Book Review; The Slime Squad by Steve Cole

Random House publishers really kindly sent us a couple of copies of The Slime Squad to have a look at. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical that my two little pre-schoolers would like them. However, although they can't read them themselves yet, they do seem to enjoy the stories as I read them at bedtime over the course of a few days. We try to read a combination of longer stories over the course of a week and short pre-schooler stories, so I'm always on the look out for kid friendly stuff.

The Slime Squad are a group of super monsters who are trying to save the world and the books come hot on the heels of Astrosaurs which is a story that Toddler Boy loves, begging me to get the cassette out of the library whenever we go. This is a faff because I have to set up the vintage cassette deck.

The Slime Squad are funny stories with poo and slime and are great for kids up to about seven or eight (or more depending on reading levels). We enjoyed them and I can imagine that they will be read over and over again. You can find the authors website here and have a look at him on YouTube below:



You can buy the books here.

Book Review; The Slime Squad by Steve Cole

Free Food

One of the things that I want to instill into my children is a love of the outdoors and a real understanding of nature and the ability to identify plants and animals. For once, I am actually quite a good person to do this as I have had a real love of all things outdoors since I was little and have an enormous library of identification books. Compared to most people I have an encyclopedic knowledge. This is in part due to the fact that one of my university lecturers is Ray Mear's mentor and that as an environmental archaeologist my training is really in 'grass roots' identification of things. I can identify most British trees, plants, insects and mammals, even from the slightest fragment of a bone. It's a skill which I am grateful for and which has enriched my life no end.

Today I was wondering about what to do with the kids, when I suddenly remembered a blackberry hedge we had come across earlier on in the year. What better than a walk through the greenbelt that is very close to our house, a nice enough walk in itself, to get there. The sun was out, it was a tonic for me, there was a flock of pigeons with a few white doves flying about the field in formation. It was an awesome sight, and had all three of us transfixed.

The blackberries are out in force at the moment and we spent quite a while talking about all the different subspecies that were there, why they were there and what we might do with them. We discussed which ones to get and why and had fun running about and enjoying the moment. The funniest part was when Toddler Boy sat on one!

I'm keen that we only take what we need, so other people and animals can also benefit from natures bounty. We took enough so we could make some a crumble and a pie and have a tub to freeze, and left millions for others. Although we might go back at the weekend for a second harvest. On our travels, I found apples hanging over a fence and dropping onto a path- all going to waste. That seemed a shame so we might go and grab some later, we can cut off the bruised and split bits and stew them up. We also found some sweet chestnut trees, I know of an avenue of them which we go to each year, but these are nearer to our house. Can't wait for those! Plenty of elderberries, I need to think about what to do with them and tons of other examples of free food. There's a fantastic source of nutrition out there at the moment and this is a fab activity for pre-schoolers. Also, lets face it free things taste sweeter!

If you want to have a go but feel a little bit uncertain there is a handy pocket sized book which we try to keep to hand for moments of identification indecision. You'll find it here

Free Food

Book Review; New Roald Dahl Hardbacks

I love Roald Dahl, I make the children listen to parts of the stories at bedtime as I yet again vicariously re-live my youth. I've even dragged them around the Roald Dahl museum several times. They don't seem to mind despite being little. Toddler boy loves the first chapter of Fantastic Mr Fox, with its rhyme about Boggis and Bunce and Bean. We sometimes even sing this in the car. Fifi giggles at it, Toddler Boy is very serious. He takes life seriously, which is why I think the Roald Dahl stories actually go down so well in our house!

Anyway, we were fortunate enough to be sent a couple of copies of these wonderful new hardbacks by Random House. We all know the stories, so I'm not going to critique them. They are childrens classics. Suffice to say, if someone bought one of your children one of these little hardbacks as a gift you would be more than happy. They are really nicely produced, and ten percent of the author royalties go to Roald Dahl charities. If I were you, I would start ordering a few now as they will make excellent stocking fillers this Christmas and I can see them selling out. That's what I intend to do anyhow. You can buy one here.

Book Review; New Roald Dahl Hardbacks

That's Not My Haircut

I had a bad day yesterday, the childminder was off sick so I had to find alternative arrangements. Luckily my friend stepped in alongside my mother in law. Toddler Boy and the mother in law have a funny relationship as far as I am concerned. They are far far too close. Still he really enjoys going there and I am grateful for the help.

However, yesterday she cut his hair. I noticed straight away. He has not had his hair cut except for a very tiny trim I did along the back. I was planning on his first proper haircut with a professional hairdresser this weekend. I liked his baby hair, the way it curled and flicked and the wisps of baby blonde amongst the rest.

I looked at him.
I breathed.
My heart raced a bit and I felt like it was in my mouth.
I tried to breathe again. Breathe. Slowly. I couldn't
I tried really hard not to let onto the boy.
Breathe
Breathe

My stomach churned.

I tried to calmly mention it to the husband who said she had mentioned it when he picked Toddler Boy up, but felt he couldn't say anything. I then started to feel a bit annoyed. How could he not realise how important this was to me. She had violated my boy and in the process showed her utter disrespect for my feelings.

Looking at my boy, he looks like a little boy, all the vestiges of his babyhood are gone. It is like the fragile vestigial butterfly wings of babyhood have clattered to the floor without me being present. I was not prepared for it. A small thing, but my thing to do. Sort of like cutting strings that bind you to your child, it must be done on your terms. The act of doing this has made me feel even more threatened by her. It is like the exertion of ownership, like making your mark.

I have no shame in saying that I found it incredibly hard to bond with Toddler Boy, it took me a good year and even now our relationship is not as naturally all embracingly comfortable as the one I have with Fifi. In doing this, I feel that my mother in law has set me back one rung of the ladder. Each time I look at him I am reminded of her act, an act of ownership and exertion of power. Inside of me a little bit has shrivelled up, a tiny portion of me has become hardened.

