Linus is great at reading, but I decided a few months ago that – for a few reasons – it would be good to read to him every night at bedtime and to focus on chapter books that would take weeks each to read.

For one thing, I think it’s easy to get so caught up in the technical aspects of reading – especially as you’re learning – that you fail to get immersed in the story and to use your imagination to its potential.

I also chose to do this at a time (first trimester, perhaps?) when I was having trouble coping with bedtimes at all and was getting very grumpy with the swarming children. I figured that I could commit to giving myself to one child for that time, but if I tried to be involved with all of them I’d just end up growly and it would be horrible for all concerned. (Bob is far more patient with them than me… although to be fair, I’ve usually spent the whole day with them while he’s been with them for an hour.)

Choosing books to read to Linus also extends him and opens him up to options that he either wouldn’t or couldn’t choose to read himself.

And finally, it’s always a treat to get one-on-one time with any of my children

So far we’ve read:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
• The Story of Dr Dolittle
• one of The Famous Five

And we’ve nearly finished The Hobbit (another perk – I get to choose books I’ve been meaning to read or re-read for a while!).

Next, I’m thinking about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but we’ll see…

Linus’s first ever “favourite” movie was Happy Feet (check out his dancing!!), a cartoon about emperor penguins. When I saw a couple of months ago that Happy Feet Two was coming to the movies, I decided that it was time to finally take Linus to his first movie. The school holidays seemed a sensible time to do it, and on Monday I realised that this meant it was now or never!

So yesterday Linus, Ada and I enjoyed a trip to the movies. We enjoyed ridiculously comfortable seating, smuggled-in lollies (shhhh!), and an almost-empty cinema.

Linus got to spend some of his own pocket money on claw crane “game”, about which he now grumpily says “It’s just a machine for taking your money!”. He’s quoting me when he says it, but he says it with such feeling that I think he gets the gist.

After the movie, Linus and Ada spent about half an hour – penniless! – in the video arcade. They enjoyed imaginary shoot-’em-ups and car races, and would probably have kept going all afternoon if their mum hadn’t been bored and hungry!

Much as I hate a LOT about going to the movies (prices, food prices, failure to display any food prices, empty cinemas that seem to defy sensible supply-&-demand principles, lack of added value and innovation – the list is long and ranty!), I think it will be a nice tradition to have a movie trip each school holidays.

Linus started reading this page out loud to me this morning. I had it open on the screen from trying to identify a bug that Ada found a couple of weeks ago.

He reads amazingly well, and there was so much for me to observe in the short time listening to him:

• I’m surprised over and over again at the words he manages almost without a hitch (like “recognisable”).
• It’s also interesting which ones he gets right but looks at me for confirmation of (like “presence”)
• He didn’t even make an attempt at the Latin insect name – perhaps the italics scared him off?
• I also found out that he read “10mm” as “ten millimetres” without any pause for thought.
• He stopped when he got to “typical” (end of second paragraph) without even trying the word and asked me to read the rest. I guess he makes it sound easy, but it’s a little tiring mentally for him still.

PS from the looks of it the bug is a manuka chafer beetle, a type of scarab beetle.

Today after breakfast, Ada opened up an “ice-cream shop”. This is a frequently repeated game in our house, and involves tipping a dining chair on its side, standing behind it (it’s a shop, you see) and calling “Does anyone want an ice-cream?”

Of course I did (chocolate caramel, since you ask). Ada reached down under the “counter” to get my ice-cream, and when she came back up she said “Phew, I found it in the left drawer.”
Then she looked a bit thoughtful, and pointed her arm out to her side.

Ada: Is that the left?
Mummy: Yes.
A: If that’s the left, then (arm flung to other side) that’s the right!
M: Yep.
A: (arm pointing forward) And that’s north?
M: No, that’s the front.
A: (arm behind her) And that’s the back!
M: Yep.
A: (arm above her) And that’s up! (proud smile)
M: (nods)
A: (arm pointing to the floor) And that’s down! (triumphant beam)
M: (nods and smiles)

It’s always cool getting a free lesson on what their level of understanding of a concept is I think we’ll leave compass directions for a while yet though.

We’ve been camping a couple of times before (Pounawea and Purakanui Bay) but the biggest problem had been the amount of space available in our car. With two adults, three kids and the gear that goes with it we were pretty packed, to the point where it was almost impractical (our car has a small boot). We’ve since alleviated that problem by getting my Dad’s trailer back on the road for a year so when the urge strikes we can hitch up the trailer and off we go.

These Christmas holidays we were planning on camping somewhere but in the end Linus, Ada and I went off for a night to the Trotters Gorge DOC campsite. Linus had been pretty excited about camping since New Year’s Eve when he helped me put up the tent at the Whare Flat Folk Festival.

Highlights:

• Great weather – we hardly needed our sleeping bags
• A bush walk that lasted almost two hours (we meant to do the 20 minute walk but Linus and Ada were so keen)
• Small caves full of weta - there would have easily been a hundred on the ceiling of the caves
• Pancakes with Bacon, Banana and Maple Syrup in the morning
• Paddling in the stream and rescuing bugs (mostly hoverflies and night beetles)
• Heaps of kererū (Linus reckons he counted 12, I reckon he’s pretty close)
• Heaps of great photos taken by Linus and Ada around the campsite (and heaps more not so great ones)

So now that we’ve had a bit of practice putting the tent up we reckon we can get it up in about 10 minutes. Pretty slick!

(See our Flickr photos)