Letters to the editor

Mother of 12 from manawatu writes:
"One of the things that intrigues me about Bax' scenarios as you describe them is that he is always the bystander - he's not the fireman or the monster - he's the narrator, pretty excited, but still telling about whats happening. I wonder if its another stage when he starts saying: here I come! Im a big dragon! Grrrh! etc."

Well Mother of 12, thanks for your thoughts. Perhaps I can tell another couple of witty little anecdotes to flesh the picture out.

He often says to the assembled audience "Here comes Dada!" with a big flourish of hands but you're right he does tell the story with actions rather than simply acting it out.

We had Trinket over for dinner last night and because Bax just loves her he stayed up and entertained us wll with stories and songs and dances.

When asked "Who is a funny boy?" He answers "Not meeee!" In a silly little sing song voice. And then he says empathetically patting his chest 'I'm not a funny boy".

He made G sit on some cushions on the floor so he could drive them as a bus and he kept turning around and saying to G "Seat belt on! click click!" and then asking him if he wanted some snacks. He ran out of the room and we all wondered where he'd got to and he came back with a little piece of paper he'd found in his room and said to G "Ticket Daddy".

He sang his whole repertoire which is: Insy Wincey spider, old MacDonald, wheels on the bus, ba ba black sheep and Postman Pat - I sing each line and he says the last few words and does the sound effects and chooses what's on the farm or which bit of the bus to do next. He does an excellent conductor "Any more fares?" And a great driver "Move back!" He says Noisy! when he wants you to sing louder, and Listen! when he wants you to sing quietly. I told him to Listen! when he sang his final number - Twinkle twinkle and he sang the whole thing very quietly and beautifully and it was enchanting - Gran and G and Trinket and izzie and i were all transfixed.

He thinks that baa baa black sheep goes One for the master, one for the lady, one for the little boy...

And when people come to visit or when I get home from work he pops up at the Living room window and says "Hello There (insert name). Hello there" and then runs to the hall and says "Come in come in come in!!!"