Trini Christmas in Surrey, in November.....

• Parang and Soca and an inter-generational winin' contest
• Garlic Pork
• ONE Set Ah Trinis (which, as we all know, is different from AH set ah Trinis)
• All Fours Tournament with much bawling and accusation
• Beautiful Trini Children everywhere dancing and riding bikes THROUGH the melee. Trini Children are really the most beautiful!
• Fudge
• Rum
• Food like peas
• Presents!
• Some English Spouses And Friends
• Heating On HIGH
• HAIL the following morning. The boys ran out and brought some inside, where it melted and made little puddles
• Coming home, tired, to a messy house, is A-OK
• And now, it's turned COLD. Proper thermal undies weather
• I'll work up a sweat washing out garlic pork jars and fudge pots that have been sitting there since the Saturday morning rush, and hanging up Christmas cards on a ribbon. NOW I feel Christmassy! What radio station is online and has parang? One hundred? Please advise.

Farewell Recipe Heap, and The Best Carrot Cake Recipe Ever

O recipe heap, I will miss you. But you were becoming a hazard! Precious pages were falling out, your rings were rusty and wasps had built their nests between your masking tape and your previous scotch tape. When I saw the NEW Recipe Book™, looking so shiny, I had to have it. And so you were retired. About time.

Naturally, your rings are not the same distance apart as the rings in the NEW Recipe Book™, so some hole-punching and re-writing has to occur.

Some recipes cannot be re-written, as they are glorious on airmail form, and in the handwriting of people now deceased. Fortunately, NEW Recipe Book™ has nice card for gluing special things to.

THE BEST CARROT CAKE RECIPE

This is rich, beautiful looking and really nutty. Like me.

Heat oven to 350

3 cups flour: I use about half white, half whole wheat or kamut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda

Chopped Walnuts, 1 or 2 cups depending on how much you like walnuts

Raisins (optional, my kids hate them)
2 tsp cinnamon and some nutmeg or mace to taste
½ tsp salt
1½ cups oil
1½ cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups chopped pumpkin or carrot
1 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together white flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. If you're lazy and you don't sift, you'll get bits of baking soda. Eeeew! Stir in nuts and raisins. If they are well coated with flour, they will not sink during baking.

Put the oil in a blender with cup measurements. Add carrot (or pumpkin) until you get to 3½ cups (that's 1½ cups oil + 2 cups carrot, 'k?)

Pour carrot and oil mixture into sifted dry ingredients, and add everything else. Blend well and pour into greased AND FLOURED loaf pans (or heart-shaped pan if you're making a wedding cake)

Bake for 50 mins at 350, or about 30 mins for muffins. Mmmm.

I'm BUSY!

I'll have a great post for you tomorrow with Recipe Heap news (scratch and sniff), actual recipes (any special requests?) and pictures.

Meanwhile, a little something cultural.

Thanks, Tim. Mwah!

I Just Know You're Longing For More Old Lady News

So Margo, who recently had a heart attack at aged 93, charmed the entire staff of Ward 22 and returned home slightly frailer but NOT feebler, needs a new Holiday Season Wardrobe. Thus, Mum and I took Margo shopping yesterday at Beales, a great department store in Bournemouth where I once worked long, long ago as a teenager. Beales is Margo's favourite place in the world.

Margo is tiny now. We have to look in the "Petite" section where the choice is not vast. Sales girls try sweetly to help, and Margo says "that's a little old, dear" when they show her the latest in Retirement Cardigan and Jersey Twinsets. Margo takes off toward "Jaeger", swinging her stick rebelliously.

"I don't need it, you know."

"But it would be great for tripping people up if they get in your way, Margo."

"So it would!" she agrees, doing a few practice jabs.

After hours of shopping, and a lunch break in the Beales Restaurant, Margo finally had two really lovely tops which fit, are beautifully soft (one cashmere I think) and require new BLACK undergarments, because her vest showed slightly with one of them and it would be fine if the vest were black and lacy. The lingerie department had nothing suitable, so Mum and I will see what we can find in Marks and Spencer.

We returned home and Mum and I collapsed exhausted in a heap. Margo had a brief nap and a neighbour around for tea.

