Improving new skills

I think I’m becoming quite an accomplished Jedi under the able tutelage of Tom. He thinks I’m ready to fight against the dreaded double ended light sabre. It just shows that although you’re ready for the next step, it’s a case of starting back at the bottom of the skills escalator.

First of all, he gave me a demonstration against two inferior opponents to give me some idea of what I’d be up against.

We then paused for lunch before taking up our light sabres for a proper lesson in Star Wars fencing.

Sophie and Tom have been in London all week, visiting friends, having sleepovers and generally partaking of all the things that seven year olds love. A short trip out to see us for the day was added to an already full schedule.

It meant (among other things) that Tom could finally get his birthday present which hasn’t moved from the junior Jali, where I left it. As it turned out, this was rather good because I was allowed to help him build part of it.

It’s a Lego Jedi starfighter which, apparently, he really, really, really wanted. I haven’t put any Lego together for many years and thoroughly enjoyed it.

While he was building, then playing with, the little figures, I set to work on the escape pod section. The age range on the box indicated a skill level of between ages 7-12. It was quite complex and I had to ask his advice on quite a few pieces. It was a lovely half hour working together at the dining table.

Pod complete, it was time for our usual light sabre fight. He’s a bit of a whirlwind with the double sabre, easily putting Darth Maul into the shade. After a good and energetic bout, he declared it a draw and announced it was time to go and watch the movie he’d brought.

He warned me that it wasn’t very good. It only had one laugh in it, which he described to me in enough detail to spoil the impact when it actually happened in the movie. (He’s almost as bad as Nicktor!)

I have to say I agree with him. It was an odd little movie called The Ugly Duckling and Me. It concerned a city rat (Ratso) who accidentally adopts a baby swan, thinking it’s an extremely ugly duckling. The story pretty much follows the Hans Christian Anderson fairy story with an element of threat provided by a group of tough rats, determined to catch up and get Ratso. It’s pretty predictable.

Tom played with his new Lego figures while I watched. He stopped playing when the funny bit came on, letting me know it was about to happen. He was almost right. There were a few more ‘adult’ laughs through it but basically the funniest bit was about halfway through.

Tom then decided I’d make a good trampoline, something I convinced him was not a good idea. By the time Sophie and Mirinda returned, he was lying on the lounge next to me, watching, quietly.

As usual, it was a lovely day.

Sophie texted Mirinda from the train after they’d been gone about 20 minutes to say that Tom was already asking when they could visit again.