My little seven years and one month-old boy, you walked 7 miles today with me and your mum on the first section of the Capital Ring, which we said we would walk the whole of before you turn 8. It's not the furthest you've walked; we did the Chess Valley walk a few weeks ago and a mistake by yours truly meant that we did 11 rather than the planned 10 miles. You never complained once, though you slept well that night. Hopefully, you will tonight too.
I haven't written about you here for two years. That's unforgivable. You have brought so much joy to our lives in that time and there have been so many wonderful moments. Who are you now? What do you like? What have you done in two years?
You have been an inspirational son. You are loving, funny and so bright. You are good-natured, sensitive and generous. Every day I feel so happy to be your dad and I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I look forward to weekends so much, and loved our two weeks together during your summer holidays (we went to Portsmouth (saw The Mary Rose), the Tower of London, Nanny and Grandad's (and saw your first Shakespeare - The Tempest - at Kenilworth Castle), did the walk mentioned above and one from Hammersmith to Kew (taking in Chiswick House and Kew Palace), Oxford, Stonehenge, Bristol and I joined you for the long weekend in Dover (we went to the castle twice). I have seen and done so many new things because your curiosity and interest have led us there.
You have been playing the piano for two years and now you are SO good. There was a school music evening towards the end of Year 2 a couple of months ago, and your classmates played lovely notes on their violins and cellos. There was some cute singing too. Then, headlining, you played. You started with what you knew of "Avalanche", then played a little ditty you had written, next was "Sound of Silence" and finally you played "Yellow Submarine", and everyone sang along with the lyrics I'd brought in. We were so proud and had to try not to show just how much. You're one of the youngest in your year but the most amazing in the school.
You still love reading. You've gone through Horrid Henry and Jeremy Strong books and currently love rereading Tom Gates and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. You read all the Harry Potter half a year ago or more. I have been trying to move you into older books. We bought you a Michael Morpugo box set and you have got into the Ruby Redfort box set your friend Michael (and his mum Lili) bought you. Over the next 6 months, I hope you will read the Belgariad set that were recommended and that I bought for your birthday as a present from Idris and Isbah, who gave me the money.
You have an interest in art, and especially street art. We went to see the Banksy in Dover, but you know so much more than that and have met several artists and even swapped stickers with them. You have created hand-painted (with posca pens) works of art on egg shell stickers and a slogan you came up with ("Rot Your Heart") and put them out all over London and beyond - indeed they have gone international. We love going to see street art and especially enjoy hunting the lovely coins put out by an art duo we have met on a few occasions called "Quiet British Accent". Their work has inspired you and we have done many a treasure hunt for paper "coins" you have created and hidden in the flat and beyond (in the building and courtyard). I have a little box with hundreds of them that I have hunted for and found. We have bought postcards at galleries we have been to and used them to get you to remember the artists and the names of the works. Again, this has led to a massive explosion in my own knowledge of and ability to recognise the style of artists.
We call you Numberhead. You're a fantastic little mathematician, at the top of your school for this too. I hope that in your teens you will go down the maths/science/engineering route but your interest in architecture and design are also promising. You did a year of "Archimake" at school and a week at the beginning of the summer of going around London hearing about buildings and sketching them. I have added (a so far limited) knowledge of architects and designers to my repertoire, again inspired by your interest, your questions and a desire to help you remember and develop this knowledge.
You have been playing chess for since you were three. You have been playing online for about three years and now you occasionally beat me. You love the game (and others, such as Catan). We went to a new chess club at St Pancras library on Friday and you played and beat 3 adults. Your mum and I are talking how to develop this interest and skill you have. There's a club in Swiss Cottage we are considering.
You now go to karate every Monday night. It's been just over a year and you enjoy going, along with your friend Frank. You have both done really well, double-grading once and then triple-grading at the most recent event. You have practised hard at home (as you have with the piano and chess) and take pride in getting your moves right. You've showed more interest in playing football recently. We still ice-skate but not as often. We had classes for the best part of two years. Your mum fell and broke her knee in 7 places at one of our lessons. You skate backwards and do jumps, still. You have been on a few long cycle rides, doing about 20 miles earlier this year in a ride to Marylebone then from Princes Risborough to Waddesdon and on to the nearest station.
I think you are a sweet and innocent boy. It helps that you are in the first intake of your school. This means that there is no older year than yours and also that most of the children in your year do not have an older sibling (if they did, they would tend to go to that sibling's school). As a consequence, there's a sweetness and innocence around your year that maybe not all 7 y.o. children would have. However, this evening, after we got home. You asked me - not for the first time - about Santa. I've dodged it before but couldn't tonight. You'd had your suspicions so telling you that we can all be Father Christmas and surprise someone was mostly lost on you. You were just seeking confirmation that "he doesn't exist". You shoved the tooth fairy in too, stating that all you wondered was how we got under your pillow without you knowing it. Still, because of your first-hand experience in Ireland, where we went for a wedding in October 2017 (you put out a Rot Your Heart sticker there, too), you confirmed tonight that you do know that fairies exist.