The Cardiac Nurse is coming around on Thursday, to check Margo's progress. The authorities expect that the old lady would be unfit to travel to the hospital for her checkup. HA!

OM-ing Amidst The Lego

Our living room is also known as "The Lego Room" or "The Laundry Room". Since our furniture is still in Trinidad, the only piece in there is a gorgeous large sideboard (thanks Cherise!) filled with toys and art supplies and topped with teetering stacks of books (okay, we NEED to buy a bookshelf) and a new Nativity Creche. Two drying racks lean against the heater and in the corner, an ironing board. Lego carpets the floor.

Not the most attractively decorated room in the house, but somehow my favourite. It's got good Feng Shui, the sideboard is PERFECT there, and when our furniture arrives it's going to be really nice. That room is also where I do my Yoga, when I do, which is sporadically. Last night, after days of thinking that I should really get my minions to clean up the Lego so that I could Yogue in a peaceful Lego-free space, I decided to just go ahead and Yogue amidst the Lego. It was really great. I shoved the bits aside and plugged myself into the MP3 player I share with Chas. Scrolled past the "Dragonforce" hits to my Yoga playlist and had a longer, more satisfying session than the "few Sun Salutations" I had intended. I had to stop from time to time to shove Lego out from under my limbs, but I didn't mind.

I slept like a log, and feel great this morning. Which just goes to show, and the moral is, you should never let the tiny bits and pieces of life get in the way of your Yoga.

Namatse.

Read To Your Children, Read To Your Children, Read To Your Children...

Can I say it again?

Reading a bedtime story to your kids from an early age, even in the womb! convinces them that books are lovely things. Books mean snuggles, pretty colours and the favorite sound of a parent's voice. At first, reading aloud is difficult for most of us. That's why it's great to begin when your kids are young and not too picky! You can start with simple tales and rhymes, and in no time you'll be reading like Ian Mckellen! He reads the "Wolf Brother" audiobook series by Michelle Paver, and it's excellent. Chas is addicted.

Reading to your child improves their vocabulary better than any other educational activity, including fancy computer programs. It's a fact.

Some kids learn to read simply by being read to: the words and sounds match up for them. Other kids who are read to tend to read on their own earlier than their peers, a valuable head start when even solving math problems requires reading and comprehension skills.

Reading often leads to discussion, and helps you to understand your child better. WHY are they so into that book about dogs? Is it helping them to deal with fear? Do they love their toy dog best? Later on, serious topics can be covered: I still read to my eleven-year-old, often newspaper articles or chapters from a book I'm reading, if it's science related. He loves it, and will race off to google "Hadron Collider". He likes to know what's up in science news, but there's no way he'll read the newspaper himself. Yet!

Read the classics: Greek Myths, Fairy Tales, Shakespeare For Kids, it's all good. Collections of stories are easy to find.

Reading nursery rhymes repeatedly helps to develop a good memory.

Kids doing a topic at school? Get stories and informative books with lots of pictures and Enrich, Enrich, Enrich the syllabus.

Many bedtime story collections have SHORT entries, so that you don't have to spend half an hour reading aloud. Five minutes is great! We even had a book called "Three-Minute Bedtime Tales" for those nights when I had laryngitis or was in a hurry.

Reading a story is a useful way of coping with issues. Anything from "I Can Use My Potty" to the morals of C S Lewis' Narnia Tales can help kids (and parents) to think about emotionally charged topics. Avoid scary stories at bedtime, though! Save them for the morning. And DON'T read scary stories to young or sensitive kids, stick with the happy stuff.

Check out the internet for interesting sites like this one, for much more on how children learn to read and how being read to improves intelligence, communication and social skills.

Visit your Library, if you've got one! Reading can cost nothing, and takes less time than washing the dishes. There is no excuse. READ TO YOUR CHILDREN! Start tonight.

In English Pockets This Week:

Grocery Lists, mine and Margo's, this week's and last week's

Things To Do lists

Matchbox cars... we are having a Matchbox revival here!

Lego

Shells

Snotty tissues, bad news if they wash with black school trousers

Mars Bars wrappers

A fuzzy hat

Gloves

A cheque (ack!)

A key (yay!)

Fuzz

And several Euros from the Belgium Trip


Well, what did you find in your laundry recently? Tell all, internetties!

