Little house on the prairie

I LOVED Little House on the Prairie when I was little. I WAS Laura Ingalls. I wonder if it was that TV programme, combined with visits to a local historic village with its quaint old houses, school buildings and churches, that made me love old things so much?

I think having a mother who ooh-ed and ah-ed over antiques and old villas probably helped me see their beauty just as much, though.

So last week when I accompanied Anna's class to a nearby museum where they had a toy exhibition on, I was delighted when she got to dress up. Pinafore and bonnet... divine... all she needed were the brown lace-up boots.

I have to admit that a primary-school aged me had my mother sew me a pinafore a bit like this. I very much wanted to wear it to school, but the well-founded fear of teasing stopped me.

The toys were lovely and leave ipads for dead, I think, and the children were entranced.

 My favourite was these little wooden hens. There is a string underneath that makes their heads nod up and down as they peck the ground.

I never read the Little House books, just saw the TV programme, but I'm looking forward to when Anna is reading at that level. If she won't read them, I think I will!

Post script: I know I'm not blogging as often these days, so thank you to those who keep checking regularly for posts. It encourages me to keep going!