We have spent the loveliest afternoon and evening together. We’re both a little under the weather, so we took it really easy and snuggled up together in our pjs and watched films. This is such a rarity for us. We spend the majority of our time outside, and when we’re home she usually plays, while I get on with the never ending housework.

When she announced this morning (40 minutes before I was due at work!) that she wasn’t feeling well, I arranged for my mum to come and look after her so that I could go to work. She had a wonderful morning with her nanny, but the mum guilt is real, so this afternoon, she was my absolute focus.

She wanted to watch films and eat, and she wanted me to sit and watch with her. And that’s exactly what we did. And I am so glad that we did.

Beauty & The Beast was up first. This isn’t a film I’m particularly comfortable with: the underlying message that it gives to girls about acceptable behaviour from a prospective partner is concerning to me. But I like Belle: she’s feisty and has the courage to know her own mind and be her own woman.

My daughter reflected today that Belle “didn’t like the beast when he was a nasty beast but they were friends when he was a nice beast and then a nice real man again”. We didn’t really talk too much about the intricacies of the plot, but it was interesting that she’d managed to grasp the distinction between his behaviours as the beast.

When that was over, she decided we were watching Gnomeo & Juliet. I was sceptical: she barely sits through one film, let alone two back to back, but she was adamant, so I stuck it on. She’s watched this a few times, and I’ve not paid too much attention to it (though I do rate the superb casting of Patrick Stewart as William Shakespeare!).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the film, there’s a scene with a plastic flamingo, Featherstone, and there’s a montage of flashbacks showing his former life with his female companion, and how their love was torn apart by the separation of the couple they belonged to (the lady took the female flamingo; the man threw Featherstone in the shed and he was forgotten). I hadn’t seen this scene before, and I have to say it’s really beautifully done (you’re going to have to take my word for it if you haven’t seen it, but trust me: as plastic flamingo tragedies go, it’s one of the best!).

When the montage finished, and Featherstone had let out his big sigh, my daughter turned to me and said “I think he misses his mingo friend”. I had to fight back tears as I confirmed that this was indeed the case. She then said “I hope they find his friend, but he’ll be happier anyway now because Gnomeo and Juliet are his friends now”.

I was completely choked. When did this happen? When did she become so aware of other people’s feelings? I was stunned that she’d been able to watch the montage, understand that it was set in the past, and then work out the current emotional state of Featherstone based on what she knew about his past. And to then make assertions about his emotional state going forwards, because of changes in his life. Wow.

Spoiler alert: there is a happy reunion for Featherstone at the end. My daughter said “Look how happy they are now they’re together again. I’m happy now!”

I hugged her tight and told her I was happy too.