One morning this week we found a plastic bag filled with dress-up stuff and toys popped over our gate. Took a look inside to find it was from the son of a friend of mine. He's 11 and he'd sent Daniel a bunch of toys and dress-up stuff from when he was younger. It's really nice stuff - a Spiderman costume, Batman cape, feather-bedecked native american head-dresses, a fireman hat, and a cowboy hat. Mostly several years too old for Danny (though he likes the hats). He'll enjoy them all when he's older.

But Lauren fell in love with the Spiderman costume instantly and wore it for about 48 hours straight, hood and all. In fact she was a hybrid hero with Spiderman clothes and hood and Batman cape for good measure. Spatman.

We've never particularly cared whether the girls choose traditional boys' or girls' toys. Last time I took them to buy takkies [sneakers] they both chose from the boys' section. (This was to the sales lady's consternation, which was added to when she suggested some pink shoes for Daniel before she realised he was a boy. She must think I have serious gender issues with my children. I've since had his hair cut and he looks as adorable with shorter hair as curls.)

But it honestly never crossed my mind that Lauren would love something like a Spiderman costume so much. She spent the whole day whooshing around the garden Spiderman-style, and went to school as Spiderman the next day. She's so cute.