Signs I've Found In Places?

I miss the signs in Trinidad: "No Unnecessary Liming!" "Welding Done Here" (under a dentist's sign).

"No Campfires! Boil All Water Before Drinking!"

What good signs have you seen lately, internetties?

Totally Blowing My Cover

Laydees and Gentlehobbits, I would like to direct you to my Other Blog, over at The Bournemouth Echo newspaper website. I'll be writing about moving to England, and STUFF. Using my real name even. So now you'll all know who I really am, the two of you who didn't already.

I'm also hoping to begin writing for another GREAT website soon. Further bulletins as events warrant.

AND, Sean is writing a blog too. Chicken Foot Souse For The Soul, a Trini recipe blog. He wants me to be his guest blogger, photographer, editor and html expert. And he's paying me in delicious food. Good deal.

All is well here, we had gale force TEN winds on the weekend and went to the beach the following day to see the waves. The promenade was covered in beach sand and seaweed, and we counted sixteen kite surfers zooming about... What would happen if they got tangled up I wonder? It looked like such fun, but cold!

Marketing That Advent Family Feeling?

Regular readers will remember this one, somewhat adapted, from last year....

"Of the channels through which we can choose to send our messages, the visual is the strongest. This is partly because the parts of the brain which handle visual impressions are larger than those dealing with, for example, hearing; but it is also because we can attend to several visual messages simultaneously..... When word and image are used in combination, the resulting image is even richer and more powerful."

("See What I Mean", John Morgan and Peter Welton.)

Can you remember the Christmas Images of years gone by? They were of a loving family. He wasn't the "Real" Dad, so they say, but he had appointed himself the Protector of his Wife and Child. The Christmas Images of yesteryear were about Responsibility, Family, Love, and making do with what we had. The words that went with those images strengthened the idea that we are loved, there is someone looking out for us, and that we are expected to behave IN THIS WAY: Responsible, Loving, and Content with simple comforts. You never hear about Mary needing new curtains. The words Child, Mother, Father, Holy, Love, were burned into our young minds as good words. They went with chocolate and bulging stockings. They went with the gorgeous music of the season, awesome and celestial.

So what do we have now? I was hard-pressed to find Christmas Cards with images of the Holy Family, and so far I haven't been able to buy a Nativity Crèche. Everywhere I look there is Santa and Rudolph. Apparently, we are not allowed to wish anyone (or their children) "A Holy And Blessed Christmas" at school or in stores, and the iconic images of the Holy Family, and the very IDEA that Family Responsibility can be considered Holy, has been deemed politically incorrect. We have been told that some people may find Christmas Blessings offensive. How strange. And what has it been replaced with?

"Happy Holidays". And pictures of masses of food, way too many things, a reindeer with a shiny nose, and the idea that in order to GET this Happiness that you are very clearly ENTITLED TO, you have to have a whole lot of stuff. The kids, in particular, MUST have the stuff or they will be devastated. Circle what you want in the catalogue, kids. We have Jolly, Happy, Toys, Turkey, Fashion, Santa Claus, Weight Gain, Hangover, Broken, Plastic, Speedy Delivery, More! Better! Sooner! Cheaper! Now! Stress! Pepto Bismol!

I find those images of excess much more offensive. I would much rather someone assumed I worshipped a guy named Jesus who had a great family and taught about love, than that I felt entitled to a Happy Holidays. And you can keep your Jolly crap away from my kids, too. But go right ahead and tell them all about Jesus. I can deal with that. (Oh, at Divali, tell them about peace and light of Mother Laxmi, too. However you're selling love, I'm buying.)

Whether we are devoutly Christian or not, it should make us sad to lose our annual Christmas Nativity Lesson. How on earth could anyone be offended by an image of a family? How on Earth has this image become something offensive? The non-Christians I know are perfectly okay with it, just as I am perfectly okay with their wishes for Divali Blessings for me, or Eid Blessings, or Hannukah Blessings, or whatever. Someone wants to tell me that they wish their special Blessings upon me and my family? I am touched.

Could it be that the Holy Family just isn't an earner for Big Business? If so, then it is time for us, the consumers, to make a statement. To channel our money differently. This year, throw away the Jolly Holly Greetings. Claim back Christmas. We really need it.