I haven't written about you here for two years. That's unforgivable. You have brought so much joy to our lives in that time and there have been so many wonderful moments. Who are you now? What do you like? What have you done in two years?
You have been an inspirational son. You are loving, funny and so bright. You are good-natured, sensitive and generous. Every day I feel so happy to be your dad and I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I look forward to weekends so much, and loved our two weeks together during your summer holidays (we went to Portsmouth (saw The Mary Rose), the Tower of London, Nanny and Grandad's (and saw your first Shakespeare - The Tempest - at Kenilworth Castle), did the walk mentioned above and one from Hammersmith to Kew (taking in Chiswick House and Kew Palace), Oxford, Stonehenge, Bristol and I joined you for the long weekend in Dover (we went to the castle twice). I have seen and done so many new things because your curiosity and interest have led us there.
You have been playing the piano for two years and now you are SO good. There was a school music evening towards the end of Year 2 a couple of months ago, and your classmates played lovely notes on their violins and cellos. There was some cute singing too. Then, headlining, you played. You started with what you knew of "Avalanche", then played a little ditty you had written, next was "Sound of Silence" and finally you played "Yellow Submarine", and everyone sang along with the lyrics I'd brought in. We were so proud and had to try not to show just how much. You're one of the youngest in your year but the most amazing in the school.
You still love reading. You've gone through Horrid Henry and Jeremy Strong books and currently love rereading Tom Gates and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. You read all the Harry Potter half a year ago or more. I have been trying to move you into older books. We bought you a Michael Morpugo box set and you have got into the Ruby Redfort box set your friend Michael (and his mum Lili) bought you. Over the next 6 months, I hope you will read the Belgariad set that were recommended and that I bought for your birthday as a present from Idris and Isbah, who gave me the money.
You have an interest in art, and especially street art. We went to see the Banksy in Dover, but you know so much more than that and have met several artists and even swapped stickers with them. You have created hand-painted (with posca pens) works of art on egg shell stickers and a slogan you came up with ("Rot Your Heart") and put them out all over London and beyond - indeed they have gone international. We love going to see street art and especially enjoy hunting the lovely coins put out by an art duo we have met on a few occasions called "Quiet British Accent". Their work has inspired you and we have done many a treasure hunt for paper "coins" you have created and hidden in the flat and beyond (in the building and courtyard). I have a little box with hundreds of them that I have hunted for and found. We have bought postcards at galleries we have been to and used them to get you to remember the artists and the names of the works. Again, this has led to a massive explosion in my own knowledge of and ability to recognise the style of artists.
We call you Numberhead. You're a fantastic little mathematician, at the top of your school for this too. I hope that in your teens you will go down the maths/science/engineering route but your interest in architecture and design are also promising. You did a year of "Archimake" at school and a week at the beginning of the summer of going around London hearing about buildings and sketching them. I have added (a so far limited) knowledge of architects and designers to my repertoire, again inspired by your interest, your questions and a desire to help you remember and develop this knowledge.
You have been playing chess for since you were three. You have been playing online for about three years and now you occasionally beat me. You love the game (and others, such as Catan). We went to a new chess club at St Pancras library on Friday and you played and beat 3 adults. Your mum and I are talking how to develop this interest and skill you have. There's a club in Swiss Cottage we are considering.
You now go to karate every Monday night. It's been just over a year and you enjoy going, along with your friend Frank. You have both done really well, double-grading once and then triple-grading at the most recent event. You have practised hard at home (as you have with the piano and chess) and take pride in getting your moves right. You've showed more interest in playing football recently. We still ice-skate but not as often. We had classes for the best part of two years. Your mum fell and broke her knee in 7 places at one of our lessons. You skate backwards and do jumps, still. You have been on a few long cycle rides, doing about 20 miles earlier this year in a ride to Marylebone then from Princes Risborough to Waddesdon and on to the nearest station.
I think you are a sweet and innocent boy. It helps that you are in the first intake of your school. This means that there is no older year than yours and also that most of the children in your year do not have an older sibling (if they did, they would tend to go to that sibling's school). As a consequence, there's a sweetness and innocence around your year that maybe not all 7 y.o. children would have. However, this evening, after we got home. You asked me - not for the first time - about Santa. I've dodged it before but couldn't tonight. You'd had your suspicions so telling you that we can all be Father Christmas and surprise someone was mostly lost on you. You were just seeking confirmation that "he doesn't exist". You shoved the tooth fairy in too, stating that all you wondered was how we got under your pillow without you knowing it. Still, because of your first-hand experience in Ireland, where we went for a wedding in October 2017 (you put out a Rot Your Heart sticker there, too), you confirmed tonight that you do know that fairies exist.
