It has been about a million years since I last hammered out a blog. “When will you write a new one?” shouted literally nobody. Well you’re in luck. Here we go. I decided to take the summer off to “be more present” with the children, which mostly involved scouring Netflix to find something they would … [Read more…]
When the Baudelaire orphans arrive at Uncle Monty’s house, we’re unsure what to think of him. After all, this is A Series of Unfortunate Events, where we are promised that only dreadfully unpleasant things will happen to our heroines and hero. What fate awaits them in Uncle Monty’s Reptile Room? If you are in any … [Read more…]
For the last nine million years, or however long it is we’ve had children, TheBloke (TM) and I have alternated weekend lie-ins. I get a lie-in on the Saturday, TheBloke (TM) takes the Sunday. For those of you without children, “lie-in” here is a figurative concept, lasting no longer than 8.15 a.m., otherwise there will … [Read more…]
I love cooking. It was something I came to a bit later in life; I lived by myself for most of my 20s, and dinner was often at a restaurant, or a ready meal, or an omelette before heading out to a gig. Then, once I had met TheBloke (TM), he did most of the … [Read more…]
Sam’s Sandwich was a gift from my friend Nice Kate, to my children, and quickly became a firm favourite. Nice Kate had been astonished I’d never heard of the tome, and so swiftly purchased it for my children, introducing them to some funny rhymes, cheeky characters, and the idea of putting insects in their sibling’s dinner. … [Read more…]
My children’s love of Nuddy Ned can be blamed squarely on my parents. When EldestGirl was about three years old, she went to stay with Grandma and Grandad, and they took her to the library and brought back a copy of Nuddy Ned. My parents – clearly with the same sense of humour as an average three … [Read more…]
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton was one of the first chapter books EldestGirl and I read together. I had loved it as a child, and remember playing for hours, imagining I had my own slippery slip to slide down a giant tree. Unfortunately, my parents lived in a new-build in the Midlands, so … [Read more…]
Every night we read a chapter or two of a book to EldestGirl. Her taste in fiction moved really swiftly from picture books to really quite complicated chapter books. She did baulk at The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe being read to her. I think it was just a bit too involved in terms of … [Read more…]
About a year ago, a few months before she turned five, EldestGirl started to prefer chapter books to picture books. She was still reading picture books by herself, but at bedtime when we read to her, she liked to be read chapter books. Over the last twelve months we have raced through so many I … [Read more…]
Honestly, half term sort of snuck up on me. I was aware there was a bank holiday, and that looming at some point, there would be a half term, but I hadn’t properly, properly realised it was here until… it was here. We had planned… nothing. Shit. I desperately tried to overcompensate. Day One We made cornflour … [Read more…]