1. Alec tells me when he grows up he wants to be a "scientist-pirate-astronaut-fireman"
2. Alec is the captain of the spaceship (the large climbing frame in the park) and declares the ship is blasting off to Mercury. One child only wants to go as far as granma's house, so the ship stops there on the way. Alec promises to pick him up on the return journey.
3. "We only sell olive juice and olive cake," the 'shopkeeper' tells me with great authority. "I don't know where he's got this thing about olives from," his mum tells me as we watch the kids play.
And here are my beautiful things:
1. Goddaughter Ella's hair sticks up like dandelion clock fluff, only ginger.
2. We're looking after Aunty Katie's eldest this morning. "You all right?" I ask her, rather redundantly because she's sitting on the sofa weeping. "I know it's hard to come to a strange place without your mum."
2. We're looking after Aunty Katie's eldest this morning. "You all right?" I ask her, rather redundantly because she's sitting on the sofa weeping. "I know it's hard to come to a strange place without your mum."
"Yah," she says bravely, scrubbing her hand across her eyes, as if she understands that sad passes (very different to Alec who always behaves as if he will be sad forever and ever). She investigates the jar of small toys and Alec's treasure boxes while I get on with some chores and soon she feels ready to join the Alec-Tibby-Bettany expedition exploring a cave upstairs.
3. "Crew, I'm going in," says speleologist Alec Law as he prepares to wriggle down under the duvet. "You stay on the surface where it's safe," he tells Aunty Katie's eldest, who is sitting on the edge of the bed placidly putting small toys into a purple shopping bag and taking them out again.
