips too.  Many different birds swooped down to rob the ants of their chips!  Interesting afternoon, while Oupa watched Curry Cup.

Afterwards we took the children for another swim before bath and supper.  Again only squeals of delight!  (Franco was not very happy when Oom Hendrik went down the super tube, so Ouma decided to postpone going down the super tube herself… did go the next day, though, and it was great fun!)

After supper, I first put a seemingly wide awake Franco in his “bed” (mattress on the floor).  We read a Bible story and said good-night and we never heard a sound from him again till the next morning!  Janita was fed, had a bottle and also still seemed wide awake!  I put her in her cot, nonetheless, and like Franco, she fell asleep very soon – no fuss, no bother. no tears.  Looking after them was as easy as pie! 

Martelize has a new costume, and I can’t wait to see her in the water!  I think the best place to start is a heated pool, but when to go?