A couple of days ago Bear shook his head to dippy-egg for breakfast, until I pointed out that his egg had a face. Incidentally, permanent marker doesn’t come off even when boiled for five minutes! He requested dippy-egg again this morning. This time we drew ears and hair too. I secretly want to draw long hair and curls and plaits, but I know I have to settle for spiky hair, glasses and moustaches unless I do one for myself too (certainly not on a school-morning.)

We had pizza today. Bear decorates puts his own toppings on. That way, he can eat a whole pizza as big as his head. It works for stuff he has grown too, like broad beans and herbs. But why does his pizza always have a face? In these days of special dietary requirements, ‘nothing with a face’ is a common theme. Not for Bear. Now I’ve never fancied myself as an Annabel Karmel type. I’m in awe of her, I’m just more of a ‘Come on, eat it up, or you can’t be that hungry!’ type of mum. So why am I imagining ways of serving sausages and mash to look like a face with peas for hair and strips of courgette arranged as spectacles? I guess it’s because we eat for pleasure as well as survival and the way food looks is part of the package. And arranging it for himself gives him a chance to test the feel of the food as well as smell, taste and look of it. I hope he’s developing a lifelong love of food and a healthy relationship with it. I think I can feel a yoghurt and summer berries session coming on – nothing like strawbs, raspbs and bluebs for a smiley face!