Lost in a Good Book

My six year old has discovered reading – I’m so happy! I don’t mean the Biff and Chip kind of force yourself reading. I mean actual reading for pleasure. I am so delighted! This morning he came into bed with my husband and I, snuggled between us and read whilst we both read…bliss! (And certainly beats hands down the Ma, ma, me, me ma, ma, me, me more milkshake days!)

My nine year old took a little longer to catch the reading bug. He had always loved listening to (and sometimes telling!) complex and elaborate stories but for him reading did not come easily. The phonic de-coding just didn’t come and so he has to painstakingly learn almost every word he comes to. He does love reading now though and is spookily working his way through the Goosebumps series a kind of ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ meets the ‘X Files’ for kids.

Now yesterday the six year old went to a party that I had forgot to RSVP too and today he missed a party I had put in the new shared ‘this’ll make our lives easier ‘deluxe super online calendar at the wrong time… human malfunction, human malfunction, modern life is complicated and all that. (Argh!)

Anyway the party yesterday was in a soft play centre, in fact the biggest play centre I have come across. All frames and ladders and spiral slides and bright colours and karaoke disco a real full on senses assault adored by most sugared up kids.

My husband went to pick him up as I taxied the big one home from drama, we had managed to fit in an Asda shop in between the glamour, the glamour!

(Star purchase a ceramic plated, steam iron – we left our last one in the house we moved out of… ahem… seven months ago, crinkles are fashionable n’est pas?)

As he got there he chatted to the mums and dads and kinda waited, party bags were given out, kisses goodbye received and ‘thank you for having me’ said until finally it was only my husband and the birthday boy’s family left.

‘So, I guess he’s still playing?’

Calmly at first, but with ever increasing panic he began to search this mammoth play centre, not failing to bang on all toilet doors, bravely squeezing through mangle rollers (thank heaven for his snake hips!), masterfully climbing netting despite his slight fear of heights and even diving in ball ponds all assisted by the now worried but calm exterior family.

If he had been wearing a heart monitor, I believe it would have been approaching an ‘A’ bomb type boom when finally after half an hour of the most scared a grown man can ever be he found him.

Squidged into the dead end of a tunnel with a perspex window, legs crossed, Tom Gates book on his lap, absent mindedly flicking the book mark between his fingers totally engrossed. Lost in the adventure, the world of this character Tom, Uncle Kevin and best friend Derek.