Five years, one brilliant girl and a lot of dinosaurs. Here's how it all happened.

Emma arrived on a frosty November morning, weighing 7lb 2oz, with a full head of dark hair. Grandad gave her a little green dinosaur that she still sleeps with every night.

In the garden at Nanna’s house, Emma let go of the bench and took six whole steps towards her toy dino. Everyone cheered so loudly that she sat straight down in surprise!

Our first trip to the museum. Emma stood under the giant T-rex skeleton for twenty minutes, completely silent, then announced: "I need to see the bones again."

Our summer holiday by the sea. Emma refused to build a castle and built a "Sand-o-saurus" instead. It had a moat, three seashell eyes and was eventually eaten by the tide.

Dad buried toy fossils in the sandpit. Emma dug them all up with a paintbrush, labelled every one, and started a museum in the shed (entry: one biscuit).

In September Emma started Reception with her dinosaur backpack and a huge smile. She has already taught her whole class how to say "Pachycephalosaurus".