Susan Cooper, Ghost Hawk

I loved it. I've not read anything by Susan Cooper except The Dark is Rising books, although she doesn't seem to have written much else. She lives in Massachusetts now, apparently, which is where the book is set, at the time of the first English settlers. I'm 30 years older than the target audience of course, so my enjoyment probably says more about my stunted intellectual growth than anything else. I've recommended it to Ella, hopefully she'll enjoy it as much as me.

Libby is now riding a bike with aplomb. She was really put off when we came back from holiday, and still won’t go near the blue bike, but she whizzes up and down on her pink bike now, despite it being a rickety little cheap thing. She's made it to school and back without complaint, which bodes well for next year. If she and Freddie can cycle to school it makes the logistics so much easier, and I hate having to drive them short distances in the car. At the moment we have no choice, as with Bibs & Libs both at nursery at the bottom of the hill, I can’t pick them up and get to Fred's school in time without using the car. I've been toying with the idea of a trailer or even a triporteur, but it's only for another month so doesn't seem economically viable; also we want to encourage Lib to cycle herself of course. She's such a confident little girl. There was an open day at school last week, and despite not starting there until September, she was strutting around like she owned the place, showing me and Freddie around and telling us where to go. She doesn't yet understand that not ALL teachers are called 'Mrs Taylor' like her teacher, so was wandering around classrooms interrupting conversations to should 'Mrs Turner! Mrs Turner! Why you got this in your classroom?' to startled, random teachers while pointing at a papier-mache dinosaur or a rock collection.

Freddie has now broken up for the year, and we received his school report last week. I don’t want to be a gushing parent, but we're so proud. He's a good kid, kind and thoughtful and takes responsibility looking after new children. What more can you ask for? I am a bit concerned that he's not yet reading for pleasure, but conscious that you mustn't force it as it'll put him off reading.

We still have a bedtime song from the list at the moment, and Libby's favourite is Emily Barker's 'Blackbird'. She sings the chorus and it's so sweet

'I need you to love me

And help when I'm losing

And in return I will love you

And help when you don't win'

I've recorded it and set it as my ringtone. Fred, by contrast, is going through a Chas & Dave phase, although contemporary pop is popular too, as you’d expect for a 7 year old! Bob Dylan and Camera Obscura are always going to lose out to Mark Ronson and Little Mix there. . .