1. Yesterday I read Alec one of my favourite picture books, Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor. In the past he seems to have found the rich (and slightly frightening) illustrations overwhelming. Recently, though, he's got into pirates and started to enjoy things that are 'little bit scary', so we gave it another go. He asked lots of questions about the strange animals and the even stranger characters, but never asked me to stop reading. It was very gratifying to hear him quoting the Yellow Creature's 'Yo ho' catchphrase this morning.2. We go as a family to the last day of Cricket Week. I rest in the sun while Nick and Alec soak up the atmosphere. Alec checks an item off his bucket list -- meeting the Kent Cricket Club mascot Victor the Horse. We have to go back several times.
3. It's time to go home, but Alec needs a nappy change. He is howling out his usual range of conflicting and unreasonable demands and we encounter some sour faces as we make our way to the changing hut. When we get there an elderly gent takes the time to distract Alec from his tantrum. He even goes so far as to offer to wipe Alec's very runny nose. And after all that he compliments my cross snotty-faced boy on the unusual colour of his eyes.