More Children's Book Reviews: Grimm and Haunting

"The Snow Goose", Paul Gallico. The 2007 edition, hauntingly illustrated by Angela Barrett. This book was shortlisted this year for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.


I had read "The Snow Goose" years ago, of course, and when I re-read it this evening I wept. How am I going to read this to the boys, and keep my composure? What a beautiful story. Recommended for kids 10 and up, since it contains war violence and death. Parents of sensitive kids beware!




And speaking of sensitivity, we're reading "The Walker Book Of Fairy Tales", adapted by Amy Ehrlich, illustrated by Diane Goode.


Children being thrashed and put to bed without their supper, witches shoved into ovens and left to a horrible death, this book has it all! You know I love it. One thing which makes this book special is the use of bright, colourful illustrations interspersed with dark pencil drawings. Ogres and Wicked Stepmothers are ghostly and insubstantial, but not less scary!




Off to the library you go, now! Or Amazon. I haven't been able to get books 3, 4, 5 or 6 in the "Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy" trilogy at the library, and I will probably order them for the boys. I bought book 7, "And Another Thing", for myself, and have to admit that Eoin Colfer has me rolling in the aisles. He has done a good job of channelling Douglas Adams. We still miss you, dude. You were one hoopty frood and wherever you are, we hope you've got your towel.

Blogger Sells Out To Adsense

Well, I'm giving it a try anyway. I'm not sure WHY there are so many weight-loss ads, maybe because I said recently that I was expanding as a result of too many strawberries and cream? Why no ads about strawberries and cream then?

I'd better be careful what I say.

HA! NO I WILL NOT!

Thank you, and goodnight.

Stylish Hat Wows Cyclists!

This morning, Sean and I went out into the English Drizzle, with our scarves and brollies. We didn't hop on our bikes, because when I ride in the rain my ears freeze and rain blows into my hoodie and makes my hair depressed. We walked to the bus instead, and went into the old town.

BUT! When we arrived home, there was a package for me from LadyDiva containing THIS HAT from Conscious Alterations! Now don't get overwhelmed, take your time and follow ALL of those links, you won't be sorry.

Not only is my new Conscious Hat (in charcoal grey) stylish and original, but it will be awesome for riding. As you can see if you click on the links above, this hat will not blow away or allow drippy drips in AND it will keep my ears warm and dry. I will wear it with gratitude and consciousness, and my hair and ears will be happy!

This Conscious Hat is the wave of the future, folks. Get one now! They come in many groovy colours, and Conscious Alterations produces other hand-made accessories which look great.

Edited: Mention This Review when ordering and receive a sweet 25% off!

AND THE WINNER IS!!! Also, How To Train Your Dragon in 3D trailer review

Grandmother, I love your name idea best. "Island Hopping" is a great title for a column on moving from one island to another, and I like that it's brief. "Brief, and to the point" as Chief Stoick The Vast (O hear his name and tremble, ugh ugh) once said (see "How To Train Your Dragon" by Cressida Cowell)

******************

OH MY GOODNESS! (notice that I am not cussing. Readers, IMAGINE that I am cussing like a sailor here. Like a Viking, even.) I just googled Cressida Cowell's name to check the spelling, and Dreamworks is making a movie of "How To Train Your Dragon". "YAAAAYYY!" I said. And then I watched the trailer on YouTube. True fans of the How To Train Your Dragon books, this is a must-avoid situation. The boys and I have often said how great a movie would be, having read the How To Train Your Dragon series repeatedly and listened to the audiobooks read by David Tennant. Alas that the film trailer sucks. (Note my cunning repeated use of the book title to draw would-be movie trailer viewers) I have just shown the trailer to the boys, and they have said "Huh." and walked away in disgust. Dreamworks, why alienate and disappoint every Hiccup fan in the world?

Dreamworks, shame on you. The original story line of "How To Train Your Dragon" is original, wonderful, heartwarming and lacks sappy scenes with babes in leather. (Who IS she? Not Camicazi, surely? And where is Fishlegs? You DIDN'T write Fishlegs out of the film, did you?)

