Low life | 3 March 2012

At the moment we’re very interested in spiders, my grandson and I. If we see one we catch it and put it in a clear plastic pot with a lid that doubles as a powerful magnifying glass, and we examine it. Last week we caught a monstrous one. It filled the pot. It was intelligent enough to quickly realise that escape was impossible and sat there looking thwarted. We took it in turns to squint at it through the magnifying lid. Oscar has no aesthetic sense as yet, and his powers of expression are very limited, yet he was visibly disconcerted by what he saw.

About once a week I take him on an outing. Lately we’ve gone somewhere and back on a bus because he loves buses with a passion. Suggested alternative outings are rejected out of hand. ‘Train or bus?’ I say. ‘Bus.’ ‘Zoo or bus?’ ‘Bus.’