We brought you to Italy for Easter. We spent 9 days in Rome, 4 in Florence and now 3 in Venice. You have learnt a little about the ancient Romans, a little more about Renaissance painters, something of Greek mythology and more about Christian mythology and you have been up and down the canals on water buses in Venice. You've had a ridiculous amount of ice-cream and have kept a diary/scrap-book of the days' happenings.
You've also become really into telling stories. Ostensibly, I am supposed to be telling most of them, but you take over and supply all the detail. Stories with themes like "under the surface" (digging tunnels and building cities), "under the sea" (seeing sea animals), "the show" (music, singing), "space story" (going round the solar system) and "dionsaur story" (from 'dinosaur cove', going back to one of the three dino eras) often have similarities: breaks in the activity for you to check if all your friends need to go to the toilet, an impromptu party including food and games, bedtime and now chess moves. These stories can easily last an hour. You have never talked so much. It's lovely (and a little tiring).
This weekend there was a change. At the ice-skating with cousin K on Saturday, you skated all by yourself and better than before, trying to go backwards and even doing a jump or three.
Today you swam well and then we had a roller-skating practice, at which, similarly to the ice-skating, a new confidence was apparent. Along with the football we played, this has been a great weekend for physical development and learning. Proud of you, son.