1. Alec refused to push his boat along; and he refused to kick it on his back. When the time came to sing Humpty Dumpty and jump in, he turned round and walked away. I was left by the wall trying to drag a squirming wet toddler back into the pool by his ankles while all the others in the class swum nicely across.
Then the teacher said: "We're going to play rockets. Sit on the step... That's right Alec, well done. And three... two... one... blast off! Put out your arms and they're going to push off to you."
"More! More!" said Alec, trying to wriggle his way back to the step.
2. I love the dimpled, dinted surface of a swollen river.
3. A quiet naptime knock at the front door.
4. To tip my button box out on to the table for a child to play with.