Hiccup was a naturalist, not a weapons designer. That's actually a huge thing. And? Toothless the Dragon? Has no teeth. Duh. What the heck? (cue Viking cussing here)

*************************

Grandmother I am so sorry to have gone off on a tangent like that, very rude of me. I will write you a blog post as your Winning Prize, with pleasure!

Everyone else, thank you so much! This is really exciting for me. I will keep you all posted. I am reading Collins' "Improve Your Writing Skills" and learning so much, and now my brother the hott pro photographer and film guy (check out his website, he's awesome) is having wild fun ideas about short films and animated childrens' stories. I say "Can I start small, like with a weekly column?" but apparently I am greater than that. Brothers rock!

This post today is not at all what it was going to be, but you have to forgive me. I am still in Dreamworks-Induced Shock.

Tuesday Library Book Review

"In Flanders Fields", Poetry of the First World War, edited by George Walter: I borrowed this so that Chas could have some more experience of war poetry before his school trip to the Trenches of Ypres. Some of the poetry is beautiful, most is very sad.

"Where war has left its wake of whitened bone,

Soft stems of summer grass shall weave again,

And all the blood that the war has ever strewn

Is but a passing stain."

-Lesley Coulson

"Seal Surfer", by Michael Foreman who illustrated last review's "Sir Gawain And The Green Knight". I believe Foreman has illustrated several of Michael Morpurgo's books, and I love his watercolours. "Seal Surfer" is a story through the seasons of a boy who befriends a seal. Very much placed on the South Coast of England with paintings of the cliffs and storms we've seen here. And surfing, which we're keen on.

"Night Bus", three SCARY stories by Anthony Horowitz. Sam read them all in one go and had to sleep with me! I grabbed them without looking too hard, thinking "Ah, Anthony Horowitz, the boys love him" and didn't realise how scary the stories were. It does say on the back, "Three terrifying tales you'll wish you'd never read" and having read them myself, I'd say they are excellent, spooky, disturbing stories for young teens if you don't mind a kid creeping into your bed for the night. Sam really enjoyed them.

"The Wild Washerwomen", by John Yeoman and Quentin Blake. Can you go wrong with Quentin Blake? I think not. This one is a winner! Seven washerwomen bury their horrible boss in dirty laundry and go on the rampage. Eventually seven woodcutters stand up to them and try to terrify them with their dirtiness but the washerwomen are unfazed. We've read this over and over, and laugh out loud every time.

"Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones", by Claire Freedman. A comforting, sleepy bedtime rhyme about animals on the African Plains snuggling up safely with their mamas and papas. Great for little ones who need convincing that it's sleepy time.

We also borrowed a collection of Fairy Tales and are enjoying re-reading "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" and all the others.

These books are all available at Bournemouth Libraries... And probably at a library near you! Get reading, folks!

Winter Fashion Crisis

Weeeeell, hello there my friends! My goodness it's been an action-packed time around here. Family has come and gone and come and gone and come. My granny is home resting with 99 different pills which I had fun putting into little compartments with the days of the week on. Plans have to be made for her. I am on standby. Chas went on a school day trip to BELGIUM today, and will return an a few hours, what a big boy! I am longing to hear his adventures.

The laundry is winning. Yesterday when Sean asked me who was winning, I said it was a tie. But now that the weekend is over, I realise that it was the mad hopes of an optimistic woman. I need a dryer soon. Hanging things up is environmental and all, but in November?

It's WINTER! All day it was cold. I need warmer clothes than I have. Will take care of that tomorrow. I have coats and fleeces, but my regular tops are cotton. My socks are cute and all, but not thermal. Y'know?

So far I THINK I like "Island Hopping" for the name of my column (thank you Grandmother) best but I have to look at them all again. Some are good for working into "about me". Thank you so much for doing my thinking for me my internetties, I don't know what I'd do without you. I will let you know as soon as I have anything published anywhere. Now I'm gonna read a bedtime story. Tomorrow: Library Book Reviews!

Friday News

Wow you guys! I'm blushing at your compliments and support, and love many of your suggestions. I have to think a bit, but keep those ideas coming!

