Construction Time

 Lego- love it or hate it- it's there- it enters your household, is always underfoot, or peeping out from under the edge of the sofa/coffee table or the sound of sssshhhhhhhhggggg, ssshhhhhggggggg- as the box(es) are sorted through..... It was quite a Lego Christmas for us this year- with a fire station and a couple of houses arriving- as well as a game too! Even FI got her own house- which she was initially quite surprised, bemused even dubious about- however I believe that she is quite enjoying it now. She sets herself out with her tray and instruction book and has worked out it is a pretty good way of quietly demanding parent involvement- insidious but effective- well instruction following and manipulation is sooo good for them isn't it? This is our log cabin kit- she is building the 'Lock Keepers Cottage'- complete with Barbeque. We do like the 'Creator' kits- various options to rebuild and no TV/film associations. I am hopeless at free-building whereas Daddy is a real whizz- I do a variation on a house (garage/shed/hotel/shop??). For FI it is all about building at the moment.....

 whereas SJ also likes playing- this is his 'Pirates and Castles Brickmaster kit'- doesn't come out an awful lot but when it does it leads to a fair amount of quiet play.

 Mr TP has made a huge step forward in the last week or so- he has gained mouse control (I think I am more excited about this than him)- but his world has just opened up (and we can reduce the amount of times that we have to watch Postman Pat Special Missions- I hope). He has been particularly enjoying 'Painting' pictures and shows occasional real concentration.

SJ and I have started to read Warhorse together, in preparation for planning to go and see the new film together. We have had our Michael Morpugo set for a while but this is the first we have read together- possibly still a little old for him but aided by his genuine interest in the World Wars. We have been doing a little reading around the side issues of WWI as well. I am contemplating following this by reading a little more of the childrens war literature- perhaps Goodnight Mr Tom or Carries War?