Rachel, Owen and Kathryn

Observing how the cat was cris-crossing the floor underneath the table, Katy exclaimed "Mitsa's walking under the table! You could call it a cat-walk!"

Doing one of those 'activities to keep your pre-schooler amused on car journeys' books the other day, looking at opposites: in this case 'big' and 'small'. Katy could read (or recognise) the word 'big' but I didn't push it with 'small' as it's not phonetic. "That's funny" she remarked, "because 'big' is small and 'small' is big!"

Last day of our holiday, and the sun finally makes an appearance. Day 1: so wet we spent the day at the local leisure complex . Day 2: dodged the rain on steam train and at Windermere Aquarium . Day 3: outran the rain at Holme Open Farm , Sedburgh. Day 4: enjoying sun (and a hefty breeze) at Morecambe. Midland Hotel in one direction, Helvellyn in the other. Might just be time for another icecream.

Katy meets Olly the tropical screech owl at Haverthwaite station.

Katy amongst the steam engines at Haverthwaite.

The M6 at holiday time: what a ride! Assorted caravans, motorhomes, cars with unfeasible numbers of bikes on board, a boat on a trailer and now a chalet on a trailer. Excited all morning but good as gold, Katy decided to nap in the car (this never happens).

I enjoyed the book of that title so much I read it twice. Now Katy has amazed me by asking "Mummy, is there any way to stop the next day from coming? And the day after that?" There followed an interesting discussion about the cyclical nature of time, and whether God experiences time in a different way ... I kid you not, she really is interested in this stuff!