Other stuff is going on to keep my mind elsewhere: The amazing Margo, aged 93, is in hospital with a dodgy heart. She's out of the danger zone now, and expected to recover. She has charmed all of the doctors and nurses, and they are making sure her medication works before sending her home on Monday. Half the family has been, is, or will be coming through my house this week/weekend, sleeping and eating, and my kitchen table has been EXTENDED to suit. It's fun, and a relief that for now, Margo is still a tough old bird. It is so hard to see her, small and covered with plasters and with an oxygen mask on. "You brought my book! Did you bring my glasses? Oh, good." I'm glad we are near.

Anyway, if you don't hear from me this weekend don't panic, as I will be inundated with sister, cousins, aunt, small extra kids, hungry people, and fireworks on Saturday night.

My mum will be here in a week and a half, which will be wonderful! I miss you Mum! Strawberries are standing by...

Max has a LEADING ROLE in the Panto! He is Badger, one of my favourite characters of all time. He says his lines with the BBC accent he's heard on our "Wind In The Willows" CD and it's hilarious! Strangely, apart from stage appearances, the boys seem to have kept their Trini accents intact. I am glad!

Chas goes to battlefields in Belgium for the day on Monday, and will bring back chocolate. The school bus is taking them as part of a World War Poetry thing, so we will read poetry all weekend, and do a French crash course. Fun! Exciting!

I went to the library and borrowed books on writing! Greengirl, no sign of the one you recommended, but the larger library might have it. Also might look online and order. Are there any recommended websites out there?

Today my mission is to FINISH THE LAUNDRY! It keeps raining. Drat. Hang 'em out, bring 'em in, hang 'em out... I'm going to turn the heating on and drape things all over the house to dry.

Keep byline suggestions coming! I love them, and they are helping the whole thing to percolate in my brain. Speaking of percolate, a cup of coffee on a cold and rainy day? Mmmmm.... Good plan.

And Now, For A Muppet News Flash....

Internetties, I am thinking of becoming much more serious about writing (Not HERE of course, here you'll still find mindless drivel, pocket lists, recipes, half-baked poems, chicken news and blunk drogging). I have a lot of stuff to say, apparently, and I've had plenty of practice writing over the past TWO AND A HALF YEARS! Wow, I've been writing for two and a half years!

You bloggy buddies have given me such awesome encouragement, corrected my spelling, awarded me with cool buttons, offered feedback and been real friends. So I'm beginning a journey today: Nan, the Writer.

What do you think? Any advice? There are some cool writing websites out there that I've been checking out. I'm going to the library tomorrow, to grab some books on writing, freelancing and so on. I'm thinking of doing a course. What do I need to know?

And, say I was going to write a column on moving to Bournemouth for a local paper. What would I call it?? Do you know, I love the name of my website: "Things I've Found In Pockets" was a flash of inspiration, something I didn't even have to think about. But now, I'm stumped. I want something witty and brilliant and totally amazing (like me!). "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates" is taken, alas. So, here's a chance for YOU to win a prize, my friends! Suggest a byline for me. If I decide to go with your suggestion, I will write a guest post for your blog, all about your awesomeness! Or any other topic of your desire. Anything at all. As long as it won't lead to my being arrested.

Hee hee! This is so exciting!

Scary Books Review

By the way, Max says that his literacy teacher says not to use the word "stuff". And he should know, he's an EXPERT!

Maurice Sendak, who also knows a thing or two, and who we hold in high esteem in this family, (should that be "whom"?) and one of whose characters my son Max was named for, (true!) says, when asked what he would say to parents who thought the new Wild Things movie might be too scary for their kiddies, "I would tell them to go to hell..... If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like." Not very politic, is he?

How could the movie not be scary? They roared their terrible roars, and gnashed their terrible teeth, and rolled their terrible eyes, and showed their terrible claws, remember?

We haven't seen the movie, and I am not sure we'll be making a big effort to, because so far no-one has said to me "Oh, wow, you HAVE to see that movie" and one person has said "Meh. Go see Fantastic Mr. Fox instead, that was great." But readers, we LIKE scary stuff. Don't you? While we were in London, Chas picked H. G. Wells' "The War Of The Worlds" out of the bookshelf and was soon glued. "Ohhh, this is scary" he groaned at bedtime. "Does it have a happy ending? I'm not reading any more unless it ends okay."

