Friday, August 31, 2012

A sense of scale, rituals and not a happy ending.

1. Alec lives in a surreal little world -- where toy trains eat pasta left over from lunch; a doll taking a bath in a shoebox wants to play with a full sized beach ball. He often makes these errors of scale -- several times I've seen him try to get on to a tiny swing meant for a toy, and I've seen him trying to ride in his two-inch long Thomas The Tank Engine. I don't know if he is making a genuine mistake; or if he is pretending because the absurdity of it appeals to him; or if he's play-acting.

2. We have new rituals for our walk home from nursery. Alec never fails to remind me to check the rowan berries for green shield bugs; and to pick a couple of blackberries for him from the overgrown rockery outside the doctors' surgery.

3. I never thought Gilbert and Sullivan would make me want to cry... but the ending of Yeoman of the Guard is heart-wrenching and unexpected.

Morning, errands and entertainment.

1. I murmur an acknowledging greeting to a passing bin man. He is a well brought-up African and replies with eye contact and a warm 'Goo...