She has spoilt something for me, she has exerted her power over me and my child and she has been unthinking in this. It is not something that I am going to be able to forget and in doing this she has bound herself up in my memories of him as a child. I cannot forgive this one, I shall be pleasant but I cannot forget.

That's Not My Haircut

Book Review: Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa

Cardboard counting books are ten a penny, we have not had a great deal of success with them so far. However, the children are both capable of counting; Fifi to five and Toddler Boy to thirteen, so maybe the ones we have used are more successful than I thought. More likely my incessant counting out of things; spoonfuls of formula, socks, anything and everything.

However, counting books are generally nice because they offer lots of opportunity for discussion and this lovely little book does just that. Its unusual as it is really retro, the illustrations are reminiscent of my old ones from the 1970's. I like this. Finding out more about the author it appears that Gyo Fujikawa's books are read in 22 countries. She is a classic and groundbreaking children's book illustrator and illustrated her first book in 1957. I think this makes the book even more special.

There were plenty of images to discuss and the fact that they were in such a different style of usual was a bonus. We enjoyed this one. You can buy it here.

Book Review: Can You Count? by Gyo Fujikawa

Contrasting Fortunes

Dawn rising does funny things to you; hormones suppressed, cravings for Lemon Curd exponentially increased. Whats that all about? Having your hair brushed by an 18 month old with a very hard brush tests the patience. By the time you reach work it's spent. That's difficult.
Have you ever noticed how the weather is always better the first half of the week? Humpf.

I was reading A View From the Bikeshed's blog about public schools and how he feels it is unjust. This is a feeling that my gut shares, however, one must not live by gut alone. Yet when you consider the people that you have met in life, there is something to be said regarding the fortunes of those who have had the benefit of private education. Those that I have met certainly have a great deal more confidence, money and arguably a better quality of life than those that have not. It's one of the injustices of life.

This brings me to another, Chicken Pox; Toddler boy was spotty, but this pales into minor insignificance compared to Fifi who has been literally covered head to foot. The chicken pox has long gone, but the marks left by the spots have not. Poor Fifi has little pitted scars on her face and Toddler boy a flush of red marks on his back. Isn't it ironic that the little girl has marks on her face, I hope that they will go as she grows.

In other news I have been offered a wonderful opportunity which I must take up, however this falls on the same day as something else and therefore that day requires a lot of rushing about. Heaven forbid I succumb to illness. Yet another example of fate, like buses opportunities all come at once. However our lives really pale into insignificance compared to those of the homeless in the UK, those in Pakistan and the ones that the Blogadesh bloggers are telling us all about. The world cannot be fair and just, but sparing a thought for others really puts your life into context.

Contrasting Fortunes

Sunday Lunch at the Beefeater

I'm rubbish at cooking Sunday lunch, I'm just not organised enough, my kitchen is a random muddle of bowls and plates and stuff which avalanche out of the cupboards if I dare open them. So I don't very often and restrict myself to cooking things using items of equipment that are on open shelves. Sunday lunch is few and far between, we did occasionally join up with the little garden helpers and do a lunch rota, but that drifted. Maybe we should resurrect that!

In the meantime, we have been having a treat once in a while and testing out Hertfordshires fines eateries. This has meant trips to Wagamama, Pizza Express, the local pubs and now the Beefeater at Stanborough in Welwyn Garden City. Beefeater pubs bring back fond childhood memories of special birthday meals and endless trips to the salad bar. I was very excited about going there.

Nowadays Beefeater's have gone all upmarket with trendy carpets and lampshades and no salad bar. The menu is exactly what you would imagine, and for Sunday lunch its perfect. Although the lack of a vegetarian option was a bit disappointing. When we walked into the Stanborough Beefeater we were greeted with friendly and helpful staff. Clearly happy in their work, the staff were pleasant to all the customers. The children were provided with colouring books which is a helpful touch when you are trying to entertain them.

The food arrived promptly, the starters were great, we liked the vegetables and dip

that Fifi had and the garlic bread was yummy. One little thing of puzzlement was the fact that we had a kids garlic bread and an adult garlic bread and although exactly the same, we were charged different prices for them.

There were plenty of dinner options you can find the menu here. I really fancied roast chicken, unfortunately that wasn't on offer the day we visited. So between us we had:

Children's Fish and Chips

Children's Pasta

Minted Lamb & Dauphinoise Potatoes

Adults Steak and Chips

As usual, everyone else's dinner was lovely, but my minted lamb with dauphinoise potatoes was not all that great, although it looked lovely. The potatoes were cold for a start and the sauce was a bit too sticky and not very minty. Still, I made up for it by eating bits of the children's dinners which were nice and eating all of Fifi's ice cream desert which was really yummy.

All in all, I think improvements do need to be made to make this an ideal toddler friendly place. The staff and customers were very understanding of my children, the food was suitable, but it just wasn't quite as easy as it could have been. The highchair was a bit grubby and was one of those ones with a tray, Fifi is used to sitting at the table and so it was a bit of an issue. What's more surprisingly, is that there was no baby changing station in the toilets. Also the toddler sized cutlery was a bit worn out which just didn't look great and my kids preferred to use the adults.

I think that Beefeaters are an excellent choice for a family with slightly older children than mine and are probably the absolutely best option of somewhere to have a family lunch with the grandparents/ great grandparents. In fact, there were lots and lots of families there with older generations.

We liked the atmosphere at the Stanborough Beefeater, the staff were great and the food got a general thumbs up. If you want to see if there is one local to you have a look here.

This is a sponsored post.

Sunday Lunch at the Beefeater