Storytime

We had Miss Two (nearly Miss Three) here for the weekend and once again I was delighted by how much she loves books. Every night we read books in bed...and she had to have her special books with her in bed...just in case. It's a great example of 'monkey see, monkey do.' In the nicest possible way. Children are sponges, they listen to us, they watch us, and they learn through us. Loved it when she settled down with Pa, who was reading a car magazine, and she had to find her books to read with him. Another time, when her Aunty and baby cousin stayed the night, she found some books and read to them. But she not only read with us all. I spent hours in the garden and my 'helper' came out with me. I potted up some  pots, and found later she'd added leaves 'to make them pretty.' She picked me flowers, she stood on plants...she found monsters that we had to battle. She also wrote the most wonderful letter to her family... This letter...

I have my Nan's china cabinet in the lounge. It's nothing fancy but it houses bits and pieces, odds and ends, bits and bobs. Nothing in the cabinet is worth anything, but it (like the cabinet)  is full of memories .  There are the Babushka dolls Steve bought back from Russia- the glass candle holders painted with Christmas decorations we bought back from the Christmas market in Cologne - the plastic Eiffel Tower that the man in the grubby coat beside the Seine was selling ( 5 for 2 Euros )  -  the tiny Delft plate from Amsterdam. Little trinkets that instantly remind us of a great time and place. But there are others... The first is a doll's tea set. Very tiny, very delicate. It was my mother's and I never knew she had it until it was given to me, years after her death. I also have some of her cup and saucers, none match, but they were her 'special' ones, the ones brought out only for visitors.  There is also the teddy bear. Frankly I don't remember hi...