And that is what we, especially kids, really want. We'd like to be safely at home in our cozy beds with Mama and Papa sleeping tight, and then have an adventure, and then be back in time for supper. "And it was still hot." Would the "Harry Potter" series have been such a success if poor little Harry had had a slightly tiresome Aunt and Uncle and battled with something that wasn't that scary? Of course not. And would the names Hansel and Gretel mean anything to us now if a writer long ago had said, "Oh, we can't have their parents abandon them in a dark, scary forest, that would frighten our readers!"

Having said all that, I do believe that a scary movie is a different thing from a scary book. It is so much easier to close a scary book, to skim ahead as a parent and say "...and that's all for tonight guys, let's read the next chapter in daylight, hmm?" To say "Mum, read the ending for me. Does this end badly?" Whether we let our kids see a scary movie, or read anything they want, or keep them wrapped in cotton well protected from real or fictional Wild Things, is something we have to decide as parents. Naturally, some children are more easily scared by nature. Some will be crawling into their parents' beds at night after any movie at all. This does not give us parents the right to dictate to artists, just the responsibility to choose wisely.

I suspect the movie "Where The Wild Things Are" will appeal most to adults who loved the story as children and can enjoy it on a whole 'nother level. I think we are feeding the movie hype because we want more Sendak. We really do. But for my kids? I'd like them to have the few words of the original story, the pages without words, the potential for imagining, the slightly creepy emptiness and lack of explanation, still. We know that it ends well. Max stays away for as long as he wants to: Years! The moon waxes and wanes. But when he decides to return (he leaves firmly, he's made his decision), his supper is waiting for him, because that's the way it should be.

No Sleeping Here Tonight...

Fireworks!! Gorgeous bursts of colour, loud bangs, and all seen perfectly out of the boys' bedroom window!

Sigh.

I should have known something like this would happen just as everyone settled into bed. Today the washing machine repair guy came to repair a washing machine that NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH. And I had a conversation with Sam that went:

"WHY ARE YOU WEARING A WETSUIT!"

"What?? You said to put something on."

"Something normal, Sam."

"Like WHAT?"

"????????"

"Sam, a wetsuit is inappropriate. It's hard to wash."

We both walked away from that conversation baffled and rolling our eyes. Sam thinks his family is weird and his mother is completely unreasonable.

Guy Fawkes Night is on Thursday, so we can probably expect some more awesome shows at bedtime. The boys have the best view, over the school playground and towards some park or other. We're looking forward to a whole new experience this week! We will try to dress appropriately, and not be too weird.

I Went On Holiday And Brought Back A Paunch

Since we came to England, I've been eating... differently. You know, nice chocolate. Lots of coffee and tea. Double cream. Chocolate Volcano Cake made from scratch (curse you, Wacky Mommy!) with ice cream. The last week, a half-term holiday here, has been worse: huge breakfast fryups ending in croissants and a blueberry muffin. Long, long lunches of several courses, where by the time you get to the yummy cheeses, you have digested the first course and you suddenly have room again for those last few lonely pieces of prosciutto. Tea, with cream please. Supper, enormous and divine, along with more wine than the recommended daily allowance and followed by large helpings of apple-berry crumble and MORE DOUBLE CREAM.

One problem with eating so much is that there is no way you can exercise at any point because you are TOO FULL all the time. After supper, it's all you can do to drag yourself to the living room floor, snuggle your toes under a warm friendly animal or human, and watch the entire first season of "The Muppet Show". Contrary to popular belief, laughing till you cry does not burn enough calories to count. (My sister and I laughed so much her fiance threatened to call off the wedding. He tried to tell a joke "These two bats..."

"Walked into a bar?" sez my sister.

"No, silly, FLEW into a bar" sez I. And we fell about in hysterics. We calmed down enough to say "Sorry, sorry, please tell us the joke. Come on. Two bats..."

"Fly into a bar..." and we were off again. It's that bad.

And Dan walked off in disgust to find some men to talk to. My sister and I cannot fold a towel together without getting the giggles. We never did find out what happened to the two bats.)

My jeans have been getting tighter. And now, when I suck in, my tummy still sticks out. Disaster! It's time for drastic action. Yoga. Smaller portions. Muesli for breakfast. Situps, even. I feel sluggish, like I've finally overdone it. I don't like feeling like this. But man, it was worth it. What a holiday. Thanks, family! I love you guys.