7th
A week with Michael
Well, we are getting towards the end of our week when Michael has been staying with us, and it has been lovely, hopefully for everyone. He has been happy and content almost all of the time, and he is such a joy of a child.
He has had a lot of fun (as we have) riding on the tag-a-long bike, which has been a surprising success. We weren’t sure how well he would do - or whether even he would be able to reach the pedals. But fortunately he can just about get his feet to the pedals and gets into the zone with Ally. He really makes a difference up the hills when he joins in. He looks a little precarious at times, especially when he decides to take both feet and a hand off … very worrying for me watching from behind. But he has good strength and also balances well, and has never got close to coming anywhere near danger. And we keep mostly to the bike paths which are traffic free. It is great.
We have been to visit Great-Grandma Barbara, (Great) Auntie Hicky and Uncle Ian, and also Grandparents Dixon. He was very good on all occasions, was carefull around the older ones, and was happy enough playing and chatting every now and then. Hicky thinks that his drawing is under-developed for his age and that he should be able to use a pencil more competantly and make a drawing that represents Mummy or Daddy by now. But she thinks also he is a lovely child - and looks a lot like Laurie at this age. Hicky used her skills at paper cat and flower making with children to great advanage, it is so handy having her experience with this age.
Yesterday on the way home from Leicestershire we visited Thomas the Tank Engine at a railway centre near Buckingham. It was really well done, lots to do and see and many rides and sights and sounds. Michael was delighted to see the engines, and a bit scared and put off by the smoke and noise. But he had a good time and was totally tired by the end of it. He got in the car and was asleep all the way home …
So, we are having fun and so is Michael. It was nice that Sylvia and Laurie let him come and Ally has of course been delighted with “the boy”. We have another couple of days - hopefully a bit of cycling, but the weather is atrocious - how can it continue to be so awful?
