Julie Helen: 'I played completely clueless as he eyed up the tap'

The mere appearance of sunshine this week made Ricky, who is five, shed his vest and go digging for his shorts and t-shirts.

I wasn’t sure we were quite at that point yet, but he was adamant.

A few moments later, he was all togged out in his socks and wellies, baseball cap and sunglasses. He subsequently got rid of the sunglasses, realising they would only get in his way while playing in his sand pit, a mound of rough builder’s sand encircled in planks.

Next came the operation to bring his machinery from the playroom to the sandpit.

His trucks and diggers and excavator all had to come.

Once we had everything in place, he looked up at me sweetly and asked for a jug.

Knowing well what his hope was, I played completely clueless as he eyed the tap in the corner of the garden.

The wellies were my indicator that water was always in his plan!

We went back inside, gathering bowls and jugs and even a measuring scoop to collect and pour water. I thought our little boy might have difficulty managing the outside tap, but it clearly wasn’t his first rodeo as he filled the large jug and carried it to and fro, trying to be fast enough so all the water didn’t soak through the sand before he drew more.

He was in his element, yapping away to me, sporadically running off to wash his hands and returning again only to get equally as mucky.

The time change at the weekend has made Ricky reluctant to go to bed at night and a bit more sluggish in the mornings. I don’t blame him. I feel the same way, and it’ll take us nother week or two to really settle into it, but being in the garden on a bright, sunny evening makes it all worth it.

After we were outside for nearly three hours, Ricky announced he was finished and that he was going to rinse off his toys and take them back inside. I was impressed by his willingness to tidy up.

Once he had the bigger vehicles clean, he started bargaining to see if I would carry some of the bowls back in. Of course I obliged and he ran in home to play.

When I followed him, I was met at the door by all the toys and wellies and hat strewn about the place. I called him and made him return everything to its rightful place. Ricky moaned and groaned at me, but still did as I asked.

I was glad I had laid down the marker for the summer ahead. I explained that when we play with things, we have to put them back so we can find them again the next day when we want them.

And as for the wellies and hat, we just have to tidy up and that’s the end of it.

As I was saying it, I had a flashback of my own Mum standing in a sea of Duplo bricks in our playroom at home, asking us to sort it out. I learned from the best, but it’s bizarre when I hear her teachings come out of my mouth all by themselves.

It feels the same when Ricky asks a question and I answer like Dad would, with another question, or ask him to explain what he already knows about the subject, or add on a little fact at the end of an explanation.

After our evening in the sunshine, Ricky thanked me for going outside with him and for letting him use my kitchen stuff. Their little pleasures are so lovely.