Visiting Chris & Gay in Dorset

We drove down to see Chris and Gay in Dorset for a couple of days over the Easter weekend.

We visited a swannery, did an Easter egg hunt in the Abbotsbury sub-tropical gardens and visited a lovely play park.

Above all, it was great to catch up with them, for them to spend some fun time with you and your v smiley little sister, as well as enjoying the countryside and their splendid garden.

Mike Wazowski

You drew a picture of Mike Wazowski the other day, unprompted and with no help. I thought it was pretty good!

Roald Dahl

A few months ago, way before your third birthday, we started reading you Roald Dahl books. A favourite from our own childhoods, Minnie had received a well illustrated version of Fantastic Mr Fox for her naming day.

You seemed ready to try something a little more advanced than your usual books, so we gave it a try. And you lapped it up. A few chapters a night, and we stormed through it. You were a little disturbed when Mr Fox had his tail blasted off, but managed to stay intrigued rather than troubled.

And when we finished, we moved on to the less illustrated versions. The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and now Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. You still enjoy your old books with the big pictures from time to time, but you are now on a roll.

And we have so many great Roald Dahl stories to go. I think maybe Matilda will be next, but I can't wait to see your face when you meet Miss Trunchbull!

And we have started reading your little sister a bedtime story too, which she enjoys very much. She also likes reading her board books by herself, feeling all the fabrics and textures of 'That's not my...', though she is still rather partial to nibbling a corner or two.